Cixi - Revision history

Cixi at 02:15, 12 December 2011

2011-12-12T02:15:47Z

Cixi at 02:14, 12 December 2011

2011-12-12T02:14:47Z

Cixi at 02:12, 12 December 2011

2011-12-12T02:12:58Z

Cixi at 02:11, 12 December 2011

2011-12-12T02:11:49Z

Cixi at 02:07, 12 December 2011

2011-12-12T02:07:37Z

Cixi at 02:05, 12 December 2011

2011-12-12T02:05:34Z

Cixi at 02:03, 12 December 2011

2011-12-12T02:03:10Z

Cixi at 02:01, 12 December 2011

2011-12-12T02:01:00Z

Cixi at 01:59, 12 December 2011

2011-12-12T01:59:16Z

Cixi at 01:57, 12 December 2011

2011-12-12T01:57:29Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:15, 12 December 2011
Line 11:		Line 11:

	The very next week I was told that I was to become one of Emperor Xianfeng's concubines, and I knew I was being given an opportunity to rewrite my fate; the chance to fight as a man like Hua Mulan. But first I must fight as a woman. I will tell you upfront that my mission succeeded. I followed my mother's advice and became adept at all the womanly arts of war. Once I had risen above all the men in the land, I completed the dream that neither my mother nor Hua Mulan dared to dream, and became a man myself. I had everyone address me as they would a man, and my subjects referred to me fondly as Lao Fo Ye (The Old Buddha) in my later years. I even required my adopted son Guanxu to call me "father", for that was what I was to him (Liu 151). I could not care for and tenderly nurture Guanxu as a mother should, I had to guide him with the hard hand of a father so he would understand that his place was beneath me. Would I had been born a man. You can have no idea how many times I have had this thought. I thought it the first night I was presented to the emperor Xianfeng, the day I was forced to rid China of Tongzhi, my worthless son, and again the day before my death when I ordered Guanxu poisoned so that he wouldn't further corrupt and erode my beautiful empire in my absence. If I had not been born a wretched woman, I would not have had to bloody my hands so. If I had been born to my rightful role as emperor, I would not have had to watch as one worthless fool after another wrought disaster upon China. If I had only been born a man, China would have joined together to successfully vanquish the Western threats and the emperors of China would now be ruling on high over the whole world as is our right, as would have been our destiny.		The very next week I was told that I was to become one of Emperor Xianfeng's concubines, and I knew I was being given an opportunity to rewrite my fate; the chance to fight as a man like Hua Mulan. But first I must fight as a woman. I will tell you upfront that my mission succeeded. I followed my mother's advice and became adept at all the womanly arts of war. Once I had risen above all the men in the land, I completed the dream that neither my mother nor Hua Mulan dared to dream, and became a man myself. I had everyone address me as they would a man, and my subjects referred to me fondly as Lao Fo Ye (The Old Buddha) in my later years. I even required my adopted son Guanxu to call me "father", for that was what I was to him (Liu 151). I could not care for and tenderly nurture Guanxu as a mother should, I had to guide him with the hard hand of a father so he would understand that his place was beneath me. Would I had been born a man. You can have no idea how many times I have had this thought. I thought it the first night I was presented to the emperor Xianfeng, the day I was forced to rid China of Tongzhi, my worthless son, and again the day before my death when I ordered Guanxu poisoned so that he wouldn't further corrupt and erode my beautiful empire in my absence. If I had not been born a wretched woman, I would not have had to bloody my hands so. If I had been born to my rightful role as emperor, I would not have had to watch as one worthless fool after another wrought disaster upon China. If I had only been born a man, China would have joined together to successfully vanquish the Western threats and the emperors of China would now be ruling on high over the whole world as is our right, as would have been our destiny.
		+

