Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1896-07-08
WAS CHlNA'S REAL RULER
DOwAGER EMPRESS OF THE
FLOwERY KINGDOM EXPIRES.
sold Into bondage by Her starving
Parents, she Rose 20 the I'm
perial Throne

ager Empress OF Cnlna, Isl lnSl,
the adopted mother of the present
Emperor, died on Friday. She
was born in 1884.
The Dowager Empress of China,
who for years past has been the
practical ruler of China, was
originally but a slave. She was
the daughter of a poor family
living on the outskirts of Canton,
China. When she was about Is
years old the great Ming rebellion
during the time of Emperor Helm
Fung was at its height, and the
rich were becoming wealthier and
the poor being dragged down to
deeper distress and poverty.
Finally, when the family of the
future Empress was on the point
of starvation, it was decided to
sell her.
Accordingly the girl, Lin Ying
by name, was taken to Canton
and sold into the richest family in
that city. The head of the great
household was the Tartar Tidoo
General, who commanded the
troops of the province and who
was distantly related to the EN-
peror, Helm Fupg.
The wife Of the Tidoo was de-
lighted with the new addition to
her household, and so pleased was
she with Lin Ying's appearance
and gentle manners that she at
once appointed her as favorite
maid, whose only duty consisted
in serving tea in tiny cups and
bowls on trays worked with inge-
NOUS designs i'll gold.
Lin Iing was soon adopted by
the General as daughter. She
was placed under tutor engaged
especially for her and, although
much was expected on account of
her exceptional intelligence, her
rapid progress astonished every
member of the family.
In the fall of 1851 the General
was highly honored by the EN-
peror for his services in suppress
ing the rebellion, and it was de-
cided that Lin Ying should be
made a present to the Emperor
upon receiving his new titles, for
no officer ever receives honors at
the hands of the Emperor without
presenting in turn some rare gift.
Helm Fung was not merely charm
ed with his new bride; he seemed
fascinated by her glowing eyes,
which sent messages of love from
beneath the silken canopy of
sweeping fringe, her gentle man
ner and her noble bearing, and
ere a month had sped she was
honored by the title Que Fay lex
alted auxiliary.
The imperial palace awoke one
morning three years later, early
in 1854, and rejoiced at the news
that spread even in the courtyards
where the gardeners were at work.
TO the heavenly Prince a child
had been born. 1t was his first
son, and Que Fay was the mother.
He was christened Thsi Chuen,
and to his mother was given the
title Tsi Thsi, which conferred
upon her the rank of Empress,
second to that of Tsi An, the prin-
cipal and titular Empress.
In 1861 the Emperor died, pro-
claiming on his deathbed his son
Thsi Chuen, as heir to the throne.
The Dowager Empress, overturn-
ing the Board of Regents, to
which the Emperor had tempora-
rily given control, with her son of
z years virtually in her arms, as
cended the throne, claiming for
him the title of Tung Che, Ruler
of the Celestial Kingdom. She at
once placed herself at the helm of
the ship of state and succeeded in
crushing out the rebellion. Until
Tung Chez attained his eighteenth
year the joint regency of the two
widows and Prince Kung con-
tinued harmoniously and un-
broken, Then, in 1873, came the
crowning glory to Isl Thsi, when
her son ascended the throne and
became in truth the Emperor of