Miserable Emperor

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 Lijin tax. The British and French organized a joint army to invade 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 best efforts, was powerless to turn things around, and he sighed in despair and gave up. This book unfolds the history of that era, guiding readers through its various events and intricate depths. The author portrays the key figures of the time: Du Shoutian, Zeng Guofan, Ye Mingchen, Su Shun, Prince Gong, and Empress Dowager Cixi, the individuals who shaped the nation's destiny, vividly and realistically. A biography, a piece of history, reflections on life and the nation. Not all ancient emperors truly possessed the qualifications and abilities to be emperors. Some were even quite mediocre, yet because they were born into the imperial palace and designated as successors by their fathers, they became emperors. Although emperors were mere mortals like ordinary people, in the eyes of commoners, they were the supreme gods, and every gesture they made had to be extraordinary. In times of peace, such emperors could spend their entire lives in the Forbidden City in comfort, but in troubled times, they were always in awkward situations. Emperor Xianfeng was exactly such a pitiful and unlucky person! From his father Emperor Daoguang onwards, China had been plagued by internal and external troubles. From 1850 to 1861, Emperor Xianfeng reigned for 11 years, yet he never had a moment 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 left Emperor Xianfeng on the throne feeling as if he were sitting on pins and needles. Unlike his ancestors, Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong, who were wise and perceptive, he truly felt the turmoil of the times. He was busy, terribly busy, 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 entirely alleviate the emperor's worries about the nation's situation. In the eyes of the Manchu nobles, the Manchus and Han Chinese were not united. In "The Misfortune Emperor," the author uses a very delicate style to touch the heart of his 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 writing in his other historical works—providing extensive and strict annotations of historical materials and detailed appendices—but he even felt compelled to add a line in the preface saying that his book was just an open discussion and readers could take it or leave it, a somewhat disheartening remark.