Novelty Center / Roundup
▲ The way Jiaqing handles the harem is quite unique. (Schematic diagram / taken from Baidu Encyclopedia)
The stories of the women in the Qing Dynasty harem have often become the subject of historical drama, I believe that many people know about them, and the romantic story of Emperor Qianlong is even more exciting. As we all know, Qianlong was one of the few monarchs who abdicated during his lifetime. When he handed over the staff to the Jiaqing Emperor, how did he deal with the harem left behind? Among them is the test of the young master’s pulse.
According to the regulations of the Qing Dynasty royal family, after the death of the first emperor, all the empresses and concubines left by him lived in the six east and west palaces, and all living expenses were naturally borne by the family real care. However, Qianlong set a precedent for abdication during his lifetime. To appease them, the Jiaqing Emperor used a trick, which was to elevate their status and show his benevolent heart as a monarch to the world.
Several representative concubines had the following endings:
Concubine Ying: In the twenty-fourth year of Qianlong’s reign, she was given the title of concubine Ying. This period lasted more than thirty years. After Qianlong abdicated, she felt that it was not easy for her to be a concubine, so she personally ordered her to be a concubine. She was already 70 years old. After Qianlong’s death, she lived in Shoukang Palace, but she died the second year after Qianlong left. went.
Concubine Wan: She was the longest-lived of Qianlong’s many concubines. She lived longer than Qianlong. She lived for 92 years. After Jiaqing took the throne, she lived with Concubine Ying. It is the royal family who sustain their lives.
Concubine Dun: Once Qianlong’s favorite concubine, especially Gulun and Princess Xiao, born of Qianlong, was also Qianlong’s favorite daughter. After Qianlong’s death, she lived to the 11th year of Jiaqing.
Most of the other concubines had similar plots. Compared to the previous brutal killings due to fear of back bones and other reasons, Jiaqing’s management method was relatively humane and much more intelligent.
