[Romantic Anecdotes of the Qing Dynasty Court] [80] [Author: Xu Xiaotian]

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Chapter 80: Li Lianying's Abuse of Favor and Power Leads to Trouble for Empress
Dowager Ci'an Due to Jealousy. It is said that Empress Dowager Ci'an wanted to follow the etiquette between empresses and concubines, ordering Empress Dowager Cixi to kneel behind her and pay homage at the late emperor's mausoleum. Empress Dowager Cixi resolutely refused, instead weeping and wailing, claiming that the Eastern Empress Dowager was bullying her, saying that she knew her son was dead and had no future, yet she tried to force her head down in front of all the ministers. Empress Dowager Ci'an, seeing her intense crying and wailing, was at a loss. Later, the princes and ministers mediated, and they finally obeyed Empress Dowager Cixi's wishes, kneeling alongside Empress Dowager Ci'an. From then on, Cixi harbored even greater resentment towards Ci'an, saying that she shouldn't have slapped her face in front of all the ministers at the ancestral mausoleum, as it was both unseemly and a desecration of the Empress Dowager's dignity. Empress Dowager Cixi knew that Prince Gong had also heard about this matter, and she constantly considered dismissing him from his post. She frequently summoned Prince Chun to the palace to discuss it with him, and also with Li Lianying. By this time, Li Lianying had already been promoted to chief eunuch, while Chief Eunuch Cui had retired and returned home.
Li Lianying often gave him money to help him out, and Chief Eunuch Cui said that young Li still had some conscience. Li Lianying wielded great power in the palace; not only were the palace maids and eunuchs afraid of him, but even the princes and ministers, seeing that he had won Empress Dowager Cixi's favor, dared not disobey him
. Although Li Lianying was not particularly handsome, he possessed a natural charm; his smile and words were always very gentle. He also dressed very elegantly, walking with a graceful and captivating gait, which the Empress Dowager greatly admired. He also had a silver tongue, spending his days in front of the Empress Dowager, either singing ditties or telling jokes, always eliciting smiles from her. He met with the ministers, displaying his wit and humor, and they all treated him well. Even the upright Prince Gong couldn't handle his playful demeanor. The Empress Dowager Cixi loved having her portrait painted or photographed. She would summon photographers from the capital to the palace. Sometimes, she would dress as Guanyin on the bow of a ship in Beihai Park, while Li Lianying dressed as Weituo Bodhisattva, and they would pose for a picture. Other times, she would dress as the Queen Mother of the West, and Li Lianying would dress as Dongfang Manqian, imitating her peach-stealing antics, and they would pose for a picture. Sometimes, she would dress as a man, pretending to be a young nobleman from Taiyuan, while Li Lianying would dress as Li Weigong, and they would pose for a picture. The Empress Dowager and Li Lianying would act out scene after scene, taking many photographs. Many eunuchs would steal these photos and sell them for money. The Empress
Dowager Dongfang saw these photos, but she disapproved greatly and even advised the Empress Dowager Cixi that as Empress Dowager, she possessed great dignity and shouldn't have such childish photographs. Unfortunately, Empress Dowager Cixi not only disobeyed, but also became exceptionally affectionate with Li Lianying; while she lay on her couch, she summoned Li Lianying to sleep on the floor below, keeping him to chat about everyday matters. Li Lianying was also adept at using his skills with women; he was considerate of women's feelings, and every word he uttered pleased the women. Empress Dowager Cixi then recounted her family's history, saying, "My mother disliked me. After my father's death, we were extremely poor. Fortunately, I made up my mind to enter the palace during the selection of imperial concubines. I gained the late emperor's favor and gave birth to a prince, which solidified my position. However, misfortune struck again. Towards the end of the Xianfeng era, Emperor Wenzong fell seriously ill, and foreign troops invaded the city, burning down the Old Summer Palace. I fled with the late emperor to Rehe for refuge. At that time, I was still young, and Wenzong's illness was very serious. The emperor was still young; the nephew of the Crown Prince was a wicked man who plotted to seize the throne, and the situation was extremely precarious. I carried the prince to the late emperor's bedside and asked, 'How should this important matter be handled?' The late emperor was very delirious and could not answer immediately. I then said to him, 'Your son is here.' The late emperor opened his eyes wide, glanced at me, and said, 'Naturally, he will succeed to the throne.' After saying this, he passed away. Seeing that the matter was settled, I was relieved." "When I saw the late emperor die, I was deeply saddened, but I thought I still had my son to rely on. Who knew that Emperor Muzong would also pass away at the age of nineteen? From then on, my situation worsened day by day, and all my hopes were dashed. The Empress Dowager Cixi was also at odds with me, and the emperor was young and frail; it seemed he only cared about the Empress Dowager Cixi and not about me, which was truly disheartening!" The Empress Dowager sighed repeatedly as she spoke. Li Lianying tried his best to advise her and then told a joke.
