In the late autumn of 1908, the atmosphere in the Forbidden City was solemn. The 73-year-old Empress Dowager Cixi was bedridden, and Emperor Guangxu was also seriously ill in Yingtai. Two of the most influential figures of the Qing Dynasty were dying, and the entire palace was shrouded in a gloomy mist. In the last moments of his life, the de facto ruler who had ruled China for nearly half a century showed amazing willpower. In just three days, she issued thirteen edicts in a row, arranging the Qing Dynasty behind her. When the three-year-old Pu Yi was carried into the palace to see her for the last time, the young emperor was frightened by the majestic old man and burst into tears. The flame of Empress Dowager Cixi's life is about to be extinguished, and her various actions before her death not only affect the nerves of the entire imperial family, but also profoundly affect the direction of Chinese history. What kind of twists and ups and downs did the legendary queen mother experience in her last days?
The crisis situation of the queen mother is a candle
In 1900, the invasion of China by the Eight-Nation Coalition finally subsided. Empress Dowager Cixi took Emperor Guangxu from Xi'an to Beijing and regained control of the government. However, the wounds inflicted on the Qing dynasty by this catastrophe were far from healing.
The country is poor and weak, the court is worried about internal and external troubles, and the Empress Dowager Cixi is full of sorrows. She often didn't say a word all day, not knowing what she was thinking.
The years are like knives, and the Empress Dowager Cixi's health is getting worse. She began to fall ill more frequently and her temper became more and more irritable. The imperial doctors in the palace trembled, for fear that a mistreatment would anger the tyrannical Lafayette.
The eunuchs were even more worried all day long, because the Empress Dowager Cixi would beat and scold them at every turn. The concubines did not dare to slack off in the slightest, for fear that one would accidentally anger the moody queen mother.
When Empress Dowager Cixi was 69 years old, a serious illness completely changed her appearance. She suffered from sling, which caused her mouth and eyes to be crooked. Although it has improved after treatment, the convulsions on the face have not completely disappeared.
This illness became a thorn in the heart of the Empress Dowager Cixi. She tried all kinds of remedies and home remedies, but she was never able to cure them. Since then, she has become more sensitive and suspicious.
She strictly ordered the palace personnel not to look directly at her face. Even if you hand her something or light a cigarette, you can't look up at her. The eunuchs approached her every day with trepidation, for fear that they would be beaten with a bamboo pole if they were not careful.
Empress Dowager Cixi's joy and anger were even more elusive. Sometimes you get angry when you see someone wearing new clothes, and sometimes you get angry when you see someone who is not dressed properly. Yao Lanrong, the former leader of the imperial army, was beaten and scolded because he was not good at wearing a robe.
He hurriedly made a new robe, wanting to please the Queen Mother. Who knew that when the Empress Dowager Cixi saw him wearing new clothes, she was even more annoyed. She ordered on the spot to have Yao Lanrong's new robe cut to pieces from top to bottom.
In order to treat the convulsions on her face, the Empress Dowager Cixi tried all kinds of strange methods. Once, Wang Ye Zaitao offered a secret recipe, saying that smearing the affected area with live eel blood can cure the hanging wind.
The Empress Dowager Cixi immediately ordered people to go to Kunming Lake to catch live eels. She pierced the back of the fish with a golden hairpin and took blood and smeared it on her face. The spent eels are given gold medals and put back into the lake, where they are called "gong eels". The Empress Dowager Cixi also decreed that anyone who caught this eel would be severely punished.
In this way, the eunuchs had to go to the lake every day to fish and treat the Empress Dowager Cixi. However, this approach has not brought significant results. Eventually, the Empress Dowager Cixi abandoned this treatment.
As she grew older, the Empress Dowager Cixi's physical condition deteriorated. She began to realize that her life was coming to an end. At the end of her life, she still clung to power and was unwilling to let go.
She paid close attention to Emperor Guangxu's movements, for fear that the emperor, who had been imprisoned by her for many years, would make some moves after a hundred years. Every day, she would send someone to inquire about the situation of Emperor Guangxu.
Sometimes it was Cui Yugui, the second governor, sometimes it was Xiao Dezhang, and they went back and forth between the Empress Dowager Cixi and the Guangxu Emperor, passing the news. The Imperial Hospital also had to report the emperor's condition to the Empress Dowager Cixi at any time.
