The most mysterious case in the history of the Qing Dynasty - the Queen Mother got married!
1. The theory of "The Queen Mother married off"
The Qingdong Tomb in Malanyu, Zunhua County, Hebei Province, surrounded by mountains and shaded by pines, was personally ordered by Emperor Shunzhi in the early Qing Dynasty. "An auspicious place for thousands of years", nine emperors' mausoleums and five concubine gardens were built here in the Qing Dynasty. Five emperors, Shunzhi, Kangxi, Qianlong, Xianfeng and Tongzhi, and many concubines were buried here. Today, the Qing Tombs have been listed as a world cultural heritage and have become a famous tourist attraction, attracting many tourists.
When entering the mausoleum area, the first thing people see is a cemetery isolated outside the Feng Shui wall under Changrui Mountain. If you look carefully, you can still find that its regulations are quite special among the ruins. The mausoleum does not have Makaogou, Yudai River and Qianqiao, but there is a Shinto stele pavilion in front of the mausoleum. Entering the gate, you can see that the three gates are located in front of the Xiang Hall. The Long En Hall has been demolished and only the foundation remains. Some information and old photos show that this hall is not the top of the hilltop that is common in the tombs of emperors and empresses, but the top of the double-eaves verandah with higher specifications, highlighting the nobility and respect of the tomb owner. This is Zhaoxiling. Buried in the mausoleum is the famous Empress Xiaozhuangwen in the early Qing Dynasty.
Empress Xiaozhuang Wen was the concubine of Emperor Taizong Huang Taiji of the Qing Dynasty, the biological mother of Emperor Shunzhi, and the grandmother of Emperor Kangxi. She went through several dynasties in her life and tried her best to assist her children and grandchildren to establish the world. She accumulated posthumous titles after her death. Known as the "Queen of Xiaozhuang Ren Xuan Cheng Xian Gong Yi Zhi De Chun Hui Yi Tian Qi Sheng Wen", she was highly respected by the Qing Dynasty. She was the most senior person buried in the Eastern Tomb of the Qing Dynasty, but why was she placed outside the Feng Shui Wall? This leads to the biggest mystery in the early Qing Dynasty - the Queen Mother's marriage.
According to unofficial records, at the beginning of the Qing Dynasty's entry into the Customs, the regent Dorgon took charge of the court. "It was forbidden to enter and leave the palace. At that time, he lived with his sister-in-law and nephew, like a father and son in the family." And the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang was in her prime. She was widowed and unhappy, and believed that Dorgon's meritorious service was the highest in the world, so she gave up the throne to her son. She was loyal and assisted in the government. Unless she repaid her with her own life, it would not be enough, so she committed herself to serve in order to win over Dorgon. Soon, Dorgon's wife died, so the ministers such as Fan Wencheng in the court took the opportunity to encourage the empress dowager and the regent to join the palace and formally get married. Naturally, both parties were very happy. After setting the wedding date, he issued an edict to the world in the name of the little emperor Shunzhi, declaring: "The Queen Mother has been a widow in her prime years, and the spring flowers and autumn moon are quietly unhappy. I am the emperor, and I am nourished by the world. I can only nourish my mouth and body, but not my ambition." Because the Holy Mother is widowed, she is in sorrow and depression. How can she teach the world about filial piety? Be kind and respectful, and obey the ceremony." In this way, the empress dowager condescended to marry her brother-in-law, and the regent Dorgon became the stepfather of the young emperor Shunzhi. Known as the "Royal Father and Regent". The edict is quite straightforward: the young empress dowager finally couldn't keep her empty boudoir, so Hongxing stepped out and voluntarily married Dorgon, who had just lost his wife. Some novels even claim that as early as when Huang Taiji was still alive, Concubine Zhuang and Dorgon were already in love with each other and secretly crossed into Chencang. Their marriage at this time finally made their long-cherished wish come true.