	I was born on November 29, 1835, to a distinguished Manchu lineage, the Nehonala clan, though my father was only a minor official (Perkins 93). Even as a child, I had been discontent with my position in life, so when I was named a consort of the Emperor Xianfeng in 1851 at the age of 16 (Perkins 93), I gladly accepted the role to escape from the drudgery of my life. I ascended through the ranks of Kianfeng’s consorts until I became a favorite in 1856 for having born him his only living son, Tongzhi (Perkins 93). However, ascending to the rank of empress Dowager was no easy task, as I soon discovered. I did not find palace life as exciting as I had expected. I enjoyed the luxuries the the palace had to offer, but the life was decidedly dull. I was kept even more out of sight than I had been in family's household. The emperor didn't take much notice of his newest concubine for a long time. I decided that it was best to use my long hours of boredom to their best advantage and I studied diligently the arts of calligraphy and painting until I became remarkably adept at them (Pakula 40). When the emperor finally noticed my beauty and talents, I worked doubly hard to be pleasing to him, and my efforts paid off almost immediately. I love the theater exceedingly, and have always prided myself that I was able to act as well as anyone I saw on the stage; “I can make people hate me worse than poison, and I can also make them love me. I have the power” (Perkins 18). All of China was my stage, and it was simple work to act my way into the emperor's good graces, for he had a simple mind and was an exceptionally easy audience to read. Seeing that I showed great interest in his affairs, the emperor readily allowed me to read official documents and discussed his most important policy matters with me. It was thus that I became highly literate and knowledgeable about the ways of government, and thus that I became even more unsatisfied with my meager role. I began to take a more active part in state affairs and realized how much more suitable I was to rule than so many of the inept officials that the emperor kept by his side. China had been steadily falling into a state of disarray. I could not understand why officials were allowing Westerners to cross into our empire with their foreign religions and tainted ideas to corrupt our people. This is not to say that I was not interested in the many wonders that the West had to offer. At some point, right under the sleeping noses of the Manchu officials, countries such as Britain and the United States had surpassed us in technology. I saw the opportunity to utilize Western technology and to surpass it.		I was born on November 29, 1835, to a distinguished Manchu lineage, the Nehonala clan, though my father was only a minor official (Perkins 93). Even as a child, I had been discontent with my position in life, so when I was named a consort of the Emperor Xianfeng in 1851 at the age of 16 (Perkins 93), I gladly accepted the role to escape from the drudgery of my life. I ascended through the ranks of Kianfeng’s consorts until I became a favorite in 1856 for having born him his only living son, Tongzhi (Perkins 93). However, ascending to the rank of empress Dowager was no easy task, as I soon discovered. I did not find palace life as exciting as I had expected. I enjoyed the luxuries the the palace had to offer, but the life was decidedly dull. I was kept even more out of sight than I had been in family's household. The emperor didn't take much notice of his newest concubine for a long time. I decided that it was best to use my long hours of boredom to their best advantage and I studied diligently the arts of calligraphy and painting until I became remarkably adept at them (Pakula 40). When the emperor finally noticed my beauty and talents, I worked doubly hard to be pleasing to him, and my efforts paid off almost immediately. I love the theater exceedingly, and have always prided myself that I was able to act as well as anyone I saw on the stage; “I can make people hate me worse than poison, and I can also make them love me. I have the power” (Perkins 18). All of China was my stage, and it was simple work to act my way into the emperor's good graces, for he had a simple mind and was an exceptionally easy audience to read. Seeing that I showed great interest in his affairs, the emperor readily allowed me to read official documents and discussed his most important policy matters with me. It was thus that I became highly literate and knowledgeable about the ways of government, and thus that I became even more unsatisfied with my meager role. I began to take a more active part in state affairs and realized how much more suitable I was to rule than so many of the inept officials that the emperor kept by his side. China had been steadily falling into a state of disarray. I could not understand why officials were allowing Westerners to cross into our empire with their foreign religions and tainted ideas to corrupt our people. This is not to say that I was not interested in the many wonders that the West had to offer. At some point, right under the sleeping noses of the Manchu officials, countries such as Britain and the United States had surpassed us in technology. I saw the opportunity to utilize Western technology and to surpass it.

@@ Line 57: / Line 57: @@
 (Pictures: Emperor Puyi as a child on the left. Emperoro Puyi as an adult on the right.)
-I died of a stroke  at the age of 73, one day after my nephew’s death (Paludan 216). Before I died, I selected my grand-nephew, the 3 year old Puyi, as the successor to the throne (Perkins 95). When I chose Puyi as heir, I was neither thinking of China, nor her future. No, I was dreaming one last dream of what it would be like if I could only live another 10 years, or even five. If the God that the Westerners held so dear was to grant me just five more years, I am sure I would have made China great again. I did not want China to continue on without me. If I, Lao Fo Ye, should fall, then China should fall with me. I am Cixi, the last empress of China.
+I died of a stroke  at the age of 73, one day after my nephew’s death (Paludan 216). Before I died, I selected my grand-nephew, the three year old Puyi, as the successor to the throne (Perkins 95). When I chose Puyi as heir, I was neither thinking of China, nor her future. No, I was dreaming one last dream of what it would be like if I could only live another ten years, or even five. If the God that the Westerners held so dear was to grant me just five more years, I am sure I would have made China great again. I did not want China to continue on without me. If I, Lao Fo Ye, should fall, then China should fall with me. I am Cixi, the last empress of China.
 [[File:Cixi 4.jpg]]

