With the popularity of Qing court-themed TV series in recent years, people's attention to the concubines of the Qing Dynasty has heated up again. On this topic, the question is raised: Who were the most blessed women in the entire history of the Qing Dynasty?
Some people think that it is the concubine Dong E who is in the heart of Emperor Shunzhi, some people think that it is the Empress Xiaoshengxian who was raised by Qianlong in the world, and some people think that it is the Empress Dowager Cixi, the overlord of the late Qing Empire.
However, compared to those women who struggled to survive in the turbulent harem, there was another queen who had a smoother life, and she was Empress Xiaoherui, who ruled the harem of the Qing Dynasty for 54 years.
Empress Xiaoherui, a clear stream in the harem of the Qing Dynasty, was favored by Emperor Qianlong since she was a child and became the companion of his favorite ten princesses. After entering the palace, she won Qianlong's love with her excellent performance, and was married to Emperor Jiaqing as a side concubine by Qianlong.
We say that Empress Xiaoherui is the happiest woman in the harem of the Qing Dynasty, not only because she is high and powerful and becomes the queen, but also because she sticks to her original intention. She had a harmonious relationship with her husband, and even after her husband's death, she voluntarily gave up the opportunity to compete for the throne and helped the former empress's son ascend to the throne.
So, what kind of legendary life did this Empress Xiaohe Rui have?
The tenth princess's accompanying path Empress Xiao and Rui were born in the Qing Dynasty inlaid with yellow flags Niu Hulu family, and her ancestor Hongyi Gong was also Da Long Ai, who once occupied a high position in the palace.
However, in the generation of Empress Xiao and Rui's father, Gong Ala, the glory of the family is no longer there. When Empress Xiao and Rui were born, her family was poor, and her father even needed help from others to make ends meet.
Fortunately, at the age of 6, he was sent to the palace and became the accompanying maid of the Ten Princesses. Emperor Qianlong loved the ten princesses very much, which can be seen from a conversation in the history books.
Qianlong once told the tenth princess that if she was a man, the throne would pass to her. This relationship gave Qianlong and Niu Hulu more opportunities to meet, and he regarded her as his own and loved her.
In the fifty-fourth year of Qianlong, he began to consider choosing a wife and concubine for his son. In the draft process, Niu Hulu stood out and was favored by Qianlong. Although Niu Hulu's family background is commendable, Qianlong still directly assigned her to her son as a side blessing.
On the surface, Qianlong chose a concubine for his son in order to have more heirs, but in fact, he was choosing a future empress for the Qing Dynasty.
In the thirty-eighth year of Qianlong, the fifteenth elder brother Yongyan was secretly canonized as the heir to the throne. However, in the 50th year of Qianlong, Yongyan's concubine Jin Xitara suffered a miscarriage, and his physical condition was not as good as before.
Qianlong, who was concerned about his son, chose the side Fujin for Yongyan again, and Wanyan was one of them. At first, the two had a harmonious relationship, but Wanyan died in a short time, making Qianlong think about continuing for his son again.
As a result, Niu Hulu was assigned to Yongyan and became the candidate for the future empress. If Yongyan's concubine Jin Xitara clan has any mistakes, the Niu Hulu clan will take over his throne and become the new queen.
Emperor Qianlong lived a long life, promising to abdicate his son if he ruled for 60 years. 60 years later, in the first year of Jiaqing, he fulfilled his promise to give up the throne to his son.
Niu Hulu's family, as a side blessing, was also named a noble concubine and became the second-in-command of the harem. However, Jiaqing's original partner, Empress Hyo Shurui, died a year after she sat on the throne of the concubine.
Jiaqing immediately named Niu Hulu as the imperial concubine and put her in charge of the six palaces. In fact, Niu Hulu has become the lord of the six palaces, but due to the funeral of the queen and the emperor, Jiaqing did not hold a ceremony.
It was not until the sixth year of Jiaqing that the Niu Hulu clan officially became the throne of the Empress of the Qing Dynasty.
Niu Hulu is a person who is familiar with the Qianlong Emperor in history, and knows that in the years when he first became emperor, he did not fully grasp power. His father, Emperor Qianlong, was a man of great thirst for power, and although he had left the throne at that time, he still controlled the actual power, and there were even cases where ministers bypassed Emperor Jiaqing and went directly to Qianlong to make decisions.
However, as the emperor, Jiaqing did not care about these things with his father, he respected and listened to his father's opinions, and he gave his father enough respect regardless of the harem or the affairs of the previous dynasty.
Emperor Qianlong attached great importance to Niu Hulu's family, so Emperor Jiaqing has always treated her with courtesy. Emperor Qianlong was a courageous, insightful, and capable emperor, who, together with Emperor Kangxi, created the prosperous Kangqian era, and his reign was very long, which had a profound impact on the policies of the Qing Dynasty.
In his later years, Emperor Qianlong favored ** and Shen, used extravagance, and used troops in the southwest and northwest, which caused dissatisfaction in the imperial court. After the death of Emperor Qianlong, his son Emperor Jiaqing acted decisively to arrest He Shen, who was in power in the government and the opposition, and raided his home.
