Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-05-24
THE CHINESE EMPEROR.
Selection OF a Companion to the
Sitter on the Dragon Throne.

News, the choosing OF an imperial
bride has nc political interest; she
comes from no royal house; princely or
even blue blood is not necessary
qualification. She has TO be selected
from the "eight banners" phrase
Picking. We should call them the
guards" for they are the personal
defenders OF the emperor. Up till very
lately the emperor of China only knew
of the western nations as foreign
devils" and the small states. such as
the Corea. which are all in contact
with China, go under the name OF
tribute bearing nations" Ambassa-
doris from those states present tribute
as feudatories, and in doing so appear
before the emperor on their stomachs
knocking their heads on the ground-a
ceremony known rs the ''kowtow. The
son OF heaven could not coudesccnd tC
ask for q companion TO the dragon
throne" from any of the rulers OF these
insignificant countries.
1t is the dowager empress who
chooses the lady who becomes her sue
cessor. The dowager empress in the
present case is not the mother OF the
| late Emperor Tung-Chih. During his
minority she and the empress Of Helm
Fung acted as regents; on Ting-Chih' $
death, in 1875, when the present EN-
porer, then a mere child, was appoint
ed TO the throne, the two ladies again
took charge of the government as re-
gents. In 1881 the other empress died.
ha In flas.
press and tie Western Empress"
continued the regency. On his mar
riage the emperor assumes full powers
and the regent retires into private
/ life.
The usual method by which the en-
press is chosen may be said TO be pecul-
iar-it is certainly unlike anything we
are acquainted with in Europe. About
a year before the marriage an order is
issued to the eight banners command
ing all girls of particular age to be
sent to the palace. The rich and the
poor, the halt and the lame, the deaf.
the dumb, and the blind, have all to
appear. One department OF the gov
eminent at Pekin is board of rites,
which superintends all state ceremo-
MES; in these they are guided by a
book extending TO two hundred vol
umes, which details every ceremony
connected with the life of an emperor,
from his birth to his death.
The members OF this board are called
the ''otficials who inquire into heaven
or in other words. they are astrologers.
The horoscopes OF all the girls are
submitted 10 them TO be compared with
that n - n ~
agree-this is very essential in all Chi
nese marriages. The girls with the
proper horoscope are then inspected
by the empress, and a number whom
she selects are kept in the palace so
that their habits and their character
may be better studied. The empress
is thus able to judge by personal OBJ
servation, and those who do not appear
TO be up 10 the desired standard are
dismissed, and ultimately the bride is
by this process selected. As the en-
peror is allowed IA large establishment
OF wives some other girls are generally
selected along with the empress.
In the present case it would seem
that the dowager empress has selected
her own niece as the imperial consort
Her name is Yeh-boh-na-la. Her faith
err is deputy acknowledgement. Two
fourth-class wives have also been APP
pointed, whose ages are ID and Is. As
all these ladies are manchus, they will
not have the compressed feet of the
Chinese. For some months before the
marriage they undergo "a course of in
struction in their duties. and in the
necessary ceremonial which is required
in their new and very high position.
The marriage is called, in the
language OF the flowry land, "The
Union of the Dragon and the Phoenix"
the dragon being the symbol of the
emperor while the phoenix typiies the
empress. Everything connected with
the emperor has the word dragon"
att lched TO it, such as the dragon
Throne" the Dragon Robes" AS first
announced the marriage was TO have
taken place toward the end OF 1887 and
1t was then TO have been conducted in
n very grand manner and involving "A
very lavish expenditure. But the dis
asterous overflow OF the Yellow river
caused a change to be made, as the
money was required TO assist in allie
Waiting the great distress among the
people.
The present emperor was born in
1871. He is the son of Prince Chun.
one OF the brothers OF the Emperor
Hien-Fung. He is thus a full cousin
to the late Emperor Tung-Chih, who
died in 1875. The latter died child
less, thus causing break in the di-
rect succession OF the TEACHING, or
Great Pure Dynasty" Tung- Chin
left will appointing the present en-
I peror TO succeed him on the throne.
/ His name before becoming emperor
was Tsai-Tien, but on becoming en-
! peror of China new name is always
assumed, and the new ruler will be
known as Kwang-su, which means
IAN Inheritance OF Glory"
III an emperor OF China should
/ chance To have natural abilities he la
bors under the greatest disadvantages
! in their development. Every action Of
! his life is affected ny the etiquette OF
an elaborate ceremonial; the 200 vol
umes and Officials who inquire into
heaven" who interpret their meaning,
must swaddle up his whole existence
as II he were a mummy. He has none