In China's 5,000-year-long history, heroes and heroes are like stars, and there are countless heroes. However, women who can leave their names in history are rare, and women who can still hold power under the ethical constraints of feudalism and the three outlines and five constants are even rarer.
In the 5,000-year-long history of mankind, there are three such women, who have left an indelible mark on the political arena as harem bodies. They were Empress Lu of the Han Dynasty, Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty, and Empress Dowager Cixi of the Qing Dynasty.
Among them, Wu Zetian is even more unique in ancient and modern times, becoming the only empress in the true sense of the word in Chinese history, and her power even surpassed the emperor for a time.
Empress Lu and Cixi are not as good as her, Wu Zetian can compete with her in political skills, but Cixi is the weakest. At the age of 46, Cixi had a strange disease, and although the imperial doctor in the palace could **, no one dared to tell her the truth.
It can be seen from modern film and television dramas that the degree of chaos in the harem of the Qing court was unimaginable.
Since ancient times, the struggle between harem women has been endless, just like from the small house to the country, as long as there are three women, there will be a play. However, the chaos of the Qing Dynasty was not only the struggle between concubines, but more importantly, the upper beam was not correct and the lower beam was crooked.
Among them, the great jade of the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang of the Qing Dynasty is a typical example.
Da Yu'er, the princess of the Mongolian tribe, in order to consolidate the political marriage, married Huang Taiji, the leader of the Eight Banners of the Later Jin Dynasty at the time, and became the Emperor Taizong of the Qing Dynasty. Although there is an age gap between the two, Da Yu'er is still a young and beautiful woman, and the union with Huang Taiji, who is twenty years older than herself, is more like a bond of solid relationship between the two forces.
In that era, it became the norm to be a woman, not to mention that Da Yu'er, who was born in a Mongolian noble, was born without the right to choose a husband. However, Da Yu'er is in the harem, and it is even rumored that she has an affair with Huang Taiji's younger brother Dorgon.
There are even rumors that Emperor Shunzhi was actually born to her and Dolgon. This complex relationship of rebellion against human ethics stems largely from the primitive nature of the Manchus as a nomadic people and the moral system passed down through the generations.
Although harem intervention was not uncommon in the Qing Dynasty, the most serious situation did not happen to Da Yu'er, but to the Empress Dowager Cixi at the end of the Qing Dynasty. The Empress Dowager Cixi came from the Yehenara clan of the Manchu aristocracy, and coincidentally, her history is strikingly similar to that of the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, Da Yu'er, who took advantage of the chaos to defeat her political opponents after the emperor's death, so as to seize control of the government.
After the Tongzhi and Guangxu dynasties, the power of the Empress Dowager Cixi was as high as the sky.
Although Cixi did not ascend the throne as emperor, her power had long surpassed that of the emperor at that time. Because she believes in Buddhism and uses the superstitious methods commonly used by some rulers, she calls herself "Lafayette", symbolizing that she is the reincarnation of the true Buddha to redeem people.
The "Buddha" here refers to the Buddhist saints who have become enlightened and fully understand everything in the Three Realms.
Although he claimed to be the reincarnation of the True Buddha and commanded in the palace, what he did not expect was that he suffered from a strange disease. This disease is indeed a bit unusual, after all, the palace gathered elites from all over the country, from the important ministers of the imperial court to the cooks and grooms, if there is no certain strength, who can gain a foothold in this place?
If you want to be a famous doctor, there are too many to count.
The Empress Dowager Cixi was suffering from a strange illness, which made the imperial doctors dumbfounded, and even some timid imperial doctors couldn't even speak clearly. The symptoms of this disease were obvious, but everyone did not dare to mention it to the Empress Dowager Cixi.
What kind of disease is it that can frighten the self-proclaimed imperial physicians of rejuvenation?
This condition is actually life-bearing. For women, "famous doctor" pregnancy is not a disease, but a normal and natural physiological phenomenon. In Chinese culture, there is a saying that "there are three unfilial pieties, and no queen is greater." ”
Whether in a common people's family or in a royal family that rules a country, it is very important for a woman to have offspring because it means that the bloodline of the family continues.
Cixi was an extraordinary woman, she was forty-six years old, but age was not a problem. The key is that the timing is not right, although Cixi holds the power of the court, her identity is still the concubine of the former emperor.
Not to mention, it was already the Guangxu period, and Cixi's husband Emperor Xianfeng had been dead for nearly twenty years. Can the royal dignity, the dignity and shame, and the responsibilities of a mother of the nation be ignored?
When Emperor Xianfeng died, Cixi was only 28 years old and was at the peak of her life. Over the years, Cixi's peachy scandal has spread like a virus, and it is difficult to ban it.
However, these rumors are not groundless, Cixi's strange behavior has long been seen by people with intentions, which also makes the matter more and more turbulent. Even at that time, Emperor Guangxu also issued a holy decree, asking officials across the country to visit famous doctors to treat the Empress Dowager Cixi.
It seems that there may be some political conspiracy behind this action. Perhaps someone is trying to magnify this incident in order to overthrow Cixi's ** rule for many years.
Eventually, however, one emerged"Famous doctor", which solved the trouble of the Empress Dowager Cixi's henchmen. The doctor may not have been very skilled, but one thing is for sure, he must have been an extremely intelligent man.
Although the other imperial doctors honestly discovered Cixi's symptoms, those who dared to say half of the relevant words fell to the ground and their lives were in danger.
The Empress Dowager Cixi was sick, and everyone was looking for a suitable famous doctor. Why? Because those diseases whose diagnoses did not conform to the wishes of the Empress in power would be considered false.
So, Li Hongzhang recommended a famous doctor named Xue Fuchen to Beijing to diagnose and treat the Empress Dowager Cixi's condition. Xue Fuchen lived up to expectations and diagnosed Cixi with "Blood Gu".
This proves that in the face of absolute power, the truth may be obscured, but good doctors will still look for and provide the most accurate diagnosis.
It turned out that Cixi's illness was due to congestion and obstruction in the lower abdomen, resulting in poor blood flow around the body, dizziness and headache. Dr. Xue Fuchen accurately diagnosed** and successfully cured Cixi's congestion.
However, rumors about Cixi's pregnancy and abortion continued to spread among the people. In order to cover up the truth, Cixi ordered her men to kill Xue Fuchen in an attempt to dispel rumors of her pregnancy.
With his extraordinary wisdom, Xue Fuchen designed a funeral for feigning his death, skillfully overcame the difficulties, and successfully saved his life.