Kangxi reigned for a long time, with more than 50 concubines in the harem. During his long 61 years of rule, Kangxi appointed three queens, but after the death of the third queen, he did not appointed a queen for 33 years.
The right to speak in the harem is basically in the hands of the four concubines. These four concubines are Hui, Yi, De and Rong. Among them, Yifei is widely known because many films and television and unofficial history have records of Yifei, saying that she is Kangxi's favorite concubine. However, after Kangxi's death, the 58-year-old Concubine Yi was left behind, but was humiliated by Yongzheng three times in a row, and his face was ruined.
▲Kangxi reigned for a long time, and there were more than 50 concubines in the harem. (Photo/Photo taken from the encyclopedia entry)
The first-ranked concubine of Kangxi, Hui, has fallen out of favor, the second-ranked concubine is Concubine Yi, while Yongzheng's mother Concubine De is in third place. Because of this ranking, the harem's voice is basically controlled by Concubine Yi. In the later years of Kangxi, Concubine Yi rebuilt the Maitreya Courtyard in Yongfengtun outside Deshengmen to pay tribute to Emperor Kangxi, and paid thousands of taels of silver and three hectares of seventy acres of incense land. When the temple was rebuilt, Concubine Yi sent Zhang Qiyong and Li Rongjing, the leaders of Kunning Palace, to bring incense and worship. At this time, Concubine Yi was able to help her leave the palace to do things for her, which shows her status in the harem.
Kangxi In the fifty-nine year, the "magnificent" "big and majestic" "big and mountain temple" was built. The imperial calligraphy "Xiang Yan Temple" was written across the stone forehead and the imperial inscription was made. There was also a sacred oracle monument "Civil officials got off the sedan chair and military officials got off the horse" stele outside the mountain gate. When the civil and military ministers pass by the temple, civil officials will get off the sedan chair, and military generals will get off the horse. Xiangyan Temple opens a temple three times a year , which is the Kangxi Wanbao Festival in March, the Buddha's birthday in April and December, the Concubine Yi Qianqiu Day , ignores the noble concubine Tong Jia, who has the highest median score in the palace, which shows Kangxi's favor for Concubine Yi.
Emperor Kangxi issued an edict during his lifetime that after his death, the princes could welcome their older mother home to live, but they still had to go to the palace every month to greet the emperor Yongzheng and meet the queen. Therefore, Concubine Yi moved to her son Prince Heng’s mansion from June of the first year of Yongzheng. Unexpectedly, the five concubines who left the palace had never paid tribute to Emperor Yongzheng and the Empress in three years since they left the palace, which aroused his strong dissatisfaction.
And Yongzheng and Concubine Yi's son were not in the same camp, and Concubine De, who was implicated, also suffered a lot of grievances. So after Yongzheng took office, he respected Concubine De as the Empress Dowager, and Concubine Yi's position was under Concubine De. Based on these two reasons, Yongzheng did not have a good attitude towards Concubine Yi after he took office, and even publicly humiliated Concubine Yi.
▲The right to speak in Kangxi's harem is basically controlled by Concubine Yi. (Schematic picture/Photo taken from Weibo )
The first time it happened at Kangxi's funeral. Coincidentally, the sedan chair carried by Concubine Yi's eunuchs and the eunuchs carried by Concubine De actually walked in front of Concubine De. This scene aroused Yongzheng's dissatisfaction, but no matter how dissatisfied, Concubine Yi was considered his mother at this time, and he could not scold him. So he pointed at the eunuchs carrying the sedan chair and said that the eunuchs carrying the sedan were also very humiliating.
But Yongzheng still felt dissatisfied afterwards, so when Kangxi was buried, he brought up the old matter again and convicted Concubine Yi three crimes.
One of them is that Concubine Yi did not respect her when she saw the Empress Dowager.
The second is that Concubine Yi dared to walk in front of the empress dowager, but she was carried by the sedan chair and asked the empress dowager to follow her.
The third is that Concubine Yi doesn't even take the newly promoted emperor seriously and doesn't respect him enough.
Later, Yongzheng settled the eighth prince and sent Concubine Yi's son 9th prince to Xining. When the Ninth prince came to say goodbye, he could only look at each other across the door because Yongzheng did not allow them to meet. Concubine Yi, who was eager to think of her, opened the door and hugged her son and cried bitterly. This behavior just gave Yongzheng a chance to confine him.
Emperor Yongzheng disgraced Concubine Yi's reputation through three humiliations. Later, Lao Jiu was tortured by Yongzheng until his death. Concubine Yi could not accept it and was even a little crazy. In the end, she died of depression. However, after her death, Yongzheng did not let her coffin go. Her coffin was kept for 4 years and she was buried until Qianlong ascended the throne. Concubine Yi, who was once glorious and loved by Kangxi, ended up miserably, which shows that the life of the ancient harem women is really sighing.
Reference materials: "Draft History of Qing Dynasty"