@@ Line 57: / Line 57: @@
 (Pictures: Emperor Puyi as a child on the left. Emperoro Puyi as an adult on the right.)
-I died of a stroke  at the age of 73, one day after my nephew’s death (Paludan 216). Before I died, I selected my grand-nephew, the 3 year old Puyi as the successor to the throne (Perkins 95). When I chose Puyi as heir, I was neither thinking of China, nor her future. No, I was dreaming one last dream of what it would be like if I could only live another 10 years, or even five. If the God that the Westerners held so dear was to grant me just five more years, I am sure I would have made China great again. I did not want China to continue on without me. If I, Lao Fo Ye, should fall, then China should fall with me. I am Cixi, the last empress of China.
+I died of a stroke  at the age of 73, one day after my nephew’s death (Paludan 216). Before I died, I selected my grand-nephew, the 3 year old Puyi, as the successor to the throne (Perkins 95). When I chose Puyi as heir, I was neither thinking of China, nor her future. No, I was dreaming one last dream of what it would be like if I could only live another 10 years, or even five. If the God that the Westerners held so dear was to grant me just five more years, I am sure I would have made China great again. I did not want China to continue on without me. If I, Lao Fo Ye, should fall, then China should fall with me. I am Cixi, the last empress of China.
 [[File:Cixi 4.jpg]]

@@ Line 51: / Line 51: @@
 China was growing weaker because of rapidly expanding European influences. Foreign missionaries came in great numbers to convert my people so that even the emperor himself had become corrupted. Word began to spread of a secret society known as the Yihequan (Righteous and Harmonious Fists), that practiced martial arts and claimed to have super natural powers that would make them resistant even to the strike of a bullet ("Boxer Rebellion"). The Yihequan were determined to restore China to its former glory, free of foreign taint, and hearing that the voices of my people were behind them, I gave my consent in 1898 to what is now called the Boxer Rebellion (Paludan 214). Unfortunately, China had fallen too far already, and I was forced to flee from the western troops with Guanxu to a temporary capital in Xi’an (Paludan 214). Guanxu resisted my orders for him to flee disguised as a peasant. When I discovered that his defiance was brought about by the urging of his favored lover, the Pear Concubine, I had the girl thrown into a well (Paludan 214). I understood my nephew; he always needed someone to rely on, and with the source of his borrowed power gone, he quickly gave in to his long held fear of me, and reverted to his malleable self. When I saw that the battles were not going in our favor, although I was greatly ashamed, I decided it was best to live to fight another day and signed the Boxer Protocol which forced China to pay a great indemnity of 200 Million ounces of silver, placed a ban on the making of armaments, punished many for war crimes, stopped the imperial examinations, and forced the lease of land for mines and railways, among other demands (Perkins 95, Pakula 43). I was then able to return to the capital and continue my reign in 1902, although I had to reenact many reforms that I had abolished (Perkins 95). I had to watch quietly as many of my citizens went to study in America and as many western-style schools were built (Perkins 95).
-I was disappointed with the state of the empire, which I had inherited on the verge of its death. I wished that I could have been born in one of the many thousands of years of prosperity that China had enjoyed. Yet, In spite of everything, I pushed on. I have always been adaptable, not like Xianfeng or either of my sons who allowed themselves to lose to their despair. So it was that I began to play the foreigners' game, confident that I could still somehow manage to come out on top.  Unfortunately, my body was beginning to fail me. The body that had once been so young, so beautiful, so full of life, was now old, lined, and feeble. Oh how I wished to turn back the clock. I knew that this was one scheme that no matter how hard I planned, could not succeed. But even if I could not be victorious, I could at least make it so that I was not the only one defeated. I could never stand losing, so I turned my thoughts to my final enemy, and hatched my final scheme. Guanxu must die. Guanxu, who had pushed China past its breaking point, Guanxu, who was waiting for my death to be restored to power: it was my duty to remove this evil which I myself had placed on the throne so many years ago. Guanxu's death didn't need any planning, it was as simple as waving one of my faithful servants over to my bedside and telling him to poison the emperor,and it was done. Guanxu died of arsenic poisoning at the age of 36 in November 1908 (Arsenic). Game set and match.
+I was disappointed with the state of the empire, which I had inherited on the verge of its death. I wished that I could have been born in one of the many thousands of years of prosperity that China had enjoyed. Yet, In spite of everything, I pushed on. I have always been adaptable, not like Xianfeng or either of my sons who allowed themselves to lose to their despair. So it was that I began to play the foreigners' game, confident that I could still somehow manage to come out on top.  Unfortunately, my body was beginning to fail me. The body that had once been so young, so beautiful, so full of life, was now old, lined, and feeble. Oh how I wished to turn back the clock. I knew that this was one scheme that no matter how hard I planned, could not succeed. But even if I could not be victorious, I could at least make it so that I was not the only one defeated. I could never stand losing, so I turned my thoughts to my final enemy, and hatched my final scheme. Guanxu must die. Guanxu, who had pushed China past its breaking point, Guanxu, who was waiting for my death to be restored to power: it was my duty to remove this evil which I myself had placed on the throne so many years ago. Guanxu's death didn't need any planning, it was as simple as waving one of my faithful servants over to my bedside and telling him to poison the emperor,and it was done. Guanxu died of arsenic poisoning at the age of 36 in November of 1908 (Arsenic). Game set and match.
 [[File:Pu Yi.jpg]] [[File:Puyi.jpg]]

