The emperor is mediocre, the queen is wonderful, overindulgent, and infamous for thousands of years
The emperor of the Northern Qi Dynasty was mediocre, and the queen was even more bizarre, self-indulgent, and was abused by descendants for thousands of years. During the period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the land of China after the Wei and Jin dynasties was chaotic, and there were frequent changes of regimes in various places, and almost every period there would be two or three regimes coexisting, each leading for decades.
In 550, Gao Yang, a powerful minister of the Eastern Wei Dynasty, abolished Emperor Wei Xiaojing, established himself as the emperor, set the capital of Yecheng, and established the Northern Qi Dynasty, because his emperor's surname was Gao, also known as Gao Qi.
Although the Northern Qi Dynasty existed for a short time, only 28 years, it changed 6 emperors in this short time, with an average reign of less than 5 years, which is enough to see the turbulence and frequency of the dynasty.
There are many reasons for the emergence of this situation, but the mediocrity and brutality of the Northern Qi Emperor is the main reason. In addition, the chaos in the harem of the Northern Qi Dynasty was also eye-catching, and it was not uncommon for empresses to have fornications with foreign ministers.
Among them, the most surprising is Empress Hu, who openly declared that "being a prostitute is more free than being a queen". Because of her excessive indulgence, she was regarded as a disgrace by later generations and is still reviled by people today.
Gao Huan, the founder of the Northern Qi regime, although he was a Han Chinese, his thoughts and deeds had long been inferior. He started as an ordinary soldier in the Eastern Wei Dynasty, and was promoted to a warlord by virtue of his military merits, and then controlled the real power of the Eastern Wei Dynasty.
His second son, Gao Yang, inherited his power and used tactics and means to eventually establish the Northern Qi regime through Chan Rang.
Gao Yang was the longest-reigning emperor in the history of the Northern Qi Dynasty, and he held the imperial power for ten years, accounting for more than one-third of the history of the Northern Qi Dynasty. However, his early death did not bring long-term prosperity to the Northern Qi, and his son Gao Yin was overthrown by his sixth uncle Gao Yan after only a little more than a year of reign, and Gao Yan died of illness after only one year in power.
Gao Yan didn't foresee that he would die so early, and he also planned to pass the throne to his son Gao Bainian. However, since his illness, he began to feel threatened by his ninth brother, Gao Zhan, so he had no choice but to pass the throne to Gao Zhan.
In fact, at that time, Gao Zhan had already privately contacted a group of people to prepare to launch a coup d'état to usurp the throne.
According to the wizard's prophecy, "if you don't move, you will be lucky", Gao Zhan chose to wait and see. Fortunately, his patience paid off, and he eventually ascended to the throne. Gao Zhan has shown a unique maturity and stability since he was a child, and his demeanor and demeanor were praised by the people of the time and were known as "Gems".
In the process of Gao Yan seizing the throne from his nephew Gao Yin, Gao Zhan's support played a key role, which shows that Gao Zhan has some influence.
Gao Zhan, who ascended the throne in 562 AD, became the fourth emperor of the Northern Qi Dynasty and was known as Emperor Wucheng of the Northern Qi Dynasty. During his reign, he canonized Concubine Hu, whom he favored during the reign of King Changguang, as the empress, and made his son Gao Wei the crown prince.
Before he ascended the throne, there was a favored subordinate named He Shikai, who was a Xianbei man and was known as a "beautiful man". After Gao Zhan ascended the throne, he vigorously promoted He Shikai and successively promoted his officials.
Gao Zhan and He Shikai have an extremely close relationship, and they are inseparable almost every day. Gao Zhan likes to play the pipa and is keen on the gambling game "grip the lance", and He Shikai is very good at these aspects.
Therefore, He Shikai used his strength to curry favor with Gao Zhan as a fortunate minister, a concubine and a minister. In addition, He Shikai also has his own unique theory of pleasure, and he believes that since ancient times, emperors and generals have not been able to avoid the end of their lives.
Whether it is a diligent ruler who loves the people, or a cruel and unkind faint monarch, they all return to dust after death. Since this is the case, then the fate of the Ming Jun and the Faint King is no different. So he advised Gao Zhan to "live as you should live, do it and cherish it".
Gao Zhan was originally an indulgent and lawless person, but after listening to his words, he was even more convinced, so he carried out the concept of timely fun to the end, and sang every night in the harem, regardless of the government.
