[Romantic Anecdotes of the Qing Dynasty Court] [24] [Author: Xu Xiaotian]

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Chapter Twenty-Four: The Empress Dowager's Marriage
Repays a Long-standing Grudge as the Emperor Remarries. The Ministry of Rites, having received the imperial decree, deliberated on the ceremonies for the Empress Dowager's marriage, appointing Prince Heshuo Chongqin as the chief envoy and Prince Raoyu as the deputy. An auspicious day for the betrothal was chosen, and the chief and deputy envoys guided the Regent to the Meridian Gate for the betrothal ceremony. The gift list included: twenty fine horses, twenty sets of armor, two hundred bolts of satin, four hundred bolts of cloth, four hundred taels of gold, and twenty thousand taels of silver. There were also two sets of gold tea sets, four sets of silver tea sets, four silver basins, forty horses, and forty sets of camel armor. The gifts were displayed in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, and a banquet was held for the Regent in the Palace of Heavenly Purity. After the banquet, the Regent went to the Palace of Shouning to perform the three kneelings and nine kowtows of gratitude. On the day of the wedding, at dawn, the Regent arranged for all his attendants to be present: a procession led by white elephants, followed by a royal chariot, a band, red lanterns, a champion envoy, a ceremonial guard, and banners bearing various symbols including: willow banners, pennants, standing gourds, reclining gourds, stars, axes, five-colored golden dragon flags, and banners with symbols such as: emerald banners, golden drums, gates, sun and moon, five clouds, five thunderbolts, eight winds, sweet rain, constellations, five stars, five sacred mountains, four directions, divine martial spirit, vermilion bird, white tiger, azure dragon, celestial horse, celestial mountain, rhinoceros, red bear, yellow bear, white ze, horned dragon, swimming unicorn, colorful lion, fluttering egret, singing kite, red bird, pheasant, yellow swan, white pheasant, cloud crane, peacock, phoenix, and soaring luan, along with five-colored dragon banners, vanguard banners, and guard banners. A procession of eunuchs, carrying ceremonial cloaks, golden scepters, banners for "advancing virtue and accepting advice," banners for "spreading culture and promoting literature," banners for "praising merit and cherishing distant lands," banners for "acting with joy and bestowing favors," banners for "clarifying punishment and assisting in education," banners for "teaching filial piety and demonstrating virtue," dragon-head banners, leopard-tail banners, guiding banners, signal banners, phoenix-and-dragon red square fans, pheasant-tail fans, peacock fans, single-dragon red round fans, double-dragon red round fans, double-dragon yellow round fans, longevity-character fans, red square umbrellas, purple square umbrellas, five-colored flower umbrellas, five-colored nine-dragon umbrellas, yellow nine-dragon umbrellas, purple sesame canopies, emerald canopies, nine-dragon yellow canopies, halberds, spears, leopard-tail spears, bows, arrows, ceremonial swords, ceremonial horses, golden scissors, golden chairs, golden water bottles, golden washbasins, golden spittoons, golden incense boxes, golden censers, and whisks, passed by in procession. A total of 1,246 eunuchs carried them, proceeding directly from the Great Qing Gate to the Shouning Palace Gate; the road was paved with yellow sand and filled with attendants. Regent Dorgon sat regally in his golden palanquin, followed by six hundred imperial guards, each carrying a leopard-tail spear, ceremonial sword, bow, and arrows, mounted on horseback, displaying their power and prestige. A large yellow dragon banner fluttered at the rear as they slowly entered the palace gates. Inside, a retinue of princes' wives, noblewomen's wives, wives of ministers of the Imperial Household Department, and wives of officials in charge of the Imperial Household Department, all dressed in their rank, were already waiting in the inner courtyard. At the auspicious hour, the Empress Dowager, dressed in her ceremonial robes, and the Emperor, leading a group of princes and ministers, went to the inner palace to perform the three kneelings and nine kowtows ceremony, kneeling to invite the Empress Dowager to ascend the palanquin. Sixteen female officials led the Empress Dowager alighting from the palanquin, and thirty-two eunuchs carried the palanquin out of the palace. The accompanying princesses, ladies, and noblewomen, each riding in a red palanquin, followed behind. The Regent's golden palanquin escorted them on the right. At the entrance to the prince's residence, the ceremonial guard stopped; at the ceremonial gate, officials of all ranks stopped; and at the main courtyard, the golden palanquin came to a halt. The female officials went forward and helped the Empress Dowager out of the golden palanquin, taking her to the west courtyard to rest. When the auspicious time for the nuptial ceremony arrived, the Empress Dowager was brought out, and the female officials knelt to present the nuptial wine. The Regent and the Empress Dowager performed the nuptial ceremony and were then led to the bridal chamber.
