Generally speaking, the title of concubines during the Qing Dynasty will not be easily changed, however, in the Jiaqing Daoguang and Daoguang dynasties, there have been a large number of changes in the title of concubines, and some have even changed many times, and the one I want to talk about in this article is the one who changed the title three times, becoming the only concubine in the Qing Dynasty who changed the title three times, she is Concubine Zhuang.
Mention of Concubine Zhuang, everyone will first think of the famous figure Empress Xiaozhuang in the early years of the Qing Dynasty, yes, Xiaozhuang's title in the period of being a concubine is Zhuang Concubine, but this Concubine Zhuang is not a concubine, and the Concubine Zhuang that this article is going to talk about is a concubine of the Jiaqing Harem.
Princess Zhuang's original surname was Wang, a dressed woman from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and her father, Iribu, was only a small person, and a woman of wang's origin was generally a palace maid. However, the heavens seem to be interested in taking care of this woman, not only giving her a beautiful face, but also giving her a wise mind, and under the influence of the family environment, the Wang family has a certain cultural accomplishment (Note: Wang's father, Iribu, is a literary person).
Long before Jiaqing succeeded to the throne, wang was assigned to his side and became a servant of the people, called a handmaiden. In the first year of Jiaqing's succession, Wang was fortunately summoned by Jiaqing, and thus began to become a minor lord of the harem of the Qing Dynasty, and Jiaqing gave her the title of Chun Changzai.
Through the study of Wang's harem resume, it can be found that this woman is by no means simple, first of all, she was favored by Jiaqing for 16 years.
In the third year of Jiaqing, the Wang clan, which had just become a regular for only two years, ushered in a promotion opportunity and was given the title of Chun Guiren. After another three years, the Wang clan obtained the status of the head of the inner court and was crowned as a concubine of Ji (initially proposed as a concubine, and later changed to a concubine). In the thirteenth year of Jiaqing, Jiaqing was blessed with the emperor's eldest grandson Yiwei, Longyan Dayue, and the concubine of the Great Feng Harem, and the Wang clan also followed the light and was given the title of Zhuang Concubine (initially proposed to be titled Ji Concubine, later changed to Zhuang Concubine).
As a result, from Chang Zai to Zhuang Concubine, the title of the Wang clan changed three times, which is extremely rare in the history of the Qing Dynasty, under normal circumstances, if the concubine is demoted, it may lead to a change in the title, but it is not common for an upgrade like the Wang clan to change.
Wang's other thing is not simple, that is, her funeral.
In the sixteenth year of Jiaqing, that is, only three years after Wang's being crowned princess Zhuang, she died of illness in the Yuanmingyuan, when the golden coffin of the Wang clan was temporarily placed in the West Garden, and I did not expect that Jiaqing himself came to the West Garden twice and personally laid the foundation for the Wang family, which is also rare in the history of the Qing Dynasty.
Moreover, when the Wang clan was sent to Xiling for burial, another puzzling scene occurred, when the Empress Niuhulu of the Middle Palace (Empress Xiaoherui) actually attended the funeral of the Wang clan in person, and watched the Wang clan buried in the concubine garden, and the empress of the Tangtang Daqing attended the funeral of an ordinary concubine, and there was a Qing generation, only this one case.
This act was by no means the empress's private act, but was carefully arranged by Jiaqing, which once again confirmed the unsimpleness of this woman of the Wang clan, at least she occupied a certain position in Jiaqing's heart.
References: Draft History of the Qing Dynasty, Archives of the Qing Palace, Records of Emperor Renzong of the Qing Dynasty