1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:04,520 Speaker 1: Hey everybody, Hey, hey, hey, hey, welcome back to the show. 2 00:00:05,040 --> 00:00:10,720 Speaker 1: What is that Hey, oh no, it's Jimmy. Well it's 3 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:14,280 Speaker 1: the Roots. It'll give it to that is cooler than 4 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:19,520 Speaker 1: Jimmy Fallon. I guess well, I'm excited. It is late 5 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:23,600 Speaker 1: November and you all know what that means. It's almost 6 00:00:23,640 --> 00:00:29,200 Speaker 1: my birthday. It's truly a day to give thanks for 7 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:35,480 Speaker 1: um I do all the time. Twenty two can't believe it? 8 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:39,040 Speaker 1: Am I talking about the year or my age? Who's 9 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:44,239 Speaker 1: to say? Who knows? It's not his age? Now we 10 00:00:44,280 --> 00:00:47,240 Speaker 1: all know age is just a number and a feeling 11 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:51,120 Speaker 1: in your body. That's what I've learned greatly with the 12 00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:54,120 Speaker 1: feelings in your body. Yeah, but that's okay. I'm excited, 13 00:00:54,680 --> 00:00:58,680 Speaker 1: uh for my birthday? Hey, how's you know? Everybody out 14 00:00:58,680 --> 00:01:01,440 Speaker 1: there's got a birthday. It's not that special. Um I 15 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:04,120 Speaker 1: hope yours is great? Maybe it's today. Happy birthday to 16 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:06,480 Speaker 1: all the people whose birthday is today, and you can 17 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:08,480 Speaker 1: go back and relisten to this episode on your birthday 18 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:11,479 Speaker 1: and it'll be like I personally wished you a happy birthday. Wow, 19 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:13,959 Speaker 1: what a good job watch. This is gonna be our 20 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:16,720 Speaker 1: most replayed episode of all time. All right, put a 21 00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:18,800 Speaker 1: put a pen in that we'll come back to this. 22 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:22,760 Speaker 1: But I think this is a great episode to be 23 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:25,960 Speaker 1: our most listened to episode of all time because it's 24 00:01:25,959 --> 00:01:29,520 Speaker 1: a very cool story, very exciting, another one that just 25 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:32,600 Speaker 1: started small and just kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger, 26 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:38,679 Speaker 1: because Imperial China is just the most fascinating place. I mean, 27 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:43,759 Speaker 1: talk about Game of Thrones style drama going on. My god, 28 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:47,760 Speaker 1: it's that times ten. I can't believe it. And I 29 00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:49,680 Speaker 1: we say this all the time on our show, and 30 00:01:49,720 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 1: one of these days, somebody's got to give us a 31 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:56,360 Speaker 1: TV contract, But this one, oh man, I'm seeing an 32 00:01:56,640 --> 00:02:00,520 Speaker 1: easy ten seasons out of this. Easy. That's if we 33 00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:04,800 Speaker 1: cut half the characters. Oh my god, it's so good 34 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:08,720 Speaker 1: because this is the story of Emperor Schwan Song in 35 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:11,960 Speaker 1: eighth century China, and this guy was part of the 36 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:16,239 Speaker 1: Tongue dynasty and he had many many lovers throughout his life. 37 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:19,880 Speaker 1: He was married, he had consorts and concubines, as a 38 00:02:19,919 --> 00:02:23,000 Speaker 1: lot of the emperors did back then. Um, but they 39 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:26,919 Speaker 1: were not just lovers. They were all working behind the scenes. 40 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:31,080 Speaker 1: This is definitely one of those scenarios where behind every 41 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:34,280 Speaker 1: great man there was eight or ten scheme and women 42 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:37,680 Speaker 1: trying to take control of themselves because they did wield 43 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:39,880 Speaker 1: a lot of power. Um, and we're gonna hear all 44 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:44,679 Speaker 1: about their various machinations and schemes. And I'd say we 45 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:47,079 Speaker 1: just dive right into it because this story is wild. 46 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:52,840 Speaker 1: Let's go hey their French, come listen well, Elien Diana 47 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:55,560 Speaker 1: got some stories to tell. There's no match making a 48 00:02:55,800 --> 00:03:00,440 Speaker 1: romantic tips. It's just about particulous relationships of the might 49 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:03,560 Speaker 1: be any type of person at all, and abstract concept 50 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:06,399 Speaker 1: are a concrete wall. But if there's a story, were 51 00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:12,359 Speaker 1: the second glance ridiculous roles a production? If I heart Radio. 52 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 1: The Tongue Empire in China was an imperial dynasty that 53 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:22,880 Speaker 1: lasted for about three hundred years between six eighteen and 54 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:25,560 Speaker 1: nine oh seven a d. And this is one of 55 00:03:25,639 --> 00:03:29,440 Speaker 1: China's greatest periods. It's considered to be a golden age 56 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:32,760 Speaker 1: of culture and China earned a reputation during this time 57 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:36,360 Speaker 1: across the world for their contributions to arts like poetry 58 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:39,840 Speaker 1: and music, and one of the rulers most dedicated to 59 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:44,640 Speaker 1: being a total art boss was Emperor Schwan Sung, who 60 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:48,080 Speaker 1: started his rule in seven twelve a d. He was 61 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:51,520 Speaker 1: born with the name Lee Longi. And this guy was 62 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:54,680 Speaker 1: the grandson of Empress woos E Tien before him, and 63 00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:58,280 Speaker 1: she was a very intense and badass empress and the 64 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:02,920 Speaker 1: only woman to legitimately rule China in all of its history. 65 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:04,720 Speaker 1: And we are going to do an episode about her. 66 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:07,960 Speaker 1: Don't worry, She's got so much has been on the 67 00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:11,000 Speaker 1: list for a long time. Yes, the end of her 68 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:14,560 Speaker 1: rules spoiler alert was in seven oh five, and it 69 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:17,440 Speaker 1: left a real vacuum for power and things got a 70 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:20,920 Speaker 1: little rocky after that. So, after a few complicated years 71 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:26,240 Speaker 1: of classic royal familial politics, Lee Long, along with the 72 00:04:26,279 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 1: help from his aunt Princess Taiping, helped put his father 73 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 1: back on the throne as Emperor Rougeong in the year 74 00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:37,440 Speaker 1: seven ten. But Long and Taiping were really the ones 75 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:40,800 Speaker 1: in charge here. The emperor didn't do anything without consulting 76 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:44,159 Speaker 1: them first. When his advisors came to discuss political affairs, 77 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:48,719 Speaker 1: his first question was always uh, did you ask Princess Tayping? 78 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:52,159 Speaker 1: And if they said yes, he said, okay, did you 79 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:56,119 Speaker 1: ask Long? And then he would make his decision based 80 00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:59,400 Speaker 1: on whatever they thought. Wow, So like the ultimate like 81 00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:01,599 Speaker 1: not even ask your mother, but go ask your aunt 82 00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:04,800 Speaker 1: and then go ask my son. Go ask your aunt 83 00:05:04,839 --> 00:05:08,520 Speaker 1: and then ask your cousin. I love an emperor. That's 84 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:12,640 Speaker 1: clearly like, I don't want this, Yeah, I mean I 85 00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:16,280 Speaker 1: like the chair and all the stuff, the job. He 86 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:18,320 Speaker 1: didn't really too, I mean, you know, didn't want to 87 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:20,000 Speaker 1: get too into the history. But this is his second 88 00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:26,040 Speaker 1: time being emperor. He was emperor before and got knocked out, 89 00:05:26,200 --> 00:05:29,679 Speaker 1: came back. Is a lot going on back then, no wonder. 90 00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:31,440 Speaker 1: He was kind of like, I thought, I was done 91 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:34,520 Speaker 1: with this whole thing, So why don't y'all do it? Yeah, 92 00:05:34,560 --> 00:05:36,880 Speaker 1: Princess Taiping want to be in this position, so if 93 00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:39,320 Speaker 1: she wants it, she can handle it. You go ask her, 94 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:44,880 Speaker 1: let her deal with it. So, with Long and Typing 95 00:05:45,120 --> 00:05:48,760 Speaker 1: both being consulted on everything, naturally, the two of them 96 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:52,080 Speaker 1: were locked into a power struggle as well. Yeah, Typing 97 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:56,720 Speaker 1: herself had been involved in like two cups already, so 98 00:05:57,000 --> 00:06:00,360 Speaker 1: she was pretty good at getting clean. Yeah, you want 99 00:06:00,360 --> 00:06:05,440 Speaker 1: a coup, Tai Ping, you needs, I got, I got revolutions, 100 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:08,680 Speaker 1: I got over throwing, I got it all. In fact, 101 00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:12,000 Speaker 1: by the year seven eleven, she had accumulated so much 102 00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:15,839 Speaker 1: power under Emperor Ruzong's rule that she had his administration 103 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:19,640 Speaker 1: cleaned out and just replaced everyone with chancellors that she liked. 104 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:24,039 Speaker 1: But Lee Long had also been instrumental in putting his 105 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:26,920 Speaker 1: father on the throne, and he had already been named 106 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:30,599 Speaker 1: his heir, even though he wasn't Ruzong's eldest son. But 107 00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:33,520 Speaker 1: like even the eldest son said, yeah, it shouldn't be me, 108 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:36,880 Speaker 1: it should be Lelong. Make it that guy. He said, 109 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:39,720 Speaker 1: I don't want it either. Dad's right. This job sucks, 110 00:06:42,080 --> 00:06:43,719 Speaker 1: little bro. You know what you're doing. Why don't you 111 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:47,560 Speaker 1: take it? Get all these cou cou queens running around. 