Empress Dowager Tzi shi, also known as empress cixi is the empress of the Qing dynasty in China. She was a powerful and charismatic woman who unofficially but effectively controlled the Manchu Qing dynasty in China for 47 years, from 1861 to her death in 1908. Empress cixi is one of the most cruel ruler in ancient China. Cixi used martyrdom to attract the Emporers attention, she obeyed everything the Emporer demanded and sometimes, she served the emporer on her own accord, furthurmore, Cixi is the only one of the many wives and concubines emporer xianfeng has who bore a son, thus she is very favoured by Emporer Xianfeng.
After the son was born, Emporer Xianfeng immediately ranked Cixi as a secondary consort . However, Emporer Xianfeng died at the age of 30 and Cixi became the empress and her son, Tong zhi, became the Emporer when he was only 5 years old.
As the empress, and her son, Emperor Tong Zhi is too young to rule the nation, she was the head of the nation. However, she is very cruel, merciless and corrupted. Under her rule, the Qing Dynasty grew more and more corrupt and its power began to dwindle as h mpress usually put her own interests ahead of the nation's. She squandered money on banquets, jewels, and other luxuries. She liked, for example, to be served 150 different dishes at a single banquet. She drank from a jade cup and ate with golden chopsticks. She used Navy funds to build herself a lavish summer palace. At the end of her life, her personal jewellery vault held 3,000 ebony boxes of jewels. She also let financial corruption run rampant in the Forbidden City.
When Tong zhi fell in love with Xiao zhe yi when he was older and wanted to rank Xiao Zhe yi as empress. Empress Cixi was furious as Empress Xiao zhe yi will take over her place and power, but instead of denying her son, she decided to play a martyr. When her son, Tong zhi came to discuss with her, she immediately agreed and even praised xiao zhe yi as having tender heart filled with filial piety and even said that she would be the most talented ruler of the Qing dynasty if she became an empress. Thus, Xiao zheyi became Cixi's daughter-in-law. When Empress Cixi returned to her palace which is six miles away fom the forbidden city, She immediately ordered all Xiao zheyis food supplies to be cut, thus Empress Xiao zheyi died of starvation. Emporer Tongzhi soon died of small pox when he was 16 and Guangxu became the next emporer when he was only 3 years old.
When Guangxu was old enough to rule the nation, she had no choice but to hand over her power to Guangxu. However, she got her power back through playing martyrdom. When she gave up her power infront of him, she said that he will be a better emporer and she constantly reminded the people to obey and respect the emporer and she also said that she will remain loyal to him . However, when she returned to her palace , she spread rumours that the emporer was childlike and incompetent. Her rumours even made the emporer fear her. When Empress Cixi returned to the forbidden city, Emporer Guangxu threw himself on the ground and said, 'I am unworthy to rule. Punish me, as I deserve.' She then locked Emporer Guangxu up and executed all his servents who were constantly reminded by her to obey and respect the emporer.
finally, Empress Dowager Cixi caused the decline of the Qing Dynasty because she was greedy for power
