Introduction: On October 21, 34, the 38-year-old Guangxu Emperor died violently in the imprisoned Yingtai Hanyuan Hall; on October 22, the de facto supreme ruler of the late Qing Dynasty, Empress Dowager Cixi, died in the Zhongnanhai Yiluan Hall. The pair of late Qing leaders, named mother and son, who were actually enemies, had too many grudges and entanglements before they died, and the time of death was so close; coupled with the fact that the Guangxu Emperor was dying, "rolling around in bed, shouting loudly that his stomach hurts", and the specific performance of "black face and yellow tongue", it is inevitable that future generations will have many speculations about the real cause of his death.
In order to uncover the historical mystery of the "cause of death of Guangxu", the leaders and expert groups of CCTV, the Qingxiling Cultural Relics Management Office, the China Institute of Atomic Energy Science, the Forensic Inspection and Appraisal Center of the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau and other units have become the special research group of "The Cause of Death of the Qing Guangxu Emperor", which has been conducting in-depth research on the cause of death since 2003, and through strict testing of his hair, it has been concluded that the sudden death of the Guangxu Emperor was caused by acute gastrointestinal arsenic poisoning.
For this conclusion, many scholars, represented by Mr. Shen Weibin, professor of the History Department of Nankai University, have given different views. In 1938, the Guangxu Emperor's underground palace was excavated, the body was damaged to a certain extent, and in the following decades, the Guangxu Emperor's underground palace and corpse were not effectively protected. That is to say, the arsenic on the Guangxu Emperor's hair and clothes was not necessarily caused by poisoning before he died. The most revealing pelvic test was not allowed, so the true cause of death of the Guangxu Emperor could not be determined to be arsenic poisoning.
So, why did this puppet emperor, who was evaluated by Mr. Xiao Yishan, a generation of Qing history researchers, as "pitiful and deplorable", die?
As for the cause of death of the Guangxu Emperor, the record of the Qing History Manuscript is extremely vague, just a typical official statement such as "the disease is very serious, the disease is great", and the cause of death is the death of the disease. In the "Qing Shilu Dezong Shilu", there is a more detailed explanation of the development of the Guangxu Emperor's illness:
Qi and blood are weak, and they have not hesitated since last autumn. So far, the chest is full of stomach reversal, waist pain and bone stagnation, air and breathing are evidence, and the rings are crystal clear, and the tension is increasing day by day. Yin and yang are both lost, so that they cannot afford to die.
From the original physical weakness, to the gradual illness and death, although the explanation given by the Qing Dynasty officials is detailed and has a specific development of the disease, such a statement is not accepted by the world. Empress Dowager Cixi, Yuan Shikai, Yi Xi, and even the grand eunuch Li Lianying were all suspected of poisoning the Guangxu Emperor. Even the reasons for the Guangxu Emperor's frailty and illness had their own opinions.
The Great View of the Wild History of the Qing Dynasty has this to say about the causes of the Guangxu Emperor's illness:
The emperor ate three meals per meal, and there were dozens of his food, which were listed in full. However, the food that is a little farther away from the throne is half rotten, and the cover has been offered to the original food for several days. Although the food near the throne is not smelly and rotten, it is dry and cold for a long time, and it cannot be delicious, and the emperor cannot be full of every food. Sometimes, if you want to order the imperial dining room to be easy to eat, the imperial dining room will play the Mingxi Empress, and the Western Empress dowager will be blamed for frugality, so the emperor does not dare to speak.
The young Guangxu Emperor, under the oppression of Empress Dowager Cixi, was actually inferior to an orphan, with no food and no clothes, and only then did his physical fitness gradually decline, so that he could not afford to fall ill and died young.
How Empress Dowager Cixi treated the infant Guangxu, we leave it alone, but we have proved the situation that the Guangxu Emperor has been weak and sick since childhood, and we have proved it with two historical materials:
1. In the "Pathogen" written by the Guangxu Emperor himself, there is a general description of his physical condition:
Sperm has been left behind for nearly twenty years, more than a dozen times a month in previous years, two or three times a month in recent years, often without dreams, it is self-excreted, and the winter is more serious. The waist, legs, shoulders, and back often feel sore, a slight wind chill must have a headache, and tinnitus phenomenon is nearly ten years.