112 00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:52,240 Speaker 1: I don't want to be everybody's getting coued on. So 113 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:55,360 Speaker 1: this guy was in line for the throne, and Princess 114 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:58,080 Speaker 1: Tai Ping got the scheme in and dropping hints to 115 00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:02,800 Speaker 1: the emperor that maybe leel Gee wasn't so trustworthy. He's 116 00:07:02,880 --> 00:07:05,760 Speaker 1: like your son, he's scheming against you now. At this time, 117 00:07:05,839 --> 00:07:09,760 Speaker 1: Lee Long had a wife named Princess Wong, but being 118 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:13,440 Speaker 1: a young fancy prince himself, he also had consorts and 119 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:18,160 Speaker 1: concubines galore, plenty of girlfriends, run around, side pieces, et cetera, 120 00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:23,000 Speaker 1: and a favorite of his, young Guipan, got pregnant. But 121 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:27,200 Speaker 1: Long was really worried that Princess Taiping, you know, wouldn't 122 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:29,120 Speaker 1: want him to have a bunch of sons, and that 123 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:32,360 Speaker 1: she might target his lover if she found out because 124 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:36,040 Speaker 1: Lee Long had two sons already with different consorts. She's like, 125 00:07:36,080 --> 00:07:38,320 Speaker 1: that's too many sons. She's like, you got too many. Yeah, 126 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:40,480 Speaker 1: too many people could grab at this power. I'm not 127 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:42,720 Speaker 1: trying to hear that. It is so interesting. They like 128 00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:45,720 Speaker 1: they play such a long game. Um, you know, so 129 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:48,520 Speaker 1: someone can see, like, if you have a son today 130 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:52,280 Speaker 1: fifteen sixteen years from now, that's a powerful enemy of mine, right, 131 00:07:52,400 --> 00:07:55,800 Speaker 1: And I gotta think sixteen twenty years ahead sometimes because 132 00:07:55,800 --> 00:07:59,240 Speaker 1: that's how long some of their schemes take to play out. Crazy. 133 00:07:59,680 --> 00:08:01,840 Speaker 1: So Lee Long is like, well, let me get ahead 134 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:04,600 Speaker 1: of it, and he starts to prepare a stew that 135 00:08:04,680 --> 00:08:08,840 Speaker 1: an ancient Chinese medicine was thought to terminate pregnancies. But 136 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:11,160 Speaker 1: he took a little nap while it was cooking, and 137 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:14,440 Speaker 1: he dreamt that a god came down and flipped the 138 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:17,880 Speaker 1: stewpot over, so he woke up. He told his close 139 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:21,800 Speaker 1: friend Jean Shwo about the whole situation and the dream, 140 00:08:21,840 --> 00:08:26,240 Speaker 1: and Jean Shuo responded, quote, it is Heaven's will, you 141 00:08:26,320 --> 00:08:29,720 Speaker 1: should not worry. So child was born. His name was 142 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:32,880 Speaker 1: Lisa Chung, and of course he grew up to really 143 00:08:32,920 --> 00:08:39,520 Speaker 1: like Jang Shuo, who saved him from becoming a stew baby. Yeah. 144 00:08:39,880 --> 00:08:41,760 Speaker 1: I heard that story that you talked to my dad 145 00:08:41,760 --> 00:08:45,800 Speaker 1: out of giving my mom this stew Thanks. But it's 146 00:08:45,880 --> 00:08:48,480 Speaker 1: kind of sweet too, because I think that Lee long 147 00:08:48,520 --> 00:08:53,880 Speaker 1: G at this point like really loved Yanguipan because he 148 00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:56,520 Speaker 1: wasn't worried about him having another son. He was more 149 00:08:56,520 --> 00:08:59,080 Speaker 1: worried about her safety rights. You want to give her 150 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:01,760 Speaker 1: that stew be like, if you're pregnant, you're in danger. No, 151 00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:04,240 Speaker 1: I I see, I can see what he thought he 152 00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:07,240 Speaker 1: was up to. Yeah, sure, but he turned out okay. 153 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:11,800 Speaker 1: Both Li Sa Chung and Young gay Pin they turned 154 00:09:11,840 --> 00:09:14,680 Speaker 1: out okay. She did not go for them. Okay, cool 155 00:09:14,679 --> 00:09:17,800 Speaker 1: if you let them relax. But in late seven twelve, 156 00:09:17,840 --> 00:09:21,480 Speaker 1: Princess Taiping started making moves. She went to the Imperial 157 00:09:21,559 --> 00:09:25,920 Speaker 1: astrologers and she sort of strongly suggested that they go 158 00:09:26,040 --> 00:09:31,040 Speaker 1: tell Emperor Ruzong, Hey, uh, you're a constellation in the 159 00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:34,520 Speaker 1: sky is a little off. It sort of suggests that 160 00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:40,960 Speaker 1: something about your leadership will change very soon. So they 161 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:43,880 Speaker 1: went and told him that Princess Taiping is thinking that 162 00:09:43,920 --> 00:09:46,080 Speaker 1: the Emperor is going to hear this and think, oh shit, 163 00:09:46,679 --> 00:09:50,200 Speaker 1: my son is probably gonna try and overthrow me. I 164 00:09:50,280 --> 00:09:53,640 Speaker 1: better cut him loose, because again, KU's all the time. 165 00:09:53,960 --> 00:09:57,880 Speaker 1: I mean, his grandfather overthrew the emperor. He overthrew the emperors, 166 00:09:57,880 --> 00:10:02,840 Speaker 1: so logical conclusion, my son will do same. Well. Emperor 167 00:10:02,880 --> 00:10:06,280 Speaker 1: Ruzong was tired of that ship. He was so sick 168 00:10:06,320 --> 00:10:09,960 Speaker 1: of cuse and he decided that instead of fighting it, 169 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:12,360 Speaker 1: why don't we just get ahead of it. He said, 170 00:10:12,400 --> 00:10:15,360 Speaker 1: if my rule is about to change, let's not wait 171 00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:18,480 Speaker 1: for a coup to happen. I'll just go ahead and 172 00:10:18,640 --> 00:10:21,440 Speaker 1: hand over the throne to my son now in an 173 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:26,080 Speaker 1: orderly transition. Then prophecy comes true. Bang bang boom, nothing 174 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:32,640 Speaker 1: bad happens, easy, beasy lemon, squeezy yeah, typing. Of course, 175 00:10:32,640 --> 00:10:35,240 Speaker 1: it's super pissed. That's the opposite of what she wanted. 176 00:10:35,600 --> 00:10:38,160 Speaker 1: She's like, no, don't do that, that's the last thing 177 00:10:38,160 --> 00:10:40,240 Speaker 1: you want to do. Because she goes to her room 178 00:10:40,280 --> 00:10:43,680 Speaker 1: and she's like, learned a lesson about cous today. Don't 179 00:10:43,720 --> 00:10:46,360 Speaker 1: try to overthrow a guy who don't want the throne 180 00:10:46,360 --> 00:10:53,200 Speaker 1: in the place. Seriously, dear diary. One lessons about cous 181 00:10:53,280 --> 00:10:59,360 Speaker 1: by princess typing by the expert herself. Expert herself. Well, 182 00:10:59,559 --> 00:11:02,000 Speaker 1: the Emperor, of course insisted, no, I'm doing this. I 183 00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:04,880 Speaker 1: don't care what you say, and he retired and he 184 00:11:04,960 --> 00:11:10,079 Speaker 1: gave the empire to Long g who became Emperor Schwan Song. Well, obviously, 185 00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:13,439 Speaker 1: within a year, Tai Ping is plotting a coup against 186 00:11:13,480 --> 00:11:16,480 Speaker 1: Emperor Chuan Song. Girl can't help it, okay, she's like, 187 00:11:16,559 --> 00:11:18,840 Speaker 1: this is what I do, all right, I may as 188 00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:22,400 Speaker 1: well deny my own breath coming in and out. It's 189 00:11:22,480 --> 00:11:25,720 Speaker 1: cool to coup. She had that on her t shirt. 190 00:11:26,640 --> 00:11:31,280 Speaker 1: So and for Schuan Song regularly took this like herbal viagral, 191 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:33,520 Speaker 1: so that he could keep up with the many many 192 00:11:33,640 --> 00:11:38,760 Speaker 1: ladies that he was constantly entertaining. So Taiping was plotting 193 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:41,800 Speaker 1: to get one of his ladies in waiting to poison 194 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:46,760 Speaker 1: him with this tinctir. But word got out. People caught 195 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:49,600 Speaker 1: wind of the plant, and they advised him to act first. 196 00:11:50,320 --> 00:11:53,640 Speaker 1: So long story short, he sent a bunch of soldiers 197 00:11:53,640 --> 00:11:58,320 Speaker 1: out and caught or executed all Tai Ping's advisors and 198 00:11:58,400 --> 00:12:01,880 Speaker 1: chancellors that she had in her pocket. Princess Tai Ping 199 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:05,120 Speaker 1: fled to a temple in the mountains, but emperors one 200 00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:09,400 Speaker 1: song ordered her to commit suicide. This was like a 201 00:12:09,400 --> 00:12:13,880 Speaker 1: common alternative for aristocrats and high ranking officials because emperors 202 00:12:13,880 --> 00:12:16,719 Speaker 1: didn't like ordering their execution. I guess it felt a 203 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:21,040 Speaker 1: little off, like, yeah, like the family is around it 204 00:12:21,120 --> 00:12:23,760 Speaker 1: Thanksgiving and you're like take her out back and shooters. 205 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:26,760 Speaker 1: Kind of yeah. It was like you take yourself out back, 206 00:12:26,880 --> 00:12:30,600 Speaker 1: and you would do it. It's weird. They had the 207 00:12:30,600 --> 00:12:34,160 Speaker 1: death penalty for commoners, but it was like ghosh for 208 00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:36,760 Speaker 1: an emperor to order death, so it was like, just 209 00:12:36,800 --> 00:12:39,720 Speaker 1: go kill yourself. Then I didn't do it. It's so weird. 210 00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:43,600 Speaker 1: My hands are clean. It's very common and in at 211 00:12:43,679 --> 00:12:46,280 Speaker 1: least in the history I read, every time someone was 212 00:12:46,440 --> 00:12:49,080 Speaker 1: ordered to do it, they just did. I mean, you know, 213 00:12:49,080 --> 00:12:51,120 Speaker 1: they're probably like, well, I'm gonna If I don't, they'll 214 00:12:51,120 --> 00:12:53,360 Speaker 1: just kill me anyway. So I've got my honor to keep, 215 00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:56,120 Speaker 1: you know, I don't want to also be treason this 216 00:12:56,320 --> 00:12:59,760 Speaker 1: and defy the emperor's order. Wid all right, I get 217 00:12:59,760 --> 00:13:03,240 Speaker 1: I say, probably would send someone with the message like, hey, 218 00:13:03,480 --> 00:13:06,520 Speaker 1: you've been ordered to commit suicide and we will stand 219 00:13:06,559 --> 00:13:10,240 Speaker 1: here and do it well, because otherwise it feels like 220 00:13:10,280 --> 00:13:12,000 Speaker 1: a really easy one to be like, Hey, well you 221 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:14,200 Speaker 1: dashed off a letter the Emperor that I am fully 222 00:13:14,280 --> 00:13:17,400 Speaker 1: dead on no problem whatsoever, and I will just take 223 00:13:17,440 --> 00:13:20,560 Speaker 1: my ass to the next town. Here's a nice crisp twenty. 224 00:13:20,559 --> 00:13:22,000 Speaker 1: Why don't you tell him that I cut my own 225 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:24,680 Speaker 1: bowels open. I'm about to go open a t shop 226 00:13:24,760 --> 00:13:30,160 Speaker 1: somewhere something. My name is now Lucy, and I don't 227 00:13:30,200 --> 00:13:32,000 Speaker 1: live anywhere near here. You've never heard of me before. 228 00:13:32,440 --> 00:13:34,680 Speaker 1: But this is so interesting between the two of them. 229 00:13:34,720 --> 00:13:38,559 Speaker 1: I think there was so much tension between the Emperor 230 00:13:38,600 --> 00:13:41,280 Speaker 1: and Princess Taiping, like that had obviously been there for 231 00:13:41,320 --> 00:13:43,959 Speaker 1: a long time, and I think it was one of 232 00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:47,439 Speaker 1: these situations where they were just waiting for the right opportunity, 233 00:13:47,880 --> 00:13:50,000 Speaker 1: and I think Princess Taiping jumped the gun a little 234 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:52,920 Speaker 1: bit and the Emperor was able to go, got you, 235 00:13:53,120 --> 00:13:56,200 Speaker 1: Now I can order your death. M She's like, wow, 236 00:13:56,320 --> 00:14:01,560 Speaker 1: charge it to the game now. With Princess Taiping gone, 237 00:14:01,880 --> 00:14:05,800 Speaker 1: now emperiss when Song's rule was secure, World History dot 238 00:14:05,920 --> 00:14:09,240 Speaker 1: Org says that due to his early policies in reforming 239 00:14:09,320 --> 00:14:13,439 Speaker 1: laws and streamlining bureaucracy and providing for the people, Juan 240 00:14:13,520 --> 00:14:17,600 Speaker 1: Song is one of China's greatest monarchs in history. His 241 00:14:17,720 --> 00:14:20,920 Speaker 1: first twenty eight years were called the Cai Yuan period, 242 00:14:21,440 --> 00:14:26,520 Speaker 1: and it's considered among China's most prosperous and wealthy eras. First, 243 00:14:26,840 --> 00:14:30,280 Speaker 1: he wiped out a bunch of unnecessary bureaucrats who had 244 00:14:30,320 --> 00:14:33,360 Speaker 1: over the years all like basically bought their positions of power. 