On the night of the thirty-fourth year of Guangxu1October 2 1 day (1908165438+1October 14), the 38-year-old Emperor Guangxu passed away at Hanyuan Temple in Yingtai, Zhongnanhai, with mixed feelings of grief and indignation. He had no relatives and no priest when he died, and he was found dead for a long time. It can be said that he was left out and lonely after his death.

On the afternoon after Guangxu's death, his mother, Empress Dowager Cixi, the political enemy who manipulated the regime in the late Qing Dynasty for half a century, also died in a palace in Zhongnanhai at the age of 74.

The news that Emperor Guangxu and Empress Dowager Cixi died one after another shocked China and foreign countries. It is generally believed that the young Guangxu died in front of the 74-year-old Cixi, only one day later. This is not a coincidence, but a deliberate murder. As a result, various statements about Guangxu's murder and death came into being.

In the late Qing Dynasty, chongling Biography written by Guangxu's recent minister Yun and Qing Yan Banknotes held that in a critical period, Cixi was afraid that Guangxu would regain power after her death, overthrow her established political affairs, and rehabilitate all kinds of wrongs created for her, thus causing people to kill Guangxu.

Books such as The Legend of Cixi by the Englishman Prander Backhaus and Blood and Tears of Yingtai by Deling believe that Li, the eunuch of the Qing Dynasty, often slandered and fooled Guangxu by relying on the power of his master Cixi. They were afraid that Guangxu would regain power after the death of Cixi and settle their past sins, so they tried to kill Guangxu before Cixi died.

In the book My First Half Life, Puyi said that Yuan Shikai betrayed Guangxu's trust during the Reform Movement of 1898 and betrayed the emperor at a critical moment. Yuan Shikai was worried that once Cixi died, Guangxu would never treat him lightly, so he took the opportunity to take medicine and secretly poisoned Guangxu.

Qu Guiting, a former physician of the Qing Dynasty, published an article in the 29th issue of Yijing magazine, saying that three days before Guangxu's death, he went to the palace for the last time to see the emperor, and found that Guangxu's condition, which had gradually improved, suddenly deteriorated, and he rolled in bed and shouted that he had a stomachache. A few days later, Guangxu died. Doctors believe that although it is impossible to determine who killed Guangxu, it is certain that Guangxu was secretly killed.

However, there are also many historical records or people close to the Forbidden City who hold the view that Guangxu died of natural causes. For example, the so-called official history or official history books such as A Record of Dezong, A Record of Guangxu Donghua, and A Historical Draft of Dezong in Qing Dynasty all contain the content of Guangxu's natural death. For another example, Volume 6 of Three Paintings of Chu Zhai said: As early as February and March of the thirty-fourth year of Guangxu, Emperor Guangxu was chronically ill and terminally ill. At that time, I was so angry that I twisted the eunuch's hat with my hand and kicked over the light with my foot. The situation got worse and worse. Some time before Guangxu's death, Du, one of the six famous doctors who had been treating him, wrote the book "Chongde Please Pulse", which described in detail Guangxu's illness, diagnosis and symptoms before his death, and proved that Guangxu really died of natural causes.

Due to the above rumors, the death of Guangxu became a great mystery in the history of the late Qing Dynasty, and there were different opinions. Although there were various legends about the mystery of Guangxu's death at that time or later, people couldn't know the true inside story because it involved the secret files of the Qing court, and they all lacked true and reliable basis. So how did Guangxu die? Let's talk about the imperial doctor case and the imperial court case (also known as the "pulse case").

In the palaces of the feudal dynasty in China, emperors, queens, concubines, concubines and princes all received special treatment.

Hospital for disease and rehabilitation. Chinese medicine experts are gathered here, and rare medicinal materials collected from all over the country are prepared. Tai Hospital has a history of thousands of years, and has accumulated many safe and effective prescriptions, as well as many valuable clinical medical experiences. It is a gathering place for Chinese medicine elites. However, court medicine has been locked in the palace and kept secret; The emperor, his queen, his concubine, and so on. After seeing a doctor, it has always been mysterious how the doctors feel the pulse, apply medicine and care.

