Anchee Min - The Last Empress

Yung Lu asked for permission to send the legations supplies of water, medicine, food, and other supplies. It was difficult to give my assent, for I knew I would be committing an act of betrayal. The number of casualties among the Boxers and our own troops far exceeded that of the foreigners. Revenge had been the only thought on my people's minds.

"Do what is necessary," I said to Yung Lu. "I don't want to know the details. In the meantime, I want my people to hear the sound of your cannons firing at the legations."

Yung Lu understood. By late evening his cannon fire lit up the sky like New Year's fireworks. The shells flew over the roofs and exploded in the back gardens of the legations. While the citizens of Peking cheered my action, Yung Lu's relief squad pushed their cartloads of supplies through the no man's land and into the legation compounds.

Yet my gesture of good faith didn't work. Our requests for the foreigners to vacate the legations were repeatedly ignored.

The foreigners knew that help had arrived-an international relief force had broken through China's last line of defense at the Taku forts.

My messengers described the colossal dust clouds wafting up around the mouth of the Taku River. The latest news was that the governor of Chihli had committed suicide. (To add to my stunned surprise, on August 11 his replacement also committed suicide.)

I lit several candles and sat down before them, my mind clogged with dead thoughts.

"I have retreated from Ma'to to Chanchiawan," the governor's last report read. "I have seen tens of thousands of troops jamming all the roads. The Boxers fled. As they passed the villages and towns, they plundered, so much so that there was nothing for the armies under my command to purchase, with the result that men and horses were hungry and exhausted. From youth to old age I have experienced many wars, but never saw things like these… I am doing my best to collect the fleeing troops and I shall fight to my last breath…"

In a memorandum Yung Lu included a desperate message from Li Hung-chang. It suggested that I send a telegram to the English Queen to "petition that as two old women we should understand each other's difficulties." He also suggested that I send a plea to Tsar Nicholas of Russia and the Emperor of Japan "for help in settling the crisis peacefully."

I had to give myself credit for having the nerve to follow Li's advice. I outlined the necessity for each country to remain on good terms with China. To Britain the reason was trade; to Japan it was the "Eastern alliance against the West"; to Russia it was "the ancient border dependency and friendship of the two countries."

What a fool I made of myself.

At dawn on August 14, 1900, the cat-like cries I heard turned out to be the sound of bullets flying. Fourteen thousand troops, including British, French, Japanese, Russian, German, Italian, Dutch, Austrian, Hungarian, Belgian and American, had invaded. They arrived in Peking by the Tientsin train. General Nieh, who had been sent by Yung Lu to guard the railway from the Boxers, was killed by the Allies.

I was dressing my hair when the cat cries came. I wondered how there could be so many cats. Then something hit the tip of my wing-shaped roof and broken ornaments crashed into my yard. Moments later a bullet flew through my window. It hit the floor, bounced and rolled. I went to examine it.

Li Lien-ying rushed in, visibly shaken. "The foreign soldiers have entered, my lady!"

How is this possible? I thought. Li Hung-chang has supposedly begun negotiations with the Western powers.

It wasn't until my son came with his wife and concubines that I realized it was the Opium War all over again.

After I had dressed, I went to see Guang-hsu. He looked frightened. With frantic haste he pulled the pearls off his robe and threw away his red-tasseled hat. Although he had changed from his golden robe into a blue one, the embroidered dragon symbols would make him recognizable. I asked Li Lien-ying to quickly find the Emperor a servant's clothes. Lan, Pearl and Lustrous helped their husband into a long, plain gray coat.

The sound of bullets over our heads grew louder. I opened my drawers, wardrobes and closets trying to decide what to take and what to leave. I picked out dresses and coats, only to be told by Li Lien-ying that my travel cases were full. It was difficult to part with the carved wooden maiden-case left to me by my mother and Tung Chih's calligraphy practice book.

Holding my jewelry box, Li Lien-ying directed the work of the eunuchs, who packed whatever they could into carts.

I took off my jewelry and my jade nail protectors and ordered Li Lien-ying to cut off my long nails.

When I ordered him to cut my knee-length hair, he wept along with my daughters-in-law.

After my shortened hair was tied in a bun, he helped me into a peasant's dark blue tunic. I put on a pair of worn shoes.

Following my example, Lan and Lustrous removed their jewelry, cut their hair and changed into servants' clothes, but Pearl refused. She turned to Guang-hsu and whispered in his ear. My son shook his head and remained silent. Pearl pressed. He shook his head again. Pearl was upset.

"Why don't you talk to the Emperor after we get out of the city?" I said to Pearl.

As if she didn't hear me, Pearl continued to press Guang-hsu for a response.

Guang-hsu hesitated. He glanced around, avoiding my eyes.

A messenger sent by Yung Lu advised us to depart immediately. As I walked toward the gate, Pearl pulled Guang-hsu aside. They began to walk back to the Forbidden City.

Li Lien-ying rushed in. "The carriages we ordered are blocked by the Allies! What are we going to do, my lady?"

"We will have to walk," I replied.

"The throne is not leaving." Pearl Concubine threw herself on the ground in front of me. With my son standing silently behind her, Pearl let me know then and there that she and Guang-hsu were saying goodbye. Pearl, in a vermilion satin robe with a matching scarf around her neck, was stunningly beautiful, like an autumn maple tree. When she raised her chin, I saw determination in her eyes.

Li Lien-ying begged me to hurry. "Men are dying trying to defend your exit route, my lady. Bullets are flying and there have been fires and explosions outside the city."

"You may stay, but my son must come," I said to Pearl.

"His Majesty the Emperor will stay," the girl challenged.

Li Lien-ying got between Pearl and me. "Lady Pearl, we either leave now or never! Yung Lu's men are ready to escort the throne!"

"Pearl, this is not the time," I said, raising my voice.

"But the throne has made up his mind," Pearl insisted.

"Get your concubine moving," I told Guang-hsu.

Loud enough for everyone to hear, Pearl yelled, "Fleeing is humiliating and it will imperil the empire!"

"Control yourself, Pearl," I said.

"Emperor Guang-hsu has the right to defend the honor of the dynasty!"

"The Emperor can talk for himself!" I replied angrily.

"His Majesty is too frightened of his mother to speak his mind."

I asked Pearl to stop embarrassing herself. "I understand that the pressure is almost too much to bear. I promise to listen once we get out of the city and reach safer ground."

"No!" Pearl shouted. "Emperor Guang-hsu and I would like to request our release."

"Pearl Concubine! What are you-"

Before I could finish, a shell exploded in the middle of the courtyard. The earth shook. Both wings of my palace roof collapsed.

Amid clouds of dust, eunuchs and ladies in waiting screamed and ran to hide.

Pearl and I stood face to face in the center of the courtyard, engulfed in dust. Guang-hsu stood a few yards away, distraught and steeped in guilt. I realized what Pearl was up to: she believed that the Western powers had come to rescue Guang-hsu. To Pearl, my departure meant Guang-hsu's restoration to power.