Concubines of the Tinqi Emperor

The fact that concubines were mostly kidnapped, dragged from their homes or offered for political gain is well known. Some of these girls hoped there would be an improvement in their way of life. Living in the palace must at least mean you are well fed, right? Not for the unlucky concubines of the Tianqi Emperor. The Tianqi Emperor was a tragic figure, as many Emperors before and after him. Orphaned at a young age and saddled with overwhelming responsibilities, during his short life he found solace in his wet nurse and nanny, Madam Ke. It is unknown exactly when Madam Ke entered the palace, but after her death a box containing Tianqi’s baby teeth, hair and nails was found amongst her belongings, so it’s possible she nursed him since birth in 1605. Described as “alluring” and “…bodily well endowed”, she completely dominated and controlled the young, illiterate Emperor.

Although it was expected she would be sent from the palace with a modest pension once her duties were no longer needed, Tianki loved her so much he gave her a title and assigned her to Xian’an palace, only 250 meters away from his own. She found a powerful ally in Wei Zhongxian, a eunuch who served the emperors meals when he was a baby. The three became extremely close and various rumors were whispered around court: Madam Ke and the Emperor, Madam Ke and Wei Zhongxian. Although they became very influential, Tianqi maintained his power and authority. Fearing the influence some of his concubines, the political power of their families and losing the Emperor’s affections, Madam Ke routinely removed all the other women brought for the emperor, imprisoning them under false pretenses and starving them to death.

Concubines of the Yongle Emperor

The Yongle Emperor’s reign was a mix of military, economic and educational reforms and dictatorial, despotic style of government. His acts of cruelty are numerous and well documented, but one event stands out. In 1421, shortly after Yongle unveiled the Forbidden City on New Year’s Day, a scandal threatened the celebrations. Rumors were flying around that one of his favorite Joseon concubines had committed suicide after she had an affair due to the Emperor’s impotence. Humiliated, he wanted to silence everyone involved. So under the pretense that the concubine had been poisoned, he rounded up 2800 women from his harem and had them executed by slicing: girls as young as 12 were mercilessly killed. There is no mention of the massacre in the official records, but written accounts exist, including that of another of his concubines, Lady Cui, who had been recuperating from an illness away from the palace: “There was such deep sorrow in the palace that thunder shook the three great halls”. Sadly, Lady Cui alongside 15 of his remaining concubines was hung from a noose of white silk in a hall in the Forbidden City on the day of Yongle’s funeral.

Concubines of the Hongwu Emperor

The Hongwu Emperor is revered as founder of the Ming Dynasty and is considered one of the most influential, important Chinese Emperors. His rise to power is the stuff of legends: he began as a wandering, penniless monk and became the most powerful warlord in Asia. But his record with women is the stuff of nightmares: he kept his concubines confined and at the slightest real or imagined offense they were tortured, killed or forced to commit suicide. His pride and jealousy drove him to control every aspect of their lives. And in an effort to retain control even after death, it was him that began the cruel custom of concubines being killed or buried alive when the Emperor dies. Both Yongle and his son, the Hongxi Emperor respected this dubious “tradition”. As mentioned, with Yongle 16 women died, while his son was buried with 5 alive and conscious concubines. Thankfully the Zhengtong Emperor abolished the practice in his will in 1464, so the concubines of the other Emperors only had to fear loss of favor, changing political climates and powerful, murderous rivals and eunuchs. Poor doomed souls.

Concubine Qi’s terrible death

http://www.kojewel.com/odd/concubine-to-the-emperor-4-horrific-stories-from-chinese-history.htm http://www.kojewel.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Asia.jpg http://www.kojewel.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Asia-150x150.jpg Odd Corner Chinese History,concubine,Ming Dynasty,odd corner,violence against women,women in history Concubines of the Tinqi Emperor The fact that concubines were mostly kidnapped, dragged from their homes or offered for political gain is well known. Some of these girls hoped there would be an improvement in their way of life. Living in the palace must at least mean you are... linda_kathrine@yahoo.com Administrator K.O. Jewel

So horrific and undeserved is Concubine Qi’s fate that it stands out in Chinese history as an example of petty revenge and terrible cruelty. She was one of the favorite concubines of Emperor Gaozu, the founder and first Emperor of the Han dynasty. That alone was enough to raise the anger of Gaozu’s ambitious, powerful, cruel wife, Empress Lu Zhi. When a few years before the his death the Emperor began showing favoritism towards her son, her fate was probably sealed, as although gaining the Emperor’s favor was probably survivable, becoming the mother of an Emperor was not. So when Gaozu died in 195 BC and Lu Zhi’s son became Emperor Hui of Han, she held the power, and although she was merciful with her husband’s other concubines, she had a special plan for concubine Qi and her son. Emperor Hui tried to convince his mother to forgive and forget, he went as far as not to let his half brother out of his sight. It was useless. On a morning in the winter of 194 BC the Emperor went hunting and the Empress dowager had her chance: the son, Liu Ruyi was force fed poisoned wine. But for his mother a more terrible ending was reserved: her limbs were chopped off, ears were sliced, eyes were gouged out and she was thrown into a latrine. The Empress would walk around it calling Qi a “human swine” and after 2 days she even brought the Emperor to show him the barely alive concubine. The Emperor, sickened and depressed, spent the rest of his reign with concubines in a drunken stupor.