In the past, women were much more likely to be abandoned and killed by their families when they were still babies than men. However, even so, there are still many women who have emerged in different eras in many industries.
They may have left their names in history with their outstanding professional knowledge, or they may have been immortalized through the ages because of their talents in poetry and calligraphy. Of course, there are also people who stand on the temples and stir up historical chaos. Among them, the closest to modern times is Cixi, who controlled the late Qing Dynasty for decades.
This woman who had a profound influence on modern history passed away just after her 73rd birthday. She died after the Guangxu that she had always wanted to get rid of but failed, and the official death knell of the Qing Dynasty that she maintained. before ringing.
Luxurious birthday banquet, death is approaching
November 1908 was Cixi's seventy-third birthday. The de facto ruler's birthday was naturally extremely grand and luxurious. Beijing City started preparations early, and Forbidden City was full of big plays. Cixi's favorite singing opera was scheduled for five days.
Cixi believed deeply in Buddhism. In her twilight years, she was terrified of not knowing when the end would come. Cixi would often burn incense and worship Buddha. However, when she went to pray this year, she did not light all the incense. For Cixi, this seemed to be an omen.
On the day of her birthday, Cixi still had fun as much as she wanted, even though her illness since the summer had not gotten better. She dressed up as Guanyin, as if she could avoid illness and death.
However, my already bad health became even worse after this day of suffering. After her birthday, she slept longer than before every day, constantly reminding Cixi that her end was approaching and that there was no way to save her.
Seeing that Cixi was in coma for longer and longer every day, whether inside or outside the palace, everyone was waiting for Cixi's death and how the government would change after her death. Even at this moment, this last dynasty is on the verge of extinction.
The first news that came was the death of Emperor Guangxu. The emperor who had been imprisoned for a long time died first. Although it was announced that he died of illness, many people believed that Cixi was afraid that Guangxu would turn around after her death and simply killed him.
100 years later, modern technology was used to identify the hair left by Guangxu, and it was confirmed that he was poisoned. Regarding the poisoner, Cixi is one of the subjects of major suspicion, but what is the truth of this dusty history? Without evidence, future generations will have no way of knowing.
After the death of Guangxu, dealing with the aftermath
Guangxu passed away at 6:30 pm on November 14th. After all, he was the nominally most powerful person in this country. His death was a national event, and there were many things that needed Cixi to do. deal with.
html On the morning of the 15th, Cixi seemed to be in good spirits. She supported her illness and began to deal with the funeral arrangements. She was not only dealing with the arrangements for the heir after Guangxu's death, but also making plans for her own death.Cixi summoned important ministers and confirmed that 3-year-old Puyi would inherit the throne. This was not an idea that Cixi just had at this time, but it had already been decided, including a tacit understanding among the ministers.
Then the problem arises. The emperor is too young to handle government affairs, so he needs to entrust it to a trustworthy and capable person. There is no need to think too much at this time, Puyi's biological father is a ready candidate.
But for a person who has been in the political arena for decades, even his biological father and son cannot be easily trusted. There must be someone to check and balance. The person Cixi chose to check and balance was her niece, who became the Queen Mother's Longyu with the death of Guangxu. Four years later, the Qing Dynasty declared its demise, and Puyi's abdication was signed by Longyu on his behalf.
As the ruler of the last dynasty, the memory left to future generations is the wanton plundering of China by the great powers. Although the country is still there, the land is broken and withered, and the warships of foreign enemies can swim in the inland rivers. This is such a humiliating history.
Cixi clearly knew how bad her reputation would be, and she began to reflect before she died, but she still couldn't help but spend a lot of words defending herself in her posthumous edict.
Looking back on her life and passing away
Cixi also knew that her good spirit at this moment may have gone back to her former glory. As she arranged her posthumous affairs, she would inevitably recall the ups and downs she had experienced in her life, from being an ordinary girl to walking into this deep-walled compound. To stand at the pinnacle of power, ruling the entire country as a woman for decades.
When Cixi was born, the rulers of the Qing Dynasty were still immersed in the dream of a heavenly kingdom, and did not notice that the outside world had undergone earth-shaking changes. But these have nothing to do with Cixi. After all, their family is just a very ordinary family.
It can be seen from some preserved handwritings of Cixi that she did not receive a good education at home, otherwise it would be impossible for her to have many typos after she came to power.
At the age of 17, Cixi entered the palace through a draft. When she first entered the palace, her title was not high. Although Cixi was not of high birth and her appearance was not outstanding enough to be unforgettable at first sight, she had the heart to figure out the thoughts of Xianfeng and was good at seizing the opportunities, so she was favored by the emperor and continued to be promoted.
She gave birth to Xianfeng's eldest and only son just four years after entering the palace. Since then, Cixi's position in the harem has been completely stabilized. This son naturally inherited the throne when Xianfeng died a few years later and became the Tongzhi emperor.
Tongzhi was still young when he succeeded to the throne. As the emperor's biological mother, Cixi united with others to launch a coup and successfully took control of the government, thus kicking off the Cixi era. Politically, no one could challenge her position, whether it was her biological son or her successor Guangxu.
But the era when she was in power was also when the Qing Dynasty was dying bit by bit. Of course, this did not start with her, it had started earlier. But losing sovereignty over the separatist land, abandoning the capital, and fleeing hastily would be an extremely humiliating thing anytime and anywhere.
Cixi's eyes became more and more confused, and the God of Death walked toward her step by step. After saying the last sentence, "The harem must not interfere with politics," she died. At this time, it was only 20 hours before Guangxu's death.
Cixi was still dealing with the political affairs after Guangxu's death in the morning, and was going to meet him in the afternoon. The palace people have prepared everything and put a shroud on this powerful woman who has been in power for decades.
Summary:
In feudal society, women were exploited and oppressed at the bottom. Even the most basic personal rights could not be controlled by their husband's family and their natal family, let alone equal access to education and opportunities to work. . Cixi controlled the temple for decades under such circumstances, which shows her scheming skills.
Cixi witnessed how the Qing Dynasty succumbed to the powerful ships and cannons of the great powers, how it gradually lost its sovereignty, and how the Qing Dynasty was destroyed. It was a lucky thing for her to die before the death knell of the Qing Dynasty sounded.
