The videos I watched became popular in ancient times

After Su Chen finished telling the story of Yang Guifei, those ancient people who had never heard of it sighed.

Such an extremely beautiful woman eventually became a victim of the decline of the Tang Dynasty.

Some knowledgeable people saw clearly that the responsibility for the An-Shi Rebellion in the Tang Dynasty lay in the stupidity of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang.

As for Yang Yuhuan, she was just a poor person who was pushed out to take the blame.

Such situations are everywhere in the tide of history.

Whenever a country has major problems, people are often unwilling to look for the reasons within themselves, but instead put all the blame on a weak woman.

Especially women who are extremely beautiful are often slandered as evil women who bring disaster to the country and the people.

In ancient times, a patriarchal society, women's status was often very low.

But even so, many extraordinary women emerged and left their names in history, and Yang Yuhuan was just one of them.

"She was the most beautiful woman in ancient times. She could have become the emperor's favorite concubine, but because she offended a small painter, she was forced to marry far away in a foreign country."

"She even married her husband's son because of local bad customs."

"But she used her life to bring peace to the two countries. Even Du Fu, Wang Anshi, Li Shangyin and others wrote poems to praise her."

"She is the woman who conquered the Xiongnu, Wang Zhaojun, one of the four great beauties in ancient times."

"In history, Wang Zhaojun is one of the four great beauties of ancient times, along with Xi Shi, Diao Chan, and Yang Yuhuan."

"If we were to ask who is the most beautiful among them, we would have no way of knowing."

"If anyone is the greatest, it must be Wang Zhaojun."

"Because in the 210-year history of the Western Han Dynasty, there were a total of 12 women who were married to foreign countries, and Wang Zhaojun was the last one."

"She spent her entire life maintaining peace between the Han and Xiongnu for nearly fifty years."

"If she hadn't offended that little painter, she might not have made that decision, and she might not have become one of the four beauties."

"In 54 BC, Wang Zhaojun was born in Zigui County, Nanjun, Western Han Dynasty, which is now Zhaojun Village, Yichang, Hubei."

"Wang Zhaojun's real name was Wang Qiang, with the courtesy name Zhaojun. She was born in an ordinary farmer's family."

"It is said that her father had her when he was old, so he treated her like the apple of his eye since she was young."

"There is a mysterious legend about Wang Zhaojun's birth. It is said that there was a farmer named Wang Zhong."

"Because I had no children, I went to the nearby Qu Yuan Temple to burn incense and pray for a descendant who would be as loyal to the country as Qu Yuan."

"It is said that on the night of August 15, his wife dreamed of a bright moon falling into her arms."

"Soon after, she gave birth to a girl who was prettier than a fairy. This girl was Wang Zhaojun, so her nickname was also called Haoyue."

"Regarding Wang Zhaojun's beauty, Zeng Gong, one of the Eight Great Masters of Tang and Song Dynasties, described it in his "Song of the Ming Concubine" in this sentence."

"Emei Mountain is so unique that it is hard to find, and it can make the flowers in Shanglin County blush."

"Even flowers are ashamed of her beauty, which shows how stunningly beautiful Wang Zhaojun was."

"The Ming Fei here is Wang Zhaojun. In the Jin Dynasty, in order to avoid the name of Sima Zhao, Wang Zhaojun was also called Ming Fei Wang Mingjun."

"So most of the poems with the word Ming Fei in them are about Wang Zhaojun, such as Li Bai's "Gathering Flowers in Khotan"."

"The flower pickers of Khotan say that the flowers themselves are similar."

"Once the Ming concubine went to the Hu, many beautiful women among them were ashamed to death."

"However, Wang Zhaojun not only had a beautiful face, but also had wonderful talents, especially playing the pipa very well."

"It is said that Wang Zhaojun was on her way to marry in the frontier, and because she was far away from her hometown, she was alone from then on."

"This made her feel very upset, so she played the piece "Pipa Yuan"."

"Sad and pleasant piano music, beautiful and charming woman."

"The wild geese flying south at that time forgot to flap their wings and fell to the ground one after another on the flat sand."

"This is the story of the wild geese falling on the flat sand, so the wild geese fell became the elegant name of Wang Zhaojun."

"In ancient times, a woman with both talent and ability like Wang Zhaojun would definitely not escape the emperor's clutches."