Although there are many beauties in the harem, what Gao Zhan has never been able to erase in his heart is the shadow of Li Zu'e, the queen of Emperor Wenxuan Gao Yang. With her outstanding beauty and unique Han intellectuality, Li Zu'e has become a well-known beauty of the Gao family and the Northern Qi Dynasty, and is even known as a model of "Closed Moon Shy Flower".
Her presence is in stark contrast to the Hu women around Gao Zhan.
Although Gao Zhan is deeply in love with Li Zu'e, because of Gao Yang's ** character, he has never dared to express his feelings publicly. It wasn't until Gao Yang and Gao Yan died and Gao Zhan reached the pinnacle of power that he no longer feared attacks and retaliation.
One night in the winter of 562, Gao Zhan, who had drunk a few glasses of spirits, directly broke into the Zhaoxin Palace, where Li Zu'e lived, and the palace maids did not dare to stop him. Li Zu'e panicked when she saw the emperor suddenly appear.
Although Li Zu'e is a person with strong self-esteem, in front of a drunk man, coupled with the threat of power, she can only give in helplessly.
Li Zu'e originally thought that Gao Zhan just wanted to try the novelty, but he didn't expect Gao Zhan to enjoy this feeling, so much so that he lost interest in the other Hu women in the harem, and even regarded Zhaoxin Palace as his harem.
Li Zu'e, who had compromised, could only reluctantly accept it, as if she was happy every day, and soon she was pregnant, and her belly became bigger and bigger.
Li Zu'e was at a loss because she didn't know how to hide her shame, but the outside world already knew the truth. When her son, Gao Shaode, the king of Taiyuan, came to visit her, she was overcome with shame and emotion, and unfortunately miscarried.
The miscarriage brought her a rare break, but Gao Zhan's snub made Empress Hu extremely lonely. As a bold and reckless Hu woman, she felt sad and vindictive, and could not bear this lonely state.
With her beauty and courage, Empress Hu took Gao Zhan's favored ministers and Shikai into her arms. And the improper relationship between He Shikai and Gao Zhan made Empress Hu a unique one"Mrs. Cuckold"。
Under the protection of Gao Zhan and Empress Hu, He Shikai seized power as he wished, and used the power in his hands to indulge in luxury and bribery.
During the reign of Heshikai, the government was once corrupted by some shameless civil and military generals and wealthy merchants. In order to seek high positions, these people paid bribes to monks.
He Shikai is a person who sees money, regardless of whether others have real talent or learning, as long as they give money and goods, they will be promoted and reused, and the size of the official position depends entirely on the amount of bribes, resulting in a miasma of the Northern Qi court.
However, Gao Zhan turned a blind eye to all this, and was even convinced that He Shikai's talent could be comparable to that of Yi Yin of the Shang Dynasty and Huo Guang of the Han Dynasty.
In order to pursue personal pleasure, Gao Zhan took the initiative to give up the throne under the instigation of He Shikai, and gave it to his son Gao Wei, and he became the emperor. He was only 28 years old at the time, in the prime of life, which shows his extreme mediocrity.
However, unbridled drinking and excessive entertainment kept him alive for only four years, and at the age of 32 he followed his father and brother.
Empress Hu: The legendary transformation from queen to prostitute If Gao Zhan is called a qualified faint monarch, then his queen Hu is undoubtedly a clear stream among the queens of all dynasties.
Although there are many commoners and even prostitutes who have become queens and princesses in history, Queen Hu is absolutely unique to those who have changed from queens and queen mothers to prostitutes.
It is worth mentioning that Empress Hu had a glorious starting point. It is said that when she was born, there was a high monk ** she would have nobility in the future, and later facts proved the accuracy of this prophecy - she did become the queen.
Miss Hu, a stunning woman from the Xianbei clan, was successfully elected as the princess of Gao Zhan, the king of Changguang, in her marriageable year. She adheres to women's morals, and even though Gao Zhan has a close relationship with He Shikai, she is always calm and self-controlled.
However, as her status rose and the years passed, Empress Hu's mentality gradually changed, and her desire for power and status made her no longer at peace.
When she became the queen, she should have enjoyed the respect of the mother's world, however, Emperor Wucheng Gao Zhan favored her second sister-in-law Li Zu'e and took good care of her. As the mother of the main palace, she was snubbed, like a concubine who was beaten into the cold palace, and no one cared about her.
This made the proud and self-respecting Empress Hu unbearable.
After Empress Hu treated herself indifferently to Gao Zhan, she began to find another way. Because she lived in the deep palace all the year round, she could only imitate the noblewomen of the previous dynasty, spending time with several young and strong eunuchs, and living an illusory court life.
