0p0 Chapter 540 Empress Dowager Cixi 9
Chapter 540 Empress Dowager Cixi 9
As soon as Xue Li said this, Yi??'s blood boiled in his chest.
Yes, Xianfeng had a frail body.
He left behind a mess and it is his son who is the one who is tired.
Yi??'s attitude changed in an instant.
It is no longer the perfunctory attitude of the past, but a secret search for development.
The mines Sydney wants are generously provided!
Xue Li arranged her puppets to guard the arsenal and smelt iron and weapons.
The queen ant gave birth to many ants for mining, and their efficiency was higher than that of humans.
Orphanages have sprung up in many places, providing both skills and cultural courses.
In the fourth year of Emperor Xianfeng's reign (1854), the American consul in Shanghai announced to American businessmen that Shanghai was a free port.
And approved the plan of "armed navigation across the Heilongjiang River".
Historically, the new British Minister to China, Sir John Bowring, arrived and proposed a meeting, demanding a revision of the treaty.
These included requirements such as opening up the entire territory, stationing foreign ministers in Beijing, opening up trade along the Yangtze River, and legalizing the opium trade.
But at this moment, Western countries were in chaos because of the invasion of opium.
Xue Li was afraid that they would resist, so she made some special improvements, focusing on making them undefendable.
There are all kinds of things, such as lotions, powder, aromatherapy, cigars, cigarettes... everything!
Now all countries have united to condemn Britain and France.
Britain and France declared war on Russia and the Crimean War broke out.
Japan and Russia strictly prohibited opium, but it became more and more rampant.
Everyone was so busy that they had no time to pay attention to the Qing Dynasty.
However, merchant ships often disappeared, not only foreign ones, but also those from the Qing Dynasty.
As for Western rumors, it is that God is angry.
The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom in the East said that it was God the Father and Son who were angry.
The people of the Qing Dynasty said it was a punishment from Buddha!
So, Sydney started the rumor.
The Buddha punished the common people because of opium. Those who smoked opium would become poor, sell their children, and be separated from their wives and children.
This is retribution!
Those who resell opium will die without an intact body and will be infamous for eternity!
After all, many businessmen disappeared mysteriously!
A ship called the Inglewood with 47 young girls on board departed from Ningbo Port, marking the beginning of a sinful "pig flower" transaction.
“Pig flowers” refer to women who are bought and sold overseas and meet a miserable end.
Xueli had been watching for a long time.
Those people were killed without a complete body, and even the merchant ship was lost.
The young girl entered an orphanage, and the palace maids around Xue Li selected some of them for training.
Various rumors scared people into turning their backs on opium.
However, some infected people and powerful people are still living a life of drunkenness and debauchery as usual.
So, not long after, those people also disappeared mysteriously.
In fact, they are all working as laborers in illegal factories in Sydney.
Food is provided, but there is no money or opium.
Those people are in tears!
When it comes to interfering with life issues, those drug addicts outside begin to control.
The opium-cessation medicine that Xue Li developed in collaboration with Imperial Doctor Cao came in handy.
But it has little effect on the enhanced version produced by Sydney.
Of course, at this time, a large-scale Red Turban Army uprising broke out in Guangdong.
This uprising took place under the influence of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom revolutionary movement. The leader of the uprising, He Liu, responded to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom revolution and first raised the flag of rebellion in Dongguan.
The national crisis and class contradictions were directed at the Qing government.
The situation faced by the Qing government at this time can be said to be internal and external troubles.
In December, Concubine Li announced that she was three months pregnant.
Xianfeng promoted her to Lipin.
In the fifth year of Emperor Xianfeng's reign (1855), the New Year was rather lonely.
Xianfeng suddenly fell ill and could not get up.
Because the deficit inside is even greater.
Xue Li plundered and exploited him mercilessly, but Xianfeng was unwilling to admit that he was weak.
Take some tiger and wolf medicine every day!
Perhaps it was because the original owner had great calligraphy talent.
Xianfeng was very satisfied and asked her to review memorials for him.
Xue Li suddenly realized that the original owner would later become the ruler of the Qing Dynasty.
It’s not that she is so outstanding, but that the Qing imperial family is too weak.
The book "Empress Dowager Cixi" gives five reasons why Cixi was favored:
1. Beauty;
2. Intelligence;
3. Good calligraphy, able to review memorials;
4. Ability to participate in politics;
5. Give birth to a prince.
These characteristics can be said to be common features of all the concubines in all dynasties who are worthy of the title.
The key is that the emperor is capable and ambitious!
But this emperor happened to be Emperor Xianfeng.
Indulge in a false paradise and pretend to be unaware of the turmoil outside.
Historically, the birth of Emperor Tongzhi led to the promotion of Cixi's status and her position gradually became more stable.
Secondly, as the only surviving prince, he directly inherited the throne, which transformed Cixi from a noble concubine to the Holy Mother Empress Dowager.
Third, Emperor Tongzhi was only six years old when he ascended the throne and needed the assistance of the Empress Dowager, which indirectly handed the real power to Cixi.
Feudal society is a patriarchal society. Men always hold a dominant position in politics, economy, military, family, education and other fields.
Especially in the political field, the inequality suffered by women is particularly prominent.
In feudal dynasties, women were usually regarded as "sources of trouble" once they were involved in politics, so "A wise man makes a city, a wise woman makes a city fall." was written in "The Book of Songs·Da Ya·Zhan Ang".
It means: A wise man can build a country, but a wise woman will destroy it.
This proverb reflects the traditional view of the roles of men and women in ancient society.
It is believed that men are more advantageous in politics and military affairs, while women may lead to the downfall of a country due to their wisdom and influence.
As for female politics, it is usually regarded as a symbol of the collapse of rituals and music, hence the saying "hens crow at dawn".
However, feudal society also had a strict hierarchical system, and the two factors gave rise to a group of special women, namely, women of the ruling class, including both women of royal blood and concubines of kings.
In a sense, royal women and concubines are themselves part of politics.
Therefore, there would be princesses marrying off as foreign princes, and there would also be cases where kings married concubines in order to win over the powers in the court.
This also makes women in this group more likely to participate in political activities.
Despite this, throughout the long course of history, male power has always been the mainstream, and it is still rare for concubines to participate in politics.
It can be said that for concubines to participate in politics, in addition to having certain conditions of their own (such as political literacy, the ability to influence the political situation, etc.), they also need the promotion of many external factors.
First of all, the royal family of the Qing Dynasty was in decline.
When Emperor Xianfeng died in Rehe, he was afraid that the six-year-old Tongzhi would succeed to the throne and the imperial power would fall into the hands of others.
After all, we have the examples of Dorgon and Oboi as lessons.
Therefore, Emperor Xianfeng appointed Zaiyuan, Duanhua, Jingshou, Sushun, Muyin, Kuangyuan, Duhan and Jiao Youying, eight people to assist him wholeheartedly and support all government affairs.
On the other hand, the Empress Nianhulu was awarded the "Imperial Award" seal, and the Prince Zaichun was awarded the "Tongdaotang" seal, which were managed by Cixi in an attempt to form a balance of power.