In the eleventh year of The Xianfeng Dynasty, the Xianfeng Emperor died at the Chengde Summer Resort, and his only son Zaichun succeeded to the throne and ascended the throne as emperor, as the Tongzhi Emperor. After the Tongzhi Emperor ascended the throne, his birth mother, Princess Yi Guifei," was honored with the title of "Empress Dowager Of the Virgin Mary" and honored with the insignia "Cixi", and she was the Empress Dowager Cixi who actually held the power of the late Qing Dynasty for half a century.
When the Xianfeng Emperor died, Empress Dowager Cixi was 26 years old, which can be described as a prosperous and prosperous year; coupled with the fact that she held the military and political power of the late Qing Dynasty, it was basically equivalent to Empress Lü of the Western Han Dynasty and Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty; so that many wild history notes, anecdotal rumors and even foreign documents have appeared in the rumors that Empress Dowager Cixi "secretly put her face on the head and raise male pets".
In these rumors, Rong Lu, a major minister of the late Qing Dynasty, was considered one of the most favored "lovers" of Empress Dowager Cixi.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" > the real reason why Ronglu was able to win the favor of Empress Dowager Cixi</h1>
The modern writer Gao Yang's "The Complete Biography of Cixi" and the late Qing Dynasty female official Deling's "Love for the Forbidden City" have confirmed the "lovers" relationship between Empress Dowager Cixi and Ronglu. In his autobiographical novel "The Empress and I", the British diplomat in the Qing Dynasty, Bakssi even directly depicted the scene when Empress Dowager Cixi and Rong Lu secretly dated.
Of course, the scandal between Empress Dowager Cixi and Rong Lu is only a rumor, according to the "Palace Women's Past Talks" and the research of later scholars, Rong Lu's glory in the late Qing Dynasty was indeed because of the favor of Empress Dowager Cixi, but not because of the "lover" relationship between the two, but because of the following three reasons:
1. Ronglu's strong family background
Ronglu is subordinate to the Manchurian Zhengbai Banner, which is one of the three banners of the "Son of Heaven", and his status is revered, and the chance of promotion is far better than that of the Lower Five Banners; his family is even more famous, and he has made great contributions to the stability of the late Qing regime, and was once evaluated by the Xianfeng Emperor as "Shi Du Zhongzhen". With such a prominent family background, it is not surprising that Rong Lu was able to rise in the late Qing Dynasty.
2. Rong lu's own in-law relationship with Ai Xinjue Luoshi
Ronglu's concubine Fu Jin Sakda clan was a member of the Same Clan as Emperor Xianfeng's original concubine, Empress Xiaodexian, and was succeeded by the seventh grandson of Prince Gong Changning and the daughter of Linggui of the Tongzhi Dynasty. Rong Lu's two daughters were successively married to the Qing Dynasty clan: the eldest daughter was the daughter-in-law of Prince Shi Duo of Li, and the younger daughter was the daughter-in-law of Prince Yizhen of Alcohol, who was the birth mother of the last emperor Puyi. The marriage and solidarity with the Ai Xinjue Luo clan is another important reason for the soaring career of Rong Lu.
3. Rong Lu's three contributions to Empress Dowager Cixi
In his book "The History of the Qing Dynasty", Mr. Meng Sen recorded in detail the three contributions made by Rong Lu to Empress Dowager Cixi:
In the "Xin You Coup", Rong Lu, who was then an attendant of the Xianfeng Emperor, "took advantage of the empress dowager's words and discovered the conspiracy of Sushun and others, so that the clan society was in danger and restored to peace"; in the "Wushu coup", Rong Lu single-handedly defeated the restoration faction and rescued Empress Dowager Cixi in the midst of all emergencies; in the "Gengzi State Change", Rong Lu was one of the few sober people who urged Empress Dowager Cixi to "not believe in the Boxer rebellion", and then although he was reprimanded, he was still loyal and loyal, and asked for the escort of former Xi'an several times.
In other words, since the death of the Xianfeng Emperor, Rong lu has clearly taken a position and become a firm and loyal member of the "Hou Party". Therefore, it will gain the favor of Empress Dowager Cixi and realize the soaring career.
Then, under the special care of Empress Dowager Cixi, Rong Lu's last official was several pins, and what position did the official hold?
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > Ronglu's career promotion history</h1>
According to the "Draft History of the Qing Dynasty, Liechuan 224", we can roughly sort out the process of Ronglu's career promotion:
During the Xianfeng period, Ronglu was rewarded with the official position of "chief of the Ministry of Works", which was basically equivalent to the head of a department under the jurisdiction of the ministry and commission of the State Council today, and the administrative level was slightly lower than that of the deputy department. Later, Rong Lu was transferred to the "Ministry of Works" and became the deputy director. At the end of the Xianfeng Dynasty, Rong Lu was appointed as a "direct subordinate alternate dao" and became a candidate with a slightly higher rank than the main office.
