In the vast history of the Chinese harem, Consort Zhen is like a brilliant yet tragic meteor, crossing the sky of the late Qing court. Although she may not be the most famous concubine, she is undoubtedly one of the most watched, her intelligence is admirable, and her tragic fate is heart-wrenching.
The Birth and Entry of Consort Zhen into the Palace
On February 27th, 1876, on the third day of the second lunar month, a new life was born in the family of Changxu, the fifth daughter of the former Right Assistant Minister of the Household Department. Perhaps Changxu did not expect that 13 years later, this daughter named "Ta Ta La Shi" would be chosen to enter the palace and start a legendary and tragic life. Her sister also entered the palace with her, but her sister's fame far exceeded her sister's. Later generations called her "Zhenfei". Zhenfei died at the age of 24, and her death has always been a controversial topic for later generations.
There are very few photos left by Consort Zhen. She is nowhere to be found in the Qing Dynasty photo materials collected by the Palace Museum and the First Historical Archives of China. Only a half-body portrait of her is preserved in the Imperial Palace southeast of the Forbidden City. This is also the only surviving photo of Consort Zhen, leaving a clue for future generations to understand her.
Zhenfei entered the palace at the age of 13. She and her sister Jinfei grew up with their uncle Changshan in Guangzhou since childhood. As a general in Guangzhou, Changshan loved to socialize with literati and hired the famous scholar Wenting Shi (who later ranked second in high school) as a teacher for his two nieces, which made the sisters knowledgeable and reasonable from an early age.
Guangzhou, as the most important port city among the Five Trade Ports, had the earliest contact with the West and was most influenced by Western ideas. This open environment was of great significance to the growth of Consort Zhen and laid the foundation for her future favor with Emperor Guangxu.
In 1889, in the 15th year of the Guangxu reign, Emperor Guangxu reached the age of marriage. However, he had no choice and everything was decided by Empress Dowager Cixi. Cixi chose her younger brother's daughter, 21-year-old Yehnara, as Guangxu's legal wife, who later became Empress Longyu. Changxu's two daughters were selected as concubines. The fourth daughter, who was 15 years old, was named "Jin Pin", and the fifth daughter, who was 13 years old, was named "Zhen Pin" (there were eight levels of imperial concubines in the Qing Dynasty, and "Pin" was the fifth level). At the age of only 13, Zhen Pin knew nothing about the fate waiting for her in the Forbidden City.
The love of Guangxu and the disputes in the harem
Beauty is not the only factor that earns the emperor's favor in the palace. Many historical records show that Guangxu initially liked Consort Zhen because of her beauty, but some say that Guangxu was initially attracted to Consort Jin. However, it is an indisputable fact that Guangxu ultimately loved Consort Zhen alone, which was more due to her personality.
Compared to the relatively dull Jin Fei and Empress Longyu, who was three years older than Guangxu, Zhen Fei, who was innocent, lively, and had active thinking, was more likable. She was skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and came from the open-minded Guangzhou. At that time, the Qing Dynasty was facing internal and external troubles, and Emperor Guangxu was in the deep palace but had the intention to learn from the West and strive for success. Zhen Fei and he had a similar spirit, and the two quickly got together.
Even the always picky Empress Dowager Cixi initially liked this clever and clever girl. The Bai-surnamed palace maid who once served Consort Zhen recalled: "Consort Zhen was beautiful and virtuous. When she first entered the palace, she was extremely favored by Empress Dowager Cixi." Because Consort Zhen's handwriting was good, for a period of time, Consort Zhen wrote characters such as "blessing", "longevity", "dragon", and "tiger" for her courtiers. In order to improve Consort Zhen's calligraphy and painting skills, Cixi specially appointed talented woman Miao Jiahui as her calligraphy and painting teacher. In the article "My Two Aunts - Consort Zhen and Consort Jin" written by Tang Haiyi, a descendant of Consort Zhen, it was mentioned that Consort Zhen once presided over the adoption ceremony for the empress. Without Cixi's approval, this would have been impossible. In 1894, at the age of 18, Consort Zhen and her sister were promoted from "concubine" to "concubine". It seemed that everything was developing towards the direction of "collecting thousands of loves in one body". However, the complexity of the harem far exceeded imagination.