In this way, in the inner courtyard of the deep palace of the Forbidden City, a game about the fate of the Qing Dynasty is being staged. The dying Empress Dowager Cixi and the seriously ill Emperor Guangxu are making their last efforts for their respective futures.
The sickbed testament is the policy of the country
On November 14, 1908, the Empress Dowager Cixi's condition took a turn for the worse. She was lying on the bed, breathing rapidly and pale.
The doctors were helpless and could only watch as the Lafayette who once called for wind and rain gradually weakened. The Empress Dowager Cixi knew that her time was short, but her spirit was still unusually clear.
She summoned Zaifeng, Zaizhen and other cronies and important ministers and began to arrange the affairs behind her. Although the Empress Dowager Cixi's voice was weak, her tone remained firm.
She first ordered Puyi to be made the crown prince. The decision shocked everyone present.
Pu Yi was only three years old and was the nephew of Emperor Guangxu. Empress Dowager Cixi chose him, apparently to ensure that her influence would continue to the next generation.
Then, the Empress Dowager Cixi ordered that Prince Zaifeng should be the regent. Zaifeng was a close confidant of Empress Dowager Cixi, and this appointment further cemented her power base.
These decisions of the Empress Dowager Cixi completely ignored the existence of the Guangxu Emperor. In fact, Emperor Guangxu at this time was also seriously ill in bed and dying.
The Empress Dowager Cixi successively issued thirteen edicts, involving affairs inside and outside the imperial court. She ordered her ministers to unite and assist the new emperor.
She also particularly stressed the need to continue to implement the new policy in order to strengthen the country. These edicts show that the Empress Dowager Cixi was still trying to control the situation until the last moment of her life.
On November 15, Empress Dowager Cixi's condition deteriorated further. She was no longer able to speak, and could only express herself with her eyes and gestures.
The eunuchs waited by the bedside, ready to carry out her orders. The Empress Dowager Cixi used her last strength and signaled to see Pu Yi.
Soon, three-year-old Pu Yi was carried into the dormitory. Little Pu Yi was frightened by the scene in front of him and began to cry.
Empress Dowager Cixi raised her hand weakly, as if she wanted to touch the future emperor. But before her hand touched Pu Yi, it hung down weakly.
At 5 p.m. on November 15, the Empress Dowager Cixi stopped breathing. News of her death immediately spread throughout the Forbidden City.
The ministers hurried in and began to act in accordance with the edict of the Empress Dowager Cixi. Jaefeng immediately assumed the position of regent and began to deal with the affairs of the court.
At the same time, Emperor Guangxu's condition also took a sharp turn for the worse. On the evening of November 14, Emperor Guangxu had fallen into a coma.
The doctors waited by his bedside day and night, but could not do anything. On the afternoon of November 15, Emperor Guangxu also passed away.
Two of the most influential figures of the Qing Dynasty died in one day. The news quickly spread throughout the city of Beijing.
There was a lot of talk, some worried about the fate of the Qing Dynasty, others looking forward to the future. In any case, an era is over, and a new one is about to begin.
After the death of the Empress Dowager Cixi and the Guangxu Emperor one after another, the imperial court acted in accordance with the edict of the Empress Dowager Cixi. The three-year-old Pu Yi was made the new emperor, and Prince Zaifeng served as the regent.
This decision sparked heated discussions between the government and the opposition. Some believe that this was the last wise decision of the Empress Dowager Cixi, while others believe that it only hastened the demise of the Qing Dynasty.
In any case, the death of the Empress Dowager Cixi marked the end of an era. She ruled China for nearly half a century and witnessed the whole process of the Qing Dynasty from prosperity to decline.
Her decisions had far-reaching consequences, and until the last moments of her life, she was still trying to take control of the situation. However, the wheel of history has begun to turn, and the fate of the Qing Dynasty has become irretrievable.
The funeral of the Empress Dowager Cixi was solemnly held in accordance with royal etiquette. Her coffin was placed in Tanglin and buried with Emperor Tongzhi.
However, just three years later, the Xinhai Revolution broke out and the Qing Dynasty fell. The Qing Empire, which Empress Dowager Cixi painstakingly managed, did not escape the fate of destruction in the end.
Her life was full of controversy, with both the wisdom of a wise monarch and the tyranny of a tyrant. Her reign had a profound impact on China and remains a hot topic for historians to this day.
