What Chinese Emperors Did to Their Concubines Was Erased From History

The imperial concubine system of China lasted over 2,000 years. Tens of thousands of women disappeared behind the red walls of the Forbidden City—selected by force, stripped of their identities, and treated as property of the emperor. In 1421, Emperor Yongle ordered the execution of 2,800 women in a single night. The Ming court erased the event from official records. But testimonies preserved in Korean diplomatic archives tell a different story.