Lady Huarui was fortunate enough to be conferred the title of Empress Hui and given the name Lady Huarui by the late Shu ruler Meng Chang. There are many mysteries about her in history. Below, the editor of the Historical Encyclopedia will bring you relevant content to share with you.
In ancient times, beauty was an indispensable condition for emperors, concubines, and concubines. They could sink fish and geese, hide the moon and shy flowers, or admire the country and the city. If they had talent, it would be even more icing on the cake. However, such talented and beautiful concubines were not common, and Lady Huarui was a particularly dazzling and brilliant pearl in this rare world.
She was stunning in both dynasties and shook future generations. She was not only the consort of Meng Chang of Later Shu (scholars have held two different views on this, while others believe that she was the consort of the former Shu king, and this article adopts the first view), but also the consort of Zhao Kuangyin, the founder of Song Dynasty. Therefore, she was favored by both the ruler of the fallen country and the emperor of the founding country, and behind this seemingly infinite glory was endless bitterness and helplessness. Her situation after being captured was shrouded in mist and became an unsolved problem for eternity.
1、 A talented woman in Shu, a favored concubine in the palace, standing alone in the spring breeze
He Guangyuan of the Five Dynasties wrote in the chapter “Talented Women of Shu” in his book “Jianjie Lu”: Wu Yue Rao Gong courtesans, Yan Zhao Duo Mei Shu, Song Dynasty songstress, talented women from Shu. The novelist Ling Mengchu of the late Ming Dynasty also said: Women in Sichuan have always been known for their talents, such as Wenjun and Zhaojun, who were born in Sichuan and all had literary talents.
Since ancient times, there have been many talented women in the Shu region. Madame Huarui was a famous female poet of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, and was known as one of the “Four Great Talented Women of Shu” along with Zhuo Wenjun, Xue Tao, and Huang E.
According to Chen Shidao’s “Poetry Talks on the Back Mountain” from the Song Dynasty, Fei Shi, a native of Qingcheng in Shu, entered the Shu Palace with talent and beauty. The later ruler Ying Zhi, also known as “Lady Huarui,” wrote a hundred “Palace Poems” under the guidance of Wang Jian.
Volume 16 of the “Neng Gai Zhai Man Lu” states: Meng Qichang, the puppet ruler of Shu, was married by Xu Kuangzhang to his daughter Yu Chang, and was appointed as a noble consort, also known as Lady Huarui… Chen Wuji (Shidao) mistakenly used his wife’s surname Fei.
Based on this, the surname of Lady Huarui, Fei, and Xu, still remains controversial.
Madame Huarui “is full of poetic and picturesque charm when it comes to her title, unlike the rigid style of a certain lady who is commonly referred to by her surname. It is unique yet elegant. The meaning of the flower bud is’ flowers are not enough to match their color, like a light stamen ‘, which shows their innate beauty and charming charm. Madam, according to the Tang Dynasty court official system, it is a collective term for the four imperial concubines below the empress, namely Noble Consort, Shufei, De Consort, and Xian Consort, and their status in the court can also be seen.
Madame Huarui not only has bright eyes, good dancing skills, and unparalleled beauty, possessing all the qualities that an imperial consort should have, but also possesses the talent that other imperial consorts lack – delicate hands to write poetry.
She was the first master to write palace poems as “palace officials writing palace affairs”, and her palace poems broke through the situation of being written by “foreign ministers” since the Tang Dynasty, making an indelible contribution to the development history of palace poems. Lu Chang commented in “Poetry and Prose of Famous Women of All Dynasties” that the palace poems he wrote were fresh, elegant, talented, and had a unique style, making her an outstanding woman.
She is both talented and beautiful, and has received countless favors. It can be imagined that her first half of life was also peaceful and comfortable, beautiful and wealthy, which is enviable. Even though she wrote in a palace poem: Every day at the high gate, the embankment is filled with red and vibrant spring breeze. However, I believe that with her unparalleled charm, she is capable of standing out alone in the spring breeze.
2、 The country is destroyed, the family is destroyed, the fragrance fades away, and since ancient times, many beauties have lost their lives
As soon as I entered the palace gate, it was as deep as the sea. In the treacherous and ever-changing palace, there are many women who are pitiful and pitiful. Even if they receive the favor of a specialized room and possess the beauty of literary talent, they cannot guarantee a lifetime of peace. Their fate is full of ups and downs, and even under the cover of their nests, there will be no complete eggs.
In the era of frequent wars, conflicts, and dynastic changes during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, there were many examples of one emperor and one minister committing crimes overnight. After the fall of Later Shu, Meng Chang, the main members of the central leadership of Later Shu, and the beauties of the harem who became prisoners were all escorted northward by the Song army, including Lady Hua Rui.
According to Volume 6 of the “Tiewei Mountain Talks”, when Chang arrived and lasted for ten days, Lady Huarui was summoned to the palace, and Chang died as a result.
Meng Chang died suddenly as a prisoner, which is regrettable. And with the fallen monarch becoming a concubine of others, Lady Hua Rui’s inner sorrow was indescribable.
