The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty in feudal history, and the most powerful person at the end of this dynasty was not the Xuantong Emperor Puyi, but the powerful Empress Dowager Cixi. Empress Dowager Cixi's actions caused irreparable harm to the Chinese nation. The most famous eunuch around Cixi was Li Lianying, who was a great eunuch under one person and above ten thousand people at that time, and he also did many things for the tiger.
In almost every dynasty, there will be a few famous eunuchs, but they will either tilt their power to the opposition, or bend the law for personal gain and seek benefits for themselves, and very few will really contribute to the country and the people. Li Lianying can be said to be the most famous eunuch in the late Qing Dynasty, and as a big red person around Cixi, she has done a lot of flattering things.
Li Lianying died bizarrely in the third year of Xuanun, and the Qing Dynasty at that time was already on the verge of internal and external troubles and precariousness. Soon after, the birth of the Xinhai Revolution ended this decadent dynasty. After Li Lianying's death, what happened to him was even more mysterious. When the posterity opened his coffin, the scene in front of him made all the personnel at the scene can't help but feel cold in their backs.
1. Entering the palace since childhood
Li Lianying's family conditions were not good since she was a child, and she suffered a lot since she was a child. In order to plan a way out for him, the family sent Li Lianying, who was 7 years old at the time, to the palace to become a eunuch. When he first entered the palace, he was very clever, seeing people talking about people and talking about ghosts. Because he mastered the new combing technique, he was deeply pleased when he combed Cixi's hair. Since then, she has become a favorite of her side.
He did not want to return to his original life, so he tried his best to curry favor with Empress Dowager Cixi every time, laying the foundation for his future promotion. His original name was Li Jinxi, but only when he entered the palace later was changed to Li Lianying. The court was full of deception and danger, and only with extremely keen intuition and clever mind could it stand firm. It is here that Li Lianying constantly improves her flattery skills and is liked by Cixi again and again.
Second, resolve the crisis
After the death of the Xianfeng Emperor, Tongzhi took the throne, and as Tongzhi's mother, Cixi's status naturally rose. Because the emperor was young, she became the de facto ruler of the Qing Dynasty, and Li Lianying naturally became the biggest beneficiary.
Empress Dowager Cixi's favorite thing to watch in her life was Peking Opera, and sometimes she was happy to see it, and she would give some rewards. Once, after watching the famous character Yang Xiaolou's play, she called him to the front, pointed to the pastries on the table and said, "These are all yours, hurry up and take them back!" Yang Xiaolou hurriedly kowtowed to Xie En, but he did not want these pastries, so he boldly said: "Thank you Lafayette, but these are extremely precious items, slaves do not dare to take them, please... Plus gift points..."
"What do you want?" Cixi was in a good mood and did not punish him. Yang Xiaolou said, "Lafayette can give me a word." After Cixi listened, she called the next person to bring a pen, ink and paper, and inscribed the word "Fu" on the spot. After reading it, the little prince next to him said: "The word Fu is next to the word, not next to the word." When Yang Xiaolou saw it, it was indeed Cixi who had written it wrong, but he took it back to other people's meetings to discuss, which would commit the crime of deceiving the king. If not, Cixi would be furious, and his life would be in danger, and it would be difficult for him to ride the tiger for a while.
Cixi did not speak again, but just looked at Yang Xiaolou quietly. At this time, Li Lianying, who was standing on the sidelines, spoke: "Lafayette's blessing is a little more than anyone else in the world!" Yang Xiaolou also continued, "This blessing is so great that the minister does not dare to take it!" Cixi also took it back, and in this way, she defused an invisible crisis, and from this incident, we can see Li Lianying's flattering skills and rather witty mind.
Third, the peak of power
When he entered the palace for 17 years, Li Lianying became the chief eunuch. Li Lianying, 46, was rewarded with wearing a flower plume on the top of erpin. Although there is no substantial reward, this is a symbol of great honor among eunuchs. This situation did not exist in the previous Qing Dynasty, and many eunuchs did not even dare to lift their heads when they saw Li Lianying, but privately they were very envious of his status.
In this way, Li Lianying became her confidant at the side of Empress Dowager Cixi. However, at that time, the Qing Dynasty had long been in turmoil, foreign tigers were looking at each other, and domestic people were full of resentment. Empress Dowager Cixi continued to go her own way, spending huge sums of money on her birthday, without the slightest regard for the safety of the people of Dawn. Some ministers advised the matter, but li lianying suppressed it. He had always been on the side of Lafayette.
Over the decades, countless people have changed around Cixi, and only Li Lianying is still standing. Later, Kang Youwei, Liang Qichao, and others planned the Pengshu Reform Method, but ultimately failed due to Cixi's interference. She also ordered the execution of the then "Six Gentlemen of Wushu". Even the Guangxu Emperor at that time was finally imprisoned. Li Lianying was ostracized by Cixi because she was very supportive of the Guangxu Emperor at that time. After this incident ended, Cixi gradually distanced herself from Li Lianying. So Li Lianying became retired and wanted to go home and enjoy her old age.
Fourth, the cause of death is a mystery
Li Lianying left the palace, but mysteriously died. His family only said to the outside world that he was seriously ill, but there was no relevant certificate. Some people said that Li Lianying was assassinated in the palace, some people said that he was assassinated by the revolutionary party, and some people said that he was killed by his enemies seeking revenge. Opinions vary, but there is no definitive answer.
Li Lianying's grave was excavated 55 years after his death. The coffin was exquisite and magnificent, but when the people opened the coffin, they were so horrified by the sight that they could not speak.
Everything was normal inside the coffin, but Li Lianying's body was mutilated, with only one skull, two calf bones, and a braid on her head. This braid is about three feet long. The rest of the story is gone. Whether this was the state he was in when he was first buried, or whether he was found by the enemy after his death, there may never be an answer.
5. Summary
Although Li Lianying's life was basically spent in the deep palace, his alert and sleek, cautious personality was more sophisticated than many people who wandered in society. But it was also because of his aid and abetting abuse that he had such consequences after his death.
Although he was famous for a while while he was alive, he never maintained a basic conscience, resulting in the people's evaluation of him getting worse and worse. Only those who truly seek the welfare of the people will be deeply loved. On the contrary, only everyone will shout and beat, even if the grave is dug, no one will feel strangled and sigh, only think that it is a causal cycle.
At that time, Cixi had monopoly power, and Li Lianying's value also rose with the water, and her voice was prominent. But when the wheel of history rolls by, the old society will eventually be replaced by a new one. The renewal and iteration of the times, countless feudal scum will be eliminated. Li Lianying has this fate, it can also be regarded as self-inflicted, whether it is to be a person or to do things, you need to have your own conscience of good and evil, have always stood on the opposite side of justice, and in the end can only eat the consequences of evil.