The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1922-12-01
|H|ST[lIzY'S|
histories
THE PUZZLE OF THE PEASANT
EMPRESS
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#ALL the mystery and intrigue for
10 which the East is famous could
EASILY be epitomized in the strange,
Utmost uncanny story of Tsu-Hsi,
ioEager empress Of China, and for
searS the power behind the throne Of
HE Celestial Empire Where she came
iron, how she exerted her almost SUI
Epanaturai power, the way in which
Bshe managed to substitute the first
cousin Of her dead son in the place
Elt the baby emperor, the manner Of
Dee death, and the very disposition of
Der body, are all yelled in Z cloud Of
uncertainty, from which there energies
only the fact that TsuHsi deserves to
be ranked with Catherine of Russia
Ii one of the few women who ever
spOmpletely dominated a vast, half-say-
Ep kingdom.
The first that was known of Tsu-
HHd was when she arrived in Picking,
|slhTalded, to take her place in the
RanEs Of the wives Of the emperor,
|Hden-Feng. Her beauty and her
harm attracted the favorable atten-
|fM both Of the doWager empress
md the first wife Of the emperor, and
Pie was soon accorded the compare
sflW position of honor as fourth wife
. the emperor, taking the place of the
|saOnd wife when the latter died some
months later.
Two years after Tsu-Hsi entered
9ne palace she gave birth to a son
4 boy who succeeded to the throne
|pOn the death Of his father five
gears later, the first wife of the en-
#eOr being childIess. Long before
zlS time, however, official Picking was
Failng over with gossip as to the
Fnsm Of the peasant empress" as
Rae was known on account of the fact
sl&E her feet had never been bound.
FV0fdlng to: one story, she was a
FSa'egln whose beauty had attracted
#le attention Of the emperor. An
FlAer rumor maintained that she had
yen given to the governor Of q south
Fiu province in return for a favor
FValerfed upon her mother and that
II governor, wishing to secure favor
l Inc eyes of the emperor, had sent
u 70 Peking, where she soon ruled
L court BY virtue Of her overpower-
y personality. A third report
T. one which was most generally
,s'p'ea-was that she was the pro-
!'sF oI Ii Hung Chang, who was sup
s,''g 10 nave placed her in the Inn
In va, palace to further his own ends,
\ living that she was the daughter
soa,, Tartar general, a heritage which
Is%u nave accounted both for her
slS and her ability to dominate
P : around her.
Out 10 matter what her origin
H. H. nlga or low, the fact that Tsu-
ma 'uea the imperial palace with
~ VI IRON is a matter of record. as
|s ae dramatic manner In which she
b,ona, 'Ae plot to wreck her power
|ba,t, sn the murder of her son
bna.' aIter he Lad assembled the
n - 1he conspiracy was success
4, s "o lar as the death of the boy |
hecnn,L L'erned, but no sooner had he |
\ au to a very brief illness than |
D5r Lpress left the bed where his
aotba ny n and proceeded at once to
tba parf OF the palace, snatching
sss ~. 'nree-year-old cousin of the |
so1oe Emperor y, Kwang-Hsu, and pre-
| - = hin to the assembled mandar-
aieb th Ls new ruler of CHINA coup
IaeersS 1 s empress Is said to have en-
bal W., W means of threats OF per-
d ,r Violence against the msndarins
s. fla vain that she would encom.
% hs h. death Of any who dared op-
he s, "shes. From this time ua-
leHs 's ,s Of Kwang-Hsa, In 1908.
hgsdos,.. as 1he read head Of the
~ bu. ss :. sniy as dowager em-
Ned tha - ae power which dem
y vhs ~. snpefor By means OF the
|aauoa = g. be showed a disin-
y hsssss.s aa 10 with her wishes,
>s1S enc OF the yaost ramsry-.