Why is Ham Huong beautiful like a flower, with a captivating fragrance, only allowed to be “adorned” by the king once?

Although the king had great affection for Ha Xiang, he only favored her once, as recorded in historical books. So why did this happen? Let's find out!

0
91

According to the history books, Ham Huong not only possesses an enticing fragrance but is also very beautiful. She has a fragrance that attracts butterflies to surround her. However, Ham Huong’s life was only favored by Emperor Can Long once. Ham Huong, also known as Dung Phi Hoa Trac Thi, was the concubine of Emperor Can Long. According to the legend, as soon as she was born, her body emitted a fragrant scent like a flower. At that time, when she arrived, there were immediately a swarm of butterflies following her, which made people greatly praise her.

Beautiful Ham Huong with a captivating fragrance

Ham Huong was born into the Hoa Trac clan, belonging to the Duy Ngo Nhi ethnic group in Tan Cuong, so she was also called Hoa Trac Thi. Her older brother was Do Nhi Do, the 29th leader of the Hoi Bo.

In 1760, after suppressing the rebellion in Hoi Bo, Do Nhi Do and his assistants went to Beijing and were warmly welcomed and honored by Emperor Can Long. Ham Huong, his younger sister, who was 27 years old at the time, also entered the palace and was honored as Hoa quy nhan, which was Ham Huong. Can Long, after unifying Tan Cuong, immediately requested a wedding for political purposes.

Why is the beautiful Ham Huong only favored by the king once?

There are also documents stating that Ham Huong entered the palace in 1756.

When entering the palace, Hoa Trac Thi was 27 years old, which was considered older than the beautiful concubines who entered the palace according to the orthodox procedures.

However, thanks to her graceful beauty, graceful figure, and captivating body fragrance, Hoa Trac Thi was immediately honored by Can Long.

Dung Phi – Ham Huong lived until 55 years old but had no children

The concubine is only favored once

However, according to the history books, although Dung Phi was greatly favored by Can Long, he only favored her once in his lifetime. Dung Phi lived until she was 55 years old but never got pregnant during her years as a concubine. Not having any offspring is a great loss for a woman in the palace.

According to the “Thanh su cao,” Dung Phi had a fairly severe fungal foot disease for which there was no remedy at the time. That is why, despite the captivating fragrance of her body, her feet had a particularly unpleasant odor. However, during the day, she usually wore tightly closed shoes, so no one could smell this foul odor.

However, when going to sleep or taking a bath, Dung Phi had to take off her shoes. Because of this unpleasant smell, Can Long felt uncomfortable during their first encounter, so he never favored her again.

Although she was not favored by Emperor Can Long, he still treated her very well. In 1765, Emperor Can Long went on an inspection tour to the south, bringing more than 1,000 people from the imperial family, including Ham Huong. Along the way, the king showed great favor to her and gave her more than 80 kinds of food. Ham Huong’s beauty and love for her homeland made the king love and trust her even more. In 1768, the empress dowager honored her as Dung Phi and gave her Man Chau court clothes and jewelry.

After the empress dowager passed away, Emperor Can Long did not want to have another empress. In 1775, the imperial concubine was sentenced to death, and only Dung Phi was the highest-ranked person in the palace, honored by the king.

Frequently asked questions

According to historical records, despite her beauty and fragrance, Ham Huong suffered from a severe fungal foot disease that caused an unpleasant odor. This may have been the reason why Emperor Can Long only favored her once, as he felt uncomfortable during their first encounter due to the smell. However, he still treated her well and showed her favor on several occasions.

Ham Huong, or Dung Phi, lived until the age of 55 but never had any children during her time as a concubine. Despite not bearing any offspring, she was still highly regarded in the palace. In 1765, Emperor Can Long brought her on an inspection tour to the south, showing her great favor. In 1768, the empress dowager honored her as Dung Phi and bestowed upon her court clothes and jewelry. After the empress dowager’s passing, Ham Huong became the highest-ranked person in the palace, honored by the king.
You may also like

The Must-Have Items for Preparing for Childbirth: 2 Essential Things that Qing Dynasty Empresses Cannot Do Without

The emperor’s concubine being pregnant brings joy to the entire nation. To ensure a smooth birthing process, the mother and child must be well-prepared, and there are two essential things that cannot be overlooked.

Why did King Bảo Đại’s mother go from being a palace maid to Empress Hoàng Thái Hậu?

According to historical records, Empress Dowager Tu Cung possessed secret beauty methods, which enabled her to transform from a palace maid to the ultimate empress of the Nguyen dynasty in Vietnam.

The Dissatisfaction of the Imperial Courtiers under Emperor Qianlong’s Rule Follows the Death of Dong Fei

When Dung Phi passed away, Emperor Càn Long did something unprecedented, which caused much discontent among the officials.

Why did the Concubine audaciously steal the beauty of Emperor Qianlong to become his legitimate wife?

Hòa Thân is known as a notorious figure in Chinese history, and many people have always wondered how he could have the audacity to take the King’s favorite woman as his wife.

The burden of being an emperor in the Tang Dynasty is as heavy as being a concubine

In the feudal period, the lives of emperors were often associated with extravagance and pretension, with a lavish system of palaces and gardens, and never lacking the presence of concubines sharing their beds every night.