Chongzhen, the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty, was a very controversial person. Some say he was a wise and decisive emperor, others say he was a brutal and incompetent tyrant. In any case, he was a very unlucky man, he watched his country be broken by Li Zicheng and other peasant armies, and finally hanged himself on the coal mountain.
Chongzhen has been the emperor for seventeen years, but he has never married the queen. This is rare in Chinese history. An emperor without an empress will not only affect the stability of the country, but also the harmony of the harem. So, why didn't Chongzhen marry the queen? It turns out that it is because of several reasons:
The first reason is because Chongzhen is very filial to his mother, the Queen Mother. Chongzhen's father was Mingguangzong Zhu Changluo, who died after only six months as emperor. Chongzhen inherited the throne, but he was obedient to his mother, the Queen Mother. The Queen Mother also loves Chongzhen very much, she once said: "I only have such a son, I want to raise him." "The Queen Mother assumed the position of regent of the Queen Mother after Chongzhen became emperor, and she had a great say in the affairs of the country.
Although the queen mother is good to Chongzhen, she is very mean to Chongzhen's wives. She believes that no woman is worthy of her son, and she often bullies and suppresses Chongzhen's wives. She even wanted Chongzhen to leave his favorite Zhou Guiren, because Zhou Guiren was from a low background and was a singing woman. Although Chongzhen was unwilling, he did not dare to go against the queen mother's wishes. Therefore, he has never appointed Zhou Gui as the queen.
The second reason is because Chongzhen is worried about his country. When Chongzhen was emperor, the Ming Dynasty had reached a time of crisis. There are ** filthy officials, corrupt and incompetent inside, and there are Qing soldiers outside. Although Chongzhen is young, he is not stupid. He knew that his country was in danger and that he had to find a way to save the situation. He began to do things on his own, straightening out the dynasty, punishing **, and defending against foreign enemies. He is so busy every day that he doesn't have the time and mood to take care of the affairs of the harem. He felt that the establishment of the queen was a troublesome matter, which might cause strife and dissatisfaction in the harem and affect his own governance.
The third reason is because Chongzhen has complicated feelings for his wives. Although Chongzhen did not set up a queen, he had many concubines. His favorite is Zhou Guiren, he has a deep relationship with Zhou Guiren, and Zhou Guiren also gave birth to two sons for him. However, Zhou Guiren came from a humble background and was opposed by the queen mother, so Chongzhen did not make her the queen. In addition to Zhou Guiren, Chongzhen also has several other concubines, and the feelings between them are also very complicated. For example:
Zhu Changluo's daughter: She is Chongzhen's cousin and his main room. She and Chongzhen are relatives and husband and wife, but she did not give Chongzhen any children. She was withdrawn, unsociable, and not liked by the Queen Mother. There is no affection between her and Chongzhen, just a nominal husband and wife.
Qian: She is Chongzhen's side Fujin and his cousin. She and Chongzhen grew up together, she is very good to Chongzhen, and she is also very smart and capable. She gave birth to a daughter and a son for Chongzhen. She has a good relationship with Zhou Guiren, and often helps Zhou Guiren deal with the difficulties of the Queen Mother. There are some feelings between her and Chongzhen, but not the deepest.
Li Xuanzhi: She is Chongzhen's maid and his lover. She is very beautiful and very good at making men happy. She gave birth to a daughter and a son for Chongzhen. She has a bad relationship with Zhou Guiren and is often jealous. There is only physical pleasure between her and Chongzhen, and there is no real affection.
Liu: She is Chongzhen's side Fujin and his last concubine to be included in the harem. She comes from a famous family and is also very talented. She gave birth to a daughter and a son for Chongzhen. She and Zhou Guiren have an average relationship, but they both respect each other. There is some respect and understanding between her and Chongzhen, but it is not deep.
In this way, Chongzhen did not establish a queen until the day he died.
After his death, Zhou Guiren was posthumously named Empress Xiaoduan, Qian was posthumously named Empress Xiaozhen, Li Xuanzhi was posthumously awarded the title of Emperor Xiaozhe's concubine, and Liu was posthumously named Emperor Xiaoke's concubine. They were all buried in the Zhaoling Tomb along with Chongzhen.
What do you think about why Chongzhen didn't make a queen? Leave a message in the comment area.