@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 After constant visits to the emperor's chambers, my efforts finally came to fruition. When I felt the baby in my womb, I began to hatch a scheme around that small life. I prayed to my ancestors every day that it might be a son so that it would be heir to the throne. I prayed that this infant would be the means through which I could unify China once more. With grand visions forming in my mind, I waited patiently through the troubles and annoyances of pregnancy. When the baby was finally born and pronounced a boy, I cried for joy: I was to be free from my frustration at last. Or so I thought; life is never that simple and many hurdles would arise before I could assume the throne. I was promoted to the rank of Imperial Consort Yi immediately after the birth of my son,who was named Tongzhi. Before long, I was further promoted to Noble Consort Yi , second only to the empress (West 498), although I was prized by the emperor more than the empress Cian because I had done what she could not. I was finally able to convince the emperor to name my son the legal successor to the throne when Tongzhi was six years of age (Pakula 41).
-China was crumbling pitiably under Xianfeng's rule.He could not even quell the Taiping Rebellion which was led by a madman who claimed to be some sort of Western God, and the rebellion stretched on from 1850-1864 (Paludan 209). In 1860, during the Second Opium War, I was even forced to flee with my emperor from our Summer Palace in Beijing to our summer resort in Jehol because of an attack from British and French troops (Paludan 209). The humiliation from the capture of Beijing, coupled with his cowardly flight, left Xianfeng too embarrassed to return to the capital or even speak with his own officials (Paludan 209). In shame, the emperor died in 1861(Perkins 93), and I prepared for the new role that I was to play without an emperor to rule over me. Before Xianfeng died, he made his eight most conservative advisers joint regents over my son, Tongzhi, and I was given the rank of the empress dowager (Perkins 93). I conspired to gain power with Prince Gong, and successfully arrested the eight regents standing in my way, executing three of them (Perkins 93). I became co-regent with the legitimate wife of Xianfeng, the empress consort Cian (Perkins 93). Cian was ignorant about anything concerning politics and could neither read nor write, and so was only too happy to leave state affairs to me (Pakula 41).
+China was crumbling pitiably under Xianfeng's rule.He could not even quell the Taiping Rebellion which was led by a madman who claimed to be some sort of Western God, and the rebellion stretched on from 1850-1864 (Paludan 209). In 1860, during the Second Opium War, I was even forced to flee with my emperor from our Summer Palace in Beijing to our summer resort in Jehol because of an attack from British and French troops (Paludan 209). The humiliation from the capture of Beijing, coupled with his cowardly flight, left Xianfeng too embarrassed to return to the capital or even speak with his own officials (Paludan 209). In shame, the emperor died in 1861(Perkins 93), and I prepared for the new role that I was to play without an emperor to rule over me. Before Xianfeng died, he made his eight most conservative advisers joint regents over my son, Tongzhi, and I was given the rank of the Empress Dowager (Perkins 93). I conspired to gain power with Prince Gong, and successfully arrested the eight regents standing in my way, executing three of them (Perkins 93). I became co-regent with the legitimate wife of Xianfeng, the Empress Consort, Cian (Perkins 93). Cian was ignorant about anything concerning politics and could neither read nor write, and so was only too happy to leave state affairs to me (Pakula 41).
 [[File:Emperor Xianfeng.PNG]]  [[File:Emperor Tongzhi.jpg]]
@@ Line 49: / Line 49: @@
 I had an edict sent out declaring that I would resume my regency do to the emperors ill health (Perkins 20). This edict and knowledge of the coup d'état caused  many rumors to circulate in China and abroad that the emperor had been executed (Perkins 20). Some Western governments threatened that they would act against us if the emperor were executed, going so far as to insist that a doctor be allowed to see Guanxu so as to ascertain his state of health. I acquiesced to this request, but the Chinese people were outraged at the audacity of the foreigners' demands, causing several anti-foreign riots to break out (Perkins 20). Here I will admit that my mind had begun to process the idea that Guanxu had become more of a nuisance than an asset. I had perhaps been too sluggish in reaching this conclusion, no doubt do to some foolish attachment I felt towards Guanxu because he was my own flesh and blood and my adopted son. Having at last reached the decision to terminate the barrier to China's restoration, I could not let anyone deter me from my path. I had the windows in Guanxu's chambers walled off (Paludan 214), and waited patiently for the foreign states to forget about his existence and move on with their own affairs.
