In 1756, after the 29-year-old Concubine Ling gave birth to her first child, Qianlong couldn't wait to pamper her before she was confined, and she became pregnant 7 times in the next 10 years. But the strange thing is that when she gave birth to a child, Qianlong sent one away and never let her raise it personally. In 1928, Sun Dianying robbed the Qing Yuling Tomb and found that the cause of Concubine Ling's death was strange.
On the ninth day of the ninth month of the fifth year of Yongzheng, a baby girl fell to the ground, her birth did not cause too many waves, but her fate was closely linked to the royal family of the Qing Dynasty.
This baby girl is the later Wei Jia's family.
Her birth date coincided with the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, a day that symbolizes longevity and auspiciousness in traditional Chinese culture.
And the trajectory of her life, just like the moral of this day, is full of legends.
When Emperor Qianlong was already a heroic young emperor, Wei Jiashi was just an innocent girl.
She was sixteen years younger than Emperor Qianlong, and this age gap, in that era, was enough to separate the worlds of the two.
However, the arrangement of fate is always unexpected, and this age gap eventually became a bridge of deep affection between Wei Jiashi and Emperor Qianlong.
In the draft, Wei Jiashi should have stood out among many show girls with her beauty and family background, but she was unexpectedly defeated.
After losing the election, she was assigned to Empress Hyohyun's side and became a little palace maid.
In the days when Empress Xiaoxian was by her side, Wei Jiashi was not proud and complacent because of her background, but worked harder and won the queen's love with her wit and liveliness.
Not only did she learn how to serve people, but she also learned how to survive in a complex court environment.
Her intelligence and diligence were soon recognized by the queen, and she was soon promoted to a personal palace maid and became an indispensable person by the queen's side.
Emperor Qianlong's love for Empress Xiaoxian was well known, and he often visited the empress's dormitory to spend time with her.
During such frequent visits, Emperor Qianlong noticed the beautiful and elegant little palace maid beside Empress Xiaoxian, Wei Jiashi.
Her intelligence and wit, as well as her loyalty and attentiveness to the empress, left a deep impression on Qianlong.
Empress Xiaoxian saw Qianlong's love for Wei Jia's family, so she skillfully arranged for Wei Jia's family to serve Qianlong.
This night was a huge turning point in Wei Jia's life.
Qianlong's affection for her was extraordinary, and the next day he named her a Wei noble, and soon after she was quickly promoted to concubine.
This series of promotions, although benefited from the promotion of the queen and the favor of Qianlong, was more due to Wei Jia's own efforts and intelligence.
She knew how to show her merits in front of the emperor and how to win the emperor's heart with her wisdom and charm. Each of her promotions was not an accident, but the result of her careful planning and hard work.
The death of Empress Fucha was a huge shock to the harem, but it was an unprecedented opportunity for Wei Jia's family.
Losing the protection of the empress, the power structure in the harem began to be reshuffled, and Wei Jiashi began to emerge in the harem with his wisdom and the favor of Emperor Qianlong.
In the thirtieth year of Qianlong, Wei Jiashi was named the imperial concubine, and this promotion of status not only means that her status in the harem is unrivaled, but also means that she began to officially dominate the six palaces and become the actual ruler of the harem.
Emperor Qianlong's favor for Wei Jia's family is an open secret in the harem.
Although Wei Jia's position in the harem is becoming more and more secure, her personal life is full of pain and challenges.
As the favorite concubine of Emperor Qianlong, she has borne the burden of continuous childbirth, and every pregnancy and childbirth is a great test for her body.
However, soon after each birth, Emperor Qianlong's favor prevented her from getting adequate rest and recovery, which caused long-term damage to her health.
In order to alleviate the pain and discomfort after childbirth, Wei Jiashi had to rely on drugs.
In those days, the choice of drugs was limited and often contained ingredients that were harmful to the body.
Among them, cinnabar, as a commonly used medicinal ingredient, can temporarily relieve pain, but long-term use can lead to poisoning.
Wei Jia's dependence on drugs, combined with successive childbearings, eventually led to a serious deterioration in her health.
Wei Jia's health problems are not only a reflection of her personal tragedy, but also a true portrayal of the struggle between power and fertility of women in that era.
In her later years, although Wei Jia's status was prominent, her heart was lonely and painful.
As a mother, she is unable to raise her own children with her own hands, and this pain is difficult for outsiders to understand.
Her children were placed to be raised elsewhere in the palace, and her limited opportunities to meet them made her feel extremely lonely and helpless.
At the age of 49, Wei Jia died of illness.
Her death not only deprived the harem of an important ruler, but also deprived Emperor Qianlong of a confidant and favorite concubine.
The cause of her death did not attract much attention at the time, but 153 years later, Sun Dianying discovered her incorruptible body while searching the underground palace, a discovery that led to new speculation about the cause of her death.
Wei Jia's incorruptible body has become a mystery in history.
There is speculation that she may have died of chronic poisoning, which is related to her long-term dependence on drugs containing cinnabar.
Although there is no conclusive evidence for this speculation, it adds a layer of mystery to Wei Jia's life.
Information source: Sina.com - As soon as Concubine Ling gave birth, Qianlong pampered her, and the real cause of death was revealed a hundred years later
