For love, the emperor is also crazy!
[Cultural Arena] 1 Competing for favor or looking for love? Viewing love and human nature from "The Legend of Zhen Huan in the Harem"
When we understand that love is an ability,
And when you can rely on God to live endlessly and endlessly,
There is so much hope in our life of pursuing love...
The whirlwind of Zhen Huan swept across the Chinese people around the world
In the spring of 2013, Tourism Australia released a recruitment advertisement for the "Six Best Jobs in the World" to the world: 1. Recreation player in Sydney; 2. Wildlife carer in South Australia; 3. Lifestyle photographer in Melbourne; 4. Explorer in North Australia. ; 5. Queensland Park Ranger; 6. Western Australian Foodie. In the end, six people stood out and got jobs at Tourism Australia, with working hours of half a year and a total income of 100,000 Australian dollars (approximately US$92,000) each. Within the first two weeks of the advertisement's launch, 30,000 men and women from all over the world applied.
In fact, there is one profession that is regarded by imaginative people as "the truly best job in the world" -
Job title: Chief Judge of the National Beauty Pageant. It is a tenure-track position with no upper limit on salary. It is limited to Chinese men with pure family lineage, with any appearance, figure and temperament. There may be more than 300 beauties participating, all of whom are of noble birth and have both talent and beauty. The number of selected beauties can reach up to 30, and all of them will be considered as the man's life partner, sexual partner and reproductive tool. All beauties' living needs and fixed salary will be provided by the state. The only full-time job of these thirty top beauties is to serve this man. All of them are required to stay in the hotel. They are under strict management and open all year round. They must dress up carefully every day. They are only allowed to act coquettishly in front of this man, and are not allowed to talk back or frown... .
Wow! Is there really such a top-notch job? Male readers, are you excited? Unfortunately, this position no longer exists after 1911. However, you don't need to be too melancholy. As long as you have read "The Legend of the Harem" and then finished reading this article, even if I use the most luxurious private jet and limousine to take you to the appointment, I guarantee you will avoid it. I’m afraid I won’t be able to make it! Why? Let’s break it down below.
"The Legend of Zhen Huan in the Harem" is a TV series based on the novel of the same name written by Chinese online writer Liu Lianzi in 2007. It took two years to adapt and produce. It was completed in November 2011 and premiered from March 26 to May 2, 2012. Since then, it has been rebroadcast repeatedly in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and North America. Heilongjiang Satellite TV and other TV stations have even set up special channels to broadcast the show 24 hours a day for half a year, which is nicknamed "Zhen Huan Channel".
How sensational is this show? ─You can’t just look at traditional TV ratings. Including visits/clicks from the Internet, Weibo, social networks, and smartphones, the audience is definitely in the hundreds of millions. The famous quotes in his dialogues have been intensively quoted, spread and extended in public life and various media, such as: "Bitches are hypocritical"; "It is the concubine's ability to make the empress tolerate her"; "Sometimes people who don't fight are more blessed than those who can fight.": "Since you can't take care of everyone, you can only take care of yourself when it comes to favors and accidents"...etc., it is called "Zhen Huan Body".
【Story Essence】
Passionate beauty’s unfeeling road
The historical background of the story in the play is based on the reign of Emperor Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty (1722-1735, reigned for 13 years), which was a key stage in the prosperous Qing Dynasty (Kangxi 1661-1722, reigned 61 years/Qianlong 1735-1799). , reigned for 64 years).
The plot tells the story of Zhen Huan, a Han Chinese woman who is beautiful, talented and beautiful, and comes from an official family. She does not want to enter the palace, but she has to be drafted to participate in the harem draft, and is accidentally left in the palace. When she first entered the palace at the age of seventeen, she firmly attracted the attention of the emperor's beloved pet, but she was jealous and plotted by the entire harem. After several ups and downs, and a near-death encounter, she saw through the true face of the "harem jungle" where the jungle is dominated by the weak.
