Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-28
SON OF TUAN WAS CUT OFF
Story of the Remarkable Rise of Tsze
Hsi An.
GREAT TALENT FOR INTRIGUE
Her Opposition to the Reform Move
ment-The Emperor Menaced-
Interference of British Minister.

what is my opinion on the action of
the Dowager Empress of China in ordering
all the eligible princes to be presented at
the palace on Chinese new year for her 10
select three or four to be kept at Picking
Tor some years, then to choose among
them successor to the emperor? Truly,
think IT a good plan replied the dipomat
10 whom the question was propounded by
the interviewer. There is no heir to the
throne. and Prince Tuan's son was dis
missed on account of his fathers completely
in the Boxer disturbances. Yet l am sure
that the prince selected to be the future
emperor must be persona grata to the
great powers, Not that they will have
anything to say or do in the matter of
choice, but powerful influences will be at
work during those years of apprenticeship,
which the Chinese government is bound TO
feel. However removed the members
of the imperial family from the westerners,
the apprentice-emperors cannot escape the
vigiant eyes of the foreign diplomats, who
have a way of learning almost everything.
"The law of heredity in so far as the
Chinese throne is concerned is a curious
one, and. l would add, almost unbeliev-
able. How the real ruler of today, Tsze
strange tale that but few can grasp 1t. \
brief resume at this time, when another
heir must he chosen, would not be amisS.
il was about fifty years ago that a Man
Chu woman, then about twenty-four years
old, with b!ue-blaCk hair and Tartar fea-
lures, and large. bold eyes, was one of
the eighty-one third-Class wives to which
Hsien Feng, the son of heaven. was enti-
tied, in order TO have a harem worthy of
him. This woman was blessed with a boy,
whom. 10 all outward appearances, she
seemed to love and to care for. MenciuSs
who after COnfuciuS, is the greatest sage
of China. declared that there are three
kinds Of hlial fmpiety. the gravest of which
is to be without male descendants, and for
this reason, the possession of boy had
excited the envy, hatred and malice of her
less favored sisters. These in order to tor
ment her, always recalled to the mother
the fact that the son She had borne was
not hers. but that of the empress. if the
latter did not present the monarch with an
heir. | may add that according to Con-
fucius If a man has no children at the
age of forty he is expected to take another
wife. The first wife, however, retains her
original position; and If children are born
of the second they belong by law to the
first or legal wife.
The Emperor Fugitive.
AT that time-as l said, about fifty years
sgo-Hsen Feng, according to historical
precedent, believed in his own supremacy
In the early days of the Ia Using dynasty
Europeans had come to China. but they
had always obeyed the imperial DEGREES
However, Hslen Feng was willing to have
the westerners have commercial intercourse
with his own subjects. OF the foreign rep
resentatives at Picking he demanded that
they observe the traditional rules of ETH
quette, ana II was this question which
caused the war with Great Britain and
France, forcing Hsien Feng to leave the
capital. fugitive, going to Yeh-ho, his
summer palace, where kia King, his grand
father, had died. This coincidence caused
supersutious murmurs to make the rounds
of the court visiting at once the emperor
Prince kung, his brother, in vain told him
TO return to the capital. Hsien Feng
strangely, died the next year in the spring
AT once the court was in a turmoil be-
cause there was no legal issue the enpe-
Tor leaving only girl, who in the empire
mas no legal existence. Several leading
Manchus had combined TO obtain possession
OF the son of the deceased emperor the un-
disputed heir to the throne, but their
schemes and plots came to nil because the
empress. the child and it's mother enlisted
the sympathy of Prince Kung as soon as
they arrived safely at Picking The meet
ing between the empress and the third
class wife. ! must explain, was tire result
OF marvellous intrigue. the ability for
winch began to show in the vigorous mind
ana IN the decision of the child's mother
She demanded, upon concluding an arrange
IHeht with the real empress dOwager. that
[ NJ.
he was proclaimed Emperor Tuug Chin II
Is held today that that arrangement was
laWless. and violated the highest statutes
OF the country, but internal disorders cans
ed the yiceroys to look after themselves
ana Tor once their punctiiousness as 10
precedent was laid aside An imperial de-
cree gave name 10 the third-class wife
lsZe HSt An. or mother of the sovereign
the doWager empress OF today. Later on
she was distinguished from the widow of
ItSien Feng by the title OF Empress of the
West, the latter being Empress of the East
Tsze Hsi Ans Talent for Intrigue.
Then followed tentative reign. during
which Tsze Hsi An had an opportunity 10
develop her talent for intrigues. The ad-
m'ni5trauon rested chiefly I'm the hands
Of Prince Kung until Tung Chih approach
&C. his majority. Ii Hung Chang and chan,
Chlh TunE Were asked by the empress OF
the east for their support. Afterward sao
selected a wife for her son. who was auIy
installed upon thc dragon throne. But ru1e
tbth revealed himself to be both stubborn
ana hard-headed threatening his mother
autocracy, Tor his mother was the actuaI
ruler during his reign His viciousuess
made her dislike him. When he died OF
smalpoX-as 1t Is said-in 1873. his mother
took preconccrted measures 10 retain nor
authority and sent al once for all those
Manchu mobiles who were in sympathy with
her. When they met she told them that
she had selected Tsai-Ten the son or
rince Chung. as the heir TO the throne.
StLoush ne was but three years Old. she
hdu drrOSatcd great right for 'ruuy
Lhlhs unborn child might be son But
me empress declared that she would not
nave "A grandson. So the appointed her
was sent Tor. and proclaimed emperor I'M
Ger the title of Kuang Hsu In 1881 the
empress OF the east died. and Tsze Hsi An
was sole regent. She did not attempt to in
lIFlttc with The machinery OF the govern
mont because II was running as she want
ed). and all she did was 10 reserve. or be-
Ter 10 take, for herself large share OF
the revenues soon after she ordered her
son widow TO commit suicide an aciion
which tended TO limit the number of etcls
10 be given marriage TO kuang Hsu ne
was given one OF Tsze Isi Ans own nfeces
while the dowager withdrew to the Eh1
Park Palace, from which point she gov
erucd. more or less. China.