China's Princess was Abused to Death?| Princess Fukang of Song Dynasty

Princess Fukang was the eldest and favorite daughter of Emperor Renzong of Song dynasty. Since she was born, she was loved and indulged by the emperor. However, her perfect life was completely ruined by just one marriage...

Photos from Drama: Serenade of Peaceful Joy (2020)

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[anthyavila]

Remember that Princess Fukang was granted a divorce after numerous suicide attempts, only to be forced to remarry her abusive husband less than a year later. She suffered for the last SEVEN years of her short life. To quote: "she had not been given adequate food, clothing, or medical care. Her body and bedding was infested with lice and she had burn scars on her face from trying to light her own coals." Even a wife's life, even that of a princess, was treated so cheaply that there were no lasting consequences to her abusive husband and his equally abusive family.

[gloryeso]

What a sad story. Although the princess was spoiled they didn't need to force her into a marriage. There are other ways of repaying his mother's family than allowing his daughter live an ignoble existence

[mercury]

Actually the video is not very accurate as it's loosely based on a drama series and novel, not what written in the original historical records. But even so, she was never an abuser, not in the drama series or in the historical books.

The princess already conceded to marry Li Wei out of filial piety and agreed to bring prestige to her in-laws' family, just one thing she couldn't agree was sleeping with someone she didn't love and barely knew. So she suggesed Li Wei to find a concubine to bear children for him. But that was rejected and she was still forced to bear children against her will. In the drama (not recorded in history), they even tried to drug and rape her but failed, and that worsened her mental illness.

The princess who could never leave the palace, was spoiled, had zero social and life skills, of course became depressed and made bad decisions when she was suddenly thrown into a forced marriage. She didn't hate Li Wei before the whole marriage thing, she hated him when he kept forcing himself on her even though she made it clear she didn't love him.

Li Wei was ugly to her because she couldn't find him attractive appearance or personality-wise. Calling him ugly might have been offensive because she was spoiled but she only said that while confiding to her childhood friend and maternal mother, she never said that to Li Wei or abuse him in any ways. Historical records also describe Li Wei as someone dense and ugly even though Chinese historical accounts usually don't comment on the appearance of someone with little importance like Li Wei if he was just somewhat ugly or handsome. So Li Wei's appearance must have been quite distinctive to be remembered and noted by the author of the historical text.


The Eunuch the princess was drinking with was her childhood friend and the only one who understood her loneliness in the palace and accepted her real personality, not the facade of a princess. They were soulmates. He was sold into the palace by his aunt due to his parents' death and poverty. At some point the two fell in love way before the marriage happened. But knowing they could never be together, they never confessed and just wished to accompany each other as a source of strength and consolation, not lovers. The mother-in-law often belittled the eunuch using derogatory words meant 'not man, not woman', which greatly upset the princess.

Usually the princess and eunuch would only talk to each other during the day. In the drama, the night they were caught drinking together was after the rape incident when they princess was too scared to fall asleep so she went to find the Eunuch to talk. In the historical records, the in-law only caught them drinking and talking, nothing indecent. The princess found out she was being stalked and with her ongoing mental illness, her emotions went haywire so she fought with the in-law and ran back to the palace.

There are a lot more about the story that the video misses out. Like how Li Wei was Fukang princess's uncle but she was forced to marry her uncle despite going against the norm at that time. How the princess was not only used as a repayment for the king's mother but also as a political pawn. How the in-laws were 'Nouveau riche' which conflicted with the old-money values and lifestyle the princess was brought up with. Etc.


It's a historical tragedy. Everyone in this story made mistakes which could never be undone, but the ones who had to bear most of the consequences were the princess and then the eunuch, who was almost executed and lived a lonely life in longing for the princess until his death shortly after the princess passed away. The in-laws recovered their prestige soon after being slightly punished for abusing the princess to death.

It tells a lot about the fate of women and how people viewed eunuchs at that time. Contrast to what popular media portray eunuchs nowadays, realistically most eunuchs had a very unfortunate childhood and those who were not power hungry or evil had a very isolated and sad life. Princess Fukang and her eunuch were just the victims of their times.

