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@@ -0,0 +1,8054 @@ +Project Gutenberg's Two Years in the Forbidden City, by The Princess Der Ling + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Two Years in the Forbidden City + +Author: The Princess Der Ling + +Posting Date: August 6, 2008 [EBook #889] +Release Date: April, 1997 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TWO YEARS IN THE FORBIDDEN CITY *** + + + + +Produced by Charles Keller for Sarah + + + + + +TWO YEARS IN THE FORBIDDEN CITY + + +By The Princess Der Ling + +First Lady In Waiting To The Empress Dowager + + + + + TO + MY BELOVED FATHER + LORD YU KENG + + + + +FOREWORD + +THE author of the following narrative has peculiar qualifications for +her task. She is a daughter of Lord Yu Keng, a member of the Manchu +White Banner Corps, and one of the most advanced and progressive Chinese +officials of his generation. Lord Yu Keng entered the army when very +young, and served in the Taiping rebellion and the Formosan war with +France, and as Vice Minister of War during the China-Japan war in 1895. +Later he was Minister to Japan, which post he quitted in 1898 to become +President of the Tsung-li-yamen (Chinese Foreign Office). In 1899 he was +appointed Minister to France, where he remained four years. At a period +when the Chinese Government was extremely conservative and reactionary, +Lord Yu Keng labored indefatigably for reform. He was instrumental +in reorganizing China's postal service on modern lines, but failed in +efforts to revise the revenue system and modernize the army and navy, +from being ahead of his times. He died in 1905. The progressive spirit +of Lord Yu Keng was shown in the education of his children. When it +became known that his daughters were receiving a foreign education--then +an almost unheard--of proceeding among high Manchu officials-attempts +were made to impeach him as pro-foreign and revolutionary, but he was +not deterred. His children got their early education in missionary +schools, and the daughters later attended a convent in France, where +the author of this work finished her schooling and entered society. +On returning to China, she became First Lady-in-Waiting to the Empress +Dowager, and while serving at the Court in that capacity she received +the impressions which provide the subject-matter of this book. +Her opportunity to observe and estimate the characteristics of the +remarkable woman who ruled China for so long was unique, and her +narrative throws a new light on one of the most extraordinary +personalities of modern times. While on leave from her duties to attend +upon her father, who was fatally ill in Shanghai, Princess Der Ling took +a step which terminated connexion with the Chinese Court. This was +her engagement to Mr. Thaddeus C. White, an American, to whom she was +married on May 21, 1907. Yielding to the urgent solicitation of friends, +she consented to put some of her experiences into literary form, and +the following chronicle, in which the most famous of Chinese women, the +customs and atmosphere of her Court are portrayed by an intimate of the +same race, is a result. + +THOMAS F. MILLARD. + +SHANGHAI, July 24, 1911. + + + +CONTENTS + +CHAPTER + + I. INTRODUCTORY + II. AT THE PALACE + III. A PLAY AT THE COURT + IV. A LUNCHEON WITH THE EMPRESS + V. AN AUDIENCE WITH THE EMPRESS + VI. IN ATTENDANCE ON HER MAJESTY + VII. SOME INCIDENTS OF THE COURT + VIII. THE COURT LADIES + IX. THE EMPEROR KWANG HSU + X. THE YOUNG EMPRESS + XI. OUR COSTUMES + XII. THE EMPRESS AND MRS. CONGER + XIII. THE EMPRESS'S PORTRAIT + XIV. THE EMPEROR'S BIRTHDAY + XV. THE MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL + XVI. THE SUMMER PALACE + XVII. THE AUDIENCE HALL + XVIII. THE NEW YEAR FESTIVALS + XIX. THE SEA PALACE + XX. CONCLUSION + + + + + +TWO YEARS IN THE FORBIDDEN CITY + + +MY father and mother, Lord and Lady Yu Keng, and family, together with +our suite consisting of the First Secretary, Second Secretary, Naval +and Military Attaches, Chancellors, their families, servants, +etc.,--altogether fifty-five people,--arrived in Shanghai on January 2, +1903, on the S.S. "Annam" from Paris, where for four years my father +had been Chinese Minister. Our arrival was anything but pleasant, as the +rain came down in torrents, and we had the greatest difficulty getting +our numerous retinue landed and safely housed, not to mention the tons +of baggage that had to be looked after. We had found from previous +experience that none of our Legation people or servants could be +depended upon to do anything when travelling, in consequence of which +the entire charge devolved upon my mother, who was without doubt +the genius of the party in arranging matters and straightening out +difficulties. + +When the launch from the steamer arrived at the jetty off the French +Bund, we were met by the Shanghai Taotai (the highest official in the +city), the Shanghai Magistrate and numerous other officials, all dressed +in their official robes. The Taotai told my father that he had prepared +the Tien Ho Gung (Temple of the Queen of Heaven) for us to reside in +during our stay in Shanghai, but my father refused the offer, saying +that he had telegraphed from Hong Kong and made all arrangements to go +to the Hotel des Colonies in the French Concession. We had had previous +experience staying in this temple while on our way to Japan, where my +father went as Minister in 1895, and did not care to try it a second +time. The building is very old and very much out of repair. It was a +beautiful place in its prime, but had been allowed to go to rack and +ruin. The custom is that the magistrate has to find a place and supply +the food, etc., for high officials when passing through, and it is not +exactly the thing to refuse their kind offer, but my father was always +very independent and politely declined all proffers of assistance. + +At last we did safely arrive in the Hotel des Colonies, where my +father found awaiting him two telegrams from the Imperial Palace. These +telegrams ordered my father to go to Peking at once, but, as the river +to Tientsin was frozen, it was out of the question for us to go by that +route, and as my father was very old and quite ill at that time, in +fact constantly under the doctor's care, the only accessible way, via +Chinwangtao, was equally out of the question, as it was a long and most +tedious journey and quite beyond his strength. In view of all these +difficulties, he telegraphed that, after the ice had broken up in the +Peiho River, we would come by the first steamer leaving Shanghai for +Tientsin. + +We left Shanghai on the 22d of February and arrived at Tientsin on the +26th, and, as before, were met by the Customs Taotai of the port and +numerous other officials (the same as when we arrived at Shanghai). + +There is a very curious custom of reverence, which must be performed by +all high officials on their return from abroad. Immediately upon landing +on the shores of China, arrangements are made with the nearest Viceroy +or Governor to receive their obeisance to Ching Sheng An (to worship the +Emperor of Peace), a Taotai being considered of too low a rank for such +an honor. As soon as we arrived, Yuan Shih Kai, who was then Viceroy of +Chihli Province at Tientsin, sent an official to my father to prepare +the time and place for this function, which is an extremely pretty +one. When arrangements had been made, both my father and Yuan Shih Kai +dressed in their full ceremonial robes, which is the dragon long robe, +with a reddish black three-quarter length coat over it, chao chu (amber +beads), hat with peacock feather and red coral button, and repaired at +once to the Wan Shou Kung (10,000 years palace), which is especially +built for functions of this kind, where they were met by a large number +of officials of the lower grades. At the back centre of this Temple, or +Palace, stands a very long narrow table on which are placed the tablets +of the Emperor and Empress Dowager, on which is written, "Wan sway, wan +sway, wan wan sway" (10,000 years times 10,000 years times 10,000 +10,000 years). The Viceroy, or in this case Yuan Shih Kai, and the other +officials arrived first. Yuan stood at the left side of this table and +the others arranged themselves in two diminishing lines starting from +the front corners of the table. Soon afterward my father came and knelt +directly in front of the centre of the table and said, "Ah ha Ching +Sheng An" (Your servant gives you greeting). After this ceremony was +over my father immediately arose and inquired after Their Majesties' +health, and Yuan replied that they were quite well. This closed the +function. + +We stayed in Tientsin for three days, arriving in Peking on the +twenty-ninth. My father's condition was much worse and he begged for +four months' leave of absence, in which to recuperate, which was granted +by Her Majesty, the Empress Dowager. As our beautiful mansion, which we +had built and furnished just before leaving for Paris, was burned during +the Boxer Rising of 1900, entailing a loss of over taels 100,000, we +rented and moved into a Chinese house. Our old house was not entirely +new. When we bought the place there was a very fine but old Chinese +house, the palace of a Duke, standing on the ground, and by some clever +re-arrangement and building on, it was transformed into a beautiful +foreign style house with all the fine hardwood carving of the old house +worked into it. By using the words "foreign style," it is meant that, in +so far as the Chinese house could be made to look like a foreign house, +without tearing it down entirely, it was changed, that is the doors +and windows, passageways, furnishings, etc., were foreign, but the +arrangement of the house itself and courtyard was Chinese. This, like +all Chinese houses in Peking, was built in a very rambling fashion, +and with the gardens, covered about ten acres of ground. We had just +finished furnishing it and moved in only four days when we left for +Paris; and it has always been a great sorrow to my family that we should +lose this magnificent place, after having spent so much time and money +in building and beautifying it. However, this is only one of the many +trials that a high official in China is called upon to bear. + +The houses in Peking are built in a very rambling fashion, covering a +large amount of ground, and our former house was no exception to the +rule. It had sixteen small houses, one story high, containing about 175 +rooms, arranged in quadrangles facing the courtyard, which went to make +up the whole; and so placed, that without having to actually go out of +doors, you could go from one to the other by verandas built along the +front and enclosed in glass. My reader will wonder what possible use +we could make of all of these rooms; but what with our large family, +numerous secretaries, Chinese writers, messengers, servants, mafoos +(coachmen), and chair coolies, it was not a difficult task to use them. + +The gardens surrounding the houses were arranged in the Chinese way, +with small lakes, stocked with gold fish, and in which the beautiful +lotus flower grew; crossed by bridges; large weeping willows along the +banks; and many different varieties of flowers in prettily arranged +flower beds, running along winding paths, which wound in and out between +the lakes. At the time we left for Paris, in the month of June, 1899, +the gardens were a solid mass of flowers and foliage, and much admired +by all who saw them. + +As we now had no place of our own in Peking we did not know where to +go, so, while we were at Tientsin, my father telegraphed to one of his +friends to find him a house. After some little trouble one was secured, +and it turned out to be a very famous place indeed. It was the house +where Li Hung Chang signed the treaties with the Foreign Powers after +the Boxer Rising and also where he died. We were the first people to +live there since the death of Li Hung Chang, as the Chinese people were +very superstitious and were afraid that, if they went there to live, +something dreadful would happen to them. We soon made ourselves very +comfortable, and while we lived there, none of the dreadful things +happened to us that all of our good friends told us would be visited +upon us if we dared to take this place. However, in view of our having +lost our place by fire, I am inclined to think that their fears were +well founded. + +The loss sustained by having this house burned we never recovered, as my +father, being an official of the Government, it would have been very +bad form to have tried to recover this money, besides a possible loss +of standing, as Government officials are supposed never to consider +themselves or families in the service of their country, and any private +losses in the service must be borne without complaint. + +On the first of March, 1903, Prince Ching and his son, Prince Tsai Chen, +came to see us and told us that Her Majesty wished to see my mother, my +sister, and myself at once; that we should be at the Summer Palace (Wan +Shou Shan) at six o'clock the following morning. My mother told Prince +Ching that we had been wearing foreign clothes all these years, while +abroad, and had no suitable Manchu clothes to wear. He replied that he +had told Her Majesty all about us and also mentioned that he had seen us +in European attire and she had said that it would not be necessary for +us to wear Manchu costume to go to the Palace, that she would be glad +to have us wear foreign clothes, as it would give her an opportunity to +study the foreign way of dressing. Both my sister and myself had a +very difficult time deciding what we should wear for this occasion; +she wished to wear her pale blue velvet gown, as she thought that color +suited her the best. My mother had always made us dress exactly alike, +ever since we were little girls. I said that I preferred to wear my red +velvet gown, as I had the idea it might please Her Majesty. After a long +discussion I had my way. We had lovely red hats trimmed with plumes and +the same color shoes, and stockings to match. My mother wore a lovely +gown of sea green chiffon cloth embroidered with pale mauve iris and +trimmed with mauve velvet; she wore her large black velvet hat with long +white plumes. + +As we lived in the central part of the city and the only means of travel +was by sedan chair and the distance from our house to the Palace was +about thirty-six Chinese li (a three-hour ride), we had to start at +three o'clock in the morning, in order to be there at six. As this was +our first visit to the Palace, Prince Ching's message threw us into a +great state of excitement, and we were naturally anxious to look our +best and to be there on time. It had been the dream of my life to go to +the Palace and see what it was like, and up to this time I had never +had an opportunity, as most of my life had been spent out of Peking,--in +fact, out of China. Another reason why this chance had never come +before was, that my father had never registered our names (my sister and +myself) in the Government book for the registration of births of Manchu +children, in consequence of which the Empress Dowager did not know until +we came back from Paris that Lord Yu Keng had any daughters. My father +told me the reason why he did not put our names in this book was, that +he wished to give us the best education obtainable, and the only way +he could do it was not to let the Empress Dowager know. Besides this, +according to the Manchu custom, the daughters of all Manchu officials +of the second rank and above, after reaching the age of fourteen years, +should go to the Palace, in order that the Emperor may select them for +secondary wives if he so desires, and my father had other plans and +ambitions for us. It was in this way that the late Empress Dowager was +selected by the Emperor Hsien Feng. + + (comment: li is 1/3 mile or 1/2 km) + +We started at three o'clock that morning in total darkness riding in +four coolie sedan chairs, one on each side of the chair. In going such a +long distance it was necessary to have two relays of chair coolies. This +meant twenty-four coolies for the three chairs, not counting an extra +coolie for each chair who acted as a sort of head chair bearer. Besides +this there were three military officers on horses, one for each chair +and two servants riding at the back of each chair. In addition there +were three big Chinese carts following behind for the chair coolies to +ride in and rest. This made a cavalcade consisting of forty-five men, +nine horses and three carts. + +I had a rather nervous feeling riding along in the chair surrounded by +inky blackness, with nothing to relieve the stillness of the night but +the rough voices of the chair bearers calling back and forth to each +other to be careful of stones and holes in the road, which was very +uneven, and the clump, clump of the horses. To my readers who have never +had the experience of riding a long distance in a sedan chair I would +say that it is a most uncomfortable conveyance, as you have to sit +perfectly still and absolutely straight, otherwise the chair is liable +to upset. This ride was a very long one and I felt quite stiff and tired +by the time I reached the Palace gates. + + + +CHAPTER TWO--AT THE PALACE + +WHEN we reached the City gates, which were about half way between our +house and the Summer Palace, they were wide open for us to pass. This +quite surprised us, as all gates are closed at seven o'clock in the +evening and are not opened except on special occasions until daylight. +We inquired of the guard why this was, and were told that orders had +been given for the gates to be opened for us to pass. The officials who +had charge were standing in a double line dressed in full official dress +and saluted us as we passed. + +It was still quite dark when we had passed through the gate and I +thought of the many experiences of my short life; but this was by far +the strangest of them all. I wondered what Her Majesty would be like and +whether she would like me or not. We were told that probably we would be +asked to stay at the Court, and I thought that if that came to pass, I +would possibly be able to influence Her Majesty in favor of reform and +so be of valuable assistance to China. These thoughts made me feel happy +and I made up my mind then and there that I would do all I could and +use any influence I might have in the future towards the advancement of +China and for her welfare. While I was still dreaming of these pleasant +prospects, a faint red line appeared on the horizon heralding the coming +of a most perfect day, and so it proved. As the light grew brighter and +I could distinguish objects, a very pretty view gradually opened to me, +and as we came nearer to the Palace I could see a high red wall which +zigzagged from hill to hill and enclosed the Palace grounds. The tops of +the wall and buildings were covered with yellow and green tiles and made +a most dazzling picture in the bright sunlight. Pagodas of different +sizes and styles were passed, and when we arrived at the village of Hai +Tien, about four li from the Palace gates, we were told by the officers +we only had a short distance further to go. This was good news, as I +began to think we would never get there. This village was quite a pretty +country place of one-story houses built of brick, which were very neat +and clean as are most of the houses in the northern part of China. The +children trouped out to see the procession pass, and I heard one remark +to another: "Those ladies are going to the Palace to become Empresses," +which amused me very much. + +Soon after leaving Hai Tien we came to a pai lou (archway), a very +beautiful piece of old Chinese architecture and carved work, and from +here got our first view of the Palace gates, which were about 100 yards +ahead. These gates are cut into the solid wall surrounding the Palace +and consist of one very large gate in the center and two smaller ones on +each side. The center gate is only opened when their Majesties pass in +and out of the Palace. Our chairs were set down in front of the left +gate, which was open. Outside of these gates, at a distance of about 500 +yards, were two buildings where the guard stayed at night. + +Just as we arrived I saw a number of officials talking excitedly, and +some of them went into the gate shouting "Li la, doula" (have come, have +arrived). When we got out of our chairs, we were met by two eunuchs of +the fourth rank (chrystal button and feather). This feather