Since the death of his wife, Queen Xiaoxian, Qianlong has lost his tender married life forever. For most of his life, although there were many beauties in the Sixth Palace, there was no woman he loved to soothe his lonely heart. Read ancient Chinese history and learn more about the historical truth——
For a great historical figure like Emperor Qianlong, his life was incomplete, or at least had shortcomings. Since the death of his wife, Queen Xiaoxian, he has lost his tender married life forever. For most of his life, although there were many beauties in the Sixth Palace, there was no woman he loved to soothe his lonely heart.
On the fourth day of February in the thirteenth year of Qianlong's reign, everything was ready, and Emperor Qianlong was about to begin his first eastward tour of Qilu. The Mingfa edict of the Eastern Inspection was issued to the subjects of the country as early as the first day of June last year. Qufu is the holy land of Confucius. During his first southern tour to Luan Shandong, the emperor Kangxi went to Confucius’ hometown in person, visited the palace, and knelt down three times and kowtowed nine times to this "holy master". For this reason, Qianlong first stated in his edict that the primary purpose of this eastward tour was to inherit the imperial ancestor's ambition, visit the Confucius Temple to observe the carriages and serve the ritual vessels, and lay a memorial ceremony for the Confucius Forest in person, showing his since childhood respect for the sage Confucius. The heart of admiration.
Unexpectedly, at the end of the year, when all the preparations were nearly completed, another sudden change occurred - the emperor's seventh son died in infancy, and the queen fell ill due to grief. The emperor was well aware that the queen was physically weak and grieved endlessly for the death of her youngest son, so it was difficult for him to make a decision on whether to accompany her on the eastward tour. Just at this time, Qin Tianjian reported again: "The guest star sees Li Gong, and the palace in the zodiac sign has Yi."
"Li Gong" is the six stars in the sky called Li Gong. At the turn of the 12th and 3rd years of Qianlong's reign, a so-called "guest star" that flickered in and out of sight and appeared in the palace appeared among the six stars. It was because of the abnormal celestial phenomena that astrologers thought it foreshadowed the impending disaster for the queen in the middle palace. Emperor Qianlong was very wary of the remarks made by the Qin Tian Jian officials, but on the surface he explained it as "the queen has recently lost her beloved son". The guest star indeed disappeared completely after more than ten days, and the queen's illness was improving day by day under the careful treatment of the imperial doctors. In this way, the emperor immediately forgot about the "guest star meeting and leaving the palace".
One day, the Queen was in good spirits. She told the Emperor that since this eastward tour was for the Empress Dowager, the Emperor had to take care of everything and serve the Holy Mother along the way, expressing joy and filial piety. genus. Furthermore, the queen told the emperor very devoutly that when she was ill, she always dreamed of Bixia Yuanjun calling her, and she had made a wish to get engaged and go to Mount Tai to fulfill her wish after she recovered. The emperor was knowledgeable and knew that Bixia Yuanjun was the legendary goddess of Mount Tai. The emperor thought that visiting Bixia Palace was already scheduled on his eastward tour, so he agreed to the queen's request. At the same time, he also told her that he would also go to Bixia Palace in person to burn incense and pray for the queen, so that she would be healthy in the future and have a son early. .
The fourth day of the second lunar month is an auspicious day chosen by Qin Tianjian to go out on patrol. At that time, Emperor Qianlong and his empress accompanied the Empress Dowager on an eastward tour and drove from the capital. The emperor, dressed in royal robes, sat in a light carriage, followed by two phoenix carriages carrying the empress dowager and empress. All the civil and military ministers who accompanied the retinue were required to wear uniforms and ride horses.
