When it comes to the history of the late Qing Dynasty, it is completely impossible to avoid a woman, Empress Dowager Cixi. The Empress Dowager Cixi launched the Xin You coup in 1961 AD, and until her death in Yiluan Hall in 1908, she controlled the lifeblood of the entire Qing Dynasty for nearly half a century, and it was in this half century that the Qing Dynasty declined step by step.
This Empress Dowager Cixi came to power at such a special point in time. As a result, she became a very important person. Whether it is the main history, the wild history, or the movies and television series, or the various commentaries and essays, etc., there are really too many. But while we paid attention to Empress Dowager Cixi, we ignored another person, Empress Dowager Ci'an.
The 1961 Coup d'état of Xin You, initiated by Empress Dowager Cixi and Empress Dowager Ci'an in conjunction with Prince Gong Yixuan, and from then until Ci'an's death in 1881, the entire pattern of the Qing government was always the pattern of "the second palace hanging curtains, the prince deliberating on the government". Ci'an is the Eastern Empress and Cixi is the Western Empress.
Then we know that Empress Dowager Cixi was able to take power because she was the biological mother of the new emperor Tongzhi Emperor. Then Empress Dowager Ci'an did not have a son under her knees, so why did she have great power? By virtue of her status as a wife? But Emperor Xianfeng was already dead, so why did Empress Dowager Cixi and Prince Gong have to let Ci'an step in?
In fact, the woman of Empress Dowager Ci'an was not simple. She herself came from the Yellow Flag-adorned Nyulülu family and was a top celebrity of the Qing Dynasty. In February of the second year of Xianfeng (1852), the 15-year-old Ci'an entered the palace to be elected and was named a concubine. At the same time, Cixi, who entered the palace, was given the title of Lan Guiren.
The concubine entered the palace in April, and after only a month, she was given the title of concubine, and then in October. That is, less than half a year after she entered the palace, Ci'an was crowned empress. Such a speed of promotion is simply a miracle in the harem of the Qing Dynasty.
Although it can be said that it is a family reason, in fact, we can see it from the time when she was named a concubine from the beginning. If she herself was not outstanding, she would never have been so smooth. And what about Cixi, a contemporary? Until the time of Ci'an's sealing, she was still a nobleman. Although he was two years older than Ci'an, he could only call Ci'an a "sister".
And Ci'an, who sat in the position of empress, also lived up to the declaration of his own mother. She did not treat the Xianfeng Emperor with the same attitude as a wife to her husband, but as a courtier to the Son of Heaven. Every time she saw the Xianfeng Emperor, she was solemnly and solemnly dressed in court clothes, so much so that the Xianfeng Emperor called her a "female saint".
During the reign of Xianfeng, there was a rebellion in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom within the Qing Dynasty and an invasion by great powers outside. So much so that the Xianfeng Emperor was often anxious, and under great pressure, he always beat people, cursed people, and even simply became passive and decadent, hanging words such as "and Le Dao ren" in the palace.
Every day he summoned his concubines to drink and rejoice, and he had a hangover all day long. So that for a while, everyone in the court was afraid, and Ci'an ignored Emperor Xianfeng's violent temper at this time, rose to the challenge, and was emotionally moved by Emperor Xianfeng. He also summoned the concubines who were waiting for him, rebuked them severely, and ordered the eunuchs to rebuke the concubines. Later, he explained to the Xianfeng Emperor:
"If the slave is not arrested, he cannot supervise the concubines, and he is afraid that the foreign ministers will have slaves, so they summon this concubine to rebuke them, and do not make the slaves notorious." - Draft History of the Qing Dynasty
It is said that at this time, the concubine of Ci'an was Empress Dowager Cixi. And this sentence is actually said at a very high level, first of all the blame is borne on his own body, and then tell the emperor that my empress is scolded, so what will happen to you, the emperor?
At the same time, Empress Dowager Ci'an was of high moral character, and even if she was an empress, she never profited for her family. The Qing History Manuscript also records Ci'an's foreign family, saying that his mother's mansion was:
"Big and inappropriate, leaky and puddle. After the heavy rain, it is almost watery. Guang (Ke) Shi to Hangzhou general, although a relative of Jiaofang, was also poor for life. ”
And empress dowager Ci'an, who was so valuable in character, was trusted and favored by the Xianfeng Emperor. Xianfeng and Ci'an, a couple, could not be regarded as having any love. But it was really a couple who were friends, xianfeng emperor died in the eleventh year of Xianfeng (1861) before the chengde mountain resort.
He first ordered that the throne be passed to his only son, the Tongzhi Emperor born to Cixi, and give him the seal "Tongdaotang". Later, he awarded Empress Dowager Ci'an a seal of "Imperial Reward" and left a will. All edicts or edicts issued by the emperor must be stamped with both the seals of "Tongdaotang" and "Imperial Reward" to take effect.
This is also the reason why Empress Dowager Ci'an had no children and could also occupy the position of Empress Dowager Cixi and Prince Gong, the biological mother of the Tongzhi Emperor. The situation created by the Tongzhi Emperor of "Tongzhi Zhongxing" was also created during the reign of Empress Dowager Ci'an. It can be said that if Ci'an had not died so early, the history of the late Qing Dynasty might not have been so humiliating.
The death of Empress Dowager Ci'an is still a mystery in history. According to the official Qing Dynasty's official history, Emperor Dezong's Records, Empress Dowager Ci'an died of normal illness. However, according to some wild history notes such as the Qing Barnyard Banknotes and the Chongling Transmission Letters, the death of Empress Dowager Ci'an was inseparable from Empress Dowager Cixi.