Chapter 9 3. Empress Dowager Chongqing

Empress Dowager Chongqing is Empress Xiaoshengxian, Niu Hulu, 13-year-old servant of Prince Yong Yinzhen's mansion, named Gege, and is the biological mother of Emperor Qianlong.Yongzheng came to the throne and was named Concubine Xi, and later Jin Xi noble concubine.After the death of Emperor Yongzheng, Emperor Qianlong succeeded to the throne and was honored as the Empress Dowager. He often lived in Shoukang Palace and was active in Cining Palace and Shouan Palace. Emperor Qianlong served the Empress Dowager with utmost filial piety and respect.Every time Emperor Qianlong went on a tour, he often entrusted the Empress Dowager with him, including: "three tours to the south, three tours to the east, three tours to Wutai Mountain, and one tour to Zhongzhou. Visiting Xiaoling Mausoleum and Mulan will come every year." ("History of the Qing Dynasty" Manuscript · Concubine Biography, Volume 214) The empress dowager's birthday is on November 25 every year, especially the fiftieth, sixtieth, seventieth, and eightieth birthdays, and the celebrations are more grand every time.

On November 25th, the sixth year of Qianlong (1741), the empress dowager had her fiftieth birthday.In the early stage, the birthday ceremony is ninety-nine.Emperor Qianlong personally produced poems, calligraphy and paintings, as well as ruyi, Buddha statues, gold jade, rhinoceros elephants, agate, crystal, glass, enamel, calligraphy and painting, Qixiu, coins, flowers and fruits and other foreign treasures.On the day when the Empress Dowager returned to the palace from the Changchun Garden, she rewarded those who paid respects and knelt to receive them, and stipulated that they would be rewarded with silver: officials, men and women over sixty would be rewarded five taels of silver each, those over seventy sixty taels, those over eighty seventy taels, and ninety taels of silver. Those above ten taels; soldiers, idlers and other men and women over sixty will be rewarded two taels of silver each, those over seventy three taels of silver, those over eighty four taels of silver, and two hundred-year-old women will be rewarded fifteen taels of silver each. .A total of one hundred and eight thousand seven hundred and fifty taels of silver will be rewarded.It also stipulates the etiquette of kneeling and receiving: from Xi'an gate to the gate of Ziguang Pavilion in Xiyuan, men on the left and women on the right, line up beside the road, and kneel to greet them. (Volume 154 of "Records of Emperor Gaozong of the Qing Dynasty") All first-rank and second-rank Manchu and Han civil and military ministers who saluted in front of Shoukang Palace also knelt outside Xi'an Gate to receive them.Emperor Qianlong went out of Xihua Gate to welcome the Empress Dowager, and had dinner in Fengze Garden in Xiyuan.Then, the Empress Dowager returned to Shoukang Palace.

In the sixteenth year of Qianlong (1751), the empress dowager had her 60th birthday.The emperor led the empress, princes, grandsons, etc. to serve the empress dowager in the Shouan Palace, watching plays, birthday banquets, and celebrating nine days in a row. (Volume 7 of "Guochao Palace History") Emperor Qianlong presented special birthday gifts to the Empress Dowager: one is the Qingyi Garden (now the Summer Palace), and the other is the Shou'an Palace and Grand Theater.Old people and old women from other provinces braved the severe cold and traveled thousands of miles to come to Beijing to wish Li.Officials in Beijing set up scripture altars to chant scriptures and celebrate birthdays.Emperor Qianlong invited the Empress Dowager to visit the Wanshou Temple to pray for a long life. (Volume 433 of "Records of Emperor Gaozong of the Qing Dynasty") Wanshou Temple has been properly protected and is now the Beijing Art Museum.Twenty articles were also promulgated: For example, in Beijing, Manchu, Han, civil and military officials, all the officials will be given a higher level; in Beijing, the soldiers and eunuchs of the Eight Banners will be rewarded with one month's money and grain; Ten catties of meat, double for those over 90 years old, and a memorial archway for silver for those over 100 years old.

