Chapter 48 3. Ci'an's death

Zhongcui Palace in the late Qing Dynasty, because the Empress Dowager Ci'an lived here, the architectural pattern has changed, such as the addition of vertical flower gates and the expansion of corridors. The Empress Dowager Ci'an of the Qing Dynasty, Niu Hulu's family, a daughter of Muyang, Youjiang Road, Guangxi, before Yi Chi ascended to the pole, was the side Fujin.The descendant Fujin Sakda died before Xianfeng ascended the throne.When Emperor Xianfeng ascended to the throne, he first conferred the title of Concubine Zhen of Niu Hulu of the Jin Dynasty, and then concubine Zhen Guifei in the later Jin Dynasty. In the second year of Xianfeng (1852), he was canonized as empress.Since Empress Dowager Ci’an was conferred the title of empress, although she lived in the Changchun Palace in the Xiliugong District for a short time, Zhongcui Palace was the most important place in the life of Empress Dowager Ci’an from the time when Tongzhi was in power until the sudden collapse in the seventh year of Guangxu (1881). residence palace.Emperor Tongzhi once went to the Zhongcui Palace to accompany the Empress Dowager Ci'an for lunch.On the second day of the first lunar month in the tenth year of Tongzhi (1871), Emperor Tongzhi went to Zhongcui Palace to greet Empress Dowager Ci'an, and then Feng Ci'an and Cixi went to Shufangzhai to serve lunch. (Volume 320 of "Records of Emperor Muzong of the Qing Dynasty")

In the tenth year of Xianfeng (1860), Empress Ci'an fled to the Summer Resort with the emperor.In July of the next year (1861), Emperor Xianfeng died, and she was a widow at the age of twenty-five.When Zaichun succeeds to the throne, he is Emperor Tongzhi, and the two palaces are honored together: Ci'an is respected as the "Mother Empress Dowager" and Cixi is "The Holy Mother Empress Dowager" to distinguish them.Because the Empress Dowager Ci'an lives in the Zhongcui Palace in the East Sixth Palace, she is commonly known as the "East Empress Dowager"; the Empress Dowager Cixi lives in the Changchun Palace in the West Sixth Palace, and is commonly known as the "West Empress Dowager".

Empress Dowager Ci'an had three things that were remembered by history and also paid attention to by later generations: The first thing is that the empress dowagers of the two palaces listened to the government behind the curtain.On the first day of November in the year when Emperor Tongzhi succeeded to the throne, a major event occurred in the political history of the Ming and Qing Dynasties: "The two empress dowagers are in the Palace of Mental Cultivation, listening to the government behind the curtain." lift.The second is that in the eighth year of Tongzhi (1869), An Dehai, the great eunuch of Cixi, went out of Beijing. Ding Baozhen, the governor of Shandong, arrested him, and the Empress Dowager Ci'an ordered him to be punished.The third is that on the tenth day of March in the seventh year of Guangxu (1881), Empress Dowager Ci'an suddenly died in Zhongcui Palace at the age of forty-five.

Is there any connection between An Dehai's death and Ci'an's death?Some people and books say yes. Let's talk about Underhay's death first. "Drafts of Qing History Biography of Concubine" records: "In the eighth year of Tongzhi, An Dehai, the inner eunuch, went out of Beijing. Ding Baozhen, the governor of Shandong, heard about it, and the Empress Dowager (Cian) ordered him to be punished." Since then, Cixi and Ci'an have formed a grudge.What happened was: An Dehai, Cixi's personal eunuch, was dispatched by Cixi to go south on a building boat to Tai'an, Shandong.An Dehai said: "I am ordered by the Empress Dowager to weave dragon clothes in Guangdong!" Ding Baozhen played to the court, and the Empress Dowager Ci'an asked: "What is the law?" , death without pardon!" Governor Ding Baozhen "abandoned Andehai in the city", Ding Baozhen killed Andehai, and left his body for three days.Cixi did not resent or retaliate at that time, but promoted him to governor.Why?Someone analyzed: Cixi was young and widowed, and it was rumored that she had an affair with An Dehai.Three days after An Dehai's violent corpse, it was announced that An Dehai was indeed a eunuch, thus clearing up the rumors for the Empress Dowager Cixi.

Let's talk about the death of Empress Dowager Ci'an.Ci'an's death was sudden. "Drafts of Qing History Dezong Benji" records: In March of the seventh year of Guangxu (1881), "Xinwei (the ninth day of the first day), Empress Dowager Ci'an did not hesitate, and Renshen (the tenth day of the first day), collapsed in Zhongcui Palace".It is said that Ci'an was killed by Cixi.What's going on here?Empress Dowager Cixi suffered from a serious illness, which is said to be caused by "rue (ru) labor". "Wang Li Ancient Chinese Dictionary" said: "Ru, pregnant women give birth." Doctor Xue Fuchen "said a fake illness and prescribed the real prescription", using tonics, the effect it is good.Cixi recovers from illness, and Ci'an knows that Cixi has lost her morality, so she still buys wine to feel her.Ci'an kept Xianfeng's handwritten letter to her before she died-the content was that if Cixi was domineering, she would use this letter to punish her.Ci'an showed this handbook to Cixi, and burned it in front of Cixi.Cixi was surprised and moved by Ci'an's actions.A few days later, Cixi invited Ci'an to the Changchun Palace and served Ci'an with snacks.Ci'an had the habit of eating snacks after waking up from a nap, so she ate the snacks and said, "Okay, good!" Cixi said it was sent by her natal family.A few days later, Cixi sent someone to deliver snacks to Ci'an.After Ci'an ate the snacks sent by Cixi, he suffered from abdominal pain and nausea, and died suddenly at the age of forty-five.After Ci'an's death, she was encoffined before her mother's family came, which aroused people's suspicion even more.According to records: Xiaozhen (Cian) collapsed, and all the officials were shocked. When they arrived at the palace, they saw that Xiaozhen had collapsed, and Cixi sat on a low stool.According to the usual practice, when a concubine dies, that is to say, the descendants of relatives will be restrained after looking inside, but if Xiao Zhen dies, the Jiaofang will not predict anything.It is also said: Xiaozhen likes snacks. On the day of death, Cixi entered the imperial court with cakes, and it was several hours later. ("Shu'an Secret Record") However, what kind of disease Ci'an suffered from, whether Cixi killed Ci'an, and whether Ci'an preserved Emperor Xianfeng's handwriting, the court is secretive, and there is no conclusive evidence.This is leaving room for imagination in drama novels and film and television creations, and it has also become an unsolved historical case that is difficult for scholars to solve.

As the saying goes: You must not have the heart to harm others, but you must not have the heart to guard against others.The cause of death of the Empress Dowager Ci'an is unsolved, leaving some thoughts for future generations.