This move was regarded by later generations as the greatest merit of the Jiaqing Emperor. Although Emperor Jiaqing was slightly less courageous than Kangxi and Qianlong of the previous dynasty, he was a diligent emperor, and there was no sign of the country's demise during his reign.
On the issue of suppressing the White Lotus Sect, his approach is remarkable. After Emperor Jiaqing ascended the throne, the harem was peaceful, and he was an emperor with a gentle personality who got along well with the harem concubines.
Emperor Jiaqing's affection for the Niu Hulu clan stemmed from her unique experience and outstanding abilities. She entered the palace at the age of six and received an education from the palace, which broadened her horizons and excelled in ability.
She really did practical things in the harem to solve Jiaqing's troubles. Her beauty and insight make her much loved by Jiaqing. The deep friendship between the two, as well as the fact that she married Jiaqing as a teenager, also added to this favor.
Although she gave birth to two princes, her son did not become the eldest son because the former queen already had a son.
In the twenty-fifth year of Jiaqing, the emperor died suddenly, and his ** candidate became a major problem. Jiaqing did not designate a ** person before his death, and the princes and ministers could only choose from his family.
At this critical moment, Niu Hulu became the center of attention, she lost her husband, but faced a major decision. Many people speculate whether she will choose her own son or let her eldest son Mianning ascend the throne.
However, Niu Hulu made it clear that she supported her eldest son, Mianning, to become emperor. This wise decision made her a wonderful name in history. Now we have to praise Niu Hulu's wisdom and sticking to his original intention.
How many people have failed because of greed, but Niu Hulu has stuck to his principles.
The decision of the Mianning Nuhulu clan was well thought out. As the eldest son of Emperor Jiaqing, he has the rationality of the patriarchal system that China has always centered on establishing a successor. The Niu Hulu clan stood up to compete with Mianning for the throne at this time, and the risk was huge, not only may face opposition from the princes and ministers who support Mianning, but will also be disallowed by the officials who attach importance to the legal system of their ancestors.
Secondly, Mianning was favored by Emperor Qianlong and Emperor Jiaqing since childhood, especially in the eighteenth year of Jiaqing's Tianlijiao rebellion, and his reputation grew. He is a very talented prince, and handing over the throne to him is more conducive to the development of Jiangshan Sheji.
At that time, there was speculation that the Jiaqing Emperor may have secretly passed the throne to Mianning, which was later confirmed.
Although the position of minister and emperor of the Qing Dynasty was attractive, it was not suitable for everyone. Perhaps Niu Hulu never thought of pushing his son to the forefront. In this treacherous and dangerous Forbidden City, it is not bad to be a safe and stable prince.
Niu Hulu wisely led her two sons at a critical moment, bowed down to his subordinates, and propelled Emperor Daoguang to a high position. Therefore, after Emperor Daoguang succeeded to the throne, he showed great respect for Niu Hulu and her two sons.
Emperor Daoguang honored Niu Hulu as the Empress Dowager of Gongci and regarded her as his biological mother. When Niu Hulu fell ill, Emperor Daoguang would take time to visit her, especially during the period when her condition deteriorated, and Emperor Daoguang even took care of her personally, as if he were his own mother.
Although Emperor Daoguang had ordained two empresses, Xiaoshen and Xiaoquan, the real leader in his harem was the Niu Hulu clan, whom he respected.
In the twenty-ninth year of Daoguang, the condition of the Forbidden City's Niu Hulu clan deteriorated, and the Daoguang Emperor immediately rushed to her side when he heard the news, and although he tried his best to take care of her, due to the serious illness, the Niu Hulu clan passed away at the age of 74, ending her 54-year harem career.
After the death of the Niu Hulu clan, Emperor Daoguang was deeply saddened and insisted on observing the etiquette of the funeral of his filial son, mourning for his mother who had accompanied him for many years. During this period, although the palace minister repeatedly asked him to return to the palace, he always insisted on not leaving.
According to historical records, the death of the Niu Hulu clan was a huge blow to the Daoguang Emperor, and he often wept bitterly in the palace, when he was in his 60s and weak. Because of excessive grief, his body gradually deteriorated, so just a month later, he also died.
Niu Hulu, an empress in the history of the Qing Dynasty, was evaluated by history as a very wise person. Her life path was very smooth, first she became the companion of Qianlong's favorite ten princesses, and then she was lucky to marry Yan Yan, and walked step by step to the throne of the queen.
After the death of Emperor Jiaqing, she was able to continue her glory, which was inseparable from her performance when the new emperor ascended the throne. She was not dominated by power and status, but firmly stood on the side of Lizhi and Daoguang, so she has been invincible in the thirty years that Daoguang has been in power.
She adhered to her original intention, and she did not keep her original intention, so that she could always do it. The new Hulu clan, an invincible queen who stood in an invincible position and dominated the harem for fifty-four years, left a deep impression on us.