The Guangxu Emperor

The Guangxu emperor (1871-1908, reigned from 1875 onwards) is often portrayed as a weak and feeble man. He succeeded to the throne at the age of only four. But since he was too young to reign, his aunt and adoptive mother, Empress Dowager Cixi guided him, that is, reigned in his stead. Only for a brief period of time, some years before 1898, did Cixi really retire from power and hand it over to the emperor (even though he had officially reigned independently since 1889). However, when she realised that he, who was more inclined to follow Kang Youwei’s reforms than her, was planning the so-called one hundred days reform and was thereby – in her eyes – endangering not only the dynasty at large but also her own personal influence and power, she intervened, had him placed under custody, and regained the government affairs. Accordingly, the emperor is known to history as a tragic figure.

A reader’s comment in the Shenzhen News, in response to the series’ portrayal of the Emperor, praises him as “the most outstanding emperor of the Qing and hero of the hundred days reform” (even though his endeavour – the hundred days reform – ultimately failed). This reader further contends that the portrayal given in the series does not resemble earlier portrayals in films and other media. In the latter, the emperor was figured as a Puppet emperor possessing hardly any strength of character. According to this reader, the importance of the series lies in its emphasis on showing the emperor’s goals and thereby proving that he did in fact master some great strength of character. Watching the film, however, does not necessarily result in a similar point of view. (The contrasting account of the strong Japanese emperor may in fact lead to quite another interpretation.)

The series gives a much differentiated account of the relationship between Guangxu and Cixi. Guangxu repeatedly attempts to position himself against Cixi. At times, his influence does appear to be growing. But each time he fails to stand up to Cixi in key moments. Ultimately, he resigns and lives in confinement and refuses all of Cixi’s offers for reconcilement. He acts like a stubborn child, acting purposefully bored and impolite. The once loving (quasi-) mother-son relationship has been destroyed and a personal battle is now being fought on the grounds of state policies.

The audience criticised the depiction of the emperor’s death: the series gives the impression that the emperor was an arch enemy of Yuan Shikai. However, it is commonly held that he was most detested by Cixi. To date it is not known who ordered the emperor’s death or how he died. There is a speculation which was spread by Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao which claims that Cixi’s fear of the emperor reclaiming power following her death was so great that she had him killed only a day before her own death. But according to the historian Ma Yong of the Chinese Academy for Social Sciences’ Department for Modern History, many contemporary historians now doubt Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao’s “authoritative” assessment of the emperor’s death. The possibility of a natural death ought not to be excluded because the historical material points to fundamental health problems that plagued the emperor. The series does not directly link the emperor’s death to Yuan Shikai’s hatred for him, but the possibility is (falsely) entertained. The question whether Cixi had him killed is not explicitly accounted for, but a “yes” seems to be the concealed answer.