Cixi went to court at 8 a.m. every morning and started to get up at 3 a.m
Some people don't understand why the hard-working and loving Empress Dowager Cixi has to get up from 3 a.m. to 8 a.m. every day. What did she do during those five long hours? Today, we're going to give you a closer look at this untold history.
i.The bell is ringing,"Queen Mother's Day"Drive into the night.
When darkness envelops the ancient Forbidden City, when the bell strikes at three o'clock in the morning, breaking the silence of death, the sleeping Empress Dowager Cixi will wake up from her sweet dreams"。"Galeries Lafayette auspicious""Galeries Lafayette auspicious"The concubines whispered lullaby-like ballads in her ear, over and over again, until the Empress Dowager Cixi finally slowly opened her sleepy eyes, and the ceremony was over.
When Empress Dowager Cixi got out of bed at the age of 60, it was no longer an easy task for her. With the help of the palace maid, she moved her aching body and crawled to the dresser.
At this moment, the dormitory suddenly lit up, and the light washed away the gloom of the night. This was a signal that alarmed the palace people, and the eunuchs immediately got up and began to serve the old master. I saw that the palace ladies quickly got busy, boiling hot water, preparing delicious meals, arranging clothes and dowries...Everything is ready, just waiting to serve the Empress Dowager Cixi.
For the Empress Dowager Cixi, who is already 60 years old, it is a challenge to get out of bed at this time. But the thought of the great responsibility she had on her shoulders made it difficult for her to start the long run"Awakening rituals"。
Secondly, the highest level of maintenance in the palace made the Empress Dowager Cixi radiant!
The first major event of the Empress Dowager Cixi's accession to the throne was to maintain the palace to the highest standards.
First of all, she had the concubines of the castle delicately apply her a rare gift from all over the world**, which has an incomparably precious nourishing effect and can moisturize her face. In order to soak **, the palace concubines gently massaged the face of the Empress Dowager Cixi to help her moisturize the skin of her face.
Later, the concubines used different colors of rouge to make up the Empress Dowager Cixi, and the Empress Dowager Cixi's face became delicate and elegant, and her complexion was radiant. Empress Dowager Cixi's favorite color is lilac, lilac is elegant, slightly covering her face, making Empress Dowager Cixi's temperament more noble and dignified.
At this time, Empress Dowager Cixi's most trusted concubine, Li Lianying, came to comb her hair. Li Lianying's technique is very skillful, she did not damage the scalp of the Empress Dowager Cixi, and every stroke was just right. She first applied some ointment evenly to the Empress Dowager Cixi's hair to make her silver hair smoother and shinier. Then, she combed the Empress Dowager Cixi's hair inch by inch with a hairpin, then curled the Empress Dowager's hair upwards, and finally put a circle of pearl and jade clips on the Empress Dowager's head, and the headdress was just the icing on the cake.
When the Empress Dowager Cixi was combing her hair, she had to carefully reapply her makeup because some of her makeup had fallen off. In order to make herself look flawless, she never skips the arduous step of touching up makeup.
Ever since the widow Cixi became empress, Cixi has paid more attention to her appearance. She knows that a woman's charm comes from her appearance. Only by always maintaining the most beautiful appearance can you gain a firm foothold among the thousands of subjects in the palace and consolidate your position of power. This became a necessary means for her to maintain her power.
When the Empress Dowager Cixi smoked for the third time, she was refreshed and ready to enter the palace.
The Empress Dowager Cixi was in a bad mood after putting on makeup. So, she asked the concubines to take out her collection of blue and white porcelain pipes and light them for her.
The concubines sat in front of the Empress Dowager Cixi, holding elegant purple sand pipes, elegantly inhaling puffs of smoke and then exhaling smoke rings of different shapes. It became her way of self-absorption and a great way to refresh herself.
The Empress Dowager Cixi felt refreshed while drinking tea. She also asked the maid to bring tea made from lame tree flowers, and rinsed her mouth with the tea to moisten her throat, mouth, and mouth. Then, she took a few sips of newborn milk, which had an indispensable tonic effect and seemed to make her feel refreshed.
After this series of the"Debugging", Lafayette was finally physically fit and full of spirits, fully prepared for the coming ordeal.
Empress Dowager Cixi's four-course dishes, with more than 20 flavors, have also become elegant.
The palace doesn't officially open until 8 a.m. After smoking, after eating refreshments, it's still early. The Empress Dowager Cixi asked the palace maid to prepare breakfast for her.
At the dinner party of the Empress Dowager Cixi, the palace ladies carried plates of delicacies full of color and fragrance. There are more than 20 dishes in total. The smoky, fragrant lobster scallop soup, the juicy jade steamed pork patties and dipping sauce soup will whet your appetite. The Empress Dowager Cixi took a sip of the soup, praised it, and asked the palace maid to add two bowls.
Empress Dowager Cixi enjoyed the taste of each dish, eating it bite by bite, and did not forget to praise each dish gracefully to encourage her subjects. She never rushes or overeats. The Empress Dowager Cixi enjoyed the food like a cup of tea, and she would hold it in her mouth for a long time to show her elegance.
Meals are always very long, even a simple breakfast in front of the morning takes an hour. The Empress Dowager Cixi was happy to chat for a few minutes while eating a hearty meal.
v.He was dressed in court clothes and took a royal sedan chair to the Jinshui Bridge at the noon gate.
After lunch, it didn't take long for the palace gates to open at noon. The Empress Dowager Cixi once again drank tea and smoked to cheer herself up.
In order to make it incense, she asked the palace ladies to change the court clothes layer by layer, this court dress is made of exquisite materials, elegant and solemn style, is her own style. The palace maids and the queen mother wore golden phoenix crowns and various jewelry on their heads, which looked very luxurious.
The Empress Dowager Cixi was fully dressed and began her last journey into the palace in the royal carriage. On the way, she didn't forget to put a layer of light makeup on her sedan chair, and then picked up the bronze mirror given to her by the palace maid and took a look at her appearance. She had to make sure that she was the most beautiful of the courtiers.
vi.After declaring sovereignty, the Empress Dowager Cixi walked into the main hall and showed her luxury.
When the bell rang at eight o'clock, the curling smoke of the imperial sedan finally arrived at the Jinshui Bridge at Noon. The Empress Dowager Cixi walked into the hall with light steps and the anticipation of the ministers, showing people the majesty and power of the hostess.
From getting up at three o'clock in the morning to entering the palace at eight o'clock in the morning, the Empress Dowager Cixi had to go through a tedious experience"Wake up ceremony"In addition to a lot of trivial make-up and dressing, these preparations to stay in shape, eat and live, take her countless hours of time and energy. This is just the tip of the iceberg of the daily life of the Empress Dowager Cixi.
Cixi was bent on consolidating her power and devoted a great deal of human and material resources to personal pleasures. But does he understand? This unbridled waste hastened the collapse of the Qing Empire. The development of history also seems to be an inevitable flow of changes, which is not entirely in the hands of one person.