It is said that in order to organize this wedding, the Ministry of Etiquette specially prepared a set of special wedding rituals, consisting of six volumes, called "The Wedding Ceremony of the Mother of the Nation". It was extremely grand and attracted all Chinese and foreign civil and military officials. Congratulations on the above table, it is a grand event. Even Zhang Huangyan, a famous anti-Qing general of the Southern Ming Dynasty who was far away on the island in eastern Zhejiang, heard about this incident and wrote a poem: "The Shangshou wine cup is a combination of Nin bottles, and the Cining palace is full of doors. The spring official entered the new ceremony yesterday, A great gift for the Queen Mother’s wedding.” This means that the Queen Mother’s birthday wine has become the wedding wine.
However, after Dorgon's death, he was immediately accused of treason and suffered ruthless political liquidation. However, Xiaozhuang's status became more and more respected. From the Empress Dowager to the Empress Dowager, upon reflection, she felt that remarrying was ridiculous. She felt sorry for her ex-husband Huang Taiji and had no face to meet him underground. Therefore, she did not want to be sent back to Shengjing to be buried with Emperor Taizong Huang Taiji after her death, so she asked her grandson Kangxi to bury her in Dongling. The mausoleum was built outside the Feng Shui wall, which had a derogatory meaning, and she was punished to be guarded by the royal family. And so on, there are many legends.
In feudal China, ordinary folk widows who worked hard to observe the festival would be commended and have an archway erected. If you remarry, you will inevitably be criticized by relatives and neighbors. What's more, as the noble empress dowager throws the hydrangea ball again and scores twice, it is of course a shocking anecdote. As soon as this statement came out, it was widely circulated. By the early years of the Republic of China, people regardless of north or south, old or young, talked about the stories of the Qing Dynasty with great interest, and almost believed in history. As a result, many scholars later criticized "History of the Qing Dynasty". The failure of the "Manuscript" to "write straightly" is one of its shortcomings.
2. Xiaozhuang’s people and events
The historical Empress Wen of Xiaozhuang had a surname of Borjigit and a name of Bumbutai (or translated as Benbutai ), there is no basis for the unofficial legend that her name was Dayu'er. She was born on the eighth day of February in the forty-first year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty (March 28, 1613). She was the second daughter of Beile Zhaisang of the Horqin tribe in Mongolia. Horqin Mongolia surrendered to Hou Jin earlier and married with Hou Jin to consolidate the political alliance between the two parties. In February of the tenth year of the Destiny of the Later Jin Dynasty (1625), Bumbutai, who was thirteen years old at that time, was accompanied by his brother Wu Keshan to Liaoyang, the new capital of the Later Jin Dynasty, and married the 34-year-old Huang Taiji, the eighth son of Nurhaci. , that is, a side room. As early as 11 years ago, her biological aunt Zhezhe had married Huang Taiji's first wife, Dafu Jin. Nine years later, in the eighth year of Tiancong (1634), Huang Taiji, who had inherited the throne, married her sister Hai. Lanzhu, so the three of them, aunt and nephew, work together with one husband.
After marriage, Bumu Butai gave birth to three daughters for Huang Taiji. In the third year of Tiancong (1629), the fourth daughter of the emperor was born, who was later named the eldest princess Gulun Yongmu; in the sixth year of Tiancong (1632), the fifth daughter of the emperor was born, who was later named the eldest princess Gulun Shuhui; the following year, she She gave birth to the emperor's seventh daughter, who was later named the eldest princess Gu Lun Duan Xian. The three princesses were married to the Mongolian nobles Bier Tahar, Sebuteng and Kangjierg respectively when they came of age.
In 1636, Huang Taiji changed the name of his country to the Qing Dynasty and proclaimed himself emperor in Shengjing (Shenyang). At the same time, he established the harem system and enfeoffed five concubines among his many wives and concubines. Bumbutai was named Zhuang Fei, ranking second in the West Palace - Yongfu Palace. The book awarded to her by Huang Taiji was written in Manchu, Mongolian and Chinese, with simple words: "...Zirben Butai, I am a daughter of the Mongolian Kingdom of Korqin, who has a long-term relationship and a good nature. I have received a great treasure, and the marriage is imitated in ancient times. You are the concubine of Yongfu Palace. You are pure, filial and modest, and you will abide by the Queen's instructions. Don’t betray my fate.” Of course, Concubine Zhuang’s aunt Zhezhe is the queen in the middle palace, and her sister Hailanzhu, who entered the palace after Concubine Zhuang, was named Concubine Chen and was ranked second in the East Palace, Guanju Palace. queen. The other two concubines of the Linzhi Palace in the West Palace and the concubines of the Yanqing Palace in the Second East Palace were originally the wives of Lindan Khan of Chahar Mongolia. Huang Taiji married her after he conquered the Chahar tribe, and made such an arrangement mainly for political reasons. considerations. Therefore, in the harem, the status of Concubine Zhuang's aunt and nephew is the most prominent. In addition to the elder sister Concubine Chen who is the most favored, the youngest Concubine Zhuang is also relatively favored. Especially in the first month of the third year of Chongde (1638), Concubine Chen's eighth son, whom Huang Taiji regarded as his heir, died in infancy. Concubine Zhuang coincidentally gave birth to the ninth son Fulin two days later, which further elevated her reputation. status.
