Empress Dowager Cixi, the dominant figure in the political scene of the late Qing Dynasty, was known for her conservatism, extravagance, and cruelty.
In the final stages of her life, she did something that shocked posterity, and it was not until 2008 that it was made public, sparking a wide social discussion.
So, what outrageous behavior did Cixi do in the end? How did she rise to the top of power?
Cixi's journey to power.
Cixi was elected to the palace at the age of 17 and became the side chamber of Emperor Xianfeng, and then gradually promoted to nobles, concubines, concubines, and finally became imperial concubines, enjoying the favor of Emperor Xianfeng.
When Emperor Xianfeng was tired, he often asked Cixi to review the recitals on his behalf. Cixi secretly sensed that the door of power was opening to her.
Cixi quickly took advantage of this opportunity to establish contacts with important ministers in the court and accumulate power for herself.
In 1861, Emperor Xianfeng died, and his five-year-old son Zaichun ascended the throne as Emperor Tongzhi. Emperor Tongzhi was young, and state affairs were naturally in the hands of his mother, Cixi, who had been promoted to the title of Concubine Yi.
However, the eight ministers tried to weaken the political influence of the harem in an attempt to monopolize the government. They insisted that all royal decrees should be discussed by them before they could be implemented.
In this regard, Cixi was greatly enraged.
She joined forces with the Empress Dowager to challenge these recalcitrant ministers for the dominance of power.
But Cixi is still in the harem, and it is difficult to confront the DPRK and China. The two sides eventually compromised, but all orders had to be submitted to the Queen Mother for review, and nothing could be done without permission.
Cixi hid her edge for the time being and decided to wait for the opportunity to fight back.
Cixi's journey to power.
After Emperor Tongzhi ascended the throne, Cixi still used the influence of the Eastern Empress Dowager to intervene in national affairs. She established contact with the then powerful minister Prince Gong Yi, and gradually weakened the power of the eight ministers.
By 1861, she had worked with Yi to remove the ministers from power and purge the opposition. This is the event known in history as the "Xinyou Coup".
After the successful coup d'état, Cixi officially began to listen to politics as the empress dowager. She used her capable Yi for her own use, and the two worked together to dominate the government.
But the good times did not last long, and Emperor Tongzhi unfortunately died early. After careful consideration, Cixi chose her nephew Zai Yan as her heir, the later Guangxu Emperor.
At first, due to Guangxu's young age, Cixi continued to listen to the government, and Guangxu became the nominal emperor. His daily life was well organized, and there was little real childhood pleasure, whether it was reading or practicing calligraphy.
At the age of 20, Guangxu hoped to be pro-government, break away from the shackles of the Queen Mother, and share power with the Queen Mother. This sparked the displeasure of Cixi.
In 1894, the Sino-Japanese War broke out between the Qing Dynasty and Japan.
Cixi could have supported the Beiyang Navy Division with Emperor Guangxu, but she was more obsessed with the extravagant construction of the Summer Palace and ignored the war.
Japan won a victory in the Yellow Sea, and the Qing army was defeated one after another. Emperor Guangxu was anxious and repeatedly suggested that the construction of the Summer Palace should be stopped and the funds should be used for the military.
However, the Empress Dowager resolutely objected, and in the end, the Beiyang Naval Division was completely annihilated, and the Qing Dynasty was forced to sign the Treaty of Shimonoseki, which lost territory and paid indemnities.
The pressure of defeat prompted Emperor Guangxu to initiate the reform of the law in an attempt to save the country. He joined forces with Kang Youwei and others to implement the new policy, and the Queen Mother also expressed her support at the beginning.
However, the New Deal touched the interests of the conservative forces led by Cixi, leading Cixi to launch a coup d'état and put Emperor Guangxu under house arrest for ten years.
Obviously, during the short reign of 33 years, Guangxu's life was extremely difficult, as the emperor, he was never able to really grasp power, and he has been living under the influence of the queen mother.
As an emperor, he should have been high, but in front of Cixi, he could only be submissive.
Many historical sources record Guangxu's dissatisfaction and resentment towards the Queen Mother. For example, he once said: "Although I am seriously ill now, Galeries Lafayette (referring to Cixi) will definitely go before me." ”
However, fate played tricks, and he really couldn't live longer than Cixi.
On November 14, 1908, Emperor Guangxu died unexpectedly. The next day, the 74-year-old Cixi also died.
The sudden death of Emperor Guangxu had already caused many speculations at that time and became a major unsolved case in the history of the late Qing Dynasty.