245 00:14:33,920 --> 00:14:37,080 Speaker 1: And after that he made it nearly impossible to purchase 246 00:14:37,120 --> 00:14:42,000 Speaker 1: political power anymore. Funny that that's important. Yeah, it's like 247 00:14:42,400 --> 00:14:45,080 Speaker 1: you are all unnecessary. You just paid to be here. 248 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:47,800 Speaker 1: He reminds me. I'm my high school football team because 249 00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:49,480 Speaker 1: it was such a like I went to kind of 250 00:14:49,480 --> 00:14:52,440 Speaker 1: a rich school and uh, and the football was like 251 00:14:52,480 --> 00:14:54,920 Speaker 1: the most important thing. And there were kids who, you know, 252 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:57,400 Speaker 1: their parents made a little donation and they ended up 253 00:14:57,400 --> 00:14:59,400 Speaker 1: on the team and for four years they didn't play. 254 00:14:59,480 --> 00:15:01,360 Speaker 1: We had like forty people on the sidelines on our 255 00:15:01,360 --> 00:15:03,680 Speaker 1: team to play, but it was on their college apps. 256 00:15:03,720 --> 00:15:06,480 Speaker 1: You know, just about to say that's been for that 257 00:15:06,520 --> 00:15:08,760 Speaker 1: college application. It was crazy. I remember going to those 258 00:15:08,800 --> 00:15:11,000 Speaker 1: games and sitting and being like, what are those fifty 259 00:15:11,040 --> 00:15:13,040 Speaker 1: people for? And it was like, yeah, they're they're on 260 00:15:13,080 --> 00:15:16,600 Speaker 1: the team, but they won't play so weird, So schwe 261 00:15:16,720 --> 00:15:19,960 Speaker 1: Song kicks all these guys off the team. He revitalized 262 00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:22,600 Speaker 1: the capital city's canal system, which had fallen into ruin 263 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:26,200 Speaker 1: under previous leaders, and he brought a lot of surrounding 264 00:15:26,200 --> 00:15:29,920 Speaker 1: areas under China's rule. He expanded the Tongue Empire to 265 00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:33,200 Speaker 1: about four million square miles, which is nearly twice what 266 00:15:33,280 --> 00:15:36,560 Speaker 1: it was. This is, of course, both diplomatic and a 267 00:15:36,560 --> 00:15:41,160 Speaker 1: little militaristic action that ended up doing this naturally. Emptuan 268 00:15:41,240 --> 00:15:44,600 Speaker 1: Song was not just a ladies man and a savvy ruler. 269 00:15:44,800 --> 00:15:50,280 Speaker 1: He was also an outstanding calligrapher. He loved music and art. 270 00:15:50,640 --> 00:15:53,720 Speaker 1: He's a big horse guy. He owned a troop of 271 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:57,440 Speaker 1: dancing horses according to history dot com, and he brought 272 00:15:57,520 --> 00:16:01,120 Speaker 1: a renowned horse painter named han On into his court, 273 00:16:01,480 --> 00:16:05,080 Speaker 1: who would become the most famous horse painter in Chinese history. 274 00:16:05,720 --> 00:16:09,480 Speaker 1: I mean, this guy parties. This is a pretty cool dude. Also, 275 00:16:09,560 --> 00:16:13,600 Speaker 1: fun fact, there's a crater named for hang Gon on Mercury. 276 00:16:14,120 --> 00:16:16,520 Speaker 1: Maybe it's shaped like a horse. Yeah, that would be 277 00:16:16,600 --> 00:16:19,200 Speaker 1: kind of cool. Let's go check it out, Speculation Station. 278 00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:21,320 Speaker 1: It's shaped like a horse. Don't tell me any different. 279 00:16:22,440 --> 00:16:27,240 Speaker 1: U Schwan Song was also an extreme poetry fan. You 280 00:16:27,240 --> 00:16:30,280 Speaker 1: know how we feel about poetry around here, So he 281 00:16:30,400 --> 00:16:33,680 Speaker 1: invited a poet named Lee Po into his academy. And 282 00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:39,840 Speaker 1: Lepo writes beautiful, evocative, very visual poems. But he also 283 00:16:39,880 --> 00:16:44,640 Speaker 1: writes a lot of verses about being drunk. And we've 284 00:16:44,680 --> 00:16:48,120 Speaker 1: got to pepper this episode with some of these pickled poems. 285 00:16:48,600 --> 00:16:52,440 Speaker 1: So let's go down the poetry corner and here the 286 00:16:52,640 --> 00:16:59,120 Speaker 1: mountain drinking song from Lee Po to drown the ancient sorrows, 287 00:16:59,280 --> 00:17:03,920 Speaker 1: sweet dre hundred jugs of wine there in the beautiful night, 288 00:17:04,560 --> 00:17:07,399 Speaker 1: we couldn't go to bed with the moon so bright. 289 00:17:08,200 --> 00:17:12,720 Speaker 1: Then finally the wine overcame us, and we laid down 290 00:17:12,840 --> 00:17:17,280 Speaker 1: on the empty mountain the earth for a pillow, and 291 00:17:17,320 --> 00:17:21,800 Speaker 1: it's a blanket made of heaven. He's straight up like, 292 00:17:21,880 --> 00:17:23,800 Speaker 1: I'm going to write a poem about how we passed 293 00:17:23,840 --> 00:17:27,120 Speaker 1: out in the mountain last night. Without going into our tents. 294 00:17:27,520 --> 00:17:32,440 Speaker 1: We drank a jug of wine I doubt I've had 295 00:17:32,480 --> 00:17:35,280 Speaker 1: that night we blacked out. I mean, we had a 296 00:17:35,320 --> 00:17:39,280 Speaker 1: blanket made of heaven, and I don't remember what it 297 00:17:39,320 --> 00:17:44,879 Speaker 1: felt like. Alright. So Schwanzong and his wife, remember who's 298 00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:48,480 Speaker 1: now Empress Wong Um. They had a strong relationship for 299 00:17:48,520 --> 00:17:50,919 Speaker 1: a few years. And while there's not a lot of 300 00:17:50,960 --> 00:17:53,560 Speaker 1: information about her, we don't even know her given name, 301 00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:56,560 Speaker 1: we only know her empress name um. It is said 302 00:17:56,600 --> 00:17:59,399 Speaker 1: that she was instrumental to his rule. She provided a 303 00:17:59,440 --> 00:18:02,480 Speaker 1: lot of cow soul and suggestions that helped him in 304 00:18:02,560 --> 00:18:05,800 Speaker 1: his early years. She even apparently played a part in 305 00:18:05,880 --> 00:18:09,640 Speaker 1: helping Schwan Song's father take the throne before him, and 306 00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:12,719 Speaker 1: she helped him deal with Princess Tai Ping. She's an 307 00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:14,840 Speaker 1: not that coup action too, al right. It really feels 308 00:18:14,840 --> 00:18:16,760 Speaker 1: like she probably should have written some of this ship down. 309 00:18:18,480 --> 00:18:22,680 Speaker 1: She was pretty cool, lady. Empress s Wong never gave 310 00:18:22,800 --> 00:18:26,359 Speaker 1: the Emperor a son, but she did raise his son, 311 00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:30,600 Speaker 1: Lisa Hung that he had with a different concert young weepen. Yeah, 312 00:18:30,640 --> 00:18:34,040 Speaker 1: the stew baby, the stew baby, Yeah, he had the 313 00:18:34,040 --> 00:18:37,520 Speaker 1: stew baby. She raised him, Yeah, and c Chung got 314 00:18:37,560 --> 00:18:42,240 Speaker 1: a great education. Schuan Song really admired him. Now. There 315 00:18:42,359 --> 00:18:46,159 Speaker 1: is a ranking system for consorts inside the palace that 316 00:18:46,280 --> 00:18:49,520 Speaker 1: the Empress of course absolute top of the list, number 317 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:54,159 Speaker 1: one woman hbi C. As soon as Juan Sung was 318 00:18:54,280 --> 00:18:57,920 Speaker 1: named emperor, he elevated his wife Princess up to empress 319 00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:04,480 Speaker 1: as well. Now under that there are four consort rankings Noble, Pure, virtuous, 320 00:19:04,520 --> 00:19:09,560 Speaker 1: and then able. Under that there are nine imperial concubine 321 00:19:09,640 --> 00:19:14,360 Speaker 1: rankings like Lady of bright deportment or Lady of cultivated 322 00:19:14,400 --> 00:19:18,400 Speaker 1: beauty or complete countenance. And then there's a few more 323 00:19:18,520 --> 00:19:22,080 Speaker 1: even below that, like the Lady of handsome fairness, for 324 00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:25,920 Speaker 1: the Lady of Talents, or the Lady of Treasure, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. 325 00:19:26,280 --> 00:19:30,000 Speaker 1: Lots of titles. This is really reminding me of the 326 00:19:30,119 --> 00:19:33,920 Speaker 1: David Mammitt movie State and Maine. They're making a movie 327 00:19:34,400 --> 00:19:37,520 Speaker 1: and the guys like, oh, I think I'm an associate producer. 328 00:19:37,600 --> 00:19:40,240 Speaker 1: He's like, yeah, everybody's an associate producer. It's what you 329 00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:43,560 Speaker 1: give your assistant instead of a raise. It feels like 330 00:19:43,600 --> 00:19:45,520 Speaker 1: there's like, I don't know, make a bunch of titles 331 00:19:45,680 --> 00:19:48,800 Speaker 1: to make him think that there's a good job. These 332 00:19:48,800 --> 00:19:50,919 Speaker 1: are all I mean, it's just like a ranking system 333 00:19:50,920 --> 00:19:54,000 Speaker 1: for all his girlfriends. Basically, Wow, imagine being the Lady 334 00:19:54,000 --> 00:20:00,280 Speaker 1: of treasure it sounds big, but it's not the able 335 00:20:00,359 --> 00:20:04,440 Speaker 1: consort as ahead of me. But one of his favorite 336 00:20:04,520 --> 00:20:08,040 Speaker 1: ladies was a woman named Choo, and she went from 337 00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:10,560 Speaker 1: being a prostitute who could sing and dance to all 338 00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:14,800 Speaker 1: the way become the second highest ranking consort in the palace, 339 00:20:15,119 --> 00:20:17,760 Speaker 1: really climbed that ladder. And she was the one who 340 00:20:17,800 --> 00:20:20,719 Speaker 1: had his earliest sons. Remember he had two already when 341 00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:24,359 Speaker 1: Lisa Chung was born, and one of them, Lie Ying, 342 00:20:24,600 --> 00:20:27,159 Speaker 1: was named Crown Prince and heir to the throne in 343 00:20:27,280 --> 00:20:30,920 Speaker 1: seven fifteen. He was also not the oldest son there 344 00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:33,800 Speaker 1: was technically one. His other brother was one year older 345 00:20:33,840 --> 00:20:36,280 Speaker 1: than him, but that guy had a serious injury and 346 00:20:36,280 --> 00:20:39,080 Speaker 1: that was like took him out of the running basically, okay, 347 00:20:39,359 --> 00:20:41,640 Speaker 1: So no one was worried about him coming out of nowhere. 348 00:20:42,080 --> 00:20:45,320 Speaker 1: No Li Ying was firmly in that position, all right. 349 00:20:45,920 --> 00:20:47,720 Speaker 1: So yeah, we've got a lot of players on the 350 00:20:47,760 --> 00:20:51,879 Speaker 1: board here. Ember Schwan Song is married to Princess Wong 351 00:20:52,280 --> 00:20:56,960 Speaker 1: or Empress Wong. Now together they're raising his son, Lisa Schung, 352 00:20:57,359 --> 00:21:01,560 Speaker 1: this stew baby, and the Emperor's with Consort Joo is 353 00:21:01,680 --> 00:21:06,240 Speaker 1: Crown Prince Lee Ying. Everyone's getting along. Things are going 354 00:21:06,320 --> 00:21:11,800 Speaker 1: great palace, Christmas is are lovely whatever. But another consort 355 00:21:11,920 --> 00:21:14,560 Speaker 1: was about to rise to the top, and she was 356 00:21:14,640 --> 00:21:18,480 Speaker 1: ready to bust heads and take what she wanted, take 357 00:21:18,560 --> 00:21:23,120 Speaker 1: no prisoners. Her name was Consort Woo, and we'll learn 358 00:21:23,280 --> 00:21:32,520 Speaker 1: about her right after these words. Welcome back everyone. Let's 359 00:21:32,560 --> 00:21:36,480 Speaker 1: head back to leave Hoose Drunken Poetry corner with a 360 00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:43,879 Speaker 1: verse called Drinking in the Mountains. Mountain flowers open in 361 00:21:43,960 --> 00:21:49,240 Speaker 1: our faces. You and I are triply lost in wine. 362 00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:56,120 Speaker 1: I'm drunk, my friend Sleepy, rise and go with your 363 00:21:56,200 --> 00:22:02,800 Speaker 1: dawn lute, return if you wish. And this one's great 364 00:22:02,840 --> 00:22:05,480 Speaker 1: because he's like, I'm real drunk, all right, why don't 365 00:22:05,480 --> 00:22:09,720 Speaker 1: you go and then get some music start the party over. 366 00:22:10,160 --> 00:22:12,960 Speaker 1: I love it. I love it. I also love that 367 00:22:13,040 --> 00:22:16,399 Speaker 1: the last poem was called the Mountain Drinking Song, and 368 00:22:16,480 --> 00:22:20,280 Speaker 1: this one is called drinking in the Mountains. Like Lepo's like, right, 369 00:22:20,320 --> 00:22:24,840 Speaker 1: what you know, I like two things. I like mountains 370 00:22:25,119 --> 00:22:28,679 Speaker 1: and drinking in the mountains. He's probably like, I like 371 00:22:28,880 --> 00:22:32,560 Speaker 1: drinking any place, but I live in the mountains, so 372 00:22:33,240 --> 00:22:36,800 Speaker 1: I also love this. It is mountain people like Appalachian 373 00:22:36,880 --> 00:22:43,800 Speaker 1: mountain people like them. I'm drunk, my friends sleepy. Why 374 00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:46,000 Speaker 1: don't you go and go come on back with a 375 00:22:46,040 --> 00:22:51,040 Speaker 1: guitar and we'll have us a good old I'm ready 376 00:22:51,080 --> 00:22:54,280 Speaker 1: for the Appalachian version of Leapo if anyone wants to 377 00:22:55,960 --> 00:22:58,840 Speaker 1: mountain folks, They're so similar everywhere you go, love it whatever, 378 00:22:58,880 --> 00:23:04,560 Speaker 1: whatever the mountains, whichever mountain um. These Leapo poems about 379 00:23:04,640 --> 00:23:08,640 Speaker 1: drinking are hilarious and wonderful. But he does have some 380 00:23:08,960 --> 00:23:11,680 Speaker 1: beautiful poetry. To go look it up. Because I was 381 00:23:11,720 --> 00:23:14,920 Speaker 1: reading them and I was like, damn, this is gorgeous, man. 382 00:23:15,160 --> 00:23:17,639 Speaker 1: But then I kept finding other more and more poems 383 00:23:17,680 --> 00:23:20,679 Speaker 1: about drinking, and I'm like, okay, buddy, well this is 384 00:23:20,680 --> 00:23:22,760 Speaker 1: a sidetrack. But that's one of the things I love 385 00:23:22,920 --> 00:23:27,359 Speaker 1: so much about Chinese and Japanese culture was that everybody 386 00:23:27,359 --> 00:23:30,240 Speaker 1: wrote poetry. It was just like a thing everyone did. 387 00:23:30,760 --> 00:23:33,000 Speaker 1: And so you have so many people who are really 388 00:23:33,160 --> 00:23:36,800 Speaker 1: very good poets who would write beautiful literature poems you 389 00:23:36,840 --> 00:23:38,800 Speaker 1: know that you would want to like read for ages. 390 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:40,920 Speaker 1: And then there were some people were like, I wrote 391 00:23:40,920 --> 00:23:43,640 Speaker 1: a high ku about sucking my wife behind a bar 392 00:23:43,800 --> 00:23:47,000 Speaker 1: last night, you know, like it just like the most ridiculous. 