First, a meal needs 108 dishes. It is said that Cixi eats five meals a day, and all these dishes are bought with money. Cixi is a person who is particularly willing to spend money on herself. According to historical records, every meal of Cixi was prepared according to Manchu banquet. Basically, she eats one or two dishes, and then the rest of the dishes are thrown away. Cixi is hungry and can cook new dishes. Don't think that Cixi is a woman who eats lightly. Judging from her diet, everything she eats every day is authentic food.
What tastes good and what tastes expensive are precious ingredients, some of which I have never even heard of as a modern person, and many animals are game that is hard to find. At that time, it was hard to find delicious food. Capturing it is not only troublesome but also dangerous, so the cost of every meal is not low.
Second, there are piles of ladies-in-waiting eunuchs and doctors waiting around. Although labor is cheap, it costs a lot. Besides eating Cixi, the most expensive thing is labor cost. Her demands on daily life are actually quite high. It takes four people to go to the toilet and five or six people to eat a meal. This is not to mention the eunuch who keeps vigil and the doctor who manages her daily health. Although labor was extremely cheap in ancient times, even if it was cheap, these people still had to pay wages.
Besides, according to the ability at that time, the doctor too much and the chef are both the best in the industry, and their salary is definitely different from that of ordinary people. In this way, Cixi spent as much money on labor as on food.
Finally: even if she escaped, Cixi did not stop enjoying it. Her life can be said to be full of hardships and hardships, so happy!