which is +worn by eunuchs of the fourth rank, comes from a bird called the magh +(horse-fowl) which is found in Szechuen Province. They are grey and +are dyed black, and are much wider than the peacock feather. These +two eunuchs were accompanied by ten small eunuchs carrying yellow +silk screens, which they placed around our chairs when we alighted. It +appeared that Her Majesty had given orders that these screens (huang +wai mor) should be brought to us. This is considered a great honor. They +were ten feet long and twenty feet high and were held by two eunuchs. + +These two eunuchs of high rank were extremely polite and stood at each +side of the gate and invited us to enter. Passing through this gate we +came into a very large paved courtyard about three hundred feet square, +in which there were a great many small flower beds and old pine trees +from which hung all kinds of birds in cages. On the side opposite to the +gates we had entered was a red brick wall with three gates exactly like +the others; on the right and left side were long rows of low buildings +each containing twelve rooms, used as waiting rooms. The courtyard was +full of people dressed in official robes of the different ranks, and, +after the Chinese fashion, all seemed to be very busy doing nothing. +When they saw us they stood still and stared. The two eunuchs who were +showing us the way conducted us to one of these rooms. This room was +about twenty feet square, just ordinarily furnished in black wood +furniture with red cloth cushions and silk curtains hanging from the +three windows. We were not in this room more than five minutes when a +gorgeously dressed eunuch came and said: "Imperial Edict says to invite +Yu tai tai (Lady Yu) and young ladies to wait in the East side Palace." +On his saying this, the two eunuchs who were with us knelt down +and replied "Jur" (Yes). Whenever Her Majesty gives an order it is +considered an Imperial Edict or command and all servants are required to +kneel when any command is transmitted to them the same as they would if +in Her Majesty's presence, Then they told us to follow them and we went +through another left gate to another courtyard laid out exactly the same +as the former, except that the Ren Shou Dien (audience hall) is situated +on the north side and the other buildings were a little larger. The +eunuchs showed us into the east side building, which was beautifully +furnished with reddish blackwood exquisitely carved, the chairs +and tables covered with blue satin and the walls hung with the same +material. In different parts of the room were fourteen clocks of all +sizes and shapes. I know this, for I counted them. + +In a little while two servant girls came and waited on us and told us +that Her Majesty was dressing and that we were to wait a little time. +This little time proved to be a matter of more than two hours and +a half, but as this is considered nothing in China, we did not get +impatient. From time to time eunuchs came and brought milk to drink and +about twenty or more dishes of various kinds of food which Her Majesty +sent. She also sent us each a gold ring with a large pearl in the +center. Later the chief eunuch, Li Lien Ying, came dressed in his +official clothes. He was of the second rank and wore a red button and +peacock feather and was the only eunuch that was ever allowed to wear +the peacock feather. He was a very ugly man, very old and his face was +full of wrinkles; but he had beautiful manners and said that Her Majesty +would receive us in a little while, and brought us each a jade ring +which she had sent us. We were very much surprised that she should give +us such beautiful presents before she had even seen us, and felt most +kindly disposed toward her for her generosity. + +Soon after Li Lien Ying had gone, two court ladies, daughters of Prince +Ching, came in and asked the eunuchs who were attending us if we could +speak Chinese, which we thought a great joke. I was the first one to +speak, and told them of course we could speak our own language, although +we knew several others. They were very much surprised and said: "Oh! +how funny, they can talk the language as well as we do." We in turn were +very much surprised to find such ignorant people in the Imperial Palace +and concluded that their opportunities for acquiring knowledge were very +limited. Then they told us Her Majesty was waiting to receive us, and we +went immediately. + +After walking through three courtyards very similar to those we had +previously passed through, we came to a magnificent building just one +mass of exquisite carving. Large lanterns made of buffalo horns hung all +over the veranda covered with red silk from which red silk tassels were +hanging and from each of these tassels was suspended a beautiful piece +of jade. There were two smaller buildings flanking this large one, also +one mass of carvings and hung with lanterns. + +At the door of the large building we met a lady, dressed the same as +Prince Ching's daughters, with the exception that she had a phoenix in +the center of her headdress which distinguished her from the others. +This lady came out to meet us, smiling, and shook hands with us in the +most approved foreign fashion. We were told later that this was the +Young Empress, wife of the Emperor Kwang Hsu. She said: "Her Majesty has +sent me to meet you," and was very sweet and polite, and had beautiful +manners; but was not very pretty. Then we heard a loud voice from the +hall saying, "Tell them to come in at once." We went into this hall +immediately and saw an old lady dressed in a beautiful yellow satin gown +embroidered all over with pink peonies, and wearing the same kind of +headdress with flowers on each side made of pearls and jade, a pearl +tassel on the left side and a beautiful phoenix in the center made of +purest jade. Over her gown she wore a cape, the most magnificent and +costly thing I ever saw. This cape was made of about three thousand five +hundred pearls the size of a canary bird's egg, all exactly alike in +color and perfectly round. It was made on the fish net pattern and had +a fringe of jade pendants and was joined with two pure jade clasps. In +addition to this Her Majesty wore two pairs of pearl bracelets, one +pair of jade bracelets, several jade rings and on her third and little +fingers of her right hand she wore gold finger nail protectors about +three inches long and on the left hand two finger nail protectors made +of jade and about the same length. Her shoes were trimmed with small +tassels made of pearls and embroidered with tiny pieces of different +colored jade. + +Her Majesty stood up when she saw us and shook hands with us. She had +a most fascinating smile and was very much surprised that we knew +the Court etiquette so well. After she had greeted us, she said to my +mother: "Yu tai tai (Lady Yu), you are a wonder the way you have brought +your daughters up. They speak Chinese just as well as I do, although I +know they have been abroad for so many years, and how is it that they +have such beautiful manners?" "Their father was always very strict with +them," my mother replied; "he made them study their own language first +and they had to study very hard." "I am pleased to hear their father +has been so careful with them," Her Majesty said, "and given them such +a fine education." She took my hands and looked into my face and smiled +and kissed me on both cheeks and said to my mother: "I wish to have your +daughters and hope they will stay with me." We were very much pleased +at this and thanked her for her kindness. Her Majesty asked all sorts of +questions about our Paris gowns and said we must wear them all the +time, as she had very little chance to see them at the Court. She was +particularly in love with our Louis XV high heel shoes. While we were +talking to her we saw a gentleman standing at a little distance and +after a while she said, "Let me introduce you to the Emperor Kwang Hsu, +but you must call him Wan Sway Yeh (Master of 10,000 years) and call me +Lao Tsu Tsung (the Great Ancestor)." His Majesty shyly shook hands with +us. He was a man about five feet, seven inches in height, very thin, +but with very strong features; high nose and forehead, large, brilliant +black eyes, strong mouth, very white, even teeth; altogether good +looking. I noticed he had a very sad look, although he was smiling all +the time we were there. At this juncture the head eunuch came, knelt +down on the marble floor and announced that Her Majesty's chair was +ready and she asked us to go with her to the Audience Hall, distant +about two minutes' walk, where she was going to receive the heads of the +different Boards. It was a beautiful day and her open chair was waiting. +This chair is carried by eight eunuchs all dressed in official robes, +a most unusual sight. The head eunuch walked on her left side and the +second eunuch on her right side, each with a steadying hand on the chair +pole. Four eunuchs of the fifth rank in front and twelve eunuchs of the +sixth rank walked behind. Each eunuch carried something in his hand, +such as Her Majesty's clothes, shoes, handkerchiefs, combs, brushes, +powder boxes, looking glasses of different sizes, perfumes, pins, black +and red ink, yellow paper, cigarettes, water pipes, and the last one +carried her yellow satin-covered stool. Besides this there were +two amahs (old women servants) and four servant girls all carrying +something. This procession was most interesting to see and made one +think it a lady's dressing room on legs. The Emperor walked on Her +Majesty's right and the Young Empress on the left, as did also the Court +ladies. + +The Audience Hall was about two hundred feet long by about one hundred +and fifty feet wide, and at the left side was a long table covered with +yellow satin. When Her Majesty came down from the chair she went into +the Hall and mounted her throne just behind this table, and His Majesty +mounted a smaller one at her left side, the Ministers all kneeling on +the floor in front of her and on the opposite side of the table. + +At the back of the Hall was a large dais about twenty feet long by about +eighteen feet wide, enclosed by a magnificently carved railing about +two feet high running all the way round, open only in the front in +two places just large enough for a person to pass through. These two +openings were reached by a flight of six steps. At the back of this dais +was a small screen and immediately in front of this, in the center, +was Her Majesty's throne. Immediately behind was an immense carved wood +screen, the most beautiful thing I ever saw, twenty feet long by ten +feet high. In front of Her Majesty's throne was a long narrow table. At +the left side was a smaller throne for the Emperor. + +The theme of the carving and furnishings of this dais was the phoenix +and peony most exquisitely carved in ebony wood, in fact the theme of +the entire room was the same. On each side of Her Majesty's throne were +two upright ebony poles on the top of which were peacock feathers made +into the shape of a fan The upholstery was entirely of yellow Chinese +velvet. + +Just before Her Majesty took her seat on her throne she ordered us to go +behind this screen with the Young Empress and the Court ladies. This +we did, and could hear the conversation between Her Majesty and the +Ministers very plainly, and as my readers will see later, I made good +use of this. + + + +CHAPTER THREE--A PLAY AT THE COURT + +THIS day to me was a medley of brilliant impressions. I was a great +novelty among these exclusive Court ladies, brought up rigidly apart +from foreign life and customs, and I was subjected to a rapid fire of +questions. I soon found that these women were the same as others the +world over in point of curiosity and love of gossip. The fourth daughter +of Prince Ching (Sze Gurgur), a young widow and a strikingly handsome +woman, spoke to me. "Were you brought up in Europe and educated?" she +asked. "I am told that when people go to that country and drink the +water there, they quickly forget their own country. Did you really study +to acquire all those languages or was it drinking the water that gave +them to you?" I mentioned that I met her brother, Prince Tsai Chen, in +Paris on his way to London for the coronation of King Edward, and that +we should have liked to have gone also, as my father had a special +invitation, but were prevented from doing so by his urgent duties in +Paris in settling the Yunnan question, to which the Princess replied: +"Is there a king in England? I had thought that our Empress Dowager +was Queen of the world." Her sister, wife of the brother of the Young +Empress, a most intelligent, quiet and dignified lady, stood by smiling +and listening to the eager questions. After numerous questions had been +asked the Young Empress finally said: "How ignorant you are. I know that +each country has its ruler and that some countries are republics. The +United States is a republic and very friendly toward us, but I am sorry +that such a common class of people go there, as they will think we +are all the same. What I should like to see is some of our good Manchu +people go, as then they would see what we really are." She afterwards +told me she had been reading a history of the different countries, +which had been translated into Chinese, and she seemed to be very well +informed. + +After the Audience was over, Her Majesty called us out from behind the +screen and told us to go with her to see the theatre. She said, as it +was such a beautiful day, she preferred to walk, so we started, walking +a little behind her, as is the custom. Along the way she pointed out +from time to time different places and things that were her particular +favorites, and as she had to keep turning around all the time, she +finally told us to come and walk alongside of her. This, as I afterwards +found out, was a great condescension on her part and a thing that +she very seldom ever did. She, like everybody else, had her pets and +hobbies, such as flowers, trees, plants, dogs, horses, etc., and there +was one dog in particular that was her favorite pet. This dog was with +Her Majesty always and followed her wherever she went, and a more homely +dog I never saw. It had absolutely nothing to recommend it in any way. +Her Majesty thought it beautiful, and called it Shui Ta (Sea Otter). + +A short distance from the Audience Hall we came to a large courtyard. +On each side of this courtyard were two immense baskets fifteen feet +in height, built of natural logs and literally covered with purple +wisteria. They were simply gorgeous and great favorites of Her Majesty. +She was always very proud of them when in bloom and took great delight +in showing them to the people. + +From this courtyard we entered a sort of passageway which ran along +the sides of a big hill and led directly to the theatre, where we soon +arrived. This theatre is quite unlike anything that you can imagine. +It is built around the four sides of an open courtyard, each side being +separate and distinct. The building has five stories. It is entirely +open on the front and has two stages, one above the other. The three top +stories are used for holding the drops and for store rooms. The stage on +the first floor is of the ordinary kind; but that on the second floor +is built to represent a temple and used when playing religious plays, of +which Her Majesty was very fond. + +On the two sides were long, low buildings with large verandas running +their entire length, where the Princes and Ministers sat when invited +by Her Majesty to witness the play. Directly opposite this stage was +a spacious building, containing three large rooms, which was used +exclusively by Her Majesty. The floor was raised about ten feet above +the ground, which brought it on a level with the stage. Large glass +windows ran along in front, so made that they could be removed in the +summer and replaced with pale blue gauze screens. Two of these rooms +were used as sitting rooms and the third, the one on the right, she used +as a bedroom, and it had a long couch running across the front, on which +she used to sit or lie according to her mood. This day she invited us +to go to this room with her. Later I was told that she would very +often come to this room, look at the play for a while and then take her +siesta. She could certainly sleep soundly, for the din and noise did +not disturb her in the least. If any of my readers have ever been to a +Chinese theatre, they can well imagine how difficult it would be to woo +the God of Sleep in such a pandemonium. + +As soon as we were in this bedroom the play commenced. It was a +religious play called "The Empress of Heaven's Party or Feast to all +the Buddhist Priests to eat her famous peaches and drink her best wine." +This party or feast is given on the third day of the third moon of each +year. + +The first act opens with a Buddhist Priest, dressed in a yellow coat +robe with a red scarf draped over his left shoulder, descending in a +cloud from Heaven to invite all the priests to this party. I was very +much surprised to see this actor apparently suspended in the air and +actually floating on this cloud, which was made of cotton. The clever +way in which they moved the scenery, etc., was most interesting, and +before the play was finished I concluded that any theatre manager could +well take lessons from these people; and it was all done without the +slightest bit of machinery. + +As this Buddhist Priest was descending, a large pagoda began to slowly +rise from the center of the stage in which was a buddha singing and +holding an incense burner in front of him. Then four other smaller +pagodas slowly rose from the four corners of the stage, each containing +a buddha the same as the first. When the first Buddhist Priest had +descended, the five buddhas came out of the pagodas, which immediately +disappeared, and walked about the stage, still singing. Gradually from +the wing came numbers of buddhas singing until the stage was full, and +they all formed into a ring. Then I saw a large lotus flower, made of +pink silk, and two large green leaves appearing from the bottom of the +stage, and as it rose the petals and leaves gradually opened and I saw a +beautiful lady buddha (Goddess of Mercy) dressed all in white silk, with +a white hood on her head, standing in the center of this flower. As the +leaves opened I saw a girl and a boy in the center of them. When the +petals of the lotus flower were wide open this lady buddha began to +gradually ascend herself, and as she ascended, the petals closed until +she seemed to be standing on a lotus bud. The girl standing in the +leaf on the Goddess' right side held a bottle made of jade and a willow +branch. The legend of this is that if the Goddess dips the willow branch +into the jade bottle and spreads it over a dead person it will bring +the person to life. The boy and the girl are the two attendants of the +buddha. + +Finally the three came down from the flower and leaves and joined the +rest of the buddhas. Then the Empress of Heaven came, a good old lady +with snow-white hair, dressed from head to foot in Imperial yellow, +followed by many attendants, and ascended the throne, which was in the +center of the stage, and said: "We will go to the banquet hall." This +ended the first scene. + +The second scene opened with tables set for the feast to be given by the +Empress of Heaven. These tables were loaded down with peaches and wine +and four attendants guarding them. Suddenly a bee came buzzing near and +scattered a powder under the nostrils of the attendants, which made them +sleepy. When they had fallen asleep, this bee transformed itself into a +big monkey and this monkey ate all the peaches and drank all the wine. +As soon as he had finished he disappeared. + +A blast of trumpets announced the coming of the Empress of Heaven and +she soon arrived accompanied by all the Buddhist Priests and their +attendants. When the Empress of Heaven saw all the peaches and wine had +disappeared, she woke the attendants and asked them why they were asleep +and where the peaches and wine had gone. They said that they did not +know, that they were waiting for her to come and fell asleep. Then one +of the guests suggested that she should find out what had become of the +feast, and attendants were sent out to the guard to find out from +the soldiers if anyone had gone out of the gate recently. Before the +messenger had time to return, the Guard of Heaven came and informed the +Empress that a big