Instalment 24 (1900)
Scene 1: On the battle field
The battle between the allied forces of the eight powers and the Boxers is underway. The Chinese are suffering one defeat after another and have to retreat further and further. At the same time, the real situation is concealed from the Court and instead, victories are being proclaimed. The Empress Dowager thus rewards officials and Boxer commanders for their alleged successes.
Scene 2: At the Palace
The troops of the eight powers are rapidly advancing towards the Beijing city walls and break through the Guanghua gate into the city. Cixi and the Guangxu emperor have to disguise themselves as villagers in order to escape to the West. Before their departure, Cixi bids farewell to the concubines in the Ningshou Palace, which have to remain in the Palace. The emperor’s favourite concubine Zhen fei opposes Cixi, argueing that the emperor must remain in Beijing. Cixi is greatly annoyed by this and has a eunuch simply throw Zhen fei into a well, despite the emperor imploring her to spare Zhen fei’s life.
Scene 3: At the Palace
When the German commander-in-chief of the armies of the eight powers, General von Waldersee, enters the Chuxiu Palace, which used to be inhabited by Cixi, he is very proud that his army has merely needed one evening, more precisely five hours and seventeen minutes, to break down the strongest wall of the world! [1] He contends that China is about as robust as a vase which collapses after the first blow. He therefore believes that it would not be difficult to divide China like a cake among the eight powers. Von Waldersee has a secretary note down everything he says. When his secretary asks for whom these notes are intended, von Waldersee replies that he does not know yet, but that he is sure someone will wish to read this someday.
Cixi and the emperor, who are travelling with only a small entourage, are exhausted by the escape. There seems to be nobody outside in the country: everyone has fled or hidden somewhere. Thus, they cannot find something to eat.
Yuan Shikai wants to take precautionary measures and rent some houses in Shandong for the princes who are trying to escape the eight powers now seizing Beijing. Yang Shiqi, a Shandong official, helps him to rent sixteen houses. Whoever refuses to rent out a house is forced to do so by Yang. For example, Yang pressurises one owner that he will have the local official punish his son for a crime if the owner does not give his consent and rent out his house. Yuan is delighted about so much energetic support and offers Yang a position in his service.
Cixi and the emperor spend the night in a Guan Yu temple. (Guan Yu lived during the time of the Three Kingdoms and is classically portrayed as extremely loyal in Chinese literature). Suddenly, Cen Chunxuan, a Shanxi official, comes running in and reports that he has heard of the entourage’s whereabouts and expresses his wish to personally protect Cixi. Cixi is moved by so much loyalty. Cen knows the Chief Eunuch Li Lianying since childhood and therefore calls him “lao shu” (uncle). Cixi finds this all very touching. She is behaving like a kind grandmother, and in these moments, she appears to be just a simple old woman. When Cen asks her how it could happen that the Qing was forced into such a difficult situation, Cixi starts to cry. She replies that Gangyi and the other warmongers are responsible, but that ultimately she has to bear all responsibility. She considers herself guilty in the face of the ancestors and the people.
[1] This is historically incorrect. Beijing was conquered on August 14, 1900, by the foreign troops. General von Waldersee was not even involved. He was still in Berlin on August 20, and was only appointed head of the troops end of September. Since the reason for war was the death of the German ambassador, the TV drama simply attributes the Germans with the most important role among the eight powers from the outset.
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