How much did Cixi hate the reformists?

Tan Sitong was chopped dozens of times, which is a joke. The Empress Dowager Cixi hated the reformists, which is also a joke.

On the political stage at the end of the Qing Dynasty, there were no particularly strict reformist or conservative parties and groups, and what Empress Dowager Cixi hated was not the reformists, but radical rebels such as Kang Youwei.

In modern Chinese history, Empress Dowager Cixi often appears as a monster. In fact, since the Tongzhi Dynasty, the reason why this old lady has been able to hold power in secret for decades is because she has gained the support of Li Hongzhang and Zuo The loyalty and support of a large number of capable ministers and generals such as Zongtang, Shen Baozhen, and Zhang Zhidong were not without their reasons.

In fact, for a long time, Empress Dowager Cixi was the largest reformer in the Qing dynasty and the most important backstage pillar of the Westernization Movement. For example, the Beiyang Navy was an important achievement in the Westernization Movement. In fact, It was with the single-handed support of the Empress Dowager Cixi that the army was built against all opinions.

Compared with Emperor Guangxu, Emperor Guangxu actually represented conservatism for a long time, while Cixi represented enlightenment. So why was the Reform Movement of 1898 suppressed? It was because the reform measures of the Reform Party members were too radical. In the end, when Kang Youwei and others encountered resistance to reform, they did not reflect on their own lack of political experience and ability, and did not consider adjusting strategies. Instead, they thought It was Cixi who blocked the reform and wanted to "surround the garden and kill the queen" and directly eliminate Cixi. This leads to the history of Cixi's intervention to put an end to the reform.

What we pay less attention to is that after the failure of the Reform Movement of 1898, during the era when Cixi was in power, many of the original reform ideas during the Reform Movement of 1898 were actually implemented one by one. The path of the New Deal in the late Qing Dynasty , which is basically the appeal during the Reform Movement of 1898.

The demonization of Empress Dowager Cixi in Chinese history is partly due to the shaping of Kang Youwei and others, and partly due to the traditional Chinese moral concept that women are not allowed to participate in politics.

Finally, we record a short dialogue between Zeng Jize, the Chinese Minister to Britain, when he was summoned by Cixi before his mission, from which we can understand the complexity of Cixi as a historical figure:

Cixi : It is not easy to run foreign affairs. I heard that there is another case of burning church buildings in Fujian, and I will be naughty again in the future.

Zeng Jize: The difficulty in running foreign affairs is that foreigners are unreasonable and Chinese people do not understand the situation. Chinese subjects often hate foreigners, needless to say, but they must work hard to strengthen themselves, which can help. It is definitely not just destroying a church or killing a foreigner to avenge their shame. Many Chinese people now do not understand this.

Cixi: Isn’t it! How can we forget this hatred for a day, but we must slowly strengthen ourselves. What you said just now is very clear. Killing one person or burning down a house is definitely not considered revenge.