The videos I watched became popular in ancient times

Which emperor in history did not have three palaces, six courtyards and seventy-two concubines?

There are three thousand beauties in the harem, who would dare to hope that the emperor would be with her forever?

Queen Dugu, she dares!
Not only does she dare to think, she also dares to do it!

Under her careful instruction and strict supervision.

Her husband, Emperor Wen of Sui, Yang Jian, indeed became one of the few emperors in history who remained faithful to his wife.

Empress Dugu made great contributions to the Kaihuang Reign, and her unwavering love for Emperor Wen of Sui led her to be called the Two Saints.

She was praised by all officials of the dynasty as a virtuous queen. She was a model of a virtuous wife who was a model for the country.

As a queen, her status is equal to that of the emperor. She is truly as good as any man.

"In 544 AD, Dugu Jialuo was born in Luoyang, Henan. His ancestors were Xianbei nobles of the Tuoba clan of the Northern Wei Dynasty."

"Dugu Jialuo's father, Dugu Xin, served Heba Sheng and Yuwen Tai successively."

"He later served in the Western Wei and Northern Zhou dynasties, and rose to the rank of General of the State and Duke of Wei."

"Later, Dugu Xin married into the Qinghe Cui family, a prominent Han Chinese family, and became an important force in the Guanlong Group."

"In 557 AD, after careful selection by her father Dugu Xin, the fourteen-year-old Dugu Jialuo married Yang Jian, the son of Yang Zhong, Duke of Sui."

"After marriage, the couple loves each other and promises to love only one person for the rest of their lives."

"In 572 AD, Emperor Wu of Zhou eliminated the powerful minister Yuwen Hu who had controlled the government for many years, and appointed Yang Lihua, the eldest daughter of Yang Jian and Dugu Jialuo, as the Crown Princess."

"In 578 AD, Emperor Wu died and the crown prince ascended the throne as Emperor Xuan of Zhou."

"Yang Lihua was named Empress, and Yang Jian was named Supreme Pillar of the State and Grand Marshal."

"Whenever Emperor Xuan went out, he would always let Yang Jian stay in the capital."

"During Emperor Xuan's reign, the criminal law was harsh, which made the people dissatisfied."

"Yang Jian streamlined the laws and regulations, benefiting the people, and the whole world was pleased with it."

"Later, Yang Jian's official position and prestige became increasingly high, which aroused the suspicion of Emperor Xuan."

"Emperor Xuan conferred titles on four empresses, who were listed as the fifth empresses along with Yang Lihua."

"He even threatened to kill all nine generations of Yang Lihua's clan in front of her many times."

"Yang Lihua is a gentle person and did not refute."

"Later, Emperor Xuan became increasingly moody and pinned charges on Yang Lihua."

"Yang Lihua remained calm, and Emperor Xuan was furious, so he ordered Yang Lihua to commit suicide."

"When Dugu Jialuo heard about it, she immediately ran into the palace and kowtowed to Emperor Xuan to apologize, with her head broken and bleeding."

"Yang Lihua was saved from death, and her family was also preserved."

"In 579 AD, Emperor Xuan of Zhou passed the throne to Crown Prince Yuwen Chan, who became Emperor Jing of Zhou."

"The following year, Emperor Xuan of Zhou, Yuwen Yun, passed away."

"Because Emperor Jing is young, he cannot rule the country."

"The former favorite of Emperor Xuan of Zhou falsely conveyed the imperial decree to bring Yang Jian into the palace to assist in government affairs, hoping to gain supreme power by controlling him."

"When Yang Jian was in a dilemma, Dugu Jialuo sent his confidant to pass on a message to him."

"It means that the overall situation is like this. We are in a dilemma now, so we might as well do our best."

"In 581 AD, with the support of his wife Dugu Jialuo."

"Yang Jian replaced Zhou and became emperor, establishing the Sui Dynasty, changing the era name to Kaihuang, and at the same time canonized Dugu Jialuo as empress."

Princess Taiping: Empress Dugu's life's glory originated from an ordinary and simple interest.

Empress Dugu was the daughter of the powerful minister Dugu Xin. She was born into a noble family and was endowed with beauty and status.