monkey, who was very drunk and carrying a big stick, +had just gone out of the gate. When she was told this, she ordered the +soldiers of heaven and several buddhas to go and find him at his place. +It seems that this monkey had originally been made from a piece of stone +and lived in a large hole in a mountain on the earth. He was endowed +with supernatural powers and could walk on the clouds. He was allowed +to come to heaven and the Empress of Heaven gave him a position looking +after the Imperial orchards. + +When they got to his place on the earth, they found that he had taken +some of the peaches with him and he, with other monkeys, was having a +feast. The soldiers challenged him to come out and fight. He immediately +accepted this challenge, but the soldiers could do nothing with him. He +pulled the hair out of his coat and transformed each hair into a little +monkey and each monkey had an iron rod in its hand. He himself had +a special iron rod, which had been given to him by the King of Sea +Dragons. This rod he could make any size he wanted from a needle to a +crowbar. + +Among the buddhas who had gone with the soldiers was one named Erh Lang +Yeh, who was the most powerful of them all and had three eyes. This +buddha had a dog which was very powerful and he told the dog to bite +this monkey, which he did, and the monkey fell down and they caught him +and brought him up to heaven. When they got there the Empress of Heaven +ordered that he should be handed to Lao Chun, an old taoist god, and +that he should burn him in his incense burner. The incense burner was +very large, and when they took the monkey to him he placed him inside +this burner and watched him very carefully to see that he did not get +out. After he had watched for a long time he thought the monkey must be +dead and went out for a few minutes. The monkey, however, was not dead +and as soon as Lao Chun went out, he escaped and stole some golden +pills which Lao Chun kept in a gourd and went back to his hole in the +mountains. These pills were very powerful and if one of them were eaten +it would give eternal life, and the monkey knew this. The monkey ate one +and it tasted good and he gave the little monkeys some. When Lao Chun +came back and found both the monkey and the pills gone he went and +informed the Empress of Heaven. This ended the second scene. + +The third scene opened with the buddhas and soldiers at the monkey's +place in the mountains and they again asked him to come out and fight. +The monkey said: "What! Coming again?" and laughed at them. They started +to fight again, but he was so strong they could not get the best of him. +Even the dog who had bit him before was powerless this time, and they +finally gave it up and returned to heaven and told the Empress of Heaven +that they could not capture him the second time, as he was too strong. +Then the Empress of Heaven called a little god about fifteen years old +by the name of Neur Cha, who had supernatural powers, and told him to go +down to earth to the monkey's place and see if he could finish him. This +god was made of lotus flowers and leaves, that is, his bones were made +of flowers and his flesh made of leaves and he could transform himself +into anything that he wished. When Neur Cha got to the monkey's place +and the monkey saw him, he said: "What! A little boy like you come to +fight me? Well, if you think you can beat me, come on," and the boy +transformed himself into an immense man with three heads and six arms. +When the monkey saw this, he transformed himself also into the same +thing. When the little god saw that this would not do, he transformed +himself into a very big man and started to take the monkey, but the +monkey transformed himself into a very large sword and cut this man into +two pieces. The little god again transformed himself into fire to burn +the monkey, but the monkey transformed himself into water and put the +fire out. Again the little god transformed himself, this time into a +very fierce lion, but the monkey transformed himself into a big net to +catch the lion. So this little god, seeing that he could not get the +best of the monkey, gave it up and went back to heaven, and told the +Empress of Heaven that the monkey was too strong for him. The Empress +of Heaven was in despair, so she sent for Ju Li, an old ancestor of the +buddhas, who was the all-powerful one of them all; and Kuan Yin, Goddess +of Mercy, and sent them down to the monkey's place to see if they could +capture him. When they arrived at the hole in the mountain the monkey +came out and looked at Ju Li, but did not say a word, as he knew who +this god was. This god pointed a finger at him and he knelt down and +submitted. Ju Li said: "Come with me," and took the monkey and put him +under another mountain and told him he would have to stay there until +he promised he would be good. Ju Li said: "You stay here until one day +I lift this mountain up for you to come out to go with a Buddhist Priest +to the West side of heaven and demand the prayer books that are kept +there. You will have to suffer a great deal on the way and face many +dangers, but if you come back with this Buddhist Priest and the prayer +books, by that time your savage temper will be gone and you will be put +in a nice place in heaven and enjoy life forever afterwards." + +This finished the play, which was very interesting, and I enjoyed it +from beginning to end. It was acted very cleverly and quite realistic, +and I was very much surprised to know that the eunuchs could act so +well. Her Majesty told us that the scenery was all painted by the +eunuchs and that she had taught them about all they knew. Unlike most +theatres in China, it had a curtain which was closed between the acts, +also wing slides and drop scenes. Her Majesty had never seen a foreign +theatre and I could not understand where she got all her ideas from. She +was very fond of reading religious books and fairy tales, and wrote +them into plays and staged them herself, and was extremely proud of her +achievement. + +Her Majesty sat talking, we standing, for some little time and she asked +me if I understood the play, and I told her that I did and she seemed +quite pleased. Then she said in such a charming way: "Oh! I am so +interested in talking with you that I have forgotten to order my lunch. +Are you hungry? Could you get Chinese food when you were abroad, and +were you homesick? I know I would be if I left my own country for so +long a time; but the reason why you were abroad so long was not your +fault. It was my order that sent Yu Keng to Paris and I am not a bit +sorry, for you see how much you can help me now, and I am proud of you +and will show you to the foreigners that they may see our Manchu ladies +can speak other languages than their own." While she was talking I +noticed that the eunuchs were laying three large tables with nice white +table cloths, and I could see a number of other eunuchs standing in +the courtyard with boxes of food. These boxes or trays are made of wood +painted yellow and are large enough to hold four small and two large +bowls of food. After the tables were laid ready, the eunuchs outside +formed themselves into a double line from the courtyard to a little gate +running into another courtyard and passed these trays from one to the +other up to the entrance of the room, where they were taken by four +nicely dressed eunuchs and placed on the tables. + +It seems that it was a habit of Her Majesty to take her meals wherever +she happened to be, so that there was no particular place that she +used as a dining room. I should also mention that these bowls were of +Imperial yellow with silver covers. Some were ornamented with green +dragons and some with the Chinese character Shou (Long Life). + +There were about one hundred and fifty different kinds of food, for I +counted them. They were placed in long rows, one row of large bowls and +one row of small plates, and then another row of small bowls, and so on. +As the setting of the tables was going on, two Court ladies came into +the bedroom, each carrying a large yellow box. I was very much surprised +to see Court ladies doing this kind of work and I said to myself, if +I come here will I have to do this sort of thing? Although these boxes +appeared to be quite heavy, they brought them in very gracefully. Two +small tables were placed in front of Her Majesty, then they opened the +boxes and placed a number of very cute plates containing all sorts of +sweets, lotus flower seeds, dried and cooked with sugar, watermelon +seeds, walnuts cooked in different ways, and fruits of the season cut +and sliced. As these plates were being placed on the tables Her Majesty +said that she liked these dainties better than meat and gave us some and +told us to make ourselves at home. We thanked her for her kindness and +enjoyed them very much. I noticed that she ate quite a quantity from the +different plates and wondered how she would be able to eat her lunch. +When she had finished, two of the Court ladies came and took the plates +away and Her Majesty told us that she always gave what was left to the +Court ladies after she had finished eating. + +After this a eunuch came in carrying a cup of tea. This tea cup was +made of pure white jade and the saucer and cover was of solid gold. Then +another eunuch came in carrying a silver tray on which were two jade +cups similar to the others, one containing honeysuckle flowers and the +other rose petals. He also brought a pair of gold chopsticks. They both +knelt on the floor in front of Her Majesty and held the trays up so +that she could reach them. She took the golden cover off of the cup +containing tea and took some of the honeysuckle flowers and placed +them in the tea. While she was doing this and sipping the tea, she was +telling how fond she was of flowers and what a delicate flavor they gave +to the tea. Then she said: "I will let you taste some of my tea and see +if you like it," and ordered one of the eunuchs to bring us some +tea, the same as she was drinking. When it came, she put some of the +honeysuckle flowers in the cup for us and watched us drink it. It was +the most delicious tea I had ever tasted and the putting of flowers in +it gave it an extremely delicate flavour. + + + +CHAPTER FOUR--A LUNCHEON WITH THE EMPRESS + +WHEN we had finished drinking tea, she told us to go with her into the +next room, where the tables had been prepared for lunch, and I wondered +if she had any room for lunch, after all that she had just eaten, but +I soon found out. As soon as she was inside the room, she ordered the +covers to be removed and they were all taken off at one time. Then she +took her seat at the head of the table and told us to stand at the foot. +She then said: "generally the Emperor takes lunch with me when we have +the theatre, but he is shy to-day, as you are all new to him. I hope he +will get over it and not be so bashful. You three had better eat with me +to-day." Of course, we knew that this was an especial favor, and thanked +her by kowtowing before we commenced to eat. This kowtowing, or bowing +our heads to the ground, was very tiring at first and made us dizzy, +until we got used to it. + +When we commenced to eat, Her Majesty ordered the eunuchs to place +plates for us and give us silver chopsticks, spoons, etc., and said: + +"I am sorry you have to eat standing, but I cannot break the law of our +great ancestors. Even the Young Empress cannot sit in my presence. I +am sure the foreigners must think we are barbarians to treat our Court +ladies in this way and I don't wish them to know anything about our +customs. You will see how differently I act in their presence, so that +they cannot see my true self." + +I was watching her while she was talking to my mother and marvelled +to see how she could eat, after having eaten such a quantity of candy, +walnuts, etc., while in her bedroom. + +Beef was a thing that was tabooed within the precincts of the Palace, as +it was considered a great sin to kill and eat animals that were used as +beasts of burden. The food consisted mostly of pork, mutton and game, +fowls and vegetables. This day we had pork cooked in ten different ways, +such as meat balls, sliced cold in two different ways, red and white, +the red being cooked with a special kind of sauce made of beans which +gives it the red color and has a delicious taste. Chopped pork with +chopped bamboo shoots, pork cut in cubes and cooked with cherries +and pork cooked with onions and sliced thin. This last dish was Her +Majesty's favorite and I must say it was good. Then there was a sort of +pancake made of eggs, pork and mushrooms chopped fine and fried, also +pork cooked with cabbage and another dish cooked with turnips. The fowl +and mutton was cooked in several different ways. In the center of the +table was a very large bowl about two feet in diameter of the same +yellow porcelain, in which there was a chicken, a duck and some shark +fins in a clear soup. Shark fins are considered a great delicacy in +China. Besides this there was roast chicken, boneless chicken and roast +duck. Ducks and chickens are stuffed with little pine needles to give +them a fine flavor and roasted in open air ovens. + +There was another dish that Her Majesty was very fond of and that was +the skin of roast pork cut into very small slices and fried until it +curls up like a rasher of bacon. + +As a rule the Manchu people seldom eat rice, but are very fond of bread +and this day we had bread, made in a number of different ways, such as +baked, steamed, fried, some with sugar and some with salt and +pepper, cut in fancy shapes or made in fancy moulds such as dragons, +butterflies, flowers, etc., and one kind was made with mincemeat inside. +Then we had a number of different kinds of pickles, of which Her Majesty +was very fond. Then there was beans and green peas, and peanuts made +into cakes and served with sugarcane syrup. + +I did not eat very much, as I was too busy watching Her Majesty and +listening to what she said, although she told us to eat all we could. +In addition to all I have mentioned, we had many different kinds of +porridge, some made of sweet corn and some with tiny yellow rice (like +bird seed), and Her Majesty said that we must all eat porridge after our +meat. + +After we had finally finished eating, Her Majesty rose from the table +and said: "Come into my bedroom and you will see the Young Empress and +the Court ladies eat; they always eat after I am finished." We went with +her and I stood near the door between the two rooms and saw the Young +Empress and Court ladies come in and stand around the table eating very +quietly. They were never allowed to sit down and eat their food. + +All this time the theatre had been going on playing some fairy tales, +but they were not near as interesting as the first play that we had +seen. Her Majesty sat on her long couch in the bedroom and the eunuch +brought her some tea and she ordered some brought for us. My reader +can imagine how delighted I was to be treated in this way. In China the +people think their sovereign is the supreme being and that her word is +law. One must never raise their eyes when talking to her. This is a sign +of great respect. I thought these extreme favors must be most unusual. I +had been told that Her Majesty had a very fierce temper, but seeing her +so kind and gracious to us and talking to us in such a motherly way, I +thought my informant must be wrong and that she was the sweetest woman +in the world. + +When Her Majesty had rested a while, she told us that it was time we +were returning to the city, as it was getting late. She gave us eight +big yellow boxes of fruit and cakes to take home with us. She said to +my mother: "Tell Yu Keng (my father) to get better soon and tell him to +take the medicine I am sending by you and to rest well. Also give him +these eight boxes of fruit and cakes." I thought my father, who had been +quite ill since we returned from Paris, would not be much benefited if +he ate all those cakes. However, I knew he would appreciate her kind +thoughtfulness even if it were detrimental to his health. + +As perhaps most of my readers know, it is the custom to kowtow when Her +Majesty gives presents and we kowtowed to her when she gave us the fruit +and cakes and thanked her for her kindness. + +Just as we were leaving, Her Majesty said to my mother that she liked us +very much and wanted us to come and be her Court ladies and stay at the +Palace. We thought this was another great favor and again thanked her, +and she asked us when we could come and told us to bring our clothes and +things only, as she would fix everything for us and showed us the house +we would live in when we came and told us to come back inside of two +days. This house contained three very large rooms and was situated on +the right side of her own or private Palace. This Palace Ler Shou Tong +(Ever Happy Palace) is situated on the shores of the lake and was Her +Majesty's favorite place and where she spent most of her time, reading +and resting and when the spirit moved her she would go for a sail on the +lake. In this Palace she had quite a number of bedrooms and made use of +them all. + +When she had finished showing us this house we took leave of Her +Majesty, the Young Empress and the Court ladies, and after a long and +tiresome ride, reached home exhausted but happy, after the most eventful +day of our lives. When we got into the house, we were surprised to find +several eunuchs waiting our return. They had brought us each four rolls +of Imperial brocade from Her Majesty. Once more we had to bend to custom +in thanking her for these gifts. This time, the gift having been sent to +the house, we placed the silk on a table in the center of the room and +kowtowed to thank Her Majesty and told the eunuchs to tell Her Majesty +how grateful we were to her for all her kindness and for the beautiful +gifts. + +There is another thing that had to be done according to the custom, and +that was to give the eunuchs a present or tip, and we had to give each +of the eunuchs ten taels for their trouble. We afterwards found out that +when eunuchs went anywhere to take presents for Her Majesty, they were +required to report to her when they returned how the recipient had +thanked her and what had been given them, which she allowed them to +keep. She also asked them numerous questions about our house, whether we +were pleased with her, etc. These people are extremely fond of talking +and after we had returned to the Palace again, they told us what Her +Majesty had said about us the first day we were there. + +My mother felt very much worried to go to the Palace and leave my father +all alone owing to his being in poor health, but we could not disobey +Her Majesty's order, so we returned to the Palace three days later. + +Our first day there was a busy one for us. When we first arrived we went +and thanked Her Majesty for the present that she had sent us. She told +us that she was very busy to-day, as she was going to receive a Russian +lady, Madame Plancon, wife of the Russian Minister to China, who was +bringing a miniature portrait of the Czar and Czarina and family as a +present from the Czar to her, the Empress Dowager. She asked me if I +could speak Russian. I told her that I could not, but that most Russians +spoke French, which seemed to satisfy her. She, however, said: "Why +don't you tell me you speak Russian, I won't know or be able to find +out," and at the same time was looking at one of the Court ladies. I +concluded that someone must be fooling her, for she seemed to appreciate +the fact that I had told her the truth. This afterwards proved to be +true and one of the Court ladies was dismissed for pretending she could +talk foreign languages when she could not speak a word. + +Besides this audience there was the theatre and the engagement ceremony +of Her Majesty's nephew, Ter Ju. The engagement ceremony, according to +the Manchu custom, is performed by two of the Princesses of the Royal +family going to the house of the prospective bride, who sits on her bed +cross-legged, her eyes closed and awaits their coming. When they arrive +at the house, they go to her bedroom and place a symbol called Ru Yee, +made of pure jade about one and a half feet long, in her lap and suspend +two small bags made of silk and beautifully embroidered, each containing +a gold coin, from the buttons of her gown, and place two gold rings on +her fingers, on which is carved the characters Ta Hsi (Great Happiness). +The