Pedigree of the Qing Dynasty Rulers:
Huang Tai Ji (8th son of Nu Er Ha Chi 1592-1643)
Reign title Tian Cong (1626 - 1636)
Reign title Chong De (1634 - 1644)
Fu Ling (9th son of Huang Tai Ji 1638-1661)
Reign title Sun Zi (1644 - 1661)
Xuan Ye (3rd son of Fu Ling 1954-1772)
Reign title Kang Xi (1661 - 1772)
Ying Zheng (4th son of Xuan Ye 1678 - 1735)
Reign title Yong Zheng (1722 - 1735)
Hong Li (4th son of Ying Zheng 1711 - 1799)
Reign title Qian Long (1735 - 1795)
Yong Yan (15th son of Hong Li 1760 - 1820)
Reign title Jia Qing (1795 - 1820)
Min Ning (2nd son of Yong Yan 1782 - 1850)
Reign title Dao Guang (1820 - 1850)
Yi Zhu (4th son of Min Ning 1831 - 1861)
Reign title Xian Feng (1850 - 1861)
Zai Cun (son of Yi Zhu 1856 - 1874)
Reign title Tong Zhi (1861 - 1874)
Zai Tian (1st son of Zai Cun 1871 - 1908)
Reign title Guang Xu (1874 - 1909)
Pu Yi - very last Emperor of China (son of Zai Feng 1905 - 1967)
Reign title Xuan Tong (1909 - 1911)
You already know how "Huan Zhu Ge Ge" started. Qiong Yao found out that Qian Long had adopted a commoner as a daughter, and wondered about that adopted daughter. But the story of "Huan Zhu Ge Ge" was mostly made up, but most of the people in it were real.
Qian Long was an emperor of the Qing Dynasty. The Qing Dynasty was different from all the other dynasty because this dynasty was ruled by the Manchu (a minority group in China), while most of the others were ruled by a group of people called "Han", who made up the majority of China (One other dynasty, the Yuan dynasty, was ruled by the Mongols. Also, when China was divided into two countries, Jin and Song, Jin was ruled by the Jurchens, thought to be the ancestors of the Manchus).
Qian Long was the grandson of the famous Kang Xi and the fourth son of Emperor Yong Zheng. He is known as one of the greatest emperors in history. He began ruling at the age of 25, when his father died (he died really suddenly, so some people say he committed suicide).
"Qian Long" isn't his real name - it's his reign title. His real name is Hong Li (all the princes in his generation's names started with the word "Hong"), and his last name is Ai Xin Jue Luo (or Aisin Guerro).
Like his grandfather, he had many concubines and children. And of course, Ling Fei and Xiang Fei were his concubines in real life, and the Emperess was his emperess in real life too. His sons from HZGG existed too - Wu A Ge (5th Prince)/Yong Qi, Liu A Ge (6th Prince)/Yong Rong, Shi Er A Ge (12th Prince)/Yong Ji, Shi Wu A Ge (15th Prince)/Yong Yan, and tons more. (If you've noticed, their generation is all "Yong".) Zi Wei and Xiao Yan Zi didn't exist in real life. But, Fu Lun, Fu Er Kang, Fu Er Tai, Fu Heng, E Ming, Ji Xiao Lan/Ji Shi Fu (Ji Teacher) did exist.
The legend around Xiang Fei is an interesting one. Some people say that Xiang Fei was a gift to the Emperor. Others say that Xiang Fei already had a husband before she became a concubine, and when the emperor found out about her beauty, he had her brought to the palace. Other stories say that Xiang Fei was resistant at first but gave in afterwards (I'm guessing that story would fit with her being a gift), and others say she stayed loyal to her husband. The story that goes with her being a gift ended with her dying at a young age, but the story connecting to her already having a husband before being a concubine had a more interesting ending. Legend says that because she was resistent, the Emperor was always unhappy and the Emperess Dowager was concerned. So one day when the Emperor was out, the Emperess Dowager went to have a private talk with Xiang Fei. Xiang Fei said that she would always stay loyal to her husband and she'd rather die than betray him, or kill the emperor first and then die. After hearing that, the Emperess Dowager was really worried, so she let Xiang Fei commit suicide. After she died, the Emperor wanted to build a memorial for her, but the Emperess Dowager demanded them to stop building it before it was done.
The Empress also led an interesting life. Before she became an emperess, she was one of Qian Long's concubines. Emperess Nala was very clever and often gave Qian Long advice. And Qian Long did like her at first, but soon, those advices got to be annoying. Plus, she was often jealous of his concubines, so he stopped liking her afterwards.
I don't know much about Ling Fei. I do know that she was a "Han", unlike most of the other concubines. I also know that before Qian Long died, and after Ling Fei's death, he crowned her Empress.
The legend about Ji Xiao Lan (the teacher) is very sad. But to tell you about his story, I'll have to tell you about one other person - He Shen (a really really bad, yet cunning person that Qian Long likes a lot). When this happened, Fu Heng, the Head of the Defense Department had just died. He Shen wanted to become the Head of the Defense Department, but Ji Xiao Lan had a better chance than him since he was already working in that department. So, He Shen wanted to get rid of him. First, he found out that Ji Xiao Lan was a relative of a person who had taken money from the country. BUT Ji Xiao Lan knew nothing about this. Also, Ji Xiao Lan drinks, like everyone around that time, but one thing's different about him. When he's drunk, he says things about Qian Long that isn't very respectful. For example, he calls him an "old man". But he only does that at home. He Shen found out about that too and told Qian Long these two things. At first, Qian Long wanted to behead him, but another person begged the emperor to just let Ji Xiao Lan become a commoner. So that's what happened to him, and he also didn't have any money at all afterwards. It was really so unfair, because first of all, Ji Xiao Lan had NOTHING to do with what his relative did. Second, He Shen took money from the country too, and a LOT more. By the end of Qian Long's reign, he had several hundred times more money than the entire country did. Unfortunately, he wasn't executed until after Qian Long's death. By then, though, the country was already ruined to the extent that it was just about unfixable. (This is all just a legend.)
Around Qian Long's 29th to 30th or 31st year of ruling, tragedy struck. Wu A Ge (5th Prince) died at the age of 25 (don't worry, Qiong Yao might not make him die in the third HZGG), and not too long afterwards, the Emperess, who was already Qian Long's second emperess (the first one died, remember?), died too. Again not long after the Emperess died, Ling Fei died.
(We're skipping forward a few years since those other things had nothing to do with HZGG.)Qian Long stopped being emperor at the age of 85 (he was emperor for 60years, 1735-1795), and no, he didn't die. What he did was very rare. Before he became Emperor, he stood in front of Kang Xi's picture and swore that he won't be emperor as long as Kang Xi was, and Kang Xi was emperor for sixty-one years. So, after sixty years of ruling, Qian Long gave the throne to one of his sons. Can you guess which one? You might have thought that it would be Wu A Ge (5th Prince) since he seemed to be Qian Long's favorite in HZGG, but unfortunately, he died. So, the next emperor was Shi Wu A Ge (15th Prince), Ling Fei's son, Yong Yan, who was half Manchu, half "Han". When Yong Yan took over, he was already 35.
Although they say "wan sui wan sui wan wan sui" (not an exact translation but: "long live the king") Qian Long did have to die. And that time came after he turned 89. |