393 00:23:47,320 --> 00:23:50,359 Speaker 1: So oftentimes they were just for comedy. Reasons. There's just 394 00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:53,480 Speaker 1: a form of entertainment and I just love that and 395 00:23:53,560 --> 00:23:55,120 Speaker 1: it would be so fun to bring it back. Make 396 00:23:55,160 --> 00:23:58,040 Speaker 1: everybody write a quick poem about whatever they feel like, 397 00:23:58,280 --> 00:24:01,840 Speaker 1: and lea po somehow did both, somehow some people can do. 398 00:24:03,200 --> 00:24:07,159 Speaker 1: Get you a poet who can do both. That's what 399 00:24:07,240 --> 00:24:09,080 Speaker 1: Schwan Song did. He was like, get this guy in 400 00:24:09,119 --> 00:24:12,880 Speaker 1: my court. He is now poet laureate. Laugh, he makes 401 00:24:12,920 --> 00:24:16,320 Speaker 1: me cry. That's what I want. Okay, So back to 402 00:24:16,520 --> 00:24:20,639 Speaker 1: our drama are soap opera here, Embers one Song is 403 00:24:20,720 --> 00:24:23,720 Speaker 1: ruling over a golden age of culture and art and poetry. 404 00:24:23,960 --> 00:24:26,399 Speaker 1: He's doing it all with Empress Wang by his side. 405 00:24:26,880 --> 00:24:29,919 Speaker 1: His super smart son Si Chung is doing great, and 406 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:32,880 Speaker 1: his other son, crowned Prince li Ying, is a suitable 407 00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:36,800 Speaker 1: heir to the throne. But another consort was working her 408 00:24:36,800 --> 00:24:41,600 Speaker 1: way up the ranks. Consort Wou Embers one Song, now 409 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:44,040 Speaker 1: in his thirties and nearing his tenth year in power, 410 00:24:44,640 --> 00:24:47,360 Speaker 1: was spending less and less time with his wife, Empress Wong, 411 00:24:47,840 --> 00:24:51,600 Speaker 1: and more and more time with Consort Wu. Now none 412 00:24:51,600 --> 00:24:54,480 Speaker 1: of his previous consorts had gained favor over his wife, 413 00:24:54,840 --> 00:24:58,720 Speaker 1: but now things were changing. Maybe this is because Emperor 414 00:24:58,760 --> 00:25:01,879 Speaker 1: Schwan Song was just one of those guys who always 415 00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:05,760 Speaker 1: wanted a younger, hotter, newer model. You know, he refused 416 00:25:05,800 --> 00:25:08,320 Speaker 1: to be happy with the woman he married as she 417 00:25:08,520 --> 00:25:14,639 Speaker 1: aged a real DiCaprio time. Or maybe it's because Consort 418 00:25:14,680 --> 00:25:19,160 Speaker 1: Wou was the grand niece of Empress Wu Zetian herself, 419 00:25:19,440 --> 00:25:23,520 Speaker 1: and she was extremely ambitious and thirsty for power. Now, 420 00:25:23,520 --> 00:25:26,800 Speaker 1: Schwansong had always favored his wife, even though he could 421 00:25:26,880 --> 00:25:30,199 Speaker 1: literally bang anybody he wanted, like anybody could be like, 422 00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:34,679 Speaker 1: I don't like it too bad. And while Wong hadn't 423 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:38,440 Speaker 1: provided him with a son, which he did resent, they 424 00:25:38,520 --> 00:25:41,920 Speaker 1: raised she shung together as their own, and everyone in 425 00:25:41,960 --> 00:25:47,040 Speaker 1: the palace loved Empress Wong, including most of the other consorts. 426 00:25:47,359 --> 00:25:51,000 Speaker 1: But Consort Woo had her eyes on that throne, right, 427 00:25:51,040 --> 00:25:53,680 Speaker 1: And that's just what I'm thinking here, is like some 428 00:25:53,720 --> 00:25:56,879 Speaker 1: people said that, like, well, Empress Wong was getting older 429 00:25:57,720 --> 00:26:00,000 Speaker 1: and he was just you know, he wasn't like an 430 00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:02,880 Speaker 1: her as much anymore. But I'm like, it's not like 431 00:26:03,040 --> 00:26:06,240 Speaker 1: he was resigned to only sleep with her for the 432 00:26:06,240 --> 00:26:07,520 Speaker 1: rest of his life and he didn't like that she 433 00:26:07,560 --> 00:26:09,680 Speaker 1: wasn't as hot as she used to be, you know, like, 434 00:26:10,040 --> 00:26:13,840 Speaker 1: it's not like he had any indication that he didn't 435 00:26:13,840 --> 00:26:16,000 Speaker 1: like her a lot, because for a long time he 436 00:26:16,040 --> 00:26:18,199 Speaker 1: really did, and he had all these other options. So 437 00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:21,480 Speaker 1: I kind of speculations station. I think Woo had more 438 00:26:21,520 --> 00:26:25,920 Speaker 1: to do with it than than Wong's just aging it 439 00:26:26,040 --> 00:26:28,400 Speaker 1: was suggested, but we'll see. I kind of agree, because 440 00:26:28,480 --> 00:26:31,960 Speaker 1: isn't the point of the empress is you know you 441 00:26:31,960 --> 00:26:35,359 Speaker 1: you don't want to be constantly changing your empress. You 442 00:26:35,400 --> 00:26:37,560 Speaker 1: would choose her for different reasons. It would just be 443 00:26:37,600 --> 00:26:40,280 Speaker 1: like the hottest one that does change. You want to 444 00:26:40,320 --> 00:26:42,359 Speaker 1: be like, this is the smart one. She's you know, 445 00:26:42,480 --> 00:26:45,000 Speaker 1: got an even temper. She's not gonna coop me out 446 00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:48,040 Speaker 1: of her with some other dude like that would be 447 00:26:48,080 --> 00:26:51,439 Speaker 1: more important. I think qualities in an empress, Well, the 448 00:26:51,480 --> 00:26:57,880 Speaker 1: Emperor and Consort Wo. I keep almost saying Constance Wu, well, 449 00:26:57,920 --> 00:27:00,320 Speaker 1: I can't wait for Constance Woo to player and in 450 00:27:00,359 --> 00:27:05,040 Speaker 1: our movie that we're going to make our ten season 451 00:27:05,200 --> 00:27:07,040 Speaker 1: thank you. We have so many ten seasons shows of 452 00:27:07,119 --> 00:27:10,280 Speaker 1: make That's why no one's called us. That's too long. 453 00:27:11,359 --> 00:27:14,840 Speaker 1: Cut it down to five, all right. Well, the Emperor 454 00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:18,160 Speaker 1: and Consort Wu had several children together. Of course, as 455 00:27:18,200 --> 00:27:20,879 Speaker 1: he and many of his concubines did. It's estimated he 456 00:27:20,920 --> 00:27:25,280 Speaker 1: had over fifty children with various consorts, but the first 457 00:27:25,400 --> 00:27:28,119 Speaker 1: three of their children actually died early in their childhood. 458 00:27:28,480 --> 00:27:31,920 Speaker 1: But their fourth child was a son named Lie Mao 459 00:27:32,160 --> 00:27:34,480 Speaker 1: or eventually his name was Lie Moo. They changed their 460 00:27:34,560 --> 00:27:36,040 Speaker 1: names all the time, but let's just stick with that 461 00:27:36,080 --> 00:27:40,280 Speaker 1: for now. Um. Now, this kid, the Emperor asked his 462 00:27:40,320 --> 00:27:43,119 Speaker 1: own brother, the Prince of Ning, to raise him, so 463 00:27:43,200 --> 00:27:44,760 Speaker 1: he went off to live with the Prince of Ning 464 00:27:44,800 --> 00:27:47,800 Speaker 1: and his wife, and all the while, Consort Wu is 465 00:27:47,840 --> 00:27:50,199 Speaker 1: doing that thing where she just kind of tries to 466 00:27:50,320 --> 00:27:54,120 Speaker 1: casually talk shit about Empress Wong without you know, actually 467 00:27:54,160 --> 00:27:57,160 Speaker 1: being treasonous. You know, she's got to kind of carefully 468 00:27:57,280 --> 00:28:00,719 Speaker 1: just poison the Emperor's ear a little bit. It's about 469 00:28:00,760 --> 00:28:04,280 Speaker 1: his own wife gradually taking more and more of the 470 00:28:04,320 --> 00:28:07,679 Speaker 1: Emperor's time, trying to drive a wedge between them. You know, 471 00:28:07,760 --> 00:28:10,680 Speaker 1: I imagine like a like, don't you wish your empress 472 00:28:10,800 --> 00:28:14,760 Speaker 1: was hot like me? You wish your empress was a 473 00:28:14,880 --> 00:28:17,399 Speaker 1: freak like me, because you know she probably was probably 474 00:28:17,480 --> 00:28:20,560 Speaker 1: a freak. Yeah, I could totally see them like, I 475 00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:23,440 Speaker 1: don't know, hanging out in bed together like consort. Woo, 476 00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:27,679 Speaker 1: your hair is so beautifully long and flowy like a waterfall, 477 00:28:28,160 --> 00:28:32,480 Speaker 1: O Emperor, anything you like must be correct, So I'm 478 00:28:32,560 --> 00:28:36,240 Speaker 1: so happy to please you. If only the Empress had 479 00:28:36,280 --> 00:28:41,240 Speaker 1: such long, thick hair is mine. It's just too bad. 480 00:28:41,400 --> 00:28:46,840 Speaker 1: But I suppose she has many other wonderful quality. You know, 481 00:28:46,920 --> 00:28:49,640 Speaker 1: it's always the ship like some like you're too good 482 00:28:49,640 --> 00:28:53,440 Speaker 1: at that? Watch out right? You want to consort? My husband? 483 00:28:55,400 --> 00:28:59,160 Speaker 1: Try it? I dare you try it? Ladies all come, 484 00:29:00,040 --> 00:29:02,920 Speaker 1: want to give Diana an opportunity to try and scheme 485 00:29:02,960 --> 00:29:08,600 Speaker 1: against you. I've opened a terrible Pandora's no, Diana, I'm 486 00:29:08,640 --> 00:29:10,760 Speaker 1: only sleeping with these five other women so that you 487 00:29:10,800 --> 00:29:13,800 Speaker 1: can try and scheme against them, testing your skills. I 488 00:29:13,960 --> 00:29:17,959 Speaker 1: just want to see your skill. Well, Wong was not 489 00:29:18,080 --> 00:29:21,400 Speaker 1: having it. She's hearing all these jellyfish stings coming from 490 00:29:21,440 --> 00:29:25,280 Speaker 1: this bitch. She's like, mmm, I've done nothing but help 491 00:29:25,880 --> 00:29:29,360 Speaker 1: this emperor. I helped put his dad in power. I 492 00:29:29,440 --> 00:29:32,080 Speaker 1: helped put him in power, I helped him make the 493 00:29:32,440 --> 00:29:35,480 Speaker 1: make him the great ruler that he is today. I'm 494 00:29:35,560 --> 00:29:38,760 Speaker 1: raising his son by another woman. What more I got 495 00:29:38,800 --> 00:29:43,600 Speaker 1: to that's true? So she starts telling him about himself. 496 00:29:44,040 --> 00:29:48,120 Speaker 1: She's like, hey, don't forget, I'm your wife. That bitch 497 00:29:48,160 --> 00:29:53,080 Speaker 1: sucks a little less subtle than well, she don't have 498 00:29:53,120 --> 00:29:56,600 Speaker 1: no treason. She can be a little more flat about it. 499 00:29:57,040 --> 00:29:59,280 Speaker 1: But maybe she should have been a little more subtle 500 00:29:59,360 --> 00:30:02,640 Speaker 1: because he argued about it with the Empress. Um, so 501 00:30:02,680 --> 00:30:06,360 Speaker 1: this just pushed them further apart. She should have been like, oh, 502 00:30:06,880 --> 00:30:10,600 Speaker 1: don't I smell nice today? Oh? Yes, you smell quite lovely. 