The last days of the Empress Dowager Cixi are like a historical drama that transcends time and space. She used the last shred of her life to try to renew the life of the Qing Empire.
However, the torrent of history cannot be stopped. Her death is not only a curtain call for a person, but also the end of an era.
The line between life and death, the emperor's end
The last days of Emperor Guangxu, like his life, were full of tragedy. At the same time that the Empress Dowager Cixi was seriously ill, the titular emperor was also bedridden and dying.
Emperor Guangxu was placed under house arrest in Yingtai, a small island in the Forbidden City that became the last stop of his life. His condition deteriorated, and the doctors waited day and night, but they were powerless.
At the end of his life, the Guangxu Emperor was still closely monitored. The eunuchs sent by the Empress Dowager Cixi took turns on duty to record the emperor's every move.
These eunuchs had to not only spy on the emperor, but also prevent anyone from approaching him. Emperor Guangxu's situation was more like a prisoner than the emperor.
Despite his serious illness, Emperor Guangxu was in a surprisingly good mental state. He often inquired about the government and was still concerned about national affairs.
However, these inquiries were truthfully reported to the Empress Dowager Cixi by the eunuchs. Even if the old queen mother is on the sickbed, she does not forget to control everything.
In the last days of Emperor Guangxu, the only person who could accompany him was Concubine Zhen. This concubine, who was once ordered by the Empress Dowager Cixi to throw herself into the well, miraculously survived.
She waited by the emperor's side day and night, taking care of the ill-fated monarch. The existence of Concubine Zhen gave Emperor Guangxu the last comfort.
On November 13, Emperor Guangxu's condition suddenly deteriorated. He began to have a high fever that did not go away and he had difficulty breathing. The imperial physicians were helpless and could only watch the emperor's life pass by little by little.
When the Empress Dowager Cixi learned of this news, she immediately sent people to strengthen the surveillance of Yingtai. She seemed worried that Emperor Guangxu would do something against her on his deathbed.
On November 14, Emperor Guangxu's condition deteriorated further. He was no longer able to eat and was kept alive by infusions.
The Imperial Physicians took turns guarding the bedside, but their medical skills seemed so weak in this situation. The life of Emperor Guangxu is like a candle in the wind, which may be extinguished at any time.
That night, a mysterious figure appeared in Yingtai. The man was dressed in eunuch attire and mingled among the eunuchs on duty.
He quietly approached Emperor Guangxu's bedroom and fed the emperor something when he was unprepared. The actions of this mysterious man were not discovered until many years later.
Some people speculate that this mysterious person was ordered by the Empress Dowager Cixi to "take care" of Emperor Guangxu. It is also believed that this person was a supporter of the Guangxu Emperor and wanted to rescue the emperor at the last moment.
Regardless of the truth, the appearance of this mysterious person added a layer of mystery to the death of Emperor Guangxu. This has become a mystery in history that can never be solved.
In the early morning of November 15, Emperor Guangxu's situation took a turn for the worse. He fell into a coma and was breathing weakly. The doctors had no choice but to wait for a miracle to happen.
At the same time, the Empress Dowager Cixi is also making final arrangements for her posthumous affairs. She seemed to have a premonition that neither she nor Emperor Guangxu would survive this day.
Just a few hours after the death of the Empress Dowager Cixi, the Guangxu Emperor also stopped breathing. The emperor, who was only 38 years old, ended his miserable life in this way.
News of Emperor Guangxu's death soon spread throughout the Forbidden City. The ministers hurried in and began to arrange the aftermath. However, at this time, the imperial court was already in chaos.
Some people believe that Emperor Guangxu was poisoned, while others believe that he died of natural causes. These speculations and controversies had already begun to circulate at that time.
The death of Emperor Guangxu cast the last shadow on the demise of the Qing Dynasty. The emperor, who had been determined to reform, was ultimately unable to change the fate of the Qing Dynasty.
His life was full of helplessness and sorrow. From the day he ascended the throne, he was firmly controlled by the Empress Dowager Cixi. Even in the last moments of his life, he was not able to shake off this control.
The funeral of Emperor Guangxu was held in accordance with royal etiquette. He was buried in Xiling, where he was laid to rest with his ancestors.
However, less than four years after his death, the Qing Empire, which he had painstakingly managed, collapsed. His ideals and ambitions eventually came to naught.
