After you asked I went and looked it up again and apparently I got it wrong, emperor ai was the emperor who did the cut sleeves thing and he didn’t abandon his lover, he actually loved him wayyy too much and almost abdicated the throne to him, but he died early and his his male love was dismissed from all of his positions after his death and committed suicide.
Oh thank god but also still sad. Damn, and did the male concubine love him back or just for the status? I hope it was mutual. Aw, what a sad bitter ending for the male lover. What was the cause of death for emperor?
And why was male lover dismissed from his positions? Couldn’t the emperor make sure the lover was respected even after death? That’s insanely disrespectful. I assume it’s cause he’s a male.
The cut sleeves thing is a real thing a Chinese emperor did back in the day with his male concubine, but after he grew old and his looks faded the emperor dumped him.