Qing Dynasty a total of 296 years of history, a total of 12 emperors, the Qing Dynasty as the last feudal dynasty in Chinese history, there is its heyday period, there is also its decline and fall period, the Qing Dynasty at its peak appeared "Kangqian prosperous", when the Qing Dynasty declined, there was a history of Empress Dowager Cixi's 47 years of power, which played a huge role in the Qing Dynasty, but in addition to Empress Dowager Cixi to promote the development of the Qing Dynasty, there was also an empress dowager, who also played a role in the power of the cable, sometimes Empress Dowager Cixi was afraid of her, she was Empress Dowager Ci'an.
In 1852, the 16-year-old Niu Hulu clan was drafted into the palace, after entering the palace was named a concubine, due to the relatively high door, after entering the palace for 4 months, the Niu Hulu clan has climbed to the position of empress, which is unique in the Qing Dynasty, and since then the Niu Hulu clan has begun, the prime minister's six palaces, the career of the mother's world. Harem beauty three thousand, as the harem leader, no wind and three waves, the history of the deposed countless empresses, but the Niu Hulu clan laughed to the end.
(Empress Dowager Ci'an played by Shao Meiqi in the TV series "The Great Eunuch")
Niu Hulu clan is very thrifty, she very much likes to spread cloth clothes, does not like Ayara silk, she also has to make a pair of shoes for Xianfeng herself every year, she often says to the concubines of the harem, the things sent by the courtiers do not accept, we accept more gifts, the people are more hungry, sometimes catch her birthday, the gifts sent by the ministers, the Niu Hulu clan rejects them all, never tolerates, her usual every move, abide by various feudal etiquette, never rush to treat the next person, the Xianfeng Emperor is very respectful of her.
(Empress Dowager Cixi, played by Michelle in the TV series, "The Great Eunuch")
In 1860, the Anglo-French army captured Dagu, the army entered Tianjin, directly approached Tongzhou, wanted to invade Beijing, XianFeng with his wife and concubines and children in the name of "hunting", fled to the Rehe Palace, because Xianfeng indulged in sound and color, the body was not as good as a day, the next year Xianfeng died of illness, Xianfeng arranged for the "Eight Ministers" headed by Sushun before his death to assist the Tongzhi Emperor in handling all administrative affairs. He also awarded Ci'an the impression of "Imperial Reward", and awarded Zaichun the seal of "Tongdaotang" under the control of Cixi.
(Empress Dowager Cixi played by Michelle in the TV series "The Great Eunuch")
Later, the ambitious Cixi, united with Prince Gong, co-opted Ci'an, and launched the "Xin You Coup", after the success of the coup, the two palaces bowed to the government, the general daily affairs were handled by Cixi, and when they encountered major affairs of the imperial court, it was still decided by Ci'an, and the period of the curtain listening to the government with Ci'an as the mainstay was mainly based on frugality, and she often dismissed some ministers on the grounds that the Taiping Army was not destroyed, and some ministers played a request to daxing to rebuild the Yuanmingyuan, and Ci'an and Cixi cooperated closely, reusing Prince Gong, Wenxiang, WuRen and other important ministers in the imperial court. It was also important to a number of outstanding Han generals, such as Zeng Guofan, Zuo Zongtang, Li Hongzhang, etc., who appeared during the Tongzhi period.
For a long time, Ci'an gave people a kind of illusion of being too loyal and honest, lacking political ability, and relying on Cixi for everything, in fact, Ci'an was born in a family of officials and eunuchs, and received a good education from an early age, especially in the five years that she was empress, the Qing Dynasty suffered serious internal and external troubles, ci'an matured in sorrow, and also increased her experience in distress. The "Notes on Yong'an" records that "He Guiqing, the governor of Liangjiang, who had lost his land in the city and escaped from the battlefield, sent the arrogant and poor Shengbao to prison and gave him the titles of Zeng Guofan, Zuo Zongtang, and Li Hongzhang, all out of the will of Ci'an."
Ding Baozhen's killing of Cixi's confidant eunuch An Dehai was the order of Ci'an, when Cixi intended to protect Andehai, Ci'an's attitude was resolute, and ordered the law to be rectified on the spot, killing An Dehai in Jinan. The existence of Ci'an had a considerable deterrent effect on Cixi, and once An Dehai died, Cixi lost her confidant, which also made her lose face, and she couldn't help but feel jealous of Ci'an.
In 1881, Empress Dowager Ci'an died suddenly at the Zhong Pu Palace at the age of 45, and the departure of Empress Dowager Ci'an made the curtains of the two palaces become Cixi's sole control, but Empress Dowager Cixi and Ci'an were different, Empress Dowager Cixi liked extravagance and enjoyment, which further aggravated the decline of the Qing Dynasty, if Empress Dowager Ci'an did not die, she could still contain Cixi, and the history of the Qing Dynasty would be rewritten, and there would be no big problem in continuing for a few more years.