In the play, the relationship between the "former dynasty" (the court where the emperor and the civil and military officials discuss and govern the country) and the "harem" (that is, the inner palace where the emperor and his concubines live) is just like the line: "Everyone will be prosperous, and everyone will suffer." ." The number of favors received by concubines is related to the career of one's father and brother, and even the fate of the whole family. In the early part of the story, the general Nian Gengyao helped Yongzheng ascend the throne, and made great contributions to peace and stability at home and abroad. This is evidenced by the fact that his sister Nian Shilan (Concubine Hua) has been favored for many years and has been domineering and domineering in the harem.
Zhen Huan went through several times of being favored, fell out of favor, and was even kicked out of the palace to practice in a nunnery. She finally realized that she was just a reflection of Yong Zheng's longing for the late Queen Chunyuan. When she was rejected and bullied by the nuns and was seriously ill and on the verge of death, Zhen Huan Fortunately, he survived with the help of Guojun Wang Yunli, and eventually fell in love with him, whom he had been fond of for many years, and even planned to fake his own death to get away from everything. However, Yunli was ordered by the emperor to explore the enemy situation in the northwest but did not return. Once news of his death came, Zhen Huan was heartbroken and vowed to find out the murderer and avenge him. She then used a trick to win Yongzheng's favor again and prepared to return with great fanfare as Concubine Xi. Palace, unexpectedly on the eve of departure, King Guojun escaped from danger and returned. However, time has changed and in order to protect each other and the lives of many innocent relatives, friends, servants and maids, the two of them are unable to renew their relationship even though they are extremely regretful, painful and helpless.
Zhen Huan returned to the palace. In order to protect her family, children, loyal servants and lover, Zhen Huan launched a desperate counterattack against every enemy who framed and attacked her. However, in the end, she could not withstand the imperial power of her greatest enemy, Yong Zheng, and could only helplessly watch her lover Yunli... He died of love in front of himself.
In the end, Zhen Huan defeated all her enemies and even angered Yong Zheng, who was lingering on the sick bed, to death to avenge her lover. After the death of Yongzheng, Zhen Huan's adopted fourth elder brother came to the throne. At the age of 29, she finally became the supreme "Mother Queen Mother" as the emperor's mother. But Zhen Huan, who has lost her love and interest in life, only has endless loneliness and desolation behind her power. Her lover, beloved sister, half-sister, and intimate maid have all passed away. At this time, she can only live in the splendid palace. , he was alone, silently recalling the past, watching the harem turmoil of another generation unfold endlessly...
Highlights: Production, screenwriting, acting, theme
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"The Legend of Zhen Huan" directed by Zheng Xiaolong and starring Sun Li has won many awards such as Best Director and Best Actress. Its highlights are as follows-
1. Careful production
The indoor and outdoor scenery, costumes, utensils, dialogue, camerawork, music... are all made to a high level. There is a Taiwanese lady who is engaged in jewelry design. Although she has never liked watching TV series, she was so amazed by the gorgeous and exquisite costumes and cultural relics in this series that she "specializes" in props episode by episode in order to obtain more design elements and Conception.
2. The plot layout has climaxes one after another
Liu Lianzi, the original author, collaborated with Wang Xiaoping and personally participated in the adaptation, fully utilizing the basic storytelling skills of "unexpected and reasonable", and depicting the vivid truth of human nature in the extremely twists and turns of the plot.
Such as the outbreak and resolution of the five major crises in Zhen Huan's harem career, as well as the three major turning points in the plot, coupled with Jin Yong's style of historical skills.
3.Delicate character characterization
The heroine Sun Li has been on the best actress throne many times with "The Legend of Zhen Huan". With her "multi-layered acting skills" praised by many drama critics, she exquisitely presents the appearance and inner appearance of a woman at different ages and life situations, portraying Zhen Huan, a kind-hearted woman who has never been familiar with the world, who is involuntarily and gradually catalyzed into a person who is good at scheming. The powerful and powerful woman in the palace used her wisdom to recover from several losses, and finally reached the top and became the supreme empress dowager, experiencing the cold loneliness in the palace... This tortuous and thrilling life journey was performed to the fullest. The famous director Ang Lee once said:"The most superb acting skill is to make the audience anxious for you, because no matter how good you are at acting, it can't compare to what the audience is acting in their own heads."(Phoenix Broadband, interview with Chen Wenqian, 2013.5.28) - Based on this, Sun Li should be worthy of her reputation.
