When Cixi first saw the light bulb, she shouted two words, and people still shout like this today

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Text: Abbot

Edited by the abbot

Preface:

In the late Qing Dynasty, a large number of Western technologies were introduced to China, and many "bizarre" inventions stunned the Manchu civil and military forces.

Among them, there was one thing that made its first appearance, and even the well-informed Empress Dowager Cixi was stunned - that is, the light bulb.

When the lightning flashed, she blurted out two words, which made the eunuchs and palace maids in the palace at a loss.

What's even more interesting is that these two words have been passed down to this day and have become a mantra in our daily lives.

What exactly did Cixi say? Why such a strong reaction?

A glimpse into the stage of history

The Qing Dynasty in the 19th century was an era of drastic changes.

The strong ships and cannons of the Western powers opened the doors of this ancient country, and advanced technology and ideas poured in.

In this context, the Empress Dowager Cixi is undoubtedly a special existence.

From an unknown concubine to the queen mother who covers the sky with one hand, her life experience is legendary.

The Empress Dowager Cixi was a collection of contradictions.

On the one hand, although she is in the center of power in the old times, she is not a conservative person at heart.

She has a strong curiosity about new things in the West and always wants to experience them for herself.

On the other hand, as the king of a country, she is high above her, turning a blind eye to the sufferings and demands of her subjects.

It is in this context that history has staged interesting stories of the collision between Cixi and advanced things in the West.

These stories reflect the complex inner world of this legendary woman, and also leave a different footnote for that turbulent era.

The first experience of "eggplant" in front of the camera

The Empress Dowager Cixi first became associated with the "camera" was probably one day in the 80s of the 19th century.

The foreigners carried a black box that they had never seen before into the palace to "take pictures" of Lafayette.

At that time, the Empress Dowager Cixi had never seen this novelty, but curiosity drove her to accept it gladly.

When the Empress Dowager Cixi sat down in front of the camera for the first time, she closed her eyes in fright by the bright light of the camera before she could take a dignified posture.

How did poor Lafayette know that one of his "ugly photos" was so frozen.

Looking at her closed eyes, the Empress Dowager Cixi was furious.

Fortunately, the Empress Dowager Cixi had a maid named Deling by her side, who was educated in the West when she was young.

She hurriedly taught the Empress Dowager Cixi to keep smiling when taking pictures and say "Cheese" in foreign language.

As a result, the password of "eggplant" was born in the mouth of the Empress Dowager Cixi.

After Deling's guidance, the Empress Dowager Cixi gradually mastered the trick of taking pictures, and collected her beautiful photos with great interest.

The first experience of photography reflects the side of the Empress Dowager Cixi's pursuit of innovation and change.

For this Western novelty, she did not resist, but gladly accepted it, which was rare in the Qing court at that time.

A "eggplant" kicked off the prelude to Lafayette's acceptance of new things, and also laid the groundwork for her future enthusiasm.

The deceit behind the "electric light turmoil".

Compared with the "eggplant" photo vignette, the first encounter between the Empress Dowager Cixi and the "electric light" was not so harmonious.

At that time, the development of science and technology in the Qing Dynasty lagged far behind that of the West.

Light bulbs, a common thing in Western countries, became a rarity in the Qing Dynasty.

When the foreigners wanted to offer electric lamps to light up the night of the Forbidden City, the Empress Dowager Cixi's first reaction was to refuse.

In her opinion, the electric light is filled with some kind of evil way, which may endanger her own life.

The ministers on the side were also confused, not knowing what medicine was sold in Lafayette's gourd.

The electric light, which was turned away by the Empress Dowager Cixi, finally entered the palace through a special way - that is, bribery.

The foreigners had an idea and thought of Li Lianying, the big celebrity next to Cixi.

As long as the chief eunuch is taken care of, the matter of securing the electric light will be done.

So, a trick in the palace was staged.

Li Lianying was a shrewd man, and he quickly saw the convenience of electric lights, and at the same time noticed the silver that foreigners stuffed into him.

Weighing the pros and cons, he decided to pave the way for electric light.

Li Lianying saw that Lafayette was not in the dormitory, and instructed the foreigners to secretly give Cixi's dormitory a "lighting makeover".

After the Empress Dowager Cixi returned to the palace, she saw that the room was pitch black, and she couldn't help but wonder: Which one is not long-eyed, why didn't he even light the candle? Just as he was in doubt, a dazzling light suddenly shone through.

The Empress Dowager Cixi only took pictures again, and subconsciously shouted out the familiar foreign word - "eggplant"!

Seeing this, Li Lianying hurriedly came to the round and explained the benefits of electric lights to the Empress Dowager Cixi in some clever words.

What all-nighters, what is convenient and practical, and even moves out the "longevity" to fool Lafayette.

When the Empress Dowager Cixi heard this, it was fresh and she could live a long life, so she immediately agreed to what was dangerous or not.

The electric light turmoil reflects the other side of the Empress Dowager Cixi.

In the face of advanced technology, although she instinctively resists, as long as she is guided a little, she will still accept it because it is fresh and practical.

This ambivalence just confirms the conservatism and curiosity of the Empress Dowager Cixi, as a ruler of the old era.

The awakening of the "gold-swallowing beast" of electricity

Since the introduction of electric light to the Forbidden City, this ladiesette has tasted the sweetness.

Since then, the days in the palace have become more and more "bright".

With a wave of her hand, the Empress Dowager Cixi ordered the palace, temples, and even the palace to be equipped with electric lights.

Not only that, but she also deliberately ordered to set up a special "electric light office" to be responsible for the power supply up and down the palace.

This electric light was used, and the Empress Dowager Cixi gradually realized that something was wrong.

Why is the electricity bill in the palace getting higher and higher? That's where her pawnshop owner's craft came in handy.

The Empress Dowager Cixi calculated left and right, and found that it was not cheap to maintain these "foreign things" - the maintenance of electric lighting equipment alone cost 60,000 taels of silver every year! Now, that's more than 10 million.

From the initial freshness, to the taste of the marrow, to the rising maintenance costs, the "gold-swallowing beast" of electric lights completely awakened the Empress Dowager Cixi's thirst for electricity.

Behind this desire is the ambivalence of "seeking innovation and change" and "extravagance" in the bones of this legendary woman.

After all, as the ruler of a country, she can spend extravagantly, but she can't push for a new deal when the treasury is empty.

The epitome of the times, synonymous with contradictions

Through a "eggplant" and a "electric light storm", a three-dimensional and plump image of the Empress Dowager Cixi jumped on the paper.

She is synonymous with complexity and contradiction, a mixture of the arrogance and indulgence of the monarchs of the past, as well as the open-mindedness and curiosity to embrace the new.

Looking back at history, the Qing Dynasty at the end of the 19th century was at the crossroads of internal and external troubles.

As a witness of the changes of the times, although the Empress Dowager Cixi was in the whirlpool of power, she was inevitably caught in it.

Her contradictory personality is precisely the true epitome of that era of great change.

Nowadays, when we blurt out "eggplant", think about the story behind the word.

It is not only an interesting "black history" of an ancient emperor, but also a microcosm of an era, a legendary figure who combines contradictions and trends.

A hundred years have passed, time has passed, and the anecdotes of the Empress Dowager Cixi have now become old photos in the historical display case.

But through those mottled films, we can vaguely see the ups and downs of that era, and the figure of a woman struggling to survive in the torrent of the times.

Her life, like her time, is complex and intriguing.