Writers and readers of history have always sympathized with Emperor Guangxu and Princess Zhen, denouncing the hegemony and cruelty of Cixi and lamenting the lovers. But there is a question here, that is, why is Zhen Fei imprisoned? Is it because she "praised the New Deal"? According to the official history, it can be concluded that her imprisonment is by no means because of "praising the New Deal". In terms of time, she was imprisoned in Guangxu for twenty years, but the Reform Movement of 1898 did not happen until four years after Guangxu for twenty-four years. Although she grew up in Guangzhou, the first fashion city, and was educated in literature, her thoughts did not reach the level of Kang Liang, did they? If she was imprisoned for "praising the New Deal" in the 20th year of Guangxu, wouldn't she be the forerunner of Kang Liang and the enlightener of China's thought and revolution?
Although there are only a few words in The Draft of Qing Dynasty, there are some clues: "Queshun Guifei, Taras, daughter-in-law of Duan Kangguifei. The same choice, for Jane. Zhen Fei entered the venue. In order to take care of the queen mother, she was told to be luxurious and begged. After all these years, she is still a princess. In the twenty-sixth year, the Queen Mother made a patrol and sank the well. " The key lies in the character of "learning luxury" and "begging frequently". The empress of Qing Dynasty lived for one year 1200 yuan, the princess lived for one year in 320 yuan and his wife lived for one year in 220 yuan. Zhenfei's grandfather Yutai was the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, her father Chang Xu was the right assistant minister of the Ministry of Finance, and her uncle was a general in Guangzhou for 12 years. Zhen Fei grew up in her uncle's parents and enjoyed the luxury of a playboy home. How can two or three hundred taels of silver be enough for her every year after entering the palace? What if the deficit is huge? The solution is to take advantage of the emperor's love for her, collude with the eunuchs in the government, and sell officials to fill vacancies privately, and the mastermind is his brother Zhikun. The whole process of selling officials is roughly like this: the eunuch in the performance hall figured out what the official vacancy was, told Zhiyong and others to come forward to find a buyer, and then conveyed it to Zhen Fei through the eunuch after finalization; Princess Zhen advised the emperor at the right time. For example, the emperor looked distressed and asked, "What happened to the emperor today?" If the emperor is worried about employing people, he will indulge in treasures, as if inadvertently saying, "So-and-so has long heard that he is good and talented." The emperor was very lucky for her. She had seen many things at her uncle's house in Guangzhou, so the emperor was convinced and hired someone immediately, and the whole process of selling officials and titles was completed. Of course, most of the income from selling officials goes to eunuchs and Zhikun, and Zhenfei is just their cash cow.
The story came to light because Guangxu, on the recommendation of Zhenfei, summoned Yu Ming, who was about to become Sichuan Salt Road. Guangxu asked him about his previous work in He Yamen. Yu Ming told him that it was a "wood factory". Guangxu was surprised and ordered him to write a resume. Yu Ming "can't become a word for a long time". Guangxu suddenly ordered Yu Ming to "return to the Ministry with the same knowledge". From the disposal of Yu Ming, it can be seen that Guangxu sheltered Zhen Fei because of Yu Ming's "long-term inability to become a word" situation, which can be punished as deceiving the monarch. However, Guangxu didn't tell anyone that he just "returned to the Ministry with the same knowledge", which was nothing in Yu Ming.
Zhen Fei's selling officials and titles can't cover up the past, because what she did violated the vital interests of another interest group, that is, another selling official gang centered on Li. Before Zhenfei entered the business, Li monopolized the lucrative sales. The appearance of Zhenfei robbed a large part of his "customers" and hindered him and the people who made a fortune from him. For a time, the two sides even competed for a vacant seat, and the buyer bargained: Do you want me to fly? Therefore, Li took the opportunity of the incident to fan the flames in front of Cixi, and finally made his opponent "Jane" a prisoner. This is the origin of the eight characters of "chasing luxury" and "begging diligently" in the imperial edict of imprisoning Zhen Fei. If Li doesn't hit a person when he's down, he can't guarantee the buyer's trust in him, nor can he maintain his authority.
As for why Zhen Fei was favored by Guangxu, it is said that Guangxu was born with diseases and could not be humane. The wedding night was ridiculed by the queen (the niece of Cixi), so not only the emperor was at odds, but also other concubines in the harem, and Guangxu was always close. Only Zhen Fei was thirteen years old when she entered the palace, and she didn't know much about men and women. She was generous and lively with the emperor, often making men's clothes, as if she were a beautiful teenager. It is not surprising that Guangxu was favored by eating, drinking and having fun with her. This is unofficial history, and there is nowhere to prove it.
It is true that Zhen Fei used Guangxu to sell officials and titles, but it is also obvious that she was dissatisfied with Cixi's power and politics, which made Guangxu unable to show her ambitions. Cixi killed Zhen Fei, not because she was "extravagant" or "diligent", nor because she praised the New Deal, but because she planned to keep Guangxu in Beijing. If Guangxu can stay in Beijing to take charge of the overall situation, Cixi's "Western Expedition" will become exile, and there is no hope of returning to Beijing!