Speak of Empress Dowager Cixi

Author: Ding Yanshi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: "The Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang—This Reign's Rise from the Empress Dowager" and "The Empress Dowager Cixi—This Reign's Fall from the Empress Dowager" are sister books. In the early days of establishing the Qing Dynasty and during its downfall, two empress dowagers emerged who directly influenced the rise and fall of the nation and the rise and fall of the regime—Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang and Empress Dowager Cixi. They directly or indirectly held power for a total of ninety years and partially or fully controlled four of the eleven emperors of the Qing Dynasty, surpassing one-third of the entire Qing Dynasty's rule. This is rare in the history of the world, both ancient and modern! These two empress dowagers, separated by over two hundred years, share many similarities in their life journeys. The age difference between their wedding ages was five years, the age difference between giving birth was three years, the age difference between being widowed was one year, and the age difference between becoming empress dowagers and passing away was also just one year. Both empress dowagers were widowed in their prime and raised two young emperors. These many coincidences are truly rare in history. However, there were also significant differences between them. Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang came from the vast grasslands of the Gobi Desert, where she grew up herding sheep and riding horses, close to nature, cultivating a broad-minded, reverent toward heaven and ancestors, and benevolent personality. Empress Dowager Cixi, on the other hand, grew up during the late Qing Dynasty, influenced by the declining politics of the time, with a narrow-minded, power-hungry, and self-centered personality. The difference between their virtue and lack thereof is immeasurable. The rise of the Great Qing cannot be separated from Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang's contributions, while the downfall of the Great Qing cannot escape Empress Dowager Cixi's faults. Thus, the two books "The Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang—This Reign's Rise from the Empress Dowager" and "The Empress Dowager Cixi—This Reign's Fall from the Empress Dowager" were written.