"In 38 BC, Emperor Yuan of the Han Dynasty held a talent show among the people."

"As the first choice of Nanjun, the 16-year-old Wang Zhaojun was selected to enter the Night Court and became a palace maid, thus starting a legendary life journey."

Zhang Juzheng: History books did not point out the cause of Wang Zhaojun's death, but many later writers wrote that she committed suicide by jumping into the river.

There is no record in history books about how Wang Zhaojun died, and many literati gave different causes of death to her.

The theories about Wang Zhaojun's death include death by taking poison, depression, or jumping into the river, among which jumping into the river became the mainstream cause of Wang Zhaojun's death.

Ma Zhiyuan's "Autumn in the Han Palace" writes that Wang Zhaojun jumped into the river and died. From then on, jumping into the river and dying became the ending of Wang Zhaojun's story.

Because Wang Zhaojun refused to bribe Mao Yanshou, she was painted ugly and was not allowed to see the king. She had to play the pipa to relieve her boredom.

Once, Emperor Yuan of Han discovered Wang Zhaojun's beauty during his inspection of the palace, so he named her Ming Fei, and the two of them loved each other very much.

Mao Yanshou fled to the Xiongnu and instigated the Xiongnu Chanyu to threaten Emperor Yuan of Han to hand over Wang Zhaojun in order to maintain peace.

Under pressure, Emperor Yuan of Han had to agree to see Wang Zhaojun off at Baqiao.

Wang Zhaojun traveled to the Heilongjiang River, the border between the Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu, and committed suicide by jumping into the river.

Since Ma Zhiyuan, more and more literati prefer to arrange for Wang Zhaojun to die by jumping into the river.

The ending of Wang Zhaojun jumping into the river was influenced by the concept of chastity and the Confucian spirit of governing the country and loving the country.

First of all, the influence of the concept of chastity was also an important factor influencing Wang Zhaojun's decision to jump into the river.

Wang Zhaojun was a person from the Han Dynasty, but she still found the primitive custom of marrying the mother after the father's death unbearable.

Neo-Confucianism in the Song Dynasty proposed that the principles of heaven should be preserved and human desires eliminated. Women's chastity is the principle of heaven, and chastity arches began to become popular in various places.

The Ming Taizu regarded women's chastity as an important part of education, and advocated women's chastity in both policy and culture.

As a result, the spirit of chastity became prevalent among the people, and women to some extent became appendages of men.

Of course, literati were also influenced by the concept of chastity. Wang Zhaojun's suicide by jumping into the river was a reflection of the chastity concept that a woman should not serve two husbands.

Secondly, jumping into the river can reflect the Confucian spirit of governing the country and loving the country.

In literary history, jumping into a river is not only a form of death, but sometimes also a symbol of loyalty and patriotism.

After Qu Yuan of the Warring States Period committed suicide by jumping into the Miluo River, later generations praised him as a loyal and patriotic person.

Wang Zhaojun's suicide by jumping into the river was actually a manifestation of her loyalty to the emperor and her patriotism.

"But since Wang Zhaojun entered the palace, it has been until 33 BC."

"In these five years, I have never been favored by the emperor."

"It is said that Emperor Yuan of Han selected so many beauties that he could not see them all at once."

"He ordered painters to draw portraits of these beauties, and then he slowly selected them based on the portraits."

"In order to get a chance to see the emperor, many palace maids bribed the painters to paint them more beautifully."

"According to records, the bribes at that time could be as high as 10 yuan, and as low as more than 5 yuan."

"At that time, there was a painter named Mao Yanshou, who was said to be best at drawing human figures, and his drawings were very realistic."

"Wang Zhaojun had just entered the palace and didn't understand these hidden rules."

"Plus, I am proud of my beauty, so I am not afraid of the day when the emperor will summon me."

"Later, Mao Yanshou hinted at her when he painted Wang Zhaojun."

"But Wang Zhaojun just didn't believe it. Not only did she ignore Mao Yanshou, she even ridiculed him."

"Seeing Wang Zhaojun's attitude, Mao Yanshou fought back and turned the beautiful girl into a beautiful flower."

"As a result, Wang Zhaojun was not allowed to see the emperor even after she entered the palace for several years. She wasted a lot of her life in the harem."

"So Li Shangyin wrote a poem to tease Mao Yanshou."