[redstarseed]

This is a good example of two wrong does not make a right. By trying to repay his birth mother of the sacrifices and injustice she went through, the emperor now sacrifices the life and happiness of his favorite daughter. Women were always the blunt of these injustice and have no control over their fate.

[Xebelan]

I feel bad for the Eunuch that loved her. Powerless to do anything but watch as she's slowly tortured to death by a bunch of sadists. No wonder he "unalived" himself.

[xanderp]

That's one ghastly story. Poor Princess. Born well but died horribly. Even when your father was a king the husband can reduce you to nothingness

[kbeldobbellodob]

She wasn't the only one who experience this. This was really common back in centuries ago inside imperial family.

[suyingoh]

Moral of the story and history, never repay anyone at the expense of another person or loved one.. Humans are not commodities for transactions that involved feelings and emotions, no rapport, no connection between two people, what's the point of getting married?! Those days, the daughters suffer in the homes of the in laws and husband.. Marriage to a bad family made things worse.. Such situation sadly, still exists in the modern world today..

[mehope]

there is a drama covering this story "Serenade of Peaceful Joy"... the empror did both of the princess and empress wrong and hurt them so much, he was a good ruler but not that good for a husband or a father

[Insightofanauthor]

The princess was extremely spoilt. But it wouldn’t of happened if she wasn’t forced to marry someone she didn’t love. Very sad

[momogichaa]

this is mainly taken from the drama remake for TV show. the real story from the history record, she was neglected and abused because they didnt give her proper clothes and foods and let lived alone without any servants. It's pretty hard esp when she was a princess since birth and every thing was taken care by servants. she never told her husband he was ugly at his face, it was to her mother iirc. after her death, the eunuch wanted to see her but she was already buried. idk how long she was neglected after remarried her husband, but her death was 8 years after shes separated from the eunuch.

[rebeccaliew]

That fortune teller who predicted that the princess & Li Wei's marriage would reconciled & lived happy every after...he must have been bribed by Li Wei to say such things.

[kymo]

It's so sad that she and the Eunich were probably in love but never allowed to be together...

[shanghezhong]

Well, according to latest investigations, it is very likely that the princess suffered some kind of hereditary psychosis for many of Renzong’s family members showed signs of mental illness. It is speculated that Renzong may have married the princess to Li Wei for his being a relative of his mother's clan, hoping that the he would treat the princess kindly in relation to relatives.

[CarlosMettal]

"...On the ninth day of the first lunar month in the third year of Xining (February 22, 1070), the eldest princess of the Chu State died in depression at the age of thirty-three, and their marriage finally ended. The nephew Song Shenzong went to the princess's house to sprinkle wine to pay homage. Shenzong cried to Zhongshu and complained that Li Wei, his consort, prevented the princess from seeking medical treatment. [44] [45]
In the end, Song Shenzong investigated the responsibility of his concubine Li Wei, demoted Li Wei to Chenzhou resettlement, and dismissed Li Wei as consort. Auxiliary ministers discussed the posthumous title of the princess, and Song Shenzong, because the princess was filial to Song Renzong, issued an edict to give the princess the posthumous title of "Zhuang Xiao" and posthumously conferred the title of Qin. The princess left a posthumous list before her death, hoping that Song Shenzong would promote his heir, Li Sihui, from the deputy envoy of the supply library to the secretary of the supply library. [39] [61] [71]"

[Orcalein]

This has got to be the most tragic story. A parent never should micromanage their children's lives.

[makeme]

They say the bad die last. Seeing all these imperial stories, that really does seem like the case

[capricorn]

After watching the video I think it's better to live as a commoner. Care free and free from imperial politics

[ABetina]

Poor girl...No Wonder she behaved like she did in the situasjon they put her in.force marrige is horrible and the thought of this is still happening different places-in 2022, its no Words to describe how bad this is....💔

[firebird]

This is so inspiring. Even back then when women had no rights the human spirit cannot be contained by rules of the land. if touching someone made your skin crawl it just did. Some free soul people no matter the consequences cannot suppress this reflex.