There are many gossips about the Empress Dowager Cixi, and one of them is an anecdote about her and her personal eunuch Li Lianying. It is said that Li Lianying came from a humble background, but her mind was very smart, and she not only served Cixi considerately everywhere, but also spoke very well to make Cixi happy.
Li Lianying was appreciated by Cixi, different from ordinary slaves. It is said that Li Lianying was often rewarded with ginseng and other precious medicines by Cixi, and when Cixi took a walk after dinner, she often called Li Lianying, and the two talked like old friends for many years.
In addition to her lust for power, Cixi also had many different hobbies, such as her love of beauty, her attention to beauty, and her love of jewelry. It is said that Cixi not only had countless luxurious jewelry, but even her shoes were embroidered with phoenixes and inlaid with countless pearls and precious stones.
In her collection, there are also several pieces of jade cabbage and jade watermelon, which are lifelike. Even after Cixi's death, in her coffin, a silk mattress was used, and the bedding was not only embroidered with gold wire, but also placed next to it jade lotus leaves, tourmaline lotus, emerald Buddha statues and many other ornaments.
With such a life of poverty and luxury, it is no wonder that the treasures in her mausoleum were coveted by the warlord Sun Dianying, who led his soldiers to blow up the mausoleum with explosives and stole many funeral treasures.
Among the many treasures, there are many famous ones. It is said that there is an object that Cixi liked very much during her lifetime, that is, the jade lotus given by Li Lianying to the Queen Mother. This jade lotus root has invited the top craftsmen to carefully craft, made of mutton fat jade, the whole body is snow-white, ingenious, delicate and smooth to the touch, and the size is moderate.
It is said that it was because Cixi often had insomnia that Li Lianying got this object, and Cixi loved it and never left her body, not only to carry it close to her when she slept at night, but also to allow others to touch it.
In ancient China, there has always been a saying that "people raise jade for three years, and jade raises people for a lifetime". Cixi is a person who loves beauty very much, and naturally she cherishes jade very much.
In order to maintain her appearance, Cixi not only often played with jade in her hands, but also often used jade to massage her face. There is also a theory that according to the traditional Chinese Five Elements, the lotus root belongs to wood among the five elements.
After research, some scholars have found that the day lord of Cixi's eight characters is "Yimu". Among the five elements, wood gives birth to fire, fire gives birth to earth, earth gives birth to gold, gold gives birth to water, and water gives birth to wood.
In addition, the lotus root has always been in traditional literature, with a noble symbol, with the meaning of "out of the mud without staining", so it is reasonable to be loved by Cixi.
There are many rumors about this jade lotus. There is also a theory that this jade lotus is actually offered by Rong Lu, an important minister of the Manchu Qing Dynasty. It is said that Cixi and Rong Lu once secretly had feelings for each other, but unfortunately due to their identities, they could not be together openly.
After Rong Lu offered this treasure, he was treated as a token of love by Cixi and always took it with him, so as to miss his sweetheart. At the time of Cixi's burial, this precious jade lotus root was also sent into the mausoleum as a funeral item.
It's a pity that after Sun Dianying robbed the tomb, many treasures were lost and their whereabouts are unknown, including this jade lotus. According to some sources, some of the treasures stolen by Sun Dianying from the mausoleum were distributed to his subordinates, some were hidden by himself, some were taken out for sale, and some were given to others as bribes.
Many of these treasures were sold by them to foreigners, and now they are scattered overseas. Sun Dianying gave a stolen Nine Dragons Sword to others, and gave the night pearl in Cixi's mouth to Song Meiling. Yan Xishan, Kong Xiangxi and other famous dignitaries also participated.
However, now most of these jewels are missing, and no one knows about them. Perhaps, in the future, when there is an opportunity, this treasure can see the light of day again, allowing the world to see its strange brilliance.