Qing Tai Yuan followed the Ming system, and the official office was originally located in Dongjiaomin Lane, Zhengyangmen. In the 26th year of Guangxu (1900), Eight-Nation Alliance invaded Beijing, and the Qing government succumbed to the pressure of western powers and was forced to sign the unequal "shame treaty". According to Article 7 of the Treaty, this area has been designated as the embassy area of various countries in China. Thai hospital had to set up a new office outside Di 'an Gate. Now the site is still there, but it has changed beyond recognition. Located under the east wall of the Forbidden City and north of the upper house, the Imperial Palace is a place for waiting for treatment and rest, formerly known as "Tatan". Several years have passed and it has been destroyed.

Qingtaiyuan is a five-level yamen, and the chief is an envoy of the imperial court. Deputy two people, called left courtyard, right courtyard and official residence. There are thirteen imperial doctors and eight official residences in the Imperial Hospital. Twenty doctors and thirty doctors (all without grades) enjoy nine-level treatment, collectively referred to as imperial doctors. In the early Qing Dynasty, it was divided into eleven branches according to medicine: large square pulse, small square pulse, gynecology, sores, needles, eyes, mouth, teeth, bonesetting, typhoid fever, throat and bean rash. During Guangxu period, it was merged into five branches: Dafang pulse, Xiaofang pulse, surgery, ophthalmology and stomatology. On weekdays, there are court ambassadors, court judges and their subordinates in the palace. Whenever the emperor was stationed in the garden or traveled around the country, doctors from Imperial Hospital followed him.

In the course of medical activities, all doctors in Imperial Hospital have established detailed medical records, which are called "medical records" (also known as "pulse cases"). China No.1 Historical Archives has a large collection of medical records of the Forbidden City in Qing Dynasty. Including the original medical records of emperors, queens, concubines, princes, princesses, eunuchs, ladies-in-waiting, and princes, the transcripts of the internal affairs office, the queen's medication book, recipe cheats, the records of the Imperial Pharmacy Bureau, the Imperial Dining Room and the Imperial Tea Room, as well as the initial notes of emperors and individual queens, the Emperor's Zhu Pi Lun Yao, and the files of the Imperial Palace. Especially after Qianlong, the pulse conditions of the emperor and his empresses were well preserved, especially during Guangxu period. There are about 40,000 medical records in the Forbidden City in Qing Dynasty. In these historical medical records, most of the prescriptions for diagnosis and treatment came from the hands of imperial doctors in the Imperial Hospital. However, there are a few non-hospital official prescriptions, such as those prescribed by local famous doctors such as Shi Huan, Lu Yongbin and Chen Bing. These people are all officials, big and small, who know the medical skills of treating diseases. Either in Beijing, near the palace, or in the local area, the local governor and the governor came to Beijing to see Guangxu.

In the medical records of Qing dynasty, there are not only the original medical records of drugs used by imperial doctors for Guangxu's diagnosis, but also the "source of disease" of Guangxu's oral or personal medical history, especially the "pulse record" in the first half of Guangxu's life is quite complete. These precious original records should be an important and reliable direct basis for solving Guangxu's death before his death. According to these precious original records of diagnosis, experts from China No.1 Historical Archives, together with medical experts from China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, made a thorough and systematic study on Guangxu medical records. Their research results provide a true and reliable basis for uncovering the cause of death in Guangxu.

Guangxu died young. First of all, it is related to his weak constitution and his lack of aftercare since childhood. From Guangxu's early medical records and his self-reported "pathogen", we can know that he was weak and sick since childhood and had a long history of nocturnal emission. When Guangxu was 37 years old, he said in the book Pathogen that spermatorrhea has been nearly 20 years. A dozen times a month in previous years. In recent years, I have often been discharged without dreaming, especially in winter. My waist, legs, shoulders and back often feel sour. I have a headache with a slight cold and tinnitus for nearly ten years. It can be seen that Guangxu's physique has been bad. According to the pulse cases in Guangxu's ten and twelve years (1884, 1886), he often suffers from cold and spleen and stomach diseases, and rarely uses decoction and pills. At this time, Guangxu was only fifteen or sixteen years old, that is, he was weak and lost his ability to resist germs. These records are quite similar to the folk rumors and scenes described in some documents.

