Empress Dowager Cixi in the late Qing Dynasty was a very famous empress dowager at that time, and she was also well known in later generations, but she was famous for her viciousness and extravagance. But at the same time as her, there was also an empress dowager, known as Empress Dowager Ci'an, who was also a very legendary figure at that time, and when she was alive, her light completely overshadowed Cixi, but she was not so lucky compared to Cixi.
The reason why Cixi was able to hold power in the harem was mainly because she had one more son than Ci'an, and if Empress Dowager Ci'an had her own son, perhaps the Qing Dynasty would not have perished so early, and there would be nothing to do with Cixi. So what are the advantages of Empress Dowager Ci'an compared to Cixi? She entered the palace at the age of 15, rose five levels in a year, was crowned empress, and when she was alive, she won in all aspects compared with Cixi.
First of all, the birth is noble. She was born noble and was the daughter of the Niuhulu clan of the Qing Dynasty. He is also a descendant of the founding father of the Qing Dynasty, Er Yidu. In her family, there have been many empresses and noble concubines, basically married to the Aisin Kyora family for generations, and Cixi was born in the Yehenara clan, and her identity and Ci'an are incomparable.
Second, Ci'an was the emperor's concubine. Although Empress Ci'an was not the emperor's first empress but a successor empress, she was also a concubine, and the treatment of a concubine was not available to Cixi. Moreover, when the emperor was alive, the suggestions to Ci'an were basically adopted, and the feelings between them were also very good.
Ci'an often admonished him, and he accepted it humbly, not with fear, but with respect for his wife. In the emperor's heart, she had always been a knowledgeable woman. It is said that before the emperor's death, the last thing she could let go of was Ci'an, and once reminded Ci'an to beware of Lan Guiren, that is, the future Empress Dowager Cixi, because he knew that Ci'an was a soft-hearted woman.
Third, political acumen. Before the emperor died, in order to help Ci'an govern the country, he specially set up several ministers who wanted them to restrain each other, and also helped Ci'an to govern the country well, so that the Qing Dynasty could develop further. However, not long after the emperor's death, Ci'an liquidated these famous ministers, mainly to prevent the power from falling, and Cixi at that time was just one of her followers. At that time, the major affairs of the state were handled by Ci'an, and Cixi was dealing with some more trivial matters. Moreover, Ci'an was a very politically minded woman, and under her rule, the Qing Dynasty could still move forward despite the ups and downs.
Fourth, the marriage of children. Although Ci'an had no children, and the emperor at that time was Cixi's biological son, because Ci'an was the empress dowager of the Eastern Palace at that time, her power was higher than cixi, and the emperor's marriage issue was also decided by Ci'an. The woman Cixi chose was naturally someone who was good for herself, but she didn't have that power. Although she also resisted for a while, she eventually lost to Ci'an, and finally the new emperor married the empress arranged by Ci'an.
However, unfortunately, Ci'an suddenly died violently, and the cause of her death has not been thoroughly studied in history, and some people say that she was assassinated by Cixi, but there is no specific evidence. However, after her death, Cixi really took power and accelerated the decline of the Qing Dynasty.