503 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:15,040 Speaker 1: Oh it's too bad consort who stinks like rotten fish 504 00:30:15,080 --> 00:30:20,640 Speaker 1: all the time. Now, before long, Schwan Song was looking 505 00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:24,640 Speaker 1: for a way to depose his Empress, and he was 506 00:30:24,760 --> 00:30:28,840 Speaker 1: mostly blaming it on her failure to produce him a son, 507 00:30:30,200 --> 00:30:32,640 Speaker 1: which again is weird to me because he already had 508 00:30:32,680 --> 00:30:34,560 Speaker 1: like all these sons, and one of them was already 509 00:30:34,600 --> 00:30:38,840 Speaker 1: the crown Prince. I mean, it's just convenient, exactly. I 510 00:30:38,880 --> 00:30:42,320 Speaker 1: really think this is more of Consort Wou pushing him 511 00:30:42,320 --> 00:30:45,560 Speaker 1: to get rid of her somehow, and he was, you know, 512 00:30:45,640 --> 00:30:47,560 Speaker 1: he's kind of fed up there, like fighting. They're an 513 00:30:47,560 --> 00:30:50,600 Speaker 1: old married couple, and he's like, yeah, this hot young 514 00:30:50,640 --> 00:30:57,520 Speaker 1: girl is right, yeah, you know, old like us. So 515 00:30:57,680 --> 00:30:59,800 Speaker 1: the Emperor went to a close associate of his name 516 00:31:00,040 --> 00:31:03,160 Speaker 1: Young Choo, and he said, hey, man, uh, I kind 517 00:31:03,160 --> 00:31:05,200 Speaker 1: of want to depose my wife, you know, get her 518 00:31:05,240 --> 00:31:08,200 Speaker 1: out of power, strip her of her empress titles. She's 519 00:31:08,200 --> 00:31:11,040 Speaker 1: really she's just kind of cramping my style, okay, And 520 00:31:11,160 --> 00:31:13,440 Speaker 1: Jung Jao is like, yes, I'm on it, let me 521 00:31:13,480 --> 00:31:17,040 Speaker 1: go figure some stuff out. But apparently this dude had 522 00:31:17,080 --> 00:31:21,160 Speaker 1: loose lips, because a short while later, Empress Wang's own 523 00:31:21,240 --> 00:31:25,479 Speaker 1: brother in law came to Empresschwan Song and said, uh, hey, 524 00:31:25,480 --> 00:31:29,440 Speaker 1: this guy Jung Joo is talking about deposing your wife 525 00:31:30,280 --> 00:31:33,160 Speaker 1: and the emperor. You know, he thinks fast. And he's like, 526 00:31:33,240 --> 00:31:36,920 Speaker 1: whoa what that's crazy. I can't believe he would say that. 527 00:31:37,720 --> 00:31:40,160 Speaker 1: And everyone's like, yeah, this guy sucks. You need to 528 00:31:40,360 --> 00:31:43,880 Speaker 1: exile him. And Schwan Song is like, yeah, well you're 529 00:31:43,960 --> 00:31:46,680 Speaker 1: right about hey, Jung Jao, you can't be talking ship 530 00:31:46,880 --> 00:31:49,400 Speaker 1: like that. I'm exiling you forever. Get out of here by. 531 00:31:49,720 --> 00:31:54,680 Speaker 1: But all this made Empress Wang feel real nervous because 532 00:31:54,680 --> 00:31:57,479 Speaker 1: she's always looking over her shoulder. She knows moves are 533 00:31:57,520 --> 00:32:00,720 Speaker 1: being made against her. She's the O. If she could 534 00:32:00,760 --> 00:32:04,800 Speaker 1: only have a son, her safety would be assured. So 535 00:32:06,480 --> 00:32:09,480 Speaker 1: she went to her brother Wong show Ye for help. 536 00:32:10,200 --> 00:32:14,080 Speaker 1: Show He's like, okay, I got a great idea. How 537 00:32:14,120 --> 00:32:18,760 Speaker 1: about magic? So he went to a Buddhist monk named 538 00:32:18,840 --> 00:32:21,880 Speaker 1: ming Wu and they started doing some old school mystical ship. 539 00:32:22,320 --> 00:32:26,040 Speaker 1: They offered sacrifices to the Big Dipper and a Chinese 540 00:32:26,080 --> 00:32:30,280 Speaker 1: constellation called nand then they brought the Empress an amulet 541 00:32:30,400 --> 00:32:33,520 Speaker 1: which was made from wood that had been struck by lightning. 542 00:32:34,120 --> 00:32:36,400 Speaker 1: And I carved the symbols for heaven and Earth into 543 00:32:36,480 --> 00:32:40,600 Speaker 1: the amulet alongside the Emperor's name, and we're like, okay, 544 00:32:40,640 --> 00:32:43,200 Speaker 1: this is how you get a son. Just wear this amulet. 545 00:32:44,040 --> 00:32:47,040 Speaker 1: I would love an amulet native wood that's been struck 546 00:32:47,040 --> 00:32:49,560 Speaker 1: by lightning. I mean, at least there's vibes there. That's 547 00:32:49,640 --> 00:32:52,440 Speaker 1: something cool and hard to find and kind of awesome. 548 00:32:53,160 --> 00:32:55,960 Speaker 1: I can see that being statistically feels very unlikely to 549 00:32:56,040 --> 00:32:58,360 Speaker 1: get struck by lightning. Again. True, it might be like 550 00:32:58,400 --> 00:33:03,160 Speaker 1: a nice talisman against a disaster. With my luck, I 551 00:33:03,160 --> 00:33:05,320 Speaker 1: would put that on and immediately get struck by lightning. 552 00:33:05,360 --> 00:33:07,720 Speaker 1: And they'd be like, well, exception proves the rule. There 553 00:33:07,760 --> 00:33:11,000 Speaker 1: was actually a lightning rod in the annual Oh geez, 554 00:33:11,120 --> 00:33:14,520 Speaker 1: very rude. Well, Okay, so this little magic spell they 555 00:33:14,520 --> 00:33:18,080 Speaker 1: cooked up was not exactly cool behavior because it sort 556 00:33:18,120 --> 00:33:21,720 Speaker 1: of looked like trying to use magic to circumvent the 557 00:33:21,720 --> 00:33:23,880 Speaker 1: will of the gods. Like if she wasn't naturally having 558 00:33:23,920 --> 00:33:26,160 Speaker 1: a son, it wasn't meant to be, and now they're 559 00:33:26,160 --> 00:33:29,400 Speaker 1: trying to use magic to undo that. There's not a 560 00:33:29,400 --> 00:33:32,520 Speaker 1: ton of clear reasoning behind this in the research, but 561 00:33:33,200 --> 00:33:36,600 Speaker 1: whatever happened, this little magic stunt must have been enough 562 00:33:36,680 --> 00:33:40,200 Speaker 1: for Emperor's one Song to use against his wife, because 563 00:33:40,240 --> 00:33:42,800 Speaker 1: once word of this magic got out, her brother's show 564 00:33:42,880 --> 00:33:47,840 Speaker 1: Yee was immediately exiled and Empress Wong was deposed. She 565 00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:50,480 Speaker 1: was brought down to the rank of commoner and sent 566 00:33:50,560 --> 00:33:54,120 Speaker 1: to live in a lesser palace. On his way to exile, 567 00:33:54,240 --> 00:33:58,000 Speaker 1: her brother, show Ye received the order to commit suicide, 568 00:33:58,440 --> 00:34:03,960 Speaker 1: and then only three after Wang was deposed, inn she died. 569 00:34:04,800 --> 00:34:08,200 Speaker 1: And we don't really know how, but it said that 570 00:34:08,280 --> 00:34:11,760 Speaker 1: the emperor always regretted his actions. He felt bad about 571 00:34:12,120 --> 00:34:15,280 Speaker 1: deposing her and exiling her to this little palace somewhere. 572 00:34:15,480 --> 00:34:17,680 Speaker 1: He was like, actually was kind of a good ruler 573 00:34:17,719 --> 00:34:21,600 Speaker 1: when Wong was here. Yeah, fell badly about what I did, right, 574 00:34:21,760 --> 00:34:27,160 Speaker 1: So I'm thinking speculation Station. Maybe he expressed that he 575 00:34:27,200 --> 00:34:29,720 Speaker 1: felt badly. Maybe he was talking about how this seemed 576 00:34:29,719 --> 00:34:35,080 Speaker 1: like a bad idea, and Consort Woo decided, well, I'm 577 00:34:35,120 --> 00:34:37,960 Speaker 1: gonna go take this lady off the board for good. 578 00:34:38,239 --> 00:34:41,440 Speaker 1: Ohring her, you can bring her back. I mean, it's 579 00:34:41,440 --> 00:34:44,440 Speaker 1: happened before. We've seen in other kingdoms where I remember 580 00:34:44,440 --> 00:34:46,799 Speaker 1: in Thailand. I mean this was much more recent. But 581 00:34:46,880 --> 00:34:48,960 Speaker 1: that guy like kicked his wife out and then brought 582 00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:52,400 Speaker 1: her back and the reinstated her. Stuff like it could happen. 583 00:34:53,320 --> 00:34:58,440 Speaker 1: So again, speculation Station, Consort Wou killed that woman with 584 00:34:58,640 --> 00:35:02,839 Speaker 1: that personally fetched and definitely true. She sent someone one 585 00:35:02,840 --> 00:35:05,440 Speaker 1: of her little minions. Well, I think that's probably more. 586 00:35:05,680 --> 00:35:07,520 Speaker 1: She didn't do it herself, but I think I think 587 00:35:07,560 --> 00:35:10,480 Speaker 1: you're right. She probably ordered someone to do it. Yeah. 588 00:35:10,719 --> 00:35:12,560 Speaker 1: I want that the Empress to know it was me. 589 00:35:13,560 --> 00:35:17,520 Speaker 1: Tell her, well, whatever happened, Concert, we definitely did it. 590 00:35:17,560 --> 00:35:22,239 Speaker 1: But whatever happened, Consort Woo now had the Emperor's full attention. 591 00:35:22,560 --> 00:35:26,080 Speaker 1: There was no woman more powerful than her at the palace. 592 00:35:26,640 --> 00:35:30,040 Speaker 1: She was elevated to the rank of Huife, which was 593 00:35:30,080 --> 00:35:34,719 Speaker 1: the highest ranking consort only beneath the title of Empress, 594 00:35:35,239 --> 00:35:38,880 Speaker 1: to Woo. All that meant was that she had one 595 00:35:39,040 --> 00:35:42,479 Speaker 1: more stare to climb, And we'll hear about a whole 596 00:35:42,520 --> 00:35:45,920 Speaker 1: new batch of schemes that she cooked up right after this. 597 00:35:53,160 --> 00:35:56,520 Speaker 1: Welcome back to the Tongue Dynasty, where Consort Woo is 598 00:35:56,560 --> 00:36:01,000 Speaker 1: making dangerous moves to bring herself into power. So before 599 00:36:01,040 --> 00:36:04,800 Speaker 1: things get too dark, let's go down to poetry corner 600 00:36:04,880 --> 00:36:10,320 Speaker 1: and hear another drunken verse by Lee po called a vindication. 601 00:36:11,880 --> 00:36:16,320 Speaker 1: If Heaven loved not the wine, a wine star would 602 00:36:16,360 --> 00:36:20,240 Speaker 1: not be in Heaven. If Earth loved not the wine, 603 00:36:20,719 --> 00:36:24,440 Speaker 1: the wine spring would not be on the earth. Since 604 00:36:24,520 --> 00:36:28,520 Speaker 1: Heaven and Earth love the wine, need a tippling mortal 605 00:36:28,680 --> 00:36:34,560 Speaker 1: be ashamed. The transparent wine, I hear has the soothing 606 00:36:34,800 --> 00:36:39,160 Speaker 1: virtue of a sage, while the churchid is rich, they say, 607 00:36:39,280 --> 00:36:44,280 Speaker 1: has the fertile mind of the wise. Both the sage 608 00:36:44,320 --> 00:36:48,160 Speaker 1: and the wise were drinkers. Why seek for peers among 609 00:36:48,280 --> 00:36:53,160 Speaker 1: the gods and goblins? Three cups opened the grand door 610 00:36:53,280 --> 00:36:59,360 Speaker 1: to bliss. Take a jugful. The universe is yours. Such 611 00:36:59,520 --> 00:37:04,000 Speaker 1: is the rapture of the wine that the sober shall 612 00:37:04,040 --> 00:37:10,000 Speaker 1: never inherit. I love this straight up, like it is 613 00:37:10,040 --> 00:37:12,799 Speaker 1: so cool to get drunk, that sober people ain't ever 614 00:37:12,880 --> 00:37:16,920 Speaker 1: even gonna know. Sober people have not the key to heaven. 615 00:37:19,160 --> 00:37:21,440 Speaker 1: I do, and it's right at the bottom of this bottle. 616 00:37:22,600 --> 00:37:25,960 Speaker 1: Didn't Benjamin Franklin say, alcoholist proof that that gods love 617 00:37:26,080 --> 00:37:29,040 Speaker 1: us and want us to be happy? That sounds like 618 00:37:30,360 --> 00:37:32,080 Speaker 1: this is what I mean. This is a whole other 619 00:37:32,160 --> 00:37:35,080 Speaker 1: topic we could go on and on about, but so 620 00:37:35,160 --> 00:37:39,200 Speaker 1: fascinating to me that every culture, all across this globe, 621 00:37:39,520 --> 00:37:42,400 Speaker 1: independently of each other, found out if you let this 622 00:37:42,440 --> 00:37:45,360 Speaker 1: grape just go bad, it looks you up in the 623 00:37:45,400 --> 00:37:49,680 Speaker 1: best way. That is something that is so universal. Literally 624 00:37:49,719 --> 00:37:53,400 Speaker 1: with human beings. We want to get wasted, Yes, we 625 00:37:53,440 --> 00:37:58,279 Speaker 1: want anything, but our standard reality took one look around 626 00:37:58,320 --> 00:38:01,080 Speaker 1: and we're like, na, this is no. Let's try something else. 627 00:38:01,280 --> 00:38:05,239 Speaker 1: I don't like it all right. Well back to the 628 00:38:05,320 --> 00:38:10,000 Speaker 1: story now, concert Wou was so close to being named 629 00:38:10,040 --> 00:38:15,120 Speaker 1: empress she could almost taste all her rivals have been 630 00:38:15,160 --> 00:38:18,440 Speaker 1: taken out. She had the emperor's favor, and in the 631 00:38:18,560 --> 00:38:23,000 Speaker 1: year seven, Schwan Song decided he wanted to elevate her 632 00:38:23,080 --> 00:38:26,680 Speaker 1: to the rank of empress. All her dreams were coming true, 633 00:38:27,160 --> 00:38:30,920 Speaker 1: but his officials were like, wait a minute, hold on 634 00:38:31,000 --> 00:38:36,000 Speaker 1: their partner not so fast, because remember, Consort Woo is 635 00:38:36,040 --> 00:38:39,520 Speaker 1: the grand niece of the Empress Wo Zetian, and Wu 636 00:38:39,640 --> 00:38:44,320 Speaker 1: Zetian tried to eliminate the entire Tongue dynasty and rename 637 00:38:44,400 --> 00:38:48,600 Speaker 1: it for herself before she was overthrown, so her family 638 00:38:48,760 --> 00:38:51,480 Speaker 1: still have a lot of beef with the imperial throne. 