Cixi got up early, went up late, and did something in the middle
Cixi is a legendary woman in history, she stands alone in a patriarchal society, and her intelligence and courage are admired. Let's find out how Cixi spent her day at the height of the Qing Dynasty's power.
It is said that she wakes up at 3 a.m. every day and goes to morning pilgrimage at 8 a.m. sharp. So, what is Cixi busy with after waking up?
The Empress Dowager Cixi had strict living rules, and even as a noble ruler, she still followed the ancient living habits. Every morning at three o'clock, she would wake up from her slumber under the soft voice of the palace maids.
This process would last for half an hour, and the ladies would wake her up every few minutes until she was fully awake. Although there are no modern entertainments, they still stick to their traditional way of life.
The Empress Dowager Cixi is extremely noble, people call her "Lafayette", and the palace maids around her take care of her meticulously, for fear of accidentally offending her, so they must be careful every day.
When the Empress Dowager Cixi woke up, a group of dressed eunuchs and palace maids would come to serve, and they had already ironed their clothes in advance and put them on for the Empress Dowager Cixi. Cixi's mouthwash also has a strict procedure, the palace maid will mix the brewed tea with flowers, and the temperature is moderate, so that Cixi can feel comfortable after rinsing her mouth.
After rinsing her mouth, the palace maid wiped her face with a soft and thick face towel to ensure that every time she groomed was full of dignity and comfort.
Cixi paid great attention to facial care and was very strict with the palace maids. She believes in the nourishing and beautifying properties of breast milk, so the water used to wash her face is mixed with breast milk, even the bath water.
In order to ensure that there was enough breast milk for her, Cixi did not hesitate to invest a lot of money, raised a group of lactating women in the harem, and looked for breast milk among the people.
Cixi's hair grooming routine was mainly handled by her personal eunuch Li Lianying, who was highly skilled and had a variety of hairstyles. The most noteworthy thing is that as she grew older, Cixi often encountered hair loss problems, so she cherished her hair very much, and Li Lianying's combing skills perfectly avoided any conditions that could cause hair loss, so she was deeply loved by Cixi.
It is rumored that Cixi is nearly sixty years old, but she is still firm and shiny, which is undoubtedly the result of her careful care. Every day, she lightly spreads a thin powder on her face and applies a gorgeous red lipstick to make her look radiant.
After Cixi finished washing, the imperial dining room delivered a delicious breakfast to Cining Palace on time. There are a variety of delicate pastries, fresh melons and fruits, and a breakfast of specialties from all over the world.
Cixi would taste it slowly, tasting only a little bit of each dish, sometimes not enough for an hour. It is said that the Qing Dynasty had a rule that there were no more than three things, and Cixi ate like this, chewing slowly and enjoying the pleasure of food.
Empress Dowager Cixi's extravagance in using toilets far exceeded the imagination of ordinary people. Her bucket is made of sandalwood, which exudes a charming woody aroma, and is the softest cloth on the market when wiped with a cloth towel, which costs a lot of people's income in a year.
Not only that, Cixi also smoked opium to refresh herself before going to court, and the palace maid would carefully deliver her large cigarette pipe to her, and then put the pipe away after she finished smoking.
These details reflect the luxury and dignity of the Empress Dowager Cixi in her life.
During the Qing Dynasty, the dress system was extremely strict, and Cixi had to wear court clothes and pearls when she went to court. From the moment she got up, Cixi did not need to do many of her daily affairs by herself, but was handled by the palace maids and eunuchs around her.
Under the diligent care of everyone, after five hours, Cixi finally started the court meeting at 8 o'clock. For ordinary people, it may be torture to spend 5 hours in the morning to go to court, but for Cixi, with several palace maids and eunuchs carefully serving her, how can such a life not be enviable?
During the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War, the late Qing Dynasty was ruled by Cixi, and the people lived in poverty and ran around for a living. However, at this time, Cixi was preparing for her luxurious and extravagant 60th birthday.
The treasury of the late Qing Dynasty was empty, and a decision should be made on satisfying Cixi's birthday banquet or the military expenses for the Beiyang Naval Division, which made the ministers troubled. What is sad is that Cixi disregarded the safety of the country and only thought about her own selfish desires, and at the suggestion of her courtiers, she decided to embezzle the military funds of the Beiyang Navy Division as her birthday banquet funds.
This absurd and extravagant life is much more than that. When the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded the capital, Cixi fled to Xi'an, Shaanxi with Emperor Guangxu and others. On the way, Cixi still insisted on maintaining her dignity and asked the eunuch Li Lianying to serve her according to the conventions of the palace, but she could not adapt to the slightly poor environment.
Such a Cixi, her arrogance and absurdity, heralded the final fall of the Qing Dynasty.