In the harem, intrigue is inevitable. Concubine Zhen spends all day with Emperor Guangxu, and the most unhappy one is Empress Longyu. According to the article "My Two Aunts - Concubine Zhen and Concubine Jin", a palace maid with the surname Bai recalled: "In order to retaliate, Longyu colluded with Li Lianying and the eunuchs in Concubine Zhen's palace, put a man's boot in Concubine Zhen's palace, and tried to slander her for having an affair. Sister Bai was also tortured for this. Later, because Concubine Zhen had a piece of clothing made of the same material as a performer who often performed in the palace (it is said that the performer's clothing material was given by Guangxu), Longyu made a big deal out of it, causing Concubine Zhen to suffer from court caning." The memories of the palace maids may be biased, but from the perspective of the relationship in the harem, it is inevitable that the emperor favored the concubines while neglecting the empress, and the empress was dissatisfied. Even though Empress Longyu later became known for her virtuousness and gentleness, she could not have been indifferent to this, and she would not speak well of Consort Zhen in front of Empress Dowager Cixi (of course, Consort Zhen also complained about Longyu in front of Guangxu). However, offending the empress was only part of the disputes in the harem. What really caused Consort Zhen's fate to take a turn for the worse was her offending Empress Dowager Cixi.
The conflict between Consort Zhen and Empress Dowager Cixi intensified
Cixi originally loved the innocence and liveliness of Consort Zhen, but when Consort Zhen's behavior went beyond her concept, the situation changed.
At that time, Western photography technology was introduced to China. Many people believed that photography would take away people's souls and damage their lifespan. However, the open-minded Concubine Zhen did not agree. She purchased a set of cameras and practiced repeatedly in her bedroom, Jingren Palace. She quickly mastered the photography technique and became one of the earliest people among the imperial concubines to take photos. After learning, she not only took photos for Emperor Guangxu and other people in the palace, but also taught eunuchs how to take photos and let them take photos for her. When taking photos, she was "not bound by posture, dressed arbitrarily", and even walked around in men's clothing to take photos. The photo locations were not only Jingren Palace, but also the Emperor's Yangxin Hall, which caused great disgust from Empress Dowager Cixi (although she herself also loved taking photos). It is said that Consort Zhen once secretly instructed a eunuch surnamed Dai to open a photo studio outside Donghua Gate. After Cixi learned of this, she criticized Consort Zhen for "what palace ladies should not do". The photo studio was closed and the eunuch surnamed Dai was beaten to death.
If these things were just "willful and foolish", then what happened next made Empress Dowager Cixi even more dissatisfied. According to the grandfather's oral memoir "My Grandfather Xiaode Zhang" written by Zhang Zhongchen, the adopted grandson of Xiao De Zhang, Guangxu once used inventory pearls and jade to make a pearl cheongsam for Consort Zhen. One day, while walking in the imperial garden, the two were caught by Cixi. Cixi was furious and said, "Wow! Even I couldn't bear to use so many pearl-strung cheongsam, and you, a concubine, dared to do so. What if you want to be the empress? Who made you the emperor? The emperor spoils you too much!" Guangxu and Consort Zhen quickly knelt down and kowtowed to apologize. Cixi asked Cui Yugui, the second chief eunuch, to take off the cheongsam and beat Consort Zhen with 30 bamboo poles after returning to the Although some of the content in "My Grandfather Xiao De Zhang" is inaccurate, it is also recorded in "Yingtai Tears of Blood" written by De Ling, a maid beside Empress Dowager Cixi, which shows that this matter has some credibility. This incident not only shows that Cixi believed that Concubine Zhen was "inappropriate", but also reflects the complex mother-son (aunt and nephew), mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship between Cixi and Guangxu.