She was different from other girls since she was young. She didn't like needlework but loved reading.

And her father Dugu Xin also indulged her in this interest.

Therefore, Empress Dugu, at a young age, was well-read and extremely intelligent.

By the time she was a teenager, many people came to propose to her.

Her virtuous and good character has long been known far and wide.

After careful selection, her father Dugu Xin betrothed her to Yang Jian, thinking that this son-in-law must be extraordinary.

Although the two were eight years apart in age, Empress Dugu and Yang Jian had endless things to talk about.

The two have similar interests and even resonate with each other in terms of ideas.

Such affinity gradually warmed the relationship between Dugu and Yang Jian.

Since marrying Yang Jian, Dugu not only managed the family very well, but also gave Yang Jian advice on national affairs.

Yang Jian doted on such an intelligent wife and even vowed never to marry another woman.

In addition to these, Empress Dugu was also wise in her dealings with people and was kind and amiable to her subordinates and servants.

Therefore, all the ministers and servants loved her very much.

This is the wisdom of Empress Dugu and also her ability.

Although later, Empress Dugu killed the palace maid favored by Yang Jian.

This made Yang Jian angry and he ran away from home.

However, when Yang Jian reached his old age, he still missed Empress Dugu who had passed away before him.

It can be seen that Empress Dugu holds a special place in Yang Jian's heart.

Although Empress Dugu was born with natural intelligence when she was young.

But it was still her little interest, reading, that opened the door to her new world.

The reason why Empress Dugu's glory comes from her interest.

First of all, the union between Dugu and Yang Jian was a marriage between people of equal social status.

If Empress Dugu had not come from a noble family or a wealthy family.

Then the only education she could receive was to take care of her husband and children.

But she does not have the conditions to read many books, let alone realize her ambition of reading thousands of books.

So, apart from trying to please her future husband, she also used all her means to fight in the harem.

How far can her ambition go?

Secondly, if it weren’t for Dugu, I would have developed a small interest in reading since childhood.

Then, she would be even less able to help Yang Jian with state affairs and political advice, and she would not be able to become the queen that Yang Jian admired.

And isn’t her greatest competitive advantage her political acumen?
Apart from reading and writing, what other methods are there to achieve such agility and accuracy in politics?

Her intelligence blossomed and found a place to put her talents to good use because of reading.

An eagle can spread its wings and fly freely only if it is given the sky to spread its wings and fly high.

Reading is exactly what helped the wise Empress Dugu learn to spread her wings and fly into the sky.

Her intelligence and love of reading are both indispensable.

It can be seen that Empress Dugu had learned to write and was well-read in poetry and books since childhood.

It is just like the saying goes, A man of culture is naturally elegant.

"During Yang Jian's reign, Dugu Jialuo was deeply involved and dedicated everything to the Kaihuang Reign."

"Every time Yang Jian went to court, Dugu Jialuo would ride in the chariot with Yang Jian."

"They sat in a small room next to the main hall where Yang Jian held court, and sent eunuchs to the main hall to pass messages back and forth."

"If Yang Jian did anything wrong in handling government affairs, she would point it out and express her opinions. Therefore, the palace called her and Yang Jian the two saints."

"In the first year of Kaihuang, Emperor Wen of Sui, Yang Jian, appointed his eldest son, Yang Yong, as the crown prince according to the system of primogeniture."

"Dugu Jialuo selected Yuan, the daughter of a military commander, as the Crown Princess for Crown Prince Yang Yong. Yuan is dignified and polite, and Empress Dugu believes that she will be able to be the mother of the country in the future."

"But Yang Yong fell in love with his concubine Yun Zhaoxun. Because the concubine disliked his wife, it violated Dugu Jialuo's principle of monogamy. Therefore, Dugu Jialuo was not optimistic about Yang Yong."

"Yang Yong was very extravagant. Once, when he was making armor, he used a lot of materials and was warned by Yang Jian."

"Another time, when all the officials went to the East Palace to pay their respects, Yang Yong acted like the emperor, which further aroused Yang Jian's dissatisfaction."

"Prince Yang Guang of Jin was studious and talented, but he was cunning and scheming by nature."

"He was courteous to his courtiers and enjoyed great prestige among the kings."

