The six-dimensional pictures of emperors of all dynasties were exposed, and the ancestors panicked

Chapter 796: Guangxu succeeds to the throne and Cixi governs
{It took a short time from the onset of Tongzhi's illness to his sudden death. Was it smallpox or syphilis?}

{Official documents say he died of smallpox, but popular rumors have long said he died of syphilis.}
{If we only look at the results of historical research, there is no doubt that Tongzhi died of smallpox. After all, the "Book of Medicines and Drugs for the Emperor" kept in the First Historical Archives has been identified by doctors as a prescription for treating smallpox.}
{The symptoms and prescriptions recorded in the private diary of Emperor Weng Tonghe also have similarities with smallpox.}
{But the syphilis theory was not groundless speculation. Tongzhi did often sneak out of the palace, so it is possible that he was infected with syphilis.}
{Emperor Tongzhi had a chief physician, the imperial physician Li Deli. According to his great-grandson's recollection, Li Deli once told his family that Emperor Tongzhi was infected with syphilis.}
{Li Deli once consulted with a famous imperial surgeon, Zhang Benren, and they both confirmed that it was a syphilitic boil.}
{But he thought that if he reported the illness to Empress Dowager Cixi, it would be an insult to the emperor and he would be killed. And if he knew about it but concealed the illness, he was afraid of the heavy responsibility and would be punished in the end. After discussing with the Right Court Judge Zhuang Shouhe, he thought that the disease was incurable anyway, not to mention that it was a rare terminal illness of emperors since ancient times, and it was difficult to tell the world, so it was better to pretend to be ignorant.}
{Since everyone in the palace said that the emperor had chickenpox, he should be treated as smallpox. The royal family's close ministers turned a blind eye to the emperor's incognito pursuit of prostitutes, and kept silent about it, so why should I expose it and bring trouble upon myself?}
……

Tang Xuanzong Period
Li Longji was finally enlightened.

"This kid doesn't want to play in the palace, but insists on playing outside the palace..."

Unless you can’t play it in the palace.

As for why you can't play.

Li Longji subconsciously plucked a grape from Yang Yuhuan's arms.

Yang Yuhuan glared at him angrily.

"Meeting the two queen dowagers is like a mouse meeting a cat."

"It seems that the discipline is very strict."

If he succeeds to the throne, he might be another Wanli.

……

Ming Dynasty and Zhengde Period
"I should really rip out the eyes of those ministers one by one."

Zhu Houzhao was lying on the rocking chair, swaying and complaining:

"Show them what real absurdity is."

"Tsk tsk, Emperor..."

"It's really embarrassing for the emperor."

……

Qing Dynasty, Kangxi Period
Kangxi's face was as black as the bottom of a pot.

"Several imperial doctors... dared to deceive their superiors and lie to their subordinates!"

He had known for a long time that this was not smallpox.

It’s not like he hasn’t had smallpox before!
……

Qing Dynasty, Tongzhi Period
His eyes were red and Tongzhi was so angry that he felt like gritting his teeth.

"Quacks... a bunch of quacks!"

He was about to issue an edict to seek famous doctors when he saw the subsequent words in the sky.

Suddenly his eyes went dark and his body collapsed on the couch, passing out.

……

{It was not until 1910 that the first drug that could effectively treat syphilis, arsenoside, was invented by the European medical community.}
{For the imperial doctors of the Qing court in 1874 and 1875, syphilis was indeed a disease for which they were helpless.}
{In Weng Tonghe's diary, some of Tongzhi's symptoms, such as "the swellings in the waist and buttocks were both oozing pus, and the root disk was very large", etc., seem to be difficult to distinguish clearly from the symptoms of "Yangmei sore".}
{From the perspective of self-preservation, it would be better for the imperial doctors to keep silent and not record the diagnosis rather than to record that the emperor had syphilis and include it in the prescription.}
{Since syphilis was incurable, the royal family could only announce to the public that the emperor had smallpox in order to preserve the dignity of the imperial power.}
{However, it is difficult to deny the prescriptions for treating smallpox in the archives, and syphilis does not necessarily kill people in just one or two months. Many people can survive for many years after contracting the disease.}
｛Therefore, some scholars believe that "Emperor Tongzhi's death was caused by smallpox and ended with syphilis". He frequently left the palace for "secret walks" and it is possible that he was infected with smallpox and syphilis at the same time. The two diseases worked together to accelerate Tongzhi's death. ｝
{Smallpox and syphilis were treated together, so it was called Tongzhi.}
……