Secondly, after Guangxu became an adult, although his physique did not improve, diseases such as nocturnal emission and acid precipitation in his back continued. However, according to medical records, the frequency of taking medicine decreased relatively during the fifteen to twenty-four years of Guangxu. By the end of Guangxu's 24th year, twenty-five years later, his condition suddenly deteriorated and his physique plummeted. According to the medical records at that time, the symptoms were diverse and complicated. For example, in the 25th year of Guangxu (1899), the medical records of the eighth day of the first month were recorded as follows: Zhu Kun, Mending 'ao, Zhuang Shouhe and Chong-Un Cheong asked the emperor to feel the pulse, and his left inch slipped slightly, and his right inch slipped slightly, which made him sink more severely. Headache, aversion to cold and aching limbs. Pale and slow. ..... I feel dizzy, and it hurts when I sit for a long time. The left cheek is dull, and the back of the neck is sore behind the ear. Between the upper jaw, the left millet is choking, and there may be bloodshot when gargling, and the throat feels blocked. It seems that the left side is blistering and the right side is slightly painful. ..... the tongue coating is gray and yellow. The pain in the left tooth is severe, the lips are scorched and peeling, the mouth is dry, the throat is itchy and coughing, the breath is not smooth, the heart is agitated and nervous, and it is not tolerant of things, sometimes it is too late. The whites and red filaments in the eyes are not clean, and the vision is blurred, especially in the left eye. When the eyes blister, they feel bloated. I feel deaf and sometimes make a baking sound. Chest tightness, lack of breath phrases, chest tightness, fainting in the lower abdomen, emptiness in the lower body, feeling a little comfortable after massage, shortness of breath, and being lazy to talk. My shoulder hurts. Sleep less at night, wake up exhausted, it is difficult to turn over sideways. When I dream of hearing a golden voice or a slippery essence, … I will laugh consciously for no reason. It doesn't taste sweet and digest quickly. ..... The lower part is wet and cold. Dry stool. The water outlet frequency is small or has difficulties and disadvantages. This is due to weak congenital endowment, long-term deficiency of heart and spleen, deficiency of both liver and yin, deficiency of fire floating up, unknown reasons and cold. Today, it is only temporarily used for expelling cold, and it still contains agents for nourishing the heart and strengthening the spleen, moistening the lungs and promoting fluid production, and nourishing the liver and kidney. It is better to rest and recuperate. The prescription is: Radix Saposhnikoviae, Rhizoma Chuanxiong, Herba Menthae, Notopterygii Rhizoma, Poria, Radix Scrophulariae San Qian, Radix San Qian, Frosted Mulberry Leaves, Pollen, Radix Platycodi, Hay, Massa Medicata Fermentata, Flos Chrysanthemi and Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens. The pulse cases of this day can be described as detailed, and most of the pulse cases in 2003 were similar, and the condition gradually worsened. By the 26th year of Guangxu (1900), Emperor Guangxu's condition had been deteriorating and never improved. It can be seen from the records of pulse cases that his illness has entered the five internal organs and his condition is getting worse and worse.