The mystery of Guangxu's death.
There are various explanations in history regarding the death of Emperor Guangxu.
Some people put forward the theory of the natural decline of the dynasty, believing that the death of Emperor Guangxu was not a murder, but because the Qing Dynasty itself had declined, coupled with his own poor health, so his life was short.
This argument does not seem to hold water.
Considering the medical conditions at that time, 38 years old was not considered an old age for an emperor. Despite his illness, his condition was not serious and there was no indication that he would die suddenly.
And according to records, Guangxu was still arranging ** matters the day before his death, and there was no sign of his imminent death.
The theory of Yuan Shikai's murder was also put forward by the last emperor Puyi.
But after careful analysis, with Yuan Shikai's status and strength at that time, it was almost impossible for him to start in the palace. At the same time, touching the taboo of killing kings is extremely unwise for him.
Yuan Shikai, as a close confidant of Cixi, is unlikely to betray the empress dowager. If he really wants to be right to Guangxu.
To start, it must also be hinted or instructed by Cixi.
Therefore, this assertion is also open to debate.
Cixi's conspiracy theory has gained support from many historians. Cixi has motives and means, and it is possible that she planned the ** against Emperor Guangxu.
She was worried that Emperor Guangxu would retaliate and ruin her reputation, so she chose to strike first. At the last moment of her life, she ordered her cronies to poison Guangxu's diet, causing him to die of poisoning.
This argument is not unfounded.
In 2008, an examination of Guangxu's remains revealed that the arsenic content in his hair was far higher than normal, enough to prove that he had been poisoned.
In addition, the imperial physician Qu Guiting once recorded that Guangxu was quite healthy the day before his death, and suddenly fell seriously ill and died the next day, which also indirectly supported the possibility of poisoning.
Based on the above analysis, the possibility of Cixi murdering Guangxu is extremely high. In order to maintain her power, she chose to eliminate Guangxu as a potential threat in an extremely brutal way.
It also reveals a dark historical truth.
The brutality of the power struggle.
Through the above narrative, we can deeply feel the cruelty of the power struggle in the court. In feudal society, imperial power symbolizes the supreme ruling power.
Those who hold power can enjoy supreme glory and luxury. But at the same time, there are threats and greedy eyes from all sides, and it is almost like walking on thin ice to maintain power.
Empress Dowager Cixi reigned for nearly half a century, and she was always wary of her power being taken away. Especially in the face of the young and ambitious Emperor Guangxu, she eliminated this huge threat at all costs.
I would rather face the world's accusations than hold on to power.
For Emperor Guangxu, his whole life was spent in a power struggle with the Empress Dowager. Even as an emperor, he could not get rid of the shackles of the queen mother and control his own destiny.
Guangxu worked hard, but in the end he could only become a victim of Cixi's schemes.
Actually, it's not just Guangxu and Cixi. In China's thousands of years of feudal history, there have been countless tragedies caused by the struggle for imperial power.
For the sake of that illusory throne, royalty can kill each other.
For example, the conflict between Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and the crown prince Liu Ju, who, although talented, was eventually killed due to his estrangement from Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. Another example is the killing of the crown prince Li Heng by Tang Xuanzong, which triggered the Anshi Rebellion.
These are all classic examples of power struggles. Every change of power is accompanied by blood and chaos.
This reveals the terrifying nature of power. The greed and darkness of human nature are on full display in all this. In order to.
In the struggle for power, members of the royal family can do whatever it takes, by any means.
History will be fair.
Abraham Lincoln once said, "You can deceive everyone for a while; You can also deceive some people all the time; But you can't fool everyone all the time. ”
History will not tolerate the existence of evil. Although the Empress Dowager Cixi achieved her goal by murdering Emperor Guangxu, the truth of history will eventually be revealed.
Today, a hundred years later, many people are accusing the Empress Dowager Cixi of cruelty and greed. She has also been positioned as one of the sinners in Chinese history.
At the same time, we should also realize that history develops in a spiral. All kinds of shortcomings in the past are promoting social progress. China has experienced a long dark night of emperors, and finally ushered in the dawn of democratic constitutionalism.
No individual or force can stand in the way of history and justice. The wheels of history roll forward, and whoever tries to stop it will ultimately fail.
Today, we should cherish our current achievements and remain alert and sober to history. The cruelty of history should not be forgotten, otherwise there is a risk that history will repeat itself.
The stories of betrayal, conspiracy, and killing should not be repeated.