On the stage of the late Qing Dynasty, Cixi, as the core figure, was famous for her stubbornness, pursuit of luxury, and ruthlessness. However, there was a terrifying incident in her political career, which was not revealed until 2008, causing shock and heated discussions in the society. What was it that led this feared woman to this unknown path?
Cixi's power plot started when she was young, and at the age of 17, she became the concubine of Emperor Xianfeng through the draft, and later became a nobleman, concubine, and concubine, and finally became the imperial concubine, and was favored by Emperor Xianfeng. She skillfully took advantage of the opportunity when Emperor Xianfeng was tired to review the chapter on her behalf, and secretly peeked into the cracks of power. Cixi took advantage of the opportunity to make friends with important ministers and accumulate her own power.
In 1861, Emperor Xianfeng died, and the five-year-old prince Zaichun succeeded him as Emperor Tongzhi. Cixi's path to power was met with resistance, and the eight ministers tried to take control of the state, which caused Cixi's extreme anger. After joining forces with the Empress Dowager, she finally reached a compromise with the minister, but the conspiracy did not end.
After Emperor Tongzhi succeeded to the throne, Cixi still influenced the government through the Empress Dowager Dong, and joined forces with Prince Gong to reduce the power of the eight ministers and successfully resolved them, an event known as the "Xinyou Coup" by later generations. Cixi officially listened to the government as the empress dowager and joined hands with Yi to take power.
However, the good times did not last long, and Emperor Tongzhi died of illness early, and Cixi decided to arrange for her nephew Zai Xiang to succeed him, who later became Emperor Guangxu. At the beginning, Guangxu was just a puppet, and the Empress Dowager Cixi controlled the power of life and death. However, when he was 20 years old and expressed his desire to be pro-government and free from the control of the Empress Dowager, Cixi's discontent quickly escalated.
In 1894, the Sino-Japanese War broke out between the Qing Dynasty and Japan, but Cixi was immersed in the luxurious life of building the Summer Palace, and was indifferent to the war. In the face of Emperor Guangxu's repeated proposals to use funds for military expenses, the Empress Dowager resolutely refused, which eventually led to the annihilation of the Beiyang Naval Division and the signing of the "Treaty of Shimonoseki" to cede land and pay compensation. This defeat prompted Emperor Guangxu to initiate the reform of the law and unite with Kang Youwei and others to implement a new policy, but he was placed under house arrest by Cixi's coup d'état, which eventually lasted for 10 years.
Guangxu's lifelong efforts were in vain, although he was the emperor, he could not really control the power, and he had been living under the constraints of the queen mother. His dissatisfaction and resentment towards the Empress Dowager left a deep imprint on the historical records. However, as fate would have it, Guangxu died suddenly on November 14, 1908, and the next day, the 74-year-old Empress Dowager Cixi also died.
The death of Emperor Guangxu caused doubts at the time, and there are many theories. One believes that it was because of the decline of the Qing Dynasty, the other believes that Yuan Shikai murdered, and the most recognized theory by experts is that the Empress Dowager Cixi conspired to murder. In 2008, an examination of Guangxu's remains revealed high levels of arsenic, along with the records of the imperial physician, revealing the possibility that Cixi had murdered Guangxu.
Through this history, we have a deeper understanding of the cruelty of court intrigues. In a feudal society, imperial power represented the highest power, and power struggles often led to bizarre deaths. In order to maintain power, the Empress Dowager Cixi even did not hesitate to use the most cruel means to remove the threat of Guangxu.
However, history will not tolerate the existence of evil. The Empress Dowager Cixi may have achieved her goal by poisoning Guangxu at that time, but the truth of history was finally revealed to the world. Today, we should cherish the achievements of the present and maintain a sober understanding of history. The struggle for power should no longer lead to the tragedy of betrayal, conspiracy and killing. The wheels of history are rolling forward, and those who try to stop it will fail.