Evening star., 1909-04-17
Former Lady in Waiting to
DoWager Explains Facts. ).
POOR, BUT NOBLE FAMILY
Father, Helpless and Starving, Threw
Himself Into River.
TA0TAI OF SHANSI PROVINCE
Letter From E. Yu-Keng Corrects
History as Told in Correspond
ence in the Press.
To the Editor Of The Star:

ence in the Press.
To the Editor Of The Star:
I have just received a clipping from
The Sunday Star of January. 81. l@h-an
article on Happenings in China. After
reading il felt in duty bound as loyal
Manchu and former lady-in-waiting IN
her majesty. the late empress dowager
to write you the true facts of her family
and her history. also the reason for Yuan
Shih kafs downfall.
In the first place, the Chinese sources,
from which the writer obtained his IN
formation .'of the most reliable character.
from natives who are in position to
learn the inside incidents and appreci-
ate their significance could not be more
unreliable. and the entire article Is
mass of fiction and nonsense. From the
very facts of the article itself one who
is really in a position to know the alb
solute truth can see at glance that
the person or persons giving the informa-
ton knew less than nothing.
Yuan Shih Kai was not forced TO re-
sign and was not dismissed. but resigned
of his own free will when he saw that
the prince regent had no use for him.
empire. The reason why the regent had
no use for him was that he could not
forget Yuans treachery TO his brother.
the late Emperor kwang Hsu, In the
coup detat in 1898.
Selection of the New Ruler.
Another. thing. the child Pu vi was Sc
lected by their late Ihajesties the day
before they died, and Prince Chun was
designated by them to be the regent in
an edict that appeared on the day be-
fore the emperor died. Yuan Shih kai.
being a Chinese, could not under any
circumstances, no matter how influential
he might be, have anything TO do with
the selection of a successor to the throne.
Even Prince Ching. who had great
deal more influence with her late majesty
than ever Yuan did. had nothing to do
with this selection.
On the 10Th day of the eleventh moon.
while the emperor was still living, the
empress dowager went to see him at
his own palace Ying Tab to consult him
regarding his successor. kwang Hsu him.
self was the first one to suggest Pu vi,
his nephew. and after talking the mat
ter over their majesties decided that Pu
Vi should succeed, and, as he was only
four years old his father, Prince Chun.
should be appointed regent, to rule until
Pu vi reached the age of eighteen years.
Pu Yis mother is the daughter of jung
lu According to the Manchn law. the
mother of the new emperor. Pu VI. has
nothing more to do with her son, and
|cannot even live inside of the palace. He
will be brought up by the present en-
press dowager, Ya-hono-la, who, being
the widow of the late emperor. KwanY
Hsu. by law becomes the empress dow
ager, SO that the question of selection
could not possibly enter into this matter.
The prince regent is bound by law to
consult her on all matters of Importance
and her decision is final Ya-hono-la 10
the daughter of the Duke Kwai, brother
of the late empress dowager.
Regarding the late empress dowager0
vaiedictory not having been signed, !
have never in all my experience seen her
sign an imperial edict, and / have seen
great many issued SO that this nonsense
about her last two edicts having been pre-
pared too late for her signature Is pure
fiction. 1t was the custom for all mat
ters to be discussed, and when decision
was arrived at her majesty would say.
Prepare an edict and say SO and So
and this would be written out and sub
mitted to her for approval II it was
satisfactory and she approved of 1t she
would say, "All right" and the edict
would be issued Therefore. these last
two edicts were perfectly legal and did
not need Yuan nor any one else to certify
to them.
The Late Empress Dowager.
Under the heading. True Story of the
Late Empress DOWdSeTs tIC SEluCSS
gentleman in Shanghai who gave this
information to your contributor must
have been a man of colossal ignorance.
for if such were not the case he would
know that Manchu women do not, and
never nave. bound their feet. The late
empress dowager was never in Canton in
her life Also none but Manchus can be-
come members of the imperial household.
fat thnv
Gen. Ching. who was at one time taotai
of Wuhu. Her father was Hwai An, tao.
tai in Shansi province. and later taotai
at Wuhu. where he lost his life.
In the eighth year Of the reign OF Shien
Foong there was a rebellion at Wuhu
and the city was surrounded by rebels.
who cut off the food supply. Hwai An
was helpless and starving. and finally
threw himself into the river and was
drowned. This was considered noble
sacrifice.
His family went back and lived in Pc
king. When the eldest daughter reached
the age of seventeen she was sent ac-
cording to the Manchu law that all Man
chu officials of the second rank and above
shall send their daughters. upon reaching
the age of fourteen to seventeen years,
to the imperial palace to be selected as
secondary wives of the emperor. She
went to the palace along with q great
number of others, but was the only one
selected.
She was a beauty and very clever. and
this coupled with the fact that she gave
birth to a son. soon placed her I'm high
favor Her son was the Emperor Tung
Chi. The emperors wife never had any
children.
After Shien Foong died both his wife
and her late majesty were proclaimed
expresses dowager and regents. but his
wife, not being at all clever. soon became
a nonentity. and from that time until her
death the one whom the world knows as
the great empress dowager held the
power After the death of her son. the
Emperor Tung Chi. it was she who select
ed Kwang Hsu, her nephew. to succeed.
Kwang Hsu being a child of five, her
majesty still held sway, and it Is well
known how she managed to hold ii until
the day of her death. The truth of these
statements can be verified by reference to
the papers in the board of records, where
all Manchu family records are kept.
Kwang Hsu's Brothers and Sisters.
Her late majesty had three sisters and
three brothers, not one brother only, as
the article states. The eldest sister was
the wife of Duke Cheng. the second sister
married Duke Pau. and the youngest sis
ter was the wife of Prince Chung and
mother of the late emperor Kwang Hsu
The family. although somewhat poor,
was noble. and the last thing they would
think of doing would be to sell any men,
ber of their family to a Cantonese mer-
chant They were of the Manchu Blue
Banner Corps.