Stills of the Guangxu Emperor
2. According to the records of the "Long Live Grandpa Medicine Bottom Book", since the beginning of the Guangxu Decade, the Guangxu Emperor often suffered from colds and spleen and stomach diseases, and the soup medicine and pills were taken almost every day. "Headaches and chills, sore limbs. The face is yellow and stagnant", "the head feels dizzy, and sitting for a long time is painful." The sick seedlings of the left cheek, the sore tendons behind the ears, the uncomfortable breath, the upset and palpitations, the intolerance of disturbing things, and the time to be too restless" are often found in the records of the "Bottom Book".
Of course, the physical quality of the Guangxu Emperor cannot be used as evidence to refute his poisoning, but we can delve into his dying illness and the necessity of poisoning, or we can uncover the real cause of death of the Guangxu Emperor.
<h3 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > the Guangxu Emperor's dying condition recorded in the Qing Palace secret file</h3>
In the spring of the thirty-fourth year of the Qing Dynasty, the Guangxu Emperor "had fallen ill into the five internal organs, the loss of qi and blood, and the condition was becoming more and more serious", and Empress Dowager Cixi ordered that Chen Bingjun and Cao Yuanheng, famous doctors from Jiangsu, be recruited to beijing for examination and treatment.
In his pulse case, Cao Yuanheng once had a description of such a condition:
The emperor's liver and kidney deficiency, spleen and yang deficiency, loss of qi and blood, the disease is very serious, in the treatment of whether it is cold medicine or warm dry medicine can not be used, in the absence of medicine can be symptomatic of the serious pathology.
Chen Bingjun, who also diagnosed the Guangxu Emperor, also described the guangxu emperor's condition very similarly, and the records of "conditioning for a long time, no inch effect" and "the disease is changeable, and the internal organs have become out of order" have repeatedly appeared in the "Pulse Case".
For the recurrence of his own illness, the Guangxu Emperor was also very anxious, and in his personal compilation of "Pathogens", he recorded several accusations against the imperial doctors and famous doctors:
In May of the 34th year of Guangxu, the Guangxu Emperor reprimanded the imperial doctor: the illness was prolonged, the medication was always ineffective, and one disease was not balanced, and one disease recurred.
In July of the 34th year of Guangxu, the Guangxu Emperor once again severely rebuked the imperial doctor: taking medicine is not only useless, but also increased, and the actual medicine and illness are not compatible, so it is wrong!
In August of the thirty-fourth year of Guangxu, the Guangxu Emperor's reprimand to the imperial doctors was more straightforward: Every time he looked at the pulse, suddenly and suddenly, how could he examine the disease in detail? It's just perfunctory. Su no. famous doctor, how can it be so sloppy!
From this point of view, the Guangxu Emperor at this time has also been in a negative state of anxiety and despair for the gradual aggravation of his own illness. The general trend of the body had gone, or would soon be killed by Huang Quan, was already at a point where the Guangxu Emperor could have anticipated.
In view of the continuous aggravation of the Guangxu Emperor's illness, Empress Dowager Cixi directly subordinated to Liangjiang, Huguang, Shandong, Henan, Shanxi and other places to supervise:
Since the beginning of spring, the emperor has been in peace. In various doctors in Beijing, diagnosis and treatment are ineffective. Selected famous doctors from all over Xixi quickly came to Beijing and waited for the consultation.
Regardless of whether Empress Dowager Cixi was sincere in diagnosing the Guangxu Emperor or wanted to block the mouths of the Youyou people, this move could prove that the Guangxu Emperor's condition had indeed reached a state of absolute tension that was absolutely not optimistic. The famous doctors recruited from all over the country also have a relatively clear record of the description of the Guangxu Emperor's condition in the "Pulse Case".
Guangxu Emperor Pulse Case
Du Zhongjun, a famous doctor in Jiangsu: All low back pain and leg soreness and other symptoms have not healed for a long time, so that it is difficult to walk and the limbs are tired.
Zhou Jingtao, a famous doctor in Jiangsu: All kinds of diseases are false and damaged. Yuan Qi was seriously injured and was already in a critical state.
