rayne Posted January 9, 2016 at 01:09 PM Report Share Posted January 9, 2016 at 01:09 PM I'm watching a Hong Kong/Cantonese drama right now and one of the characters is Consort Wan Zhen'er (萬皇貴妃/万皇贵妃). I can understand and speak Cantonese but can't read Chinese so I've only been able to look up things in English about her. I'm hoping that someone here who's more proficient in Chinese can look some things up about her and answer my questions! So here are the things that I know about her and my questions (bolded): When the Chenghua Emperor was a prince, she was one of his maids/servants and she was 19 years older than him. When he became the Emperor, he married her. The Chenghua Emperor's first Empress was Empress Wu but she was deposed. Why was she deposed? In the drama, Consort Wan got her deposed in an attempt to become Empress but was unable to because the rest of the court didn't want a former maid to become Empress. But the drama killed Empress Wu off while in reality she outlived the Chenghua Emperor. Consort Wan was infamous for forcing abortions on consorts. Princes who somehow survived and were born were poisoned along with the consorts who bore them. How was this recorded in history but nothing was done about it at the time? Obviously, forcing abortions on consorts and killing princes and consorts should be illegal. Did the Chenghua Emperor never find out? Or did he know and love Consort Wan so much that he just let her do whatever she wanted? During all this, the Hongzhi Emperor was hidden away by the previous Empress (Empress Wu) and was brought back to court at age 5. At that point, shouldn't all of Empress Wan's crimes have been revealed? Did she receive no punishment? The Chenghua Emperor and Consort Wan both died in 1487 (12 years after the Hongzhi Emperor was revealed to be alive and returned to court). How did Consort Wan die? Did she commit suicide knowing that after the Emperor had died all the enemies she made would be out to get her? Or did she truly love the emperor and decide to die after her true love died? Did her enemies murder her somehow? I read somewhere that the Hongzhi Emperor never sought revenge for what she did to his siblings and stepmothers. Thanks to anyone who can help answer these questions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lips Posted January 10, 2016 at 07:19 AM Report Share Posted January 10, 2016 at 07:19 AM The following is based on the official Ming Dynasty history. - Empress Wu's dismissal was related to Consort Wan. - Imperial Consort Wan died of sudden illness in the first month of the year. Xian Zhong (Chenghua Emperor) died in the eighth month of the same year. All the other things that you mentioned are based on unofficial history, and may not be truthful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayne Posted January 10, 2016 at 09:15 AM Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2016 at 09:15 AM Can you tell me more about the dismissal? Why exactly was Empress Wu deposed? And why was the next Empress, Wang, chosen? Thanks for the clarification on the sequence of their deaths, I thought she died after the Emperor. And what happened to Consort Ji, the Hongzhi Emperor's mother? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelley Posted January 10, 2016 at 12:29 PM Report Share Posted January 10, 2016 at 12:29 PM https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chenghua_Emperor Have a look at this, it might give you a start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayne Posted January 10, 2016 at 11:21 PM Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2016 at 11:21 PM Wikipedia is, unfortunately, already where most of my information is from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylee Posted January 11, 2016 at 10:19 AM Report Share Posted January 11, 2016 at 10:19 AM I have heard people rave about this TV show. I think I am going to watch it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayne Posted January 11, 2016 at 12:22 PM Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2016 at 12:22 PM The one I'm watching is The Executioner - 刀下留人. Not sure if it's the same one you heard about because I heard The Emperor's Harem - 后宫 was super popular but I never watched it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylee Posted January 11, 2016 at 01:16 PM Report Share Posted January 11, 2016 at 01:16 PM Yes, I meant the one about the executioner and the midwife. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lips Posted January 11, 2016 at 01:54 PM Report Share Posted January 11, 2016 at 01:54 PM The following were from unofficial history/folklore. Why exactly was Empress Wu deposed? She punished Consort Wan by caning and that angered the emperor. And why was the next Empress, Wang, chosen? Wu and Wang were amongst the three consorts chosen by the previous emperor for Chenghua, as potential future empress. And what happened to Consort Ji, the Hongzhi Emperor's mother? She died soon after the young prince was revealed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayne Posted January 11, 2016 at 11:23 PM Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2016 at 11:23 PM Thank you, lips! skylee, I just finished the drama yesterday. Highly recommend it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roddy Posted January 12, 2016 at 10:07 AM Report Share Posted January 12, 2016 at 10:07 AM Rayne, if you want you could put a topic up in the Television forum introducing it? You might encourage a few others to watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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