"Mao Yanshou wanted to communicate with the gods through his paintings, but he was willing to ignore people for the sake of gold."

"The pipa travels thousands of miles on horseback, and the Han Palace is filled with spring."

"Although Wang Zhaojun was not summoned by the emperor, when God closes a door, he will open a window for you."

"At this moment, the gears of Wang Zhaojun's fate began to turn."

"In 33 BC, Huhanye, the Chanyu of the Xiongnu, asked Emperor Yuan of Han for a marriage alliance."

"So Emperor Yuan of Han planned to select a maid from among the palace ladies to be a princess and then marry her off to the Xiongnu."

"The maids were trembling with fear after hearing the news, fearing that they would be chosen."

"In the minds of the Han people at that time, the Xiongnu were wild beasts and ghosts, and marrying a Xiongnu was equivalent to becoming a barbarian."

"At this time, only Wang Zhaojun stood up and volunteered to go to the Xiongnu to marry."

"Because Wang Zhaojun knew that even if she stayed in the palace, her chances of meeting the emperor would be very slim."

"It would be better to marry the Xiongnu as a princess, maybe there will be a different world for you."

“It’s like when you encounter a difficult situation in life, if you stop moving forward, the difficulty will become permanent.”

"If you muster up the courage to give it a try, maybe you will see the light at the end of the tunnel."

"It was this bold decision that made Wang Zhaojun one of the four great beauties."

"Before leaving, Emperor Yuan of Han summoned Wang Zhaojun and saw that she was so beautiful and good at conversation."

"I regretted it at the time, but Emperor Han Yuan was ultimately unable to keep her."

"Because Huhanye was extremely satisfied when he saw Wang Zhaojun, and as a king he could not break his promise, so there was the story of Zhaojun's journey to the frontier."

"According to records, after Wang Zhaojun left."

"Emperor Yuan of Han was furious and began to investigate the bribery of the painter."

"Most of the painters were beheaded at that time, including Mao Yanshou."

"It is said that when their properties were confiscated, they all had huge amounts of money. This is the story of the painters being abandoned in the market."

"Later, Wang Anshi wrote a poem to speak up for Wang Zhaojun and satirize Emperor Yuan of Han."

"I came back to blame the painter, for I have never seen such a beautiful painting before."

"The painting could not express the spirit and expression, and Mao Yanshou was killed in vain."

Wang Anshi: Wang Zhaojun's going to the frontier was a peaceful means adopted by the Han Dynasty to achieve peace in the border areas. In fact, since the Qin Dynasty, marriage has become an important means of handling ethnic relations.

To put it bluntly, it is all for the purpose of maintaining national stability, which has played a vital role in consolidating national stability.

The policy of marriage alliance has a long history. For example, Princess Xijun of the Western Han Dynasty was married to the Western Regions.

There is also Princess Wencheng, who left a great story in the Tang Dynasty.

Since then, through the creation of literati, the historical event of Zhaojun's journey to the frontier has been given richer literary connotations.

The Huns were originally a nomadic people, but they were brave and good at fighting and were well-known to the world.

The Huns took advantage of the struggle for supremacy among the seven kingdoms to rapidly develop their own power.

By the end of the Qin Dynasty, the Xiongnu had already established a strong territory.

Especially in the early Han Dynasty, Maodun killed his father and established a queen in his place, becoming increasingly powerful.

During the reign of Emperor Gaozu of Han, the Xiongnu had already begun a large-scale attack.

It was not until the reign of Emperor Wu of Han that Emperor Wu Liu Che adopted Zhufu Yan's advice in order to strengthen imperial power.

The Enfeoffment Order was implemented internally to further weaken the power of the princes.

In terms of ideology, he adopted Dong Zhongshu's suggestion of abolishing all schools of thought and respecting Confucianism alone to consolidate central power.

In the military field, Emperor Wu of Han actively developed military strength, expanded the army, and prepared to use force to completely resolve the threat from the Huns in the north.

The strength of the Han Dynasty made the Huns fearful.

Especially under the attacks of Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, the Huns were even more submissive.

So in this situation, the Huns began to negotiate with the Han Dynasty, marry Han women, and establish diplomatic relations through marriage.

In order to eliminate future troubles, Emperor Xuan of Han launched another attack on the Huns after the death of Emperor Zhao of Han.

