For women, there is nothing more painful than seeing their loved one being intimate with another woman. However, during the feudal period, it was common for men to have multiple wives and concubines, especially emperors with a harem of three thousand beauties. Jealousy was a normal occurrence. Chinese history records that the vindictive empresses used terrifying acts of jealousy that caused the emperor to fall ill and die, leaving a lasting legacy.
Lý Phượng Nương, the jealous empress of Emperor Song Quang Tong Trieu Don
Lý Phượng Nương, the sole empress of Emperor Song Quang Tong Trieu Don, is considered one of the most ruthless empresses in Chinese history. She was cruel and showed no mercy.
According to historical records, Lý Phượng Nương was the daughter of General Khanh Viễn Lý Dao. When she was born, a black phoenix flew to Lý Dao’s residence, which surprised him. As a result, he named his daughter Phượng Nương.
With fair skin and a noble disposition, a fortuneteller predicted that Lý Phượng Nương would become an empress and enjoy immense wealth and prosperity. For some reason, these words reached the ears of Emperor Tống Cao Tổ. He immediately married Lý Phượng Nương to Prince Trieu Đôn as the main empress. She was bestowed the title Vinh Quốc phu nhân.
When Tống Cao Tổ abdicated the throne to Prince Trieu Đôn, who became Emperor Song Quang Tong, Lý Phượng Nương was also crowned empress.
While she was still the Vinh Quốc phu nhân, Lý Phượng Nương was known for her beauty, but she had a proud and jealous nature, especially her aptitude for hatred and tormenting others. When she ascended to the throne as the mother of the nation, she became even more unapproachable. Even her father-in-law couldn’t speak to her and was scolded by her.
Frightening displays of jealousy
Although the emperor had the right to have a harem, Empress Lý Phượng Nương vehemently opposed it and insisted that the emperor only have three concubines. The weak emperor, afraid of his wife, allowed Empress Lý Phượng Nương to become more and more uncontrollable and displayed unreasonable acts of jealousy within the palace.
According to Chinese historical records, the jealousy of this empress was so extreme that not only the concubines, but even the maids who served beside the emperor had to be cautious. The empress always paid attention to all the women in the palace and even viciously attacked one of the palace maids.
Emperor Song Quang Tong took notice of a palace maid who accompanied him with her delicate and slender white hands, which he found extremely endearing. The emperor praised and complimented her, and this incident triggered the jealousy of Empress Lý Phượng Nương. Not long after, she sent someone to present a box to Emperor Song Quang Tong. When he opened the box, he was shocked to find a hand covered in fresh blood, which made him horrified and disgusted. Furthermore, she sent a person to have the emperor caress the hand day and night.
Not stopping there, among the three concubines of the emperor, there was one favored noble consort who was loved by Emperor Song Quang Tong. Therefore, one day, when the emperor went out, Empress Lý Phượng Nương ordered someone to beat and kill the noble consort and then announced that the consort had died of a serious illness. No one dared to question or say a word. Emperor Song Quang Tong knew the reason behind the death of Noble Consort Hoàng, but he couldn’t speak up and could only silently mourn and cry.
With the remaining two concubines, Emperor Song Quang Tong understood their intentions and no longer approached them, fearing Empress Lý Phượng Nương would harm them. However, Empress Lý Phượng Nương believed that the emperor loved them, hence the protection. When Emperor Song Quang Tong fell ill, she arranged for these two concubines to be driven out of the palace and thrown onto the street to be humiliated by the mob. The two concubines chose death to avoid shame.
Lý Phượng Nương was ruthless, cunning, and openly used her methods without restraint, causing Emperor Song Quang Tong to go crazy and his illness to worsen. Taking advantage of the emperor’s weak state, Lý Phượng Nương appointed her trusted followers to positions of power, causing many evil deeds and turmoil in the court.
Not long after, when Lý Phượng Nương realized her power and desired to rule openly, she faced strong opposition from court officials. In the end, Lý Phượng Nương realized that her chance was gone and her era was over. The empress resigned to her fate and retired to the palace, where she took care of her husband and lived a peaceful life until her death.
Why did eunuchs in the past get married even though they couldn’t have children?
There is a common misconception that eunuchs never get married, but the reality is that most of them do. The truth behind it is quite heartbreaking.
Silence rule forces Qing dynasty concubines to keep quiet during intimate activities
During the Qing Dynasty, imperial consorts were expected to maintain silence and refrain from making any noise while being attended to by the emperor.
4 Esteemed High-ranking Figures of China, Revered Even by the Emperor
Not kings or gods, but the status of these special individuals is even higher and stronger than that of kings.
The Unique Black Queen in Chinese History: From Lowly Concubine to the Enchanting Beauty Loved by All
Despite her foreign and uncultured background, she rose to become a queen, a revered figure admired by all.
Who was the first emperor of Vietnam and who did he pass the throne to when he died?
After defeating the northern invaders, he established the first state in Vietnam, recognized as the first emperor in Vietnamese history in 544.