However, she became interested in the Hisker Kai, who was able to enter and leave the palace freely. The young and handsome man had disturbed her, and she often looked for opportunities to throw suggestive glances at him.
Empress Dowager Hu fell in love with the monk at first sight, and their love was like a layer of tissue paper, which was difficult to resist. Empress Dowager Hu is not only as beautiful as a flower, but also has a noble status, which makes He Shikai feel deeply honored.
He Shikai is confident that his charm is endless, and he is convinced that he can skillfully hide from Gao Zhan and achieve his own goals. His goal was to be able to be close to Empress Hu, and at that time, there was no one in the Northern Qi who could match him.
So, between half-pushing and half-pushing, He Shikai accepted the hint of the Empress Dowager Hu, and the two quickly became indecently in love.
In order to stabilize the long-term relationship with Empress Hu and to be able to control power for a long time, He Shikai continued to instill the concept of hedonism in Gao Zhan, and finally succeeded in persuading Gao Zhan, who was in the prime of life, to give up the throne and let the 9-year-old Gao Wei inherit the throne, and Empress Hu was successfully promoted to Empress Dowager Hu.
After that, Gao Zhan concentrated on enjoying life, and Empress Dowager Hu was also given more space to be with He Shikai, and He Shikai was able to firmly control the Northern Qi Dynasty. All three of them got what they wanted, and they were very satisfied.
However, in less than 4 years, Emperor Wucheng died of excessive pleasure, bringing an end to this good period of agreement between the three.
Since then, Empress Dowager Hu has really controlled the harem, and her relationship with He Shikai is no longer barrier-free. The powerful and powerful Heshi Kai did not shy away from staying in the queen's dormitory, and even stayed in the palace at night.
Their relationship was open and hot, which caused many people to be dissatisfied. In addition, He Shikai took control of the government, which made many royal families and important members of the court dissatisfied.
In order to preserve the reputation of the royal family and consolidate their power, they decided to join forces to balance the Heshikai. After much deliberation, they decided to get rid of the shaky Monk.
So, on the way to the court, they sent a cronie killer. The death of He Shikai gave Empress Dowager Hu a taste of power, but it also made her fall into the pain of loneliness, and she couldn't be at ease all day long.
In the process of pursuing countless times, Empress Dowager Hu chose the temple, where the monks tended to be inflammatory, and they were also somewhat eclectic. She took a fancy to the middle-aged monk named Tan Xian at a glance, and his smile was like sunshine, which made Empress Dowager Hu have a deep impression of him.
After getting the favor of the Empress Dowager Hu, the monk Tan Xian was overjoyed, and he showed his respect to the Empress Dowager Hu in his own way, so he naturally became the companion of the Empress Dowager Hu.
Monk Tanxian originally only occasionally went to the meditation room to preach the scriptures, but he colluded with the Empress Dowager Hu and even accompanied him day and night in the palace. This incident made the monk Tan Xian famous, and he was respected as the "Emperor Taishang".
However, the matter could not be concealed after all, and Emperor Cushman finally learned of his mother's scandal. He did not hesitate to order the execution of the monk Tan Xian and his two apprentices who had an affair with the Empress Dowager Hu, and at the same time beheaded some of the powerful people who often went in and out of the harem and asked the Empress Dowager Hu for peace.
Emperor Cushman & Wakefield showed no mercy in this incident as a sign of resolute crackdown on such acts.
Gao Wei showed no mercy to his mother, Empress Dowager Hu, moving her to the North Palace and forbidding people inside and outside to see her, completely cutting off her contact with men. Empress Dowager Hu fell silent as a result, but the national fortunes of Northern Qi had declined, and Gao Wei's position as emperor was difficult to stabilize.
In the end, the Northern Qi was destroyed by the Northern Zhou in 577 AD, and Empress Dowager Hu was freed because she was imprisoned without being punished by the Northern Zhou. At this time, although the Empress Dowager Hu was about 40 years old, due to her many years of fine clothes and food, she still had charm and looked extraordinarily young.
Almost all members of the old royal family were killed, and Empress Hu and Empress Muxili were reduced to homeless refugees, who were helpless and faced serious challenges to their survival. Both of them lacked livelihood skills, and in desperation, Empress Dowager Hu decided to devote herself to the Qinglou industry and persuaded her daughter-in-law Mu Xili to open the Qinglou together, and the two became prostitutes in Chang'an City.
