When I was a child, I saw Bao Qingtian, a teenager. What impressed me the most was the case of "civet cats for princes".
This real case from the Northern Song Dynasty sounds incredible. It involves the life experience of Emperor Song Renzong of the Northern Song Dynasty.
This story is a bit confusing in historical records. How did this bizarre case happen? What is the inside story?
Replace the crown prince with raccoons
Let's look at the folk saying that "civet cats are exchanged for princes":
Song Renzong's father Song Zhenzong has two wives, Liu Fei and Li Fei. Liu Fei and Li Fei are pregnant at the same time. Whoever is the teacher's son may become a prince.
Therefore, after learning that teacher Li Fei gave birth to a boy, Liu Fei ordered her eunuch and midwife to turn a civet into a monster of Li Feisheng with belt blood. Then, he ordered the maid-in-waiting to kill Li Fei's children.
Unexpectedly, the ladies-in-waiting and eunuchs couldn't bear it any longer and gave Li Fei's child to Song Zhenzong's younger brother, the Eight Immortals. Soon, Liu Fei also gave birth to a son, who was later made a prince. Unexpectedly, the prince died six years later.
Without children, Song Zhenzong finally made Zhao Zhen, the "son" of the Eight Immortals, a prince. Because she gave birth to a "freak", Li Fei was left out in the cold and Liu Fei sent someone to murder Li Fei. But with the help of good people, Li Fei fled to the folk to beg for a living.
Later, I met Bao Qingtian Bao Zheng, and it took Li Fei 24 years to recognize his son Song Renzong. As a result of this incident, the former Empress Dowager Liu Fei finally committed suicide.
Princess Liu, whose real name is Liu E, was originally the daughter of a junior officer. Her parents died young. When she was very young, Liu E married a silversmith named Gong Mei.
/kloc-When he was 0/5 years old, his son Wang Heng met Liu E by chance and was fascinated by her. Gong Mei pushed the boat forward and lied that Liu E was her "sister" and gave Liu E to Han.
After three years of orthodoxy, Wang Han and Zhao Heng proclaimed themselves emperors, namely Song Zhenzong, and Liu E was the imperial concubine. Gong Mei was called into the palace by his ex-wife as a "big brother" and became a powerful "national uncle".
At that time, although there were many beauties in Song Zhenzong's harem, five of his princes died one after another, while Liu E, an imperial concubine, was barren. In desperation, after Liu E arrived, she pushed the maid Li to the dragon bed, and Li was pregnant.
Three years after the restoration, 24-year-old Li Sheng had a son, who was later. However, when Li gave birth to the child, Liu E, who was chased as a virtuous princess, kicked it away immediately, and the child was taken for herself by Liu E, claiming that she gave birth.
With the death of the five emperors before Song Zhenzong, Zhao Zhen became the heir to the throne of Dasong from birth.
In the second year of the 60th anniversary of his accession to the throne, 9-year-old Zhao Zhen was appointed Crown Prince; Four years later, Song Zhenzong died and Zhao Zhen, aged 13, succeeded to the throne. Empress Liu E lowered the curtain and listened to politics in the name that her son was still young and needed the assistance of the Empress Dowager.
Liu's troubles
In his later years, Song Zhenzong was in chaos and engaged in so-called "gobbledygook politics". As a queen, Liu E established henchmen in North Korea, staged a coup, and demoted Kouhuai to Leizhou, Guangdong. After Song Zhenzong's death, Liu E took orders from the court in the name of the empress dowager, and mastered the supreme power of Dasong.
After Liu E reached the peak of power, she demoted Ding Wei, a powerful minister of the Song Dynasty who helped her launch a coup, and Cao Liyong, another powerful minister, was forced to commit suicide.
Liu E also became the emperor's father above the emperor. She often wears a dragon robe that only emperors can wear, preaches it in the palace and is worshipped by all officials.