-China was growing weaker because of rapidly expanding European influences. Foreign missionaries came in great numbers to convert my people so that even the emperor himself had become corrupted. Word began to spread of a secret society known as the Yihequan (Righteous and Harmonious Fists), that practiced martial arts and claimed to have super natural powers that would make them resistant even to the strike of a bullet ("Boxer Rebellion"). The Yihequan were determined to restore China to its former glory, free of foreign taint, and hearing that the voices of my people were behind them, I gave my consent in 1898 to what is now called the Boxer Rebellion (Paludan 214). Unfortunately, China had fallen too far already, and I was forced to flee from the western troops with Guanxu to a temporary capital in Xi’an (Paludan 214). Guanxu resisted my orders for him to flee disguised as a peasant. When I discovered that his defiance was brought about by the urging of his favored lover the Pear Concubine, I had the girl thrown into a well (Paludan 214). I understood my nephew; he always needed someone to rely on, and with the source of his borrowed power gone, he quickly gave in to his long held fear of me, and reverted to his malleable self. When I saw that the battles were not going in our favor, although I was greatly ashamed, I decided it was best to live to fight another day and signed the Boxer Protocol which forced China to pay a great indemnity of 200 Million ounces of silver, placed a ban on the making of armaments, punished many for war crimes, stopped the imperial examinations, and forced the lease of land for mines and railways, among other demands (Perkins 95, Pakula 43). I was then able to return to the capital and continue my reign in 1902, although I had to reenact many reforms that I had abolished (Perkins 95). I had to watch quietly as many of my citizens went to study in America and as many western-style schools were built (Perkins 95).
+China was growing weaker because of rapidly expanding European influences. Foreign missionaries came in great numbers to convert my people so that even the emperor himself had become corrupted. Word began to spread of a secret society known as the Yihequan (Righteous and Harmonious Fists), that practiced martial arts and claimed to have super natural powers that would make them resistant even to the strike of a bullet ("Boxer Rebellion"). The Yihequan were determined to restore China to its former glory, free of foreign taint, and hearing that the voices of my people were behind them, I gave my consent in 1898 to what is now called the Boxer Rebellion (Paludan 214). Unfortunately, China had fallen too far already, and I was forced to flee from the western troops with Guanxu to a temporary capital in Xi’an (Paludan 214). Guanxu resisted my orders for him to flee disguised as a peasant. When I discovered that his defiance was brought about by the urging of his favored lover, the Pear Concubine, I had the girl thrown into a well (Paludan 214). I understood my nephew; he always needed someone to rely on, and with the source of his borrowed power gone, he quickly gave in to his long held fear of me, and reverted to his malleable self. When I saw that the battles were not going in our favor, although I was greatly ashamed, I decided it was best to live to fight another day and signed the Boxer Protocol which forced China to pay a great indemnity of 200 Million ounces of silver, placed a ban on the making of armaments, punished many for war crimes, stopped the imperial examinations, and forced the lease of land for mines and railways, among other demands (Perkins 95, Pakula 43). I was then able to return to the capital and continue my reign in 1902, although I had to reenact many reforms that I had abolished (Perkins 95). I had to watch quietly as many of my citizens went to study in America and as many western-style schools were built (Perkins 95).
 I was disappointed with the state of the empire, which I had inherited on the verge of its death. I wished that I could have been born in one of the many thousands of years of prosperity that China had enjoyed. Yet, In spite of everything, I pushed on. I have always been adaptable, not like Xianfeng or either of my sons who allowed themselves to lose to their despair. So it was that I began to play the foreigners' game, confident that I could still somehow manage to come out on top.  Unfortunately, my body was beginning to fail me. The body that had once been so young, so beautiful, so full of life, was now old, lined, and feeble. Oh how I wished to turn back the clock. I knew that this was one scheme that no matter how hard I planned, could not succeed. But even if I could not be victorious, I could at least make it so that I was not the only one defeated. I could never stand losing, so I turned my thoughts to my final enemy, and hatched my final scheme. Guanxu must die. Guanxu, who had pushed China past its breaking point, Guanxu, who was waiting for my death to be restored to power: it was my duty to remove this evil which I myself had placed on the throne so many years ago. Guanxu's death didn't need any planning, it was as simple as waving one of my faithful servants over to my bedside and telling him to poison the emperor,and it was done. Guanxu died of arsenic poisoning at the age of 36 in November 1908 (Arsenic). Game set and match.