The former queen, who has now become a prostitute, has become the headline news of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, and the entire Chang'an City is shaken. Many powerful people and gentry have come to have a look, and even rushed to kiss Fangze.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law not only solved the problems of life, but also accumulated a large amount of gold, silver and jewelry. Once, Empress Dowager Hu shamelessly said to her former daughter-in-law, Queen Mu: "As a queen, it is not as fun as being a prostitute." ”
Everyone who heard this sentence was surprised and incomprehensible, but the life of Empress Dowager Hu was impressive. Although her life was full of ugliness and strangeness, her name was deeply engraved in the annals of history, triggering continuous accusations and insults from later generations.
The six emperors of the Northern Qi Dynasty lasted 28 years, and there were many mentally ill people in the family. Their behavior was absurd and bizarre, which was an eye-opener for historians. From the time Gao Huan laid the foundation for the establishment of Gao Qi, the entire family fell into the abyss of tyranny and lewdness.
They are obsessed with the sound of dogs and horses, especially the love of fine wine and beautiful women. Gao Yang is known as the king of "lewdness", but his father Gao Huan also has a soft spot for it.
In the history of the inheritance of the Northern Qi royal family, starting from Gao Huan, through four generations of Gao Yang, Gao Cheng, Gao Zhan, and Gao Wei, they are all famous for their fanatical alcohol addiction. Gao Yang was unable to eat normally in the late stages of his life, but indulged in alcohol, so much so that he suffered from alcoholism and eventually died of alcohol poisoning.
Under the stimulation of alcohol, the emperors of the Northern Qi Dynasty revealed another unique family characteristic - a penchant for beauty and indulgence in lust.
Zhao Yi once proposed in the Qing Dynasty that "the ancient and modern courts are chaotic, and it is difficult to reach the rebellion of the Northern Qi Dynasty". Among Gao Huan's wives, except for Yuan and Lou Zhaojun and Princess Rouran, who were "married by Zheng'er Bajing", the others were all snatched wives, including the queen and princess of the Northern Wei Dynasty.
Gao Huan's son Gao Cheng inherited his father's "preferences", and he successively had an affair with his father Gao Huan's concubines Zheng Dache and Princess Rouran, and even gave birth to a daughter with Princess Rouran.
When Gao Yang was young, he was low-key and introverted, but his wife Li Zu'e was unfortunately violated by Gao Cheng, which was like a thorn in Gao Yang's heart. After Gao Yang became emperor, he openly had a relationship with Gao Cheng's wife, Yuan, and bluntly stated: "My brother once violated my wife, and I must repay it now." ”
Among the Xianbei and other ethnic minorities, customs such as "marrying younger wives" and "accepting widows" have always existed, and their attitudes towards Confucian cultural ethics are relatively indifferent. However, people in the Gao family often show over-agitation and extreme behavior, which may seem puzzling to modern people, but there may be mental problems behind them.
Gao Huan and He Bayun once disagreed, and during the fierce quarrel, Gao Huan moved roughly, and directly knocked out a tooth of He Bayun. Lou Zhaojun once beat his concubine Gao Xiang to death with a wooden stick, but then he was heartbroken and regretted.
Gao Huan's violent tendencies seem to have been passed on to their son as well.
Gao Yang's brother Gao Cheng repeatedly acted violently against Emperor Xiaojing of the Eastern Wei Dynasty, insulting him as a "dog's foot", and ordered someone to punch Emperor Xiaojing three times. Gao Yang's behavior is even more shocking, not only often killing people for no reason, but also doing incomprehensible things, no matter spring, summer, autumn and winter, he has walked naked on the streets of Yecheng.
Gao Zhan likes to beat his concubines and even kills people, which shows typical sadistic tendencies. Gao Wei, the queen of the Northern Qi Dynasty, has a weak personality, and when others look at him, he will get angry and blame, which belongs to the spiritual ** character, extremely introverted and paranoid.
Gao Wei even gave his horse and fighting an official, the horse is called Xiaoyao Junjun, and the chicken is called Kaifu Fighting, so there is an allusion to "Qi Chicken Kaifu" in later generations.
Cushman & Cushman used to put living people naked into a scorpion swarm and let the scorpions bite them and cry out loudly, which was considered the happiest thing to do. This kind of behavior is obviously not in line with the thinking and behavior of normal people, which makes the Gao family suspected of mental problems.
If such a family is in charge of a dynasty, it is truly strange.
The most controversial cuckold event in history.