meaning of the symbol or sceptre Ru Yee is "May all joy be yours." + +During this entire ceremony absolute silence is maintained and +immediately they have finished, they return to the Palace and inform Her +Majesty that the ceremony has been completed. + + + +CHAPTER FIVE--AN AUDIENCE WITH THE EMPRESS + +No one informed us the day before that there was to be an audience +to receive the Russian Minister's wife on that very day. We told Her +Majesty that we must go and change our clothes in order to receive this +lady. The dresses we wore that day were very simply made and short. The +reason we wore this kind of costume was that there was no carpet and +the bare brick floor had ruined our beautiful red velvet gowns, also the +clumsy eunuchs had kept stepping on our trains all the time. We had made +up our minds that short dresses for general wear every day would be more +practical. Her Majesty said: "Why must you change your clothes? I see +you look much better without that tail dragging behind you on the floor. +I laughed at the idea of having a tail on one's dresses. I noticed that +the first day when you came to the Court." Before we had time to +explain to her, she said: "I see, dresses with tails behind must be more +dignified than short ones, am I right?" We told her it was so. Then she +said: "Go and put on your most beautiful gowns at once." We immediately +went and changed. My sister and myself wore our pink crepe de chine +gowns, trimmed with Brussels lace and transparent yokes of the same +color chiffon. My mother wore her gray crepe de chine embroidered with +black roses and a little touch of pale blue satin on her collar and +belt. We dressed in a great hurry, as Her Majesty had sent eunuchs to +see if we were ready. When she saw us she exclaimed: "Here are three +fairies with long tails." Then she asked us: "Is it very tiring to hold +half of your dress in your hand when you are walking? The costume is +pretty, but I do dislike the tail, there is no sense having a thing like +that. I wonder what these foreigners will think of me having you dressed +in their costume. I am sure they won't like the idea. My reason is +this: I want them to see you in foreign clothes in order to let them +understand I know something about the way they dress. I must say that +no foreign ladies have yet been presented to me dressed in such lovely +gowns as you three have. I don't believe foreigners are as wealthy as +the Chinese. I also notice they wear very little jewelry. I was told +that I have more jewelry than any sovereign in the world and yet I am +getting more all the time." + +We were very busy getting ready to receive Mdme. Plancon, who arrived +about eleven o'clock and was received in the waiting room of the first +courtyard by my sister and from there conducted to the audience hall, +Ren Shou Dien, where she was received by Her Majesty, who was sitting on +her big throne on the raised dais. The Emperor was present, sitting on +Her Majesty's left hand and I stood on her right to interpret for her. +Her Majesty was dressed in a yellow transparent satin brocade gown, +embroidered with hollyhocks and the Chinese character "Shou" (Long Life) +and trimmed with gold braid. She wore her big pearl, which is about the +size and shape of an egg, suspended from the button of her dress, also +numerous bracelets and rings and gold finger nail protectors. Her hair +was dressed in the same style as usual. + +When Mdme. Plancon entered the hall, my sister brought her to the steps +of the dais and she courtesied to Her Majesty. I then went forward and +brought her up onto the dais and Her Majesty shook hands with her and +she presented the photograph which she had brought to Her Majesty. +Her Majesty made a very pretty speech of acceptance, expressing her +appreciation of the gift of their Majesties, the Czar and Czarina. I +interpreted this speech in French to Mdme. Plancon, as she could not +speak English. After this, Her Majesty told me to take Mdme. Plancon to +the Emperor, which I did. He stood up when she came near and shook hands +with her and asked after their Majesties' health. This over, Her Majesty +stepped down from her throne and took Mdme. Plancon to her own Palace, +the one with so many bedrooms, and when they arrived, Her Majesty asked +her to sit down, and they talked together for about ten minutes, I +interpreting for them, after which I took her to see the Young Empress. + +The Manchu law is very strict as regards the mother-in-law and the +daughter-in-law, and the Young Empress had been sitting behind the +screen at the back of the throne during the audience, and it was there +that I found her. From there we went to the banquet hall, where luncheon +was served in Manchu style. + +Here I must explain the difference between the Chinese way of eating and +the Manchu. The Chinese place the bowls of food, one at a time, in the +center of the table and everyone eats out of these bowls, sticking their +chopsticks in and helping themselves to what they want. The Manchus eat +quite differently and are served with individual bowls and dishes, the +same as in any other country. Her Majesty was very proud of this and +said that it saved time, not to mention being cleaner. The food in the +Palace was always very good and clean, especially when we had foreign +guests, and of course we had a variety of dishes for such occasions, +such as sharkfins, birds' nest pudding, not to mention a great quantity +of other things. + +Her Majesty had given me the order that morning to have the tables +nicely decorated and they did look very nice when we sat down. +Besides the usual tableware, we had gold dragon menu holders, little +peach-shaped silver saucers filled with almonds and dried watermelon +seeds, and knives and forks in addition to chopsticks. + +Her Majesty and the Emperor never ate with guests, so Mdme. Plancon was +entertained by the Imperial Princess and the Court ladies. When luncheon +was half over a eunuch came and told me that Her Majesty wanted to see +me at once. The thought flashed through my head that something had gone +wrong, or that some of the eunuchs had been making false reports, a bad +habit of the Court; and I was much surprised to find her all smiles. She +told me what a nice, polite lady Mdme. Plancon was, that she had seen +many ladies who had come to the Court, but none with manners like this +one, that she was sorry to say that some of the ladies who came did not +behave very well. She said: "They seem to think we are only Chinese and +do not know anything, and look down upon us. I notice these things very +quickly and am surprised to see people who claim to be well educated and +civilized acting the way they do. I think we whom they call barbarians +are much more civilized and have better manners." She was always very +polite to the foreign ladies, no matter how badly they behaved, but +after they had gone, she would tell us who was nice and who was not. +After she had finished saying this, she gave me a beautiful piece of +green jade to give to Madame Plancon. When I gave it to her, she said +she wished to thank Her Majesty, and I took her to the Palace again. + +When we had finished luncheon, she told me how pleased she was with her +reception and the kindness that Her Majesty had shown her, and took her +departure, we accompanying her to the courtyard of the Audience Hall, +where her chair was waiting. + +Her Majesty had made a rule or custom that after all guests had +departed, we must go to her and report everything. I suppose she was +like all women, a bit of a gossip as well as the rest; it appeared so at +any rate. She wanted to know what Mdme. Plancon said, whether she liked +the jade and whether she enjoyed her luncheon, etc. + +Her Majesty was very well pleased that I had interpreted so well for her +and said: "I have never had anyone to interpret for me this way before. +Although I don't understand the language, I can see that you speak it +fluently. How did you learn? I will never let you go away from me any +more. Sometimes the foreign ladies bring their own interpreters, but +I can't understand their Chinese and have to guess at what they are +saying, especially some of the missionaries Mrs. Conger brings with her. +I am very happy to have you and want you to stay with me as long as +I live and I will arrange a marriage for you, but won't tell you just +now." + +I felt very happy at what Her Majesty had said and thought I had made my +debut under very favorable auspices, and was very glad that Her Majesty +liked me; but this marriage question worried me, for nothing was farther +from my mind than this. I afterwards told my mother about it and she +told me not to worry, as I could always refuse when the time came. + +When we had told Her Majesty all that Mdme. Plancon had said, she told +us we could go to our rooms, that as we had risen early that morning and +had worked very hard, we must be tired and needed rest, that she would +not need us any more that day. We courtesied to her according to the +custom when saying good night, and retired. + + + +CHAPTER SIX--IN ATTENDANCE ON HER MAJESTY + +THE building where we had our rooms, as I have said before, contained +four large rooms and a hall, and we three, my mother, sister and myself, +each took a room and gave the fourth to our maids. Her Majesty had +ordered a eunuch to accompany us and this eunuch told us that Her +Majesty had ordered four young eunuchs to attend on us and that if they +did not behave, we should tell him. He also said his name was Li, but as +there were so many by this name, including the head eunuch, it was very +hard to tell them apart. + +When we arrived, which took some time, he pointed to a building on our +right and said that it was Her Majesty's own Palace and the one which +we had just left. I could not understand why it had taken us so long to +come, when the Palace was so near, and asked him about it. He told us +that our little buildings were at the left side of the Emperor's Palace +and that Her Majesty had had the entrance leading from our place to her +Palace closed up for certain reasons which he would not tell, but said: +"You see this place ought to face East instead of towards the lake." The +view on the lake was beautiful and I told him I liked it much better the +way it was. He smiled and said: "You will have to learn a lot before you +find out this wicked place." I was surprised at what the eunuch said, +but did not like to ask him any questions. He also told us that the +Emperor's Palace was just behind our place and was a large building +similar to Her Majesty's Palace. We looked and could see the trees of +his courtyard above the roof. Then he pointed to another building behind +the Emperor's, which was larger but lower than the Emperor's Palace, and +also had a large courtyard, and said it was the Young Empress's Palace. +It had two buildings flanking it on each side and the eunuch told us +that the one on the left was the Secondary Wife's bedroom. That there +had been an entrance between the two Palaces, but that Lao Fo Yeh (The +great old Buddha), as the eunuchs called Her Majesty, had blocked it up +so that the Emperor and Empress could not communicate with each other, +except through Her Majesty's own Palace. I suppose this was the way she +kept watch over them and knew at all times what they were doing. This +was all news to me and I did not know what to think of it. I was afraid +that this eunuch Li would tell me more of these curious things, so I +told him I was tired and would go to my room and rest, and he went away. + +When I finally got inside my room and had a chance to look around, I saw +that it was very prettily furnished with ebonywood furniture, which was +covered with red satin cushions and the windows were hung with red silk +curtains. All the bedrooms were just alike. The kong (bed) was made of +brick covered with the same kind of wood and ran along the wall under +the front window. It had high teaster posts with slats running across on +which red curtains were hung. These kongs are very curiously built. They +are made of brick and have a hole in the front center in which fire is +placed to heat the brick in winter time. During the day a sort of table +is placed on top of the kong and removed again at night. + +Shortly after we had gone to our rooms, some eunuchs came and brought +our dinner, which they placed on a table in the center of the hall. They +told us the food had been sent by Her Majesty and that she had ordered +them to tell us to make ourselves comfortable. We were so tired that we +could not eat very much and were about to retire for the night when this +eunuch Li came again and told us that we must be up at five o'clock, not +later, so I told my eunuch to knock on my window at five. Immediately +after this we went to bed, but did not sleep immediately, as we wanted +to talk over the events of the day, which had been many and strange. +After we did finally get to bed, it seemed as if we had just fallen +asleep when I heard someone knocking on my window. I woke up with a +start and asked what the matter was and a eunuch told me it was five +o'clock and time to get up. + +I immediately got up and opened my window and looked out. The day was +just dawning and the sky was a beautiful deep red which was reflected +in the lake, which was perfectly calm. The scenery was lovely and in the +distance I could see Her Majesty's peony mountain, which was literally +covered with these beautiful flowers. I dressed at once and went to Her +Majesty's Palace and there met the Young Empress sitting on the veranda. +I courtesied to her as a good morning salute. The Emperor's Secondary +wife was there also, but we had been ordered not to courtesy to her, +as she was considered not to have any standing there. There was also a +number of young Court ladies, many of whom I had never seen before. The +Young Empress introduced me to them, saying that they were also Court +ladies. They were daughters of high Manchu officials and some were very +pretty and bright. The Young Empress told me that these ten (there were +just ten there) were never allowed to go near Her Majesty, as they were +just learning the court etiquette. They were all dressed very nicely in +pretty Manchu gowns, the same design as that worn by the Young Empress. + +After I had been introduced to these young ladies and talked with them +a while, I went inside with the Young Empress and there met Sze Gurgur, +fourth daughter of Prince Ching and a young widow twenty-four years +of age, Yuen Da Nai Nai, widow of Her Majesty's nephew. Both were busy +getting things ready for Her Majesty. The Young Empress told us that +we must go at once to Her Majesty's bedroom and assist Her Majesty to +dress, so we went at once and courtesied to her and said: "Lao Tsu Tsung +Chi Hsiang" (old ancestor, all joy be with you). Her Majesty was still +in bed and smiled to us and asked us if we had slept well. We told her +the rooms were very comfortable, etc. I thought to myself, we had slept +very well for the little time we had, but I had not had half enough. The +day before had been very hard for us and we were quite unused to it and +it had made us very lame and sore running around so much. + +She asked us if we had had any breakfast and we told her not yet. +She scolded Li for not having given the order for our breakfast to be +brought to our rooms and said: "You must not feel like strangers, order +anything you may want." Then she arose and started to dress. She put +on her white silk socks first, having slept in her pantaloons as is the +custom, and tied them at the ankle with pretty ribbon. I must tell you +here that although she always slept in her clothes, she changed them for +clean ones every day. Then she put on a pale pink shirt of soft material +and over that a short silk gown, that was embroidered with bamboo +leaves, as she always wore low heeled shoes in the morning and +consequently could not wear her long gowns. After she had dressed she +walked over to a window in front of which were two long tables covered +with toilet articles of every kind and description. + +As she was washing her face and dressing her hair, she said to my mother +that she could not bear to have the servant girls, eunuchs, or old +women, touch her bed, that they were dirty, so the Court ladies must +make it. When she said this she turned to my sister and myself, we were +standing a little to one side, and said: "You two must not think for a +moment that the Court ladies do servant's work, but you know I am an old +woman and could easily be your grandmother and it will do you no harm to +work a little for me. When it comes your turn, you can superintend the +others and don't have to do the work with your own hands." Then Her +Majesty said to me: "Der Ling you are a great help to me in every way +and I make you my first lady-in-waiting. You must not work too much +for you will have to make all the arrangements for the audiences for +foreigners and you will have to interpret for me. I also want you to +look after my jewels and don't want you to do rough work at all. Roon +Ling (my sister) can choose what she likes to do. I have two more +besides you, Sze Gurgur and Yuen Da Nai Nai, making four altogether and +you must all work together. It is not necessary to be too polite to them +and if they are not nice to you, you let me know." Although I was very +happy at receiving this appointment, I knew that according to custom I +must refuse it, so I thanked Her Majesty very kindly for the honor +she had given me and said that I did not know enough to hold such an +important position and would prefer to be just an ordinary Court lady, +and that I would learn as quickly as possible to be useful to her. +She hardly let me finish what I was saying, when she laughed and said: +"Stop! don't say anything like that; you are too modest, which shows you +are very clever and not a bit conceited. I am surprised to see what a +perfect little Manchu lady you are, knowing even such small etiquette as +this, although you have spent many years outside of China." She was very +fond of making fun and liked very much to tease, and said that I could +try and if she saw that I could not do the work, she would scold me +and put someone else in my place. After all this that she had said, +I accepted the appointment and went over to her bed to see how it was +made, and I found that it was very easy work to do. As this would be +one of my duties, I watched while the bed was being fixed. First of +all, after Her Majesty had risen, the bedclothes were taken out into +the courtyard by the eunuchs and aired, then the bed, which was made of +beautifully carved wood, was brushed off with a sort of whiskbroom, +and a piece of felt placed over it. Then three thick mattresses made +of yellow brocade were placed over the felt. After this came the sheets +made of different colored soft silk, and over the whole thing was placed +a covering of plain yellow satin embroidered with gold dragons and blue +clouds. She had a great many pillows, all beautifully embroidered, which +were placed on the bed during the daytime; but had a particular one +stuffed with tea leaves on which she slept. It is said that stuffing +the pillow on which you sleep with tea leaves is good for the eyes. +In addition to all these, she had another very curiously shaped pillow +about twelve inches long in the middle of which was a hole about three +inches square. It was stuffed with dried flowers, and the idea of the +hole was that when she laid on it she could place her ear in this hole +and in this way hear any and every sound. I suppose in that way no one +could come on her unawares. + +Besides this last yellow embroidered cover, there were six covers of +different colors, pale mauve, blue, pink, green and violet, and were +placed one on top of the other. Over the top of the bed was a frame +of wood handsomely carved and from this frame white crepe curtains, +beautifully embroidered, hung, and numerous little gauze silk bags +filled with scent were suspended from the carved work of the frame. The +odor from these bags was very strong and made one feel sick until they +became used to it. Her Majesty was also very fond of musk and used it on +all occasions. + +It took us about fifteen minutes to make the bed, and when I had +finished, I turned around and saw that Her Majesty was dressing her +hair. I stood beside her Majesty while the eunuch was dressing it and +saw that as old as she was, she still had beautiful long hair which +was as soft as velvet and