In 1643, after the death of Emperor Taizong of the Qing Dynasty, there was no confirmed candidate for the crown prince. At the age of only 6, Fulin ascended to the throne with the reign title Shunzhi and the regent Dorgon assisted in governance. The Shunzhi Emperor, who had long been held hostage by Dorgon, was very dissatisfied with his uncle. After Dorgon’s death, Shunzhi finally took power and became the first emperor of the Qing Dynasty after entering the capital city of Beijing.
And Emperor Shunzhi is well-known among the people and widely portrayed in TV dramas, not because of his great achievements, after all, Emperor Shunzhi was born in 1638 and passed away in 1661, and the Communist Party of China only lived for 24 years. But there is a legendary story about Emperor Shunzhi, which is his love with Empress Dong E. However, Shunzhi favored Empress Dong E, but his harem also had 8 sons and 6 daughters.
So, Dong E Fei was not the only one who received the Shunzhi Yulu in the harem. At that time, there was a grand and noble concubine in the harem, with a beautiful appearance and graceful figure. Before Empress Dong E entered the palace, she was most favored by Emperor Shunzhi, as evidenced by her title and status. But after Empress Dong E entered the palace, Consort Shuo quickly fell out of favor. Reluctant to be alone, she actually did something absurd.
Originally, there was a close eunuch named Wang Ren beside Consort Shuo. Although eunuchs had to undergo purification before entering the palace, they lost the ability to reproduce. However, this eunuch beside Consort Shuo did not know what means he used. After accepting purification, he still retained the ability of a man. Some people said it was due to bribery, while others said it was due to proper maintenance. In short, Wang Ren escaped unscathed.
Shuo Guifei was neglected by Shunzhi and felt depressed every day. Wang Ren saw the opportunity and stayed by her side every day, comforting her with gentle words. Women love to see men caring for them the most, so Shuo Guifei actually shifted her emotions to Wang Ren. By chance, after waking up from a nap, Concubine Shuo had no one else by her side except for Wang Ren, who was serving her. She unexpectedly discovered Wang Ren’s secret.
Wang Ren was in a panic and quickly knelt down to ask his master to spare his life. But instead of treating him badly, Lady Shuo became even closer to him. Thinking of Shunzhi’s neglect of her, Shuo Guifei was unwilling in her heart, so she spent all day in her palace with Wang Ren, not caring whether Shunzhi favored her or not.
But the contraceptive measures in ancient times were not advanced enough, and with one carelessness, Lady Shuo became pregnant. This child cannot pretend to be Shunzhi, because Shunzhi has been doting on Dong E Fei for several months and has not tampered with her brand. Helpless, Concubine Shuo secretly asked Wang Ren to buy the medication for abortion.
Although Wang Ren knows how to be considerate of women, he really doesn’t know how to handle things. The abortion pills he bought were extremely strong, and after Shuo Guifei took them, she had persistent abdominal pain and excessive bleeding, which frightened the palace maids around her. The palace maid didn’t know about the matter between the master and Wang Ren, so she went to report to Emperor Shunzhi. Upon hearing the serious description given by the palace maid, Shunzhi personally came to see.
But Shuo Guifei hid in the tent and refused to seek medical treatment, only saying that she would rest for a while. Shunzhi became suspicious and insisted on having the imperial physician check the pulse. After the physician finished the pulse, he was scared to death. Under Shunzhi’s pressure, he revealed the truth of the matter. Upon learning that there was a concubine having an affair in his harem, Shunzhi became furious and bestowed upon Shuo Guifei three feet of white silk, ordering her to commit suicide by hanging.
Shuo Guifei has passed away, and Wang Ren and the imperial physician did not live long. Shunzhi’s heart was always hooked. Although he didn’t like Shuo Guifei, he was still a man and couldn’t bear to see such a thing. Although Shunzhi blocked the news, Empress Dowager Dong E was understanding and noticed Shunzhi’s low mood. She stayed by his side to comfort him.
So, Shuo Guifei, who died indirectly because of Empress Dong E, became a rival in love after her death. After that, Empress Dong E became even more favored. In 1657, Empress Dong E gave birth to the fourth son of the emperor, and Emperor Shunzhi made an exception by granting amnesty to the whole world. He even declared in his edict that this was his first child: “With the blessing of the heavenly family of the He Emperor, our ancestors passed away in the imperial examination. On the seventh day of the tenth month, the first son was born, who was the Empress Dowager
However, Empress Dong E, who had a red face but was unlucky, first lost her son and passed away in 1660. Emperor Shunzhi felt like he had lost his soul, so he made an exception and posthumously honored her as empress, and soon followed her. Emperor Shunzhi’s deep affection for Empress Dong E is certainly touching, but where did he place the other women in the harem? After all, it’s still the feudal system that harms polygamy!
