Trinh Phi was the last person to voluntarily die with the death of the emperor, as a sacrifice for the passionate love between her cousin Dong Ngac Phi and Emperor Thuan Tri, during the Qing Dynasty.
Dong Ngac Phi was a concubine of Emperor Thuan Tri. She entered the palace at the age of 18, was greatly favored by the emperor, established as Hien consort and then a month later became Hoang Quy consort. In 1657, Consort Dong Ngac and Thuan Tri gave birth to a prince, but the child died 3 months later. Due to grief, Dong Ngac fell ill after giving birth, then died in 1660, at the age of 21. After her death, Thuan De honored her as Queen Hieu Hien Doan Kinh.
Dong Ngac Phi and Emperor Thuan ruled the Manchu Qing dynasty of China. (Artwork: Baidu).
Shortly after the death of Concubine Dong Ngac, Emperor Thuan Tri also died of smallpox. As a rule, the imperial court announced the will after 8 hours after the death of the emperor. Everything would not be worth mentioning if in that will Thuan Tri did not mention the wife he loved even though she had passed away, moreover mentioning it with the implication of guilt.
According to “Vuong Van Tinh Tap – Self-Compile Nien Pho” , Vuong Van Tinh was the one who compiled three testaments for Thuan De to review before he died. Thuan Tri considered and thought for a long time, until noon the next day he decided and that same night passed away.
The testament reads: “Emperor Doan Kinh kept filial piety with the Empress Dowager, wholeheartedly served me, and took care of the internal affairs. I obeyed the Empress Dowager, remembered Hien consort, held a funeral for the queen, no according to common etiquette. Because of this, I always feel guilty, that is my mistake.”
After all, although this sentence is not harsh and direct, it cannot be denied that the Emperor is intending to reproach the deceased concubine. According to historical researchers, that content did not match Thuan Tri’s personality and feelings for Dong Ngac consort. So, how did the will turn into an impeachment decree?
Lishichunqiu, a website specializing in Chinese history, quoted experts studying the history of the Qing Dynasty as saying that in the period from Shunzhi’s death to the publication of the will (8 hours), it is possible The empress dowager and the kings modified some details. This stems from Queen Hieu Trang’s hatred for Dong Ngac Phi for a long time.
Empress Dowager Hieu Trang from the beginning did not agree to the marriage between Thuan Tri and Dong Ngac. Later, when Emperor Thuan died, the empress dowager’s hatred and hatred for Dong Ngac Phi increased even more, because she asserted that loving Dong Ngac Phi was the main cause of her son’s death.
In the history of feudal China, the life of the empress and concubines was closely related to the fate of the people in their clans. The death of Dong Ngac Phi, the death of Emperor Thuan Tri, and the publication of the contents of the will made those who have direct relations with Dong Ngac Phi very worried. Virgin concubine Dong Trong Thi, cousin of Concubine Dong Ngac, is one of them.
Trinh Phi, the last imperial consort, was buried with the emperor. (Artwork: Baidu).
Frustrated by the anger of Empress Dowager Hieu Trang and with the wish that the Empress Dowager would open her heart to compassion, eliminate hatred, and preserve the life of the entire family, Trinh decided to sacrifice herself and ask to be buried with Thuan. Treat.
That year, Trinh Phi had just turned 20 years old, in less than half a year she had lost her husband and cousin. More tragically, Trinh Phi has never enjoyed Thuan Tri’s favor like her cousin Dong Ngac Phi. Therefore, her voluntary burial was not entirely out of affection for the emperor’s husband, but in fact to avoid a family revenge, whose source was the excessive favor of the emperor. Thuan Tri to Dong Ngac consort.
Seen from another perspective, Trinh Phi’s death is a sacrifice for the love between Emperor Thuan Tri and Dong Ngac Phi. Thus, the custom of euthanasia from ancient times in Chinese history returned to the Qing Dynasty with this story.
Later, Emperor Khang Hy promoted Trinh Phi as Hoang Khai Trinh Phi. In the 20th year of Kangxi (1673), the custom of “murder” in Chinese history completely disappeared.