The Empress Dowager's worries turned to joy, and she began to talk about her childhood, saying: "When I was a concubine, I missed my mother terribly, and thanks to Emperor Wenzong's special favor, I was granted the privilege of returning home to visit my family." A few days prior, Chief Eunuch An was sent to our home to deliver a message: the Imperial Concubine was returning home to visit her family on a certain day, with specific times for her arrival, audience with the Emperor, changing clothes, banquet, rest, and return to the palace. These times were written on a yellow notice board and posted in the main hall of our house. Upon receiving this news, my mother prepared a feast to welcome her and invited relatives to our home for the banquet. On the appointed day, I arrived home in a yellow sedan chair, surrounded by forty eunuchs, with maids and eunuchs carrying umbrellas, fans, towels, basins, and many other items. Two thousand Imperial Guards escorted me in a procession. From afar, colorful lanterns hung at the gate, covered by a five-colored canopy, and a yellow carpet stretched out on the ground, leading directly to the inner quarters. All the men of the household knelt outside the main gate to greet her, and all the women knelt outside the inner quarters to welcome her. Upon arriving at the inner hall, I alighted from my sedan chair and ascended my seat. Except for my mother and the female guests of my elders, everyone else knelt to pay their respects in turn. Even my mother and the female guests of my elders, dressed in court robes, came forward to greet me. Then, the male guests presented their ceremonial documents to pay their respects. I changed out of my overcoat and went to my mother's room to perform the traditional courtesies for a visit home. My mother had never liked me, but after many years apart, we couldn't hold back our tears upon seeing each other. Seeing that our house was now grand and my sister and brothers were wealthy, I felt relieved. After a while, the opera and banquet began, and a group of women escorted me to the inner hall to sit and eat. Only my mother sat with me at my table. I used to love watching operas, but at that time, there was a curtain separating us, with male guests sitting outside. I found it stuffy and ordered the curtain to be rolled up, allowing me to enjoy the opera all day. By the time we returned to the palace, it was already time for the lanterns to be lit. When the late emperor heard of my return, he specially came into my room and asked, "Were you happy to see your mother today?" I replied, "At home, I have received Your Majesty's loving care; today, with family reunited, I am extremely happy!" A few days later, the late emperor issued another edict ordering my mother to come to the palace so that my mother and I could meet. The late emperor misunderstood my intentions, thinking that I was in the palace missing my mother, which was why he frequently granted us mother-daughter meetings. How could the late emperor know that I was at home and that my relationship with my mother was not good? At that time, my mother only favored my younger sister and often scolded me as a good-for-nothing; my visit home was originally just to show off in front of my mother, and there was no affection between us as siblings. Now that the emperor has summoned my mother to the palace and allowed my mother and I to meet again, I will also take this opportunity to put on airs in front of my mother. According to custom, when the mother of an empress or concubine enters the palace and sees her daughter, she must perform a grand ceremony; the daughter, however, dares not accept it, and when her mother bows, the empress or concubine will step aside to avoid it. That day, I wanted to use this opportunity to vent my old temper, so I sat upright and accepted my mother's bow without uttering a sound. Later, a palace maid had to help my mother up, and I could see that she already looked angry.
