C: Chinese Princess Changping 中国公主昌平

Chinese Princess Changping is named for Princess Changping, one of the last princesses of the Ming Dynasty. 中国公主昌平的名字来源于明朝最后一位公主之一的昌平公主。

Her story isn’t a happy one. However, I chose her because of how popular she is and how many shows and books her short life inspired. 她的故事并不美好。但我选择她，是因为她非常受欢迎，而且她短暂的一生启发了无数的影视作品和书籍。

Changping’s parents were the emperor and empress of the Ming Dynasty. She was born in Beijing on May 2, 1630 BC. Her birth name was Zhu Meichuo. The young princess had a fairly good childhood. Her parents loved her, her three brothers, and her sister. Their mom made sure they had a wonderful education.  昌平的父母是明朝皇帝和皇后。她于公元前1630年5月2日出生于北京，原名朱美初。这位小公主的童年相当幸福美满。她的父母疼爱她、她的三个兄弟和一个妹妹。他们的母亲也尽心尽力地为他们提供良好的教育。

In 1644, When Zhu Meichuo turned 14 years old, her whole life changed. She was given her royal name, Princess Changping, and arranged to be married to a military officer named Zhou Xian. Many stories like to focus on the love and marriage between these two. However, their wedding didn’t happen right away. Before that day arrived, the Imperial Palace was attacked. Changping’s arm was hurt, and she fainted. The enemies thought she was dead. 1644年，朱美初十四岁那年，她的人生发生了翻天覆地的变化。她被赐予皇位，取名昌平公主，并被许配给一位名叫周显的武士。许多故事都着重描写了这对恋人的爱情和婚姻。然而，他们的婚礼并没有立刻举行。婚礼前夕，皇宫遭到袭击。昌平公主手臂受伤，昏迷过去。敌人以为她已经身亡。

But Changping lived. He Xin, a palace eunuch, found the young princess and hid her while she healed. A year later, Changping came out of hiding and asked the emperor of the new Qing Dynasty to let her become a nun. After losing her family, Changping was so sad she didn’t think she’d ever be happy again. But the new emperor told her that she needed to move forward and marry the man she’d been betrothed to. He even gave them a lot of money, land, and a mansion. With all the wealth she’d been given, Changping still missed her family. In 1647 BC, when she was just seventeen years old, Changping became very sick. She died on September 26. 

One of the most well-known stories about Changping is a Chinese Opera called The Flower Princess. Other versions of her life describe her as a warrior and Buddhist nun. All them show Princess Changping as a beloved princess with a very heartbreaking life. 关于昌平公主最广为人知的故事之一是中国戏曲《花仙子》。其他版本的传说则将她描述为一位女战士和一位佛教尼姑。所有这些版本都将昌平公主描绘成一位深受爱戴、却又命运悲惨的公主。

Summer Palace