What's more serious is that Consort Zhen began to get involved in "selling official positions and accepting bribes", which undoubtedly touched the "high-voltage line" of the Qing Dynasty's laws and regulations. The imperial concubines in the harem had a quota for monthly expenses, such as 1,000 taels of silver per year for the empress, plus silk, animal skins, meat, etc., decreasing step by step. The first level of "consort" was 300 taels of silver per year. This money may be enough for the concubines' own expenses, but it is often not enough after receiving and rewarding the people around them. Consort Zhen is generous by nature, with eunuchs flattering her and a love for Western things like photos, resulting in considerable expenses. According to Hu Sijing's book "Guo Wen Bei Cheng", Concubine Zhen accepted bribes based on her close relationship with Emperor Guangxu, allowing Emperor Guangxu to appoint her as an official. Once, she even received a bribe of 40,000 taels of silver, which was eventually exposed ("Empress Dowager Chu interrogated Concubine Zhen and found a book in a secret room, which contained a certain amount of money received from Henan Governor Yu Chang on a certain month"). Although "Guo Wen Bei Cheng" has the suspicion of unofficial history, there are more than one family that recorded this matter, and it has a certain credibility.
This series of actions seriously violated the law that "the palace cannot interfere in politics". Coupled with previous unpleasantness, Empress Dowager Cixi decided to give Concubine Zhen a "warning". Concubine Zhen, along with her sister Concubine Jin, was subjected to the punishment of "roasting clothes and caning" (this punishment was usually aimed at court ministers and had never been used for concubines before). On October 29, 1894, both of them were demoted to "nobles". Obviously, Concubine Jin was basically innocent, and Cixi targeted Concubine Zhen.
The influence of Zhenfei's involvement in politics and the Wuxu Reform
In fact, "selling official positions and titles" was not uncommon in the late Qing Dynasty, and even had official acquiescence since the Kangxi period. Therefore, this is not the key reason for the turning point of Consort Zhen's fate. The real key lies in Consort Zhen's deep involvement in politics and her influence on Emperor Guangxu, attempting to change the power structure.
Consort Zhen was "caned" and demoted in 1894, when China suffered a disastrous defeat in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894. During the war, Emperor Guangxu had already taken power, and although Empress Dowager Cixi still held real power, it was Guangxu who commanded the battle from the front. In this war that changed the fate of China and Japan, the "imperial party" represented by Emperor Guangxu firmly advocated for war, while the "rear party" represented by Empress Dowager Cixi advocated for peace. During this period, the opposition between the "imperial party" and the "rear party" gradually became apparent. Consort Zhen firmly stood on the side of Guangxu, and her enlightenment teacher Wen Tingshi and cousin Zhi Rui (then assistant minister of the Ministry of Rites) took the opportunity to participate in Li Hongzhang's peace and betrayal, angering this late Qing powerful minister. Li Hongzhang's opposition to "Wen Tingshi's attempt to support Concubine Zhen's struggle for the throne and replace Empress Longyu; opposing Empress Dowager Cixi's governance and supporting Emperor Guangxu's autonomy in the court" angered Empress Dowager Cixi. As a result, Wen Tingshi was expelled from the palace and never employed; Zhirui was demoted to the border (Mongolia); and Concubine Zhen was punished again. However, at this time, the mother-in-law-daughter-in-law relationship between Empress Dowager Cixi and Concubine Zhen had not deteriorated to the extreme. The following year, Concubine Zhen and Concubine
However, the "Wuxu Reform" in 1898 completely changed the situation. This reform was like injecting a shot of chicken blood into the terminally ill Qing Dynasty, but it also completely turned against the mother and son of Cixi and Guangxu. Especially when the "Imperial Party" attempted to surround the Summer Palace with the "Siege and Kill" action exposed (Yuan Shikai's betrayal also played a certain role), Cixi was completely disappointed with Guangxu. Cixi may have thought that she had worked hard to raise Guangxu for more than 20 years, but Guangxu was influenced by Concubine Zhen and took the opposite path. Therefore, after the failure of the "Wuxu Reform", Concubine Zhen was once again punished with a cane and sent to the North Third Institute behind the Zhongcui Palace. From then on, she began her career in the cold palace.
