A young emperor often felt powerless and stretched thin when he had to deal with the largest and longest-lasting peasant uprising in Chinese history internally and the aggression of Britain, France, the United States, and Russia, which were armed to the teeth.
As far as the personal temperament of the Xianfeng Emperor was concerned, he was not an emperor with great talent. He was inferior to his father, the Daoguang Emperor, and even less so to his ancestors, the Kangxi Emperor, the Yongzheng Emperor, the Qianlong Emperor, and the Jiaqing Emperor.
According to the Cixi Outer Chronicle, "At that time, the hearts of the people thought that the fate of Manchuria would be extinguished, the heart of heaven was disgusted, the whole country was in turmoil, and the people's hearts were gradually separated." The scholar thought in his heart that he was inferior to the previous king, the ancestor of the Qing Dynasty" (Shunzhi Emperor - the introducer) below, the ancient right text, the academic career, the outstanding former ancient, the glorious history, the writings of Hongfu, and the shifu. The Xianfeng Emperor was inferior. ”
This is a fair evaluation of the Xianfeng Emperor, and it is also a true portrayal of the people's hearts at that time.
Emperor Xianfeng's experience in governing the Qing Dynasty, his academic attainments, his quality of will, and his psychological posture were not enough to cope with such a situation of great turmoil and ups and downs. It can be said that a young and weak emperor encountered a complex and difficult situation.
Not only that, the Xianfeng Emperor was also a mercurial son, and at the beginning of his succession, he was young and vigorous, and he also wanted to do something big and save the precarious rule of the Qing Dynasty. Han Shishi said: "Looking at its initial politics, it is not necessary to think of cheering up and being promising. Not many years ago, Yan An was as old as ever. "He lived in the palace for a long time, first involved in politics, and did not know much about the situation at home and abroad. Faced with the ever-changing situation, he was at a loss, so he began to pursue sound and color, coveting fun.
He is in love with women.
According to the "Foreign History of the Manchu Qing Dynasty", "The chaos of Hong Yang has become increasingly fierce, the military revolution has spread all over the world, the Qing soldiers have repeatedly fought in the north, and the alarm has been heard every day." Yi Xuan ignored it, fang sent erotic voices to entertain himself, and took his concubines to parade in the garden. ”
The garden here refers to the Old Summer Palace. The Yuanmingyuan is a large imperial garden with both royal garden and court functions, 40 miles from Beijing.
Since the Yongzheng Emperor, the Yuanmingyuan has become the place where the emperors of the Qing Dynasty stayed in the Spring and Autumn Period, that is, the summer palace.
The landscape of the Yuanmingyuan is different, just like a painting. And the etiquette is simpler than the requirements of the Forbidden City, and the emperor is willing to live here for comfort and convenience.
The former emperor of the dynasty began to enter the garden in March and April, went to Mulan autumn in August, and then returned to the palace. The Xianfeng Emperor was more than his predecessor and was extremely greedy for the garden residence. He went to the garden just after the New Year.
After the autumn season of the Rehe River, it is still necessary to return to the garden and return to the palace until December. Or simply don't look forward to it and stay in the garden all the time. The reason for this was that the palace was strictly forbidden, and it was necessary to abide by the ancestral system and not indulge in eroticism, so the Xianfeng Emperor entrusted himself with a delay in the garden due to illness.
After living in the garden for a long time, all the Manchurian women who turned around in front of his eyes were the same color, and he couldn't help but get bored, so he caught up with the graceful and colorful Han women. Originally, the family law of the Qing Dynasty was extremely strict, and at the beginning of the entry, Concubine Zhuang, the mother of the Shunzhi Emperor, was not strong because of the Spring and Autumn Festival, and she was afraid that he would be confused by the female color, because an iron plate was erected outside the palace gate, and it was written: "Those who dare to enter this door with small feet will be beheaded." ”
Small-footed women refer to Han Chinese women, because Manchu women do not have their feet tied. However, there is something good about it. The next thing will be worse. Ancestral systems can also be broken.
A certain traitorous minister, in order to welcome the Xianfeng Emperor, had a plan, "The world is troubled, the Yuanmingyuan is in the suburbs, and the night of the forbidden imperial room should be tightened." The internal servants are not enough, and they are close to the left and right, and they are afraid that they will not be able to go all around, so they now hire civilian women to enter the room in preparation for fighting, patrol the surrounding areas of the dormitories, and serve more often. The purpose of the text allows it.
These dozens of women were allowed to enter. Every night, three people take turns to sleep directly outside the palace, and the people hold the bell one, and at night, they attack it on the side of the palace. Emperor Wenzong was summoned and was fortunate at will." The reason can be described as grandiose, but it is only to meet the psychopathic needs of the Xianfeng Emperor.
Later, the Xianfeng Emperor selected the more beautiful and beautiful among these dozens of young and beautiful Han women, and gave them the title, which is what people call Four Springs. "Wenzong fishing color, in the corner of the Yuanmingyuan, hidden spring color, called the four springs, the world's competition" These four springs are peony spring, begonia spring, apricot blossom spring, and Drala spring. They were all good family women who were forced into the palace.
According to the "Qing Barnyard Banknotes", the names of the four springs are different: "There are five springs in the garden, and the so-called spring family of heaven and earth is the residence of Xiao Qinhou." Its apricot blossom spring, Wuling spring, begonia spring, peony spring, all Han women live separately. ”
In addition, the Xianfeng Emperor was also fond of a cao widow. This widow in Shanxi looked wonderful, especially a pair of small feet, less than three inches. Her shoes are also distinctive, with soles made of jade, lined with crumbs and dazzling pearls on the toes. After entering the palace, "the most caring person of the Xianfeng Emperor".
