Hēihe Nala

Author: The Woman Who Steals Books
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: She is the niece of Empress Dowager Cixi, the wife of Emperor Guangxu, and the mother of Puyi. She was a puppet in the late Qing court, manipulated by countless people. She is the niece of Empress Dowager Cixi, the wife of Emperor Guangxu, and the mother of Puyi, a puppet in the late Qing court. Yehe Nala tells the history of the Qing Dynasty from the perspective of Empress Dowager Longyu—Yehe Nala Jingfen, a perspective unprecedented by predecessors. It reveals the emotions of Jingfen that no one has seen in the widely discussed love story between Emperor Guangxu and Empress Zhen, going beyond the narrow scope of love. It allows readers to experience the love and hatred of a century ago, and to savor this tragic love. The sense of vicissitudes, the profoundness, and the clear and unique historical awareness of the female author are rare among women writers. It is hailed as "painfully uncovering the dust under historical monuments" and has received widespread praise from readers on platforms like (Rongshu Xiaoxue), Qing Yun, and Sina, sparking extensive discussions and analyses, far surpassing typical romance and martial arts novels. As a fellow author, The Woman Who Steals Books is known as the "Second Zhang Ailing," with a solid academic foundation and powerful writing style. Her works are unparalleled.
Part 1: Zhongcui Palace
Part 1: Zhongcui Palace
She was selected to enter the palace in the fourteenth year of the Guangxu reign. That year's selection was unlike the one she had heard about as a child, where the daughters of nobles vied for attention, all hoping to become phoenixes among the branches. Instead, her companions in the inner quarters—those skilled in arts and talents—were either ill, hastily married, or mysteriously disappeared, none of them appearing on the selection list. The remaining candidates were quickly eliminated in the preliminary rounds.
She asked her mother, "What's wrong?" Her mother hugged her and cried, saying, "Daughter, if you weren't my child, I would have hidden you away." But her father replied, "What nonsense! How can a maid from another family compare to my Guixiang's daughter? The Emperor and Jingfen are first cousins, and the Empress Dowager is Jingfen's aunt—she was born to be Empress!"
Empress? Jingfen didn't understand. Among her three sisters, her eldest sister was married to the Prince of Zai Ze, and her youngest sister was betrothed to the heir apparent of Prince Fu, Baozhao Zai Shu. Yet she, neither beautiful nor commanding, remained unmatched at nineteen. To marry peacefully was already a blessing from heaven, but to become Empress? That was truly a joke.
She could still remember as a child, when she accompanied the Emperor in his studies, trembling and saying no more than a few words, taking no more than a single step beyond her bounds. The Emperor would scold her, calling her "wooden" and "wooden."
Don't the classics say that marriage requires the consent of parents and matchmakers, as well as mutual affection between the couple? Even with the Empress Dowager's support, how could the Emperor possibly look upon Jingfen, the "wooden" one, favorably?
On the day of the selection, she was even more certain of her own fate—she was merely there for company. She watched the sisters from the De Xin family, the Phoenix and the Peacock, radiant and dazzling; the sisters from the Chuan Xu family, Jin and Zhen, one known for her dignity and virtue, the other sweet and clever by nature. Who could compare to Jingfen?
She stood woodenly to the left of the line. The Empress Dowager, on her couch, said calmly, "There is a jade ruyi here and two sachets. The one who becomes Empress will receive the ruyi, and the other two sachets will be given to those who become (established consorts)." The young Emperor Guangxu, both shy and excited, still remembered the rules and respectfully said, "Everything must be decided by our father."