After du Zhongjun diagnosed the Guangxu Emperor's illness, he issued a message: "When I entered Beijing this time, I thought that I could cure the emperor's illness and gain a micro name." Today, it seems futile. Do not seek merit, only seek no mistakes" negative remarks; Du Zhongjun, a famous doctor in Jiangsu, even privately gave the determination that "this disease will not be more than four days, there will be danger".
The development of the Guangxu Emperor's illness was indeed as Du Zhongjun said, on October 19, the Guangxu Emperor was "not born of breath, the turbidity of qi decreased, and the whole body was tired and weak", and the imperial doctors and famous courtiers thought that it was "very troublesome"; on October 20, the Guangxu Emperor "had his eyelids slightly open, and the corners of his mouth were trembling slightly with drooling"; in the early morning of October 21, the Guangxu Emperor "had cold limbs, white eyes turned upwards, and his teeth were closed tightly"; at noon on October 21, the Guangxu Emperor "seemed to have no pulse, his eyes looked straight, and his mouth was open and poured out"; in the evening, "the six veins were cut off, and he died suddenly." ”。
Guangxu Emperor reading portrait
According to the clear records of the above-mentioned Qing Palace archival materials, later medical experts gave a scientific explanation of the cause of death of the Guangxu Emperor:
Chronic wasting diseases such as tuberculosis, liver, heart and rheumatism have led to a decline in resistance and the emergence of multisystem diseases. The immediate cause of death may be chronic failure of cardiopulmonary function, combined with acute infection.
From the point of view of illness, to aggravation of illness, to the dying of various pathologies, the development of the Guangxu Emperor's condition is a relatively complete process, deteriorating step by step, step by step towards death, with neither poisoning nor signs of sudden death. That is to say, the Guangxu Emperor did not die of arsenic poisoning.
<h3 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > the necessity of the Guangxu Emperor being poisoned</h3>
Among the targets of the poisoning of the Guangxu Emperor, the Prince of Qing, Yuan Shikai, and even the grand eunuch Li Lianying seemed to be able to find a reasonable reason for the poisoning, but poisoning the emperor, even if it was a puppet emperor who was imprisoned in Yingtai, was not an easy task. There was only one person who really had the power, ability, and opportunity to poison the Guangxu Emperor, and that was Empress Dowager Cixi.
Yuan Shikai stills
Therefore, we only need to argue whether Empress Dowager Cixi had the need to poison the Guangxu Emperor, and we can almost directly prove whether he was poisoned or not.
1. The development of Empress Dowager Cixi's condition was not obvious
According to the "Notes on Internal Life", since the thirty years of Guangxu, Empress Dowager Cixi has gradually been plagued by diseases due to her old age and infirmity and heavy political affairs, and chronic gastroenteritis, indigestion and other diseases have always accompanied her in the last years of her life.
In June of the 34th year of Guangxu, Empress Dowager Cixi, whose spleen and stomach disease was gradually worsening, suffered from dizziness and insufficient liver and yin; in September, Empress Dowager Cixi began to have diarrhea symptoms; in October, she increased her lung disease, body heat and other symptoms. However, Empress Dowager Cixi during this period still maintained the usual frequency of receiving courtiers, discussing government affairs, or approving recitals and issuing edicts. This point is also explained in the will of Empress Dowager Cixi.
The Records of Qing Shilu and Dezong Shilu contains:
This year, the number of years for the constitution to be prepared is promulgated, and the tens of thousands of people are waiting to be taken care of, and the effort is exhausted. Fortunately, the body qi is strong and can still be supported. Since the summer and autumn of this year, there have been times of discomfort, government affairs are complicated, there is no way to take quiet photos, food and clothing are inappropriate, prolonged for a long time, energy is gradually exhausted, and I still dare not take a day to relax.
That is to say, Empress Dowager Cixi, who is already more than 70 years old, has been getting sicker, but it is far from the point of determining the date of her death.
《Qing Shilu Dezong Shilu》
In addition, the Outer Chronicle of Cixi records the specific state of the Imperial Council on October 19, when Empress Dowager Cixi convened the Imperial Council:
(Cixi) still speaks as before, her voice is loud and strong, and her strength does not change its regularity, and everyone who sees it is shocked!
October 19, three days before Empress Dowager Cixi's death, if Empress Dowager Cixi's condition had developed rapidly, how could Empress Dowager Cixi have been in such a good state at this time!
