During the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, hundreds of schools of thought were deposed and Confucianism was the only one respected. The Three Cardinal Guidelines and Five Constant Rules of Confucianism became the feudal etiquette that could not be easily overstepped in the next 2000 years. Among the three cardinal principles, the husband is the wife, which originally means that a wife should obey her husband, support her husband and educate her children. Similarly, a husband should treat his wife well and be loyal throughout his life.
But in fact, in feudal society, almost all women were restricted by the husband's wife. Women have the obligation to obey their husbands, but husbands do not have the mandatory responsibility to treat their wives well. This is especially true among the royal families of the feudal dynasty, and the life of Empress Xiaojing of the Ming Dynasty is a typical example.
>> Tomb of Empress Xiaojing of the Ming Dynasty
In 1956, archaeological experts discovered the Ming Dingling Tomb of the Ming Dynasty in Changping District, Beijing. The Ming Dingling Mausoleum was built in 1409 as a royal tomb for members of the Ming Dynasty royal family. Experts knew that the matter was serious, so they immediately protected the place and began to conduct detailed and in-depth excavation and research.
In 1957, as archaeological experts opened the last stone door in the tomb, they finally arrived at the center of the tomb. There are three coffins placed here, in which sleep the Wanli Emperor Ming Shenzong and his two queens, Empress Xiaoduan and Empress Xiaojing.
Experts found some interesting cultural relics in the coffin of Empress Xiaojing. One of them was a crown with three dragons and two phoenixes. The crown was beautifully decorated, with three golden dragons on the top and flying dragons on both sides. There are two phoenixes, a total of 95 rubies and sapphires, and more than 3,400 pearls. It can be said to be an extremely exquisite and priceless treasure.
But as a queen, it is normal for Queen Xiaojing to have such a phoenix crown. What interests experts even more are two other cultural relics, namely a worn-out silver pot and a damaged gold-plated silver plate. These two cultural relics are completely different from the phoenix crown. Even ordinary wealthy people can afford this silver pot and silver plate, which is very incompatible with the status of Queen Xiaojing. So experts began more in-depth research and finally revealed a tragedy.
>> The tragic life of Empress Xiaojing
Empress Xiaojing’s real name is Wang, and she is usually called Concubine Wang Gong. Concubine Wang Gong came from a humble background. Her father was just a member of the royal family, equivalent to a sixth-rank official in the imperial court. Compared with the wealthy families in the palace, she was simply pitifully shabby.
In 1578, Emperor Shenzong of the Ming Dynasty held a nationwide beauty pageant. Concubine Wang Gong, who was only 13 years old and in her prime, was summoned to the palace because of her beauty, and she became a queen in the palace from then on. The maidservant is responsible for serving the daily life of Empress Dowager Li, the biological mother of the Ming Shenzong.
In 1581, when Emperor Shenzong of the Ming Dynasty was visiting his mother, he saw the 16-year-old Concubine Wang Gong, who was slim and extremely young. He immediately secretly brought Concubine Wang Gong to her. However, because of Concubine Wang Gong's humble background, Ming Shenzong felt that it was a disgrace to her reputation, so she kept the matter secret and did not allow Concubine Wang Gong to tell her.
A few months later, Concubine Wang Gong's belly gradually grew bigger. Under Queen Mother Li's questioning, Concubine Wang Gong had no choice but to tell the truth. Empress Dowager Li immediately upheld justice for Concubine Wang Gong and asked Ming Shenzong to marry her with a matchmaker. Ming Shenzong pretended to be dumbfounded at first and was unwilling to admit it. In the end, she couldn't resist her mother, so she had no choice but to accept her as his concubine and became Concubine Wang Gong.
However, Ming Shenzong had no true feelings for Concubine Wang Gong. Even though Concubine Wang Gong gave birth to the prince Zhu Changluo for Ming Shenzong, he still did not like the mother and son. At that time, Ming Shenzong's most favored concubine was Liu Guifei. Concubine Liu's status was only lower than that of Empress Xiaoduan, and she often caused trouble for Concubine Wang Gong. Zhu Changluo was also ostracized. As a prince, he almost couldn't even read, and his life was very miserable.
>> Historical research on the tragic life of Empress Xiaojing
Later, because Ming Shenzong had no legitimate son, he could only make his eldest concubine Zhu Changluo the crown prince, and Concubine Wang Gong was able to become the imperial concubine, but life But it became even more miserable.
Because at this time, Concubine Wang Gong was already equal to Concubine Liu in terms of status, but because Ming Shenzong only favored Concubine Liu, so although Concubine Wang Gong and Concubine Liu were both concubines, the former was imprisoned in the palace, and no one cared about it for more than ten years. , lonely and helpless.
The silver pot found in the Dingling Tomb of the Ming Dynasty had the words "Made in the Renwu Year of Wanli of the Ming Dynasty" engraved on the bottom of the pot, which was after the pregnancy of Concubine Wang Gong was revealed in 1582. Made when she was just made a noble concubine by the Jin Dynasty. However, the value of this silver pot is very low, even a wealthy family can afford it, which shows that Ming Shenzong did not like Concubine Wang Gong.
What is even more infuriating is that Concubine Wang Gong died of serious illness due to lack of care in 1611. There was a gap of nearly 30 years, but this silver pot still accompanied her. Beside Concubine Wang Gong, the supplies have not been replaced for decades. Such treatment is not as good as that of the imperial concubine, not even the maids in the palace!
In 1611, when Concubine Wang Gong was seriously ill, Prince Zhu Changluo knelt in front of Ming Shenzong and begged hard before he could see his biological mother for the last time. Before leaving, Concubine Wang Gongluo pulled Zhu Changluo's sleeve and said with tears in her eyes: "You have grown up, and I will die without regrets." Not long after she said this, Concubine Wang Gong passed away. Zhu Changluo and the ministers present all shed tears. .
The ancients said that the dead are the most important. As a concubine in the harem and the biological mother of the prince, Concubine Wang Gong should be buried in the imperial mausoleum. However, Emperor Shenzong of the Ming Dynasty did not bury Concubine Wang Gong in the Dingling Tomb of the Ming Dynasty. It was not until later that Zhu Changluo ascended the throne as Ming Guangzong that his mother's bones were moved to the Ming Dingling Mausoleum, buried in the same room with Ming Shenzong, and posthumously named her Empress Xiaojing, so she lived a hard life with her biological mother in the palace. 30 For many years, he has never been favored.
>> Conclusion
In ancient feudal society, the status of women was very low. The husband had considerable control over his wife, and women only had obligations in marriage. and responsibilities, but without any power or happiness. This is especially true in the deep palace compound. It was precisely the ills of the entire feudal society, coupled with the mediocrity of the Ming Shenzong itself, that led to Concubine Wang Gong's miserable life, which is extremely regrettable.