@@ Line 47: / Line 47: @@
 More and more, foreign forces were threatening my great empire, especially the states that traditionally brought tribute to China. France took control of the vassal state of Vietnam, and  an ever advancing Japan took over Burma and the Ryukyu Islands, and then proceeded to threaten Korea, and conquer Port Arthur, Taiwan, and the Pescadore Islands (Perkins 94). As if these travesties were not enough, in 1898, Guanxu issued a foolish set of progressive edicts spurred on by the poisonous words of Kang Youwei and his ever faithful fanboy, Liang Qichao, in what was called the Hundred Day Reform ("Hundred Days of Reform").  I had been waiting quietly in the Summer Palace, pretending to support the emperor in his many reforms, but his  progressive actions began to greatly alarm me as to the degree in which they would weaken the Qing government (Perkins18-20). Guanxu, ever anxious about my interference, ordered me arrested and imprisoned (Perkins 20). Unfortunately for my nephew, he trusted the wrong man. General Yuan Shikai, the agent whom he entrusted with the order for my arrest, was in fact a loyal pawn of mine (Perkins 20). I reversed Guanxu's thwarted plan on him; eunuchs captured the emperor in his chambers and escorted him to the Ocean Terrace, an island in a lake near the Forbidden City (Perkins 20).  I quickly and decisively proceeded to arrest and execute the officials responsible for the corruption of the emperor's mind, and within five days, I had revoked all of the edicts that Guanxu had tried to put in place (Schoppa 44). I rewarded Yuan Shikai for his usefulness in this affair by giving him governorship of the province of Shandong (Perkins 94). To my great disappointment,Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao escaped my grasp by fleeing to their beloved Japan ("Kang").
-I had an edict sent out declaring that I would resume my regency do to the emperors ill health (Perkins 20). This edict and knowledge of the coup d'état caused  many rumors to circulate in China and abroad that the emperor had been executed (Perkins 20). Some Western governments threatened that they would act against us if the emperor were executed, going so far as to insist that a doctor be allowed to see Guanxu so as to ascertain his state of health. I acquiesced to this request, but the Chinese people were outraged at the audacity of the foreigners' demands and so several anti-foreign riots broke out (Perkins 20). Here I will admit that my mind had begun to process the idea that Guanxu had become more of a nuisance than an asset. I had perhaps been too sluggish in reaching this conclusion, no doubt do to some foolish attachment I felt towards Guanxu because he was my own flesh and blood and my adopted son. Having at last reached the decision to terminate the barrier to China's restoration, I could not let anyone deter me from my path. I had the windows in Guanxu's chambers walled off (Paludan 214), and waited patiently for the foreign states to forget about his existence and move on with their own affairs.
+I had an edict sent out declaring that I would resume my regency do to the emperors ill health (Perkins 20). This edict and knowledge of the coup d'état caused  many rumors to circulate in China and abroad that the emperor had been executed (Perkins 20). Some Western governments threatened that they would act against us if the emperor were executed, going so far as to insist that a doctor be allowed to see Guanxu so as to ascertain his state of health. I acquiesced to this request, but the Chinese people were outraged at the audacity of the foreigners' demands, causing several anti-foreign riots to break out (Perkins 20). Here I will admit that my mind had begun to process the idea that Guanxu had become more of a nuisance than an asset. I had perhaps been too sluggish in reaching this conclusion, no doubt do to some foolish attachment I felt towards Guanxu because he was my own flesh and blood and my adopted son. Having at last reached the decision to terminate the barrier to China's restoration, I could not let anyone deter me from my path. I had the windows in Guanxu's chambers walled off (Paludan 214), and waited patiently for the foreign states to forget about his existence and move on with their own affairs.
 China was growing weaker because of rapidly expanding European influences. Foreign missionaries came in great numbers to convert my people so that even the emperor himself began to be corrupted. Word began to spread of a secret society known as the Yihequan (Righteous and Harmonious Fists) that practiced martial arts and claimed to have super natural powers that would make them resistant even to the strike of a bullet ("Boxer Rebellion"). The Yihequan were determined to restore China to its former glory, free of foreign taint, and hearing that the voices of my people were behind them, I gave my consent in 1898 to what is now called the Boxer Rebellion (Paludan 214). Unfortunately, China had fallen too far already, and I was forced to flee from the western troops with Guanxu to a temporary capital in Xi’an (Paludan 214). Guanxu resisted my orders for him to flee disguised as a peasant. When I discovered that his defiance was brought about by the urging of his favored lover the Pear Concubine, I had the girl thrown into a well (Paludan 214). I understood my nephew; he always needed someone to rely on, and with the source of his borrowed power gone, he quickly gave in to his long held fear of me, and reverted to his malleable self. When I saw that the battles were not going in our favor, although I was greatly ashamed, I decided it was best to live to fight another day and signed the Boxer Protocol which forced China to pay a great indemnity of 200 Million ounces of silver, placed a ban on the making of armaments, punished many for war crimes, stopped the imperial examinations, and forced the lease of land for mines and railways, among other demands (Perkins 95, Pakula 43). I was then able to return to the capital and continue my reign in 1902, although I had to reenact many reforms that I had abolished (Perkins 95). I had to watch quietly as many of my citizens went to study in America and as many western-style schools were built (Perkins 95).

