The political situation in the early years of the Qing Dynasty was turbulent
"Kangxi Dynasty" is a large-scale historical TV series adapted from the historical novel "Kangxi Emperor" by Februaryhe, in which the famous actor Siqin Gaowa plays the important historical figure of the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang. Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang was the grandmother of Emperor Kangxi and served as regent as Empress Dowager during Kangxi's childhood.
In the eighteenth year of Shunzhi in the Qing Dynasty, the eight-year-old Kangxi Emperor, surrounded by eunuchs, walked through the long corridor and walked towards the Taihe Palace. He was wearing a heavy dragon robe, his gait was still immature, and his small figure looked particularly thin in the magnificent palace.
In front of the great throne of the Taihe Palace, Emperor Kangxi officially ascended the throne and accepted the worship of hundreds of officials. The sound of "long live" echoed in the hall, which was deafening. In the afternoon of the same day, the Empress Dowager Siqin Gaowa of Xiaozhuang wore exquisite palace clothes and sat in the palace of nourishing the heart.
In the early years of the Qing Dynasty, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, as a behind-the-scenes political manipulator, had a decisive influence on the Kangxi Emperor's growth and political career. The Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang decided to choose the right time for Kangxi to be in power. Before deciding, Emperor Kangxi had learned basic knowledge of imperial politics and the operation of imperial power through the careful teaching of the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang.
During the decision-making process, the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang summoned the experienced Minister Sony. Sonny was the auxiliary minister at the time, and he had always been loyal and protective to Emperor Kangxi. In the Palace of Nourishing the Heart, the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang had a long meeting with Sony. Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang directly expressed her intentions and vision for the future of the country, hoping that Sony could return to the role of auxiliary minister and assist Emperor Kangxi in handling more complex court affairs. She proposed that Emperor Kangxi marry Sony's granddaughter as the queen to ensure the Sony family's loyalty and support to Emperor Kangxi.
Under the careful arrangement of the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, Sonny went out again and assumed the position of auxiliary minister. In the early days of Emperor Kangxi's pro-government, the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang still indirectly influenced the government through various means, such as the guidance of the court meeting and the suggestions of major decisions. She gave a lot of support to the Kangxi Emperor's pro-government, and at the same time ensured the smooth transfer of power in the imperial court.
The rise of the Sony family and the change of the dynasty
After Emperor Kangxi came into power, with the advancement of the government, the status of the Sony family gradually rose. Sony's granddaughter was canonized as empress, and the royal family's marriage to the Sony family made the family a force to be reckoned with in the court.
When Emperor Kangxi was just in power, Aobai's power was in full swing. As an important minister in the early years of the Qing Dynasty, Ao Bai assisted the Shunzhi Emperor to consolidate his power, and his military achievements were great and he was highly regarded. However, as time passed, Ao Bai gradually grasped too much real power, and even formed a group of powerful ministers in the court that threatened the emperor's rule. Emperor Kangxi had long been aware of the threat of Aobai's power, so he began to seek an opportunity to steadily plan how to eradicate this powerful minister.
He secretly arranged a number of small-scale tests in the court to test Aobai's bottom line and reaction. At the same time, loyal ministers such as Sonny continued to provide Kangxi with advice and strategies, helping Kangxi to protect himself and accumulate strength in many court struggles. After a series of temptations and preparations, Kangxi decided to take action and capture Aobai alive.
Emperor Kangxi summoned his cronies and close attendants and made a careful plan. At a meeting of the imperial court, they deliberately arranged some questions to let Ao Bai show his arrogance and arrogance in public. Kangxi behaved humbly and politely, and forbearance and restraint, not in direct conflict with Aobai. It was after this meeting that Emperor Kangxi decisively ordered to be captured alive in a secret operation. Ao Bai was caught off guard, and he didn't expect that Kangxi, who was still young, would dare to do it directly in the court. At this time, Aobai's power and power were completely disintegrated, and Kangxi successfully recovered the usurped power.
As Kangxi gradually grew into a mature emperor, the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang realized that Kangxi was no longer as obedient to her as he was when he was a child. Kangxi now has independent decision-making abilities and is able to handle court affairs, and even on some issues, the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang found that Kangxi no longer relied entirely on her opinions. This reminded Xiaozhuang that when Shunzhi was in power, he also gradually got rid of his dependence on her, and even had disagreements with her on marriage issues, and finally failed to completely resolve the contradictions between the two because of Shunzhi's early death.
In order to prevent Shunzhi's history from repeating itself in Kangxi, she began to think about how to continue to maintain influence in Kangxi's life and decision-making. Kangxi has grown up and is no longer the obedient child, and he must arrange a candidate by his side who can influence him for a long time. And Su Malagu, the maid who was loyal to the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, became the best candidate in Xiaozhuang's heart. Su Ma and Kangxi have known each other since childhood and have been taking care of his daily life, Xiaozhuang believes that arranging Su Ma by Kangxi's side can not only allow Su Ma to serve as a link between her and Kangxi, but also ensure that Kangxi will still have a person she trusts who can influence Kangxi's decision-making in the future rule.
