Cixi wrote only one poem in her lifetime, but it was included in the primary school textbook and is now a household name
Cixi wrote only one poem in her lifetime, but it was compiled into a primary school textbook and is now a household name. 17-year-old Cixi, the eldest girl and little daughter-in-law, walked into the deep hall of the palace. The red walls and green tiles shimmered in an unfamiliar light before her eyes, beckoning her and the other maidens to explore the interior.
However, compared to other women with strong family power behind her, Cixi came from an ordinary background, did not have a strong ethnic background, and did not have the support of court authority. Therefore, in the deep power game of the court, she can only obtain a noble seat with a status that is only slightly higher than that of ordinary concubines.
What's even more shameful is that she is not proficient in the piano, chess, calligraphy and painting that a woman in the palace should have. She has a very low level of education and can only rely on barely literate knowledge. The only thing that made her somewhat recognizable was her unforgettable face and silver bell-like singing voice.
As a noble lady, she exists in name only, and even the real Xianfeng Emperor doesn't pay much attention to her. In the power struggle of the court, her position was not enough for her to have direct contact with the emperor.
But Cixi was no ordinary woman, and her cleverness made her ignore the rules of the court. She knew that her survival and power depended on two things: the emperor's favor and her own children.
So, she arranged a chance encounter with the emperor, using her beauty and singing voice to attract the emperor's attention. She knew that only by winning the emperor's favor could she change her fate.
With her wisdom and sharp mind, Cixi managed to win the emperor's heart and gave birth to a son, who later became the Tongzhi Emperor. She stood out among the many female dependents and showed her true talent.
With the birth of the emperor's son, Cixi's status grew, and her ambitions swelled with it. She realized that the Emperor's health was deteriorating, so the Emperor sometimes asked her to listen to him discuss state affairs with his ministers. This made Cixi more aware of the emperor's methods. She reads various books and learns about historical events. She gradually came up with the idea of emulating Wu Zetian, determined to become the empress, firmly hold power in her own hands, and enjoy the happiness brought by power.
Unexpected opportunities soon arose. When Tongzhi was only six years old, Emperor Xianfeng died suddenly due to an overdose. Tongzhi successfully ascended to the throne as the only son. However, due to Tongzhi's young age, he was unable to take over the government, and a minister appointed by Xianfeng on his deathbed managed state affairs on behalf of Tongzhi.
But Cixi was not satisfied. After a long wait, he finally had time to prove himself. How could he bear to let others get in his way?Taking advantage of the fact that the situation had not yet stabilized and the people had not yet reacted to the emperor's death, Cixi quickly joined forces with Xianfeng's younger brother, Prince Gong Daoguang, to take control of the situation and firmly hold power in her own hands.
It can be seen that Yi has a very high status in Cixi's mind. After all, compared to the other eight ministers, Yi had the closest relationship with Cixi. As brother-in-law and sister-in-law, their relationship has always been particularly close. Yi was more easily controlled by Cixi than those who had no relationship with Cixi.
After the invasion of Beijing by the Anglo-French forces, an atmosphere of panic permeated the palace. The emperor's relatives took refuge in Rehe. It was at this critical moment that Cixi discovered the extraordinary talent of her son Yi. He believes that Yi is the ideal candidate for power. Therefore, they tacitly united and planned a vigorous usurpation of power, killing or expelling the eight ministers of the court, and handing over all the power of the court to Cixi. Although Cixi ostensibly appointed Empress Dowager Ci'an, the widow of her deceased husband, as Empress Tingzheng, she was in fact already sitting on the rightful throne of the emperor in the Jinluan Palace.
As the emperor's power grew, Cixi became increasingly obsessed with his status as the ruler of the Qing Dynasty. But he also became more and more worried that someone would try to wrest power from him, and even his own son Tongzhi became the object of his fierce defense. Therefore, Tongzhi spent his whole life in the shadow of Cixi and did not see a happy and peaceful ending.
However, no one expected that a person like Cixi would have a kind-hearted daughter.
In fact, the relationship between the little Cixi and her mother, Fucha, was not good. The Fucha clan always favored Cixi's sister, giving priority to her in the distribution of materials, and letting Cixi decide everything else. Therefore, Cixi resented her mother very much.
After Cixi arrived at the palace, she also put pressure on the Fucha clan many times, but out of filial piety, she did not dare to go too far, so as not to endanger her mother's safety. However, as time passed, the relationship between mother and daughter gradually eased.
As a result, Cixi's life was a difficult one of widowhood, as she raised her children alone while also juggling the affairs of her extended family. Therefore, after the death of her deceased husband Emperor Xianfeng, Cixi deeply experienced the hardships of raising children. This made her cherish her power even more and fear losing it.
Cixi sat quietly in the palace, her thoughts passing away like waves, and the warm thoughts of her mother filled her mind. Looking back on the bits and pieces of these years, Cixi couldn't help but wonder if she had brought endless troubles and unhappiness to her beloved mother. A sense of guilt gradually crept through her heart, getting heavier and heavier as the years passed.
Finally, Cixi deeply realized the hard work and hardship of her mother, and decided to take the initiative and strive to promote the reconciliation of mother and daughter. She was determined to find Fucha in the most sincere way possible and apologize to her mother. Fortunately, the Fucha clan forgave Cixi, and the relationship between mother and daughter gradually warmed up and reconciled as before.
One day, Fucha's birthday was approaching. However, due to her busy work, Cixi did not have time to spend this special day with her mother. She felt helpless, but she didn't want her mother to feel forgotten. To express her heart, she prepared a generous gift.
Cixi also composed a birthday song specifically for the Fucha clan:"The love of parents, the most true in the world, tears and blood to the child's body, for the child to worry about the child, mourning the hearts of parents in the world"。This poem is concise and to the point, but it expresses Cixi's love for her mother. Although the text is unpretentious, it contains a strong emotion.
This easy-to-understand poem was later compiled into primary school textbooks to teach children how to honor their parents and promote the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation.
From a woman's point of view, Cixi's life was not easy. The loss of a husband in middle age and the loss of a child in old age were the heaviest blows of her life.
But all this is just a distant dream. In fact, Cixi's extravagant life brought much suffering to the country. The territory was divided among the great powers, and the people lived in dire straits. Perhaps the only thing to be thankful for is his deep remorse for his mother, and his efforts to express his filial piety.