Force a good concubine

How much does a same-sex marriage proposal affect politics?In the Qi Empire, there is a very interesting example.

The beginning of this example is a bit lengthy, because we have to start with an emperor a hundred years ago.According to the custom of the Qi Empire, after the death of each emperor, his successors will choose a suitable title for him as a evaluation of his life.The title Xiaozong received was "Xiao Zongzhao", which means that in the empire at that time, the emperor's actions were considered by the subjects to be filial piety and could be used as a moral model. At the same time, the word "Zhao" also revealed another One piece of information is that the emperor is indeed very handsome. This feature is very prominent. The compliments on her appearance are different from the general words in the lives of other emperors. According to records, the emperor's beauty made his subjects think she was very attractive. He was even willing to give his life for her.

This seems to describe to us an image of a wise, far-sighted, humble and approachable emperor, but what is interesting is that in fact, Xiaozong's political career has many similarities with Mary III, who was known for his violent and rebellious temperament in the Western Empire at the same time.

The two empresses also obtained the right to inherit when the previous emperor was facing extinction. Although Mary III's uncle, James VII, had many illegitimate children, neither of his two empresses gave birth to him. Focus on his 7-year-old niece; although Xiaozong's cousin Xuanzong has two sons, their life expectancy is far shorter than that of his strong mother, and what's worse, they don't leave any children, so that Xuanzong was troubled by heirs all day long in her later years, and finally chose Xiaozong when she was only 5 years old.

No one knows the reason why the old emperor, who was old and time-limited, chose a young child as his heir. Judging from the inferences of later generations, Xuanzong was probably worried that if he chose an older heir, the new emperor would pay too much attention to his biological parents. So much so that he ignored the respect for his two sons who died young, which had precedents in the previous dynasty.Xuanzong was determined to cultivate an ideal heir in her own way. Only three days after Xiaozong was born, she ordered the baby girl to be sent to the palace to be raised by herself, and she cared about the girl's growth like a real grandmother.There is much evidence that on many occasions, when Xuanzong was discussing the fate of the empire with his ministers, the young Xiaozong sat in a corner of the room playing or listening in.

This training method is obviously better than the 26 poor tutors that James VII gave to Mary III: Mary III was extremely disgusted with boring and lengthy official documents and bills all her life, and had little interest in parliamentary issues. He has a strong interest in politics and is very restrained in all other enjoyment activities. More importantly, unlike Mary III's dependence and obedience on his biological parents, Xiaozong was very indifferent to his parents who had never met, although financially she He was very magnanimous and generous to the biological father who was far away from the capital, but he almost never showed concern beyond the limit, and never actively consulted his opinions on government affairs. It is obvious that the young Xiaozong trusted the ministers who were close to Xuanzong and arranged for him. and teachers.

The two empresses took over the huge empire at very similar ages, Mary III was 11 years old and Xiaozong was 9 years old.Judging from the various records left behind, although Xiaozong was younger than Mary III, he showed more diligence and intelligence.She is very concerned about various affairs of the empire. She often summons the ministers and asks various questions about the daily official documents. Sometimes this kind of discussion-style teaching can last until late at night, and at dawn the next day, the emperor still To hold early court ceremonies as usual and study government affairs step by step, it needs to be mentioned that Xiaozong's curriculum is more than three times heavier than that of Mary III, which is almost a daunting chore.

Surprisingly, Xiaozong seems to have taken managing the empire as a constant hobby, a replacement for lost childhood joys, that she continued throughout her life.And her excellent judgment and eloquence were gradually revealed in this way: Although the emperor was taciturn, it seemed that it was just a habit to increase his own solemnity, or a gentle nature of listening to other people's opinions. When expressing opinions on a certain government affairs, they can usually refute opponents one by one in a clear and orderly manner.Xiaozong's calm and studious style increased the persuasiveness of her words, which played a great positive role in her subsequent political career.This is exactly the opposite of Mary III: the latter's resistance to boring court education and her impetuous and frank character made her incompatible with almost every prime minister.