According to "Overview of the Forbidden City", the small courtyard where Concubine Zhen was imprisoned was located at the northernmost point of the Forbidden City and was originally a place for the retirement of Ming Dynasty court nurses. After Concubine Zhen moved in, the main entrance was sealed with a cross by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. She lived in the westernmost room of the three rooms in the north room, with the door locked from the outside. Eating and washing her face were served by servants through a living window. She ate ordinary servant food every day and was not allowed to talk to anyone. During festivals or on the first and fifteenth day of each month, the eunuch who guarded her would reprimand her on behalf of Empress Dowager Cixi. The reprimand was carried out during lunch. The eunuch pointed at Concubine Zhen's nose and listed the charges. Concubine Zhen had to kneel and listen to the lecture, and then kowtow to
The truth about the death of Consort Zhen and the power struggles behind it
If it weren't for the incident of the Eight-Power Allied Forces invading Beijing in 1900, no one knows whether Consort Zhen would have died alone in the cold palace. However, her life came to an abrupt end that year. There are two theories about the cause of Consort Zhen's death.
One theory is that the Eight-Power Allied Forces were approaching the city, and Empress Dowager Cixi fled westward with Guangxu. Before leaving, Consort Zhen refused to leave, and after arguing with Cixi, she jumped into a well in anger, but Cixi did not stop her. This theory comes from Empress Dowager Longyu's recollection, and the source is Cixi's own account. However, considering Empress Dowager Longyu's obedience to Cixi, the credibility of this theory is questionable.
Another theory comes from various unofficial histories and the memories of witnesses at that time, that is, Concubine Zhen was thrown into a well by Empress Dowager Cixi. The most convincing one is the recollection of the eunuch Cui Yugui who was ordered to throw Concubine Zhen into the well. From 1985 to 1988, the Forbidden City magazine sponsored by the Palace Museum published the "Record of Palace Maids Talking about the Past" co-authored by Jin Yi and Shen Yiling for 20 consecutive issues. The palace maid who told the story was surnamed Hesheli and served by Cixi's side for eight years, responsible for lighting cigarettes for her. She was called "Rong'er" in the palace. The article "Cui Yugui Talks about the Death of Concubine Zhen" in the book was spoken by Cui Yugui when he visited the house of a Rong palace maid after leaving the Qing palace. The Rong palace maid happened to be on duty on the day Concubine Zhen fell into the well, serving Empress Dowager Cixi.
According to Cui Yugui's description, after delivering the meal at noon on July 20th, Empress Dowager Cixi instructed him to issue a decree that Consort Zhen should wait for the emperor at the Yihe Pavilion. When they arrived at Consort Zhen's residence, the three main entrances in the northeast were closed. After knocking on the door and informing the eunuch in charge, Consort Zhen came out. She had no makeup on her face, with two heads removed from both sides, wearing a light blue silk cheongsam, and ordinary dark green satin shoes (not allowed to wear lotus soles), which was the attire of a guilty concubine. Consort Zhen remained silent all the way, presumably knowing that what awaited her would not be a good thing. When they arrived at Yihe Pavilion, there was only Empress Dowager Cixi in the room. Consort Zhen kowtowed and knelt down to listen to the instructions, and the room was so quiet that needles could be Empress Dowager Cixi straightforwardly said that if foreigners invaded the city and there was chaos outside, if Consort Zhen was humiliated, she would lose face for the royal family and apologize to her ancestors. Consort Zhen was stunned and said she understood and would not embarrass her ancestors. Empress Dowager Cixi also said that she was young and prone to trouble, and it was inconvenient to bring her along. Consort Zhen suggested that Empress Dowager Cixi should avoid it and let the emperor preside over the situation in the capital. These words angered Empress Dowager Cixi. Empress Dowager Cixi turned around and scolded her loudly. Consort Zhen claimed that she was innocent, while Empress Dowager Cixi said that regardless of guilt or innocence, she would die. Consort Zhen requested to see the emperor, but Cixi said that the emperor could not save her. She then ordered Cui Yugui and Wang Dehuan to push Consort Zhen into the well inside the Zhenshun Before her death, Consort Zhen kept shouting to see the Emperor, and finally shouted, "Emperor, I will repay you in the next life!" It can be seen that Consort Zhen still had expectations for Guangxu until the last moment of her life.
