Evening star., 1898-09-29
THE WOMAN AT PEKlN.
Her Extraordinary2 and Stuiste,


IL those laEnllar with the career of the
so-called Empress Dowager Tsi An there
Is nothing surprising in the announcement
that the relatively young Emperor Kwang-
su has been forced to abdicate in her favor
If precedents are followed in the case of
this palace revolution, we may expect to
hear, presently, the news that Kwangsu
has suddenly died He will not have been
by any means the first impedirnent to the
designs or interests of an extraordinary
woman that has been removed by an ac-
commodatins death. With the disappear
ance of kwangsu would vanish the hope of
seeing carried out the educational reform
Wh1ch ne lately sanctioned. and with him.
also, would vanish what has been tine prin-
clpal obstacle to the triumph of the pro-
russian policy personified in Ii Hung
Chang Now that she whom Ii is wont to
describe as his imperial mistress has
seized once more the reins of power Lii
Hung Chang will probably regain the lu-
crat1ve governorship of Chih-li. as well
as ms former prepOnderance in the Tsung
H., amen, or board for foreign affairs
1T is almost forty years since the woman
In whose favor the Emperor Kwangsu is
alleged to have abdicated began to exhibit
her rsmarkab talents for intrigue and to
play behind the scenes dominant part in
the government of the middle kingdom
When the Emperor Hienfung died in Au-
gust, 1861, at Jehol. he left a will in pur-
suance of which his son. child less than
and a board of regency comprising eight
members of the imperial family was ap-
pointed In the following November the
young emperor was brought to Pekin and
seated in the same carriage with him were
Isl Tsh, the Empress Dowager or princi-
pal widow of Hienfung and also Tsi An
VINO mad been only one of Hienfung's sec
onQary wives, or cOncubineS On the day
following their arrival in the palace Prince
kung, brother of the deceased emperor
carried out plot for the removal of the
regents. having previously secured the as
sent and cooperation both of the Empress
DoWager and of her far abler associate the
still living Tsi An. This revolution having
neer effected, the Empress Dowager Tsi
ISM was proclaimed regent and Prince
kuns obtained many high offices, in addi-
ton to the post of chief minister. In April
1860. however. Prince Kung was removed
from all his dignities by an edict issued in
the name of the two regent empresses for
in the meantime, Tsi An. a woman of much
greater talents, had become associated with
Isl Ish, the empress of higher grade.
Some weeks later he was renStated the
empresses having desired simply to make
known their predOminance. Prince Kung
mad hoped to rule uncontrolled: henceforth
he was content to be the humble and obedi-
ent minister of two women, who had not
read Chinese history without noting the
supremacy which had been more than once
attained by members of their sex as for
instance, by the Empress Luchi under the
Han dynasty, ands by the Empress Kiachi
under that of the later fTsins. Each of the
last-named great ladiesshad played the role
OF Lucrezla BoEgia uhaving suppressed
pE poison the male occupant of the throne
when he proved nconvenient and each
Notwithstanding the ngrained aversion of
the Chinese to feminine rulers having long
continued to WELD with ability the real
powers of sovereignty.
In 1872 the young emperor who after tho
removal of the original regents had been
renamed Tungche. = reached his sixteenth
birthday, and vas permitted by the en-
ry0p
o. good ia 1lily. -Four months later he an
EGunced to the foreign ministers that he
had received the commands of their maies-
ties, the two emrIesses. 10 assume the ST.
perintendence of public business. He soon
showed himself impatieut of restraint and
or September 10, 1873, he yenttlred TO use
his nomin Il authority to degrade Prince
kCng ani his son for using language in
many resp ects UnbeComing." The yely
next day decree appeared from the two
expresses reinstating Prince Kung in his
dignities, these ladies thus asserting d
right of control over the emperors actions
Not long after this disclosure of friction in
the interior Of the palace a rumor spread
that the emperors health was in a pre-
carious state, and, on December IS. am
edict was issued requesting the empress
d"waser to assume the personal charge of
the administration. Not very long after
ward Tungche died, and time has strength.
ened the suspicion that he was the victim
OF foul play. His death was speedily fol-
LEVIED by that of his widow, the young En-
press Ahlutd. who is known to have been
pregnant at the time of her husbands de-
cease These demises We're manifestly fa-
Vorahle to tie personal interests OF the two
cmpreSSeS, who resumed the supreme au-
thority, which osteusihly they had resisn-
ed not long before. Their choice OF a sue
cessor to Tungche fell upon the child Tsai
Tien. a son of Prince Chung who was pro.
claimed emperor under the name of
kwangsu. AS he had been born in 1871
and was, therefore. of too tender an age to
3ai,
purposes Of the two expresses and of their
ally, Prince kung. who thus entered upon
a second lease of power. Kwangsu's in
stallation, however, gave rise to short
conflict between the two empresses and
the palace eunuchs. The latter, who had
often figured in Chinese history during
troubled times, appear to have come to the
front during the brief reign of Tungche
but Tsi An soon reduced them to subjec-
tiCn.
In 1881, a few months after the signature
OF the treaty of ST. Petersburg. by which
the province of Iii was restored to China
was the Empress TSi Tshi, the principal
widow of the Emperor Hienfung, and the
nominal senior Of the two ladies carrying
on the government. Her Illness was sig
nihcantly short and sudden, and was at
tributed to heart diseast. At the time of
her death she was only forty-five. Her
more capable and ambitious colleague the
Empress Isl An, who had been, as we have
said, only the concubne of Hienfung sur
Vlved to carry on the administration and
she has since been, and has Just given
proof that she remains, the most powerful
parsonage in China In 1851 this auto
cratic lady left no doubt in the mind of
any one as to who the ruler of the
realm, by dismissng Prince kung from all
his offices and consigning him to obscurtiy
in which he remained for eleven years.
Thenceforth she found Prince Chung. the
rather of the young emperor Kwangsu
aud Iii Hung Chang the mcst plastic and
effective instruments Of her plans Prince
Chung, however, died suddenly in January,
ls9l, having been preceded a few months
earlier by his ally,the Marquis Tseng. who
a 50 perished in the prime of life The de-
cease Of these energete men facilitated the
retention of supreme p9wer by the empress
doWager, and it is said that these events
nave secret and sinister history which
Will one day be made known by the i'm
placable comptlers, of the Chinese annals
In February, 1887, when the Young Em-
reror kwangsu was sixteen years old, it
was announced that his proposed marriage
would be postponed for two years in COZ
sequence of his delicate health The post
ponement also had, manifestly. the efYeet
Of assuring TO the regent empress a further
lease of power. AT last, in 1885 KWangsu
was married to Yehhoaala the daupbtar