In the long course of history, the rise and fall of every dynasty has been accompanied by countless signs and signs. And at the end of the last feudal dynasty on the mainland, the Qing Dynasty, there were four jaw-dropping strange things, all of which seemed to silently foreshadow the imminent collapse of this vast empire.
1. The drama is ignorant, and the war and slaughter become the background
In the smoke of the First Sino-Japanese War, the city of Lushun suffered a merciless massacre by the Japanese army. However, in the midst of this terrible massacre, the singing and gongs and drums of Peking Opera were heard in the Jixian Teahouse Theater on Xinjie. Shockingly, the theatre theatre was unaware of the slaughter of the outside world, and they were like puppets, mechanically repeating the most familiar performances. These dramas, their ignorance and indifference, are in stark contrast to the bloodshed outside, as if to indicate that the people of this country have lost their perception of the outside world, and that the decline of the Qing Dynasty has become irreversible.
Second, officials are ignorant, and major national affairs become empty talk
After the end of the First Sino-Japanese War, a Japanese diplomat came to Shashi, Hubei Province, to prepare for the opening of the consulate. However, he was surprised to find that the local Qing Dynasty officials knew nothing about the war. These officials, they are indifferent to even national affairs, let alone planning for the future of the country. Their ignorance and indifference undoubtedly exacerbated the decline of the Qing Empire.
Third, the German army rode on its back, and the country became a laughing stock
In Rizhao, Shandong, the Germans captured the city of Rizhao with a surprising victory with a bag of cigarettes. What is even more shocking is that the Germans actually entered on the backs of the Chinese. This incident not only highlighted the weakness and helplessness of the Chinese people at that time, but also revealed the incompetence and corruption of the Qing government. The fact that they were unable to protect their own people, not even their own land, was undoubtedly a sign that the Great Qing Qi had been exhausted.
Fourth, sky-high "boxes" and "eggs" have become the norm through corruption
When Yan Jingming became Minister of Military Aircraft, he found that the price of suitcases purchased by the Ministry of Internal Affairs was as high as ten times the market price. When he tries to expose this corruption, he discovers that all the trunk shops are closed. It turned out that these shops had been bought by eunuchs from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who would stop at nothing to cover up the corruption. Also deceived was the Guangxu Emperor, who thought that eggs were a luxury, when in fact the price of eggs was very low. All this reveals that the corruption of Qing Dynasty politics has reached a point where it cannot be repeated.
Each of these four strange things is jaw-dropping, they not only reveal the social reality at the end of the Qing Dynasty, but also reveal the fate of the Qing Dynasty. These events are not only witnesses to history, but also a warning to future generations: the rise and fall of a country depends not only on its economic and military strength, but also on its political clarity and people's awakening.