I pretended not to notice and chatted with her casually. My mother originally wanted to discuss with me about promoting my brother's official rank. Every time my mother spoke, I would say: "Now the family is well-off, a thousand times better than before I came to the palace, when we were struggling to make ends meet. I think my brother's fortune is shallow; he is content with his current rank, and I'm afraid he wouldn't be able to handle a higher rank." Hearing this, my mother was already furious and wanted to get up to leave, but I kept her there and ordered a palace maid to serve her some food, which we ate together. After the meal, a palace maid brought out a large lacquered tray filled with flowers for hairpins. I loved flowers most of all, especially the large, bright red ranunculus. I immediately picked a large, bright red ranunculus, about the size of a bowl, and the maid put it on for me. I then picked a marigold and personally placed it in my mother's hair. I knew my mother didn't like flowers; since my father's death, she had never worn any. That day, my mother and I were happy to see each other, so I put many more flowers on her head, covering her head with all the flowers in the tray. Her hair was fluffy and I laughed so hard I almost fell over. But my mother was furious. She said, "My husband is dead, and I am bedridden; it's inconvenient for me to wear flowers anymore." She plucked all the flowers from her hair and hurriedly took her leave of the palace. From then on, no matter how many times I summoned her, she always refused to come to the palace. Until her death, my mother and I never saw each other again. "The fact that Empress Dowager Cixi said these words to Li Lianying shows how much she trusted and favored him."
That year, during the ceremony at the Eastern Tombs, the two empress dowagers again quarreled over their order of precedence during the tomb-visiting ceremony. Empress Dowager Ci'an, seeing Cixi's power growing daily and her behavior becoming increasingly arrogant, wanted to use this issue to suppress Cixi and prevent her from seizing power in the palace in the future. Therefore, a few days before the ceremony, she secretly arranged with Prince Gong. On the day of the ceremony, Empress Dowager Ci'an summoned the princes and ministers to discuss the order in which the two empress dowagers should pay their respects. Prince Gong, having already received the Empress Dowager's instructions, suggested that Empress Dowager Ci'an pay her respects first, followed by Empress Dowager Cixi. Empress Dowager Cixi objected, saying that they were both empress dowagers who shared the same responsibilities in governing the country, so why should there be a distinction in the order of their visits to the tombs? She strongly advocated that the two empress dowagers should pay their respects side by side without any distinction in precedence. Empress Dowager Ci'an, however, remained unconvinced and addressed her ministers, saying, "Currently, in terms of seniority, I and the Western Empress Dowager are both empress dowagers, and there is no distinction between us. But now, before the late emperor's mausoleum, we must distinguish between us. To not do so would be to deceive the late emperor. The Western Empress Dowager was merely a concubine during Emperor Xianfeng's lifetime; she only became empress dowager after his passing. To Emperor Xianfeng, she remained a concubine, and her rank should be placed to his right, slightly lower than mine. Even I myself would only be on the right side. The central position on the left must be reserved for the deceased Empress Dowager. Although she died earlier than the late emperor, she was still his empress dowager, and we cannot overstep this bounds." The Eastern Empress Dowager's words were righteous and unassailable. How could Empress Dowager Cixi possibly save face in front of such a public display? Moreover, since becoming a concubine of the late Emperor and Guan Yu, the Western Palace had always been accustomed to being pampered and spoiled; how could she swallow this insult? However, she couldn't find a reason to refute the Eastern Palace's words, only saying that she had long been the Empress Dowager and could not be further humiliated by her status as a concubine. Saying this, she covered her face and wept bitterly towards the Eastern Mausoleum.
Although Empress Dowager Ci'an was strict in her actions, she was also soft-hearted. Seeing Empress Dowager Cixi weeping, she was already at a loss; and after much persuasion from many ministers, who said that the two empresses dowager shared the great responsibility of the nation and must work together to ensure peace, she ultimately followed Empress Dowager Cixi's wishes, and the two empress dowagers bowed side by side. Because Empress Dowager Ci'an had publicly humiliated her, Empress Dowager Cixi harbored a deep hatred for the Eastern Palace from that moment on.
Li Lianying also discovered that the events of that day were pre-arranged by Empress Dowager Cixi and Prince Gong. From then on, the Empress Dowager constantly plotted to get rid of Prince Gong, eliminating a thorn in her side. Because Li Lianying could gather information for the Empress Dowager, she favored him even more.