raven black. She parted it in the center and +brought it low at the back of her ears, and the back braid was brushed +up on the top of her head and made it into a tight knot. When she +had finished doing this, she was ready to have the Gu'un Dzan (Manchu +headdress) placed on and pinned through the knot with two large pins. +Her Majesty always dressed her hair first and then washed her face. She +was as fussy and particular as a young girl and would give it to the +eunuch if he did not get it just to suit her. She had dozens of bottles +of all kinds of perfume, also perfumed soap. When she had finished +washing her face, she dried it on a soft towel and sprayed it with a +kind of glycerine made of honey and flower petals. After that she put +some kind of strong scented pink powder on her face. + +When she had completed her toilet, she turned to me and said: "It must +seem to you quite funny to see an old lady like me taking so much care +and pains in dressing and fixing up. Well! I like to dress myself up and +to see others dress nicely. It always gives me pleasure to see pretty +girls dressed nicely; it makes you want to be young again yourself." I +told her that she looked quite young and was still beautiful, and that +although we were young we would never dare compare ourselves with her. +This pleased her very much, as she was very fond of compliments, and +I took great pains that morning to study her and to find out what she +liked and what she didn't. + +After this Her Majesty took me into another room and showed me where her +jewels were kept. This room was covered with shelves on three sides of +the room from top to bottom, on which were placed piles of ebony boxes +all containing jewels. Small yellow strips were pasted on some of the +boxes on which was written the contents. Her Majesty pointed to a row of +boxes on the right side of the room and said: "Here is where I keep my +favorite everyday jewels, and some day you must go over them and see +that they are all there. The rest are all jewels which I wear on special +occasions. There are about three thousand boxes in this room and I have +a lot more locked up in my safety room, which I will show you when I am +not busy." Then she said: "I am sorry you cannot read and write Chinese, +otherwise I would give you a list of these things and you could keep a +check on them." I was very much surprised at this and wondered who had +told her I couldn't. I was anxious to know, but did not dare to ask her, +so I told her that although I was not a scholar, I had studied Chinese +for some time and could read and write a little, that if she would give +me a list I would try and read it. She said: "That is funny, someone +told me the first day you were here, I forget now who it was, that you +could not read or write your own language at all." While she was saying +this, she was looking all around the room and I was sure she knew who it +was that had told her, but she would not tell me. Then she said: "When +we have time this afternoon, I will go over this list with you. Bring +me those five boxes on the first row of shelves." I brought the boxes to +her room and placed them on the table. She opened the first one and it +contained a most beautiful peony made of coral and jade and each petal +trembled like a real flower. This flower was made by stringing the +petals which were made of coral on very fine brass wire, also the leaves +which were made of pure jade. She took this flower and placed it on the +right side of her headdress. Then she opened another box and took +from it a magnificent jade butterfly made in the same way. This was an +invention of her own and it was done by carving the coral and jade into +petals and leaves and boring holes in the lower ends through which +brass wire was run. The other two boxes contained bracelets and rings of +different patterns. There was a pair of gold bracelets set with pearls, +another pair set with jade, with a piece of jade hanging from the end +of a small gold chain, etc. The last two contained chains of pearls, the +like of which I never saw before, and I fell in love with them at +once. Her Majesty took one which was made into a plum blossom string +by winding a circle of five pearls around a larger one, then one single +pearl, then another circle of five pearls around a large one, and so on, +making quite a long chain, which she suspended from one of the buttons +of her gown. + +At this juncture one of the Court ladies came in carrying several gowns +for Her Majesty to select from. She looked at them and said that none of +them suited her, to take them back and bring more. I had a look at +them and thought they were perfectly lovely, such pretty colors and so +beautifully embroidered. In a short while the same Court lady came +back carrying more, and from these Her Majesty selected a sea-green one +embroidered all over with white storks. She put this gown on and looked +at herself in the mirror for a while, then took off her jade butterfly. +She said: "You see I am very particular about little details. The jade +butterfly is too green and it kills my gown. Put it back in the box and +bring me a pearl stork in No. 35 box." I went back to the jewel room and +fortunately found No. 35 box and brought it to her. She opened the box +and took from it a stork made entirely of pearls set in silver, the +bird's bill being made of coral. The pearls making the body of the bird +were so cleverly set that the silver could not be seen at all unless +one looked at it very closely. It was a most magnificent piece of +workmanship and the pearls were of perfect color and shape. Her Majesty +took it and placed it in her hair and did look very graceful and pretty. +Then she picked out a mauve-colored short jacket, also embroidered with +storks, which she put on over her gown. Her handkerchief and shoes +were also embroidered with storks and when she was entirely dressed she +looked like the stork lady. + +Just as she had finished dressing, the Emperor Kwang Hsu came into the +bedroom dressed in his official clothes. These clothes were exactly like +other official clothes, except that he had no button on his hat and did +not wear the peacock feather. He knelt down before Her Majesty and said: +"Chin Baba, Chi Hsiang" (dear father, all joy be with you). It may seem +curious that the Emperor and all of us should call Her Majesty father, +and the reason why this was done was because Her Majesty always wanted +to be a man and compelled everyone to address her as if she were +actually one. This was only one of her many peculiarities. + +I did not know whether to courtesy to the Emperor or not, not having +received any orders as to what I should do. However, I thought it better +to be too polite than not enough, so I waited until either he or Her +Majesty went out of the room, as we were not allowed to salute or +courtesy to anyone in her presence. In a little while the Emperor went +out and I followed him out into the hall and just as I was in the act +of courtesying Her Majesty came out. She looked at me in a very peculiar +way, as if she did not approve of what I had done, but said nothing. I +felt very uncomfortable and made up my mind that being too polite did +not always pay after all. + +I then returned to the room again and saw a small eunuch placing several +yellow boxes on a table at the left side of the room. Her Majesty seated +herself in a large chair, which was called her little throne, and this +eunuch opened the boxes, took a yellow envelope from each box and handed +them to Her Majesty. She opened these envelopes with an ivory paper +knife and read their contents. They were memorials from the heads of the +different Boards, or from the Viceroys of the different Provinces. The +Emperor had come back and was standing at the side of this table and +after she had finished reading, she handed them over to him. While all +this was being done I stood at the back of her chair. I watched the +Emperor as the different papers were handed to him and noticed that it +did not take him very long to finish reading their contents. After he +was finished reading the papers, they were placed back in the boxes. +During all this time absolute silence was maintained. Just as they had +finished the head eunuch came in, knelt down and announced that Her +Majesty's chair was ready. She immediately got up and went out of the +house, we following her, and I took her arm while she was descending the +steps to go to her chair. When she had entered the chair to go to the +Audience Hall, the Emperor and Young Empress and we all followed in +our usual places, the eunuchs, amahs and servant girls carrying all the +things exactly the same as was done the first day I came to the Palace. +When we arrived at the Audience Hall, we took our places behind the big +screen and the audience commenced. I was very curious to find out just +how the audiences were conducted and wanted to listen to what was going +on, but the Court ladies would not leave me alone. However, when they +were all talking together with my sister, I stole away into a corner +where I could sit and rest and listen to the conversation between +the different Ministers and Her Majesty. Trust a woman for being +inquisitive. + +The first part of the audience I could not hear very well, as so many +people were whispering and talking at the same time, but by peeping +through the carved-work of the screen, I could see a General talking to +Her Majesty. I also saw the members of the Grand Council come in headed +by Prince Ching, who was the Councillor-in-Chief. After the General had +finished, Her Majesty talked with Prince Ching about the appointment of +some minor officials, a list of whose names had been handed to her. She +looked over this list and spoke about several of the people, but Prince +Ching suggested some others, saying: "Although these people whose names +have been submitted to Your Majesty should receive appointments, those +that I have suggested are better fitted for the positions." Her Majesty +said: "All right, I leave it all to you." Then I heard Her Majesty say +to the Emperor, "Is that correct?" and he replied, "Yes." This finished +the Audience for the morning and the Ministers and Grand Councillors +took their leave. We came out from behind the screen to Her Majesty and +she said that she wanted to go for a walk to get some fresh air. The +servant girls brought her a mirror, placed it on a table, and Her +Majesty took off her heavy headdress, leaving the simple knot on the top +of her head, which was quite becoming. She wanted to change some of the +flower jewels and I opened a box which one of the eunuchs had brought +and took out some very dainty flowers made of pearls. I handed her one +which she placed at the side of this knot, then she selected a jade +dragonfly which she placed on the other side. She said these small +flowers were favorites of hers and she liked to wear them when she took +off her heavy headdress. I was watching her very closely and wondered +what I was going to do with the flowers she had taken off. I had not +brought the boxes to put them in, as I did not know she was going to +change again after the audience, and felt a little nervous as to what +was the right thing to do, or as to what she would say. However, I saw +a eunuch come in carrying these boxes and felt much relieved. I quickly +placed the things in the boxes where they belonged. + + + +CHAPTER SEVEN--SOME INCIDENTS OF THE COURT + +MY first day with Her Majesty was very trying as I did not know just +what she wanted or how she wanted things done, and no one seemed willing +to tell me; but by watching very closely I was soon able to grasp the +situation. After I had finished putting the things in the boxes I did +not know whether to take them back to the jewel room or not, or whether +to wait until Her Majesty ordered me, and again I was in a quandary. I +saw she was talking to my mother, so I waited a little time and finally +made up my mind I would risk it and take them back, which I did. As +I was returning I met Her Majesty in the big courtyard. She had just +changed her gown again and looked much shorter as she had also changed +her shoes for ones with lower heels. This gown was made of heavy +sky-blue crepe with no embroidery at all, just trimmed with pale pink +ribbons, and she looked very nice in it. When Her Majesty saw me, she +asked me: "Where have you been?" I told her that I had just been putting +her jewels away. Then she said: "Has anyone told you to put them away +as soon as I am finished with them? I forgot to tell you this morning, +although I had meant to." I said that no one had told me anything, that +I was afraid to have the eunuchs taking such valuable things here and +there, that I was sure that she did not want to use them any more, so I +thought it would be safer to put them away in the jewel room again. Her +Majesty looked at me and said: "I can see that these girls don't tell +you anything and I am very glad to see that you have done just the right +thing. That is why I thought someone must have told you what to do. +Anything you want to know you can ask me, but don't talk to these mean +people here." I could see from this that there must be some jealousy +among them and decided that I was well able to find my own way, as I +knew Her Majesty liked me and would help me out. + +Her Majesty walked along a little way, then laughed and said to me: +"Don't I look more comfortable now? I am going for a long walk and take +lunch on the top of the hill. There is a nice place up there and I am +sure you will like it. Come, let us go." + +The Emperor had gone back to his own Palace, and the head eunuch had +also disappeared. As we were walking along, Her Majesty was talking +and smiling as if she had never a care or trouble in the world, or any +important questions of state to settle. I thought from what I had seen +so far that she had a very sweet disposition. She looked back and said: +"Just see how many people are following us." I turned and saw the +same crowd that had accompanied Her Majesty earlier in the day to the +Audience Hall. + +After passing out of the large courtyard on the West side, we came to a +large, long veranda running in a zig-zag fashion along the front of the +lake, and it was so long that I could not see the end of it. It was very +prettily made of solid carved work from one end to the other. Electric +lights were hanging from the ceiling at intervals, and when they were +lighted at night, made a beautiful sight. + +Her Majesty was a very fast walker and we had to step lively to keep up +with her. The eunuchs and the servant girls walked on the right side and +only one of the eunuchs was allowed to walk behind us, and he was the +one who carried Her Majesty's yellow satin stool, which, like her dog, +went everywhere she did. This stool she used to rest on when taking a +walk. We walked for quite a long while and I began to feel tired, but +Her Majesty, as old as she was, was still walking very fast and did not +appear to be the least bit tired. She asked me if I liked the Palace and +whether I would be satisfied to live with her, etc. I told her that it +was a great pleasure for me to serve her, that it had been my dream +for years, and now that my dream had come true, I could not help but be +satisfied. + +We finally arrived at the place where the marble boat was kept, and I +was about finished. I never saw such vitality in an old woman in my life +as Her Majesty had, and it was no wonder that she had ruled this vast +Empire of China so successfully for so many years. + +This boat was magnificent, being one mass of carved work, but the inside +was all spoiled. Her Majesty showed us all over the boat, and whilst we +were looking at the ruin, she said: "Look at those colored glasses in +the windows and these beautiful paintings. They were all spoiled by the +foreign troops in 1900. I don't intend to have it repaired as I don't +want to forget the lesson I have learned and this is a good reminder." +After we had been standing there a few minutes, a eunuch who had been +carrying the famous satin stool, came forward, and Her Majesty sat +down to rest. While we were talking I noticed two large and very +fancy-looking boats approaching us, with several smaller ones coming +along behind. As they came nearer I saw that they were also very +beautifully made, and looked like floating pagodas of beautifully +carved natural wood. The windows of the pagodas were hung with red gauze +curtains and all was trimmed with silk. Her Majesty said: "There are the +boats. We must go over to the west side of the lake and have luncheon." +Her Majesty got up and walked to the edge of the lake, two eunuchs +supporting her, one at each side. She stepped into the boat and we all +followed her example. The inside of the boat was very nicely furnished +with carved ebony furniture with blue satin cushions, one with many +pots of flowers on both sides of the window. There were two more cabins +behind this sitting room. Her Majesty told me to go in to see those two +rooms. One little room was a dressing room full of toilet articles. The +other one had two couches and several small chairs for Her Majesty to +rest whenever she felt tired. Her Majesty sat on her throne and ordered +us to sit on the floor. The eunuchs brought in red satin cushions for us +to sit upon. To sit on the floor is all right for Chinese clothes, but +of course it was out of the question with Paris gowns, and I felt very +uncomfortable, but did not like to say so. I wanted to change into +Manchu clothes, for I knew they were comfortable and easy to work in, +but having received no order from Her Majesty, I did not dare to suggest +it. Her Majesty noticed how very uncomfortable we looked sitting on the +floor. She said: "You can stand up if you want to and just watch those +boats following us." I put my head out of the window and noticed the +Young Empress and several other Court ladies were in the other boat. +They waved to me, and I waved back. Her Majesty laughed and said to me: +"I give you this apple to throw to them." While saying this she took one +from the big plates that stood upon the center table. I tried very hard, +but the apple did not reach the other boat, but went to the bottom of +the lake. Her Majesty laughed and told me to try again, but I failed. +Finally, she took one and threw it herself. It went straight to the +other boat and hit one of the ladies' head. We all laughed quite +heartily. Then I began to enjoy myself. There were several open boats +full of eunuchs, and another one of servant girls, amahs and the rest +with Her Majesty's luncheon. The lake was beautiful and looked so green +in the sun. I told Her Majesty that this color reminded me of the sea. +She said: "You have travelled so much, and yet you have not had enough, +but are still thinking of the sea. You must not go abroad any more, but +stay with me. I want you to enjoy this sailing on this lake instead of +the rough sea." I promised her that I would be only too happy to stay +with her. I must say the truth, I did enjoy the lovely scenery, the +beautiful weather, superb sunshine, with Her Majesty so kind to me and +talking to me in such a motherly way made me love her more and more +every minute I was there. I was so extremely happy there that even Paris +pleasures had gone out of my memory entirely. + +At last we arrived at another part of the lake. This was more of a +stream, very narrow, just wide enough for one boat to pass. On both +sides of the bank were planted drooping willow trees that reminded me of +the Chinese Fairy tales I have read. This time I saw the servant girls, +amahs, and also eunuchs carrying boxes, walking on both sides of the +shore. Only two boats were going then, the Young Empress' and ours. +Her Majesty said: "We will arrive at the bottom of the hill in a few +minutes." When we came near the shore I saw her yellow chair and several +red chairs waiting. We landed and walked to the chairs. I watched Her +Majesty get into hers and noticed this was not the same chair she used +this morning. This little one was, of course, of yellow, with yellow +poles, and two eunuchs carried it, with yellow rope across their +shoulders, and four eunuchs supported the poles, one on each corner of +the chair. They were just going to raise her chair up when she said: "Yu +tai tai (Lady Yu) I give you and your daughters special favor and give +you a red chair with red cord that I have given to only a few people." +The Young Empress looked at us, which I understood at once