The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-07-15

,-peg W u. W ullS thS NOuldH WHO ma
srought the empire to the verge OF dis
-olution may not deserve to be ranke,
=, the side Of one whose rule. how
.rsr arbitrary, was nevertheless ben.
.scent. still the fortunes Of Tsze Hsi de
tsar q curious resemblance to those o
tbs Empress WI, who has beer
Iascribed as the most remarkabl.
,roman China has produced.
"Tairyong the Great, the second mon.
arch of the Tang dynasty, died A. D
ca after a reign of twenty-three years
III. left to his son KaotsOng an empir.
amused of five or more recently in.
Senendent and hostile kingdoms, whose
.nairting interests were likely to case
rnlapse Of the empire into it's origina
-ismants. unless the imperial authority
obouId be exercised with both delicacy
End frmness. over a state thus lack.
tng I'm coherency, and threatened by
C5ina's standing menace, the barbar-
IONS of the north and west, Kaotsonp
snioved a prosperous reign Of thirty
Lars This was due rather to the wis
Iom Of the monarch than to his per-
sonal exertions, for he soon gave him
self up to a life of pleasure. leaving
statp affairs to the ADLER hands of his
,:ea the Empress WI.
WI Tsih-tien was born in the wear
ga of humble parentage. The story
goes that an amiable couple having
reached the age of fifty without being
blessed with offspring, the husband, at
his wifa's suggestion, took TO his house
concubine, a maiden named Chang,
the daughter of carpenter. F~pm this
alliance sprung WI, who DEVELOPED
Great beauty as she grew in years. The
EMPEROR Of China fills his palace from
time 90 time with the choicest of the
beauties among his subjects. There
are several ranks OF these ladies of the
palace. the emperor being permitted to
have one empress, three queens, and
many wives of inferior degrees, beside
some hundreds of concubines. Those
who belong to the lowest rank of i'm
perial consorts are called tsae lin.
talented ladies" and are usually the
daughters of obscure parents. At the
age of fourteen WI Tsih-tien was ad-
mitted to the harem of Taitsong as a
talented lady. From this position she
rose to be a wife of the emperor. and
at his death was sent with the rest of
his secondary widows to an honorable
confinement in a Buddhist convent
While she was still in the palace the
heir apparent had become enamored of
her. and meeting her at a state eere-
m0ny for the worship of his ancestors
some five years after he assembled the
throne. n determined 10 make her his
wife His ministers stOutly opposed
the project. not because WI was his
fathers widow. but because il was
beyond all rule and precedent to re-
move her from the convent. Wangshi.
the reigning empress, happened at that
time 20 be jealous of the emperor's
favorite concubine EeaoushL. and
thinking only of weaving his affec-
tons from this obnoxious rival, she
gave the weight of her influence and
advice in favor of restoring WI to the
palace. and by praising the beauty and
amiable qualities of the royal recluse
she SO inflamed the emperor's passion
that ne determined to carry out his will
in spite of the opposition of the min
listers. This is the last case on record
of KaOtsOng's having his own way.
WI was restored to the palace as one
Of the emperOr's secondary wives.
Alas for the empress Wangshi! In
order to overthrow a rival she had in
Vted far more dangerous enemy into
the fortress.
Hardly was Wu's position in the pal
ace secure when she succeeded in sup
planting LeaoushU in the affections of
their master and began to scheme for
the downfall Of the empress and the
elevation of herself to that station.
Tire two former rivals joined forces in
the face Of this their common peril, but
not for one moment vas the issue of
the contest in doubt. ''Wu" means
warrior and well did the name suit
It's present owner. She was not over
scupulOuS in the choice of her weap-
onS. She killed her first born child,
girl, and reported to the emperor that
Wangshi had done the deed. Infanti- |
eide is common in China, and the muir
der of female infant was no such !
great matter But this was the en-
perors own flesh. Still, Kaotsong was
OF a. easy disposition and reluctant to |
resort TO harsh measures. WI tn n |
pore 10 the ear o. the emperor a tale, /
The truth CT falsitJ OF which does not |
appear, OF how WangShi had been dis /
respectful 20 the emperCr's mother, the |
most heinous Of offences to the Chinese
mrd Wahgsni must be punished. She |
was first deposed and then both shs
ana LeaoushI were imprisoned in the
'alace and Wa was raised to the
height which her ambition coveted.
but the danger was not yet wholly
laSt The emperor was one day walk
ng IN the palace near the room where
" angShi was confined. when he heard !
ne p!dlnuve voice of The former en-
'IfSS lamenting her captivity. He
Sked her what she wished.
vnIy,' she replied, ''tO be set free
nat l may look once more upon the
un and moon before 1 die"
Inc emperor promised that her
50 h
impress WI mad already learned the
alue of spies, and when one of her
altntul servants brought her the news
u this conversation she met the emer-
eNcy with a remedy as effective as it
vas narbariC. The hands and feet of
on her former rivals were cut off,
"A lne unfortunate women were then
-."ned IN casks of wine
wa could now have her way without !
q OF hlndrance, for 1t was said that
ur emperor dared not even speak the
u.u IN her presence If it was in OPP
osllon 10 her will. She exerted ali
ne force Of her marvelOusly able mind.
100 only 70 make herself the real ruler
lnt empire, but TO discharge for the
es' interests Of the state the difficult |
luclons which her eIf-imposed duties
evolved upon her. The public offices |
-iv Hued with her family and friends; |
8 son was proclaimed the heir appar-
H. me mobiles and ministers whom
-s suspected lost their offices and oft
---S their heads, and the dagger and
o.N'llel cup were eve. at hand to rid ;
RI or real or fancied foe. It may be ,
.ol me Chinese historians, in their =
SI- 10 blacken her character. have |
,osA'Ied both the number and the ma
-.r, OF her crimes. but there can be no .
-,uo. mat this daring woman did not J
-.II.N from any act where her own ;
...I.Ify or the welfare of the state ;
', ,,, the sacrifice Of another's life
81. d. 'erty. She is even charged with
~. ing murdered two of her sons.
'- me other hand. the empire would :
FAN. jared but i'll under what DR.. Wells :
~. ..'a.os styles the 'indolent inbecil-
, ~ haotsOng, If ii had not been for :
.l.-IEy, foresight and real states
'->llp of the empress. Her efforts
at first confined to assisting her