In this case, no one dared to tell Song Renzong his real life experience. In order to hide people's eyes and ears, Liu E sent his biological mother Li to the guardian tomb of Yongding Mausoleum in Gongyi, Henan. Fortunately, Liu E is not as vicious as Lv Hou. In order to appease Li, who was born in poverty, Liu E gave Li's younger brother a small official.
Empress Liu e
1032, 46-year-old Li finally died in a lifelong hatred that he could not recognize his son. As for the cause of Li's death, the History of Song Dynasty records that Li was suddenly made emperor by Queen Liu the day before his death. Then, Li Chenfei, who only enjoyed the title of concubine for one day, died suddenly.
This is very strange. Why did Liu E wait for more than 20 years before committing suicide?
After all, Liu E is kind. At that time, she was 65 years old. She knew that her days were numbered, and she was worried that Li and she would recognize each other after her death, and she hid the secret for many years, so she killed her.
After Li's death, Liu E ordered her to be buried as a bridesmaid. At this time, Premier Lv Yijian knew about it. In front of Liu E and Ho, he said that he would bury Li. Liu E flew into a rage, said nothing, got up and took Song Renzong away. Later, Liu E summoned Lv Yijian alone and asked him why he was so busy. Do you want to alienate their mother and son?
Lv Yijian calmly replied that if Liu E died and Song Renzong knew the truth, she would attack Gong Mei and others hidden in the palace. Therefore, Li's funeral must be beautiful.
Liu E listened to persuasion and felt very reasonable, so he ordered Li to be buried with the standard of "one-price ceremony". Although Lv Yijian had a bad reputation in the Northern Song Dynasty, it was done in a measured way.
Lv Yijian
Historical truth
The year after Li's death, the Queen Mother Liu E also died.
His uncle explained his life to the emperor and pointed out that Li's death was strange and might be hidden.
Song Renzong immediately sent someone to investigate, and after many confirmations, he learned about his life. Song Renzong burst into tears and couldn't go to court for several days.
It's not your mother who has been calling herself "mom" for 24 years, but the enemy. This is undoubtedly a bolt from the blue for Song Renzong. At that time, the whole court knew that only the Emperor Song Renzong was kept in the dark.
Later, Song Renzong sent a letter of apology to the whole country, pointing out that he was unfilial to his biological mother and was not a good son. As soon as the crime happened, the whole country knew about it.
Song Renzong
Angry Song Renzong sent troops to surround the mansion of Gong Mei, Liu E's "adulterer", and went to Hongfu Hospital where her biological mother Li Chenfei stopped to prepare for an autopsy.
Unexpectedly, after the coffin was opened, the funeral won by Premier Lv Yijian a year ago showed its effect and strength. When he saw his mother Li buried with the queen mother's gift, he said emotionally that her mother was still well treated.
Therefore, Song Renzong ordered the withdrawal of the troops preparing to arrest Gong Mei, and Gong Mei's family should still receive the original courtesy.
Later, her biological mother, Li, was named "Empress Zhang Yi" and sacrificed in the ancestral temple with Empress Liu. From then on, he appointed his uncle Li Yonghe as the special envoy and proofreader of Zhang Xinjun, and married his daughter Princess Fukang to Li Yonghe's son.
This incident deeply hurt Song Renzong. One day 23 years later, 47-year-old Song Renzong suddenly became incoherent and lost consciousness when approaching North Korea. Later, I often shouted "The Queen and others hurt me!" The Prime Minister and the officials hurriedly organized a consultation with the Imperial Physician and went to the Taoist Temple to pray. Song Renzong's epilepsy gradually improved.
1603, Song Renzong Zhao Zhen died at the age of 54.
There are more and more legends about Song Renzong in later generations. In the Yuan Dynasty, this history was written as a drama "The Makeup Box". During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the story of "Civet cats for princes" written in the year of "Three Heroes and Five Righteousnesses" spread all over the country.