In the spring of the thirty-fourth year of Guangxu, that is, the first half of Guangxu's death, he was very ill, and the imperial doctors in the palace did not have a good prescription. Seeing Guangxu was dying, the Qing court hurriedly recruited Jiangsu famous doctors Chen Bingjun and Cao to come to Beijing for consultation. Then he sent a telegram to the governors of Zhili, Liangjiang, Huguang, Shandong, Henan and Shanxi: Since the spring, the emperor has been in trouble. Doctors in Beijing are ineffective in diagnosis and treatment. I hope to select famous doctors from all over the country and come to Beijing quickly, waiting for referral. After receiving this telegram, the provinces quickly recommended famous doctors such as Lu Yongbin, Zhou, Du and Zhang Pengnian to come to Beijing. And called the governors of Zhili, Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou and other provinces respectively, and told them to send the royal top-grade medicinal materials such as Radix Dipsaci, Semen Euryales, Radix Glehniae, Coicis Semen, Pericarpium Citri Tangerinae, Herba Taxilli, Flos Chrysanthemi, Poria and Fructus Lycii as soon as possible. But it's too late. Since then, the above-mentioned people have mainly taken the pulse for Guangxu. For example, on the ninth day of March in the thirty-fourth year of Guangxu (1908), Cao, a famous doctor in Jiangsu, wrote in his medical record: The emperor suffered from yin deficiency of liver and kidney, yang deficiency of spleen, and qi and blood loss, and his condition was very serious. In treatment, neither cold medicine nor warm and dry medicine can be used, and the condition is serious, so there is no medicine to symptomatic. I had to prescribe some safe drugs: turtle shell heart San Qian, water moxibustion; Xinhui Piqi powder, Yunfuling powder and Feizhusha powder are mixed; Concha Haliotidis four money, salt water calcined; Five cents for salted Pinellia ternata, one dollar for San Qian powder, one dollar for chrysanthemum petals, four dollars for fried rice buds, and decocted in water. On May 10 (June 8), Chen Bingjun even wrote in the Pulse Case that "conditioning for a long time has no effect". Guangxu's symptoms were more complicated and changeable, and all his internal organs were out of order, and his death was only one day earlier and one day later.

Guangxu himself was very anxious about his growing illness. Among the pathogens he personally described, he repeatedly accused the doctor of incompetence. In the thirty-fourth year of Guangxu (1908), on May 26th, he reprimanded the doctor for his illness "repeatedly prescribing prescriptions, and his illness became worse": "The illness is delayed again and again, and after taking the medicine, I always feel ineffective, and one illness is not smooth, and another one starts again." On July 17, he blamed the doctor: "Taking medicine is not only useless, but also increasing. It is because medicine and disease are incompatible that it is wrong! " On the seventh day of August, he even reprimanded the physician: "Every time I look at my pulse, how can I check my condition in detail?" It's just a perfunctory thing. How can a famous doctor be so hasty! "Wait a minute. These harsh words often appear in his evil spirits, reflecting his anxiety and despair.

The medical records of the Qing Dynasty do tell people that Guangxu died of illness. But from the day Guangxu died, people suspected that he didn't die of natural causes, which is also natural. Although Guangxu is commensurate with Cixi as a "mother and son", it is not actually Cixi's own. Emperor Guangxu, surnamed Ai and Zai Tian, was the cousin of Emperor Tongzhi and the nephew of Emperor Xianfeng. Ten years of Tongzhi (187 1 August 14) was born in Liu Yin Village, Wang Mi, Spring County, Taiping Lake, Xuanwumen, and his father was Qin Chun.

Wang Yixuan is the seventh son of Daoguang and the younger brother of Emperor Xianfeng. His mother, Ye He Na La, is the sister of Empress Dowager Cixi. Judging from these relationships, he is both the nephew of Cixi and the nephew of Cixi. In the 13th year of Tongzhi (1875 65438+ 10/2), the Tongzhi emperor died of smallpox on the fifth day of December. Emperor Tongzhi was only 19 years old when he died, and there were no children behind him. According to the convention of "brothers and sisters", his brother can be enthroned. But the Tongzhi emperor, as an only child, should choose his closest relative to inherit the throne. The best suggestion made by ministers is that his uncle, Daoguang's eldest son Sun Pulun, is his heir and he acceded to the throne. But Empress Dowager Cixi disagreed, ostensibly because Zai Feng, Pu Lun's father, was not Yi Wei's own son, but was also adopted by a sideline. In fact, this is because if Zai Chun's son and nephew inherit the throne, she, as a grandmother, has no right to face North Korea as the queen mother. A country cannot live without a king for a day. The next day, Empress Dowager Cixi suppressed public opinion and decided to let Zai Tian, who was only four years old, enter the palace to claim the throne. Zai Tian and Guangxu became emperors, on the one hand, because after the death of Emperor Tongzhi, the biological son of Cixi, there was no heir to the throne; More importantly, Cixi's desire for power is suffocating, and finding a child can create another opportunity for the emperor to listen to politics.