There are also different opinions in historical books. It can even be said that Emperor Taizu of Song, Zhao Kuangyin, coveted the beauty and talent of Lady Huarui and destroyed the Later Shu in one fell swoop, showing a strong attitude of “becoming a red face in anger”. But I always feel that as an ambitious and ambitious king, Zhao Kuangyin’s greatest ideal was to destroy various countries and unify the country. In the end, he unexpectedly won a beautiful woman.
It is also said that Lady Huarui inherited the favor of Emperor Taizu of Song and was coveted by him, ultimately leading to her death. I believe that such a woman with both talent and beauty must be the target pursued by men.
There are two records in historical books about the death of Lady Hua Rui.
In the Northern Song Dynasty’s “Wen Jian Jin Lu”, it is said that one day, Zhao Kuangyin led his prince and harem to a banquet and shot Lady Huarui in the backyard. When Zhao Kuangyin ordered Lady Huarui to fold the flowers, Zhao Guangyi drew his bow and shot her to death.
In the late Northern Song Dynasty, “Discussions on Tiewei Mountain” states that after Lady Hua Rui returned to the Song Dynasty, she was on a hunting trip from the rear garden. Zhao Guangyi “adjusted his bow and arrow, drew a full range of simulated beasts, and suddenly shot back at Lady Hua Rui, killing him with one arrow”.
Flowers fall, people die, two do not know.
Even though one’s youth may last forever, with many lives to be lost, separated from the phoenix and separated from the swan, a country may perish, and a jade may fade away, only the various auspicious sounds recited in “Palace Poems” remain, and the poetry will last forever, leaving a lasting legacy.
3、 A hundred palace poems, covering everything, like an encyclopedia of the times
Palace poems have always been the best tool for expressing palace grievances, with exquisite language and detailed details, deep and graceful charm. Such as Ban Jieyu’s “Abandoned Donation in the Jars and Shrines, the Way of Grace is Absolute”, Wang Changling’s “Jade Beauty is not as beautiful as the color of a raven, but still carries the shadow of the morning sun”, and Bai Juyi’s “Red Beauty is cut off before aging, leaning against a smoking cage and sitting until dawn”.
Madame Huarui’s palace poems are unique in content and have gradually deviated from the narrow content of palace grievances. They tend to describe more trivial daily life in the palace, fully showcasing the palace culture of Shu, including palace architecture, entertainment customs, festival customs, and daily life in the palace. The writing covers a wide range of topics, the scenery of the four seasons is abundant, and the joy of the four seasons is endless.
Her “Palace Lyrics” is based on simple and concise materials, vividly expressed, skillfully crafted, and has a fresh style. It not only has valuable historical value, but also holds an important literary position. The “Song Poetry Note” describes her “Palace Poems” as “the essence of the inner family, naturally flowing and beautiful”, and “enough to seize the seats of Wang Jian and Zhang Ji”, which is not a compliment.
Among the five cloud towers and phoenix cities, flowers and trees grow new and the sun and moon are idle. The Thirty Six Palaces are connected to the Inner Garden, and the Taiping Emperor resides in Kunshan.
This first palace poem presents us with a bird’s-eye view of the Shu Palace, as if we can see the closed door of a thousand years ago slowly opening. We will see little-known scenes of royal harem life, as well as appreciate a fleeting prosperity, brightness, and a vibrant history that has been sealed for a long time.
Next to the Qingming small hall, there is a colorful double decker cockfighting arena. The insider looked at Yu clearly and bet that Hongluo would be bedridden ten times first.
Since ancient times, there have been numerous customs and activities during the Cold Food Qingming Festival. In this palace poem, Lady Huarui recorded the lively scene of cold eating and cockfighting in the Shu palace. Although the whole poem did not directly describe the intense scene of two chickens fighting each other like literati have always done, the anger of both sides refusing to give in before the cockfighting has been rendered very strong, with a small taste of both elegance and vulgarity.
On the south bank of the Yuechi Lake in the June Fourth Propaganda Hall, the pink walls and red windows cannot be painted. Always traveling alone, listening to the sound of pipes and strings throughout the night.
In the imperial harem centered around emperors throughout history, numerous concubines and concubines have staged endless tragicomedy of gaining favor and losing power. Those who are favored have no leisure time to attend banquets, while those who are disappointed have no leisure time to go on spring outings at night. Their jade appearance is not as beautiful as that of a raven, but still carries the shadow of the morning sun.
The owner of this poem is undoubtedly a lucky one. She lives in a building composed of pink walls and red windows that are even more beautiful than paintings, and this is also a must visit place for the emperor every day, where the lively sound of orchestras can be heard all night long.
Her palace poems are created using vivid and delicate white lines, without much emphasis on rendering, as if effortlessly presenting the rich and colorful life of the royal palace to us. The language is simple and fresh, expressing a natural and smooth flow, with a natural beauty of “lotus blossoms emerge from clear water, naturally unadorned” and a sincere beauty of genuine emotions.
Despite her beautiful appearance and poetic charm, she still has a red face and a thin fate. However, she once lived so brightly and left a vivid mark in the long river of history, which is enough for us to remember, reminisce, and envy.