Big man.

Liu Bang had a new understanding of the sharp tongues of his descendants.

"…we treat them together, so we will treat them together…"

"What a mouth you have!"

Liu Bang pointed at the sky and shook his head:

"What a loss!"

"Nai Gong likes it!"

Lü Zhi didn't know what she was thinking of, and suddenly said quietly:
"An emperor could have enjoyed a wonderful life of wealth and glory."

"It was ruined by this senseless indulgence."

Liu Bang turned his body in the opposite direction.

Winked at Liu Ying.

Talking about you!
Liu Ying lowered his head quietly.

……

Datang.

"Hard to say……"

It is really hard to describe Li Shimin.

“The doctrine of the mean can be used at any time. Using it to answer questions will not leave people with anything to complain about.”

"But the emperor actually..."

Zhen's ministers also opened their eyes.

……

Ming dynasty.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the noodles in his hand and couldn't eat it.

"It's disgusting. What a shame."

He casually placed the bowl on the table, twirled his beard and thought for a long time.

"fine……"

"The Zhu family has not lost face in this regard."

……

Qing Dynasty, Guangxu Period
Guangxu quietly moved his butt.

This old guy is in a bad mood.

Cixi squinted her eyes and unconsciously exerted force on the handrails.

She is well versed in medicine.

She had long since accepted the fact that Zaichun was incurable, so she designated Zai Tian as the successor early on.

But acceptance is acceptance.

Cheating is cheating!
"Li Deli, Zhang Benren..."

"Deceiving the emperor and plotting treason against the monarch."

"Clan extermination!"

……

On the canopy.

The west warm room was filled with darkness.

The flame of the white candle was shaken by the cold wind that came in through the crack in the door.

The palace servants who were attending were all trembling and their teeth were chattering.

Two figures sat on the upper seats.

One of them wiped her tears with a silk cloth, and the other closed her eyes and said nothing.

"Queen Mother, the ministers have arrived."

Cixi slowly opened her eyes.

"please come in."

Princes and ministers filed in and knelt down.

The person holding the silk looked at them and suddenly couldn't help crying out loud.

Cixi slowly closed her eyes again.

Those kneeling on the ground were all wiping their tears.

Amid the crying, Cixi suddenly spoke:

"The late emperor is gone. How about the throne from now on?"

The crying stopped.

……

Tang Dynasty and Gaozong period
Li Zhi looked at this scene and couldn't help but laugh sarcastically.

"What a good one... How about the curtain from now on..."

Let’s not talk about succession, let’s talk about regency first.

It seems like putting the cart before the horse...

wrong……

Li Zhi suddenly reacted.

This woman was no pushover. She was able to join forces with the prince to get rid of the regents before Emperor Xianfeng's body was even cold.

The first thing Tongzhi did after taking power was to "show filial piety" to the Empress Dowager.

Cixi definitely had some preparations in advance.

Let’s calculate the time when Tongzhi got sick…

"Good girl..."

Li Zhi began to admire him.

Nothing else to say.

This kind of ruthlessness is beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Chang Sun Wuji shook his head and twirled his beard, whispering:

"People like Lu Wu..."

……

On the canopy.

The ministers were silent, and an old minister spoke first:

"The royal family is the most important. I ask the two Empress Dowagers to choose a virtuous person and then I beg you to rule behind the curtain."