639 00:38:52,080 --> 00:38:55,279 Speaker 1: So his chancellors were like, guess what. The people of 640 00:38:55,400 --> 00:38:59,239 Speaker 1: China don't like the Woo's and more specifically, they don't 641 00:38:59,239 --> 00:39:04,799 Speaker 1: like Consort Wu. She sucks. Everyone knows it, everyone but you, 642 00:39:04,880 --> 00:39:07,640 Speaker 1: I guess. So this is really not a smart move. 643 00:39:08,000 --> 00:39:11,000 Speaker 1: You know those people where it's just like you know, 644 00:39:11,200 --> 00:39:15,080 Speaker 1: someone's dating someone and everyone in your friend group hates 645 00:39:15,160 --> 00:39:18,920 Speaker 1: this person, but they just they just can't break them up, 646 00:39:19,800 --> 00:39:21,799 Speaker 1: and you know you could. SE's so clear that they're 647 00:39:21,840 --> 00:39:25,120 Speaker 1: like manipulating them and using them to get what they want. God, 648 00:39:25,160 --> 00:39:28,440 Speaker 1: it's hard. It's so hard because then you do so 649 00:39:28,520 --> 00:39:31,200 Speaker 1: often they will break up and you get to say 650 00:39:31,239 --> 00:39:36,279 Speaker 1: all your true feelings and then they don't, and you're like, well, 651 00:39:37,680 --> 00:39:40,240 Speaker 1: I supposed to do. Don't let me make a speech 652 00:39:40,239 --> 00:39:44,960 Speaker 1: at your wedding. I get now. His advisors also pointed 653 00:39:44,960 --> 00:39:48,400 Speaker 1: out the obvious political struggle that would come with naming 654 00:39:48,400 --> 00:39:52,560 Speaker 1: her empress, because the Emperor had two sons with Consort Wu, 655 00:39:53,000 --> 00:39:55,920 Speaker 1: but he had already named his son lie Ying the 656 00:39:55,960 --> 00:39:59,279 Speaker 1: crown prince and heir to the throne. If Consort Wu 657 00:39:59,480 --> 00:40:02,600 Speaker 1: was named empress, things we're gonna get messy around the 658 00:40:02,640 --> 00:40:05,120 Speaker 1: line of succession. She's gonna want her son to be 659 00:40:05,200 --> 00:40:07,799 Speaker 1: emperor next, and then it's gonna put you boy, lie 660 00:40:07,880 --> 00:40:12,640 Speaker 1: Ying in danger. So the Emperor heard all this, He's like, 661 00:40:12,680 --> 00:40:15,239 Speaker 1: all right, you right, you right, you right, Okay, bad move, 662 00:40:15,440 --> 00:40:19,359 Speaker 1: no doubt, won't name her empress, but everybody listen here 663 00:40:19,400 --> 00:40:23,080 Speaker 1: and listen good, y'all are basically going to treat her 664 00:40:23,280 --> 00:40:27,040 Speaker 1: like an empress. Okay, everybody in this palace. She is 665 00:40:27,080 --> 00:40:29,680 Speaker 1: your empress in all but name. Okay, she is number one, 666 00:40:29,760 --> 00:40:33,080 Speaker 1: she's HBI c's you wait on her hand and foot, 667 00:40:33,160 --> 00:40:35,600 Speaker 1: and you do what she says. That's right. But obviously, 668 00:40:35,640 --> 00:40:39,200 Speaker 1: Concert Wou was not thrilled about this little compromise because 669 00:40:39,200 --> 00:40:41,800 Speaker 1: she's been working towards that empress title for a while. 670 00:40:42,440 --> 00:40:44,040 Speaker 1: I kind of get it. Nobody wants to be like, 671 00:40:44,120 --> 00:40:50,400 Speaker 1: you're the CEO of Disney and name only Yeah, I 672 00:40:50,440 --> 00:40:52,920 Speaker 1: would take it. I would be the CEO of Disney 673 00:40:52,920 --> 00:40:57,760 Speaker 1: in name only about all that name and salary maybe, 674 00:40:58,920 --> 00:41:00,480 Speaker 1: but you know they're gonna do some ship and then 675 00:41:00,600 --> 00:41:02,560 Speaker 1: let you like usher you in front of everybody to 676 00:41:02,640 --> 00:41:07,040 Speaker 1: be stone. Yeah, but I still got that like billion 677 00:41:07,080 --> 00:41:09,160 Speaker 1: dollars a year. Right, that's true. And maybe you get 678 00:41:09,160 --> 00:41:12,040 Speaker 1: to go to the parks for free. Thought about that. 679 00:41:12,160 --> 00:41:16,400 Speaker 1: Wait a minute, CEO Disney has to get free park admission, right, 680 00:41:16,920 --> 00:41:19,280 Speaker 1: What if Bob Chappick right now is like three hundred 681 00:41:19,360 --> 00:41:23,279 Speaker 1: dollars all right, Now he's got a pet, and now 682 00:41:23,360 --> 00:41:26,600 Speaker 1: he's got a problem with it. So Consort who was 683 00:41:26,640 --> 00:41:30,600 Speaker 1: not super happy about this, but she's adaptable. She knew 684 00:41:30,719 --> 00:41:33,960 Speaker 1: she didn't need the title to get everything she ever wanted. 685 00:41:35,080 --> 00:41:38,480 Speaker 1: So her mother was made a lady, her brothers were 686 00:41:38,520 --> 00:41:42,200 Speaker 1: given official positions at court, and her sons and daughters 687 00:41:42,280 --> 00:41:47,440 Speaker 1: were made princes and princesses. And Schwan Song's chancellors were right. 688 00:41:48,160 --> 00:41:52,000 Speaker 1: What she really wanted was to make her son lie 689 00:41:52,080 --> 00:41:55,880 Speaker 1: Mao the new crown Prince and heir to the imperial throne. 690 00:41:56,760 --> 00:41:59,600 Speaker 1: But she needed a little more help to get him there. 691 00:42:00,239 --> 00:42:03,839 Speaker 1: And that brings us to this week's villain of the week, 692 00:42:06,600 --> 00:42:11,719 Speaker 1: Lee Lynn Foo, Oh, Lee Lynn Fou, This squirrely little creep. 693 00:42:12,719 --> 00:42:16,160 Speaker 1: He had risen the ranks in court through good connections 694 00:42:16,320 --> 00:42:19,160 Speaker 1: and pure luck and not the scheming and wheeling and dealing. 695 00:42:19,800 --> 00:42:22,920 Speaker 1: His uncle was Jiang Jiao, if you remember, he was 696 00:42:23,000 --> 00:42:25,239 Speaker 1: the Emperor's friend who took the blame for trying to 697 00:42:25,320 --> 00:42:30,520 Speaker 1: depose Empress Wang the first time. Now, Lynn Fu was 698 00:42:30,680 --> 00:42:34,560 Speaker 1: nicknamed God New, which I looked at translations and as 699 00:42:34,600 --> 00:42:36,400 Speaker 1: far as I can tell, it means like a knee 700 00:42:36,640 --> 00:42:38,920 Speaker 1: or a knee like bend. So maybe this guy was 701 00:42:38,960 --> 00:42:40,800 Speaker 1: like crooked. He was always bent over, or maybe he 702 00:42:40,880 --> 00:42:42,840 Speaker 1: was like always kneeling down to get what he wanted, 703 00:42:43,440 --> 00:42:45,239 Speaker 1: and maybe he was always on his knees to get 704 00:42:45,280 --> 00:42:46,640 Speaker 1: what he wanted. And what I'm saying, you know what 705 00:42:46,680 --> 00:42:50,200 Speaker 1: I'm saying, Oh my good. They called him can New, 706 00:42:50,280 --> 00:42:54,160 Speaker 1: and it doesn't seem like it was um a kind nickname. 707 00:42:54,239 --> 00:42:56,560 Speaker 1: They sort of used it disparagingly, but he also owned it, 708 00:42:56,760 --> 00:43:00,920 Speaker 1: like the penguin in Gotham. But crooked makes a lot 709 00:43:00,960 --> 00:43:04,320 Speaker 1: of sense. Yeah, I think crooked. I had a history professor, 710 00:43:04,440 --> 00:43:07,120 Speaker 1: by the way, who I loved because actually he would 711 00:43:07,160 --> 00:43:11,560 Speaker 1: call Lee Po this whenever he had an alcoholic historical figure, 712 00:43:11,560 --> 00:43:13,320 Speaker 1: he would go, he's a bit of an elbow crooker. 713 00:43:14,000 --> 00:43:16,840 Speaker 1: Oh that's good. I always liked that. Yeah, I know 714 00:43:16,920 --> 00:43:20,719 Speaker 1: it's not really related, but well, this guy lind Fu 715 00:43:20,880 --> 00:43:24,440 Speaker 1: nicknamed Canu, he applied to a low level position at 716 00:43:24,440 --> 00:43:28,120 Speaker 1: the Ministry of Justice called the simin long Gen, but 717 00:43:28,480 --> 00:43:31,960 Speaker 1: the Chancellor at the time said, quote, people who are 718 00:43:32,080 --> 00:43:36,040 Speaker 1: to serve as long must have good talent and virtues. 719 00:43:37,360 --> 00:43:42,560 Speaker 1: Is no long He ain't got no talent or virtues. 720 00:43:42,920 --> 00:43:47,320 Speaker 1: Flynn Foo's like, am I at my roast right now? Interview? 721 00:43:47,640 --> 00:43:50,279 Speaker 1: All the high ups are roasting him. But he also 722 00:43:50,360 --> 00:43:52,839 Speaker 1: had connections. Somebody must have been pulling some strings for him, 723 00:43:52,880 --> 00:43:55,800 Speaker 1: because just a few days after the Chancellor said that, 724 00:43:56,560 --> 00:44:01,400 Speaker 1: lind Fu got that position anyway. Okay, So with friends 725 00:44:01,440 --> 00:44:04,520 Speaker 1: in all the right places, Linfu worked his way up 726 00:44:04,560 --> 00:44:07,560 Speaker 1: the ranks until he was working under the staff of 727 00:44:07,840 --> 00:44:11,400 Speaker 1: lie Ying himself the crown Prince and heir to the throne. 728 00:44:12,000 --> 00:44:14,120 Speaker 1: So he's already trying to get as close to power 729 00:44:14,200 --> 00:44:16,879 Speaker 1: as possible, and he could smell it when other people 730 00:44:16,920 --> 00:44:20,440 Speaker 1: were doing the same. So after Empress Wong was deposed 731 00:44:20,520 --> 00:44:23,759 Speaker 1: and consort who started making moves. He wanted in on 732 00:44:23,880 --> 00:44:27,960 Speaker 1: the action. This guy's like an ancient Chinese Veris from 733 00:44:28,040 --> 00:44:30,520 Speaker 1: Game of Thrones. He had a bunch of eunuchs around 734 00:44:30,560 --> 00:44:33,000 Speaker 1: the ballast bringing him all the whispers they heard his 735 00:44:33,120 --> 00:44:36,600 Speaker 1: little sparrows, so he used them to get a message 736 00:44:36,680 --> 00:44:41,440 Speaker 1: to Consort Woo like he I worked for leaguing, great 737 00:44:41,480 --> 00:44:45,080 Speaker 1: guy and everything, but something is just kind of telling 738 00:44:45,160 --> 00:44:48,439 Speaker 1: me little gut instinct that Li Mao would be such 739 00:44:48,520 --> 00:44:52,799 Speaker 1: a great emperor. So if you would be interested, check 740 00:44:53,000 --> 00:44:57,839 Speaker 1: yes or no and return messengers sent the un back 741 00:44:57,880 --> 00:45:01,880 Speaker 1: to me in the Unich back with he stamps a 742 00:45:01,920 --> 00:45:04,799 Speaker 1: big yes on the Unix head. It's like, oh, brands 743 00:45:04,840 --> 00:45:09,000 Speaker 1: it into for Unix. But man, it is like game 744 00:45:09,040 --> 00:45:11,520 Speaker 1: with her, like all these that's what the power is, 745 00:45:12,000 --> 00:45:15,120 Speaker 1: you know. It's how often do we see this? Again? 746 00:45:15,160 --> 00:45:17,319 Speaker 1: A lot of TV shows that we watch now where 747 00:45:17,400 --> 00:45:20,400 Speaker 1: the servants you know, have all the info, they know 748 00:45:20,560 --> 00:45:23,480 Speaker 1: the dirt. Hell, yeah, get on their side, you get 749 00:45:23,560 --> 00:45:26,719 Speaker 1: what you need. It's very true, very true. That's still 750 00:45:26,760 --> 00:45:28,840 Speaker 1: true honestly. I mean, if you think about being a 751 00:45:28,920 --> 00:45:31,360 Speaker 1: server or something like how often you go to like 752 00:45:31,440 --> 00:45:34,320 Speaker 1: a fancy party at a hotel or whatever. If you know, 753 00:45:34,560 --> 00:45:37,400 Speaker 1: the server or the maitre d you know, like whoever 754 00:45:37,560 --> 00:45:39,319 Speaker 1: is in charge, you can get back wherever you need 755 00:45:39,360 --> 00:45:41,120 Speaker 1: to go. I don't thank you where you need to go. 756 00:45:41,400 --> 00:45:43,759 Speaker 1: You were working a catering gig and you came back 757 00:45:43,960 --> 00:45:46,120 Speaker 1: and you said, hey, I just guess what I heard 758 00:45:46,400 --> 00:45:50,120 Speaker 1: Chap X out Bob Iger's coming back. And I was like, damn, 759 00:45:50,160 --> 00:45:54,680 Speaker 1: you heard that. I heard the call. Well, concert Wo 760 00:45:55,040 --> 00:45:58,160 Speaker 1: now had a really good player in her pocket in Linfu, 761 00:45:58,360 --> 00:46:01,400 Speaker 1: and she started advising him him on who he should 762 00:46:01,440 --> 00:46:04,239 Speaker 1: support that could later help him out. So he would like, 763 00:46:04,600 --> 00:46:07,399 Speaker 1: go recommend some minister to be appointed that she gave 764 00:46:07,480 --> 00:46:09,879 Speaker 1: him my heads up on, and then later that person 765 00:46:09,960 --> 00:46:12,480 Speaker 1: would remember him and say, oh, yeah, you you spoke 766 00:46:12,560 --> 00:46:14,440 Speaker 1: up for me when it came down to my nomination. 767 00:46:15,120 --> 00:46:18,200 Speaker 1: Maybe I owe you a little favor. The world is 768 00:46:18,239 --> 00:46:22,080 Speaker 1: built on little favor. Oh exactly. It was a long game, 769 00:46:22,560 --> 00:46:25,719 Speaker 1: but by the mid seven thirties, lin Fu is close 770 00:46:25,840 --> 00:46:28,360 Speaker 1: enough to Emperor jue Song that he was able to 771 00:46:28,440 --> 00:46:32,399 Speaker 1: just flatter the guy constantly. Oh Emperor, oh, you smell 772 00:46:32,560 --> 00:46:36,480 Speaker 1: so nice today. That was a very good decision. Emperor, Oh, 773 00:46:36,600 --> 00:46:41,640 Speaker 1: I love the way you wear your shoes. Whatever, it took. 774 00:46:43,480 --> 00:46:47,759 Speaker 1: Blattery will get you everywhere, especially with one's song, and 775 00:46:48,000 --> 00:46:52,319 Speaker 1: between this and Consort Wose influence, Lin Fu became one 776 00:46:52,360 --> 00:46:56,719 Speaker 1: of the emperor's favored advisers. Now it was all about 777 00:46:56,760 --> 00:47:00,239 Speaker 1: convincing him to switch his airs. And then in year 778 00:47:00,320 --> 00:47:05,200 Speaker 1: seven thirty six, the perfect situation arose. Lie Ying met 779 00:47:05,320 --> 00:47:08,440 Speaker 1: up with two of his brothers, Lee Yao and Lee Jew, 780 00:47:08,600 --> 00:47:12,920 Speaker 1: who were both princes born of two different consorts. Together 781 00:47:13,120 --> 00:47:16,759 Speaker 1: they started talking shit about how their mothers, who were 782 00:47:16,800 --> 00:47:21,120 Speaker 1: all at different times favored consorts of the Emperor, had 783 00:47:21,440 --> 00:47:25,640 Speaker 1: all lost favor to this consort Wou. Lady. You know, 784 00:47:25,760 --> 00:47:31,200 Speaker 1: basically they're like man Dad's new girlfriend sucks, like pretty 785 00:47:31,239 --> 00:47:34,800 Speaker 1: harmless stuff. But this guy Young Hi, who was a 786 00:47:34,920 --> 00:47:38,719 Speaker 1: male consort for one of Consort Wo's princess daughters and 787 00:47:38,840 --> 00:47:43,520 Speaker 1: a total wet blindness, overheard them and he goes running too. 788 00:47:43,600 --> 00:47:46,839 Speaker 1: Consert Woo telling her all about it, she probably had 789 00:47:46,880 --> 00:47:51,080 Speaker 1: to hide the biggest smile of her life. She's like, 790 00:47:51,320 --> 00:47:54,719 Speaker 1: finally my time has gone. She called Lie Ying to 791 00:47:54,840 --> 00:47:58,640 Speaker 1: come before her and the Emperor. As soon as Ying 792 00:47:58,880 --> 00:48:02,880 Speaker 1: walked in, she burst into tears and starts yelling at 793 00:48:03,000 --> 00:48:06,680 Speaker 1: him like all dramatic, like, you know, it's one thing 794 00:48:06,840 --> 00:48:11,680 Speaker 1: to insult me. I'm used to it, But in doing so, 795 00:48:11,920 --> 00:48:15,880 Speaker 1: you've defamed your father, the emperor. I just don't know 796 00:48:16,160 --> 00:48:22,960 Speaker 1: how we could move forward from this actual age. Oh wow, 797 00:48:23,120 --> 00:48:26,960 Speaker 1: you are too good at this. In another time it plays, 798 00:48:28,680 --> 00:48:31,879 Speaker 1: I might have been a consort, you could have really 799 00:48:32,120 --> 00:48:35,719 Speaker 1: been the power behind the throne. Doubtful. I feel like 800 00:48:35,719 --> 00:48:37,680 Speaker 1: I'd be one of those consorts who's like, I'm just 801 00:48:37,760 --> 00:48:41,440 Speaker 1: gonna like hang out and clean things or whatever. You'll enjoy. 