Miserable Emperor - Emperor Xianfeng Yixuan

Author: Mao Haijian
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-04-01
Features: The era of Emperor Xianfeng's reign, 1850-1861, was a crucial turning point in Chinese history. The Taiping Rebellion rose, rebel movements like the Nian Army and the Heaven and Earth Society spread across the country, giving rise to the Xiang Army and the Lixin tax; Britain and France organized a joint invasion of China again, Russia seized the opportunity, and the United States acted as a accomplice, with new treaties being signed one after another. Many of the subsequent changes in China actually originated from this period. At a critical moment in history, Emperor Xianfeng, despite his utmost efforts, was powerless to turn the tide and ultimately sighed in despair and abandoned hope. This book unfolds the historical years of that time, guiding readers through the intricate and profound events. The author portrays the key figures of history: Du Shoutian, Zeng Guofan, Ye Mingchen, Su Shun, Prince Gong, and Empress Dowager Cixi, the individuals who determined the fate of the nation, vividly. A biography, a piece of history, reflections on life and the nation. Not all emperors in ancient times truly possessed the qualifications and abilities to be emperors. Some were even quite mediocre and ordinary, yet because they were born into the imperial palace and were designated as crown prince by their fathers. Although emperors were just mortal beings like ordinary people, as the Son of Heaven, before ordinary people, they were an exalted god, and every gesture and movement had to be extraordinary. In times of peace, such emperors could still live a stable life in the Forbidden City for their entire reign, but in troubled times, they were in constant embarrassment. Emperor Xianfeng was exactly such a pitiful and unfortunate individual! From the beginning of his father Emperor Daoguang, China had been in an era of internal and external turmoil. From 1850 to 1861, Emperor Xianfeng reigned for 11 years, yet he never had a day of peace. The Taiping Rebellion from 1850 to 1864, the Second Opium War from 1856 to 1860, and the uprisings of the Heaven and Earth Society and the Nian Army during this period made the emperor sitting on the dragon throne restless. Unlike his ancestors Emperor Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong, who were wise and perceptive, Emperor Xianfeng truly felt the turmoil of the times. He was busy, overwhelmed with work, almost to the point of crying out in despair. Despite having "Zhongxing ministers" like Zeng Guofan working tirelessly to save the Qing Dynasty, this did not fully alleviate the emperor's worries about the state of the nation. In the eyes of the Manchu nobles, the Manchu and Han were still not united. In "The Misfortune Emperor," the author uses a very delicate pen to touch the heart of the subject—Emperor Xianfeng. Professor Mao Haijian's popular historical research work is as accessible as reading a historical novel, and its academic rigor is no less than his other historical monographs. However, although his inner goal was to write a "scholarly yet engaging book," in the end, he still felt a bit uneasy. Not only did he not follow the norms of academic works by extensively annotating historical materials and providing a detailed appendix, as he did with his other historical works, but he was even forced to add a line in the preface saying that his book was just an open discussion and readers could take it easy—a somewhat disheartening remark.