Some netizens did not praise the actor's acting skills, but the author believes that Yongzheng's suspicious, self-centered "alone husband" character was actually interpreted quite vividly. The character of Yongzheng has a consistent negative and dark character throughout the play. As the years of his reign as emperor grew, it even became worse. He even thought that everyone in the harem and the front court was plotting against him and spying on him. How could such a person with a weak heart and deviant character, who holds the power of life and death and possesses all resources, not become "the most terrifying man in the world"? This point will be discussed later.
In the play, all the good people are oppressed and bullied. In order to survive, they will fight back and treat others with their own methods. On the contrary, the bad guys also have difficulties and struggles - this is where the skill of the screenwriter lies.
4. Profound theme: Seeing the truth of human nature from the perspective of harem affairs
A large group of beauties, most of them talented and beautiful, were locked up in a large compound, serving only the same man. The atmosphere in the environment was so twisted, narrow, and depressing. No wonder so many troubles occurred. As far as this theme is concerned, the whole play can indeed bring rich inspiration and deep thought to the audience. The following article will discuss in particular the associations this play brings to us about human nature and life.
Downside: Small omissions
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Some people say that you don’t need to be too picky about watching TV series. After all, they are entertainment and leisure products, not as serious as series such as "The Rise of the Great Powers". However, there are still many netizens who feel like they have something stuck in their throats, unable to vomit and unhappy─
1. Junggar Khan forced a mature queen to marry him?
2. Does the lover and the younger sister feel like they are in a deserted place in the harem?
3. Can't the master in the palace catch the little eunuch who pretends to be a ghost and scares the concubines crazy?
Lenovo 1: Talking about love between men and women from the perspective of human nature
Only with a healthy self-image can we nourish the ability to love;
Only in a dedicated relationship can one have the motivation to pursue and learn true love.
According to some statistics, there are at least 25 women who had sexual relations with the emperor in the play. The ratio is so disparate that forcing them, who are flesh and blood, with emotions and desires, to be loyal to only one person, the emperor, is not a matter of fate! Therefore, Shen Meizhuang had an affair with Imperial Physician Wen and gave birth to a daughter to the emperor; Zhen Huan fell in love with Prince Guo and gave birth to twins but also relied on the emperor. Yongzheng was so suspicious and mean, yet he was forced to wear two green hats and played around with him.
In fact, before Zhen Huan entered the palace, she had always longed to "be with the same person and stay together forever". Even in the early days of entering the palace, she even fantasized about being able to truly fall in love with "Silang" (Zhen Huan's nickname for Yongzheng). However, after experiencing too many blows, she finally became completely disillusioned and gave up looking for "love". She only fought for "favor" when necessary, and in turn took advantage of the emperor. Her best friend Shen Meizhuang saw through this after the false pregnancy incident early in the play. From then on, he no longer longed for the emperor and instead relied on the Queen Mother's protection.
As mentioned earlier, some people think that the emperor with three palaces and six courtyards is the truly best profession in the world, and he is also the most enviable man! In fact, it is quite appropriate to say that he is the most pitiful and terrifying man in the world. If it is said that he is enviable, it would be completely wrong! Why "poor"? ──The table is full of delicacies but no one knows how to taste them, the wife and concubines are so beautiful that none of them are sincere, the power is overwhelming but there is no true friend, the richest person in the world is poor inside. As for why it’s “scary”? More details later.
Yong Zheng, Zhen Huan and the other women in the harem all had no choice but to make choices. But you and I have 100% opportunity and privilege to choose dedicated love and marriage and become happier people than emperors and concubines! In this case, wouldn’t it be the most beautiful thing to return to nature and return to the monogamous marriage relationship established by God for us in the beginning?What can the actions and vows of single-minded commitment bring to you and me?
▲After watching "The Legend of Zhen Huan" in which many women surround one man and everyone falls in love to pieces, it only makes us yearn for the "ability to love" that becomes more abundant in single-mindedness and enables people to continue to grow.
