Biography of Xiaozhuang

With 300 chapters, this book gives a panoramic view of the legendary life of Empress Xiaozhuangwen (Bumubutai) from her birth on the Horqin Grassland in 1613 to her peaceful death in the Forbidden City in 1688. From the Pearl of the Grassland to the side of Fujin in Shengjing, she learned survival wisdom while dormant in the harem and witnessed the rise of Houjin and the establishment of the Qing Dynasty; after Huang Taiji's sudden death, she turned the tide in the whirlpool of power, promoted Fulin's succession and Dorgon's regency, and cleared the way for the Qing army to enter the country. After Shunzhi came to power, she balanced the conflicts between the Manchus and Han, appeased the Mongolian tribes, and resolved the post-abolition turmoil and the crisis of Dong E's favor. After Shunzhi passed away, she selected Xuan Ye as his successor, assisting the young Kangxi to capture Oboi, pacify the Three Feuds, recover Taiwan, and deal with Tsarist Russia. The wisdom of "not intervening in government but assisting in government" became the core pillar of the stability of the political power in the early Qing Dynasty. The book is based on historical materials, which not only shows Xiaozhuang's strategies and responsibilities as a politician - promoting the integration of Manchu and Han Dynasties, attaching importance to people's livelihood, and consolidating the frontiers, but also depicts her tenderness as a grandmother and woman - teaching the monarch, maintaining the clan, and running the country frugally. From the grasslands to the Central Plains, from a young girl to an empress dowager, her life ran through the key process from chaos to rule in the early Qing Dynasty. Her philosophy of "putting the people first and taking into account the overall situation" not only shaped the foundation of the prosperous ages of Kangxi and Qianlong, but also became a female model of "wisdom and responsibility" in the history of the Chinese nation, leaving a profound historical inspiration for future generations.