Miserable Emperor (Emperor Xianfeng Yizhu)

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, the Nian Army and the Heaven and Earth Society rebelled across the north and south, giving rise to the Xiang Army and the Lixin tax; Britain and France organized a joint invasion of China again, Russia took advantage of the chaos, and the United States acted as a accomplice, with new treaties being signed one after another; many subsequent changes in China actually originated from this period. At a critical moment in history, Emperor Xianfeng, despite his best efforts, was powerless to turn the tide, lamenting and abandoning himself. This book unfolds the historical years of that time, guiding readers through the various events and intricate depths. The author portrays the historical figures: Du Shoutian, Zeng Guofan, Ye Mingchen, Su Shun, Prince Gong, and Empress Dowager Cixi, the key figures who determined the fate of the nation, vividly and lifelike. A biography, a piece of history, reflections on life and the nation. Not every ancient emperor truly possessed the qualifications and abilities to be a ruler. Some were even quite mediocre and ordinary, yet because they were born into the imperial palace and were designated as successors by their fathers, they became emperors. 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 peacetime, such emperors could still live peacefully in the Forbidden City for a lifetime, but in troubled times, they were everywhere in a predicament. Emperor Xianfeng was just such a pitiful and unfortunate person! 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 peaceful day. The Taiping Rebellion from 1850 to 1864, the Second Opium War from 1856 to 1860, plus the rebellions of the Heaven and Earth Society and the Nian Army during this period, made the emperor sitting on the dragon throne restless, as he, unlike his ancestors Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong, truly felt the turmoil of the times. He was busy, so busy that he was almost at the point of crying out to the heavens. Although there were "Zhongxing ministers" like Zeng Guofan working hard to protect the Great Qing, 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 not of one heart. 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 failing to follow the norms of academic works as he did with his other historical works—providing extensive and strict annotations of historical materials and detailed appendices—but also having to add a line in the preface that his book was just an open discussion and readers could take it easy, which was somewhat disheartening. The era of Emperor Xianfeng's reign, 1850-1861, was a crucial turning point in Chinese history. The Taiping Rebellion rose, the Nian Army and the Heaven and Earth Society rebelled across the north and south, giving rise to the Xiang Army and the Lixin tax; Britain and France organized a joint invasion of China again, Russia took advantage of the chaos, and the United States acted as a accomplice, with new treaties being signed one after another; many subsequent changes in China actually originated from this period. At a critical moment in history, Emperor Xianfeng, despite his best efforts, was powerless to turn the tide, lamenting and abandoning himself. This book unfolds the historical years of that time, guiding readers through the various events and intricate depths. The author portrays the historical figures: Du Shoutian, Zeng Guofan, Ye Mingchen, Su Shun, Prince Gong, and Empress Dowager Cixi, the key figures who determined the fate of the nation, vividly and lifelike. A biography, a piece of history, reflections on life and the nation.