That is to say, until the death of the Xianfeng Emperor, Rong Lu was still just an alternate official waiting for the vacancy of the official.
Because of his outstanding performance in the "Xin You's coup", Rong Lu during the Tongzhi period won the grace and trust of Empress Dowager Cixi, and successively served as the "Minister of Divine Machinery Battalion" and "Minister of works" to the "Minister in Charge of Internal Affairs".
That is to say, by the time the Tongzhi Emperor died, Rong Lu had become a Erpin grand officer similar to the current director of the General Office of the Central Committee, with an administrative level of deputy state.
Entering the Guangxu Dynasty, Empress Dowager Cixi once again "bowed to the government", and Rong Lu also ushered in the third stage of promotion in his career:
First year of Guangxu: Rong Lu acted as the "Admiral of the Nine Doors" and became the commander of the Beijing Garrison District and the director of the Beijing Public Security Bureau. The rank of the product is the main second product, and the administrative level is the vice-national level.
Guangxu 4 years: Rong Lu served as the "Imperial History of the Left Capital" and "Shangshu of the Ministry of Works", and became the deputy prime minister who was also the head of the Ministry of Urban Construction, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Communications, and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, with the administrative rank of vice state.
Five Years of Guangxu: Rong Lu was sentenced to "dissuade Cixi from choosing a eunuch to serve near him" and was forced to resign from his post for "the crime of forbiding the will"; in the seventeenth year of Guangxu, he was sent to the post of general of Xi'an, with a rank of one pin and an administrative rank of vice state.
Guangxu 21 years: Reinstated as "Admiral of the Nine Doors" and "Prime Minister Yamen Minister" and "Bingbu Shangshu", he became the commander of the Beijing Garrison District and the director of the Beijing Public Security Bureau; and the vice premier who was also the minister of foreign affairs and the minister of national defense, and the administrative level remained unchanged.
Guangxu 11 years: served as a "co-founder university fellow" and became a member of the Politburo.
Guangxu Twenty-four Years: Officer to "Wenyuange University Scholar" and concurrently in charge of the Punishment Department and the Military Department, temperance of the Beiyang armies, officially joined the Military Aircraft Department. At this time, Rong Lu was equivalent to a vice premier who was also the minister of the Supreme People's Court, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Public Security, and the Ministry of National Defense, and also served as the commander of the Beiyang Army, and also served as a member of the Politburo Standing Committee. The rank of character has reached its peak - Zhengyipin, and the administrative level has also reached the peak - Zhengguo level.
Guangxu 27: Li Hongzhang, the only "Scholar of Wenhuadian University" in the late Qing Dynasty and the only "Scholar of Wenhuadian University" of the Guangxu Dynasty, died of illness, and Rong Lu was reappointed as a "Scholar of Wenhuadian University". Note that since fucha Fu heng, a famous minister of the Qianlong Dynasty, the "Bohol Hall University Scholars" were no longer established, and the "Wenhuadian University Scholars" became the first of the "Cabinet University Scholars". In other words, at this time, Rong Lu had become the "first assistant to the cabinet".
In the same year, the "foreman military aircraft minister", Prince Shiduo of Li, was deposed again, and Rong Lu, who was only in the next rank, naturally became the "foreman military aircraft minister". That is to say, at this time, Rong Lu had become the double leader of the "Cabinet" and the "Military Aircraft Department", which was basically equivalent to the Premier of the State Council, who was also a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, and the administrative level was at the level of Zhengguo.
< h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" > postscript</h1>
As far as ronglu's career height is concerned, it is basically equivalent to the traditional "imperial court chancellor", "up, assist the son of heaven; down, command hundred officials". With such an official position and such a status, it is no wonder that people at the time and even in later generations would doubt the relationship between Empress Dowager Cixi and Ronglu.
In the 28th year of Guangxu, after the marriage of Empress Dowager Cixi, Ronglu's young daughter, Gualjia Youlan, was accused of marrying the Guangxu Emperor's younger brother, the second prince of Alcohol, and later the regent Zaifeng. In the thirty-second year of Guangxu, Youlan gave birth to a son, Puyi, the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty.
Officials to the rank of prime minister and zhengguo; father-in-law of the regent at the end of the Qing Dynasty, grandfather of the last emperor; extremely popular subjects, incomparable, probably this is the realm
References: Draft History of the Qing Dynasty, 224 Chronicles of the Qing Dynasty, Romance of the Qing Dynasty, Complete Biography of Cixi, Records of the Qing Dynasty