Empress Dowager Ci'an was always going to have a higher status than Cixi. Not only was she the wife, but she also had more powerful and prestigious family connections in comparison to Cixi during her time in the palace (her step mother was from the ruling Aisin Gioro clan and her father's clan, the Niohuru clan, was known for having produced a good number of prominent empresses and concubines, as well as some of her close relatives within her family at the time having intermarried into the imperial family). It's just that Ci'an seemed to be more focused on the affairs relating to the imperial family itself and the inner court while Cixi was the one in control of political matters.
I usually believe Cian had the higher status than Cixi because of family connections and being the legal wife. Cixi got more power because of her education, her tricks, and her son to climb the ranks not as drastically fast as Cian. The status was more important than age. Cixi missed the selection because her family was poor. Cian might not want to be in conflict with her co-wife in later in years on political affairs. She knew Cixi was intelligent to handle state affairs. There were examples that Cian won Cixi over family rites. Cian told Cixi never stand on the empty spot that was reserved for Empress Xiaodexian, the first wife when visiting the ancestral tombs and temples. Tongzhi who treated Cian his mother followed her suggestion chose Alute as his bride, which angered Cixi. Cixi wanted to deposed Alute, but was told off that only one person who previously entered the front gate, decides the depose the empress from the later generation. Despite managing the inner court for many years, Ci'an did not intervene when Alute was mistreated by Cixi. I always pondering why Ci'an never confront with Cixi whenever Alute was in trouble or knowing her lavish spending. Ci'an was fearful of Cixi's power and let the latter manipulate her to get her way. Ultimately, Ci'an never used her authority to carry out the punishment on Cixi for becoming uncontrollable. At the end, Ci'an was already lost her power to Cixi by burning the will to put Cixi to death that unknowingly could give the Qing dynasty a little more time to survive. To my eyes, Ci'an was a weak woman.
I doubt the story of Ci'an burning the will to execute Cixi was real since it's dubious that Emperor Xianfeng would think that Cixi was threatening enough to create a will ordering her execution. I don't know why Ci'an didn't protect Empress Alute either, since she was her preferred candidate for empress, but that seemed to be as far as Cixi's influence can go in the inner court. Ci'an was actually assertive in that it was she who controlled the imperial family's spending and emphasized a frugal lifestyle for the inner court as she decreased the daily meals for all members of the imperial family living in the palace from 32 to 24 (which was then increased to 108 by Cixi after Ci'an died) as well as making a habit of wearing less opulent clothes and jewelry, and gave out the order to execute Cixi's eunuch, An Dehai, for making unauthorized trips to southern China who used the excuse of obtaining dragon robes for Cixi but instead was extorting money from people and causing a ruckus. She didn't seem weak but more uninterested in the affairs of the outer court and focused on the imperial family's domestic affairs, and as long as she was alive, Cixi couldn't live the lavish and bone crushingly expensive lifestyle she wanted.
Thank you Bing for this Background Information. I ask me only, what happen, if Ci An was more interesting to managing the Court and Country🤔. Got Ci XI angry about it or were helping both the Young Emperor. Had China until this Day a Empire of Qing or this what China is today.🤔 Then it look´s that both woman was not a enemy in all.
Thanks always Bing, it’s funny I think no matter the power Ci An had she didn’t live very long to see the empire crumble. Ci Xi did do a lot of questionable things. Can you please do on Ci Xi role in the collapse of the Qing empire.
Hi, Madam Bing. I've got a couple more questions. 😅 1. Is it true that Ci'an and Cixi received formal lesson when they became regents? 2. Is it true that Ci'an used to review the answers of the candidates of the imperial examinations?
Well, this is a shocking revelation. I did not know that Emperor Daoguang had changed the system. I was always under the impression that Empress Ci'an would have received a higher title then Empress Dowager Cixi but I am shocked that this did not happen because she was a step Empress. I also did not know that Empress Dowager Cixi was older than Empress Dowager Ci'an. Thankfully, even though Empress Dowager Ci'an was not interested in politics, her husband still made sure that she had her own independent political position. I did not know that Ci'an was still considered a step Empress even though Lady Saka passed away before her husband inherited the throne. Was Consort Li the one who in the movies was made into a human swine? Thank you for making this educational video.
Empress Dowager Ci'an was always going to be considered a step empress as she is Xianfeng's second wife, not the first. And yes, Imperial Noble Consort Zhuangjing (Consort Li) was the one who was mutilated in the 1983 movie, Reign behind the Curtain.
@Raunak-dk6ow Yup, she did. The human swine story was just made for the movies. I feel that historically, Cixi didn't see Consort Li as a threat. Consort Li also got promoted to Dowager Imperial Noble Consort during the Guangxu era, which also shows that her relationship with Cixi isn't as bitter as what the dramas depict. Cixi is nasty to people who stepped on her toes, like Empress Alute and Consort Zhen.
@@chris9879 Yes, you're right. Empress Dowager Cixi like Empress Dowager Lv Zhi of old only went after those she had a vendetta with. She didn't randomly victimise people.
Same way as Qianlong give empress title to imperial noble consort Ling. Then you may ask how could Qianlong give consort Ling the empress title after she passed away for many years?🤭😋
She was so lucky, thanks for this wonderful video. Love your videos, you are working. Hard to make theses.
