Emperor Guangxu had three empresses in his life. One is the niece of Empress Dowager Cixi, the filial piety queen Ye Lahu, and the other two are the daughters of right assistant minister Chang Xu: Zhen Fei and Jin Fei. For the three Empresses of Emperor Guangxu, it is recorded as follows in "Guo Wen Bei Cheng":
"After Guangxu's wedding, I was not very close to the queen, but I lived alone with Jin Fei. However, Zhen Feicong is likable and good at calligraphy and chess. She waits on the emperor every day and likes to eat and drink with him. Dezong especially likes her. "
Although Jin Fei and Zhen Fei are sisters, they both grew up together with their uncles in Guangzhou. Professor and research by famous scholar Wen. Living in an open city like Guangzhou, they have been exposed to western open ideas for a long time, which has a great influence on them. However, their looks and personalities are different. Princess Zhen was born beautiful and a naive and delicate girl, while Princess Jin was plain-looking and a steady and wooden girl.
1889, both Jin Fei and Zhen Fei were elected to the palace and became the concubines of Emperor Guangxu. A concubine named Jin, a concubine named Zhen, and the concubine of Empress Ye, who was personally appointed by Empress Dowager Cixi, often accompanied Guangxu, but the only thing Guangxu liked was the innocent princess Zhen.
In the first few years, Jane and Emperor Guangxu really lived a happy life for several years, but happiness was always so short-lived. 1894 The 60th birthday of Empress Dowager Cixi, Jane and Jin were promoted to consorts and concubines, which should have been something to celebrate, but it was from this year that consorts were gradually rejected by Empress Dowager Cixi.
In the winter of this year, Princess Zhen and Princess Jin were demoted as nobles, because the second princess "has been fashionable and flashy recently, begging for more things, and the emperor's deep thoughts are getting longer and longer." Although this reason is tenable, the real reason is not like this. The real mistake is Zhenfei.
She was loved by Emperor Guangxu and had a deep understanding of western thoughts, which happened to be the same language as Emperor Guangxu. Even she supported the cause of Emperor Guangxu, which naturally angered Empress Dowager Cixi. Besides, Emperor Guangxu loved Zhen Fei and neglected her niece. The empress also complained about Zhen Fei in front of Empress Dowager Cixi.
In short, these things collided, and Empress Dowager Cixi decided to punish this lawless consort. As the sister of Princess Zhen, Princess Jin can't be immune to herself and is implicated by Empress Dowager Cixi. Empress Dowager Cixi punished them severely, and it was not particularly serious to be demoted to noble people. After all, the ups and downs of concubines are common, but no one expected that Empress Dowager Cixi would order people to take off Zhen Fei's clothes and beat her with a stick. This is called "Yi Yi Zhang Ting".
Even though Emperor Guangxu pleaded for the second princess in advance, Weng Tonghe pleaded for the second princess in front of Cixi, which did not make Empress Dowager Cixi soft-hearted. Not only that, Empress Dowager Cixi also dealt with eunuchs around Zhenfei, killing them cleanly, secretly executing them, and sending them to exile in other places.
Empress dowager cixi's punishment this time dealt a great blow to princess Zhen, and it converged a lot in the following time. So, in the second year, Empress Dowager Cixi resumed their positions. The princess was still the princess, and the princess was not the princess.
After keeping a low profile for a while, Zhen Fei began to return to her original appearance. She is still the princess Zhen, who has no scheming and some femininity. The relationship between her and Guangxu has not changed, so she was dragged down by Guangxu. 1898, Guangxu failed in political reform and was imprisoned by Empress Dowager Cixi. Zhen Fei was once again detained by Empress Dowager Cixi and imprisoned in the North Third Hospital.