Official documents from the Qing Dynasty stated that Concubine Zhuang had "assisted Emperor Taizong Wen", but during the period of Emperor Taizong Huang Taiji, it was unlikely that the young Concubine Zhuang had much exposure and achievements in politics. Only the popular story of "Concubine Zhuang's persuasion" paved the way for the later theory of "the Queen Mother's marriage". It seems that this smart and beautiful Concubine Zhuang was accustomed to playing beauty tricks. In the seventh year of Chongde (1642), during the great battle between Ming and Qing Dynasties, Hong Chengchou, the supreme commander of the Ming army outside Guan and governor of Jiliao, was defeated and captured, and was escorted to Shengjing. Huang Taiji desperately hoped that Hong Chengchou could surrender and be used for his use, so he sent Fan Wencheng and other Han officials to take turns to persuade him to surrender. However, Hong Chengchou seemed to be very determined and unmoved. He went on a hunger strike in prison and waited for death. Huang Taiji was so anxious that he was helpless. One night, the prison door opened slightly, and Concubine Zhuang came floating in. She put her hands into the ginseng soup. Her words moved Hong Chengchou, and he changed his mind. He prostrated himself under the pomegranate skirt and returned to the Qing Dynasty. Later, he made great contributions to the Qing Dynasty. This story has been vividly interpreted in many literary works. However, according to historical records, Hong Chengchou refused to surrender when he was captured, but Huang Taiji seized on his ideological weakness and personally succeeded in recruiting him to surrender.
On the ninth day of August in the eighth year of Chongde (September 21, 1643), Huang Taiji, who had been fighting all his life, died of illness. Because Huang Taiji did not designate a successor to the throne during his lifetime, a power vacuum appeared in the court, resulting in a chaotic situation among the kings competing for the throne. In the end, the various factions reached a compromise and made Fulin, who was only six years old, the emperor. At this time, Fulin's biological mother, Concubine Zhuang, played an important role as one of the five concubines. On August 26 (October 8), Fulin ascended the throne and changed his reign to Shunzhi. Concubine Zhuang was revered as the "Notre Dame Queen Mother".
Although Shunzhi was a willful emperor, under the supervision of Xiaozhuang, he was still relatively excellent in all aspects of his studies. After he took office, Xiaozhuang still admonished and advised his words and deeds from time to time, which made him quite successful in politics. Unfortunately, Shunzhi died young. Xiaozhuang personally chose Xuan Ye, who was less than eight years old, to inherit the throne among the emperor's grandsons. He once again took on the important task of protecting and educating the young emperor, and his status was further promoted to the title of Empress Dowager. The total number is "Zhao Sheng, Ci Shou Gong Jian An Yi, Zhang Qing, Dun Hui, Wen Zhuang Kang and Ren Xuan Hong Jing, the Empress Dowager".