On February 22, the car stopped in Heyuantun, two days away from Qufu. It happened to be the queen's thirty-seventh birthday, and the emperor held a banquet in the imperial palace to celebrate the queen's Qianqiu Festival. All the servants, princes and officials who were tired of their travels took off their military uniforms and put on golden python robes to make up for their uniforms, creating a festive atmosphere. As usual, the queen led the princess, Heshuo Fujin, and the governor and ministers to pay homage to the empress dowager, and then returned to the queen's row to accept the congratulations of the princess, Fujin, and the wives. Her body was already exhausted. He arrived in Qufu on the 24th, and the next day the emperor went to the Confucius Temple to perform a "liberation ceremony". Following the tradition of his ancestor Kangxi who left the cranked yellow umbrella in the Dacheng Hall during his eastward tour, Qianlong ordered that the cranked yellow umbrella in the book should also be left behind. In the Confucius Temple, on the third day, I paid a visit to the sage’s graveyard, Confucius Lin, and drank wine to salute. Ceremonies had been grand and frequent in the past few days, and the emperor had no time to express condolences to the queen.
After the pilgrimage, we drove to Tai'an Mansion for the first time. We still slept in the open air all the way until we were able to settle down at the Tai'an Palace. However, the next day the emperor and the empress had to accompany the empress dowager to Mount Tai. Early in the morning, the emperor went to Daiyue Temple to offer sacrifices, and then he and the empress set off from Daizongfang to welcome the empress dowager Luan Yu. The Queen was in surprisingly good spirits, with a long-lost blush on her face. She held the Queen Mother's warm phoenix chariot and walked slowly side by side with the Emperor. The Empress Dowager first led the emperor and empress to pay homage at the Jade Emperor Temple, and then went to Chaoyang Cave, Bixia Palace, Dongyue Palace, Qingdi Palace, and Yuhuangding to burn incense. In Bixia Palace, the emperor and the empress lingered for a long time. , couldn’t bear to leave.
At midnight the next day, the emperor got up and put on his clothes. He and the empress went to the Eighteen Pans to wait for the empress dowager, and then they went to Riguan Peak to watch the sunrise. Looking back on the Queen, I can't help but feel that no matter life or career, it's just the beginning of a glorious career. The emperor's happy mood lasted until he left Tai'an for Jinan.
On the third day of March, in the early morning, there was fresh snow and clear skies. The queen, who was extremely weak, could not withstand the cold wave that accompanied the spring snow, and she could not really get sick. After hearing the news, the emperor immediately decided to stop rushing on his way and stay in Jinan Mansion nearby so that the queen could nurse herself back to health.
After four days of journey, the queen's condition was stable. At noon on March 11, the empress dowager and empress first boarded the royal boat parked on the canal, and then the emperor arrived at Yuecheng Shuici, Dezhou.
At the end of Xu, the queen began to lose consciousness. At that time, when a new day was approaching, Queen Fucha abandoned her clothes and passed away.
The queen left too suddenly! The emperor could not accept the fact that his loving wife of twenty-two years would be separated forever. On March 12, the emperor wrote an elegy in mourning for Empress Dahang on the Qingque Boat moored next to the canal:
Twenty-two years of kindness, thirteen years of internal rule.
Suddenly I had a dream of spring breeze, and I was traveling on the shore.
The saintly kindness remembers filial piety deeply, and the palace pot is full of virtuous people.
I can’t bear to recite Guan Jushi, but the strings of Zhuqin have been broken.
On summer and winter nights, there is a time to return.
After half a lifetime, it will last forever. When will it be determined at first sight?
The clothes of Xianwei are empty and the orchid curtains are hanging down.
I sat down with my thoughts and held back my tears to cherish my dear child.
Sorrows and joys can only be given to me, and greetings will never be forgotten.
The unrivaled beauty of women, the legacy of concubines.
How can one woman be sad and two men die prematurely from pain?
I can’t bear to reminisce about the past, and it’s so sad to throw away my pen!
People always say goodbye to the most memorable and beautiful years of their lives suddenly just by waving their hands; people always only truly know how to cherish everything they once regarded as ordinary only after they are lost forever. . On March 11, the thirteenth year of Qianlong's reign, Emperor Qianlong, who was about to enter a glorious period in his career, had his wish to grow old together with his loving wife irreparably shattered. The peaceful and comfortable life journey seemed to have come to an end for the emperor who was not yet in his forties. In the thousands of summer and winter nights in the future, he could only meet the queen in dreams.
The emperor's undying love for the queen destined him to be unable to find happiness in his future marriage.