The next day, Emperor Shunzhi ascended the Hall of Supreme Harmony, and officials presented congratulatory memorials. The Emperor issued an edict, granting the officials a celebratory banquet in the east and west side halls. From then on, the Emperor decreed that Prince Rui be addressed as the Regent Prince, also known as the Imperial Father. Every morning at court, the Regent Prince sat to the Emperor's right, receiving the kneeling obeisance of the officials. Since marrying the Regent Prince, the Empress Dowager had spent her days indulging in pleasure in the bridal chamber, forgetting that she was nearly forty years old, yet still acting like a young bride, spending every morning and night together. The Empress Dowager possessed delicate skin and a captivating beauty, appearing to be a woman in her early twenties. Moreover, now that she and Dorgon had established their official relationship, she had become even more unrestrained, monopolizing her uncle's room day and night. Her twenty concubines and her nephew's wife were left without a trace of affection. The Regent, constantly with his sister-in-law, enjoying both new and old love, naturally felt an exceptionally strong sense of affection. However, after the full moon, he felt a growing indifference. Why was this? There's a saying: "Homegrown flowers are never as fragrant as wild ones." Before their relationship was established, the uncle and sister-in-law had secretly met and felt deeply in love; now, with their relationship settled, they felt nothing special. Add to that a middle-aged woman and a woman in her prime, and things gradually became a little strange. He often sneaked into his nephew's wife's room for pleasure, which, if discovered by the Empress Dowager, would inevitably stir up a storm of jealousy. At this time, there was a Grand Secretary named Hong Chengchou, an old acquaintance of the Empress Dowager. She often summoned him to her residence to chat and relieve her boredom when the Regent was not around. Later, the Regent found out and was very displeased.
Meanwhile, Dodo had pacified the southern provinces of Jiangnan and was enjoying a life of luxury. His officers abducted beautiful women and presented them to Prince Yu. The women of Jiangnan were delicate and charming, possessing a unique allure. Dodo's residence housed forty or fifty stunning beauties, their faces painted white and their hair black and white.
Among them was a widow named Liu Sanxiu, middle-aged but with a beautiful face and captivating charm; Prince Yu adored her and made her his princess consort, spending his days with her.
It was the Dragon Boat Festival. Prince Yu, accompanied by Liu Sanxiu, watched the dragon boat races on the riverbank. Remembering that the Empress Dowager, though enjoying all the luxuries of the palace, had never seen such water sports, he commissioned ten dragon boats and selected twenty beautiful girls, along with a boatmen's band, to be presented to the Empress Dowager in the capital. The Empress Dowager then ordered a dragon boat festival to be held in the three lakes, inviting many wives, noblewomen, and ladies of high rank to watch the dragon boats from a pavilion on the water. Emperor Shunzhi sat in the center, with the Regent Prince beside him. The ten dragon boats, accompanied by ten different drums and gongs, glided across the water, performing various acrobatic feats. Suddenly, the ten dragon boats sailed into the pavilion, and the twenty girls requested rewards from the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. The Empress Dowager, finding the girls interesting, gave the order to "reward them," and the eunuchs brought twenty baskets of silver, clothes, toys, and fruit to the boats. As everyone was admiring the girl, a burly man suddenly leaped from the bow of the boat into the pavilion, brandishing a steel knife, and charged straight at the Regent. The Regent, quick-witted, dodged, but the knife slashed down just as fast, killing a minor eunuch. Chaos erupted in the pavilion; the Imperial Guards rushed forward, seized the assassin, and sent him to the Ministry of Justice for interrogation. The assassin confessed that a powerful figure in the land had ordered him to carry out the assassination, but refused to reveal the figure's name. The next day, when he was brought back from prison for further interrogation, the assassin had already committed suicide. The Regent, upon learning this, was furious and ordered the Minister of Justice and many other officials involved in the interrogation to be dismissed and arrested. He also suspected that the assassin, who came from Jiangnan, and whose past grudge was with Prince Yu, might have been sent by Prince Yu himself. Thinking of this, he became even angrier and immediately explained to the Empress Dowager that a new imperial edict should be issued to dismiss the Governor-General of Jiangnan and appoint Hong Chengchou as the new Governor-General. He secretly instructed Hong to build up his troops and gradually subdue Prince Yu's military power. This effectively removed Hong Chengchou from the Regent's fold, eliminating another thorn in his side. This was all part of A Luo Hui's plan.