The defeat of the Xiongnu caused the Xiongnu to fall apart internally, with five khans fighting each other and the people suffering.

As a last resort, they once again began to seek peace with the Han Dynasty and used marriage to resolve the war situation.

Especially after the death of Qiuzhi Chanyu, Huhanye Chanyu was both happy and afraid.

What made him happy was that he no longer had any opposition from the Xiongnu, but what he feared was that the Han army might concentrate its forces to attack him.

Huhanye Shan thought of a perfect solution, which was to go to the Han Dynasty to meet Emperor Yuan of Han.

He hoped to live in harmony and was willing to marry a princess of the Han Dynasty and become a relative.

In fact, if the Han Dynasty continued to send troops, its combat power would be far superior to that of the Xiongnu.

But in order to quell the war and allow the people to live and work in peace, they agreed to this matter.

But the problem was that none of the princesses of the Han Dynasty were willing to marry the Huns.

Emperor Yuan of Han actually didn't want to marry his daughter so far away, so he came up with the idea of ​​impersonating the emperor.

Emperor Yuan of Han's actions were actually not very decent, and he did not treat the Xiongnu leader sincerely.

So in this situation, Wang Zhaojun, who had been suffering from mental depression for a long time, finally got her chance.

The Chanyu wrote a letter expressing his willingness to protect the border forever. After Wang Zhaojun arrived in the Xiongnu, she was called Ninghu Yanshi.

That day, the Han Dynasty held a grand farewell party for Wang Zhaojun.

When Wang Zhaojun was wearing gorgeous clothes and looking charming, her beauty shocked Emperor Yuan of Han who was sitting in his seat.

But it was too late for Emperor Yuan of Han to regret, and he could only give up with great reluctance.

This is exactly the tragic fate of Wang Zhaojun.

Afterwards, Emperor Yuan of Han executed the painter, which could be considered as a resolution to his regret.

"In 33 BC, Wang Zhaojun, who was still in her prime, bid farewell to her homeland and headed north."

"After arriving in Xiongnu, Wang Zhaojun was named Ninghu Yanshi, implying that she was the queen who brought peace and tranquility to Xiongnu."

"Wang Zhaojun did not shed tears all day like those princesses who married far away, but lived a fulfilling life in this poor and remote place."

“For example, if you are not used to a certain diet, then you can invent it yourself.”

"Wang Zhaojun asked the cook to soak vermicelli and fried gluten together and cook them in duck soup. From then on, a delicious dish called Zhaojun Duck appeared in the world."

"It is said that a kind of stuffed leather named after Wang Zhaojun is popular in the northwest region. It is the stuffed leather that people often eat in summer."

"In addition, Wang Zhaojun also followed the local customs and drank goat milk, integrating herself into the life of the Hu people."

"She also did not forget her mission, and worked hard to maintain peace between the Hu and Han peoples, and persuaded her husband to make peace with the Han people."

"And when spring came and flowers bloomed, Wang Zhaojun also taught herdsmen to plant trees and flowers, breed livestock, spin yarn and weave cloth, etc."

"Wang Zhaojun spread the seeds of Han civilization in the vast desert, allowing the Hu people to gradually shed their barbaric and backward atmosphere."

"According to historical records, after Zhaojun went to the frontier, there was a prosperous scene."

"However, the good times did not last long. In 31 BC, her husband, Huhanye Chanyu, passed away."

"Wang Zhaojun thought she had finally accomplished her mission and could return to her homeland after so many years away."

"So she wrote to Emperor Yuan of Han and asked to return, but by then Emperor Yuan of Han had passed away two years ago."

"The successor Emperor Cheng of Han was licentious and immoral, and he didn't bother to care about these things. He replied that he followed the customs of the barbarians and refused to let him in."

"According to the Xiongnu's levirate marriage system, after Wang Zhaojun's husband died, she had to marry her stepson. It was this marriage custom of the Xiongnu that was most criticized by the Central Plains."

"Later, Wang Zhaojun knew that she had no hope of returning home, so she had no choice but to marry Huhanye's son."

"Faced with this absurdity, she could only force herself to smile and even wrote a poem called 'Complaint' for it."

"The graceful swallows gather in the faraway West Qiang, where the mountains are majestic and the rivers are mighty."

"Father and mother, progress is long and difficult. Alas! I am worried and distressed."

