The end of the Qing Dynasty was turbulent, and it was the time when the country needed responsibility and responsibility the most. However, the rulers of the time did not step up to reform and innovate to save the impoverished and weak empire. They indulged in extravagant pleasures, disregarded the national economy and the people's livelihood, and finally could only watch this 300-year-old dynasty collapse in the long river of history.
This article attempts to refract and satirize the mediocrity and decay of the ruling class during this period, as well as the strong contrast between their luxurious life and the suffering of the people, by telling the story of Zaifeng, a regent who was not in politics at the end of the Qing Dynasty, and reflecting the reasons for the decline of the late Qing Dynasty from one side. I hope that readers can get some historical enlightenment from the story of this ordinary person.
In November 1908, the Empress Dowager Cixi died, and just one day later, Pu Yi, who was only 3 years old, was made emperor for Emperor Xuantong. And his father, Prince Alcohol Zaifeng, was named regent to assist the young lord in handling court affairs.
At that time, the torrent of history had reached the point of no return, and the Qing Dynasty was in an unprecedented crisis. In modern times, the Anglo-French alliance opened the prelude to the invasion of foreign powers, and many important cities along the coast were forced to open, and huge indemnities caused the treasury to retreat. In terms of internal troubles, the outbreak of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom also put the rule of the Qing dynasty on the brink of danger.
Although the defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War brought the Qing court together temporarily, the contradictions were not resolved at all. After the failure of the Boxer Rebellion, the Western powers jointly launched the Eight-Nation Alliance, and the Qing Dynasty was devastated from then on. At this time, the city of Beijing was already dilapidated, and the people's lives were withered and poisonous.
While the people are struggling to make a living, the nobility of the ruling class is still indulging in pleasures and turning a blind eye to disaster. They enjoyed a life of privilege and glory, in stark contrast to the hardships and struggles of ordinary people. King Zaifeng is a typical representative of these extravagant rulers.
It stands to reason that in the autumn of national crisis, the regent should stand up and support the young lord, uphold the will of the empress dowager, and strive to reform in order to reverse the decline of the Qing Dynasty. However, the only interest in power is the extravagant enjoyment it can bring him.
During this period, the most striking thing in Beijing was the magnificence of the Alcohol Palace. This royal residence was built in the southeast corner of the Forbidden City, opposite the Forbidden City.
An old man who was exiled in Beijing described the luxury of the palace as follows: "It is resplendent in gold and splendour, and it is full of bad spirits. Those pavilions and water pavilions are exquisitely clear, and the windows are bright and clean. The makeup and decoration served by the family in the house are more grand than the New Year of ordinary people. ”
In just over two years of his reign, Zaifeng rebuilt and renovated his own alcohol palace, costing as much as 2.06 million taels, including 587 of the most advanced electric lamps at that time from the West. In order to match the power equipment, the water supply and drainage facilities in various places have also been renewed. It is said that the stable alone used nearly 3,000 pieces of high-quality Zhengyang Lei stone to pave the ground.
This was an unprecedented extravagance at the time. You must know that the ** of an electric light is equivalent to the annual expenditure of an ordinary person. What's more, King Alcohol is so profligate, just to decorate his palace and make it more brightly lit, without taking into account the people's livelihood and suffering.
These extravagant renovation projects formed a strong contrast with the national conditions at that time. During this period, the political situation was turbulent, financial constraints made it difficult for the people to make a living. And this powerful regent disregards the people of the country and only thinks about how to build a luxurious palace.
No matter how much it costs, you must show your power and status to the fullest through these splendid decorations. It was as if he had forgotten his responsibilities and indulged in the never-ending luxury and indulgence.
Not only that, but in order to maintain the daily operation of the palace, the annual expenditure costs hundreds of thousands**. The number of internal affairs officials who served the prince's daily life alone was as high as three or four hundred.
These include the servants who serve the tea and drink, serve the washing, and arrange the clothes, the dining room staff who specialize in serving the royal family's food, the housekeepers who stay and watch the doors of the various palaces, and the handymen who clean the courtyard and take care of the flowers and plants. The expenses of these personnel, tea, food, and clothing will consume tens of thousands of ** every year.