Empress Dowager Ci'an was always going to have a higher status than Cixi. Not only was she the wife, but she also had more powerful and prestigious family connections in comparison to Cixi during her time in the palace (her step mother was from the ruling Aisin Gioro clan and her father's clan, the Niohuru clan, was known for having produced a good number of prominent empresses and concubines, as well as some of her close relatives within her family at the time having intermarried into the imperial family). It's just that Ci'an seemed to be more focused on the affairs relating to the imperial family itself and the inner court while Cixi was the one in control of political matters.
I usually believe Cian had the higher status than Cixi because of family connections and being the legal wife. Cixi got more power because of her education, her tricks, and her son to climb the ranks not as drastically fast as Cian. The status was more important than age. Cixi missed the selection because her family was poor. Cian might not want to be in conflict with her co-wife in later in years on political affairs. She knew Cixi was intelligent to handle state affairs. There were examples that Cian won Cixi over family rites. Cian told Cixi never stand on the empty spot that was reserved for Empress Xiaodexian, the first wife when visiting the ancestral tombs and temples. Tongzhi who treated Cian his mother followed her suggestion chose Alute as his bride, which angered Cixi. Cixi wanted to deposed Alute, but was told off that only one person who previously entered the front gate, decides the depose the empress from the later generation. Despite managing the inner court for many years, Ci'an did not intervene when Alute was mistreated by Cixi. I always pondering why Ci'an never confront with Cixi whenever Alute was in trouble or knowing her lavish spending. Ci'an was fearful of Cixi's power and let the latter manipulate her to get her way. Ultimately, Ci'an never used her authority to carry out the punishment on Cixi for becoming uncontrollable. At the end, Ci'an was already lost her power to Cixi by burning the will to put Cixi to death that unknowingly could give the Qing dynasty a little more time to survive. To my eyes, Ci'an was a weak woman.
I doubt the story of Ci'an burning the will to execute Cixi was real since it's dubious that Emperor Xianfeng would think that Cixi was threatening enough to create a will ordering her execution. I don't know why Ci'an didn't protect Empress Alute either, since she was her preferred candidate for empress, but that seemed to be as far as Cixi's influence can go in the inner court. Ci'an was actually assertive in that it was she who controlled the imperial family's spending and emphasized a frugal lifestyle for the inner court as she decreased the daily meals for all members of the imperial family living in the palace from 32 to 24 (which was then increased to 108 by Cixi after Ci'an died) as well as making a habit of wearing less opulent clothes and jewelry, and gave out the order to execute Cixi's eunuch, An Dehai, for making unauthorized trips to southern China who used the excuse of obtaining dragon robes for Cixi but instead was extorting money from people and causing a ruckus. She didn't seem weak but more uninterested in the affairs of the outer court and focused on the imperial family's domestic affairs, and as long as she was alive, Cixi couldn't live the lavish and bone crushingly expensive lifestyle she wanted.
Thank you Bing for this Background Information.
I ask me only, what happen, if Ci An was more interesting to managing the Court and Country🤔. Got Ci XI angry about it or were helping both the Young Emperor.
Had China until this Day a Empire of Qing or this what China is today.🤔 Then it look´s that both woman was not a enemy in all.
You will know more their stories.🤭
Thanks always Bing, it’s funny I think no matter the power Ci An had she didn’t live very long to see the empire crumble. Ci Xi did do a lot of questionable things. Can you please do on Ci Xi role in the collapse of the Qing empire.
The empress that got promoted to Empress Dawager is more powerful Dihhhh
Hi, Madam Bing. I've got a couple more questions. 😅
1. Is it true that Ci'an and Cixi received formal lesson when they became regents?
2. Is it true that Ci'an used to review the answers of the candidates of the imperial examinations?
Haven’t watched video yet but I’m positive it’ll be ci’an. Especially after all the other stories cixi was terrible person.
Well, this is a shocking revelation. I did not know that Emperor Daoguang had changed the system. I was always under the impression that Empress Ci'an would have received a higher title then Empress Dowager Cixi but I am shocked that this did not happen because she was a step Empress.
I also did not know that Empress Dowager Cixi was older than Empress Dowager Ci'an.
Thankfully, even though Empress Dowager Ci'an was not interested in politics, her husband still made sure that she had her own independent political position.
I did not know that Ci'an was still considered a step Empress even though Lady Saka passed away before her husband inherited the throne.
Was Consort Li the one who in the movies was made into a human swine?
Thank you for making this educational video.
Empress Dowager Ci'an was always going to be considered a step empress as she is Xianfeng's second wife, not the first. And yes, Imperial Noble Consort Zhuangjing (Consort Li) was the one who was mutilated in the 1983 movie, Reign behind the Curtain.
@SolitaryBee-wd5wf Thank you for clearing that up for me both about the title and the movie.
@Raunak-dk6ow Yup, she did. The human swine story was just made for the movies.
I feel that historically, Cixi didn't see Consort Li as a threat. Consort Li also got promoted to Dowager Imperial Noble Consort during the Guangxu era, which also shows that her relationship with Cixi isn't as bitter as what the dramas depict. Cixi is nasty to people who stepped on her toes, like Empress Alute and Consort Zhen.
@@chris9879 Yes, you're right. Empress Dowager Cixi like Empress Dowager Lv Zhi of old only went after those she had a vendetta with. She didn't randomly victimise people.
Now how could Cixi give her father any kind of title when he had passed away when she was young?
You know they liked giving titles posthumously.
Same way as Qianlong give empress title to imperial noble consort Ling. Then you may ask how could Qianlong give consort Ling the empress title after she passed away for many years?🤭😋
I see your point; it was a posthumous title but didn't Jiaqing Qianlong's son who promoted Ling to Empress?