Since Empress Dowager Cixi's condition did not develop rapidly, the Guangxu Emperor began to gradually die from August, and the disease developed very rapidly. On the nineteenth day, the Guangxu Emperor was already in a state of death in which he was "exhausted and weak, and the general trend was gone", which was in stark contrast to the good state of Empress Dowager Cixi. In this context, Empress Dowager Cixi did not have to worry about dying before the Guangxu Emperor.
As for the Guangxu Emperor's diary, "I am very ill, but I feel in my heart that Lafayette will definitely die before me" and empress Dowager Cixi's response of "I can't die before him", it is only a conjecture of anecdotal history, and it is not recorded in any official documents. From this point of view, Empress Dowager Cixi simply had to poison the Guangxu Emperor, and was accused of poisoning the emperor.
Empress Dowager Cixi stills
2. Empress Dowager Cixi was very confident about her situation
On October 20, Empress Dowager Cixi, who was always in control of the development of the Guangxu Emperor's illness, learned that his general situation had gone, and issued two edicts in succession:
Cabinet of Ministers: On the orders of Empress Dowager Yi of The Cixi Emperor, Puyi, the son of Prince Zaifeng of Alcohol, was educated in the palace and studied in the upper study.
Cabinet of Ministers: On the orders of Empress Dowager Cixi, Prince Zaifeng was appointed regent.
In terms of the historical background at that time and the principle of imperial succession in the Qing Dynasty, Empress Dowager Cixi's choice of Puyi and Zaifeng was by no means like the confused decision made by an old man with a dying life. At this time, Empress Dowager Cixi still maintained a sober mind, rational political considerations, and was still calm and reasonable in arranging various matters.
On October 21, the Guangxu Emperor died, and Empress Dowager Cixi issued three edicts in a row:
Empress Dowager Cixi, Puyi, son of the regent Zaifeng, was proclaimed Emperor He.
At the behest of Empress Dowager Cixi, he took Puyi, the son of the regent Zaifeng, as his heir to Emperor Muzongyi and concurrently took over the throne of Emperor Chang.
What deserves our attention is the content of the third commandment:
At present, things are difficult, and the emperor is still in his old age, so it is appropriate to concentrate on classic studies. The regent Zaifeng is the overseer of the country, and all military and state affairs are carried out in accordance with the instructions given. Emperor Qi Si grew older and succeeded in his studies, and then the Emperor Si personally presided over the affairs of the government.
Although this edict clarified the special status of the regent Zaifeng, the sentence "All military and state affairs shall be carried out in accordance with the instructions given and implemented in a judgmental manner" once again clarified the authority of Empress Dowager Cixi. That is to say, after Puyi succeeded to the throne and Zaifeng regent, the decision-making power of all military and state affairs was still in the hands of Empress Dowager Cixi. For this decision, Empress Dowager Cixi also gave an explanation that "those who do not know or think that they are greedy for power are actually forced by the situation and have to do the same." This shows that Empress Dowager Cixi did not think that she would soon collapse and was ready to continue to "listen to the government."
Since Empress Dowager Cixi did not think that she would soon die, and was so confident in her physical condition, she naturally did not need to poison the Guangxu Emperor.
< h3 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" > postscript</h3>
It is true that Empress Dowager Cixi had too many reasons to poison the Guangxu Emperor, and she definitely had the opportunity and ability to do so, and the detection of arsenic in the hair of the Guangxu Emperor in later generations seemed to prove the historical truth of Cixi's poisoning of Guangxu. However, the slow development of Empress Dowager Cixi's illness and her absolute confidence in her own condition made it unnecessary for her to poison the Guangxu Emperor in the hope of ending well.
As for the reason why Empress Dowager Cixi died only 20 hours after the guangxu emperor's death, perhaps the explanation given in Cixi's will is the most credible:
On the twenty-first day of this month, he was killed by Emperor Daxing. Sorrow came from it, and it was impossible to restrain itself, so that the illness worsened, and it reached the end of death.
References: "Qing Shilu Dezong Shilu", "Hanging Curtain Empress - Cixi", "Pathogen", "Long Live Grandpa Medicine Bottom Book", "Qing Palace Pulse Case", "Cixi Outer Chronicle", "Qing Dynasty Wild History Grand View", "Notes on Internal Living", "Qing History Manuscript Dezong Benji"