In serious love and marriage, due to the actions and vows of single-minded commitment, both parties have the possibility and motivation to overcome the challenges and obstacles in their relationship, tolerate each other, grow together, and expand their ability to love.After watching "The Legend of Zhen Huan" in which many women surround one man and everyone falls in love to pieces, it only makes us yearn more for the "ability to love" that becomes more abundant in single-mindedness and enables people to continue to grow. What is the ability to love? Teacher Wu Guizhu described it very thoroughly in her book "Happiness is Here" (True Love, 2012)-
˙The ability to love includes the ability to understand yourself and others, the ability to listen attentively and express fully, the ability to detect underlying feelings, the ability to forgive and reconcile, the ability to be yourself and allow the other person to be himself or herself around you .
˙In a completely loving relationship, you make the other person’s entire life richer. It can be said that love is trying to maintain the meaning of the other person's life.
˙Increase the breadth and depth of love, and shift from complaining to appreciation and gratitude.
Teacher Wu Guizhu also pointed out,"Love is trying to understand each other and accepting everything about the other person. When the other person succeeds, share the joy and congratulations; when the other person is weak and falls, share the sorrow and sorrow."However, all the women in the play are only allowed to present their most beautiful and best sides to the emperor. Even if something happens to their father's family, the baby dies prematurely, or the body is torn apart, they can only force a smile. Because the emperor has so many choices, he can't bear to see your sad face all the time.
Teacher Wu Guizhu pointed out,"Family life has its sweetness but also its burdens. Children are sick, spouses are unemployed, financial pressures, car accidents and disabilities..., and even accidental violations of the law, etc. Many difficulties are beyond imagination before marriage. Therefore, it is extremely important to have a gentle heart to accompany each other. It’s important. The power of a firm commitment to rely on each other can make people no longer feel alone, and a family team that protects each other can also allow children to grow up relatively safely.”─This is exactly what the emperor and the biological mothers of his princes and princesses in this play cannot do. They just used each other and were unable to protect their children together, so several royal heirs became innocent victims of vicious harem fights.
▲The TV series "The Legend of Zhen Huan" makes people reflect on true love. People with a good self-image are emotionally stable when getting along with others. When others fail to meet their expectations, they will not be disappointed or make excessive demands on them.
Teacher Wu also said,"The ability to love is deeply affected by self-image. Love is an ability related to 'identity', but this identity is not Dr. Li, Chairman Chen, Dr. Wang..., this identity is 'I am...' ─This is such a wonderful gospel! "Since ancient times, passion has left no room for hatred, and good dreams are the easiest to wake up from." In ancient and modern times, there are countless people who have been hurt by love. Love seems to bring nourishment, but also disaster."It is common to hear of people who were emotionally injured and fled into Buddhism like Zhen Huan (seemingly forced, but actually voluntarily), or committed suicide like Concubine Hua. But when we understand that love is a kind of ability, and this ability can be endless and endless through God, how hopeful our life of pursuing love will be! What's sad is that the "love" that the women in the play can have is actually very pale, thin, and distorted.
Teacher Wu Guizhu emphasized,"When a person is able and willing to value his own inner resources, he will not over-exalt himself or regard himself as insignificant. Having abundant inner resources such as imagination, creativity, understanding, willpower and love can make us Beyond external limitations, it allows us to see that life is full of hope and helps us still have the courage to live with humor in difficult circumstances."Sadly, among so many characters in the entire drama, only Zhen Huan and Prince Guo seem to have such intrinsic qualities.
Why?In a word, distorted systems create distorted human nature.
On the surface, it seems that the emperor summoned the concubines to relieve the fatigue of government affairs and enjoy the beauty of the harem, but at the same time, he was also fulfilling a very important duty that he had to do - "to spread the branches and leaves of the royal family." If occasionally she is in a bad mood or lacks sex and "absent from work" for a few days, the Queen Mother will come to take care of her; if it is more serious, even the important ministers of the former dynasty will come forward to advise her. Isn't this like a breeding cow or pig that is forced to continue the family line every day? (King Solomon recorded in the Old Testament was a "hard-working" man who "worked" dozens of times more than Yongzheng. There are documented records in Chapter 11 of 1 Kings. There were as many as 1,000 concubines in his harem!)
