Page:Eminent Chinese Of The Ch’ing Period - Hummel - 1943 - Vol. 1.pdf/309

Rh she thwarted him in his companionship with his wife, that she encouraged him in various excesses, and that from these excesses he finally died. Some biographers aver that the immediate cause of his death was a shock received one day when his mother in anger unexpectedly appeared as he was talking confidentially with his wife. Since reports of this nature are manifestly difficult to confirm we are left with the official statement that he died of smallpox (January 12, 1875). He left no heir.

On December 18, 1874, because of Tsai-ch'un's illness, the Dowager Empresses again became regents. On the afternoon of his death Empress Hsiao-ch'in, having made certain that troops favorable to her were in complete control of the city, called, with Empress Hsiao-chên's nominal consent, a meeting of the Princes, Grand Councilors, Ministers of the Household, and Tutors and Secretaries of the deceased Emperor. Though the Empresses presided jointly, it was Hsiao-ch'in who assumed the leadership and opened the conference by asking the group whether or not a return to rule by Ch'ui-lien t'ing-chêng was desirable. Noting no obstinate objections, she declared herself opposed to the placing of a mature person on the throne, and in favor of selecting a child amenable to education, for the duties that would later be his. She then informed the Assembly that she and Empress Hsiao-chên had already agreed upon the three-year-old child,, eldest son of I-huan, as their choice. The announcement came as a surprise to all present—even to I-huan, the father of the child in question. It was a flagrant violation of the dynastic law of succession which provided that in case of adoption the one chosen should belong to the next generation below the deceased, in order not to throw into confusion the relative positions of the Imperial Family group. If, however, she had chosen, as the regulations required, a nephew of the deceased, she would have been compelled to yield her position as Empress Dowager to Empress Hsiao-chê whom she disliked and had treated with cruelty, and from whom she would have every reason to fear reprisals if placed under her authority. Empress Hsiao-chê, on the other hand, understood clearly the precariousness of her position under the new arrangement. Seeing no hope for herself, or (as some sources maintain) for her unborn child, she committed suicide (see under ).

As soon as the Council agreed to the adoption of Tsai-t'ien, Hsiao-ch'in ordered the child to be brought from I-huan's home to the Palace. Although it was midnight, the proper imperial costumes for the child-emperor were promptly produced, indicating that the decision had been made some time previously. The child, later known as Emperor Tê-tsung, was escorted through the streets by the soldiers under and entered the Palace early in the morning of the following day. He became Emperor with the reign-title, Kuang-hsü (see under ), meaning "Glorious Succession", and the two Dowager Empresses again became co-regents. A few courtiers ventured to object to the choice, on the ground the Tsai-ch'un was thus left without an heir, but Empress Hsiao-ch'in soon took steps to silence such criticism by issuing an edict, promising that as soon as Emperor Tê-tsung had a male heir that son would become the adopted son of Tsai-ch'un, and would continue his line. Opposition, nevertheless, continued, and when four years later committed suicide near Tsai-ch'un's grave, so great was the storm aroused that Hsiao-ch'in was forced to re-affirm her solemn promise that the deceased Emperor would not be left without heirs to worship at his tomb.

In April 1880 Empress Hsiao-ch'in became ill, and Empress Hsiao-chên acted as sole regent for about a year. On April 7, 1881, Hsiao-chên died suddenly, after only a day's illness. Rumors spread that she had been poisoned by Hsiao-ch'in, but the real cause of her death will probably never be known. In deference to her more able and far more aggressive co-regent, Hsiao-chên had gradually relinquished much of the power which as wife and Empress of Emperor Wên-tsung were rightfully hers, and now her life, too, was forfeited. Left as sole regent, Empress Hsiao-ch'in at once took steps to consolidate her authority. Long dissatisfied with I-hsin, probably because of his hand in the execution of An Tê-hai, she finally displaced him in 1884. Taking advantage of the attack of certain irresponsible censors upon him for his conciliatory attitude toward France over the question of Annam, she had him deprived of all his posts and cleverly divided his offices among the following Princes: I-huan, father of the Emperor, was ordered to be consulted on all national affairs; Prince Ch'ing (I-k'uang, see under ) was entrusted with affairs at the Tsung-li Yamen; and Prince Li (Shih-to, see under ) was placed in charge of the Grand Council. Control of affairs inside the Palace was placed in the hands of several 297