Every courtier and teacher close to Xiaozong praised the emperor's Puritan-style hard study life, and the emperor fully accepted the opinions of the ministers. It seemed that imperial politics would continue to run along a smooth track and follow the old ways, but in The year before the emperor came to power, a turning point occurred - the 14-year-old Xiaozong fell in love. She claimed to follow the example of her ancestors and marry a woman instead of a young and gentle male nobleman as the ministers had previously imagined. Combined to give birth to the next heir to the empire.

The earliest same-sex marriage in the imperial royal family occurred nearly 200 years before the birth of Emperor Xiaozong: a female prince won the throne of her cousin. Since her gender was registered as male in the official royal documents, in order to show the justice of her inheritance, the female emperor For the first time, he chose a gentle and intelligent noblewoman as his wife.From the perspective of later generations, this marriage did more good than harm to the empire. The empress known for her wisdom used her gentleness to make up for the empress' lack of tough and decisive character. The political complementarity of the two made the empire separate Stand out from the regime, and finally reunify the Eastern Continent.Regrettably, this very loving marriage according to records did not end happily. The queen died of illness while accompanying the empress in battle. Her death made the empress almost lose her mind. It is said that she ordered to kill all The prisoner buried his wife with him, and he withdrew his order only after his friends bitterly remonstrated.The empress was depressed for the rest of her life, and her style became more severe and tough, which caused her adopted sons to be in a state of anxiety all day long. On the eve of the unification of the empire, they took advantage of the opportunity of the empress to pay homage to his wife alone to assassinate her.

The murder was so cruel that there is a popular saying among the people that the reason why male heirs to the royal family are rare and short-lived is the curse of the empress on her deathbed. Having lost her beloved, she has no love in her life.

Judging from the ending, the empress's life is undoubtedly a tragedy, but her influence on the empire is extremely profound and gradually revealed with the passage of time.First of all, the empire was unified again, and this stable peace has continued until now; secondly, the establishment of the royal family's female inheritance rights. Conghui's daughter, he ordered to follow the example of the empress to change the registered gender of the princess to a male and establish her as the heir, instead of selecting an adopted son from nephews according to the practice of the previous dynasty.Chengzong, who had learned from the lessons of his predecessors, chose many male companions for his daughter, calling them "servant kings" as the needs of continuous heirs.This approach soon became routine, and Chengzong's daughter, Mingzong, who lost her fertility after a miscarriage, picked a mild-mannered niece as her adoptive daughter and dismissed all ambitious brothers and nephews in various ways He went to a remote part of the empire to ensure that the empire in his later years could be transferred to Renzong safely.

Renzong seemed to prefer male heirs, but the heirs she chose were not as sophisticated as his female elders. Due to his blind preference for sons, Mu Zong's later years were turbulent. Several sons competed for power, messing up the imperial affairs. However, the daughters who were sent to the frontier by Mu Zong gradually seized military power during the war, and finally united to launch a coup and wiped out several arrogant brothers.Although Mu Zong was not harmed in the coup, he lost all power.According to historical records, in the name of poor health, Mu Zong was forced to designate his eldest daughter as Princess Jianguo. A few months later, he was changed to Prince Jianguo. This title means that women have regained the same inheritance rights as men.The subsequent canonization was orderly. One year after the coup, Mu Zong issued a decree to sacrifice to heaven and earth. He canonized the eldest daughter as the empress dowager, and canonized the only daughter of the eldest daughter as the empress grandson. This was the first time that the emperor publicly announced to the imperial subjects An all-out fiasco on succession.A month later, Mu Zong was revered as the Supreme Emperor, and died in obscurity three years later. His sons spent the rest of their long lives in the high wall, and his eldest daughter, with the unanimous support of courtiers and clan, started the The first reformation of the vast empire.Due to the outstanding achievements of this reform, she was awarded the title of "Sejong". This title not only implies the transfer of the royal family's succession again, but also implicitly expresses the affirmation of the continuity of her reform policy by later generations.