was meant for +us to kowtow to her, which we did, and waited until the Empress got into +hers. Then we went to search for ours. To my surprise our own eunuchs +were standing waiting beside our chairs. On the poles I noticed that +my name was written and I asked our eunuch the reason. He said that Her +Majesty gave the order the night before. It was a lovely ride going to +the top of the hill. I saw Her Majesty's chair in front, and the Young +Empress'. They looked to me quite dangerous in ascending that way, and +the men at the back of the chair had to raise the poles above their +heads so as to make the chair the same level in ascending. I was quite +nervous and was very much afraid that they might fall off and injure me. +Our eunuchs were walking beside our chairs. I said to one of them that +I was afraid the chair bearers might slip. He told me to look back of my +chair, which I did, and to my surprise they had the poles raised up also +above their heads, and I did not feel it at all. He told me that these +chair bearers practice for such purposes and that there was no danger +at all. It made my heart stop beating looking back and seeing the other +Court ladies in their chairs way below mine, the eunuchs and servant +girls walking, for fear I might fall off at any time. At last we arrived +at the top of the hill. We helped Her Majesty to alight and followed +her into the most lovely building I ever saw, the best one in the Summer +Palace to my idea (name of this pavilion, Ching Fo Ker). This Palace had +only two rooms, with windows on every side. One could see everywhere. +Her Majesty used one large one to take her luncheon in and the other as +a toilet room. I noticed that wherever we went we found Her Majesty's +toilet room. Her Majesty took us around the compound and showed us the +lovely flowers planted everywhere. One of the young eunuchs told me that +Her Majesty's dainties were ready. That was my first day of real work. I +went out and found two large yellow boxes of different kinds of candies +and fruits, as I have before mentioned. I carried two plates at a time, +and finished in nine times, placing them on a square table near her. She +was talking to my mother then about flowers. I noticed that although she +was talking, she was watching me at the same time. I placed the plates +upon the table very carefully, and already having noticed the day before +what were her favorite dishes, and placed these near her. She smiled +at me and said: "You have done it very nicely. And how do you know that +these are my favorites and have placed them near me? Who told you?" I +replied that no one had told me anything and that I had noticed the day +before what Lao Tsu Tsung liked (according to the Manchu custom one must +address a superior or one's parents in the third person). Her Majesty +said: "I can see you use your heart in everything (in China people say +heart instead of head) and are not like the crowd I have here; they +haven't the brains of a bird." She was soon busy eating, and gave me +some candies, and told me to eat right there in her presence. Of course +I never forgot to thank her, for I thought I had rather thank her too +much than too little. She told me: "Whenever I give you small things you +need not kowtow. Just say: 'Hsieh Lao Tsu Tsung Shang' (Thank the old +ancestor), that is enough." After a little while she finished eating, +and told me to take the dishes away. She said: "To-day is your day, so +these things are yours. Take them out and sit down on the veranda and +enjoy yourself. You see I could not eat all. There are lots of things +left. If you like you can tell your own eunuch to send them to your +room." I placed the little dishes back in the boxes and took them to the +veranda. There I placed them upon the table and told the Young Empress +to eat some. I did not know whether it was right to offer them to her or +not and thought I could not do her any harm, even if I tried. She said +all right, that she would eat some. I took a piece of candy and had just +put it into my mouth when I heard Her Majesty calling my name. I hurried +in and found her sitting at her table ready to take her lunch. She said: +"What else did Mdme. Plancon say yesterday? Was she really pleased? Do +you think they, the foreigners, really like me? I don't think so; on the +contrary I know they haven't forgotten the Boxer Rising in Kwang Hsu's +26th year. I don't mind owning up that I like our old ways the best, and +I don't see any reason why we should adopt the foreign style. Did any of +the foreign ladies ever tell you that I am a fierce-looking old woman?" +I was very much surprised that she should call me in and ask me such +questions during her meal. She looked quite serious and it seemed to +me she was quite annoyed. I assured her that no one ever said anything +about Her Majesty but nice things. The foreigners told me how nice she +was, and how graceful, etc. This seemed to please her, and she smiled +and said: "Of course they have to tell you that, just to make you feel +happy by saying that your sovereign is perfect, but I know better. I +can't worry too much, but I hate to see China in such a poor condition. +Although the people around me seem to comfort me by telling that almost +every nation feels very friendly towards China, I don't think that is +true. I hope we will be strong some day." While she was saying this I +noticed her worried expression. I did not know what to say, but tried to +comfort her by saying that that time will come, and we are all looking +forward to it. I wanted to advise her on some points, but seeing that +she was angry, I thought I had better not make any suggestions that +day, but wait until I had another opportunity. I felt sorry for her, and +would have given anything in the world to help her by telling what the +general opinion of her was so as to let her know the truth, which no one +dared to tell her. Something told me to be silent. I kept thinking all +the time she was talking to me, and finally made up my mind that the +time was not yet ripe for me to make any suggestion. I had grown to love +her very much, so I wanted to take care not to offend her; that would +probably finish my ambition. I wanted to study her first thoroughly and +then try to influence her to reform China. + +I stood all the time while she was eating. She got up from the table +and handed me her napkin (this napkin was made of a piece of silk a yard +square, woven in many colors). One corner was turned in, and a golden +butterfly was fastened to it. It had a hook at the back of this +butterfly so as to hook on her collar. She said: "I am sure you must be +hungry. Go and tell the Young Empress and the rest of the people to come +and eat. You can eat anything you want from these tables, so eat all you +can." I was very, very hungry. Just imagine, I had been up since 5:00 +o'clock and had only a light breakfast, and had walked a great deal. +It was almost noon when Her Majesty sat down at her table. She ate so +slowly, too. While I stood there talking to her I thought she would +never finish. She ate a good meal. The Young Empress stood at the head +of the table, and we all stood on either side. We did not like to be +forward, so we stood at the other end of the table. The food was very +much the same as the first day we were there. Her Majesty came out from +the inner room, had just finished washing her face and hands, and had +changed into another gown. This one was simple, but very pretty. It was +woven with pink and gray raw silks, which gave it a changeable light +whenever she moved. She came out and said: "I want to see you people +eat; why is it that you are standing at the end of the table, the best +dishes are not there? All of you come over here and eat near the Young +Empress." So we moved from our end of the table to the other. Her +Majesty stood near me, and pointed to a smoked fish and wanted me to try +it, as it was her favorite, and said: "Make yourselves at home. You know +you have to fight your own battles here with this crowd. Of course you +can come and tell me if anyone does not treat you fair." Her Majesty +then went out, saying that she would walk a bit. I noticed that some of +the court ladies did not look pleased, seeing that Her Majesty paid so +much attention to us. I could see they were a little jealous of me, but +that did not worry me in the least. + +After we got through our luncheon, I followed the Young Empress, for it +was all so new to me, and I did not know what I must do--whether to join +Her Majesty or not. After seeing that they were jealous of me, I paid +strict attention to everything, so as not to make any mistake in doing +my work and let them have the satisfaction of laughing at me. I would +not give them the chance. I heard Her Majesty talking to the eunuchs who +looked after the garden, about some branches which ought to be cut down, +saying they were lazy. So we went to her. She said to us: "You see +I have to look after everything myself, if not, my flowers would be +ruined. I can't depend on them at all. I wonder what they are good for. +They ought to look around every day and cut down the dead branches +and leaves. They have not been punished for several days and they are +looking forward to it." She laughed and said: "I will not disappoint +them, but give them all they wish to have." I thought these people must +be idiots, looking forward to a whipping, and wondered who would whip +them. Her Majesty turned to me and said: "Have you ever witnessed such +an operation?" I told her that I had, having seen the convicts being +whipped at a Magistrate's Yamen when I was a little girl living at +Shansi (on the Yangtsze). She said: "That is nothing. The convicts are +not half so wicked as these eunuchs. Of course they deserve a heavier +punishment when they are bad." Her Majesty said that I should learn to +play dice with her, as she never had enough people to play with, so we +went back to the same room where she had taken her lunch. A square +table was in the middle of this large room and a little throne of Her +Majesty's, facing south (her favorite direction). Her Majesty sat on her +throne and said to me: "I will show you how to play this game. Do you +think you know enough Chinese to read this map?" I noticed a large map, +the same size as the table, and laid upon it, drawn in different colors. +In the center of the map was written the direction of the game. It said: +"This game is called the 'Eight Fairies Travel across the Sea.' The +names are Lu Hsien, Chang Hsien, Li Hsien, Lan Hsien, Hang Hsien, Tsao +Hsien and Hain Hsien. These seven were masculine fairies. Hor Hsien was +the only lady fairy." This map was the map of the Chinese Empire, and +the names of the different provinces were written on the drawing. There +were eight pieces of round ivory, about one inch and a half in diameter +and a quarter of an inch thick. The names of these fairies were engraved +upon them. This game could be played either by eight people or four +people, when each person had to take two fairies' places, instead of +one. A porcelain bowl was placed in the center of the map, to compare +the point by throwing six dice into the bowl. For instance, four people +play. One throws these six dice into the bowl and counts the points on +them. The highest that one could get was 36, and should 36 be thrown the +fairy should go to Hangehow to enjoy the beautiful scenery. This person +threw dice for Lu Hsien and had 36 points and placed this ivory piece of +Lu Hsien on Hangehow upon the map. The same person has to throw another +time for another fairy, so each person throws twice if four people play +the game, and once if played by eight. These different points count +different provinces. They are counted thus:--Six dice alike. One pair +in six dice, to three pairs. The lowest was the double 1, 2, 3. If +any unfortunate fairy got this he should go on exile and be left out +altogether. Any one of the fairies that travelled round the map to reach +the Imperial Palace, the first, was the winner. + +I read this to Her Majesty. She seemed to be quite pleased, and said: "I +had no idea that you could read so well. This game was my own invention +and I taught three Court ladies to play. I had a very hard time teaching +them. I also taught them how to read Chinese in order to play the game, +but it took them so long to learn anything that I got quite discouraged +before I got through with them. I am sure you know how to play it +now." I was very much surprised to hear that these Court ladies were as +ignorant as this. I thought they must be excellent scholars, so did not +dare to show my knowledge of Chinese literature. We began to play the +game. Her Majesty was lucky. The two fairies held by her were way ahead +of ours. One of the Court ladies said to me: "You will be surprised to +see that Lao Tsu Tsung is always the winner." Her Majesty smiled and +said to me: "You will never be able to catch my fairies." She said: "You +are the first day here to play this game and if any of your fairies beat +any of mine I will give you a nice present, so hurry up." I thought +I could never get ahead of her fairies, for they were so far ahead +of mine, but I tried hard, as Her Majesty told me to call out for the +points I wanted. I did, but it came out something so different that it +amused her a great deal. I had no idea how long we were playing this +game. We counted who came next, and that was one of my fairies, so Her +Majesty said to me: "I was sure you could not beat me, as no one could. +Seeing that yours are next to mine, I will give you the present just the +same." While she was saying this she told a servant girl to bring her +some embroidered handkerchiefs. This girl brought several colored ones +to her, and she asked me what color I preferred. She handed me a pink +one and a pale blue one, all embroidered with purple wisteria, and said: +"These two are the best, and I want you to take them." I was just going +to thank her by bowing to the ground, but I found that my legs could not +move. I tried hard and succeeded finally, with difficulty. Her Majesty +laughed very heartily at me and said: "You see you are not accustomed to +standing so long and you cannot bend your knees any more." Although my +legs were sore I thought I had better not show it, but smiled and told +her that it was nothing, only my legs were a little stiff, that was all. +She said: "You must go and sit on the veranda and rest a minute." I was +only too glad to sit down, so I went to the veranda and found the Young +Empress sitting there with several Court ladies. The Young Empress said: +"You must be tired standing so long. Come and sit near me." My legs were +very stiff and my back was tired. Of course Her Majesty did not know how +uncomfortable we were while she was sitting on her cozy throne. Foreign +attire is out of the question for the Imperial Palace of Peking. I had +hoped that Her Majesty would tell us to change into our Manchu gowns. I +noticed that she asked many questions every day about foreign costumes, +and she said: "The foreign costume is not any prettier than ours and +I should say they must be quite uncomfortable round one's waist. I +wouldn't be squeezed that way for anything." Although she was saying +such things she did not suggest that we should give them up, so we had +to wait patiently for her orders. The Young Empress took her watch out +of her pocket, and said to me: "This game has lasted just two hours." I +said to her that it seemed to me longer than that. While we were talking +I saw our own eunuchs bringing four round boxes, made of thin board, +carried at each end of bamboo poles. They put them down near where we +sat, and one of them brought me a cup of tea. When my mother and sister +came the same eunuch brought another two cups, and there were several +Court ladies talking with us. This eunuch did not give them any. I +noticed at the other end of this long veranda there were another two +boxes, exactly the same as these, and a big tall eunuch made tea and +brought it to the Young Empress in a yellow porcelain cup, with a silver +saucer and a silver top cover. He did not give any to the others. + +I was puzzled when one of the Court ladies sitting next to me said: +"Would you mind telling Wang (our head eunuch) to give me a cup of your +tea, just to save me the trouble to go and get it from the small room at +the end of this long veranda?" I gave her such a surprised look, for I +did not know that this was our tea, but I thought I'd just tell Wang to +bring her a cup, and find out afterwards the reason, for I would give +anything in the world rather than appear ignorant before those people. +While we were talking Her Majesty came out. Before she reached the +veranda I got up and told the Young Empress that Her Majesty was coming. +I saw her first because I sat facing her back hall. Her Majesty said to +us all: "It is almost three o'clock now, and I am going to rest a while. +Let us leave here." We all stood in a line for her to enter her chair, +and then we went to ours. It was quite a fast ride and we got out of +our chairs before arriving at the courtyard of her own Palace. We walked +ahead of her chair and formed into another line for her to alight. She +walked to her bedroom and we all followed. A eunuch brought her a cup of +hot water and another brought a bowl of sugar. She took her golden spoon +and took two teaspoonfuls of sugar and put it into her cup of hot water, +and drank it very slowly. She said: "You know before one goes to sleep +or ever lies down, sugar water will quiet one's nerves. I always take +it, and find it very good indeed." She took the flowers off from her +headdress and I fixed them back in their boxes at once, and placed them +in the jewel-room. When I came out of this jewel-room she was in bed +already, and said to us: "You all go and rest a while. I don't need you +now." + + + +CHAPTER EIGHT--THE COURT LADIES + +WE retired from her room, but I noticed that two of the Court ladies did +not come out with us. One of them said to me: "I am glad that I can rest +a bit to-day, for I have been sitting three afternoons in succession." +At first I did not know what she meant. Then she said: "Oh, your turn +has not come yet. We don't know whether you received the order or not. +You know two of us must stay with Her Majesty during her afternoon +siesta, to watch the eunuchs and the servant girls." I thought that was +the funniest thing I had ever heard of, and wondered how many people +would be in her room. The Young Empress said: "We had better go at once +and rest ourselves, otherwise Her Majesty will be up again before we get +the chance." Of course I had not the least idea how long she slept. So +we went back to our rooms. I did not realize how tired I was until I sat +down in my room. I felt finished and awfully sleepy at the same time, +for I was not used to getting up at 5 o'clock. Everything was so new +to me. As I sat there my thoughts wandered to Paris, and I thought how +strange it was that I used to go to bed at 5 o'clock after the dances, +and here I had to get up at such a time. All the surroundings seemed new +to me, seeing the eunuchs running here and there waiting on us, as if +they were chambermaids. I told them that I didn't need them any more. I +wanted them to go out of the room so that I could lie down a bit. They +brought us tea and different kinds of candies, and asked what else was +wanted. I was just going to change into a comfortable dress, when the +eunuch came in and informed me that "Yo ker lila" (visitors have come), +and two Court ladies came, and another girl of about seventeen came +in. I had seen her that very morning when I came to the Palace, busy +working, but I was not introduced to her. These two girls said: "We have +come to see you and also to find out if you are comfortable." I thought +they were kind to come and see me that way, but I did not like their +faces. They introduced this mean-looking girl to me and told me her +name was Chun Shou (Graceful Long Life). She did not look as if her life +would last long, being so thin and delicate. She looked sick and worn +out to me. I did not know who she was. She courtesied to me and I +returned to her, in a sort of half way. (I will explain about the +courtesy.) + +(To Her Majesty, the Emperor and the Young Empress, we went down and +bent our knees, while we stood upright to the people of lower rank +than ourselves. In this case one must always wait while the inferior +courtesies first, and bend the knees a little bit