The Detroit times., 1911-05-05
SECRET RULER
DIES OF NEGLECT
Ii Lien-Ying, Chief Eunuch Of Tzu
Hsi Regime, Rose To Palace Rule
From Cobbler's Bench.

PEKING, May Ali Lien-Ying, the
power behind the throne" during the
reign OF her late majesty, the EN-
press Dowager Tzu Hsi, Is dead. at
the age of 90. His fortune Is esti-
mated at s13.000.00O. practically all
OF Il accumulated since the Boxer re-
bellion OF several years ago. when the
foreign troops. after the siege and
capture of Picking. found and pillaged
his vast treasures OF gold. silver and
gems. he is succeeded as cher
eunuch OF the palace by Chang Yuan
fu, whose influence over the new boy
emperor and the present empress
dowager, Lung Yu. Is already SUB
ject OF comment among the repre-
sentatives of the foreign powers.
Ii Lien-Yin began his career as
cobbler's apprentice in the proyin-
cial village, Ho Chen Flu. In 1869
he became the chief eunuch at the
palace, his predecessor An Te-hai,
having been beheaded by the govern
or OF Shantung. who objected to the
royal favorite's manner OF levying
taxes In the province. Ii got the
favor OF the empress. Tzu Hsi. by his
good looks and manners and by his
intelligence and devotion. He was
clever at getting up palace theatricals,
especially Mosques.
Gradually Ii got even a stronger
hold on the empress than even her
devoted kinsman, Jung Lu, and In
| time he grew to be feared and hated
by high dignitaries all over the EN-
| pire. He was a cunning. unscrupu-
leus politician and CRATER" adulated
by contractors and sedulous In
spreading the pernicious influence OF
his intrigues and corruption every
where AS grand chamberlain and
supreme confidential adviser OF "Old
Buddha," as the empires dowager was
called, he was the object OF many
plots He had TO take extraordinary
precautions against poison and the
knife. and he had numberless remark
able escapes from death.
II was Ia Lien Wing who, In the re
form movement OF 1898, condemned
the emperor, Kuang Hsu, to the gid
ed prison, which he never afterward
left. II was Ii who In his own crazy
faith in the Boxers, persuaded Tzu
Hsi TO hold out TO the very last the
seige OF the legations, telling her the
Boxers were sure to win in the end
and would drive the foreign devils
into the sea. Ii would have been
handed over to the executioners, II
is now said, but for the friendly inter
ference of Russia after the rebellion
For time though he skulked about
the forbidden palace in hiding. fear
full of his imperial mistress's venge
ance.
His cunning gradually enabled l.
to regain his ascendancy over the old
empress dowager, and while the
| court was in residence at Hsi-an be
was SO systematic in his rapacities
In the way of tribute levying he bull
up his fortune almost TO it's former
vast proportions. He and Prince
/ Ching were the chief tax grabbers Of
the empire. After the death OF Tzu
Hsi, the chief eunuch gradually pinned
away, deprived of all power and re
spect.
II was hoped the new regime In
China would shake of the rule OF the
eunuchs, but the ascendancy oI
Chang Yuan-fu gives little promise Of
relief except by revolution or assas
sination.
THE system, centuries old, con
tinues to lower China in the eyes Of
the world. So long as 1t persists the
evils of oriental corruption and In
trigue will remain to hinder progress.
! This extract from the reform propa
ganda is being widely circulated.