However, after the Regent and the Empress Dowager officially became husband and wife, their affection was not what it used to be. Although Hong Chengchou was no longer in his sight, the Regent's jealousy remained, and coupled with the assassination attempt, he couldn't help but feel somewhat afraid. Although the Empress Dowager had remarried, she only stayed in the Regent's residence for a month, returning to the Cining Palace after the month was over. The Regent, fearing assassination attempts, rarely went to the palace, instead spending his time at home indulging in pleasure with his nephew's wife. As time went on, he grew tired of it.
At this time, Joseon sent Minister Kim Ok-seong to pay tribute. Staying at the guesthouse, he spoke of the beauty and delicate charm of his king's two princesses. This was overheard by A-Luo-hui, who secretly informed the Regent. The Regent, bored at home, upon hearing this news, immediately instructed A-Luo-hui to proceed accordingly. A-Luo-hui, receiving the order, secretly consulted with the Joseon minister. The minister, hearing it was the Regent's will, dared not disobey and hurriedly returned to Joseon to inform King Yi Myung. Yi Myung, hearing that the Regent wanted to marry his two princesses as concubines, and eager to curry favor with the superior nation, readily agreed and told his daughters. However, the two princesses had their own ideas. They said, "We are willing to become concubines in the Great Qing, but we have heard that the Empress Dowager of the Great Qing has married the Regent and is now monopolizing his power. If we marry there, we will be subjected to her mistreatment."
If the Regent insists on marrying my sister and me, then please invite the Regent to our country to marry us; build a tall royal palace for my sister and me, and we will live in the palace forever, never leaving our biological parents. "The King of Korea then sent someone to convey the sisters' wishes to the Regent. The Regent was also willing to avoid the Empress Dowager's notice, but it would be too improper for a Regent to go to a vassal state for a marriage alliance. Later, Aluhui came up with an idea: to build a temporary palace in Kara City, a place near Korea, and secretly bring the two Korean princesses to wait there. The Regent then used the excuse of going on a border patrol to lead the Eight Banners' Gushan Ejen (officials) and soldiers, choosing an auspicious day to depart from Beijing. Although the Empress Dowager was reluctant to leave the Regent, she could not stop him from handling matters of state. Seeing her son, the Shunzhi Emperor, growing older, she knew his future was also very important. Previously, the Regent had arranged for the daughter of Wu Keshan, the chieftain of the Khorchin tribe, to be the Empress. Now that the Regent was leaving Beijing, the Empress Dowager and the Regent agreed to choose a suitable match for the Emperor." On the auspicious day of their wedding, the Regent, preoccupied with the two Korean princesses, left all palace affairs to the Empress Dowager and hastily crossed the border to marry them at the temporary palace. He seemed to be killing two birds with one stone, enjoying himself immensely.
However, as is often the case with fortune, excessive joy can turn to sorrow. The Regent resided in Kara City, spending his days indulging in pleasure with the two princesses. Kara City was a remote and secluded place, and the two princesses, finding nothing to do with their free time, coaxed the Regent into going hunting. One day, while the Regent and the two princesses were hunting outside the city, a group of soldiers were protecting the princesses as they chased deer deep into the woods. Suddenly, a wild boar leaped out from the forest. Seeing people in the woods, it fled hastily. The Regent stood alone on horseback outside the woods. Seeing the boar charging towards him, the horse reared up on its hind legs, standing as if it were a human. The king, riding his horse, was caught off guard and fell headlong into the saddle. A wild boar leaped over the regent. Poor Dorgon instantly broke his left leg and was trampled in the face by the boar's hooves; blood gushed forth, and he was in excruciating pain. His attendants rushed to his aid, but when they returned from the woods to check on him, they cried and called out, but he did not awaken. Upon closer inspection, they found his brains were splattered; he was already beyond help. The regent's body was hastily carried back to the palace, and mourning rites were observed while the court was informed. The regent was only thirty-nine years old. When
the news reached the palace, the Empress Dowager was the first to break down in tears. The Shunzhi Emperor was also deeply saddened. He dispatched ministers to cross the border to escort the coffin and issued an edict ordering all subjects to wear mourning clothes. The Korean princess refused to cross the border and, after the regent's coffin departed, also set off to return to Korea.