802 00:48:41,960 --> 00:48:44,000 Speaker 1: It depends if you got bored enough for not because 803 00:48:44,080 --> 00:48:46,839 Speaker 1: like you know, I don't think you've I don't think 804 00:48:46,880 --> 00:48:48,640 Speaker 1: you would have felt like getting up and doing all 805 00:48:48,680 --> 00:48:51,560 Speaker 1: the work, but not that you're not a hard worker. 806 00:48:51,719 --> 00:48:54,279 Speaker 1: But it would have been worth it. You know. It's 807 00:48:54,280 --> 00:48:56,560 Speaker 1: a lot of responsibility, although you do like taking on 808 00:48:56,680 --> 00:49:00,680 Speaker 1: more responsibility than you actually like. That is true, And honestly, 809 00:49:00,800 --> 00:49:02,319 Speaker 1: if it was if I was like, if I could 810 00:49:02,360 --> 00:49:05,359 Speaker 1: convince myself for my son, this is for my son, 811 00:49:06,120 --> 00:49:08,480 Speaker 1: could have China, Like, I probably would do a bunch 812 00:49:08,520 --> 00:49:10,439 Speaker 1: of crazy ship if it's just for me, I would 813 00:49:10,520 --> 00:49:12,880 Speaker 1: not bother. That's true. You do not take care of yourself. 814 00:49:12,880 --> 00:49:15,000 Speaker 1: If I thought it was like a bigger picture situation, 815 00:49:15,080 --> 00:49:18,560 Speaker 1: I could probably do all kinds of weird shit. Well, okay, 816 00:49:18,719 --> 00:49:22,600 Speaker 1: so Empress one Song is super mad about this. You know, 817 00:49:22,840 --> 00:49:26,440 Speaker 1: his son, the crowned Prince, the future of the Empire, 818 00:49:26,719 --> 00:49:30,560 Speaker 1: is out here talking shit about consort, who is supposed 819 00:49:30,600 --> 00:49:33,360 Speaker 1: to be basically be the empress at this point, and 820 00:49:33,600 --> 00:49:38,239 Speaker 1: he considered deposing lee Ying, stripping him of that title consort. Woo. 821 00:49:38,400 --> 00:49:40,600 Speaker 1: Of course she's just like drooling all over herself at 822 00:49:40,600 --> 00:49:42,960 Speaker 1: this point, like, yes, this is it. I can wait, 823 00:49:43,040 --> 00:49:45,879 Speaker 1: We're almost there. I mean, if you think that's the best, 824 00:49:47,000 --> 00:49:51,600 Speaker 1: of course you should. I hate that it's come to that, damn. 825 00:49:52,880 --> 00:49:55,560 Speaker 1: So he's like he's like about to sign the paper. 826 00:49:56,080 --> 00:50:00,680 Speaker 1: But his senior chancellor, Jong Xu Ling said, hey, man, look, 827 00:50:01,320 --> 00:50:03,840 Speaker 1: I'm going back through the history books here, and every 828 00:50:03,960 --> 00:50:07,600 Speaker 1: time a crown prince gets replaced, the empire ended up 829 00:50:07,640 --> 00:50:10,560 Speaker 1: taking a serious hit. It's not a good move. We're 830 00:50:10,600 --> 00:50:14,080 Speaker 1: always like, we're losing states. There's a lot of people fighting. 831 00:50:14,360 --> 00:50:17,160 Speaker 1: It gets ugly. It's a bad idea. So I think 832 00:50:17,200 --> 00:50:20,960 Speaker 1: we should stick with what we got. So John managed 833 00:50:21,000 --> 00:50:24,279 Speaker 1: to keep le Ying in the line of succession, which, 834 00:50:24,320 --> 00:50:27,440 Speaker 1: of course meant that leland Fou had to get rid 835 00:50:27,480 --> 00:50:31,120 Speaker 1: of John oh Man, he put himself on the crossfire. 836 00:50:31,280 --> 00:50:34,560 Speaker 1: Oh my god. And within a year and through some 837 00:50:34,760 --> 00:50:37,480 Speaker 1: very complicated schemer that I swear to you could play 838 00:50:37,520 --> 00:50:39,520 Speaker 1: out as an entire season art on this show we're 839 00:50:39,560 --> 00:50:43,600 Speaker 1: talking about. Look into this history between leland Fu and 840 00:50:44,480 --> 00:50:48,040 Speaker 1: and Jong Ju Lin because it's wild, it's so schemy, 841 00:50:48,239 --> 00:50:52,319 Speaker 1: it's such good soap opera drama stuff. Um. But at 842 00:50:52,360 --> 00:50:55,600 Speaker 1: the end of it, leland Fu managed to accuse Jong 843 00:50:55,800 --> 00:50:59,919 Speaker 1: of factionalism, and the emperor demoted him. And this moment 844 00:51:00,040 --> 00:51:04,480 Speaker 1: mint him demoting Jong is believed to be the beginning 845 00:51:04,680 --> 00:51:08,880 Speaker 1: of the downfall of shuan Song's reign, crumbling from its 846 00:51:08,960 --> 00:51:14,279 Speaker 1: once golden age. Historians Seema Guang wrote quote, after Jong 847 00:51:14,400 --> 00:51:18,200 Speaker 1: Ju Ling was demoted, officials were all concerned about keeping 848 00:51:18,239 --> 00:51:22,680 Speaker 1: their positions, and honest words no longer had a place 849 00:51:22,960 --> 00:51:26,839 Speaker 1: in government. And we've seen what happens when honest words 850 00:51:26,880 --> 00:51:28,920 Speaker 1: no longer have a place in government. Let this be 851 00:51:29,000 --> 00:51:31,640 Speaker 1: a cautionary tale, but it won't because it already happens. 852 00:51:31,920 --> 00:51:36,000 Speaker 1: They learned anything just keeps happening. Honestly, I don't think 853 00:51:36,040 --> 00:51:38,520 Speaker 1: it's ever stopped happening. It's been happening since the dawn 854 00:51:38,560 --> 00:51:41,919 Speaker 1: of time. True, very true, but this got particularly ugly 855 00:51:41,960 --> 00:51:44,640 Speaker 1: at this point. Just couldn't trust anybody anymore. Well, Woo 856 00:51:45,000 --> 00:51:48,520 Speaker 1: and lyn Fu had everything in place, and in seven 857 00:51:48,600 --> 00:51:52,279 Speaker 1: thirty seven they made their big move. Wu sent a 858 00:51:52,360 --> 00:51:55,240 Speaker 1: message to Lie Ying and his the same two brothers 859 00:51:55,280 --> 00:51:58,680 Speaker 1: who were talking about her before, and said, quote, there 860 00:51:58,719 --> 00:52:01,759 Speaker 1: are bandits in the palace, please report at once in 861 00:52:01,920 --> 00:52:05,319 Speaker 1: full armor. So all three men stowed it up. They 862 00:52:05,440 --> 00:52:08,680 Speaker 1: charged into the palace, hundreds of warriors behind them, riddy 863 00:52:08,719 --> 00:52:13,840 Speaker 1: to fight. And guess what concert. Wu went straight to 864 00:52:13,920 --> 00:52:17,400 Speaker 1: the emperor like, oh my god, your three crazy sons 865 00:52:17,440 --> 00:52:21,719 Speaker 1: are back. They're trying to do what treason? And he 866 00:52:21,840 --> 00:52:25,000 Speaker 1: asks his unix, who are like yeah, they they're definitely 867 00:52:25,080 --> 00:52:28,360 Speaker 1: here there in full armors, swinging their swords around. So 868 00:52:28,560 --> 00:52:31,200 Speaker 1: young we the same wet blanket who rat it on 869 00:52:31,280 --> 00:52:34,680 Speaker 1: them for talking shit about concert will last year's Like wow, 870 00:52:35,239 --> 00:52:40,359 Speaker 1: formal accusation of treason against those three. So schwant Song 871 00:52:40,800 --> 00:52:42,920 Speaker 1: heard all this and he ordered the royal guards to 872 00:52:43,080 --> 00:52:46,120 Speaker 1: disarm the three princes and their armies. And the three 873 00:52:46,200 --> 00:52:48,960 Speaker 1: princes are getting you know, just rammed into the corner. 874 00:52:49,040 --> 00:52:52,200 Speaker 1: All their swords are getting taken away, and they're shouting like, no, 875 00:52:52,640 --> 00:52:55,160 Speaker 1: you're we're being wronged. Let me speak to my father, 876 00:52:55,280 --> 00:52:57,960 Speaker 1: Let me speak to my father. But Woo's allies kept 877 00:52:58,040 --> 00:53:02,799 Speaker 1: them silenced. Chuan's on consulted with his chancellors. But of course, 878 00:53:03,200 --> 00:53:06,040 Speaker 1: guess who was the most powerful dude in court right now, 879 00:53:06,840 --> 00:53:11,400 Speaker 1: Lee Lynn Fu Well Lin Fu turns the Emperor, who's 880 00:53:11,400 --> 00:53:14,360 Speaker 1: facing this very difficult decision about what to do, and 881 00:53:14,440 --> 00:53:19,240 Speaker 1: he said, quote, this is your Imperial Majesty's family matter. 882 00:53:19,920 --> 00:53:24,160 Speaker 1: We will not interfere, oh, which is so tricky because 883 00:53:24,239 --> 00:53:28,720 Speaker 1: he's basically saying, like, hey, Emperor, if your family matters 884 00:53:28,800 --> 00:53:31,640 Speaker 1: to you more than the empire, I am not going 885 00:53:31,680 --> 00:53:34,320 Speaker 1: to get involved. Like you totally make that decision for 886 00:53:34,400 --> 00:53:37,400 Speaker 1: yourself if you want to favor them over you know, 887 00:53:37,800 --> 00:53:42,120 Speaker 1: this whole treason accusation that's on you. So he's basically 888 00:53:42,200 --> 00:53:45,000 Speaker 1: making it so he has to do something about it. 889 00:53:46,000 --> 00:53:50,520 Speaker 1: It's so gross. He's such a like grima worm tongue, 890 00:53:51,880 --> 00:53:55,839 Speaker 1: like that little finger. Yeah, like I just whispering things 891 00:53:55,960 --> 00:53:58,759 Speaker 1: to the king and making him do shit. And so 892 00:53:59,280 --> 00:54:03,000 Speaker 1: without speaking King to the princes, he deposed all three 893 00:54:04,000 --> 00:54:08,840 Speaker 1: stripped them of their powers and ordered their deaths by suicide. No, 894 00:54:09,239 --> 00:54:14,080 Speaker 1: not all three of his sons. Sad I'm a little 895 00:54:14,160 --> 00:54:17,400 Speaker 1: maddish one song. It feels like he's kind of got 896 00:54:17,480 --> 00:54:19,360 Speaker 1: his head up his ass to the end of his 897 00:54:19,520 --> 00:54:22,160 Speaker 1: reign here. They've really later part of his reign here. 898 00:54:22,440 --> 00:54:26,239 Speaker 1: There's definitely like you can't not blame him for making 899 00:54:26,280 --> 00:54:28,400 Speaker 1: all these terrible decisions that he made, but he is 900 00:54:28,440 --> 00:54:31,960 Speaker 1: also like being so hardcore manipulated right now. But he's 901 00:54:32,000 --> 00:54:33,919 Speaker 1: fallen for it too. I mean, there's there's an element 902 00:54:33,960 --> 00:54:36,120 Speaker 1: of it that's like willingly that that is. I guess 903 00:54:36,160 --> 00:54:38,560 Speaker 1: that's where I get a little mad, because I'm like, 904 00:54:38,719 --> 00:54:43,320 Speaker 1: surely it isn't that part of being a king, queen, emperor, president, whatever. 905 00:54:43,840 --> 00:54:45,719 Speaker 1: People are going to try to manipulate you to their 906 00:54:45,760 --> 00:54:48,680 Speaker 1: own ends, and you need to have a strong enough 907 00:54:49,760 --> 00:54:53,520 Speaker 1: sense of yourself and whatever that you can not play 908 00:54:53,600 --> 00:54:57,000 Speaker 1: into their hands. But you know, as you say that 909 00:54:57,200 --> 00:54:59,960 Speaker 1: he's got all these people run around, he probably does 910 00:55:00,000 --> 00:55:02,880 Speaker 1: that know half of anything that's going on, right, and 911 00:55:03,000 --> 00:55:04,759 Speaker 1: they're so good at it. It's one of those things 912 00:55:04,840 --> 00:55:07,040 Speaker 1: too where it's like, well, yeah, he could go out 913 00:55:07,120 --> 00:55:10,200 Speaker 1: and protect his son, but after everyone has said all 914 00:55:10,239 --> 00:55:13,439 Speaker 1: the things they said. Does that not look like he's 915 00:55:13,480 --> 00:55:17,080 Speaker 1: ignoring his advisors and just doing, you know, treating putting 916 00:55:17,120 --> 00:55:20,440 Speaker 1: his family first, which an emperor can't do. There's some 917 00:55:20,440 --> 00:55:22,080 Speaker 1: I don't want to get too spoiler early, but it 918 00:55:22,200 --> 00:55:24,719 Speaker 1: reminds me of some of the stuff in towards the 919 00:55:24,880 --> 00:55:26,880 Speaker 1: end of House of the Dragon in the first season. 