On the ninth day of March in the seventh year of Guangxu, Ci'an, one of the empresses of the two palaces, felt unwell. After the imperial doctor diagnosed her pulse, she thought that she felt a little cold and did not have to take medicine. However, due to the demand of the palace people, only some antipyretic drugs were prescribed. However, the 44-year-old Empress Dowager Ci'an died suddenly of illness, and when the imperial doctor learned of this, he said to himself, "There is such a thing in heaven and earth!" ”
This bad news came too suddenly, and it shocked the world for a while. Zuo Zongtang, then minister of military aircraft, was deeply suspicious of this matter.
Empress Dowager Ci'an, who was honored by the two palaces of Cixi, listened to the government in the Tong and Guang'er dynasties, and "ruled" the Qing court for 20 years, participating in many major decisions during this period.
For her death, since the late Qing Dynasty, it has constantly aroused people's reverie and confusion.
One theory is that he was poisoned by Cixi. On that day, Ci'an was idly playing with goldfish by the water tank, and a eunuch in the Cixi Palace held a carton of milk cakes, knelt down in front of him, and said: "The West Buddha's food is very beautiful, and he refuses to use it alone. Ci'an usually loves to eat snacks, and is very happy to hear it, and eats a piece in front of the eunuch to show his gratitude, but soon after returning to the palace, he fell ill and died that night.
Another theory is that Ci'an was dissatisfied with Cixi's interference in the government, and the two had a fierce quarrel, but Ci'an could not quarrel again, and after returning home, he was depressed and committed suicide by swallowing a snuff bottle in grief.
Leaving aside these wild history accounts, there is another credible claim about Ci'an's death.
According to weng Tonggong's personal witnesses, on the tenth day of the first month of March, Empress Dowager Ci'an was unwell and was unable to summon the military minister. Late that night, colleagues hurried to the door to send News of Empress Dowager Ci'an to Weng Tonggong. Weng Tonggong was in a hurry, his heart was sad and frightened, he hurriedly packed up his clothes, prepared to enter the palace, and waited outside the palace gate with other princes and ministers until the early hours of the morning. A few hours earlier, the imperial doctor had done his best to treat Ci'an and prescribed 5 prescriptions, but the empress dowager's condition turned critical and she was really helpless.
Before Ci'an was buried, Cixi did not hide it, and she allowed the prince's ministers to pay homage to his remains. If Ci'an really committed suicide or died of poisoning, the body must be different, which also shows that Cixi has no ghost in her heart.
It's strange, what kind of illness is caused, and suddenly dies of illness within a day.
According to brief records in the history books, the 26-year-old Ci'an once had a seizure, which was mainly manifested as sudden fainting, unconsciousness, cold limbs, and even a single sleep that led to death. This is what is now called the symptom of cerebrovascular disease. Only 6 years later, Ci'an had another attack and almost passed away.
It seems that the situation that occurred this time is indeed similar, and it was quickly taken away in one day.
If Ci'an had not died of illness, there would always have been an invisible deterrent to Cixi, and it would continue to check and balance, and no one would know the future direction of the Qing Dynasty. Unfortunately, history has no ifs.
