When it comes to the Qing Dynasty, what may come to mind is the four words "slumped" described in history textbooks.
From the prosperity of Kangxi to the demise of the Xinhai Revolution, this series of declines makes people can't help but blame the Empress Dowager Cixi.
Indeed, the authoritarianism, conservatism and profligacy of the "Empress Dowager of the West" became the main reason for the rapid decline of the empire.
However, the last emperor Pu Yi once said that in addition to Cixi, there was another person who was responsible for the end of the Qing Dynasty, and that was Aixin Jueluo Yixuan.
Who is Yi Xuan? How did he become a key figure in the fall of the Qing Dynasty?
The real reason for the fall of the Qing Dynasty.
Yixuan, the great-grandson of Emperor Qianlong, is also a nobleman of the Yellow Banner of Manchuria, who has lived a prosperous life since childhood, and the future glory is just around the corner.
Unexpectedly, his father was assigned a distant land because he coveted a higher position, and the family property was confiscated.
Since then, Yixuan's life has fallen into a trough, and he has to take refuge with an uncle, but he is treated unfairly.
Despite the difficult circumstances, Yi Xuan maintained his calligraphy talent, which became the basis of his later fame.
During the Xianfeng period, Yixuan was invited to the palace to demonstrate his calligraphy skills, which was appreciated by the Empress Dowager Cixi.
Despite his average knowledge, Yixuan's calligraphy was exactly what Cixi liked. From then on, Cixi began to trust Yixuan and asked him to ghostwrite for his younger brother Guixiang.
Yixuan improvised and tried to curry favor with Cixi, giving away rare treasures, and introducing mahjong into the palace to provide entertainment for the Queen Mother.
Long-term flattery gave Yixuan a place in Cixi's heart.
Experienced the corruption of the Five Dynasties.
During the Tongzhi period, the 34-year-old Yixuan was named the king of the county, served as the imperial minister, directly assisted the emperor in handling government affairs, and became a powerful figure.
He served three generations of emperors of Tongzhi, Guangxu and Xuantong, all of whom were reused.
Especially during the Guangxu and Xuantong periods, Yixuan controlled almost all important positions in the government and became a celebrity in power.
However, with great power comes great responsibility. Will Yixuan be able to use his power correctly to save this precarious dynasty?
Unfortunately, in the face of serious problems, Yixuan chose to evade, for personal gain, pandering to Cixi, which exacerbated the corruption of the government.
At critical moments, such as during the Wuxu Reform, Yixuan supported Cixi to put Emperor Guangxu under house arrest and suppressed the reformers, which became a stumbling block to reform.
In addition, at the last moment of the Qing Dynasty, in order to seek personal gain, Yixuan accepted a bribe from Yuan Shikai and recommended him for reuse, which led to Zaifeng being set aside, and Yuan Shikai successfully seized power.
From a certain point of view, Yi Liang was one of the accomplices in the fall of the Qing Dynasty.
He neither dared to face up to the problem nor carry out reforms, but only contributed to the darkness of the government, and finally pushed the Qing Empire into the abyss of destruction.
After the fall of the Qing Dynasty, Yixuan still tried to restore Puyi's throne.
He actively contacted those who wished to restore the situation, hoping to turn the tables around. This caused indignation among the revolutionaries.
The revolutionaries led by Liangbi went to the mansion to besiege Yixiao, who was forced to flee Beijing and take refuge in Tianjin.
After living temporarily in Tianjin, Yixuan decided to return to Beijing to inspect his family property, only to find that the house had been ransacked by the revolutionary party.
The once glorious Qingwang Mansion is in ruins, leaving only desolate memories.
In 1917, Yixuan died of illness, his life was extravagant and wasteful, accumulating huge wealth, but in the end he was destitute and his family was ruined.
This is not only the irony of fate, but also the mockery of history.
Even after Yixuan's death, Pu Yi's hatred for him was still deep.
When discussing the nickname, Pu Yi once wanted to give Yixuan the words "ugly and ugly" to express his anger.
After being persuaded by others, the name of Yi Xuan was set as "secret", which was intended to reflect on the behavior of the late Qing Dynasty.
The evaluation of Yixuan's life may be conclusive.
Both Cixi and Yixuan were responsible for the fall of the Qing Dynasty.
Cixi has stepped onto the stage of history since the time of Emperor Xianfeng, giving birth to Emperor Tongzhi and becoming the empress dowager. His unique status and political skills made him a powerful figure in the late Qing Dynasty.
After the death of Emperor Tongzhi, she seized power through a coup d'état and began her first "regent" to assist the young Emperor Guangxu.
But as Emperor Guangxu grew older, Cixi's control caused conflicts, and the relationship between the two became increasingly tense.
In 1898, Emperor Guangxu initiated the Reform of the Law, hoping to learn from Japan's experience to reform the Qing Dynasty. However, the move touched Cixi's interests and was strongly opposed.
In the end, Cixi joined forces with the conservatives, and the coup d'état was successful, regaining power and declaring the reform a failure.
This defeat deepened the conflict between the two, and the Guangxu Emperor was placed under house arrest, and Cixi took sole control of the government, hastening the decline of the Qing Dynasty.
On the whole, the demise of the late Qing Dynasty was caused by many factors. Although many blamed Cixi, Yixuan's style was also an important cause of her demise.
Cixi's ** and opposition to the law change made the Qing Dynasty lose the opportunity to save itself; And Yixuan used illegal means to benefit himself, which exacerbated the fall of the Qing Dynasty.
Although the responsibilities of the two men in the fall of the Qing Dynasty were different, they could not shirk their responsibilities.
Of course, the development of history is complex and cannot be blamed solely on individual figures.
The end of the Qing Dynasty was the inevitable result of the feudal system in the historical trend. We should learn from this experience, and not ignore the deep-seated laws of history just because of personal grievances.
History is a mirror, learning from the past; The future still needs to be explored together.