At this time, there was a eunuch in the palace nicknamed "Yin Liu," who was very resentful as Li Lianying's power gradually rose above his own. Yin Liu's original surname was Liu, but because of his gloomy and slow-moving nature, everyone called him Yin Liu. Before Li Lianying entered the palace, Yin Liu was very powerful, serving as a chief eunuch. The palace maids and eunuchs were all afraid of him, and he was also favored by the Empress Dowager. After Li Lianying entered the palace, the Empress Dowager's favor gradually shifted to Li Lianying. Li Lianying was an extremely cunning man. Seeing that he had gained power, he did everything he could to undermine Yin Liu, constantly speaking ill of him to the Empress Dowager. However, in terms of seniority, Yin Liu always held a higher position; there were many rules and regulations in the palace that Li Lianying was unaware of, so he had to consult Yin Liu. Therefore, Yin Liu was sometimes summoned by the Empress Dowager for questioning, and during these interviews, he also spoke ill of Li Lianying, thus deepening their enmity. They even fought in secret, without the Empress Dowager's knowledge; Li Lianying, young and strong, defeated Yin Liu, who was seriously injured and unable to see the Empress Dowager, forced to request leave to recuperate. During this time, Li Lianying again spoke ill of Yin Liu to the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager, who was currently favoring Li Lianying, believed his words and gradually grew to dislike Yin Liu.
When Yin Liu returned to the palace after his leave, he knew that his power was no longer a match for Li Lianying's. Someone tried to smooth things over between the two. Li Lianying, fearing Yin Liu would reveal the fight to the Empress Dowager, also feigned reconciliation. However, behind Yin Liu's back, he spoke even more ill of him, angering the Empress Dowager, who immediately summoned Yin Liu and reprimanded him. Yin Liu, knowing it was Li Lianying's doing, was furious. Without thinking, he blurted out that Li Lianying was notorious for abusing his power and accepting bribes, and had made many other despicable accusations, even tarnishing the Empress Dowager's reputation. The Empress Dowager, enraged, accused him of intentionally slandering the court and ordered him immediately executed by the guards. Terrified, Yin Liu repeatedly kowtowed and begged for mercy, saying, "This servant deserves to die a thousand deaths! I only beg Your Majesty to have pity on me. I have served you for thirty years, and Your Majesty once called me a loyal and obedient child. I have served you faithfully and dutifully. I beg Your Majesty to grant me a complete corpse. I will die content!" Then, the palace maids and eunuchs on both sides also knelt and pleaded on his behalf. The Empress Dowager's anger subsided slightly, but a thought suddenly occurred to her. She ordered, "Take him away and lock him in a room." The eunuchs on both sides, having received the imperial decree, dragged Yin Liu away and locked him in a small room outside the palace gate.
The Empress Dowager retreated into her bedchamber, leaning against her couch. Li Lianying knelt beside her, massaging her legs. The Empress Dowager smiled at Li Lianying and said, "This old Liu is so hateful; I'll give him a strange way to die." Li Lianying then asked what a strange way to die would be. The Empress Dowager then instructed a palace maid to fetch a set of keys. She found one and gave it to Li Lianying, who then ordered him to open the fourth large cabinet in the east wing of Jingren Palace and retrieve a bottle of medicinal powder. The palace maids noticed the powder was pink. The Empress Dowager then instructed them to pour out a small amount of the powder, mix it with boiling water, and fill a cup. She ordered this cup of water to be given to Yin Liu to drink. Knowing the Empress Dowager had decreed his death, Yin Liu, with tears streaming down his face, drank the water, kowtowed in gratitude, and the other eunuchs helped him to bed. They locked the door again and went to report back to the Empress Dowager. After the concubines and palace maids had served the Empress Dowager her meal, as was customary, she went to take a nap. When the Empress Dowager entered her bedroom, she instructed the concubines, "Do not leave. I will take you to see something strange when I get up." The concubines were all puzzled, but they had no choice but to wait as instructed by the Empress Dowager. They all sat quietly in the outer room, keeping watch. After more than an hour, they heard a shout from inside: "The Empress Dowager is getting up!" The eunuchs standing in the corridor outside also shouted, "The Empress Dowager is getting up!" Li Lianying, with two junior eunuchs, hurriedly went in. The Empress Dowager was naturally fond of natural beauty; even after waking from her afternoon nap, she would carefully apply makeup and change her clothes.