On the 20th day of the first month of Guangxu (1February 25th, 875), four-year-old Zai Tian officially acceded to the throne in the Hall of Supreme Harmony. From this day on, Guangxu was seized by Cixi, either as a sharp weapon for power and profit, or as a scepter to show majesty. More often, Guangxu is regarded as an indispensable ornament on her imperial plan, or a puppet that can be manipulated at will. This is naturally the need of Cixi's autocratic politics. Guangxu, who entered the palace, grew up alone and had complicated court etiquette. Cixi often reprimands her severely. Without maternal love, her diet is cold and warm, and no one really takes care of it. She should advocate what should be taboo, and no one pointed it out. Without the joy of childhood, he was depressed and unhappy since childhood, which made him weak and difficult to resist the attack of disease, leaving an incurable root cause. Tian Tuo said in Manchu unofficial history: When people were young, they were cared for by their parents, taking care of their trips, cooking for them and comforting their warmth and coldness. Even orphans will be taken care of by their relatives and friends. Only Emperor Guangxu dared to approach. ..... The emperor has three meals a day, and there are dozens of kinds of meals, which are full of console tables, but most of the meals that are a little far away from the emperor are stinky and don't change for several days. Although the food near the emperor is not smelly or rotten, it can be heated many times and is no longer delicious. ..... Since Zai Tian was a teenager, although he became a son of heaven, he was not as good as an orphan. Later, he suffered from chronic diseases, which was due to his lack of food and clothing in his teens. Although it is unofficial history, its content is similar to that described in the biography of chongling: "It is forbidden to remember the former emperor Yu Yu not only for a short time, but also for a long time, which finally damaged his life. There is no love between mother and son, no love between husband and wife, no pleasure of courtiers and attendants. The blessing of peace and harmony between people, there are people who are stronger than one person. " Roughly similar. It shows that the reason why Emperor Guangxu was weak and sickly was related to the poor aftercare of Empress Dowager Cixi under the influence of childhood.

2. Marriage without love

According to the rules left by the ancestors of the Qing Dynasty, the emperor was in charge of Korea at the age of sixteen. With the growth of Guangxu's age, his wedding and personal rule are approaching, and it is inevitable that Cixi will withdraw her curtain and return to her place and hand over power to Emperor Guangxu. However, Cixi was unwilling and helpless, so she made arrangements in advance, restricted the power of Emperor Guangxu in many ways, and secretly manipulated state affairs. In the 15th year of Guangxu (1889 February 19), the 19th-year-old Emperor Guangxu held a wedding. During Guangxu period, a queen and two concubines were the masters of Cixi, and the queen was none other than Ye Lashi, the daughter of Cixi's younger brother Gui Xiang. The queen is ugly, with a tall horse face, a thin hunchback and prominent eyes and teeth. Guangxu was extremely dissatisfied, but he was helpless. Cixi chose her niece as the queen, so that after the imperial affairs were handed over to Guangxu, she could also use the queen to control and manipulate the emperor, at least through the queen to monitor and master the emperor's every move.