The bitterness and choice of Su Malagu
Su Malagu and Kangxi grew up together since childhood, and the two were childhood sweethearts and had a deep relationship. After Kangxi ascended the throne, Su Ma, as his personal maid, has been by his side to take care of his daily life, and Kangxi's trust and affection for her have long surpassed the ordinary master-servant relationship. In fact, the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang could see that Kangxi had some special feelings for Su Ma. Kangxi's attitude towards Su Ma has always been very close, and even at some point, his words and deeds reveal his liking for her.
Therefore, the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang almost did not hesitate, and made a decree to directly crown Su Ma as Kangxi's concubine. In Xiaozhuang's view, this is a great glory for Su Ma, which is equivalent to paving a splendid road for her to fly on the branches. She felt that Su Ma would definitely be grateful, after all, being promoted from a maid to the emperor's concubine, this was undoubtedly a great gift for a woman in the palace, and Su Ma would definitely serve her more loyally because of this.
However, things turned out to be unexpected. When Su Ma learned that he was made a concubine, he was not as grateful as expected, but immediately expressed his refusal to the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang. She calmly told Xiaozhuang that the Queen Mother had personally told her that she was only allowed to regard Kangxi as her master or younger brother, and she must not have any wrong thoughts about Kangxi. Su Ma has always kept this sentence in mind, even in the face of such a gift, she can't break her promise to the Queen Mother.
After listening to Su Ma's words, Xiaozhuang was obviously a little displeased. Xiaozhuang was confident that he could see through Su Ma's intentions, thinking that she actually had feelings for Kangxi, but because of her promises, she was reluctant to show it.
Therefore, Xiaozhuang felt that Su Ma's current refusal was hypocritical. She even deliberately forced Su Ma with words, pointing out that if Su Ma really had no distractions, she would not have gotten so close to Kangxi in the first place. Xiaozhuang wanted Su Ma to understand that she had already seen through her feelings for Kangxi, and if she refused again at this time, it would seem that her previous loyalty and commitment were a joke.
In the face of Xiaozhuang's accusations, Su Ma still firmly expressed his position. She did not waver in her decision, repeatedly emphasizing that she could not accept such an arrangement, because it was contrary to her original promise. She is unwilling to let her years of perseverance become a joke because of a temporary marriage. When the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang saw Su Ma so insistent, she was furious and scolded her for not knowing how to lift.
Su Malagu's decision and Xiaozhuang's helplessness
During Kangxi's growth, Su Malagu got to know many knowledgeable figures, the most prominent of which was Wu Ciyou. Wu Ciyou won Kangxi's appreciation with his outstanding talent and unique insights. Whenever Kangxi and Wu Ciyou were talking, Su Ma often stood by the side, silently listening to the discussion between the two. Over time, Su Ma also developed some admiration and admiration for Wu Ciyou's talent.
At the critical moment when Kangxi decided to eradicate the powerful ministers, Wu Ciyou gave him advice and provided a lot of valuable advice. With the fall of Aobai, the power of the imperial court returned to Kangxi's hands, and Wu Ciyou became famous in the court. After Ao Bai was captured, Wu Ciyou finally learned about the relationship between Su Ma and Kangxi. Originally, he only knew that Su Ma was a trusted maid by Kangxi's side, but he didn't expect that she had a deeper emotional bond with Kangxi. Kangxi's feelings for Su Ma are obvious, but Wu Ciyou's admiration for Su Ma instantly became complicated after learning all this. In order not to let this relationship cause more trouble, Wu Ciyou resolutely chose to give up.
Wu Ciyou's departure made Su Ma feel deeply lost, but she still stuck to Kangxi's side and continued to fulfill her duties. However, the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang was not aware of this complex emotional entanglement. Su Ma knew that once she became Kangxi's concubine, the unfinished emotions between her and Wu Ciyou would become a potential hidden danger. Although Wu Ciyou has rejected her, if this relationship is known by Kangxi, it may become an eternal mustard between them.
Xiaozhuang once wanted to force the order, but Su Ma's attitude was extremely firm, and he had no intention of compromising at all. Although Xiaozhuang was dissatisfied, he was helpless and could only choose to retreat. In order to maintain order in the palace and avoid more trouble, Xiaozhuang decided to keep Su Ma away from Kangxi and send her to Tianxin Nunnery in the palace to live in seclusion.
Tianxin Nunnery is a small temple in the palace, with a quiet environment, far away from the strife of the palace. Xiaozhuang's arrangement ostensibly gave Su Ma a way out, but in fact it was also a punishment for Su Ma. Xiaozhuang knew that although Su Ma refused to become a concubine, she was still a person she trusted, and she couldn't let her move around outside the palace at will, nor could she continue to cause disputes by Kangxi's side. So, Xiaozhuang chose to send Su Ma to Tianxin Nunnery and live a life closer to a monk.
Although Su Ma's life in Tianxin Nunnery is far away from the hustle and bustle of the court, it also means that she will say goodbye to the emotions and glory she once had. Xiaozhuang's calculations ultimately failed, and Su Ma failed to become Kangxi's concubine. However, this arrangement also led Su Ma to a lonely and loveless life path.
References:[1]Chen Xiaodong. History Teaching,2002(9):67-69