On the other hand, summoning a concubine in the harem often became a means to win over the female family of the previous dynasty. From this point of view, the beauties in the harem are actually a complex of sexual partners, tools for carrying on the family line, and political pawns. To the concubine's father's family, she was a pawn to consolidate the friendship between the emperor and his ministers or to consolidate his power and reputation. Therefore, she in turn became a hostage for the emperor to restrain the previous courtiers, and this hostage was sent to the emperor voluntarily. It seems that among King Solomon’s concubines, more than 700 were princesses! It can be seen that women from noble families have become bargaining chips in the exchange of political interests, both at home and abroad.
As a result, the focus of this complex structure of complicity and symbiosis was focused on one action: when night fell over the Forbidden City, the eunuch leader of the Jingsi Room presented a large tray filled with green cards. Which concubine did the emperor turn over? brand! This was a serious event in the emperor's life, and the "records of fortune" were carefully and seriously included in the emperor's "Daily Notes" day by day. It is said that many of them can still be found in the old archives of the Qing Dynasty. ─Actually, it’s not just the Qing Dynasty! This is the "lower body politics" that has been consistent in all dynasties. It is absurd and extremely realistic! The emperor knew this, and so did the clear-minded women in the harem. What is his or her self-image? You know it without asking!
Some people prove themselves by constantly working hard to create success. In fact, the dignity built by people's hard work is very fragile and can completely collapse in a natural or man-made disaster. For the women in the harem, the emperor's change of expression and a single word can wipe out the years of management and hard work of them and their families outside the palace like a wave on a sandcastle. How pitiful! How can we have a healthy self-image after living in such a situation for many years? And how can a person who has lost himself be able to love others?
People with a healthy self-image will exhibit four traits in their sexual relationships. Comparing the arguments of the book "Happiness Is Here" with the story of this play, this is indeed the case.
Trait A: Ability to express true feelings to partner
"People who lack a healthy self-concept tend to hide their true feelings easily. Therefore, when interacting between the sexes, they either cater to each other at every turn, or they over-exaggerate themselves, leaving the other person in a fog and "not recognizing the true face of Lushan."" This. It is precisely the most realistic portrayal of the harem women in the play.
Trait B: Don’t look down on yourself because of other people’s suggestions or corrections
"Of course when you get along with the opposite sex, you will be very concerned about your good image in the eyes of the other person, but when two people get along for a long time, they will inevitably have different views and approaches. People with a healthy self-image can calmly accept the advice given to them by the other person, and will not She lost confidence in herself because of being corrected, and she did not become overly defensive due to the other party's suggestions." Wan Bi's overreaction to Zhen Huan's inadvertent words of praise and criticism from Prince Guo and the Emperor showed her self-image. Not healthy.
Trait C: Not trying to manipulate the other party
"Those with a good self-image will understand what they are capable of and what they are unable to do; they will be able to recognize their strengths and accept their shortcomings; they will readily accept successes and face failures calmly. Because self-knowledge is unique, naturally They will also respect the value of other people's lives. Their emotions when getting along with others are stable, and they will not be disappointed or excessively demanding when others fail to meet their expectations." Observing this play, everyone said. Women either want to please the emperor or control him all day long. Except for Shen Meizhuang and Zhen Huan who sincerely protect each other, the other concubines almost only hate and do not encourage any talents of the "sisters" in the harem. This is due to the broken deviant mentality and behavior derived from self-image.
Trait D: Being trustworthy
"Those who have a good self-image are consistent on the outside, speak appropriately, neither exaggerate nor evade, are not harsh or harsh, nor are they too weak. They get along easily with others and give people a sense of trust." There are few such people in the harem. There are very few, and it was the same in the previous dynasties, all because the power of heaven is unpredictable and accompanying the emperor is like accompanying a tiger. They have no choice but to do so under the extreme lack of security. (End of Part 1 of 3, there will be more profound and interesting associations and analysis in the next issue, please wait and see)
Author profile:
Su Wen'an has been dedicated to extracting the essence of classical literature and popular culture based on biblical truth for many years, integrating it into writing, editing and teaching.
Pastor Su Wen'an also likes to combine family and literary ministry, and is often invited to serve as a lecturer for families or literary camps in various places. He emphasizes that "workers come before work, authors are more important than works, and sincerity is better than everything else."