In many of the current film and television works with the theme of the late Manchu Qing Dynasty, I think most viewers will not be unfamiliar with the phenomenon of calling Cixi "Lafayette", right?
Then, although Cixi held the power of the government in her hands for a long time, she listened to the government from the previous curtain, and even further reached the point of directly manipulating the emperor. But no matter how tough Cixi's political tactics were, she always presented herself as an empress, and the word "Lafayette" was clearly more compatible with men. Therefore, there are also many people who are puzzled by the origin of the title of Cixi.
According to the historical record "The Great View of the Wild History of the Qing Dynasty", "Empress Xiaoqin was in the form of Guanyin", which is to the effect that Cixi once dressed up as Guanyin in her free time, just like the cosplay we are now familiar with. In the large-scale historical drama "Toward the Republic", there are also bridge sections where Cixi is dressed in Guanyin costumes and takes photos in front of the cameras of foreigners, and Li Lianying and the palace girls around her even dress up as golden children and jade girls, which is really ironic.
However, from the above historical data, it is precisely because of this practice of Cixi that he was flattered by the people around him as "Lafayette". However, it is said that the origin of the title of Lafayette cixi has another rumor. Once, when the capital was dry and rainy, Cixi, who had originally believed in Buddhism, chose an auspicious day of the zodiac and led a group of courtiers in the palace to pray for rain. It is strange to say that after a long period of drought in the capital, after Cixi prayed for rain, only three days later, it began to pour heavy rain, washing away the dry heat in the capital.
At this time, the grand eunuch Li Lianying seized the opportunity and took the opportunity to flatter his master, saying that Cixi was like the reincarnation of the Buddha. In this way, the title of Cixi Lafayette also spread.
However, although when we mention Lafayette now, we will naturally think of the dictatorial Empress Dowager Cixi, in fact, according to the research of historians, the title of Lafayette did not only appear in Cixi. Judging from the literature, the religious beliefs of the Jurchens are more inclined to shamanism, but after a long period of integration with the Central Plains culture, most Jurchens began to believe in Buddhism.
Before the Manchu Qing Dynasty entered the customs, Buddhism had become the main religion among the Jurchens, including the rulers, without exception. Therefore, the title of "Lafayette" was originally applicable to all Manchu Emperors. Because from a semantic point of view, the patriarch of the Jurchen tribe was called "Manju" long ago, and this title is particularly similar to the "Manju" in Buddhism. You know, Manju also belongs to a type of Buddha number in the Jurchen language system.
Therefore, after entering the Central Plains, the Jurchen culture and the Central Plains culture quickly merged, and gradually produced many transliteration scripts, including the transformation process of Manzhu - Manshu - Buddha.
And because the Manzhu was originally only used to call the leader of the Jurchen clan, after the establishment of the Manchu Qing regime, successive rulers could be called Buddha, and it was also a normal phenomenon to add the word "old" in front of the Buddha.
This also reflects that Cixi was the ruler in the true sense of the word in the late Qing Dynasty.
It can be seen that Lafayette is not the patent of Cixi alone, but if it is a dynasty other than the Manchu Qing Dynasty, if such a word appears again, it is not in line with the historical data!
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