Sejong first put his energy on the military affairs that had been slack due to the peaceful years. Her younger sister was a brave prince who was good at fighting. With Sejong's unreserved support and trust for her, several border troubles on land were all killed Sweeping, the empire formed an offshore fleet for the first time, using the navy to maintain a deterrent to neighboring countries.Under this deterrence, several small neighboring countries with tough attitudes bowed their heads to the empire. Sejong announced that they would not be held accountable for their previous actions, and negotiated with these countries on the ownership of sea areas in the name of the government for the first time. included in the bag.This is a very farsighted move, showing that Sejong is very proficient in trade.The collection of sea tax also proves this point.The financial and military affairs of the empire are flourishing year by year, and there are records showing that Sejong also had unique views on the political system of the empire, but it is regrettable that she failed to prepare her own plan, and died suddenly due to a sudden illness. It fell into the hands of her only daughter Xuanzong, which shows that the empire has adjusted well to the empress.

Xuanzong's political career was stable and long.Since she was a child, she lived alone in the palace of the capital, and faced with the harsh prejudices of her grandfather at any time, she developed an overly cautious character, so that she almost accepted all the suggestions of the ministers.In addition to pardoning those uncles who had become submissive and cautious in the high wall, and re-granting generous titles and salaries, Xuanzong's administration did not violate any instructions of Sejong when he was alive.The only thing that was violated was more like the practice of many emperors in the past in order to consolidate the thinly populated clan and show their benevolence.The empire has entered a period of inertial operation, and it has put its energy back on minor internal repairs. From a certain perspective, the politics of the Xuanzong Dynasty is more like a stage for ministers, and their performance is more active than that of the well-behaved Xiaozong.

Xuanzong's gentle tolerance to the ministers is beneficial to the empire. The gratitude to Xuanzong continued to Xiaozong's period. The ministers were loyal to the young Xiaozong. There were many ambitious princes older than her in the royal family, but the ministers never Xiaozong's succession was never challenged, even at the height of their conflict.

Xiaozong's own actions also maintained this warmth.Although Xiaozong is more similar to Sejong in terms of political views, she is more sophisticated and flexible than Sejong, who was born in the military. Xiaozong tried to treat every minister—both supporters and opponents—as mildly and fairly as possible.All behaviors suspected of retaliating against political purges were publicly and severely criticized by the emperor. The method of attacking political opponents by attacking personal privacy, which was favored by former officials, was banned. How to measure the contribution to the empire depends on achievements that are visible to all and less prone to controversy.Xiaozong cleverly induced the censors to focus their work on these places, which made the work of the censors clear and efficient. As the adjudicator of the censors and ministers, the emperor gained the superior final decision-making power and impartiality. A good reputation, but also freed from some trivial disputes, to focus on planning the future of the empire.In stark contrast to her is also Mary III. The political career of this unlucky and irascible monarch is full of all kinds of gossip and trivial quarrels and confrontations. All restless.

We don't know exactly when the emperor learned to control his vast empire, but the young Xiaozong did show extraordinary wit and poise during the first political crisis, when she had just fallen in love with her future wife. Fall in love.

From a legal point of view, Xiaozong's proposal for same-sex marriage is understandable, because according to convention, her gender is also registered as male.But judging from the experience and lessons the empire has experienced, Xiaozong undoubtedly let herself fall into the same tragic trap as her ancestors. Given that she was only 14 years old, almost everyone thought her thoughts were just impulse.

Everyone's unanimous opposition is fatal to a young man who is new to the world, but Xiaozong appears to be much calmer and more sophisticated than ordinary people.She first persuaded her courtiers with the high risk of childbearing at a young age, and clearly postponed the time of marriage until after the age of 18, which won a buffer time for herself; The legal wrangling over "brotherhood and sisterhood" (a de facto folk form of same-sex marriage), and quietly placed some of its own supporters in various positions in charge of weddings.What is amazing is that Xiaozong controlled the confrontation with the ministers in a flexible and careful way. Even though everyone knew that the undercurrent was surging, the politics remained stable. Except for this marriage, in other areas of government affairs, The ministers still cooperated happily with the emperor, and the emperor's calm and restraint even made some officials start to have the idea of ​​compromise with each other, instead of constantly complaining that the "witch" led their students badly.

