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As the saying goes, people don't have the same life. Although the queens in history are all respected, their fates are very different, and each has its own joys and sorrows. Empress Shangguan in the Western Han Dynasty was one of the leaders, which is very typical.
Liu E's luck, the eldest grandson's virtuousness, and Fucha's deep affection, these stark contrasts make people sigh: Is fate really only about luck?
The walls of the palace make her as imprisoned as a canary, and behind the halo of glory is endless loneliness and an inescapable fate. She had too many nights in front of the stars, crying sadly. And what about the noble status? It's not a shackle that can't be shaken off.
Her real name is Shangguan Wan'er, and she has a prominent background, her grandfather Shangguan Ji and maternal grandfather Huo Guang are all big names who "call for wind and rain". has been smart and clever since childhood, and is good at poetry and writing, which seems to have doomed Shangguan Wan'er to an extraordinary fate.
When she was 6 years old, the family saw a shortcut to consolidate power, since her granddaughter was the same age as Emperor Zhao of the Han Dynasty, if she could successfully marry into the palace, wouldn't the family's status be more stable and glorious! But how can it be so simple? A young girl was pushed to the forefront of politics in this way, and this game of chess was desperate enough, and without a trace of nostalgia, she sent her granddaughter into this Longtan tiger's den.
I don't know whether to say that she is lucky or unlucky, Shangguan Wan'er really lived up to expectations and created three unparalleled "most" in Chinese history: the youngest empress, the youngest empress dowager, and the youngest empress dowager.
Since embarking on this thorny road, in just a few years, she has experienced several rounds of identity changes, and she has become similar to Monkey King 72. At the age of 24, my grandfather's family was killed by the new emperor, and he died at the age of 52. At such a speed, even the historian couldn't help but sigh: amazingly fast!
Just a few numbers, like a cold carving knife, divide her life nodes full of sadness and helplessness. In fact, behind every age, there are a lot of sad and unbearable secrets.
Caught in the whirlpool of power since childhood, he was forced to take on a very disproportionate responsibility when he should have been carefree, and it was a blessing or a curse that could not be avoided.
After the collapse of Shangguan Ji's family, Huo Guang was able to monopolize power. At this time, he made a small calculation, and he was anxious to use his granddaughter Empress Shangguan with his own blood to add a crown prince to the imperial court, and he could do his best tomorrow. So under his instruction, the ministers of the court wrote to Emperor Zhao of the Han Dynasty one after another, strongly recommending the empress to be favored, with a clear intention:
"Your Majesty's lack of femininity is conducive to the health of the dragon's body and the exclusive favor of the queen, which is the perfect strategy!"
Huo Guang had a lot to worry about, and he also ordered the palace maids to wear "poor gentlemen", which is a kind of tightly sewn pants, in case the emperor has any ambiguous relationship with them. But even if Shangguan was favored in the harem, he failed to conceive a dragon heir. In 74 BC, the 21-year-old Emperor Zhao of Han suddenly fell ill and died, and at this time she was only 15 years old.
There is a lot to say about the reasons why she was infertile for life. Some speculate that she may have been a virgin until her death, too young to ever be married to each other. Others said that it was to avoid the further expansion of the forces of relatives led by Huo Guang and deliberately did not let her get pregnant.
After losing the support of her family, Empress Shangguan's situation took a sharp turn for the worse, like a lonely bird that had lost her wings, floating in the storm of palace struggle, and her small body had to bear this great burden. With neither a strong background to rely on nor an heir to support her, the coldness and ruthlessness of the court are repeated on her every day, leaving new scars on the old and the good.
In the later years of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the shadow of witchcraft loomed over every corner of the court, and she unfortunately fell victim to this political purge. The powerful ministers have demanded that she be deposed, and she will lose all her dignity and power. , the little queen who was once prominent, now only a lonely figure remains, no one is on her side, it has always been like this.
In the end, in the dark and damp prison, with endless regret and sorrow, he ended his short and bumpy life "happily".
Her ending is a classic microcosm of the tragic fate of ancient women. Life experience is a drama of ups and downs, from the peak of glory to the deep valley of loneliness, unable to call the shots, cruelly at the mercy of the hand of fate, picked up high, and falling heavily. Why did a former queen fall into such a situation?
The twist of fate is the result of personal choice, and it is also a cruel reflection of the background of the times and the political struggle of the court. In that era full of power and intrigue, even if it was a high and powerful person, it was difficult to escape the double shackles of family interests and political whirlpool, which was sad and pathetic.
epilogue
It is often said that "behind the infinite scenery, there is often loneliness and pain". Empress Shangguan's experience aptly verifies this.
A queen who once enjoyed all the glory is now withering silently in the dark, is it embarrassing and helpless? Her life is not only a victim of political struggle, but also a doll of ruthless fate. In those long lonely years, did she ever ask herself why fate was so unfair?
Widowed for many years, no children and no daughters, no mental disorders, and no suicide, Empress Shangguan endured everything that fate gave her, and next time, she will live with determination.
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"Inside the Han Dynasty Court: The Legendary Life of Empress Shangguan" Li Xiaodong
"Women's Power in Chinese History" Xu Zhigang