"After knowing that Emperor Wen of Sui did not like Yang Yong, he began to prepare for his own ascension to the throne."

"He won over the ruling ministers and people close to Emperor Wen of Sui and Empress Dugu to give him advice."

"Yang Guang hid all his beautiful concubines, leaving only the old and ugly ones to serve him, while he lived with his wife Xiao."

"Xiao Shi also respected Empress Dugu very much and supported her husband in seizing the throne."

"Yang Guang had a son in the harem but he did not raise him, to show that he had no romantic feelings for his children, in order to please Empress Dugu."

"From then on, the balance in Empress Dugu's heart gradually tilted towards Yang Guang."

"Later, Concubine Yuan fell ill and died after two days. Dugu Jialuo suspected that Yang Yong and his concubines had conspired to kill Concubine Yuan, which strengthened her determination to depose the crown prince."

"Dugu Jialuo joined forces with the second prime minister Yang Su to attack the chief prime minister Gao Jiong who supported the crown prince, investigated Yang Yong's faults, and spoke ill of Yang Yong in front of Yang Jian."

"Finally, Yang Jian deposed Yang Yong as the crown prince and made Yang Guang the crown prince instead."

Su Shi: Empress Dugu and Emperor Wen of Sui were a couple all their lives, and their relationship was also closely connected with the development of Buddhism.

Empress Dugu has always loved Buddhism and believed in Buddhism for many years.

Even after her death, Empress Dugu was posthumously named Miaoshan Bodhisattva.

If we delve deeper into the development and popularization of Buddhism, the founding of the Sui Dynasty was an important node in its development.

Empress Dugu and Emperor Wen of Sui supported each other through thick and thin. She also made extraordinary contributions to the Kaihuang Reign and was even called the Two Saints together with Emperor Wen of Sui.

After the Sui Dynasty unified the country, it was influenced by Empress Dugu's beliefs.

Emperor Wen of Sui also generously demonstrated his support for the development of Buddhism, and even received ordination together with Empress Dugu.

In the newly established regime, under the influence of the emperor and empress.

Buddhism was also spread more widely and even revived again. The most direct reason why the Sui Dynasty attached so much importance to Buddhism was the personal reasons of the rulers.

The ruler's thoughts and values ​​will be invisibly transmitted during the ruling process.

In addition to Empress Dugu being a staunch Buddhist believer, Emperor Wen of Sui, Yang Jian, was also an uncompromising Buddhist believer.

Emperor Wen of Sui was born into a family with a strong Buddhist atmosphere. His parents were Buddhists, and his father Yang Zhong also made generous donations to temples.

Emperor Wen of Sui's early growth experience was also closely related to temples.

Emperor Wen of Sui was raised by a nun until he was thirteen years old.

Influenced by his early life experiences, Emperor Wen of Sui had an unwavering belief in Buddhism.

Another important reason is the trend of social development.

Buddhism has been developing well since the Southern and Northern Dynasties, which can be said to be an inevitable trend.

Emperor Wen of Sui and Empress Dugu's policy of promoting Buddhism greatly promoted the spread and development of Buddhism on this basis.

As rulers, the emperor and empress gave great support to the development of Buddhism, and to a large extent determined and influenced the development and revival of Buddhism.

Emperor Wen of Sui was willing to promote Buddhism not just because of his personal beliefs.

Of course, this is closely related to Emperor Wen of Sui’s identity and position as a ruler.

After the unification of the Sui Dynasty, there was an urgent need for a spiritual force as a tool to consolidate the new dynasty's regime.

Although it seems that Emperor Wen of Sui Dynasty strongly supported the development of Buddhism, he also put forward a premise that Buddhism must obey the imperial power.

Emperor Wen of Sui did this from the perspective of the emperor, requiring that after Buddhism was spread, it should serve the ruling class.

The last point stems from the Buddhist perspective.

Although Buddhism had a good development trend at that time, it was not prosperous.

Especially during the Northern Zhou Dynasty, the ruler Emperor Wu of Zhou used tough political means to destroy Buddhism.

They confiscated temple property, burned Buddhist scriptures and statues, and forced monks and nuns to return to secular life, dealing a heavy blow to the development of Buddhism.

