Why did Qianlong have worms in his mouth when he died, while Cixi had luminous pearls in her mouth?

Because ancient rulers such as Qianlong and Cixi believed in the afterlife, such rulers hoped that they would live a better life in the next life.

The ancient Chinese funeral culture has a long history, with countless allusions and stories. Especially in recent years, there have been an endless stream of films and TV dramas about funerals, which have become a topic of conversation in the streets and after dinner. It is said that the ancients had the custom of putting things under the tongue of the dead after death. This custom expresses the grief and expectations of the living for the deceased. There are many items placed there, such as rice, millet, pearls, jade, coins, food, etc. But as far as emperors are concerned, cicadas are the most popular.

Cicada is a very interesting creature. The ancients had a poem that said, "The cicada wakes up before the golden wind moves. It secretly signals impermanence and death without knowing it." This vividly describes the cicada's prophetic and foreboding characteristics. The cicada's life begins with burrowing into the soil when it's cool in autumn, emerging from the pupa when the flowers bloom in the spring, and returning to the tree. This is how the cicada's life cycle begins over and over again, endlessly. Therefore, ancient people often mouthed jade cicadas to their deceased ancestors in the hope that their ancestors would be reincarnated. The jade cicada also represents a spirit of optimism and perseverance.

In addition, why did Cixi put up the night pearl? There is no consensus on this statement, but the luminous pearls contained in Cixi's mouth are real luminous pearls, the kind that can emit green fluorescence at night. This kind of item is a rare treasure in today's society, let alone a feudal society with backward technology at that time. It is enough to see how extravagant the rulers in feudal society lived. This is why they still want to live the same life in their next life.