When it comes to the most controversial dynasties, there is no doubt that the Qing Dynasty is one of them.
As the last feudal dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing Dynasty occupies a special place on the stage of history. Evaluations of the Qing Dynasty are divided, with people criticizing the Manchus for their seclusion and seclusion, which led to the decline of the state and the suffering of external troubles.
On the other hand, there are also those who believe that the Qing Dynasty was born by coincidence, and that other dynasties will face similar difficulties to a greater or lesser extent. It is undeniable that the late Qing Dynasty was indeed a dark era, with poor people's livelihood, closed thinking, and foreign powers acting recklessly in Middle-earth.
To make matters worse, the selfishness of the ruler, the Empress Dowager Cixi, made the situation worse.
Empress Dowager Cixi ruled the Manchu Qing Dynasty for nearly half a century, and she was full of mystery.
Although she is a thing of the past, we cannot gain insight into her heart and thoughts, but from the words of those around us, we can sketch an image of her under imperial power.
Li Hongzhang was a famous minister in the late Qing Dynasty and one of the people who had close contact with the Empress Dowager Cixi. After he met Cixi for the first time, he said eight words to his son, which today seems to be a sharp evaluation of the Empress Dowager Cixi, and also outlined the image of a feudal ruler.
Empress Dowager Cixi, whose real surname is Yehenara, was a Manchurian nobleman. Her name "Xingzhen" is not common, in fact, her grandfather saw that the apricot blossom tree in the backyard was blooming when she was born, and wanted her to have "the treasure of apricot blossoms".
Empress Dowager Cixi entered the palace at the age of 17 and gradually rose in status. After the death of Emperor Xianfeng, she and Empress Ci'an of the Middle Palace were listed as the empress dowager of the two palaces, and received the name of "Cixi".
After 1881, she gradually seized power and began her political career. Empress Dowager Cixi's reign was fraught with controversy, with some arguing that she stabilized the turbulent situation in the last years of the Qing Dynasty and others criticizing her for bowing to foreign powers and focusing only on her own enjoyment.
During her reign, the imperial court was relatively balanced, avoiding the possibility of the state. The Han people** were also reused, breaking the oppression of the Manchurian Eight Banners aristocracy on the Han Chen.
However, the shortcomings of the Empress Dowager Cixi are also obvious. In the face of the invasion of foreign powers, she disregarded the general interests of the country, only wanted her own safety, and even fled with the emperor.
In the Sino-Japanese First Sino-Japanese War, in order to celebrate her birthday and repair the Summer Palace, she embezzled naval funds, resulting in the poor quality of the Qing army's artillery shells. Cixi's presence contributed to the continuation of the Manchu dynasty, but her actions were detrimental to the whole of China.
She is a typical image of a feudal ruler and a portrayal of the end of the Manchu dynasty. Li Hongzhang was an important figure in the late Qing Dynasty and one of the "Four Famous Ministers of Zhongxing". His sharp evaluation of the Empress Dowager Cixi shows that although Cixi has a certain talent in political struggle, she lacks long-term vision and is a pure "egoist".