Against this backdrop, Buddhism also eagerly sought refuge.

At the same time, we are also looking for suitable opportunities and actively integrating with the government in order to achieve better development.

Buddhism is a belief, and from the perspective of rulers, it is also a wonderful weapon. If it can be used for our benefit, it should be vigorously promoted.

But the spread of Buddhism was based on the personal belief of the rulers.

Although Emperor Wen of Sui vigorously promoted the development of Buddhism, he became too indulgent in Buddhism in his later years.

This greatly wastes manpower and material resources and affects the country's fiscal revenue.

It can be seen that everything should be done in moderation.

"The father of Chief Prime Minister Gao Jiong was a frequent visitor to the home of Dugu Jialuo's father Dugu Xin. After Dugu Xin was forced to commit suicide in the political struggle."

"Gao Jiong still maintains close ties with the Dugu family and supports Yang Jian and Dugu Jialuo."

"After Yang Jian became emperor, Gao Jiong was entrusted with important tasks and gained the trust of Yang Jian and Dugu Jialuo."

"When Yang Jian wanted to depose Crown Prince Yang Yong and make Yang Guang the crown prince, Gao Jiong knelt down and refused to get up."

"Believing that the order of seniority should not be abolished at will, Yang Jian temporarily gave up the idea of ​​deposing the crown prince."

"Gao Jiong's wife passed away, and Dugu Jialuo suggested that her husband Yang Jian choose a wife for him, but Gao Jiong politely declined."

"Soon after, Gao Jiong's concubine gave birth to a son for him."

"Dugu Jialuo advised her husband Yang Jian that Yang Jian had arranged for Gao Jiong to marry a wife, but Yang Jiong was thinking of his concubine, deceiving the monarch and being two-faced, so he should not hold an important position."

"Yang Jian gradually distanced himself from Gao Jiong, and Gao Jiong was later dismissed from his official position and lived in seclusion at home."

"In 602 AD, Dugu Jialuo died at the age of . She was posthumously named Xian and is known in history as Empress Wenxian."

"The death of his beloved wife was a great blow to Yang Jian in his twilight years."

"Wang Shao, the author of the imperial edict, wrote to the emperor that Empress Dugu was a holy and benevolent Bodhisattva who had returned to the divine throne. Yang Jian was both sad and happy after reading it."

"Another Indian monk also said that Empress Dugu was taken to the Pure Land in the West by the gods and Buddhas, and Emperor Wen of Sui rewarded her with more than 2,000 pieces of cotton and silk."

"Yang Jian spent a huge amount of manpower, material resources and financial resources to build a tomb for Dugu Jialuo."

"In selecting the burial site, Prime Minister Yang Su traveled to many places and did everything personally."

"Yang Jian commended Yang Su for his contribution in finding the tomb of Empress Dugu, and named Yang Su's son Duke Yikang, and gave him 30 hectares of land, 10,000 pieces of silk, 10,000 shi of rice, and countless gold, pearls, silk, and brocade."

"At the funeral ceremony, Yang Jian summoned more than 50 eminent monks to hold a grand ceremony for Empress Dugu for days."

"And preach the Vimalakirti Sutra at the Dharma Assembly to help the soul of Empress Dugu to be liberated."

"Emperor Wen of Sui Yang Jian wanted to attend the funeral of his beloved wife, but the sorcerer advised him that it would be disadvantageous to him to attend the funeral."

"Emperor Wen of Sui refused to listen and was determined to see his beloved wife off to her final journey."

"Later, Yang Jian became seriously ill and expressed his gratitude to the ministers who buried Empress Dugu."

"I also want to be buried with the queen after my death. I ask the ministers to handle this matter carefully."

Wu Zetian: Having the confidence to say no is Empress Dugu’s biggest trump card.

Dugu Xin betrothed his favorite youngest daughter, Dugu Qieluo, to Yang Jian, the son of Yang Zhong, Duke of Sui.

Both families are prominent families, so this marriage can be considered a good match.

But in this year, Dugu Xin failed in his political struggle and committed suicide out of hatred.

The newly married Dugu Jialuo was heartbroken and fainted in Yang Jian's arms with tears and snot.

