Preamble:
In 1861, the 31-year-old Emperor Xianfeng died suddenly in a summer resort.
Since entering the summer resort, Emperor Xianfeng can be said to have let himself go and done a series of things that hurt his body.
After learning about Emperor Xianfeng's hobbies, I couldn't help but sigh: being able to live to 31 years old is already a long life!
The origin of Emperor Xianfeng
We know that Emperor Daoguang had many sons, but Xianfeng was not the eldest son, he was the fourth son of Daoguang.
In the matter of succession to the throne, the competition is extremely fierce.
It is really a miracle that Xianfeng can become an emperor.
It is said that when Daoguang was electing the prince, Xianfeng and one of his younger brothers, Prince Gong, were the main contenders.
Although Yi Yi ranked sixth, he far surpassed Xianfeng in terms of talent and appearance.
So why did Daoguang choose Xianfeng in the end? The inside story and the battle can be said to be quite colorful.
Xianfeng was born prematurely and was born with a weak body.
At that time, his mother, Quan Guifei, in order to compete for the throne for her son, asked the imperial doctor in the palace to prepare drugs that could promote production.
This drug has had a long-term effect on Xianfeng's body.
Emperor Xianfeng, "Four No Emperors"
Emperor Xianfeng's ability to govern was limited, and he was called the "Four No Emperors" by historians, that is, he lacked talent, vision, action, and courage.
Such an evaluation may be a bit harsh, but it has to be said that compared with some outstanding emperors in history, Xianfeng does seem mediocre.
During Xianfeng's reign, it can be said that there were internal and external troubles, with the Taiping Rebellion inside, and the invasion of the British and French coalition forces outside, and the Qing Dynasty can be described as stormy.
Under such circumstances, although Emperor Xianfeng intended to revitalize the dynasty and reuse capable ministers like Zeng Guofan, his political career as a whole did not have many bright spots.
In the end, as the Anglo-French forces marched north, the situation in the Qing Dynasty deteriorated.
Under the pressure of the British and French forces, Emperor Xianfeng intended to escape, but he said: "I want to inspect the summer resort." ”
During those days at the summer resort, bad news came one after another. The biggest impact on Xianfeng was the burning of the Old Summer Palace by the British and French forces, and Xianfeng burst into tears when he learned about it.
The Old Summer Palace was the largest museum in the world at the time, and the treasures in it were all unique, but they were destroyed during Xianfeng's reign.
The burning of the Old Summer Palace is still circulating today, which is also the biggest failure during Xianfeng's reign!
A place of refuge, enjoy yourself
When he arrived at the summer resort, Emperor Xianfeng seemed to have left all political affairs behind. He had four hobbies: listening to opera, drinking, beautiful women, and opium.
These four things took up almost all of his time at the summer resort.
It is said that Xianfeng was obsessed with opera to the extreme, and he not only listened attentively to opera every day, but also often performed on stage himself.
This love of art may have been a source of solace for him in the complicated life of imperial power.
Xianfeng's second hobby, alcoholism, caused him a lot of trouble.
After being drunk, Xianfeng often lost control and beat the palace maids and eunuchs, which greatly reduced his image.
The remorse after each awakening may temporarily calm the panic in the palace, but the damage to his own health and image is irreparable.
Such behavior is even more inappropriate in a tense political atmosphere.
Xianfeng's third hobby, beauty! Infatuated with beauty became an indispensable part of Emperor Xianfeng's life.
During his days in the summer resort, he not only doted on the Empress Dowager Cixi, but also constantly selected beautiful women from all over the country to send to the summer resort.
This kind of behavior is obviously extremely extravagant and selfish in an era of political turmoil and people's misery.
Emperor Xianfeng gradually lost his sense of responsibility as an emperor in his pleasures, and indulged more in personal pleasures, ignoring the crisis of the country.
Xianfeng's fourth hobby accelerated Xianfeng's physical decay, that is, opium!
Emperor Daoguang once went to war with foreign countries over the opium issue, but he didn't expect his son to be addicted to it.
The dangers of opium were far-reaching, not only destroying Xianfeng's health, but also causing him to become mentally depressed.
In the face of the Qing Empire, which was pressed by the great powers step by step and had internal and external troubles, Emperor Xianfeng spent more time in the fog of opium.
In the last days of the summer resort, it was precisely because of these four hobbies that Emperor Xianfeng's health deteriorated, and a variety of physical diseases made him miserable.
His health deteriorated day by day, and in the end he couldn't even get out of bed.
Finally, in 1861, he ended his short but turbulent life in this summer resort.
This former emperor, in fact, in his last days, was more like an ordinary person trapped in his own desires and diseases.
Evaluation of posterity
Emperor Xianfeng's indulgence in opera, beauty, wine and opium reflected the separation between culture and politics at the time.
At a time of national crisis, the leader of a country should be more uplifted and deal with state affairs, but Emperor Xianfeng chose to escape reality and immerse himself in his personal small world.
Behind this behavior is a neglect of state responsibility and indulgence of personal desires, which is extremely rare in history.
In the history of the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Xianfeng's reign is often seen as a turning point, and his personal weakness and political powerlessness directly reflected the fragility and turmoil of the Qing Empire.
The fall of Emperor Xianfeng was not only a lack of personal morality and self-control, but also a product of the background of the times and political environment.
His rule showed all the hallmarks of a declining empire: powerlessness, political corruption, and a disregard for internal contradictions.
The Qing Dynasty was already in turmoil during the Xianfeng period, and all aspects of politics and society showed signs of decay that could not help themselves.
During the reign of Emperor Xianfeng, in the face of the pressure of internal and external troubles, he chose to escape and indulge, which undoubtedly accelerated the decline of the Qing Dynasty.
Epilogue:
Emperor Xianfeng's life was full of drama and contradictions. His early death was not only due to personal indulgence, but also a microcosm of the decline of the Qing Dynasty.
How can the fate of a nation be pinned on an emperor who is plagued by personal desires and health problems?
This is a warning from history, and at the same time a reflection on all people of that era.
Through the review of Emperor Xianfeng's life, we can understand the lessons of history more deeply and realize the great impact of the choices and actions of leaders on the fate of the country.