Although both Cixi and Ci 'an were empresses, they were buried in the same standard mausoleum after their death. But in that era when it was generally believed that the left was more important and the east was more important, how to arrange the tombs of the two queens was really promising. So there are many legends and stories in society.
Story 1: Cixi went to Dongling to see Feng Shui, and fell in love with the treasure house of Feng Shui in the East at first sight. However, she dared not speak out because of her ancestors' family law and dared not compete with Ci 'an. Once, when two queens were playing chess, Cixi suddenly had a plan and pretended to be joking. She said to Cian, Sister, it's boring for us to play so many chess games. Let's play chess. Winners can make demands, but losers can't refuse. what do you think? Simple and honest Cian didn't know what the plan was, and casually replied: Yes, if I lose, I will promise you anything. Well, don't go back on your word. Cixi added. Cian still said: Never go back on your word! The two reached an agreement and began to kill the general on the chessboard. At ordinary times, Cixi's chess skill is not as good as that of Ci 'an, so she often loses to Ci 'an. This time Cixi knew what was at stake, so she concentrated on it, but Ci 'an was unprepared. Cixi narrowly defeated Ci 'an by two to one. Cian asked Cixi what she wanted when she was packing her chess pieces. Cixi was deliberately silent for a while and said awkwardly, I am embarrassed to say. Ci' an disapprovingly said, just say it, and my sister promises not to break her word! Hearing this, Cixi was silent. She pretended to be poor and said, Sister, good sister, please give your sister the land in the east! Hearing this, Cian suddenly became silly. He knew that he had been played by Cixi: I didn't expect her to bring up such an important matter? Cian pondered for a moment and said, I have made a promise before, so it is not good to refute it face to face. It's just that this is the ancestral system, and I can't be the master. Ci' an wants to raise the ancestral system to block Cixi's mouth, which is an excellent reason not to break his word. But Cixi came more. Even so, there are always some places that vary from person to person. If it is purely based on the ancestral system, how can our sisters listen to politics? Your mausoleum and mine are our sisters' private affairs. What does it have to do with the ancestral system? What does it have to do with others? Good sister, let me go! Hearing this, the honest and clumsy Ci 'an stopped talking, hesitated for a long time, and finally gave in: Look at my sister!
Story 2: Cixi has always been competitive and always wants to beat others everywhere. She has long taken a fancy to the geomantic treasure-house of Oriental Cian. When Ci 'an was alive, she didn't dare to tell anyone, but after Ci 'an died, she no longer cared about her ancestors' family law and court system, and ignored Higashionishi's small rules, so she buried Empress Dowager Cixi in the mausoleum in the west and left the mausoleum in the east for herself.
In fact, the above two legends are false. It makes sense that Empress Dowager Cixi was buried in the west and Empress Dowager Cixi was buried in the east. There are five reasons.
First, the Dingling of Emperor Xianfeng is the theme, and the Empress Mausoleum of Ding Dong is an affiliated mausoleum, which belongs to a subordinate position. So for Cixi and Ci 'an, who is the owner of Ding Dong Mausoleum and who is close to Dingling is more distinguished, which is determined by the patriarchal clan system. Cixi's burial in Xiling is geographically closer to Xianfeng Dingling, while Cixi's burial in Dongling is relatively far from Dingling, indicating that Xi 'an Mausoleum is more distinguished than Dong's.
Second, the sacred ways in the tombs of emperors in the Qing Dynasty were all formed according to the regulations of second-class masters. Emperor Xianfeng's Dingling Road is connected with Xiaoling Road in the emperor shunzhi, Ci 'an is connected with Emperor Xianfeng's Dingling Road, and Ci 'an is connected with Ci 'an. This shows that the position of Ci 'an Mausoleum is higher than that of Ci 'xi Mausoleum.
Third, we can also see who is more distinguished from the appellation. Cixi is called the Queen Mother, and Ci 'an is called the Queen Mother. In terms of age, although Cixi is two years older than Ci 'an, Cixi is called Sister Ci 'an, which is determined by her status.
Fourth, Ci 'an is the second queen of Xianfeng, a real queen. After Xianfeng's death, he was naturally promoted to empress dowager, known as the empress dowager. Cixi was named Empress Dowager because her son became emperor and her mother was expensive. Empress Ci 'an has a higher title than Empress Cixi.
There is no direct relationship between the different geographical locations of the two tombs and the different names of the tomb owners before their death, so the folklore is not credible. However, before their lives, there was a secret struggle.
From the iron lady. The Mystery of the Catastrophe of Cixi Mausoleum in Qing Dynasty was published by Shandong University Press on July 20 10.