She took the opportunity to cry about her unfortunate family background and pestered Yang Jian to swear.

He must be loyal to her throughout his life, not betray her, and not have children with other women.

At this time, Dugu Jialuo no longer had her father's power as a strong backing, and at best she could only be considered a young wife living under someone else's roof.

Her confidence in saying two no's even lies in her talent of combining courage and wisdom.

At the beginning of the Sui Dynasty, Empress Dugu always served as the behind-the-scenes military strategist behind Yang Jian.

Empress Dugu gave advice and guidance to Yang Jian, and finally established the Kaihuang Reign of the Sui Dynasty.

After the establishment of the Sui Dynasty, when Yang Jian went to court every day, Empress Dugu accompanied him in the dragon carriage and phoenix chariot.

While Yang Jian was discussing state affairs with his ministers in the front hall, Empress Dugu secretly sent eunuchs to monitor state affairs in the back hall.

If there was anything wrong, she would make gentle suggestions after Yang Jian retired from court, and Yang Jian often accepted her opinions.

At this time, Empress Dugu was like a founding partner of Yang Jian's empire. She was always able to stand from the macro standpoint of the empire's cause, put forward her own unique insights, and formulate various practical strategic policies for it.

From this point alone, we can see that Empress Dugu was a woman of extraordinary wisdom.

Empress Dugu not only possessed the strategic ambitions of a man, but also the delicate tenderness of a woman.

Although Empress Dugu always acted like a strong woman in front of others, in fact she always played the role of a confidant in front of Yang Jian.

She would never offend Yang Jian in front of civil and military officials and embarrass him.

In front of the ministers, he always remembered to praise Yang Jian and maintain his dignity.

She is very measured in what she says and does, and always speaks with caution.

Moreover, he always hit the nail on the head without giving Yang Jian an aggressive and oppressive feeling.

This made Yang Jian happy to confide in Empress Dugu whenever he encountered troubles, and Empress Dugu would often use her delicate tenderness to relieve Yang Jian's worries.

In Yang Jian's life, Empress Dugu played the role of a wife, gave birth to children, and assisted her husband.

He also played the role of a confidant, always standing in Yang Jian's shoes and sympathizing with his difficulties.

She helped him solve his problems, ease his worries, and comforted him with her delicate tenderness.

In the Sui Dynasty, how much courage a woman must have to pursue monogamy so persistently.

And the man the woman wanted was an emperor.

How many women choose to swallow their anger when faced with men's infidelity.

They turn a blind eye and dare not assert their rights.

Because they have no confidence and cannot afford to lose.

How can a woman who doesn't even have a trump card have the confidence to flip the cards?

Flipping the cards may mean that your status, position, property and everything else will be reduced to zero.

And those women who dare to flip the cards must be smart women who have left an ace for themselves.

Just like the clever Queen Dugu, she holds the biggest trump card in her hand.

It was she who had cultivated the power of the aristocratic group over the years.

These aristocratic groups were the emperor's purse strings, controlling the court's lifeline, the army, and food.

Of course, Yang Jian knew best that he dared not and could not touch Empress Dugu.

It is no exaggeration to say that his dynasty would be shaken to pieces with just one move.

Empress Dugu's condition worsened and she eventually died of depression.

Yang Jian still loved Dugu Qieluo, and spent a huge amount of money to build the world's largest Zen temple to pray for her.

He shed tears for her again and again in memory of her until his death, but Empress Dugu could no longer see it at this time.

From the time he made bold statements demanding monogamy at the age of fourteen to the time he risked his life to defend his dignity in his fifties.

Empress Dugu used her bravery and wisdom to achieve a glorious life.

A person cannot be strong without confidence, and a person's confidence determines her position.

It comes from the books you have read, the people you have met, the efforts you have made, and the thoughts you have tried in your long life.

Everything will eventually be internalized and become your confidence.

No matter how good the relationship is in this world, there are always variables. The only way to change it is to keep working hard and improve yourself.

Only then can you have the confidence to resist the erosion of time and emotional changes.

Courage without solid foundation is doomed to be a castle in the air and will not last long.

When a woman has enough spiritual content and material wealth to back her up, her life will become full of confidence. (End of this chapter)