The Three Empresses of Emperor Qianlong

Emperor Qianlong's harem has been cast into the spotlight recently––with a hit tv show airing at the moment and another to come. Coincidentally, the same three women, namely the three empresses of Qianlong, are heavily featured in the two dramas, albeit in entirely different lights.

It occurred to me that a side-by-side comparison between Emperor's Qianlong three Empresses and King Henry VIII's first three wives could be interesting. Of course, given the largely discrepant cultures and historical factors, such a comparison is only superficial at best. Bear in mind that this post by no means suggests that the women were by any means similar in temperament, or shared the exact same motivations and life trajectories.

For a full biography of Henry VIII's first two queens, read Celine's post here.

In the following sections, I will simply refer to the empresses by their family names/more familiar titles for easier identification. (Like honestly who's gonna remember a title like Empress Xiaoxian Chengzheng Dunmu Renhui Weigong Kangshun Futian Changsheng Chun. No, I didn't make this title up.)

Political Bride: Princess Wen Cheng (文成公主）

Politically-arranged marriages were very very common in the ancient world, be it China or other civilisations. Such is the fate of political brides to become the playthings of chance. To be sent off bearing a multitude of riches to a faraway land,a hostile court and perhaps, a ruthless husband is a nightmare that many had to endure. Some marriages might have been happy, but it is more likely that many suffered in obscurity and silence. Out of so many disastrous affairs, now and then there would be a bride whom, upon bringing upon lasting peace and prosperity to the nations,is granted eternal fame in historical texts and movie adaptations.

Like Wang Zhaojun, Princess Wencheng was a political bride. Like Yang Guifei, she was born during the Tang dynasty, albeit earlier. She is remembered for her contributions rather than her beauty, and her tale is as interesting as the aforementioned duo.

Four Greatest Beauties of China: Xi Shi (西施)

Two warring nations. Two ambitious arch-rivals. A resourceful military advisor. A beautiful female spy.

Add them all up together and you have the perfect plot for a drama. Throw in some special effects, some intrigue and romance, some snappy conversations, a Cold War background, and you have a Hollywood blockbuster.

But no, none of these happened in the West, nor did it happen in recent times. To appreciate this story fully, let us go back to the Dynasty of Warring States of China, around the years of 476BC-221BC.

The aforementioned female spy is Xi Shi, the first of the Four Greatest Beauties of Ancient China.

Four Greatest Beauties of China: Wang Zhaojun (王昭君)

The Emperors of China were quite notorious for their lavish lives, especially when it came to the sheer number of court ladies in the palace. The number 3000 was but a representation, in fact during the reign of Emperor Xuan Zong (Lady Yang's husband), it is said that he had 4 million ladies in the palace! Well, with such a staggering number, it was really hard to get to know them all personally. Besides, the camera was yet to be invented. But Emperor Yuan of the Western Han Dynasty(206BC-8AD) had just the perfect solution for it.

He employed artists to draw portraits of the beauties, which would be presented to him. He would then select whom to favour based on the portraits. It was the perfect chance for the artists to earn a fortune. The palace ladies, eager to win the emperor's favour, bribed the artists so that they could be painted in a more flattering manner. Talk about manual photoshop.

Things were going great for the artists, that is, until Wang Zhaojun came along.

Four Greatest Beauties of China: Lady Yang (楊貴妃)

It was hard being a woman in Ancient China. Nor did being beautiful help much either, as there was a Chinese saying, “Beautiful women are often unfortunate/short-lived." A beautiful woman may be promoted to a higher station by winning the favour of the emperor or a high ranking noble officer. However, such beauty may even earn envy, and even ultimately death. Beautiful concubines often became the scapegoat for an emperor's foolery and even a nation's downfall. Perhaps such is the life of Yang Guifei, who, after a life of luxury, was strangled to death in the midst of a rebellion.

This story starts with the death of another woman, Emperor Xuan Zong's beloved concubine Lady Wu in the year of  737 A.D. The Emperor was deeply saddened, and none of the beautiful court ladies could entice his interest. His favourite attendant Gao Lishi was anxious to please him. He sought beauties from far and wide, but none of them could lift the Emperor's mood.

Rumours about the extraordinary beauty of a particular lady came to the emperor's ear. He decided to summon her, and was stunned by her extraordinary beauty. She was so lovely, that the other ladies dulled in comparison. The emperor was smitten. He decided to make her his concubine by hook or by crook.

The aforementioned lady was from the Yang family, with the name of 'Yu Huan'. (Literally 'jade bracelet') She was orphaned at a young age, and was brought up by her uncle who was a minor court officer. She was later listed as one of the 'Four Greatest Beauties of China'.