What a beautiful woman! How could she be loved by the heroic emperor in troubled times? How did she, who was nearly fifty, make Tang Taizong, who was in his thirties, kneel at his feet?
In the year when Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty replaced the Northern Zhou Dynasty as emperor, a little princess was born in the harem of Xiao Kui, the later emperor of the Southern Dynasty. Because of her natural beauty and outstanding beauty, she was selected by Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty as the princess of the second prince Yang Guang when she was young. Five years later, the Southern Dynasty Houliang was destroyed.
However, the destruction of the country and family did not affect her marriage. In 593 AD, at the age of 13, she married into the royal family and began an unusual journey of destiny.
At the beginning of her marriage, she was in the budding state of love. Facing the love of her husband, who is 12 years older than her, she was filled with sweetness and enjoyed every day of the wedding. She has long forgotten her former identity as a princess. Now, she is Princess Xiao of Jin who Ming Media is marrying.
She didn’t know that she was deeply loved by her husband, not only because of her beauty and charm, but also because of the astonishing horoscope inferences of fortune teller Yuan Tiangang.
Before getting married, Yuan Tiangang carefully calculated his birth date and came to an extraordinary conclusion: "Mother is the world, and life brings peach blossoms." He quietly told Yang Guang that he was unwilling Be a prince. Yang Guang, who had long wanted to replace his brother as a prince, was very excited.
Originally, marrying a beautiful woman known to the world as your wife is already a great joy in life. I also heard that she would be in the harem and her mother would be the ruler of the world. As a husband, couldn't she just let it go once and for all? It seems that God has favored me and arranged a bright road for me. Inspired by this ambition, Yang Guang became more confident in inheriting the throne.
In 604 AD, Yang Guang finally got his wish and became the new emperor of the Sui Dynasty. Concubine Xiao naturally became the head of the harem - Empress Xiao. If you could predict your future destiny, would Queen Xiao really want to be the supreme queen?
However, at that time, she could only accept her fate. In fact, what she accepted was not only a change in identity, but also the cold reality that she had fallen out of favor.
Since the day she moved into the harem, Empress Xiao, who was in her twenties, stayed alone in the palace almost every night. The love of more than ten years has been accompanied by the salute of Emperor Yang Di's enthronement. Finally, Yang Di could finally vent his infinite desire for beauty unscrupulously and issued a decree to recruit all beauties in the world. He lingered in the gentle homes of different concubines and was extremely happy every night.
I understand that every emperor of Empress Xiao has many concubines, three palaces and six courtyards, but this sudden loneliness still makes it difficult for her to sleep. She was worried that Emperor Yang Di's greed for beauty might bring mistakes to the country, so she wrote an article "Shu Zhi Fu" to tactfully persuade Emperor Yang Di not to be greedy for beauty, but to focus on national affairs. Unexpectedly, not only did it not have the effect of persuasion, but it actually resulted in a reprimand.
In order to maintain her position, she decided to act according to her husband's wishes, not to express any different opinions on what she did, and even gave him things he liked and helped him have fun. Seeing that the queen was so tolerant and obedient, Emperor Yang Di did not love her in the past, but paid more attention to her.
Time flies, Empress Xiao is already in her early thirties, and the depression of being alone for many years has given her an inexplicable desire and impulse. At this time, the young and handsome escort captain Yu Wenhuaji broke into her life, and the two met frequently from then on. But Queen Xiao has not calmed down from the passion of cheating. The turbulent current situation caused Yang Di to go south to Jiangdu again, and Yu Wenhuaji also went with her. To Empress Xiao's surprise, her lover raised the banner of anti-Sui and killed Yang Di. Although she did not give up, she could not save her husband.
After Yang Di's death, Queen Xiao became Yu Wenhuaji's wing, living a life that was reviled by the world but extremely happy. Soon, Yu Wenhuaji was defeated by Dou Jiande, and Dou Jiande obtained the property of Queen Xiao and Yu Wenhuaji.
This kind of identity change should be what Queen Xiao is least willing to do. When she learned that her sister-in-law, Princess Yicheng, had obtained the consent of Chuluohan to marry the Huns, and sent envoys to greet her, she did not hide her joy at all. Seeing this scene, Dou Jiande knew that he could not keep Queen Xiao's heart. Because he did not dare to conflict with the powerful Turks, he had to send cavalry to escort Queen Xiao to the Turks.
Before having a long talk with her long-lost sister-in-law, Queen Xiao was embraced by the powerful Chu Luohan, and in an instant she became the concubine of another Khan on an equal footing with her sister-in-law. Princess Cheng is not jealous. After all, she is in the Turks, so she will do as the locals do and adapt to the customs here. She persuaded the somewhat shy Empress Xiao to relax and her sister-in-law waited on the Khan together.
Just one year later, Chuluo Khan died and Lijie Khan succeeded him.
According to Turkic customs, Queen Xiao and Princess Yicheng inherited the new Khan. Empress Xiao, who has experienced several changes, publicly accepted her new husband this time. Although she was older than Princess Yicheng, her gentle and mature charm immediately fascinated Jieli Khan and she became the most favored woman in the Turkic Palace. Since the death of Emperor Yang Di, Empress Xiao, who changed owners almost every year, has been by Sheli Khan's side for many years. She had even decided that she would end up in Turks and die quietly as the Khan's wife.
However, 10 years later, Li Shimin and Tang Taizong sent general Li Jing to defeat the Turks and asked Queen Xiao to return to Beijing.
The defeated Jieli Khan could not refuse, so he sent Queen Xiao, who was nearly 50 years old, back to Chang'an.
When Empress Xiao entered the court, she was still as beautiful as a blooming peony. Not only did she not look old at all, but she also had a graceful figure, erratic eyes, and graceful demeanor. It moved Tang Taizong, who was 17 years younger than her. Regardless of everyone's opposition, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty named Empress Xiao Zhao Rong, changed his honest and upright style, and held a grand welcome banquet for her. Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty asked her affectionately: "How does the scene before you compare with the Sui Dynasty?" Xiao Zhaorong smiled and replied calmly, "Your Majesty is a prosperous monarch. Why should he be compared with a monarch who lost his country?"
This answer greatly exceeded Tang Taizong's expectations. He looked carefully at this gentle and meaningful woman. From then on, Xiao Zhaorong became one of Tang Taizong's most beloved concubines.
After experiencing all kinds of ups and downs, Queen Xiao spent the last 18 peaceful years of his life in the harem of the Tang Dynasty, ending the vicissitudes of his life peacefully. After her death, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty buried her and Yang Di together in Tang Lei Yang Di Mausoleum in Yangzhou with empress etiquette. Concubine Xiao finally returned to her first man, who will always be with her and never be separated.