Speak of Empress Dowager Cixi

Author: Xu Che
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-08-01
Features: Empress Dowager Cixi is a historically renowned figure in China and even the world. Some modern essays, notes, and unofficial historical accounts contain sensational and bizarre claims about her, making it difficult to distinguish truth from fiction. This book approaches the subject from a "straightforward" perspective, striving to authentically portray the main aspects of Empress Dowager Cixi's life. The book is rich in content and illustrated, making it an enjoyable read for both scholars and the general public. Empress Dowager Cixi is a historically renowned figure in China and even the world. She was born in 1835 and died in 1908, living 74 years and experiencing the reigns of three emperors—Xianfeng, Tongzhi, and Guangxu—during which she supported the young emperors Zaitian, Zaitian, and Puyi. During the Tongzhi and Guangxu reigns, she held court behind a screen three times. The first time she held court behind a screen was from the 11th year of the Xianfeng era (1861) to the 12th year of the Tongzhi era (1873), lasting 13 years; the second time was from the 13th year of the Tongzhi era (1875) to the 15th year of the Guangxu era (1889), lasting 15 years; the third time was from the 24th year of the Guangxu era (1898) to the 34th year of the Guangxu era (1908), lasting 10 years. During the 48 years of her reign, 38 were spent holding court behind a screen. The remaining 10 years, although the throne was returned to Emperor Guangxu, she still secretly controlled the court. Major decisions still had to be made by her, making it an "unofficial" screen behind which she held court. In fact, Empress Dowager Cixi ruled China for nearly half a century. The era she lived in was one of unprecedented upheaval in China in thousands of years. It was a time when foreign powers encircled and gradually eroded China, while also a time when the Chinese people rose up in resistance and moved toward the world. The late Qing society she experienced was almost equivalent to the entire modern history of China. She witnessed major historical events such as the Second Opium War, the Taiping Rebellion, the Sino-French War, the Sino-Japanese War, the Hundred Days' Reform, the Boxer Rebellion, and the Late Qing New Policies. It can be said that Empress Dowager Cixi's life was intertwined with the late Qing society. Due to various historical reasons, some modern essays, notes, and unofficial historical accounts contain sensational and bizarre claims about Empress Dowager Cixi, shrouding her in numerous mysteries. For example: Was Empress Dowager Cixi from Inner Mongolia, Anhui, Zhejiang, Gansu, Shanxi, or Beijing? How did she gain the favor of Emperor Xianfeng? How did she successfully launch a palace coup? How did she force Empress Jiasan to commit suicide? How did she execute two high ministers? Did she poison Empress Cian? How did she skillfully contend with Yixun? Was she involved with Li Lianying? How did she kill Imperial Consort Zhen? Did she kill Emperor Guangxu? Some of these mysteries have been accepted as facts, fictionalized by writers into novels and films, and widely circulated, leading to confusion between truth and fiction. Some even been accepted by certain historians and cited as unresolvable historical falsehoods. In reality, many of the rumors about Empress Dowager Cixi are not reliable history. This book presents a straightforward account of Empress Dowager Cixi, aiming to portray a figure close to historical reality.