On the day the imperial father's coffin arrived in Beijing, the Shunzhi Emperor wore mourning clothes. The emperor, accompanied by princes, dukes, and officials, went five li outside Dongzhimen to greet the coffin. The emperor personally offered libations and performed the rites, while officials knelt along the roadside in mourning, from Dongzhimen all the way to the Yuhe Bridge. Officials of the fourth rank and above knelt and wept along the roadside until they reached the prince's residence. Princesses, wives of princes, and wives of officials, all dressed in mourning clothes, knelt and wept inside the gate. The coffin was placed in the main hall of the prince's residence, where princes and dukes kept vigil throughout the night, and sixty-four lamas and monks chanted sutras for the deceased. This funeral lasted for forty-nine days. Although the Empress Dowager could not enter the residence to observe mourning, she was deeply saddened by the loneliness and isolation of her family. Emperor Shunzhi and the Empress Dowager were mother and son, and their bond was strong. Seeing his mother's pitiful state, he welcomed her into the palace, and the two met day and night, displaying great affection. At this time, Emperor Shunzhi was fourteen years old and issued an edict to assume personal rule, holding court every morning at dawn to examine state affairs with meticulous detail. His officials, both civil and military, were afraid of him. When the emperor reached the age of sixteen, the Empress Dowager arranged an auspicious day for his wedding. Wu Keshan sent his daughter to the capital. At this time, Prince Yu also returned to the capital and the daughter stayed at his residence. Emperor Shunzhi originally did not want Wu Keshan's daughter, Lady Borjigin, to be his empress, but because the Empress Dowager had made the decision, he was embarrassed to object and reluctantly agreed to the marriage. The empress lived in the Kunning Palace. Only five days into the marriage, the emperor and empress quarreled, and from then on, the couple grew increasingly estranged.
Meanwhile, Suksaha, Zhanmujilun, and other nobles such as Prince Zheng, Prince Duanzhong, Prince Jingjin, and Prince Xun all harbored long-standing grudges against the regent. Now that the regent was dead, they seized the opportunity to take revenge, speaking ill of the regent to the emperor daily, claiming that the regent's misdeeds were all caused by A'luo Hui alone. Emperor Shunzhi, who had originally disliked the regent, now listened to the advice of many ministers... If so, the old case would be reopened, and an imperial edict would be immediately issued, ordering the execution of Alohui and the stripping of all of Dorgon's titles and honors. The titles of Dorgon and his mother would also be revoked. In the third year, the emperor, still resentful that the empress had been chosen for him by Dorgon, decreed her removal and installed a princess of Chorji, the Duke of Zhenguo of the Khorchin, as empress. Although the emperor himself had chosen this new empress, he had never met her, and upon bringing her into the palace, he found her to be both foolish and stupid.
This added another layer of annoyance to the emperor's heart. The Empress Dowager, seeing the emperor's arbitrary actions and feeling somewhat ashamed of her own marriage, felt a rift between mother and son. Furthermore, the palace maids and eunuchs instigated her, and the Empress Dowager harbored deep resentment towards the emperor.
The emperor found the palace increasingly dull. Fortunately, not long after, the Governor-General of Jiangnan, Hong Chengchou, returned to the capital and summoned... Both mother and son found solace. The Empress Dowager and Hong Chengchou had a past relationship, and their long-awaited reunion naturally brought them mutual comfort. But what comfort did the Emperor find? It turned out that Hong Chengchou had brought a stunningly beautiful woman from Jiangnan to the capital to present to the Emperor. The Emperor was overjoyed upon seeing her and became extremely fond of her, spending his days feasting and laughing with her, completely acquainted with her, much like Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and Yang Guifei.