The partner Xiaozong chose was a talented young woman who was 7 years older than Xiaozong.Perhaps because she wanted to be closer to her noble lover, she came to the capital to take the national unified examination for female officials. The prince, who is also Xiaozong's biological brother, had a little dispute with Xiaozong.The petty prince was so annoyed by this dispute that he ordered the innocent female official to be poisoned in revenge for Emperor Xiaozong.The poison was considered incurable at the Imperial Academy of Medicine at the time.Concerned about Xiaozong's opinion, the female officer quietly concealed this tragic fact, but it was known to her in the end.

According to official records, Xiaozong handled the misfortune with restraint.She sentenced her brother to life imprisonment according to the law, and sent the female officer to the West, hoping that Western medicine could save her lover's life.The empire's political affairs are still carried out in an orderly manner, but in private, people are quietly rumoring the emperor's various abnormalities: the emperor lived a semi-ascetic life like a monk, in order to pray to the gods for the safety of his lover, and he did not drink alcohol. Vegetarian, copy scriptures every day, etc.There is evidence that at that time Xiaozong's close officials and relatives all believed with certainty that if her heart was not allowed to rest, the emperor would undoubtedly be forced to collapse by the sorrow in his heart.

Luan Yisi's palm seal (that is, the person in charge) and the chief minister of the cabinet both felt the threat of Xiaozong's approaching calmly-an emperor who died young or an emperor who went crazy and became a monk would be detrimental to the empire.The former immediately chose to support the emperor's side, because many officials in the Luan Yisi were also supporters of same-sex marriage; Close one eye and turn a blind eye.

It seems that soon the emperor will be able to carry out a shocking wedding according to the routine of his ancestors.However, Xiaozong retreated before the victory that was within easy reach. She announced that national marriages should be held in an open and aboveboard atmosphere, and convened well-known scholars and relevant officials from all over the country to conduct a thorough discussion and revision of the marriage and inheritance part of the imperial law. And issued a notice to seek everyone's opinion.

This empathetic tolerance and honesty finally led to mutual reconciliation, and everything was carried out in an atmosphere of seeking truth from facts. Every day, people's various opinions were recorded in the residence newspaper and distributed to all parts of the country openly.This discussion lasted for three months, and finally the revised imperial law clarified the procedure of same-sex marriage and related succession order. The national marriage was solemnly held after the female official returned from Western Health, which made Xiaozong and the ministers happy.

This cautious and restrained game method is refreshing. The relationship between the emperor and his ministers is defined as a collaborator, not like Mary III. bridle.Considering that Xiaozong was only 18 years old when the whole matter was resolved, it must be said that the ruler seemed to have a natural talent for politics.

Many talented figures emerged from this discussion, and Xiaozong treated his opponents and supporters equally, and promoted all those who were recognized as outstanding performers to the imperial advisory body, the Imperial Academy.Their existence made the Hanlin Academy gradually evolve from a research institute of history and literature into a legal research base of the empire.Xiaozong seemed to have a strong interest in revising the laws of the empire. She took the initiative to initiate the formulation of the "Law of Commerce" - the first commercial law of the empire, and stipulated that the empire should organize special inspections every 20 years to ensure that the existing legal provisions were applicable to the empire. status quo.

The lower court officials could no longer do whatever they wanted, because the emperor tried to make every law easy to understand, easy to implement, and free from ambiguity, and at the same time encouraged scholars to explain the legal provisions for free in the academy. One of the regular public welfare activities of the academy.

Xiaozong was equally concerned with the finances of the empire, and she was almost as economically savvy as her great-grandmother.Xiaozong did not issue a decree to restrict land annexation, but adopted a more flexible approach.She instructed Luan Yisi to purchase a large amount of land in the name of the royal family and manage it in a unified manner, and set up the Huangnongcang, which actually became the empire's grain reserve organization.At the same time, the empire encouraged landless peasants to reclaim land beyond the borders, and even go to sea. The impact of this actual expansion behavior did not appear until the later period of Xiaozong's rule.

According to the laws of the empire, the royal family monopolized the sales rights of many high-end goods.Xiaozong vigorously developed maritime trade and sold almost everything—according to information, sometimes she even sold the tributes sent by ministers, as long as the other party gave her a suitable price.These profits were continuously turned into silver and flowed into the emperor's internal treasury. Except for a small part that was used to pay for court expenses, most of them were used by Xiaozong to implement expensive plans that were easily vetoed by ministers, such as improving silk and porcelain, Improve armaments, build ships, etc.