Zhen Fei's room is locked from the outside, sealed with seals, and only one window communicates with the outside world. It's tragic, but it's not the worst. The most tragic thing is that two years later, Empress Dowager Cixi decided to take Guangxu to xi 'an. At this booth, Empress Dowager Cixi thought of Zhen Fei in the "Cold Palace". She thinks that Zhen Fei, who is young and beautiful, is bound to be insulted by foreigners and live up to her ancestors.
Interestingly, whether Princess Zhen was imprisoned or later thrown into a well, Princess Jin was not punished. Many people may think that Jin Fei and Zhen Fei have a bad relationship and even stand on the opposite side. Otherwise, why did Zhen Fei have an accident and Jin Fei have nothing?
Actually, it's not. Jin Fei and Zhen Fei are sisters. Even if they can't support each other in the palace, it's impossible to stab them. The reason why Jin Fei was not implicated by Zhen Fei later was because she could be a human being and her sense of existence was always weak. Plus, she deliberately kept a low profile and kept the rules of the palace. Even empress dowager cixi can't find anything wrong.
And since the last time she was implicated by Zhen Fei, Princess Jin knew that if she wanted to survive in the palace, she had to be a man. She was very kind to the Empress Dowager Cixi. Apart from being the sister of Princess Zhen, Empress Dowager Cixi still likes this calm princess Jin very much. Besides, Princess Jin did not allow Emperor Guangxu to like it, which virtually added a layer of pity to Cixi. Therefore, when Zhen Fei was confined, Jin Fei did not obey the punishment and was not removed from office.
She can't do anything about Zhen Fei. This younger sister is too dazzling in the palace, and her status and voice are not high. Even if you see Zhen Fei being punished, you can't plead. Even Guangxu couldn't protect Zhen Fei. What can Princess Jin do?
What she can do is to move the precious princess, who was originally buried by Empress Dowager Cixi in the ladies' cemetery, to the Princess Garden in chongling during Guangxu period and give her a good burial after the death of Empress Dowager Cixi and Yulong. This is the best arrangement for this sister's funeral, and it will not waste the sisters' time.
After the death of Emperor Guangxu, Empress Dowager Cixi and Empress Yulong, Jin Fei became the imperial concubine of Duan Kang and one of the four concubines of Xun Qing's small court. Because she was the only widow of Emperor Guangxu and the youngest, she was the first to accept western ideas and became the first of the four concubines.
At this time, Duan Guifei was the most distinguished woman in the small court of the whole dynasty, and no one pressed her anymore, which eased her long-term depressed psychology, but made her character begin to look like Zhen Fei, and some people like Empress Dowager Cixi and others who were not low-key and had a strong desire for power in the palace.
Duan Kang's imperial concubine tried to control Puyi, and Puyi's grace was given by Duan Kang's imperial concubine. She also reprimanded Puyi's biological mother, Princess Guaerjia, the prince of alcohol. Later, Guaerjia felt humiliated and swallowed opium, forcing Puyi's biological mother to die. This shows how much Duan Kang's imperial concubine resembles Empress Dowager Cixi.
Externally, Duan Kangguifei is also very active, and has contact with various forces outside the palace, trying to recover. In short, Duan Kang, the imperial concubine, was very active in politics during the period of Xun Qing's small court. She also wanted to be the empress dowager, but she never got it.
It can be said that Jin Fei had no sense of existence in the first half of her life in the palace, but she attracted much attention because she was Zhen Fei's sister. She is more trying to survive in the palace. Because of this, she is forbearing, steady and low-key, and she wants nothing but to survive in the palace.
After Jin Fei became Duan Kang's imperial concubine in the second half of her life, she became the most distinguished woman in Xun Qing's small court. She is no longer forbearing, low-key and has no desire. Instead, she became overbearing and power-hungry. She has the shadow of the true princess, Cixi and Yulong, and is no longer the golden princess of the past.
This kind of Duan Kang Guifei came to a good end, because although Qing died when she died, her small court was still there, and they still had a place in the palace. Shortly after Duan Kang's death, Puyi was kicked out of the palace. From this perspective, Duan Kanggui is lucky.