Chapter 26 The Return of the Empress Dowager Cixi, 1898

On September 21, 1898, the Empress Dowager Cixi carried out what many scholars call a coup d’état against the Guangxu Emperor to stop the ongoing reforms. The Empress Dowager, however, had been almost daily informed of the sweeping reforms underway in the palace that summer. Not only did she regularly meet with the emperor and have draft edicts brought to her at the Yihe Park Palace, but she also maintained her own lines of communication with numerous high officials. Why suddenly remove the emperor from power? One interpretation suggests Cixi’s aloofness from active politics made her subject to manipulation by court conservatives. In early September, conserva- tives and cashiered officials like Huaitabu, the former president of the Board of Rites, and a blood relation of the Empress Dowager, began beseeching her to slow the reforms. When the Empress showed weakness by not responding to such pleas, the Kang Youwei-Liang Qichao faction saw their opportunity to eliminate the influence of the Empress Dowager by plotting an attack on the Summer Palace. To achieve their goal, they needed to remove her most trusted advisor, Ronglu, the Viceroy of Zhili and commander of the northern armies. On September 18, the reformers despatched Tan Sitong to meet with Yuan Shikai, commander of the modern-style New Army, whom they hoped would arrest or execute Ronglu. Instead, Yuan Shikai returned to Tianjin where he informed Ronglu of the plot on September 20. The palace coup took place the following day. There is some evidence for the plot against the Empress Dowager, but she had already returned to the Forbidden City on September 19. What brought the Empress rushing back to the capital, another interpretation suggests, was a petition by Yang Chongyi, who not only suggested Kang Youwei had formed a “clique” to influence imperial policy, but was on the verge of selling out the country to Ito Hirobumi, the former prime minister of Japan, who had a sched- uled meeting with the Guangxu Emperor on September 20. In this version, the Empress Dowager returned to the Palace to attend the audience with Ito to en- sure nothing unseemly took place. When confronted by the Empress Dowager, the Emperor’s muddled responses only confirmed her fears. In this version, the immediate cause for the coup was Cixi’s desire to stop the Emperor and Kang Youwei from betraying the dynasty to foreigners. Support for both interpretations, and what the Empress Dowager wanted the public to know about the “conspirators,” can be found in the pages of the

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Peking Gazette. The gazette also reveals the fate of many of the reformers who were arrested, cashiered, and six of them, known to history as the “Six Gentlemen Martyrs,” summarily executed. The “arch traitor” Kang Youwei and “fellow conspirator” Liang Qichao were fortunate enough to escape with the help of British and Japanese consular authorities.

September 21, 1898

Our Empire is now labouring under great difficulties and, therefore, it is neces- sary to delay the question of ordinary reforms. We have worked energetically and labouriously at our duty, day and night, so that after attending closely to a myriad of matters we have often felt much lassitude in body. This brought us to the thought that her Majesty, the Empress Dowager Cixi duanyou, etc., had since the reign of the late Emperor Tongzhi twice held the regency with much success, and that although the Empire was then also labouring under great difficulties she always issued triumphant and successful [edicts] when grap- pling with critical questions. Now we consider the safety of the Empire handed down to us by our Imperial Ancestors above all things else; hence under the critical condition of things now pending over us we have thrice petitioned her Majesty to graciously accede to our prayer and personally give us the benefit of her wise instructions in the government of this Empire. She has, fortunately for the prosperity of the officials and inhabitants of the Empire, granted our request and, from to-day on, her Majesty will conduct the affairs of State in the ordinary Throne hall.

September 22, 1898

That strict care should be exercised to prevent outsiders from entering the pre- cincts of the “Forbidden City” is clear to every one, in addition to which orders have been constantly issued commanding the officers in charge of the guards to patrol the sacred precincts and environs carefully and watchfully. In spite, however, of this outsiders and loafers have been frequently observed in the “Forbidden City,” a laxity and carelessness which must in future be severely punished. We hereby command the Commandant of the Beijing Gendarmerie to appoint extra officers and men to police to grounds at Yihe Park Palace, the Western Palace gardens, and the “Forbidden City” and that strict watch be kept at the great entrance gates thereof.