The two concubines in Guangxu period were Jin Fei and Zhen Fei respectively. They were sisters, but their looks and personalities were quite different. Jin Fei looks ordinary, far less than Zhen Fei, and has a fragile personality; Princess Zhen is beautiful and dignified, cheerful, lively and alert, and quite insightful. Princess Zhen entered the palace like a stone thrown into a stagnant pool. Her sympathy and consideration for Guangxu aroused Guangxu's longing and enthusiasm for the future. At the same time, Zhen Fei recommended her teacher Wen Shiting to Guangxu. This famous honest official always comments on current politics and cares about state affairs. He is very talented and insightful. After being reused by Emperor Guangxu, it had a great influence on Emperor Guangxu, which triggered his desire to reform politics, get rid of bondage and make a difference. In the years after their big marriage, Emperor Guangxu and Princess Zhen * * * had a relatively easy time in their lives. The result also triggered his desire to get rid of the shackles and make a difference in politics. But this is the last thing Cixi wants to see.

"I won't plant flowers with my heart, but I don't care." According to the original kiss of Cixi, in order to control the original intention of Emperor Guangxu, his niece was made queen. However, the result of coercion is counterproductive. At that time, the Tongzhi emperor chose his own queen, Arut, but Cixi made the Tongzhi emperor like Hui Fei, which led to discord between mother and son. This time, Cixi chose Ye Heshi as the queen for Guangxu, but Guangxu loved Zhen Fei Tara, and the result can be imagined. At that time, Guangxu clearly knew that if he loved Zhen Fei, he would offend the queen. If he disagreed with the queen's opinion, he would offend Empress Dowager Cixi. However, Cixi can force Guangxu to submit to everything, but she can't impose what she wants on others in love and affection. According to "Ride the Dust and Regret Zhai Yi", one day in the eighteenth year of Guangxu (1892), in Xia Zhishi, Guangxu and Yulong quarreled over trifles and ran to Cixi to cry about it. Cixi was furious and said to the people around her, "I made the emperor. It's really ungrateful. Yulong is my nephew, and insulting the queen is the biggest disrespect for me, which is really unbearable. " For several days, Guangxu went to the palace to pay his respects, and Cixi said nothing. Since then, the bad blood between Guangxu and Cixi has been formed.

After Guangxu took office, 53-year-old Cixi retired to the Summer Palace to live her own life, but in fact, her power remained the same, ruling the state affairs, as always. On the one hand, she restricted Guangxu's rights everywhere, and state affairs must be handled in accordance with her imperial edict; On the one hand, he secretly monitored Guangxu's whereabouts through his niece, queen and trusted eunuch Li. It is also stipulated that Guangxu must go to the Summer Palace every other day to report government affairs to her and wait for instructions. So that Guangxu often came with stars on his head.

On the top of the moon, suffering from running around, in case there is something important, you have to ask for instructions at any time. I am called the emperor, but I am actually a puppet. Guangxu's political ambition could not be realized. As time went on, his spirit became more and more depressed, and his mood became more and more depressed. He could not get rid of his old illness and added new worries. Judging from the "pulse case", although Guangxu's physique has not improved for quite some time, diseases such as nocturnal emission and back acid precipitation continue, but the frequency of medical treatment is relatively reduced. This is mainly because Guangxu tried to do something politically to save his precarious regime. He is busy with government affairs all day and pays attention to political reform. In addition, he has to cope with the reprimand of Cixi at any time, and he is too busy to take medicine.