"After marriage, Wang Zhaojun continued to play the role of a good wife and gave birth to two daughters for the new Chanyu."

“During this period, she also continued to maintain peace between the two countries.”

"In the blink of an eye, 11 years have passed, and Wang Zhaojun is watching over the lonely land in the endless yellow sand."

"She no longer hopes to return home, she only hopes that the people are healthy and the country is safe."

"No matter how difficult it is, Wang Zhaojun will grit her teeth and persevere. This is the fate of a woman who marries a foreign country."

"In 19 BC, Wang Zhaojun, who was only 35 years old, died of illness in the desert."

"According to grassland customs, graves are not repaired after death."

"But in order to commemorate Wang Zhaojun, the Xiongnu built a tomb for her and named it Qingzhong."

"For thousands of years, countless heroes have disappeared into the depths of time, leaving only the green tombs at the foot of the Daqing Mountain standing silently in the dusk."

"For this reason, Du Fu also wrote a poem to commemorate Wang Zhaojun."

"The mountains and valleys all lead to Jingmen, and the village where Ming Fei was born still exists."

"Once the purple palace is gone, it is connected to the desert, leaving only the green tomb facing the dusk."

"In 2 AD, Wang Zhaojun's eldest daughter was summoned to Beijing to serve Queen Mother Wang Zhengjun."

“The daughter stood where her mother once lived and imagined that her mother had returned here too.”

"For Wang Zhaojun, the Han Dynasty was her hometown she dreamed of returning to."

"And for my daughter, Xiongnu is her homeland."

"Even if there is a bright moon in a foreign land, it is not as bright as a lamp in my hometown. Go home often when you have nothing to do."

Du Fu: Wang Zhaojun's sacrifice and dedication brought peace and tranquility to the Han and Xiongnu countries.

After Wang Zhaojun arrived in the Xiongnu, she enjoyed the highest level of treatment and was very affectionate with Huhanye Chanyu.

Wang Zhaojun brought advanced production technology to the Central Plains, and trade between Han and Xiongnu also prospered.

She lived with Huhanye for three years and gave birth to a son for him.

However, things are unpredictable, and Huhanye died soon after.

According to Xiongnu customs, if the father died, his stepson had the right to marry his stepmother.

For Wang Zhaojun, it was absolutely unacceptable to marry her husband's son.

Wang Zhaojun wrote a letter asking to return to her hometown, but the new emperor, Emperor Cheng of Han, did not understand.

He rejected Wang Zhaojun's request and asked her to adapt to the local customs.

Wang Zhaojun was sad in her room when her stepson Fu Zhulei, who had always loved her, rushed into the room.

Wang Zhaojun was so frightened that her face turned pale and she struggled desperately to break free.

But Fu Julei was so strong that she couldn't break free and burst into tears.

Fu Zhulei gradually loosened his embrace, and Wang Zhaojun angrily slapped him in the face.

At this time, Wang Zhaojun felt helpless and lonely, and was depressed all day long.

Fortunately, Fu Zhulei truly loved Wang Zhaojun, and he was always patient and attentive when accompanying her.

After getting along with each other, Wang Zhaojun discovered that this stepson, whom she regarded as an enemy, was actually a loving and compassionate person.

The stepson attached great importance to Wang Zhaojun's affection and sense of responsibility, and brought Wang Zhaojun a lot of comfort and warmth.

Gradually, Wang Zhaojun was deeply attracted and she chose to marry Fu Zhulei.

Wang Zhaojun devoted herself to teaching the Xiongnu people how to plant and also led the women to weave.

At the same time, it also spread the Central Plains culture, allowing the Huns to deepen their understanding of the Han Dynasty.

Wang Zhaojun's wisdom and talent inspired many people, and she gradually gained respect and support among the Huns.

During the ten years that Fujulei took care of Wang Zhaojun, Wang Zhaojun gave birth to two daughters for him.

After Fu Zhulei died, Wang Zhaojun became a widow and died soon after.

Thanks to Wang Zhaojun, the Huns and the Han people lived in harmony for more than 50 years without any war.

Wang Zhaojun sacrificed her own happiness and freedom for the sake of national peace.

Wang Zhaojun used her wisdom to walk out of the deep palace and went from being an ordinary woman to her legendary life. (End of this chapter)