Xiaozong seems to be very aware of the shortcomings of these ministers who abide by the Confucian classics. She always carefully and quietly implements her ideas without hesitation.From this point of view, Xiaozong is more like a prudent practitioner than a Confucian scholar, which is consistent with Xiaozong's initial educational curriculum.

The queen made up for Xiaozong's other deficiencies very well. She was a pious Confucianist, good at literature, music, calligraphy, painting, etc., and also possessed Xiaozong's flexible and practical spirit.As Xiaozong's companion and secretary, she organized many literary discussions and classic compilations in the royal name, which greatly assuaged the hostility of Confucian scholars over the emperor's indifference to Confucianism.

The empress, who was as diligent in government affairs as Xiaozong, also set up a lecture hall in the Imperial College. Every June, the empire held an interpretation meeting here. Confucian scholars gathered here to express their opinions on various classics, and the opinions discussed were sorted out. Afterwards, it was printed at the expense of the royal family and distributed free of charge to schools all over the country as a reference for scholars to study classics.Many Confucians became famous here, and Confucianism in the empire was no longer dominated by Confucianism. What's more interesting is that through these new interpretations, many of Xiaozong's actions found a suitable theoretical basis in Confucian classics, which eventually formed the A Confucian theory in harmony with Xiaozong's thought-practical learning.

In the tenth year after Emperor Xiaozong came to power, the Qi Empire dispatched an ocean-going fleet.Although the imperial court claimed that this was to settle the trade disputes with the Westerners once and for all, in fact, what this fleet brought back was not only the credentials of Mary III, but some nautical charts, books and some craftsmen of the Western Continent , including clocks, mechanics, weavers, and even a piper.Xiaozong arranged these people into the Royal Crafts Bureau. After figuring out which technologies could improve armaments and other crafts, Xiaozong ordered that the skills of these people be recorded in the form of books and pictures and taught to the imperial craftsmen of the empire.A year later, the imperial army was equipped with military binoculars and improved muskets in batches.A royal craftsman was awarded a hereditary title by Emperor Xiaozong because of his outstanding contributions, which greatly encouraged the enthusiasm of the craftsmen.Out of the desire to stand out, some of them even took the initiative to ask to go to the West to learn the corresponding technology. These people later became the team members of the Imperial Academy of Sciences—by the way, the establishment of the Imperial Academy of Sciences was written by the Queen. Publishing patron of technical books.

In the middle of Xiaozong's reign, the imperial expansion policy finally met its opponent.Some Qi people bought a large piece of land in the Spanish colony, and by chance, it was discovered that it was a gold mine.After learning about it, Hart, the colonial governor, confiscated the land in the name of Mary III and refused to compensate these foreigners.In anger, these Qi people gave the title deed to their emperor tit for tat. This was an excellent opportunity, and Xiaozong immediately ordered the imperial navy to sail to protect the imperial property.Hart paid a heavy price for this - under the coercion of the powerful navy of the Qi Empire, he had to sell two-thirds of the colony to the Qi Empire at a low price.

This unfinished conflict became the trigger for the scramble for the New World.Xiaozong accelerated the expansion of the empire, encouraged his subjects to go to sea, and even sealed his two eldest adopted sons in the New World.These two brave princes stationed in the New World with their troops and subjects, and became the founders of the two small kingdoms of Qi Ning and Qi Huai. Many ambitious young people became subjects of the new kingdom. In the end, the Westerners were completely driven out of the New World.

Mary III was furious, but could do nothing.The Queen's navy also suffered a disastrous defeat at sea. The Qi Empire's naval fleet is superior to the Western Empire in terms of ships and artillery. What is even more worrying is that the land and population of the Qi Empire far exceed that of the Western Empire. This makes the Queen dare not Risk an all-out war.The Queen's Prime Minister and Parliament also disapproved of the war, which they believed would drag down the finances of the empire, which was already in danger.The war ended with the Queen's recognition of the Qi Empire's right to rule the New World, but it was not the end of the contest.