Cixi's tone was calm and composed:
"Emperor Wenzong has no second son. Now that this has happened, the older one is unwilling to inherit the throne, so the younger one can be educated."

"Now, in front of everyone here, this is a done deal and it will never be changed."

She pointed at the Queen Mother who was still weeping and said:

"We two are of one mind, please listen carefully." The ministers felt uneasy.

Then I heard a sentence coming from above.

"Prince Chun's second son Zai Tian is now four years old and has inherited the throne as Emperor Wenzong's second son."

"Draft an imperial edict immediately and welcome him to the palace!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the ministers started to make a commotion.

Prince Chun slammed his head repeatedly, then burst into tears and suddenly fell unconscious.

……

【On January 1875, 1, Emperor Tongzhi Zaichun passed away. 】

[At 8 o'clock that evening, Cixi announced that Prince Chun Yihuan's second son Zai Tian would be adopted by Emperor Xianfeng to inherit the throne.]

【The reign title was changed to Guangxu in the following year.】

……

Yanhan and Emperor He period
Deng Sui felt something was inexplicably wrong.

"The decision to make the four-year-old Zai Tian the emperor was obviously made arbitrarily by the two queen mothers, without consultation with the military ministers."

Liu Zhao nodded, confirming Deng Sui's words.

"Yes, so when Cixi asked about the future of the regency, a minister stood up and advocated the selection of a virtuous person, which clearly showed that there was no consensus between the minister and Cixi."

"Afterwards, Cixi decided to make Zai Tian the emperor, on the grounds that an older person would not want to succeed her and a younger one would be needed so that she could educate him."

“There’s a problem here.”

"If the elders really don't want to inherit, the younger ones should be educated. What does this mean?"

"You are so greedy for power that you won't give up your lordship?"

It is normal for Liu Zhao to think this way.

Eastern Han Dynasty? Those who understand will understand.

But Deng Sui’s ideas were different from Liu Zhao’s.

"With these words, Cixi rejected all the elders of the same generation as Emperor Tongzhi in the imperial family at one time."

"This naturally includes Yi Xin."

Liu Zhao almost forgot about him.

"Yeah... he should have a son, right? Why not fight for it?"

"But in order to strike down one person and involve a group of elderly people..."

The emperor and empress looked at each other.

"Involved?"

Liu Zhao subconsciously touched his short beard and suddenly said:
"How did Prince Chun know that Tongzhi was a philanderer?"

Deng Sui immediately understood:
"It must have been revealed by someone who was traveling with him!"

"And those who can walk with him..."

The Emperor and Empress said in unison:
"Royal family!"

Liu Zhao and Deng Sui looked at each other and smiled.

"This is rotten to the core..."

"If the elders really don't want to inherit, the younger ones can educate them... In fact, it is criticizing the elders who have been completely corrupted and irredeemable just like Tongzhi."

"Only a child like Zai Tian, ​​who is as innocent as a blank sheet of paper, has the potential to be educated into a great sage ruler."

"This is really..."

Liu Zhao felt the impermanence of the world and the will of heaven.

“It’s hard to violate destiny.”

……

[Because of the lesson of Emperor Tongzhi, Cixi was particularly cautious in educating Emperor Guangxu Zai Tian.]

[She first dismissed Wang Qingqi, the imperial tutor who had traveled with Tongzhi incognito, and never employed him again. She also replaced all the servants around the new emperor with "mature and simple" middle-aged and elderly people.]

[The reason was that the young people were "young and frivolous" and would lead the emperor astray.]

[At the same time, the eunuchs in the palace were rectified, and a large number of eunuchs who had served Tongzhi were either sent to Heilongjiang as slaves or sent outside the palace to chop grass.]