Li Lianying served the Empress Dowager as she came out of her room, and the concubines went forward to greet her. The Empress Dowager smiled at the crowd and said, "Let's go see this strange thing." Many eunuchs and palace maids crowded around her as they entered the lower room. Li Lianying opened the door and went in. The Empress Dowager sat down on a chair and pointed to the couch, telling everyone to look: there, on the couch, was a small child curled up, sleeping facing inwards. The Empress Dowager ordered someone to turn the person on the couch over; it turned out the person was dead. Looking at the dead person's face, it was full of wrinkles, and the flesh had shrunk to a tiny size.
The Empress Dowager pointed and said, "This is Old Liu. He ate the poison in Jingren Palace, and after death, he shrunk into the shape of this child." The concubines, seeing this strange appearance and hearing the Empress Dowager's words, were terrified. Then the Empress Dowager continued, "Jingren Palace has a long history of using potent poisons. Some turn the body to ash, some to blood, and some to nothing but vapor. Whenever a palace maid or eunuch commits a crime, the Emperor and Empress Dowager have to give them this poison. Now, Old Liu is begging for a complete corpse, so I'll give him this poison called 'Rejuvenation.'" The Empress Dowager laughed heartily as she spoke. She ordered Li Lianying to take Old Liu's body back to his home. Li Lianying lifted Old Liu's body as easily as a child, took it out of the palace, put it in a box, and pointed at the body, saying, "Old Liu, Old Liu, you've finally met your match!" She then ordered a young eunuch to carry it away.
Since Empress Dowager Cixi poisoned Yin Liu, Li Lianying had become increasingly arrogant. The Empress Dowager, in turn, favored him more and more. Whatever Chief Eunuch Li said, the Empress Dowager obeyed without question, and the palace maids and eunuchs feared him. Therefore, Li Lianying had no one he feared. One day, while the Empress Dowager was taking her afternoon nap, Li Lianying sneaked out and played ball with a young eunuch in the corridor. Just as they were enjoying themselves, the ball flew and hit a pillar in the corridor, rolling straight across the east corridor. He glanced at Empress Dowager Ci'an, who was walking towards him with two palace maids and a eunuch, and the ball rolled right at her feet. Although Li Lianying, standing in the main corridor, saw her, he knew that Empress Dowager Ci'an was going to Empress Dowager Cixi's palace, going through the second arched gate and not using the corridor. So Li Lianying pretended not to see her and continued talking and laughing with the young eunuch in the corridor. Empress Dowager Ci'an was a woman of strict and upright character. Seeing someone playing football under the palace eaves already made her uneasy; then she glanced at Li Lianying standing there, not coming forward to kowtow, but simply chatting and laughing as if no one else was there. Empress Dowager Ci'an had recently heard about Li Lianying's abuse of power and favor with the Empress Dowager, and had secretly observed his obsequious manner towards her. She already disliked him, but had refrained from speaking out for the sake of Empress Dowager Cixi. Now, seeing him playing football under the eaves was already a serious offense, and seeing him not only not coming forward to kowtow but also pretending not to see her, standing there laughing and joking, she was furious. She immediately ordered a eunuch to bring Li Lianying to her. Li Lianying was not afraid; he simply walked forward slowly and stood upright. Empress Dowager Ci'an became even angrier and ordered him to kneel. A eunuch brought over a dozen chairs and invited the Empress Dowager to sit down. The Empress Dowager pointed at Li Lianying and gave him a stern scolding, saying, "You bastard, whose power do you rely on to be so presumptuous? Is this the palace for you to play football? Furthermore, you dared to pretend you didn't see me coming; there's no decorum whatsoever in the palace. Since the late Emperor passed away, the young master has been neglected, and I've allowed the Empress Dowager to keep an eye on you all." "These bastards have rebelled in the palace! Do you think I don't know what you've been doing behind my back? You're all tired of living, becoming increasingly lawless. You think I can't control you, so you don't take me seriously? Let me tell you something: I have received the late Emperor's edict, and I have the right to punish anyone in this palace." Empress Dowager Ci'an grew angrier as she spoke, and in her extreme anger, she ordered the guards to be summoned and that these bastards be dragged away and beheaded. To find out what happened to Li Lianying, please read the next chapter.

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[Romantic Anecdotes of the Qing Dynasty Court] [80] [Author: Xu Xiaotian]

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