Amid the rising emotions of the imperial subjects, Xiaozong maintained her usual calmness and modesty. She responded to the empress's provocative letter of credence in a very restrained tone, and promised to make some concessions in trade as part of the war. Compensation for the excesses of the people.The letter of credence was delivered to Mary III by an adopted daughter of Emperor Xiaozong. This 15-year-old handsome girl won the heart of Mary III's second daughter, Princess Harwin. Ten years later, the girl won the crown of King of South India for the Qi Empire. He held a private wedding with a visiting princess from abroad—Mary III never forgave her daughter until her death, so that the mother and daughter never met again.

It is intriguing that, compared with Xiaozong's other adopted children, the people of the Western Empire have a good impression of this South Indian female prince.After the death of Mary III, the queen was invited to attend the funeral with the princess.In the records of later generations, people's amazing praise for the appearance of the female prince and the imagination of the reclusive emperor of the Qi Empire are recorded. According to a popular saying, the appearance of the female prince is similar to that of her adoptive mother (also her cousin) Be like your own.

The Queen is as loyal and infatuated as her adoptive mother in her attitude towards marriage, which makes Princess Harwin one of the few happily married children among Mary III's many children, although like her siblings, she also inherited her mother's violent temper .It is said that Princess Harwin once splashed a glass of water on the Queen's face in front of everyone during a quarrel. Never mention it again.

Many people believe that the Queen's tolerance for her partner is due to the teaching of her adoptive mother and the relaxed family environment in her childhood.Although the government affairs are busy, Emperor Xiaozong and the empress have never relaxed the education of their children. Every tutor must regularly report to the empress truthfully the academic status of the princes and daughters. Similarly, the princes and empresses can also enter and leave the empress's workplace at will , pour out your various feelings to the queen at any time, or participate in some work of the queen under the guidance of the queen.This is very similar to Xuanzong's education method for Xiaozong. Therefore, although Xiaozong's adopted children have different interests and personalities, they have made certain achievements in a certain field of politics, whether voluntarily or out of responsibility.

Although the empire was almost glorious, Xiaozong's later years were very peaceful.She kept several of her older adopted children outside the empire's borders, thus avoiding disputes over the heirs.Sixty-five years after Xiaozong's accession to the throne, she handed over the empire to her youngest adopted daughter, abdicated as the Supreme Emperor, and separated herself from the affairs of the empire to focus on caring for her wife who had suffered a stroke.

This happy marriage lasted until the end. The empress dowager died 4 years later at the age of 85, and the emperor followed the empress dowager the next year at the age of 79.In the year before her death, the contest between the Qi Empire and the Western Empire finally came to an end in Australia, and the territory of the Qi Empire expanded to the extreme.

Different from the overbearing image of the empress that people imagine, Xiaozong is rational and gentle. Even in the most glorious moment of the empire, he maintained a simple and humble style. Many people still talk about the anecdote that she personally sewed the inner robes for herself and the queen. .In fact, from the beginning to the end, Xiaozong almost never showed any interest in the luxurious games popular among nobles, just as a historian of the Qi Empire commented: "Emperor Xiaozong seems to be born for the empire, and her life's interest is only How to make the empire stand at the top, and the heavy affairs are easily solved in her hands, but she is never complacent, but immediately concentrates on finding the second thing that can give full play to her unique ability—from a certain point of view, Xuanzong's teachings to her have been with her throughout her life, which may be the reason why the subjects chose the word 'filial piety' to commemorate the reformer of the empire."

This official historian is undoubtedly one of Xiaozong's admirers. Among the historical researchers of the Qi Empire, such admirers abound. However, even the most fanatical admirers of Xiaozong cannot ignore the The inseparable figure of Emperor Xiaozong.We have to admit that although Xiaozong's governing ability and personal morality are excellent, but for controlling a huge empire, without the assistance of the queen, her governance will be greatly inferior.Personal lives aside, the political duo fits together quite well, reminiscent of the emperor's equally illustrious ancestors, only this time, the two get a happy ending.

Let's end this long note with a whine from one of Mary III's prime ministers - "How much influence do two women really have on politics? God, I'd rather our Queen married a woman, like Qi Just like the emperor! At least in this way, when they quarrel, they don't need a prime minister to persuade them, but two female officials!"