In the twenty-sixth year of Qianlong (1761), the Empress Dowager had her 70th birthday.Emperor Qianlong paid nine respects and praised his mother: "Love hangs high in the sun, and the sun is peaceful in the world; the clouds of kindness are all over the place, and the beauty is in all directions." Lead the emperor's grandson and emperor's great-grandson to dance together and toast.There are also those who are unlucky: Wu Ling'an, the Minister of Rites, read the table during the ceremony, because "there were many mistakes, and they were not connected again, so they were dismissed." (Records of Emperor Gaozong of the Qing Dynasty, Volume 649)

In the thirty-sixth year of Qianlong (1771), the empress dowager's eightieth birthday was celebrated in Changchun Garden.The colorful pavilions are set up, the royal battle leads, the guide welcomes the music, and the officials shout.Emperor Qianlong wore the imperial dress, went to the Changchun Garden, greeted the Empress Dowager, and respectfully entered the book.The memorial said: Congratulations on the eighties and longevity, and the five generations are happy.He also said: "The Potala Mountain Villa was first built, and the feudal vassals were combined for love; Oirat Shasai came together, and all the accompanying banquets were collected." (Volume 897 of "Records of Emperor Gaozong of the Qing Dynasty")

The Empress Dowager's 80th birthday celebration was held in Shou'an Palace.Emperor Qianlong went to Shou'an Palace, knelt down and asked about daily life, and served breakfast with tea (two grades of rice and noodles, one grade of soup, five grades of high head, twelve grades of dishes, and four grades of bait).Undertaking the banquet opera, performing the Jiujiu Daqing.Si engrave (9-11 o'clock) into a small meal (five grades of pastry, ten grades of fruit).Have dinner at Weizheng (14:00) (two grades of rice and noodles, one grade of soup, five grades of high head, twelve grades of meals, and four grades of embarrassing bait).Continue to enter the wine and meals (two grades of wine, seven grades of meals, eight grades of fruits, and four grades of hand-held fruit dishes).The empress leads the concubines below the imperial concubines, including the princes, grandsons, etc. to serve, and the imperial princes, ministers of Manchu and Han Dynasties, bodyguards, foreign vassals, and Huibu are in the east side hall, and the princesses, princesses, and wives are in the west side hall. Dish fruit.The engraving (15-17 o'clock) ends, and the empress dowager returns to the palace.

On the 23rd day of the first lunar month in the forty-second year of Qianlong (1777), the Empress Dowager Chongqing died of illness in the Changchun Immortal Hall of the Old Summer Palace at the age of eighty-six.In order to express his respect to his late mother, Emperor Qianlong issued an edict to build a golden hair tower.Qing Dynasty Qianlong Jinfa Pagoda, 147 cm high, 70 cm x 70 cm base.The tower is composed of the lower wall, the tower bucket, the tower belly, the tower neck, the tower umbrella and other parts, with more than three thousand taels of gold inlaid with jewelry, turquoise, coral and so on.There is a golden hair box built in the belly of the tower to preserve the Queen Mother's hair.At the bottom of the pagoda, there is a xumizuo with rosewood lotus petals.The golden hair pagoda has beautiful patterns, stable shape, fine production and superb craftsmanship. It was made by the Qing Palace Building Office and placed in the East Buddhist Hall of Shoukang Palace after it was made.This blond tower was originally in the Treasure Hall of the Palace Museum, but now it is displayed in the Jingyang Palace Gold and Silver Ware Hall.

A woman does not have many sons. The Empress Dowager Chongqing only gave birth to one son, Emperor Qianlong, who enjoyed all the glory and wealth in the world: "Birth is the best support in the world, and you will enjoy the blessings of honor." The three palaces of Cining, Shoukang, and Shouan in the Qing Dynasty, in terms of culture, highlight the word "filial piety". "Shuowen Xizhuan" explains: "Filial piety, those who do good to their parents, follow the old province, follow the son, and the son inherits the old, and the old province also has the sound." The ancients attached great importance to filial piety. The scriptures, the righteousness of the land, and the actions of people.” The connotation of filial piety, specifically, is the “six filial piety”: filial piety, filial obedience, filial support, filial heart, filial words, and filial deeds.