920 00:55:27,000 --> 00:55:28,719 Speaker 1: Not to just bring it back the Game of Thrones again, 921 00:55:28,800 --> 00:55:32,960 Speaker 1: but but similar kind of stuff where you know, she 922 00:55:33,120 --> 00:55:36,160 Speaker 1: had a decision to make and once someone said, hey, 923 00:55:36,400 --> 00:55:39,560 Speaker 1: let me do it. Uh, you know, she couldn't say 924 00:55:39,640 --> 00:55:41,600 Speaker 1: no because then it looked like she was protecting her 925 00:55:41,640 --> 00:55:44,600 Speaker 1: family and not being a strong ruler. So even though 926 00:55:44,640 --> 00:55:47,080 Speaker 1: it was definitely the wrong decision, she wasn't really able 927 00:55:47,120 --> 00:55:49,640 Speaker 1: to make the right one without looking bad. I think 928 00:55:49,680 --> 00:55:51,360 Speaker 1: there's some of that in there too, but he's definitely 929 00:55:51,480 --> 00:55:55,600 Speaker 1: is not blameless in this well. Unfortunately, due to his 930 00:55:56,280 --> 00:56:00,920 Speaker 1: stupid decisions, the Crown Prince is now dead, so of worse, Immediately, 931 00:56:01,160 --> 00:56:04,719 Speaker 1: Consort Woo and Leland Foo start dropping hints that her 932 00:56:04,880 --> 00:56:08,000 Speaker 1: son Lee Mao should probably go ahead and be the 933 00:56:08,080 --> 00:56:11,160 Speaker 1: crowned Prince. I mean, he's standing right here, why not? 934 00:56:12,880 --> 00:56:16,960 Speaker 1: But Schwan Song was pretty depressed by all this, which 935 00:56:17,600 --> 00:56:20,520 Speaker 1: why not three of his sons are dead his favorite 936 00:56:20,560 --> 00:56:23,880 Speaker 1: wife died years ago. Like he's making the bad choices, 937 00:56:24,440 --> 00:56:27,040 Speaker 1: so he didn't rush into any decisions about his air. 938 00:56:27,920 --> 00:56:31,200 Speaker 1: Over the next few months, it said that Consort Woo 939 00:56:31,880 --> 00:56:36,439 Speaker 1: was haunted by visions of the three princes, and later 940 00:56:36,560 --> 00:56:40,759 Speaker 1: that year, only in her forties, she became inexplicably ill. 941 00:56:41,680 --> 00:56:46,520 Speaker 1: In December she passed away, and many say she died 942 00:56:46,719 --> 00:56:51,480 Speaker 1: of fright. Wow, she got that ghost sickness. She had 943 00:56:51,480 --> 00:56:54,160 Speaker 1: a dream where they were like, oh, one to three 944 00:56:54,520 --> 00:56:57,760 Speaker 1: Princess Aura before you, and then she had a second 945 00:56:57,800 --> 00:56:59,799 Speaker 1: their head. Every day after that, she's like, just kill 946 00:56:59,880 --> 00:57:05,160 Speaker 1: me now. Oh no, I'll never get three princes out 947 00:57:05,200 --> 00:57:09,000 Speaker 1: of my head. Well this was a real kick in 948 00:57:09,040 --> 00:57:13,200 Speaker 1: the pants to all Lynn Fu, because without consort who's backing, 949 00:57:13,640 --> 00:57:17,000 Speaker 1: his machinations became more obvious and he started to fall 950 00:57:17,040 --> 00:57:22,439 Speaker 1: for the emperor's favor. Chuan Song posthumously honored Consort Wou 951 00:57:22,920 --> 00:57:27,320 Speaker 1: by naming her Empress jen Shun, which means the virtuous 952 00:57:27,520 --> 00:57:34,520 Speaker 1: and serene Empress. That is hilarious. He says that in 953 00:57:34,600 --> 00:57:41,360 Speaker 1: someone at court is like I feel like he turned 954 00:57:41,360 --> 00:57:42,880 Speaker 1: to them and he's like, what would be the funniest 955 00:57:42,960 --> 00:57:45,520 Speaker 1: possible thing we could name? This is part of it too, 956 00:57:45,520 --> 00:57:47,920 Speaker 1: because I'm like, it's almost a bigger diss that he 957 00:57:48,000 --> 00:57:51,360 Speaker 1: named her empress after she died. I mean, it wasn't 958 00:57:51,440 --> 00:57:53,800 Speaker 1: because back then, like this was definitely an honor to 959 00:57:53,880 --> 00:57:56,120 Speaker 1: have your family, you know, you have your name in 960 00:57:56,200 --> 00:58:00,120 Speaker 1: the books forever. I mean her Wikipedia page now is 961 00:58:00,200 --> 00:58:04,120 Speaker 1: under the name Empress jen Shun not not Constance woos 962 00:58:04,200 --> 00:58:08,680 Speaker 1: so Um. But but still it does feel like kind 963 00:58:08,680 --> 00:58:10,840 Speaker 1: of a dig, like, Okay, now I'll make you empress 964 00:58:10,880 --> 00:58:14,600 Speaker 1: now that you did, and I'll call you virtuous and serene, 965 00:58:15,640 --> 00:58:22,120 Speaker 1: right sarcasm, It's a backslash s stream sarcasm. But even 966 00:58:22,160 --> 00:58:24,520 Speaker 1: though he named her empress, he was pretty sore about 967 00:58:24,520 --> 00:58:27,400 Speaker 1: everything that went down with his sons, and he refused 968 00:58:27,440 --> 00:58:30,440 Speaker 1: to put any official state mourning periods in place for 969 00:58:30,640 --> 00:58:33,080 Speaker 1: her death, and everyone was like, do you we didn't 970 00:58:33,080 --> 00:58:36,400 Speaker 1: want to mourn her. Yeah, So I mean speculation station. Again, 971 00:58:36,480 --> 00:58:38,680 Speaker 1: it feels like this is kind of a this is 972 00:58:38,760 --> 00:58:40,800 Speaker 1: kind of a dig, like he was not really honoring her. 973 00:58:40,880 --> 00:58:43,880 Speaker 1: He was kind of acknowledging that he was piste off 974 00:58:44,200 --> 00:58:47,600 Speaker 1: how she treated him. When Lee maw her son was 975 00:58:47,760 --> 00:58:51,240 Speaker 1: once again suggested as the heir to the throne, the 976 00:58:51,320 --> 00:58:54,440 Speaker 1: emperor said, you know what, no, I'm not doing it. 977 00:58:55,200 --> 00:58:57,640 Speaker 1: Put my foot down. I know who my heir is. 978 00:58:58,400 --> 00:59:02,240 Speaker 1: It's my boy Lee Sash, the stew baby who was 979 00:59:02,360 --> 00:59:05,919 Speaker 1: raised by me and Empress Wang. He's real smart, he's 980 00:59:05,960 --> 00:59:09,400 Speaker 1: real savvy. I like him. I'm making him a crown 981 00:59:09,480 --> 00:59:12,240 Speaker 1: prince and heir to the throne. And he was crowned 982 00:59:12,280 --> 00:59:17,440 Speaker 1: in seven Nice there you go, say, hold out true 983 00:59:17,560 --> 00:59:21,280 Speaker 1: and the best decision that has made in many years 984 00:59:21,320 --> 00:59:25,760 Speaker 1: many It sort of makes me feel like Empress Wog 985 00:59:26,440 --> 00:59:30,280 Speaker 1: was even more instrumental than people say, because after she died, 986 00:59:30,440 --> 00:59:32,800 Speaker 1: he immediately was like kind of doing some dumb ship. 987 00:59:33,240 --> 00:59:36,240 Speaker 1: It's like clearly she was there being like babe, what no, 988 00:59:36,760 --> 00:59:41,440 Speaker 1: let's do this insteady. Now, after he crowned Saschung Juan 989 00:59:41,560 --> 00:59:45,280 Speaker 1: Song really started to slip. It said that he brought 990 00:59:45,560 --> 00:59:48,920 Speaker 1: tens of thousands of beautiful women into his palace to 991 00:59:49,000 --> 00:59:52,720 Speaker 1: please him, and many of them were never allowed to leave. 992 00:59:53,120 --> 00:59:57,160 Speaker 1: Pretty creepy. But then he met young Guife who would 993 00:59:57,240 --> 01:00:00,520 Speaker 1: capture his heart for the rest of his life. But 994 01:00:01,080 --> 01:00:04,600 Speaker 1: that distracted him from his duties and left a power 995 01:00:04,720 --> 01:00:09,600 Speaker 1: vacuum that our friend Leland Fou was all too happy 996 01:00:09,720 --> 01:00:14,440 Speaker 1: to that guy. That all ended in tragedy and was 997 01:00:14,560 --> 01:00:18,400 Speaker 1: documented in a poem called a Song of Everlasting Sorrow, 998 01:00:19,160 --> 01:00:23,400 Speaker 1: and we will hear all about that in our next episode. God, 999 01:00:23,480 --> 01:00:25,760 Speaker 1: there's so much more, isn't that what you wanted to 1000 01:00:25,840 --> 01:00:28,640 Speaker 1: start with the song of Everlasting Sorry? Yeah, I found 1001 01:00:28,680 --> 01:00:30,840 Speaker 1: the Song of Everlasting Sorrow and was like, oh, here's 1002 01:00:30,840 --> 01:00:34,120 Speaker 1: a cool story. And then I found all this this 1003 01:00:34,280 --> 01:00:37,280 Speaker 1: concert Woo and Prince and Empress Wong and all this stuff. 1004 01:00:37,360 --> 01:00:40,000 Speaker 1: Is there's so much leading up to it that it 1005 01:00:40,120 --> 01:00:42,760 Speaker 1: had to be a prequel episode, basically when you did 1006 01:00:42,840 --> 01:00:44,960 Speaker 1: Calico Jack and you found out that whole thing about 1007 01:00:45,200 --> 01:00:49,800 Speaker 1: oh his parents, parents and their spoons situation. I love 1008 01:00:49,880 --> 01:00:52,959 Speaker 1: when one story leads to another, like yeah, it's so great, 1009 01:00:53,040 --> 01:00:56,120 Speaker 1: and this one is like, it's the same guy but 1010 01:00:56,280 --> 01:00:59,840 Speaker 1: everyone else while Leland Fu is coming back, of course 1011 01:01:00,040 --> 01:01:03,400 Speaker 1: to I guess he's the villain of the week um 1012 01:01:03,520 --> 01:01:05,680 Speaker 1: and he will be back to cause a lot of trouble. 1013 01:01:06,320 --> 01:01:09,160 Speaker 1: And it's just so interesting to see that period. Like 1014 01:01:09,240 --> 01:01:14,320 Speaker 1: we said, when Leland Food got jung Uh demoted. I mean, 1015 01:01:14,400 --> 01:01:16,960 Speaker 1: there are many places where things started to go downhill, 1016 01:01:17,080 --> 01:01:19,000 Speaker 1: but that was really the lynch pin where it just 1017 01:01:19,160 --> 01:01:21,479 Speaker 1: it was never coming back after that, and the Talent 1018 01:01:21,560 --> 01:01:26,680 Speaker 1: dynasty never really uh ascended to its heights again. Well, 1019 01:01:26,720 --> 01:01:28,920 Speaker 1: and you see it, like they said, he got rid 1020 01:01:28,960 --> 01:01:30,480 Speaker 1: of all the people who would just paying to be 1021 01:01:30,600 --> 01:01:33,920 Speaker 1: there for for power and position, and things were going 1022 01:01:34,000 --> 01:01:37,000 Speaker 1: great because you actually had people who knew what they 1023 01:01:37,040 --> 01:01:39,680 Speaker 1: were doing, wanted the same things as you, like all 1024 01:01:39,760 --> 01:01:43,320 Speaker 1: that sort of thing, wanted what was best. And then 1025 01:01:43,760 --> 01:01:45,920 Speaker 1: the minute you turn it over to people who were 1026 01:01:46,000 --> 01:01:48,960 Speaker 1: just looking out for themselves, that's when everything starts crumbling. 1027 01:01:49,960 --> 01:01:51,800 Speaker 1: It's like one of the easiest things to see and 1028 01:01:51,880 --> 01:01:53,840 Speaker 1: one of the hardest things to do. I guess if 1029 01:01:54,240 --> 01:01:56,240 Speaker 1: power is to be like I know exactly how it 1030 01:01:56,240 --> 01:02:00,240 Speaker 1: should go, and people are hard, people are hard, and 1031 01:02:00,280 --> 01:02:04,000 Speaker 1: there's always somebody scheming for power, and sometimes those people 1032 01:02:04,040 --> 01:02:08,000 Speaker 1: are really good at it. Because if you can read people, 1033 01:02:08,120 --> 01:02:09,720 Speaker 1: if you can know how to talk to them and 1034 01:02:09,800 --> 01:02:11,840 Speaker 1: tell them what they want to hear, and if you 1035 01:02:11,880 --> 01:02:13,840 Speaker 1: know how to make promises that you don't necessarily have 1036 01:02:13,960 --> 01:02:18,200 Speaker 1: to deliver on, you get a lot done. Some call 1037 01:02:18,280 --> 01:02:24,400 Speaker 1: it lying um the names should be Liland Food. Take 1038 01:02:24,520 --> 01:02:30,560 Speaker 1: that just from centuries later. He's like, but you're still 1039 01:02:30,640 --> 01:02:36,520 Speaker 1: saying my name r Q, bitch. I guess we are. Yeah. Yeah, 1040 01:02:37,480 --> 01:02:41,600 Speaker 1: what if what today right now, in this room, in 1041 01:02:41,720 --> 01:02:47,240 Speaker 1: our lives would be different if Leland Food didn't sucks 1042 01:02:47,280 --> 01:02:51,040 Speaker 1: so bad, you know, or if concert we would never 1043 01:02:51,120 --> 01:02:54,240 Speaker 1: come along, or if he gave the stew to that 1044 01:02:54,960 --> 01:02:59,360 Speaker 1: to his consort and Lisa Shung wasn't born. I love 1045 01:02:59,440 --> 01:03:01,320 Speaker 1: those little things, and I mean I don't love them, 1046 01:03:01,440 --> 01:03:04,200 Speaker 1: but I'm fascinated by those parts of history where like 1047 01:03:04,560 --> 01:03:07,000 Speaker 1: this one, dude, I mean, it really shows you one 1048 01:03:07,040 --> 01:03:10,280 Speaker 1: person can make such a difference, because you know, China 1049 01:03:10,400 --> 01:03:12,560 Speaker 1: might be a completely different country today, which of course 1050 01:03:12,600 --> 01:03:15,080 Speaker 1: would mean the world is a completely different place today 1051 01:03:16,000 --> 01:03:19,240 Speaker 1: had this one little dick not come in to screw 1052 01:03:19,320 --> 01:03:25,080 Speaker 1: things up for everyone, little dick. I love this stuff 1053 01:03:25,080 --> 01:03:28,000 Speaker 1: and I can't wait for the next episode. Chinese history 1054 01:03:28,160 --> 01:03:32,480 Speaker 1: is so rich, oh my god, with this kind of stuff, 1055 01:03:32,520 --> 01:03:35,120 Speaker 1: because of course it goes on, it goes back so long, 1056 01:03:35,920 --> 01:03:40,080 Speaker 1: but and it's so meticulously recorded. But like you said, 1057 01:03:40,200 --> 01:03:43,720 Speaker 1: so much soap oppera Shenanigan's happening. It's just like insane. 1058 01:03:44,960 --> 01:03:47,439 Speaker 1: It's true of so many royal families. And then what's 1059 01:03:47,480 --> 01:03:49,720 Speaker 1: interesting is like when you we've seen this on this show, 1060 01:03:49,760 --> 01:03:52,120 Speaker 1: when you get down into just like a regular as 1061 01:03:52,280 --> 01:03:55,160 Speaker 1: person's household, some of this stuff is just as dramatic 1062 01:03:55,560 --> 01:03:58,280 Speaker 1: on such a smaller scale, but it's just as rich 1063 01:03:58,360 --> 01:04:01,040 Speaker 1: and interesting. But there is something about it when it's 1064 01:04:01,080 --> 01:04:04,680 Speaker 1: in these palaces with all these you know, the consequences. 1065 01:04:05,000 --> 01:04:08,280 Speaker 1: The states are so high when you're literally talking about 1066 01:04:08,280 --> 01:04:11,520 Speaker 1: a world power and and two people like trying to 1067 01:04:11,680 --> 01:04:14,640 Speaker 1: undermine each other for it. Right, concert WU is out 1068 01:04:14,680 --> 01:04:17,520 Speaker 1: here like this is for me and everyone else is 1069 01:04:17,600 --> 01:04:23,120 Speaker 1: like no bit changes everything for everyone? Right. I love it. 1070 01:04:23,920 --> 01:04:25,880 Speaker 1: We hope you loved it too. You'll have to let 1071 01:04:26,000 --> 01:04:29,600 Speaker 1: us know. Please do reach out. Our email addresses ridic 1072 01:04:29,840 --> 01:04:32,240 Speaker 1: Romance at gmail dot com. That's right, or you can 1073 01:04:32,320 --> 01:04:35,080 Speaker 1: find us on Twitter and Instagram. I'm at Oh Great, 1074 01:04:35,160 --> 01:04:38,120 Speaker 1: it's Eli, I'm at Danamite Boom, and the show is 1075 01:04:38,200 --> 01:04:42,200 Speaker 1: at dict Romance. Follow along. We love hearing from y'all. 1076 01:04:42,400 --> 01:04:45,520 Speaker 1: Whatever you got to say, send it our way. Throw 1077 01:04:45,640 --> 01:04:48,720 Speaker 1: us a rating on Apple podcast. It really helps people 1078 01:04:48,840 --> 01:04:53,760 Speaker 1: discover us and start listening. And I guess until next time, 1079 01:04:54,000 --> 01:04:57,400 Speaker 1: We'll see you the next one. Love you so long. Friends, 1080 01:04:57,520 --> 01:05:01,160 Speaker 1: it's time to go. Thanks so listening to our show. 1081 01:05:01,720 --> 01:05:04,800 Speaker 1: Tell your friends, neighbor's uncles, and dance to listen to 1082 01:05:04,960 --> 01:05:09,800 Speaker 1: a show ridiculous Well dance m hm