The last days of Emperor Guangxu were a microcosm of the Qing Dynasty before its collapse. It shows the contradictions and conflicts of an empire in its declining years.
The death of this emperor is not only the curtain call of one person, but also the end of an era. It marked the end of China's more than 2,000-year-old feudal imperial system.
The edifice will fall to the end of the dynasty
The successive deaths of the Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu were like a hammer that smashed the crumbling Qing Dynasty. In the Forbidden City, there was a mourning voice, and the ministers panicked.
This sudden political storm plunged the entire imperial court into chaos. Ministers rushed to the palace in an attempt to secure a place for themselves in this power vacuum.
As the new regent, Zaifeng immediately convened important ministers to discuss important matters. His first task was to stabilize the situation and prevent unrest inside and outside the court.
At the same time, the three-year-old Pu Yi was hurriedly carried into the palace and began his career as the last emperor. This ignorant child does not know what kind of responsibility he is shouldering.
The court was busy with the funerals of the two emperors and queens, but secretly, the forces of all parties had already begun to compete fiercely. Some people support Zaifeng's continued implementation of the new policy, while others advocate the restoration of the old system.
The feud was not confined to the imperial court, the whole of China was plunged into a strange atmosphere. There are all kinds of rumors circulating among the people, some people say that Emperor Guangxu was poisoned, and some people say that the Empress Dowager Cixi regretted it before her death.
Faced with this situation, Zaifeng seemed a little powerless. Although he was the regent appointed by the Empress Dowager Cixi, he actually did not have much real power.
The ministers of the DPRK and China have their own evil intentions, and some of them support the New Deal on the surface, but in fact they are secretly making stumbling blocks. Others are openly opposed to reform, arguing that tradition should be adhered to.
It was in this situation of internal and external troubles that the revolutionaries seized the opportunity and began to intensify their activities. They staged uprisings in various places in an attempt to overthrow the Qing rule.
On October 10, 1911, the Wuchang Uprising broke out. This uprising was like a fire, which instantly ignited revolutionary fervor throughout the country.
The rebel army soon took control of the three towns of Wuhan and quickly spread throughout the country. The Qing court was immediately plunged into a great panic.
Zaifeng hurriedly dispatched troops to try to suppress the uprising. However, the morale of the Qing army was low and its combat effectiveness was seriously insufficient.
The morale of the rebels was high, and they shouted the slogan "Expel the Tartars and restore China", and everywhere they went, the people responded one after another.
Seeing that the situation was out of control, Zaifeng had no choice but to invite Yuan Shikai, who had been retired for many years. Yuan Shikai was once a confidant of Emperor Guangxu, but was later demoted by Empress Dowager Cixi.
Now, the Qing court had to rely on this old minister again to save the situation. Yuan Shikai accepted the appointment of the imperial court as prime minister.
However, Yuan Shikai did not take immediate military action. Instead, he embarked on a complex political game.
On the one hand, he expressed his loyalty to the imperial court, promising to put down the rebellion. On the other hand, he secretly approached the revolutionaries in an attempt to maximize his interests.
On January 1, 1912, Sun Yat-sen was inaugurated as the provisional president in Nanjing, and the Republic of China was officially established. This was undoubtedly a huge blow to the Qing Dynasty.
Jaefeng and the ministers of the DPRK and China suddenly fell into despair. They realized that the Qing Dynasty's rule had come to an end.
On February 12, 1912, under pressure from all sides, the Qing court had to announce its abdication. At the age of six, Pu Yi was forced to sign an abdication.
The signing of this edict marked the official end of the Qing Dynasty's rule, which lasted for 268 years. At the same time, it also means that China's more than 2,000-year-old feudal imperial system has finally come to an end.
After Pu Yi abdicated, he was allowed to continue to live in the Forbidden City and enjoy preferential treatment. However, he was no longer an emperor, just an ordinary citizen.
The fall of the Qing Dynasty was a huge turning point in Chinese history. It is not just the end of a dynasty, but the end of an era.
Since then, China has embarked on a difficult process of modernization. The once glorious empire began to face unprecedented challenges and opportunities.
The death of the Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu became the fuse of this great change. Their political legacy has been completely turned upside down in just a few years.
This upheaval has changed the fate of countless people. Some have lost their power, others have been given a new lease of life. But in any case, a new page has been turned in China's history.