@@ Line 45: / Line 45: @@
 Guanxu came of age in 1866, but I did not give up my regency until he married in 1889 (Perkins 93), when I was forced by propriety to declare my regency ended and retire to the Summer Palace ("Cixi"). Even then, I was able to maintain some degree of control, due more to the fact that Guanxu dared not defy me than to any real claim I had to the power. I made decisions and appointments which my nephew couldn’t veto and I read all of his official documents (Perkins 93). You must understand that neither Guanxu nor Tongzhi was as fit to rule as I. Guanxu especially, was afraid of me. It was my intention that my adopted son live in proper awe of my presence, but it was quite amusing at times how he used to quake in fear as a child and hide behind the skirts of his nursemaids whenever he was in my presence, as if I were some ravenous animal come to tear him to shreds (Paludan 213-214). I wonder if I really had such a hungered look on my face as I looked down on him, envying his birthright and planning how to best claim it for my own. Guanxu grew no better as he aged. He was a chronically ill wisp of a man with a voice that was ‘light and thin like a mosquito,’and I believe that he never quite got over his dread of me (Paludan 213-214). Guanxu had not the temperament, nor the talents to rule a great nation under constant threat. Being faced with such a pathetic excuse for an emperor, I could not give up my power willingly. I had studied law for much longer and had amassed more experience than Quanxu or Tongzhi, and I was doing only what I saw as necessary in order to protect the empire I held so dear.
-More and more, foreign forces were threatening my great empire, especially the states that traditionally brought tribute to China. France took control of the vassal state of Vietnam, and  an ever advancing Japan took over Burma and the Ryukyu Islands, and then proceeded to threaten Korea, and conquer Port Arthur, Taiwan, and the Pescadore Islands (Perkins 94). As if these travesties were not enough, in 1898, Guanxu issued a foolish set of progressive edicts spurred on by the poisonous words of Kang Youwei and his ever faithful fanboy, Liang Qichao, in what was called the Hundred Day Reform ("Hundred Days of Reform").  I had been waiting quietly in the Summer Palace, pretending to support the emperor in his many reforms, but his  progressive actions began to greatly alarm me as to the degree in which they would weaken the Qing government(Perkins18-20). Guanxu, ever anxious about my interference, ordered me arrested and imprisoned (Perkins 20). Unfortunately for my nephew, he trusted the wrong man. General Yuan Shikai, the agent whom he entrusted with the order for my arrest, was in fact a loyal pawn of mine (Perkins 20). I reversed Guanxu's thwarted plan on him; eunuchs captured the emperor in his chambers and escorted him to the Ocean Terrace, an island in a lake near the Forbidden City (Perkins 20).  I quickly and decisively proceeded to arrest and execute the officials responsible for the corruption of the emperor's mind, and within five days, I had revoked all of the edicts that Guanxu had tried to put in place (Schoppa 44). I rewarded Yuan Shikai for his usefulness in this affair by giving him governorship of the province of Shandong (Perkins 94). To my great disappointment,Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao escaped my grasp by fleeing to their beloved Japan ("Kang").