The first major event of sick Guangxu was the Japanese invasion of Korea, and then China. Emperor Guangxu, against his mother's will, was determined to aid Korea and resist Japan, but the corrupt system led to the failure of the war, forcing him to sign the treaty of shimonoseki and compensate for the lost land. Although this made him suffer a great blow and deepened the discord between mother and son, it also inspired his ambition to reform politics and enrich the army. Under the influence of Kang Youwei, Liang Qichao and others, and with the active support of Zhen Fei, on April 23rd, the 24th year of Guangxu (1June 898 1 1), Emperor Guangxu promulgated "The Kingdom is the Imperial Decree", announced the political reform, emphasized learning from the West, carried out the New Deal, and granted Kang Youwei the privilege of "specialized books". Those conservative pro-nobles were afraid that Emperor Guangxu would touch their position in the political reform, so they took refuge in Cixi and tried their best to provoke their "mother-child" relationship. Cixi is also deeply worried that the success of Guangxu reform will affect her dictatorship. In this way, the "post-party" and "imperial party" appeared among courtiers, and the two sides launched a fierce struggle. The ten years of Guangxu's personal rule was a decade of political and power struggle between him and Cixi. From the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1898 to the Reform Movement of 1898, the contradiction between the two sides became increasingly acute. On July 29th, 24th year of Guangxu, Emperor Guangxu went to the Summer Palace to see Empress Dowager Cixi. Empress Dowager Cixi made it clear that she wanted to abolish Emperor Guangxu, and plotted to launch a coup by Rong Lu, Governor of Beiyang, to abolish Emperor Guangxu when the Emperor and Empress Dowager Cixi went to Tianjin for military parade in early September. The situation is critical. On the same day, Emperor Guangxu sent a secret letter to Yang Rui, a member of the Imperial Party: "I only think that the times are difficult, and keeping the law unchanged is not enough to save China. I want to use conservative and absurd ministers, I want to use brave and fearless people, and I can't reform. The empress dowager disagreed, and I remonstrated many times, and the empress dowager was even more angry. I am in danger. There are Kang Youwei, Yang Rui, Xu Lin, Tan Sitong and Liu Guangdi. You can get together quickly and try to save me. I can't wait. Special instructions. " Yang Rui was timid and kept the secret information from others. Guangxu couldn't wait for the answer and was desperate. On the first and second day of August, he summoned Yuan Shikai twice in a row, promoted him to assistant minister, and asked him to train specially, in order to make Yuan Shikai grateful and loyal to the emperor. At the same time, Emperor Guangxu sent a secret telegram to Xu Lin on August 2nd, asking him to tell Kang Youwei to leave Beijing quickly. Xu Lin also sent two secret orders to Kang Youwei, Tan Sitong and others. Everyone is very touched, but they are all helpless. In the end, they felt that only Yuan Shikai was helped. Tan Sitong invited Yuan Shikai and immediately sent troops to kill Rong Lu and returned to the Summer Palace. On the surface, Yuan Shikai readily promised to return to Tianjin on August 5th, but on August 6th, he immediately reported to Rong Lu.

On the fourth day of August, Empress Dowager Cixi returned to the city from the Summer Palace, lived in a Luan Hall in Zhongnanhai, sacrificed the silkworm god the next day, and then returned to the Summer Palace. Back to the park, I received a telegram from Rong Lu, and immediately took a light sedan chair back to the city and went back to Yingtai in the South China Sea. After returning to Yingtai, Guangxu was immediately sent to see him. When Empress Dowager Cixi saw Guangxu, she cursed him for ingratitude and ingratitude. Under the opposition and repression of the conservative forces headed by Cixi, the political reform movement finally failed, Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao fled, Tan Sitong and other "six gentlemen of the Reform Movement" were killed, and Guangxu himself was also placed under house arrest in Yingtai, Zhongnanhai, and his political career actually ended. Since then, Guangxu spent ten years as a prisoner without personal freedom. Although he still maintained the title of emperor in name, he actually lost the power of emperor. After the failure of the Reform Movement of 1898, Cixi imprisoned the imperial concubine of Guangxu in the third house of Houbei, Zhongcui Palace, and made a rule for her not to see the emperor in the future.

Yingtai in the South China Sea, together with Shuiyun Xiedao and Qionghua Island, is located in Taiyuichi Sanhai, symbolizing the abbot of Penglai, Yingzhou and Sanxian Island in the East China Sea. Yingtai is surrounded by water, and only a slab bridge is erected at the northern end, leading to the shore. There is a movable section in the middle of the slab bridge. After Guangxu was imprisoned, Empress Dowager Cixi ordered the Banqiao to be demolished to prevent Emperor Guangxu from leaving Yingtai Island.