Xiaozhuang loved Kangxi very much. He kept him under his knees when he was young, and set aside his personal maid Sumala to take care of him. Of course, Xiaozhuang was also very strict with Kangxi's education. Kangxi later recalled, "Since I was a child, when I was learning to walk and talk, I was taught by my holy grandmother to have rules for eating, drinking, walking, walking, and speaking. Even though I lived alone, I was taught not to dare to deviate from the rules. Otherwise, I would be punished. In the complicated political situation in the early years of Kangxi, Xiaozhuang used her influence to balance various relationships, especially since she did not continue to choose from her mother's family, the Borjigit clan. Instead, she personally appointed Hesheli, the granddaughter of the chief minister Sony, as the queen. Using Sony to restrain the dedicated minister Aobai reflected her politician's broad-mindedness and insight. Kangxi's later success in eradicating Obai was also inseparable from Xiaozhuang's support. Kangxi lived up to his grandmother's painstaking efforts and expectations, and soon grew into a generation of accomplished British masters. He also showed great filial piety to Xiaozhuang, and had a very deep relationship with his grandparents. Xiaozhuang was very happy in his later years.
On December 25, the twenty-sixth year of Kangxi (January 27, 1688), Xiaozhuang died at the age of seventy-five. When she was dying, she told Kangxi that Taizong's mausoleum had been enshrined for a long time and should not be touched for me. Besides, I couldn't bear to leave you and my son in my heart, so she chose a place to bury me near your father's Xiaoling Mausoleum. Kangxi complied with the instructions and demolished the five rooms of the East Palace of Cining Palace, where Xiaozhuang lived during his lifetime, and built them at the foot of Changrui Mountain. They called them "Temporary Anfeng Palace" and kept them there. It was not until the third year of Yong's reign (1725) that a cemetery was built on the spot where the temporary Fengfeng Hall was located, and he was buried in the underground palace. Because the mausoleum is located to the west of the Zhaoling Mausoleum of Emperor Taizong and Huang Taiji in Shengjing, it is called "Zhaoxiling Mausoleum".
Zhaoxiling and Zhaoling echo each other from a distance. They are actually one and two, and two and one. If they are enclosed within the Feng Shui wall of Dongling, they will instead form a barrier. Therefore, it is natural for the mausoleum to be built outside the Feng Shui wall, and there is no derogatory intention.
3. Dorgon’s life and death
Dorgon was the fourteenth son of Nurhachi, Taizu of the Qing Dynasty. He was born on October 25, the 40th year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty (1612). November 17), the half-brother of Emperor Taizong Huang Taiji. It is said that Dorgon looked most like his father and was deeply loved by his father. Nurhachi had intended to make him his successor to the Khan throne. However, when Nurhaci died in 1626, Dorgon's mother, the concubine Uranala, was forced to die. Dorgon, who was under fifteen years old, was of course unable to compete for the throne. During the Huang Taiji period, the young Dorgon was brave and resourceful in battle. He soon surpassed several brothers with his outstanding military exploits, outstanding talents and loyalty to his elder brother Huang Taiji. He was named Prince Rui, led the white flag, and participated in the vote. During the military and state affairs, he married Concubine Zhuang's sister.
When the battle for the throne reappeared after Huang Taiji's death, a serious conflict soon formed between Dorgon and Huang Taiji's eldest son, Prince Su Hauge. Both sides held heavy troops, Dorgon was supported by two white flags, and Hauge was supported by two yellow flags. For a time, they were at war with each other, and neither side gave in. However, both sides have their own concerns. Once the swords and swords meet and blood is spilled in the court, no one is sure of victory. Finally, at the meeting of the five ministers, Dorgon assessed the situation and rejected the recommendation of his supporters, and proposed that the young Fulin, the ninth son of Huang Taiji, should succeed him. Assistant administration. This proposal was recognized by all parties. Since the person appointed was the son of the late emperor, the ministers of the two yellow banners had nothing to say, so the kings and ministers swore allegiance to him, thus avoiding the split and mutual killing within the Qing Dynasty at the critical moment before the fall of the Ming Dynasty. Although Dorgon did not become emperor, he greatly strengthened his rights and status while shattering his political enemy Hauge's dream of being emperor, and became the actual ruler of the Qing Dynasty.