+More and more, foreign forces were threatening my great empire, especially the states that traditionally brought tribute to China. France took control of the vassal state of Vietnam, and  an ever advancing Japan took over Burma and the Ryukyu Islands, and then proceeded to threaten Korea, and conquer Port Arthur, Taiwan, and the Pescadore Islands (Perkins 94). As if these travesties were not enough, in 1898, Guanxu issued a foolish set of progressive edicts spurred on by the poisonous words of Kang Youwei and his ever faithful fanboy, Liang Qichao, in what was called the Hundred Day Reform ("Hundred Days of Reform").  I had been waiting quietly in the Summer Palace, pretending to support the emperor in his many reforms, but his  progressive actions began to greatly alarm me as to the degree in which they would weaken the Qing government (Perkins18-20). Guanxu, ever anxious about my interference, ordered me arrested and imprisoned (Perkins 20). Unfortunately for my nephew, he trusted the wrong man. General Yuan Shikai, the agent whom he entrusted with the order for my arrest, was in fact a loyal pawn of mine (Perkins 20). I reversed Guanxu's thwarted plan on him; eunuchs captured the emperor in his chambers and escorted him to the Ocean Terrace, an island in a lake near the Forbidden City (Perkins 20).  I quickly and decisively proceeded to arrest and execute the officials responsible for the corruption of the emperor's mind, and within five days, I had revoked all of the edicts that Guanxu had tried to put in place (Schoppa 44). I rewarded Yuan Shikai for his usefulness in this affair by giving him governorship of the province of Shandong (Perkins 94). To my great disappointment,Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao escaped my grasp by fleeing to their beloved Japan ("Kang").
 I had an edict sent out an declaring that I would resume my regency do to the emperors ill health (Perkins 20). This edict and knowledge of the coup d'état caused  many rumors to circulate in China and abroad that the emperor had been executed (Perkins 20). Some Western governments threatened that they would act against us if the emperor were executed, going so far as to insist that a doctor be allowed to see Guanxu so as to ascertain his state of health. I acquiesced to this request, but the Chinese people were outraged at the audacity of the foreigners' demands and so several anti-foreign riots broke out (Perkins 20). Here I will admit that my mind had begun to process the idea that Guanxu had become more of a nuisance than an asset. I had perhaps been too sluggish in reaching this conclusion, no doubt do to some foolish attachment I felt towards Guanxu because he was my own flesh and blood and my adopted son. Having at last reached the decision to terminate the barrier to China's restoration, I could not let anyone deter me from my path. I had the windows in Guanxu's chambers walled off (Paludan 214), and waited patiently for the foreign states to forget about his existence and move on with their own affairs.