Not to mention the extravagant consumption of the alcohol king himself. He is picky about everything he eats and wears, and uses all the best materials. When the weather is cold, in order to ensure the warmth of the alcohol king in the room, the firewood of the 100-charcoal stove must be burned all year round. The prince's diet is even more exquisite, with countless soft and hard rice every day, and egg cake beef is lazy.
Legend has it that the regent's favorite thing on weekdays is the company of opera artists. As long as there is a famous actor of new science to come to Beijing to play arts, he will invite him to a banquet and stay in the palace for a few days. Sometimes he even had a whim, and in the middle of the night, he ordered to wake up all the actors and sing to relieve their boredom. If anyone neglects the slightest, he will be severely punished.
Therefore, many actors tried their best to please him and called him "the great prince". is obviously living in dire straits, and on the surface, he is willing to be happy with the extravagant life of the alcohol king. In fact, in private, they are secretly cursing the extravagance of these rulers.
The harassment of the maid by the alcohol king was even more light. The palace adopted dozens of young and beautiful maids, who were forced to serve the prince. It is said that the handmaidens lived in seclusion, almost claustrophobic, and were tainted by the regent and his men as they pleased. They can't resist, they can only endure in silence, life is worse than death.
This atrocity is rarely mentioned in later history books, but it is well known in the rumors of the time. Because the actions of the alcohol king are relatively common among the ruling class. Those nobles who live in the splendor often isolate themselves from the suffering of the people at the bottom, and indulge in wanton squandering and playing.
At the same time, ordinary people in Beijing are suffering from war and devastation. They knew a little about what the regent had done, and they scolded him behind his back.
Some people say that when these princes were still enjoying themselves, the flesh and blood of us ordinary people had already been filled into the barrels of foreigners. Some people also said bitterly that the eldest prince eats, drinks and has fun all day long, and it would be great if those ** were used to help the poor. Now that the country is ruined, these losers only know how to spend time and wine, which is really a tyrannical thing!
However, in the splendid crystal palace of the Alcohol King, the ruling class cut itself off from the suffering of the common people. They fantasized that the Qing Dynasty was still extremely prosperous, and that its own glory and power would always exist.
No one expected that before the renovation of the Alcohol Palace, Pu Yi, the young lord who was supposed to be assisted by him in the administration, announced his abdication under pressure from all sides. This represented the official end of the Qing Dynasty.
Since then, Zaifeng has never had the opportunity to live in this luxurious palace built with huge investment. I can only leave my hometown in Beijing in embarrassment, live in seclusion in Tianjin, and live an ordinary life that is no longer as good as the sky. His extravagant life came to an abrupt end, and all glory was gone.
After the fall of the Qing Dynasty, the palace was gradually forgotten. It wasn't until much later that it was discovered and restored as a heritage site, offering a glimpse into the splendor and extravagance of the dynasty's fallen period. Whenever someone looks up at the lighting and decoration of the house, they will think of the anachronistic stories behind it.
Perhaps it is precisely because of such extravagance and slackness that these rulers have lost the courage to reform and innovate, and they are destined to leave only these flashy buildings in the end. And the people who really make history are those ordinary people who are not afraid of power and pursue progress.
The fall of every dynasty is not accidental. Zaifeng is not an isolated case of this dynasty's mediocrity. When the rulers indulged in extravagance and regarded reform as a thorn, doom was coming.
The limitations of each individual will eventually be overwhelmed by the tide of history, but the efforts of individuals will also push the tide forward. A wise move is not an edict from the top down, but a birth from the bottom up. When new voices come together, the old system will collapse in this current.
We should not despise or despise a dynasty or class because of the story of King Alcohol, but draw historical wisdom from it. When there are shortcomings in society, we should insist on rational criticism rather than emotional criticism.
At the same time, in the face of the present, we should not stick to the old ways and stick to the rules. We must constantly reflect on ourselves and meet new challenges with openness and courage. Only in this way can we seize the opportunity and push our country towards progress and prosperity.
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