Zhao Feiyan and Zhao Hede were the favored concubines of Emperor Cheng of Han. Initially, Emperor Cheng of Han favored Zhao Feiyan because Zhao Feiyan was indeed very beautiful, and many stories described her beauty. But later on, Zhao Feiyan recommended Zhao Hede to the emperor. Zhao Hede’s beauty was far inferior to Zhao Feiyan, but Han Chengdi was fascinated by her and became obsessed with Zhao Hede. Why is this?
Zhao Feiyan and Zhao Hede are two sisters of a generation. These two were originally dancers raised by the princess. Firstly, Zhao Feiyan was brought back to the palace by Emperor Cheng due to her outstanding beauty. Later, Zhao Hede was also recommended by Zhao Feiyan and gained Emperor Cheng’s favor. In history, Zhao Feiyan was called a disaster for beauty, and the Yan character in the idiom “Huanfei Yanshou” refers to Zhao Feiyan. In this way, the two sisters are very outstanding.
So why later on, Zhao Hede became the favored concubine of Emperor Cheng, but Zhao Feiyan was thrown away by Emperor Cheng? After all the sisters of the Zhao family entered the palace, for a time they were both the treasure of Emperor Cheng of the Han Dynasty. The two of them also falsely accused Empress Xu, and in the end, Zhao Feiyan took the position of Empress, and Zhao Hede became Zhao Yi. However, after Zhao Feiyan became the queen, she fell out of favor. Emperor Cheng of Han only bestowed favor on Zhao Hede and turned a blind eye to Zhao Feiyan.
The name of Zhao Hede is not recorded in official history, and her name is recorded in the “Biography of Zhao Feiyan”. Zhao Hede was born into an ordinary family. Due to poverty and being a girl, her father reluctantly abandoned her. He didn’t expect to be alive in three days, so he brought her back and raised her on his own. Zhao Feiyan, Zhao Hede’s sister, was originally favored by the emperor, but there were also empresses and other women in the harem. She was unwilling to let others down and recommended her sister Zhao Hede to the emperor.
Before long, Zhao Hede became an imperial concubine, and the two sisters took turns to serve the emperor. Since then, Empress Xu and Concubine Ban have been ignored. The former was pulled down by the two sisters of the Zhao family, and the latter was forced to withdraw from the competition for favor. The most captivating thing for Emperor Cheng of Han was the Zhao He Delan Tang bath. Since Emperor Chengdi of Han accidentally caught a glimpse of Zhao Hede taking a shower through the gaps in doors and windows, it has become a fresh influence on him: from Zhao Hede’s wide wearing of Luo Yi, jade bones and ice muscles, and Lan Tang shining brightly; To appreciate oneself, to pity oneself, to close the window and lock the door, to gently dip and wipe.
The vivid and charming scenes, with scenes, movements, expressions, and sounds, are unprecedented in the experience of Emperor Cheng of Han. He said to the eunuchs around him, “Since ancient times, emperors have not had two empresses. If there were any, I would definitely make Zhaoyi (now Zhao Hede is Zhaoyi) a queen.” Later, when he repaired the palace for Zhao Hede, Emperor Cheng of Han specially took care of using Lantian jade to inlay a large bathtub and infuse it with cardamom soup, making it even more sparkling with water.
Needless to say, it’s naturally Zhao Hede’s bathtub. Zhao Hede learned that the process of taking a bath on his own could cause such confusion for the emperor, so he decided not to expose it. More importantly, the method of indulging oneself in the pursuit of capture was used to create an infinite array of beautiful scenery, and even the mood of bathing was deliberately beautified to distract Emperor Cheng of Han. The beauty of Zhao Hede when he entered the bath tightly clasped the heartstrings of Emperor Cheng of Han.