As we all know, during the period of feudal society, the supreme ruler lived in great luxury and enjoyed unlimited preferential treatment. In this era, the imperial dining room became a special kitchen for the emperors, providing them with three meals a day, and it was extremely luxurious in terms of food, clothing, housing and transportation. However, during the Qing Dynasty, Qianlong's extravagant life seemed to be surpassed by Cixi, which is staggering.
During the Qing Dynasty, Qianlong had at least 20 dishes in a meal, and sometimes asked for a full banquet of the Manchu and Han dynasties, and put all kinds of delicacies from the mountains and seas on the table. However, Cixi's extravagant life was even more exaggerated. She eats only the best part of what she wants to eat, and discards the rest, not even for the next person to eat. The waste of one meal is equivalent to the ration of hundreds of meals for ordinary people.
When Cixi ate watermelon, she refreshed people's perception of luxury. She only eats the core part of the watermelon, just one spoonful, and in order to satisfy her, she actually opened 380 watermelons and discarded the parts she didn't eat. Not only did this profligacy not have any concept of saving food, but Cixi did not have any ability to make money, which led to the country's financial difficulties.
In addition to the extravagance of food, Cixi was also very particular about "noodles". She demanded that the more dishes the better, and those who did not meet the standards would be punished. This profligacy made it difficult to satisfy her extravagant desires, even with a large amount of wealth in the treasury. When the Qing Dynasty fell, there were only 10 taels of silver left in the treasury, and corruption made it impossible for funds to buy equipment, resulting in the country being unable to effectively resist during foreign invasions.
Cixi's profligacy also had a profound impact on the direction of the country. In the event of aggression by Western countries, money should be spent on the knife edge, ensuring that the front-line troops are fully equipped, and at the same time ensuring that soldiers are adequately paid to improve the effectiveness of defending against foreign enemies. However, Cixi diverted funds for her 60th birthday, resulting in the army being unable to provide effective fire suppression, and eventually setting the late Qing dynasty on the road to destruction.
Although history cannot be repeated, many people gnash their teeth at Cixi's profligacy. If there had been a force at that time that could replace Cixi, rectify the country, and lift the policy of closing the country to the outside world, perhaps there would not be reparations and land cession, and Western countries would not have been able to land easily, thus changing the fate of the late Qing Dynasty. However, this is only an assumption, the wheel of history is irreversible, and future generations feel deep regret whenever they think of Cixi.
In Cixi, the ruler who squandered a luxurious life like delicacies from the mountains and seas, we see the absurdity and helplessness of an era. Her extravagant life was not only a personal profligacy, but also a turning point in the fate of the country, leaving a painful lesson for future generations. Perhaps it is precisely because of this that we should be more vigilant, cherish resources, and consume rationally, so as to avoid the recurrence of historical tragedies.
The article details Cixi's extravagant life in the late Qing Dynasty, revealing her irresponsible behavior in terms of food waste and financial squandering. This abuse of power and extreme waste of resources has led to financial difficulties in the country and has had a huge impact on the resistance of the army to foreign enemies.
First of all, the article vividly describes the lifestyle of the rulers during the feudal period, highlighting Cixi's excessive extravagance in this regard. The extreme differences between the rulers of feudal society and the ordinary people are illustrated through the lavish meals served to the rulers in the imperial dining room, as well as the profligacy of Qianlong and Cixi on food. This disparity is not only reflected in the quality and quantity of food, but also in the extreme waste of resources.
Secondly, the article vividly reveals Cixi's extreme profligacy towards food through the example of her eating watermelon. The extravagance of eating only the core of the watermelon and discarding the rest is shocking. The article makes clever use of numbers to express the sheer amount of waste that Cixi wasted to satisfy her own tastes, emphasizing her extreme waste of resources.
Furthermore, by describing Cixi's emphasis on "face", the article highlights her excessive pursuit of appearance. For some rulers, they are not just enjoying a sense of material superiority, but also asserting their dominance through external ostentation. This kind of over-attention to appearance is not only a luxury, but also a disregard for the state's finances.
Finally, the article profoundly points out the far-reaching impact of Cixi's profligacy on the direction of the country. During the invasion of Western countries, Cixi diverted state funds to personal birthday celebrations, rather than to defend against foreign enemies. This decision led to the inability of the army to provide sufficient firepower in wartime, which ultimately plunged the country into crisis. Through this, the article warns people about the dangers of profligacy by rulers and the irresponsibility of the state.
To sum up, the article profoundly reflects the injustice and corruption of the society at that time through the revelation of Cixi's extravagant life. This kind of extreme extravagance is not only an extreme waste of national resources, but also a great impact on people's lives. Through a review of history, the article calls on people to be vigilant against the abuse of power and the squandering of resources, cherish limited resources, and pursue a more rational lifestyle.
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