Emperor Tongzhi, the youngest of the last emperors of the Qing Dynasty, ascended to the throne at the age of only six and spent his entire childhood and adolescence under the influence of the Empress Dowager Cixi. His life was short, but legendary. What exactly happened to this young emperor? What secrets did his early death hide? As the tenth emperor of the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Tongzhi was the only surviving son of Emperor Xianfeng and Empress Dowager Cixi. The early death of Emperor Xianfeng made Emperor Tongzhi the successor to the throne at the age of six. Since he was still too young, the Empress Dowager Cixi took power in her place, and began a behind-the-scenes reign that lasted for more than ten years.
Emperor Tongzhi's childhood was not as diligent in his studies as other princes. On the contrary, he indulged in playfulness, and even in the face of the exhortations of his ministers, he appeared indifferent. Empress Dowager Cixi's doting on her son made him develop a lazy character.
It wasn't until he was seventeen years old that Emperor Tongzhi really began to grasp imperial power. His first political action was the renovation of the Old Summer Palace, which caused widespread controversy in the political context of the time. At the same time, his marriage arrangement also became the focus of the struggle between the Empress Dowager Cixi and the Empress Dowager Ci'an. In the end, Emperor Tongzhi chose the Arut clan as empress, a decision that exacerbated his conflict with the Empress Dowager Cixi.
Emperor Tongzhi's private life was quite debauched. He often went out to have fun with Zaicheng, the son of Prince Gong, and even went so far as to openly look for flowers and willows in the capital as the emperor. This unruly lifestyle eventually led to his physical weakness.
Legend has it that Emperor Tongzhi died of smallpox at the age of nineteen. But as time passed, more evidence suggests that he actually died of syphilis. This discovery revealed the last secret of his life.
In short, the life of Emperor Tongzhi was full of tragedy. Although he was born into the royal family, he never really enjoyed the power and glory of a monarch. His political career was short and unproductive, and his personal life was a tragedy. Such a fate may be destined by the fate of Emperor Tongzhi to be born as an emperor.