A few months later, Dorgon keenly seized the opportunity and accepted the request of Wu Sangui, the commander-in-chief of Shanhaiguan Pass in the Ming Dynasty. He personally led his army into the pass, defeated the peasant uprising army of Li Zicheng who had just overthrown the Ming Dynasty, and occupied the territory in one fell swoop. Beijing. In September of the first year of Shunzhi (1644), the Empress Dowager of the two palaces and the young emperor Fulin were welcomed to Beijing to establish the Central Plains, realizing the long-cherished wish of Nurhaci and Huang Taiji. While dividing his troops and going south to continue the campaign, he also adopted methods from the previous Ming Dynasty and formulated various internal and external systems. Dorgon oversaw the affairs of the court and devoted himself to royal affairs. He played an important role in the history of the Ming and Qing dynasties. His power became more and more powerful and his status became higher and higher. His title was upgraded from "uncle regent" to "imperial uncle regent". King" to "Emperor Father and Regent", which is equivalent to the Supreme Emperor. However, Dorgon was still sober. He always warned the kings and ministers not to flatter themselves but not respect the court or be loyal to the emperor.
However, Dorgon, who had great achievements in the world, did not live long. In November of the seventh year of Shunzhi (1650), Dorgon went hunting outside the Great Wall and died of illness in Karacheng (now Luanping, Hebei) on December 9 (December 31, 1650). He was only 39 years old. When the coffin returned to Beijing, Emperor Shunzhi personally led all the kings and ministers out of the city to kneel down to greet him. Shunzhi issued an edict of mourning to commemorate his merits: "In the past, when Emperor Taizong Wen ascended to the throne, all the kings and ministers supported the emperor's father and regent. My emperor's father, the regent, insisted on giving in and supported me. He also pacified the Central Plains and brought chaos to the world. His merits are unparalleled throughout history. Unfortunately, on the 9th day of the twelfth lunar month in the seventh year of Shunzhi, I came to visit the guest due to illness. My heart was broken and I mourned with all the people. Chinese and foreign mourning ceremonies followed the imperial rites. "Then I went to honor Duoer. Gun was the "Emperor who cultivated virtues, cultivated Taoism, made achievements, established meritorious services, settled the people, established political integrity, and respected righteousness", and his temple name was Cheng Zong. The concubine Yuan was posthumously named the "Emperor of Righteousness", and the couple were worshiped together in the ancestral temple. They were regarded as the same real emperor, which was a great honor.
However, the conflicts caused by the struggle for the throne finally broke out after being suppressed for many years. When Dorgon was in power, he was authoritative and self-reliant. He treated his political opponent Hauge unfairly and persecuted him to death in the fifth year of Shunzhi (1648). He also suppressed the ministers of the Two Yellow Banners who had opposed him at first, which made some people extremely resentful of Dorgon. But he could only swallow his anger. Now that Dorgon is dead, their chance to turn around will come. In February of the eighth year of Shunzhi (1651), someone revealed that Dorgon had made eight-patch yellow robes and other items during his lifetime, so the kings and ministers attacked him, saying that Dorgon was good at it and had the intention of treason. Shunzhi, who had just come into power, immediately issued an edict to demote Dorgon, evacuate the ancestral temple, expel the clan, seize all the titles, and join the officialdom with no family property, and his adopted son Dorgon returned to the clan (Dorgon had no children, so he helped him His younger brother Duoduo's son, Duoerbo, was his heir). What's more, he destroyed Dorgon's mausoleum, whipped his body to show to the public, and chopped off his head. In just over two months, Dorgon's reputation has changed dramatically.
It was not until the forty-third year of Qianlong's reign (1778) that Dorgon was completely rehabilitated after more than a hundred years of redress. Emperor Qianlong issued a special edict, confirming that Dorgon was the first to lead troops into the customs, "pacify the border areas, and all creation scales have been drawn up. Xun immediately welcomed the ancestors and drove into the capital to establish the foundation of the country and complete the cause of unification." "The most outstanding contribution", and said that every time I read his words and deeds in "Records", "I shed tears for it. This shows that the king acted with sincerity, was truly loyal, grateful, and understood the righteousness of the emperor and his ministers, which is especially rare in the history books." "Looking at each other" categorically denied that Dorgon had any treasonous intentions, "it was actually a small plot and constituted an injustice." Therefore, he ordered Dorgon to be restored to the title of Prince Rui, and his posthumous title was "Zhong". He was added to the jade certificate and Dorgon was still given the title of heir.
Dorgon was an extraordinary figure in an extraordinary period. During his lifetime
The above is reproduced from Wuhu Forum author: Hubianzhu
/thread-13237-1-11.html