The fundamental reason for the death of Consort Zhen lies in her influence on Emperor Guangxu and Empress Dowager Cixi's desire to control power. Cixi ruled the country for 47 years and knew that power would eventually be lost. As time went on, she became more concerned about the operation and evaluation of power behind her. Under the influence of Consort Zhen, Emperor Guangxu did not follow the path Cixi expected. Consort Zhen had her own opinions and had a great influence on Emperor Guangxu. Cixi was worried that if Consort Zhen was given a chance, she might be held accountable in the future. At that time, the Eight-Power Allied Forces were approaching the city, and the situation was turbulent. Cixi did not know what the fate of the Qing Dynasty would be, and whether her own life could be saved (at that time, Cixi strongly advocated declaring war on the foreign powers, and it was later proved that the Eight-Power Allied Forces had no intention of overthrowing the Qing Dynasty and Cixi, which made Cixi feel relieved). Therefore, she decided to eliminate the hidden dangers in advance (according to Cui Yugui's recollection, Cixi's order to throw Concubine Zhen into a well was not a sudden decision, but a premeditated plan). Even Guangxu himself died mysteriously the day before Cixi's death (this was another controversial case), which shows that in the vortex of power struggle, Concubine Zhen's life was insignificant.
Viewpoint
In 1901, after Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu returned to Beijing, they ordered someone to retrieve the body of Consort Zhen from a well. According to people's recollections at the time, the body was swollen and her face was unrecognizable. Cixi expressed regret and posthumously named Consort Zhen as the "Precious Consort", which was undoubtedly an act of appeasing Emperor Guangxu. When the body was retrieved, Emperor Guangxu was not present, and he never got close to any other concubines again.
When reviewing this period of history, some people compare Concubine Zhen to "Saint Joan of Arc", but this metaphor may be overrated. Concubine Zhen's death is indeed regrettable. She was a young woman who did not commit an unforgivable crime but lost her life. However, the evidence that she had the ambition to save the country and the ability to assist a wise ruler is insufficient from existing historical materials, as she did not have enough time to prove herself. Many later generations feel sorry for Concubine Zhen, but in fact, they are feeling indignant for Guangxu and more deeply for the fate of the Qing Dynasty. But upon careful consideration, even if Guangxu held great power and was in charge of the government, could he save the Qing Dynasty? Is it enough to rely solely on the declaration of war against Japan, the "Reform Movement" of Kang Youwei and others, or Concubine Zhen's advice? After of the Ming Dynasty ascended the throne, he worked hard but still could not save the fate of the dynasty. Moreover, the Qing Dynasty had been swept into the torrent of world development and faced a great change that had not been seen in a thousand years. This was not the fault of Consort Zhen, Emperor Guangxu, or Empress Dowager Cixi alone. The Qing Dynasty at that time had lost its ability to heal itself and needed a thorough reform. As the saying goes, "No emperor will be born in the next life." The tragedy of Consort Zhen is a personal misfortune and a sad song of the times, deeply reflecting the complexity of the power struggle and historical development of the late Qing court.