This beauty was named Dong Xiaowan, originally the favored concubine of Mao Chaomin, a talented scholar from Rugao. At that time, there were four wealthy, powerful, and learned gentlemen in Jiangnan, with many friends, and none dared to offend him. When Hong Chengchou arrived in Jiangnan, he inquired about the beauties there—Guan Baimen, Ma Xianglan, Li Xiangjun, Gu Hengbo—each a delicate and exquisite beauty, exceptionally talented and stunning. Hong Chengchou was determined to spend a fortune to bring one of them back. However, to his dismay, all the beauties in Jiangnan had found their masters, leaving Hong Chengchou deeply disappointed.
A few days later, he learned of Dong Xiaowan, a renowned beauty and head of the ladies' entourage.
She was now a concubine of Mao Chaomin, living with her husband in Lvyang Village, west of Hangou. This place was picturesque, with lush vegetation and a house called Shuihui Garden, where the scenery was breathtaking. Since learning of this beauty, Governor Hong had become increasingly obsessed with her, neglecting sleep and meals, and constantly sighing. He had a trusted confidant named Tong, a scoundrel who fawned on his master and was highly favored. Seeing that his master seemed troubled, he subtly probed his thoughts through casual conversation, discovering that his master was deeply missing Dong Xiaowan. He then volunteered, saying, "Rest assured, sir, this matter is all mine. I will report back to you within ten days." "After saying this, Master Tong disappeared.
Eight days later, on the ninth day, Hong Chengchou was in his study reviewing official documents when Master Tong suddenly entered with a grin. He rushed to Governor Hong Chengchou's side, greeted him, and said, 'Congratulations, Your Excellency! You've arrived!' Chengchou asked, 'What has arrived?' Master Tong replied, 'Dong Xiaowan has arrived!' Upon hearing this, Governor Hong jumped up from his chair and exclaimed, 'Did you steal her? This is outrageous! That Young Master Mao is a talented scholar from Jiangnan, well-connected in the capital. If he were to file a complaint against me, I would lose my future! This is unacceptable!' Master Tong said, 'Your Excellency, please don't panic. Let me explain slowly. I had already learned that Young Master Mao had many scoundrels under his command, and those scoundrels were all associated with salt smugglers. So I took all the best horses from my office and rushed to Green Willow Tree that very night, claiming to be going to Young Master Mao's house to catch the robbers.'" Someone informed on them, saying that Mao Chaomin's family was harboring smugglers and abducting respectable women. The neighbors, fearing trouble, dared not interfere; even the young master Mao fled through the back door. The informant then broke in and saw Dong Xiaowan helping a maidservant, about to escape. Without asking any questions, he grabbed her and pulled her away.
He then deliberately boasted that this woman was the respectable woman Mao Chaomin had abducted, and that he was returning her to her family. Hearing this, Hong Chengchou anxiously asked, "Where is the woman?" Master Tong replied, "Even her maidservant was brought to the yamen." Hong Chengchou said, "Bring her here quickly so I can see her!" After a while, a maidservant indeed came in, helping a beautiful woman.
Seeing her red, tear-filled eyes, furrowed brows, and drooping neck, she stood to the side, resembling a pear blossom in the rain, or a beauty clutching her heart. Governor Hong, seeing this, felt both pity and affection, unsure what to do. He asked her, "What is your name?" The maid replied, "My name is Koukou. My master, Mao Chaomin, is the most talented man in Rugao; who doesn't know him? This is my master's first favored concubine, Lady Dong. We have been wrongly arrested by your men, sir. Please release my master and me quickly. From princes to censors in the capital, everyone is my master's relative and friend. If you anger my master, he might go to the capital to file a complaint, and even your official rank might be lost!" Hearing Koukou's words, Hong Chengchou was frightened and wanted to let them go.
Looking at Dong Xiaowan, and unable to bear the thought of leaving her behind, Governor Hong, taking advantage of the situation, comforted her with kind words: "Don't worry. Someone accused your master of harboring bandits and abducting women. Your master and I are friends, so I instructed them to secretly release him. Fearing local scoundrels might harass your home and frighten this beauty, I also ordered them to bring her into the yamen for a few days to avoid trouble. Once the storm has passed, you and your mistress will be released." As Governor Hong spoke, he moved closer, feigning embarrassment. Dong Xiaowan, seeing this, knew Hong Chengchou's ill intentions, and jumped up, rushing to a pillar and banging her head against it repeatedly. Blood flowed freely, and her hair was disheveled. Koukou rushed forward to catch her. To find out what happened to Dong Xiaowan, please read the next chapter.

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