[In the selection of imperial teachers and the supervision of academic studies, they are extremely strict. ]

【On February 1875, 2, Emperor Guangxu officially ascended the throne. The Qing court once again returned to the era of Empress Dowager Cixi ruling from behind the curtain and Yi Xin assisting in government administration.】

【However, unlike in 1861, at this time, Yi Xin's title of Prince Regent had been stripped by Cixi in 1865.】

【It was through his close relationships with Empress Dowager Cixi, Wenxiang, and local governors such as Zeng Guofan, Zuo Zongtang, and Li Hongzhang, as well as his experience and ability in handling foreign affairs, that he was able to continue to be in charge of the Grand Council and the Zongli Yamen and become the helmsman of the Qing court's reforms.】

[The relationship between him and Cixi had long since changed from a "dual-head system" to a "first-line second-line" system.]

【Cixi was the final decision maker, and Yixin was the information processor and policy executor. 】

【In 1872, Zeng Guofan died.】

【In 1876, Wenxiang died. 】

[In 1881, Empress Dowager Cixi died.]

[Yixin's supporters gradually dwindled, and the imbalance of power between him and Cixi became increasingly greater. The helmsman of the late Qing reforms was also rapidly shifting from Yixin to Empress Dowager Cixi.]

……

Qing Dynasty Yongzheng Period
Yongzheng subconsciously clenched the jade beads in his hand.

“Decision-making, execution…”

"Which of these two abilities do you think is the most important for a helmsman?"

Hongli said seriously:
"All important."

Yongzheng thought of the Eight-Nation Alliance, his face turned pale, and he sighed:

"Yes... they are all important..."

"And Cixi had the same attitude as Tongzhi towards the Tianjin Incident..."

Hongli's eyelids suddenly twitched.

"Didn't she want the Gengshen Incident to happen again?"

Yongzheng raised his eyes and glanced at him.

"We saw the failure of reform, but she saw the success of reform."

Hongli slowly closed his eyes.

"It's over."

……

Qing Dynasty and Qianlong period
Qianlong knew very well what kind of changes holding great power would cause to a person.

With just a few words from the sky, he could see the weak spot of the Qing Dynasty.

There is no firm ruler.

“A major change in thousands of years.”

"To deal with such changes, you need strategy, but what you need more is insight."

Qianlong felt a little sad.

Tongzhi's ability and responsibility were not enough to deal with the situation facing the Qing court.

Considering the transformation of the times, his death is not something to be regretted.

But can Cixi shoulder this heavy responsibility?
What role can imperial skills play at this time?

Those who abuse power are not people who can get things done, let alone change the old and establish the new.

As for Yi Xin...

Qianlong could see that he was very smart and had a general idea of ​​his abilities.

Unfortunately, he was not an emperor after all. He was constrained by too many obstacles from all sides and his determination was not firm, so he could not accomplish anything.

"The Qing Dynasty is so huge..."

No one is available...

……

Qing Dynasty, Daoguang Period
Daoguang began to feel conflicted.

Who should this hot potato be given to?

Now the entire court, whether it is the royal family or the princes, feels that the throne is a hot potato.

Even if you sit on it, you can't do anything.

But in the eyes of the ministers, it doesn't make much difference who succeeds to the throne.

Whoever is in power has to carry out reforms, and reforms involve many interests. Without a figure like Sejong, the reforms are bound to fail.

The situation has become deadlocked.

No matter who comes, it's like trying to build a temple in a snail shell.

So...it doesn't matter who succeeds to the throne.

Let the emperor do whatever he wants.

……

[Military achievements: Sino-French War]

【Since 1861, the Qing Dynasty's Westernization Reform, which mainly introduced advanced equipment and technology, allowed the Qing Dynasty to enjoy a golden period of more than years. 】

[During this period, although the Qing court still had constant friction with European and American powers, it adhered to the general direction of treaty diplomacy and no wars like the invasion of the British and French coalition forces occurred. It can be said that internal strife was eliminated and foreign affairs were calmed down. ]

[The golden era ended in 1883 when the Sino-French War broke out.]

……

(End of this chapter)