The central building of Yingtai is Hanyuan Hall, followed by Hanyuan Gate, and outside is Xiangluan Pavilion. You are a wooden suspension bridge. In front of the temple is the Xiangyi Hall, with a single floor in the north and two floors near the lake in the south, named Penglai Pavilion. Guangxu lived in Hanyuan Temple. Every day, when the eunuch delivers meals, he puts up a bridge and comes to Yingtai. After eating, he removed the bridge board. Guangxu was very depressed, so he wrote poems such as "If you want to fly without wings, you want to cross without a boat". The three seas are frozen in winter, and you can reach the shore from the ice without crossing the wooden bridge from Yingtai. It is said that Guangxu once left Yingtai with a little eunuch on the ice. After being discovered, Li, the eunuch in charge, immediately ordered the ice to be cut to prevent Guangxu from leaving. Guangxu missed his beloved Zhen Fei very much, and there were rumors that he asked the little eunuch to secretly deliver letters to Zhen Fei and meet her secretly. At this time, he hated Yuan Shikai who betrayed himself even more. When he died, he was silent and wrote the word "chop yuan" in the air with his hand.

To the east of Hanyuan Gate is Qingyun Hall, in which there is a vertical axis. Sima Guang of Song Dynasty told people how to employ people. The postscript reads: "Guangxu Bingwu (1906) was recorded in October, and I am loyal to books." There are also some plaques and squares, and the next paragraph says "I am loyal to books." In fact, these are all imperial pens of Guangxu. The reason for this writing is that Guangxu tried to exchange his loyalty to Empress Dowager Cixi for Lafayette's understanding. But how can Empress Dowager Cixi let Guangxu lead the government again at this time?

Since Guangxu's twenty-four years, his illness has gradually worsened, which is directly related to the failure of the Reform Movement of 1898. After Guangxu was imprisoned in Yingtai, Empress Dowager Cixi wanted to abolish it and set up another portal. Guangxu also knew his intentions and was afraid day and night. Later, due to various reasons, although this move was not realized, Guangxu could not escape from the cage of imprisonment. Knowing that there is danger, I can only do nothing, and I am very sad. He once looked up at the sky and sighed: I am not as good as Han Xiandi! Therefore, the illness is getting worse and worse, which goes without saying.

In the 26th year of Guangxu (1900 August 15), Eight-Nation Alliance invaded Beijing on July 21st. Cixi fled hastily. According to legend, he did not forget to dispose of Zhen Fei before he left, so that the eunuch Cui Yugui pushed Zhen Fei into the well outside Ningshou Palace and killed her. Guangxu learned of the death of Princess Zhen, and his spirit completely collapsed. His old illness recurred and became more and more serious, and he could never recover. It can be seen that Guangxu's illness gradually worsened from childhood to youth, which was closely related to his political situation and spiritual life. It can be seen that the long-term suppression and attack of Cixi is an important reason for Guangxu's illness. From this point of view, the folklore that Cixi killed Guangxu is not unreasonable. Especially in the ten-year imprisonment after the coup in 1898, he was pessimistic and disappointed, on the other hand, he was worried and nervous day by day, and his life was neglected, and his condition became worse and worse, and he finally died. But whatever the cause of Guangxu's death is, it is directly related to the control and blow he suffered in the Qing court, the suppression and destruction of spirit and will, the torture of body and mind, and even the separation of flesh and blood. It can be said that Guangxu never lived a comfortable day in his life. In fact, this is the root of his illness. Therefore, it can be considered that the death of young Guangxu is closely related to the dark corruption of the Qing Dynasty under the control of Cixi. If Guangxu entered the palace to be emperor out of a political need, then his death may not be the inevitable result of political corruption in the Qing court.

During the period of 1980, when the Qing Xiling Cultural Relics Management Office cleaned the chongling underground palace, it was found that Guangxu's body was intact, with a length of1.64m and no knife wound. Through the analysis of cervical vertebra and hair, there is no poisoning phenomenon, which is consistent with the analysis and judgment of Qing history archivists and medical experts. It should be said that Guangxu's conclusion of natural death is correct. As for why Guangxu died one day earlier than Cixi, let's just say it was an accidental coincidence.