in return. This was +the way I returned Chun Shou's courtesy to me.) The two girls then +said "Chun Shou's father is only a small official, so she has not much +standing at the Court. She is not exactly a Court lady, but she is not +a servant girl either." I almost laughed right out, to hear such a funny +statement, and wondered what she must be. I saw her sitting down with +the Court ladies that very morning, so of course I asked her to sit +down, too. These two Court ladies asked me if I felt tired, and how I +liked the Empress Dowager. I told them that Her Majesty was the most +lovely lady I had ever seen, and that I already loved her very much, +although I had only been there a few days. They looked at Chun Shou and +exchanged smiles. They did that in such a peculiar way that it annoyed +me. They asked: "Do you think you would like to live in this place, and +how long do you intend to stay?" I said I would love to stay long, and +would do my best to wait on Her Majesty, and be useful to her, for she +had been so kind towards us in the short time we had been there, and +besides, it was my duty to serve my sovereign and country. They laughed +and said: "We pity you, and are sorry for you. You must not expect any +appreciation here, no matter how hard you work. If you are really going +to do as you have said just now, you will be disliked by everybody." + +I did not know what they were talking about, or what their conversation +referred to. I thought this was so strange that I had better put a stop +to it, so I immediately changed the subject. I asked them who dressed +their hair, and who made their shoes for them, as they had asked me. +They answered my questions by saying that their maids did everything for +them. Chun Shou said to these two girls: "Tell her everything about this +Palace, and I am sure she will change her mind when she actually sees +things for herself." I didn't like this Chun Shou, and her face didn't +impress me. She was a little bit of a thing, tiny head with thin lips. +When she laughed one could only hear the noise she made; no expression +was on her face at all. I was just going to say something to them, so as +not to give them the opportunity of gossiping, but found they were too +cunning. They noticed that I tried every way to stop them, so they said: +"Now let us tell you everything. No one else will know. We like you very +much and we want to give you some warning, so as to be able to protect +yourself whenever you are in trouble." I told them that I would take +great care to do my work and didn't think that I would ever get into +trouble. They laughed and said: "That makes no difference. Her Majesty +will find fault." I could not believe these things that they said, and +intended to tell them that I refused to hear such statements, but I +thought I had better listen to what they had to say first and not to +offend them, for I never believed in making enemies. I then told them +that it would be impossible for so sweet and kind-hearted a person like +Lao Tsu Tsung (the old ancestor) to find fault with such helpless girls +as we were, for we were her people, and she could do anything she liked +with us. They said: "You don't know, and have no idea how wicked this +place is; such torture and suffering one could not imagine. We are sure +that you think you must be happy to be with the great Empress Dowager, +and proud to be her Court Lady. Your day hasn't come yet, for you all +are new to her. Yes, she is extremely kind to you just now, but wait +until she gets tired of you and then see what she will do. We have had +enough, and know what the Court life is. Of course you must have heard +that Li Lien Ying (the head eunuch) rules this Palace behind Lao Tsu +Tsung's back. We are all afraid of him. He pretends that he cannot +influence Lao Tsu Tsung, but we always know the result after a long +conversation consulting how to punish anyone. If any of us do anything +wrong, we always go to him and beg him to help us out. Then he says he +has no power to influence Her Majesty, and also that he dare not tell +her much, for she would scold him. We hate all the eunuchs, they are +such bad people. We can see very plainly they are awfully polite to you +because they can see that you are in favor. To receive such rudeness +from them, constantly, as we do, is unbearable. + +"Lao Tsu Tsung is very changeable. She may like one person to-day, +to-morrow she hates this same person worse than poison. She has moods, +and has no appreciation whatsoever. Even Chu Tzu, the Young Empress (Chu +Tzu means Mistress, that is to say she was mistress of us all, for the +Manchus were considered by the sovereign as slaves) is afraid of Li Lien +Ying, and has to be very nice to him. In fact, we all have to be polite +to him." They talked so long that I thought they would never finish. +About this time Wang came in and brought tea for us. Suddenly I heard +people howling in the distance, so I asked Wang what was the matter. The +girls were listening also and a eunuch came flying in and told us Lao +Fo Yeh chin la (The Great Buddha wakes up). The girls got up and said +we must all go to see her, so they went. I was not at all pleased with +their visit, and wished they hadn't come, especially as they told me +such horrible things. It made me quite sad to listen to the awful way +they talked about Her Majesty. I loved her the first day I was there, +and made up my mind to forget everything they had told me. + +I was cross also because I didn't have time to change my clothes, and +had to go up to Her Majesty at once. I went into her bedroom, and found +her sitting upon the bed cross-legged, with a small table placed on the +bed in front of her. She smiled and asked: "Have you had a good rest? +Did you sleep at all?" I said that I was not sleepy, and could not sleep +in the daytime. She said: "When you are old like me, you will be able to +sleep at any time. Just now you are young, and fond of play. I think you +must have been on the hills to gather flowers, or walked too much, for +you look tired." I could only say "Yes." The two Court ladies who had +just been talking nonsense about Her Majesty came in, to assist in +handing her the toilet articles. I looked at them, and felt ashamed for +them to face her, after having said so many disagreeable things. Her +Majesty washed her face and combed her hair, and a servant girl brought +her fresh flowers, of white jasmine and roses. Her Majesty stuck them in +her hair and said to me: "I am always fond of fresh flowers--better than +jade and pearls. I love to see the little plants grow, and I water them +myself. I have been so busy ever since you came that I haven't been able +to visit my plants. Tell them to get the dinner ready and I will take a +walk afterwards." I came out of her room and gave the eunuch the order. +As usual we brought little dainties to her. By this time Her Majesty was +dressed and was sitting in the large hall, playing solitaire with her +dominoes. The eunuch laid the tables as usual, and Her Majesty stopped +play, and commenced to eat. She asked me: "How do you like this kind +of life?" I told her that I very much enjoyed being with her. She said: +"What kind of a place is this wonderful Paris I have heard so much +about? Did you enjoy yourself while you were there, and do you wish to +go back again? It must be hard for you people to leave China for three +or four years, and I suppose you were all pleased when you received the +order to come back, after your father's term was finished." + +The only thing I could say was "Yes," because it wouldn't be nice to +tell her that I was awfully sorry to leave Paris. She said: "I think we +have everything in China, only the life is different. What is dancing? +Someone told me that two people hold hands and jump all over the room. +If that is the case I don't see any pleasure in it at all. Do you have +to jump up and down with men? They told me that old women, with white +hair, dance, too." I explained to her about the balls given by the +President, and all the private dances, and also all about the masquerade +balls, etc. Her Majesty said: "I don't like this masquerade ball because +you don't know whom you are dancing with if they are wearing a mask." I +explained to her how carefully the people issued their invitations, and +that anyone who behaved badly could never enter into high society. +Her Majesty said: "I would like to see how you jump, can you show me a +little?" I went in search of my sister, and found her busy talking to +the Young Empress. I told her that Her Majesty wished to see how people +dance, and that we must show her. The Young Empress and all the Court +ladies heard this, and all said that they also wished to see. My sister +said that she had noticed a large gramophone in Her Majesty's bedroom, +and that perhaps we could find some music. I thought that was a good +idea, and went to ask her for the gramophone. She said: "Oh, must you +jump with music?" I almost laughed when she said that, and told her it +was much nicer with music, as otherwise one could not keep in time. +She ordered the eunuchs to have the gramophone brought to the hall, +and said: "You jump while I take my dinner." We looked over a lot of +records, but they were all Chinese songs, but at last we found a waltz, +so we started to dance. We could see that a lot of people were looking +at us, who perhaps thought that we were crazy. When we had finished we +found Her Majesty laughing at us. She said: "I could never do that. Are +you not dizzy turning round and round? I suppose your legs must be +very tired also. It is very pretty, and just like the girls used to do +centuries ago in China. I know that it is difficult and one ought to +have any amount of grace to do it, but I don't think it would look nice +to see a man dancing with a girl like that. I object to the hand around +the girl's waist; I like to see the girls dance together. It would never +do for China for a girl to get too close to a man. I know the foreigners +don't seem to think about that at all. It shows that they are broader +minded than us. Is it true that the foreigners don't respect their +parents at all-that they could beat their parents and drive them out of +the house?" I told her that it was not so, and that someone had given +her wrong ideas about foreigners. Then she said: "I know that perhaps +sometimes one among the commonest class do that, and that people are apt +to take it wrong, and conclude that all foreigners treat their parents +that way. Now I see just the same thing done by the common people in +China." I wondered who had told her such nonsense and made her believe +it. + +After we had taken our dinner it was just half-past five, and Her +Majesty said she would take a walk along the long veranda, so we +followed her. She showed me her flowers, and said that she had planted +them herself. Whenever Her Majesty went anywhere there was always a lot +of attendants following her, exactly the same as when she went to the +morning audiences. When we reached the end of this long veranda, which +took us a quarter of an hour to walk, Her Majesty ordered her stool to +be brought into one of the summer houses. These summer houses were built +of nothing but bamboo, all the furniture being made of different shaped +bamboo. Her Majesty sat down, and one of the eunuchs brought tea and +honeysuckle flowers. She ordered the eunuchs to give us tea also. Her +Majesty said: "This is my simple way of enjoying life. I love to see the +country scenery. There are a great many pretty places which I will +show you and I am sure that after you have seen them you will not like +foreign countries any more. There is no scenery in the world which can +beat the Chinese. Some returned Ministers from abroad said to me that +the trees and mountains in foreign countries looked ugly and savage. Is +that true?" I concluded right away that someone had wished to please +her by saying things about foreigners, so I told her that I had been in +almost every country, and had found lovely scenery, but of course it was +different from China. While we were talking Her Majesty said that she +felt chilly and asked: "Are you cold? You see you have your own eunuchs, +they are all standing around, and have nothing to do. Next time tell +them to carry your wraps along with you. I think that foreign clothes +must be quite uncomfortable either too warm or too cold. I don't see how +you can eat, having your waist squeezed that way." Her Majesty got up +and we all went on walking slowly towards her own Palace. She sat down +on her favorite little throne in the hall and started to play solitaire. +We came out on the veranda, and the Young Empress said to us: "You must +be tired, for I know you are not used to doing such hard work all day +long without stopping. You had better wear Manchu clothes, because they +are comfortable and easy to work in. Look at your long train; you have +to take it up in your hands while walking." + +I told her that I would be only too pleased to change the clothes, but +that not having received an order from Her Majesty I could not make any +suggestions. The Young Empress said: "No, don't ask anything, and I am +sure Her Majesty will tell you to change by and by. Just now she wishes +to see your Paris gowns, because she wants to know how foreign ladies +dress on different occasions. She thought that some of the ladies came +to the Garden Party dressed in woolen clothes. We thought that foreign +ladies were not so extravagant as we are until we met Mdme. Plancon the +other day. Do you remember what Her Majesty said to you? 'That Mdme. +Plancon was so different from many ladies she had met, and also dressed +differently.'" It was a chiffon dress, with hand paintings, which Mdme. +Plancon wore, which pleased Her Majesty very much. While I was talking +with the Young Empress all the electric lights turned up, so I went to +Her Majesty to see if she needed anything. She said: "Let us play a game +of dice before I go to bed." We began to play the same thing as we had +done in the afternoon. Her Majesty won another game, this time it took +only an hour to finish the game. Her Majesty said to me: "Why can't you +win once?" I knew she wanted to tease, so I said that my luck was bad. +She laughed and said: "To-morrow you try to put your stocking on wrong +side out; that is a sure sign of winning." I told her that I would, +and I knew that pleased her. During the short time I was there I kept +studying her most of the while. I could see nothing would make her +happier than for me to obey her orders. Her Majesty said that she felt +tired, and that we must bring her milk. She said to me: "I want you to +burn incense sticks and bow to the ground every night to the Buddha in +the next room before I go to bed. I hope you are not a Christian, for if +you are I can never feel as if you are mine at all. Do tell me that you +are not." I did not expect that question at all, and I must say that it +was a very difficult question to answer. For my own protection I had +to say that I had nothing to do with the Christians. I felt guilty at +having deceived her that way, but it was absolutely necessary, and there +was no other way out of it. I knew that I had to answer her question +at once, because it would never do for her to see any hesitation, which +would arouse her suspicions. Although my face showed nothing, my heart +stopped beating for a while. I felt ashamed to have fooled her. The +earliest training I had was never to be ashamed to tell the truth. When +Her Majesty heard me say that I was not a Christian, she smiled +and said: "I admire you; although you have had so much to do with +foreigners, yet you did not adopt their religion. On the contrary, you +still keep to your own. Be strong and keep it as long as you live. You +have no idea how glad I am now, for I suspected you must believe in the +foreign God. Even if you don't want to, they can make you believe it. +Now I am ready for bed." + +We helped her to undress, and I, as usual, put away her jewels, and +noticed she wore only one pair of jade bracelets to sleep. She changed +into her bed clothes and lay down between the silk covers and said +to us: "You can go now." We courtesied to her and withdrew from her +bedroom. Out in the hall there was on the cold stone floor six eunuchs. +They were the watchmen and must not sleep at all during the night. In +her bedroom were two eunuchs, two servant girls, two old women servants +and sometimes two Court ladies. These people also must not sleep. The +two girls massaged her legs every night, and the two women were there to +watch the girls, the two eunuchs to watch the two old women, and the two +Court ladies to watch them all, in case they did any mischief. They all +took turns, and that was the reason why sometimes two Court ladies must +sit overnight when it happened that the eunuchs were not reliable. Her +Majesty trusted the Court ladies the most. I was never more surprised +in my life than when one of these six eunuchs told me in the hall, for I +had asked what they were all doing there. + +Later on one of the Court ladies said to me that it was customary for +them to take turns to attend at Her Majesty's bedchamber in the morning +to wake her up, and that I should take my turn the next morning and my +sister the following morning. While saying this she smiled in a most +peculiar way. I did not understand at the time, but found out later. I +asked her what I should do to wake Her Majesty, and she said: "There +is no particular way, you will have to use your own judgment; but be +careful not to make her angry. It was my turn this morning. I knew that +she was very tired, having had a very trying time the day before, so I +had to make a little more noise than usual when waking her. She was very +angry and scolded me dreadfully when she arose, as it was rather late. +This very often happens when Her Majesty gets up late, as she always +says that we do not make enough noise to wake her. However, I don't +think she will do this to you, just now, as you are new here; but wait +until you have been here a few months." What this Court lady said to me +worried me quite considerably; but from what I had seen of Her Majesty +so far, I could not believe that she would be angry with anyone who was +doing her duty properly. + + + +CHAPTER NINE--THE EMPEROR KWANG HSU + +THE next day I arose earlier than usual and dressed in a great hurry, as +I feared I might be late. When I got to Her Majesty's Palace there were +a few Court ladies there sitting on the veranda. They smiled and asked +me to sit down with them as it was still too early, being only five +o'clock. I had been told to wake Her Majesty at five thirty. The Young +Empress came up a few minutes later and we all courtesied and wished her +"good morning." After talking with us a few minutes, she asked if Her +Majesty was awake and which one of us was on duty that day. When I +informed her that it was my turn, she immediately ordered me to go to +Her Majesty's room at once. I went very quietly and found some servant +girls standing about and one Court lady, who was sitting on the floor. +She had been on duty all night. When she saw me she got up and whispered +to me, that now that I had come, she would go and change her clothes and +brush up a bit, and for me not to leave the room until Her Majesty was +awake. After this Court lady had gone, I went near to the bed and said: +"Lao Tsu Tsung, it is half-past five." She was sleeping with her face +toward the wall, and without looking to see who had called her, she +said: "Go away and leave me alone. I did not tell you to call me at +half-past five. Call me at six," and immediately went off to sleep +again. I waited until six and called her again. She woke and said: "This +is dreadful. What a nuisance you are." After she had said this, she +looked around and saw me standing by the bed. "Oh! it is you, is it? Who +told you to come and wake me?" I replied: "One of the Court ladies told +me that it was my turn to be on duty in Lao Tsu Tsung's bedchamber." +"That is funny. How dare they give orders without receiving instructions +from me first? They know that this part of their duty is not very +pleasant and have put it off on you because they know you are new here." +I made no reply to this. I got along as best I could that day and found +it no easy matter, as Her Majesty was very exacting in everything. +However, the next time I managed to divert her attention to things new +or interesting in order to take her mind off of what she was doing, and +in this way had much less trouble getting her out of bed. + +My reader can't imagine how very glad we were to get back to our rooms, +and it was just 10:30 P. M. I was very tired and sleepy, so I undressed +and went to bed at once. I think that as soon as my head touched the +pillow I was asleep. + +The following day there was the same thing, the usual audience in the +morning, of course busy all the time, which went on for fifteen days +before I realized it. I began to take great interest in the Court life, +and liked it better every day. Her Majesty was very sweet and kind to us +always, and took us to see the different places in the Summer Palace. We +went to see Her Majesty's farm, situated on the west side of the lake, +and had to cross over a high bridge to get there. This bridge is called +Tu Tai Chiao (Jade Girdle Bridge). Her Majesty often took us under this +bridge in a boat, or we walked round on the border. She seemed very fond +of sitting on the top of this bridge on her stool and taking her tea, +in fact this was one of her favorite places. She used to go and see +her farm once every four or five days, and it always pleased her if +she could take some vegetables and rice or corn from her own farm. She +cooked these things herself in one of the courtyards. I thought that +was good fun, and also turned up my sleeves to help her cook. We brought +fresh eggs also from the farm and Her Majesty taught us how to cook them +with black tea leaves. + +Her Majesty's cooking stoves were very peculiar. They were made of +brass, lined with bricks. They could be moved anywhere, for they had +no chimneys. Her Majesty told me to boil the eggs first until they were +hard, and to crack them but to keep the shells on, and add half a cup of +black tea, salt and spices. Her Majesty said: "I like the country life. +It seems more natural than the Court life. I am always glad to see young +people having fun, and not such grand dames when we are by ourselves. +Although I am not young any more, I am still very fond of play." Her +Majesty would taste first what we had been cooking, and would give us +all to taste. She asked: "Do you not think this food has more flavor +than that prepared by the cooks?" We all said it was fine. So we spent +the long days at the Court having good fun. + +I saw Emperor Kwang Hsu every morning, and whenever I had the time he +would always ask some words in English. I was surprised to learn that he +knew quite a bit of spelling, too. I found him extremely interesting. He +had very expressive eyes. He was entirely a different person when he was +alone with us. He would laugh and tease, but as soon as he was in the +presence of Her Majesty he would look serious, and as if he were worried +to death. At times he looked stupid. I was told by a great many people +who were presented to him at the different audiences that he did not +look intelligent, and that he would never talk. I knew better, for I +used to see him every day. I was at the Court long enough to study him, +and found him to be one of the most intelligent men in China. He was a +capital diplomat and had wonderful brains, only he had no opportunities. +Now a great many people have asked me the same question, if our Emperor +Kwang Hsu had any courage or brains. Of course outsiders have no idea +how strict the law is, and the way we have to respect our parents. He +was compelled to give up a great many things on account of the law. I +have had many long talks with him and found him a wise man, with +any amount of patience. His life was not a happy one; ever since his +childhood his health was poor. He told me that he never had studied +literature very much, but it came natural to him. He was a born musician +and could play any instrument without studying. He loved the piano, and +was always after me to teach him. There were several beautiful grand +pianos at the Audience Hall. He had very good taste for foreign music, +too. I taught him some easy waltzes and he kept the time beautifully. I +found him a good companion and a good friend, and he confided in me and +told me his troubles and sorrows. We talked a great deal about western +civilization, and I was surprised to learn he was so well informed in +everything. He used to tell me, time after time, his ambitions for the +welfare of his country. He loved his people and would have done anything +to help them whenever there was famine or flood. I noticed that he +felt for them. I know that some eunuchs gave false reports about his +character,--that he was cruel, etc. I had heard the same thing before +I went to the Palace. He was kind to the eunuchs, but there was always +that distinction between the master and the servants. He would never +allow the eunuchs to speak to him unless they were spoken to, and never +listened to any kind of gossip. I lived there long enough, and I know +just what kind of cruel people those eunuchs were. They had no respect +for their master. They came from the lowest class of people from the +country, had no education, no morals, no feeling for anything, not even +between themselves. The outside world has heard so many things against +His Majesty, the Emperor Kwang Hsu's character, but I assure my readers +that these things were told by the eunuchs to their families, and of +course they always stretched it out as far as possible in order to +make the conversation interesting. The majority of the people living in +Peking get all kinds of information through them. I have witnessed the +same thing many a time during my stay at the Palace. + +One day during the time of Her Majesty's afternoon rest we heard a +dreadful noise. It sounded just like the firing off of fire-crackers. +Such a noise was quite unusual in the Palace for such things are not +allowed to be brought into the Palace grounds. Of course Her Majesty +woke up. In a few seconds time everyone became excited and were running +to and fro as if the building was on fire. Her Majesty was giving orders +and telling the eunuchs to be quiet, but no one listened to her and kept +yelling and running around like crazy people, all talking at the same +time. Her Majesty was furious and ordered us to bring the yellow bag +to her. (I must explain about this bag. It was made of ordinary yellow +cloth and contained bamboo sticks of all sorts and sizes and are made to +beat the eunuchs, servant girls and old women servants with.) This +bag was carried everywhere Her Majesty went, to be handy in case of +emergency. Everyone of us knew where this bag was kept. We took all the +sticks from the bag and Her Majesty ordered us to go to the courtyard +and beat the eunuchs. It was such a funny sight to see all the Court +ladies and servant girls each with a stick trying to separate the +excited crowd. On my part I thought I was having good fun so I laughed +and found the rest were laughing too. Her Majesty was standing on the +veranda watching us but she was too far away to see well and with all +that noise, we knew she could not hear us laughing. We tried our best +to separate the crowd, but were laughing so much we did not have enough +strength to hurt any of them. All of a sudden all the eunuchs became +quiet and stopped talking, for one of them saw the head eunuch, Li Lien +Ying, followed by all his attendants coming towards them. Everyone +of them became frightened and stood there like statues. We stopped +laughing, too, and turned back each with a stick in our hand, walking +toward Her Majesty. Li Lien Ying was having a nap, too, and had heard +the noise and had come to enquire what the trouble was and to report it +to Her Majesty. It seemed one of the young eunuchs caught a crow. (The +eunuchs hated crows, as they are considered an unlucky bird. The people +in China called eunuchs crows because they were very disagreeable. That +was the reason why the eunuchs hated them so.) They always set traps to +catch them and then tied a huge fire-cracker to their legs, set fire to +the cracker and then set the unfortunate birds free. Naturally the poor +birds would be glad to fly away and by the time the powder exploded +would be high up in the air and the poor bird would be blown to pieces. +It seemed this was not the first time the eunuchs had played this cruel +trick. I was told it always delighted them so much to see blood and +torture. They always invited others to drink some wine with them to +celebrate an occasion such as this. This cruel deed was always done +outside of the wall of the Audience Hall but that day the crow flew +towards Her Majesty's own Palace while she was sleeping and the powder +exploded while the bird was passing the courtyard. After the head eunuch +had told Her Majesty what had happened, she was very angry and ordered +that this young eunuch be brought in and receive punishment in her +presence. I noticed one of the head eunuch's attendants push the culprit +out from the crowd. The head eunuch immediately gave orders to lay this +man on the ground and two eunuchs stood on each side of him and beat him +on his legs with two heavy bamboo sticks one at a time. The victim never +uttered a word while this was going on. The head eunuch counted until +this man had received one hundred blows, then he gave orders to stop. +Then he knelt in front of Her Majesty waiting for her orders and at +the same time kowtowed on the ground until his head made a noise on the +stone steps, asking to be punished for his carelessness and neglect of +duty. Her Majesty said that it was not his fault and ordered him to take +the offender away. During all this time the offender was still on the +ground, and did not dare to move. Two eunuchs each took hold of a foot +and dragged him out of the courtyard. We were all afraid even to breathe +aloud for fear Her Majesty would say that we were pretending to be +frightened at witnessing this punishment, at the same time when it +was over we would go and gossip about how cruel she was. No one was +surprised at what had happened, as we were accustomed to seeing it +almost every day and were quite used to it. I used to pity them, but I +changed my mind very soon after I had arrived. + +The first person I saw punished was a servant girl, she had made a +mistake about Her Majesty's socks and had brought two which were not +mates, Her Majesty finding that out, ordered another servant girl to +slap her face ten times on each cheek. This girl did not slap hard +enough, so Her Majesty said they were all good friends and would not +obey her orders, so she told the one who had been slapped to slap the +other. I thought that was too funny for anything and wanted to laugh +the worst way, but of course did not dare. That night I asked those two +girls how they felt slapping each other that way. The reason why I asked +them was because they were laughing and joking as usual immediately they +were out of Her Majesty's bedchamber. They told me that was nothing; +that they were quite used to it and never bothered themselves about such +small things. I in turn soon became used to it, and was as callous as +they were. + +Now regarding the servant girls, they are a much better class of people +than the eunuchs. They are the daughters of Manchu soldiers, and must +stay ten years at the Palace to wait upon Her Majesty, and then they are +free to marry. One got married after my first month at the Court. Her +Majesty gave her a small sum of money, five hundred taels. This girl was +so attached to Her Majesty that it was very hard for her to leave +the Court. She was an extremely clever girl. Her name was Chiu Yuen +(Autumn's Cloud). Her Majesty named her that because she was so very +delicate looking and slight. I liked her very much during the short time +that we were together. She told me not to listen to anyone's gossip at +the Court, also that Her Majesty had told her she was very fond of me. +On the twenty-second day of the third moon she left the Palace, and we +were all sorry to lose her. Her Majesty did not realize how much she +missed her until after she had gone. For a few days we had nothing but +troubles. It seemed as if everything went wrong. Her Majesty was not +at all satisfied without Chiu Yuen. The rest of the servant girls were +scared, and tried their best to please Her Majesty, but they had not the +ability, so we had to help and do a part of their work so as not to make +Her Majesty nervous. Unfortunately, she stopped us, and said: "You +have enough to do of your own work, and I do not want you to help the +servants. You don't please me a bit that way." She could see that I was +not accustomed to her ways, for she had spoken severely, so she smiled +and said to me: "I know you are good to help them so as not to make me +angry, but these servants are very cunning. It isn't that they cannot do +their work. They know very well that I always select the clever ones to +wait on me in my bedroom and they don't like that, so they pretend to be +stupid and make me angry so that I will send them to do the common work. +The eunuchs are worse. They are all afraid to take Chiu Yuen's place. +Now I have found them out, and I will only keep the stupid ones to wait +on me from now." I almost laughed when I noticed that they all looked +serious for a moment. I thought these people must be really stupid, and +not lazy, but I had dealings with them every day and found them out all +right. The eunuchs don't seem to have any brains at all. They are such +queer people and have no feelings. They have the same mood all day +long--I should say they are in a cruel mood. Whenever Her Majesty gave +an order they always said "Jer" (Yes) and as soon as they got to our +waiting room they would say to each other: "What was the order? I have +forgotten all about it." Then they used to come to one of us who had +happened to be present when the order was given: "Please tell us what +the order was. I did not listen while Her Majesty was talking." We +used to laugh and make fun of them. We knew they were afraid to ask Her +Majesty, and of course we had to tell them. One of the eunuch writers +had to keep writing down the orders that had been given during the day, +for Her Majesty wanted to keep records of everything. There were twenty +eunuchs who were educated and they were excellent scholars. These had +to answer any questions which Her Majesty happened to ask them about +Chinese literature, while she had a good knowledge of it herself. I +noticed that it pleased her a great deal if anyone could not answer a +question, or knew less than she did. She took delight in laughing at +them. Her Majesty was also very fond of teasing. She knew that the Court +ladies did not know very much about literature, so she used to try it on +us. We had to say something whether it was appropriate to her questions +or not, and that would make her laugh. I was told that Her Majesty did +not like anyone to be too clever, and yet she could not bear stupid +people, so I was rather nervous, and did not know how to act for the +first three weeks I was there, but it did not take me very long to study +her. She certainly admired clever girls, but she did not like those who +would show their cleverness too much. How I won her heart was this way. +Whenever I was with her I used to fix my whole attention on her and +watched her very closely (not staring, for she hated that) and always +carried out her orders properly. I noticed another thing, and that +was that whenever she wanted anything to be brought to her, such as +cigarettes, handkerchief, etc., she would only look at the article and +then look at anyone who happened to be there at the time. (There was +always a table in the room, on which everything she needed for the day +was placed.) I got so used to her habits that after a short time I +knew just what she wanted by looking at her eyes, and I was very seldom +mistaken. This pleased her a great deal. She was strong-minded, +and would always act the way she thought was right, and had perfect +confidence in herself. At times I have seen her looking very sad. +She had strong emotions, but her will was stronger. She could control +herself beautifully, and yet she liked people to sympathize with +her--only by actions, not by words, for she did not like anyone to know +her thoughts. I am sure my readers will think how hard it was to be +the Court lady of Her Majesty, the Empress Dowager of China, but on the +contrary I enjoyed myself very much, as she was so interesting, and I +found that she was not at all difficult to please. + +The first day of the fourth moon Her Majesty was worried over the lack +of rain. She prayed every day after the audience for ten days, without +any result. Every one of us kept very quiet. Her Majesty did not even +give any orders that day, and spoke to no one. I noticed that the +eunuchs were scared, so we went without our luncheon. I worked so hard +that morning, and was so hungry--in fact all the Court ladies were. +I felt sorry for Her Majesty. Finally she told me I could go, as +she wanted to rest a while, so we came back to our own quarters. I +questioned our own eunuch Wang as to why Her Majesty was worrying about +rain, for we were having lovely weather then, day after day. He told me +that Lao Fo Yeh (Old Buddha) was worried for the poor farmers, as all +their crops were dead without rain for so long. Wang also reminded me +that it had not rained once since I came to live at the Palace. I did +not realize that it was so long as two months and seven days, and on the +other hand it seemed to me longer than that, for the life was very nice +and pleasant, and Her Majesty was very kind to me, as if she had known +me for years already. Her Majesty took very little food at dinner that +night. There was not a sound anywhere, and everyone kept quiet. The +Young Empress told us to eat as fast as we could, which puzzled me. When +we came back to our waiting room, the Young Empress said to me that Her +Majesty was very much worried for the poor farmers and that she would +pray for rain, and stop eating meat for two or three days. That same +night, before Her Majesty retired, she gave orders that no pigs were to +be slaughtered within the gates of Peking. The reason of this was that +by sacrificing ourselves by not eating meat the Gods would have pity on +us and send rain. She also gave orders that everyone should bathe the +body and wash out the mouth in order that we might be cleansed from +all impurities and be ready to fast and pray to the Gods. Also that the +Emperor should go to the temple inside the Forbidden City, to perform a +ceremony of sacrifice (called Chin Tan). He was not to eat meat or hold +converse with anyone, and to pray to the Gods to be merciful and send +rain to the poor farmers. His Majesty, the Emperor Kwang Hsu, wore a +piece of jade tablet about three inches square, engraved "Chai Chieh" +(the meaning being just like Chin Tan-not to eat meat but to pray three +times a day), both in Manchu and Chinese, and all the eunuchs who went +with the Emperor wore the same kind of tablets. The idea was that +this jade tablet was to remind one to be serious in performing the +ceremonies. + +The next morning Her Majesty got up very early and ordered me not +to bring any jewels for her. She dressed herself in great haste. Her +breakfast was very simple that day, just milk and steamed bread. Our own +breakfast was cabbage and rice cooked together, with a little salt. It +was tasteless. Her Majesty did not talk to us at all, except when giving +orders, and so, of course, we kept silent. Her Majesty wore a pale gray +gown, made very plain, with no embroidery or trimmings of any kind. +She wore gray shoes to match, not to mention her gray handkerchief. We +followed her into the hall where a eunuch knelt with a large branch of +willow tree. Her Majesty picked a little bunch of leaves and stuck it +on her head. The Young Empress did the same, and told us to follow her +example. Emperor Kwang Hsu took a branch and stuck it on his hat. After +that Her Majesty ordered the eunuchs and the servant girls to do the +same thing. It was a funny sight, and everyone did look queer with a +bunch of leaves on the head. The head eunuch came and knelt in front of +Her Majesty and said that everything was prepared for the ceremony in +the little pavilion in front of her own palace. She told us that she +preferred to walk, as she was going to pray. It took us only a few +minutes to cross the courtyard. When we arrived at this pavilion I +noticed a large square table was placed in the center of the room. A few +large sheets of yellow paper and a jade slab, containing some vermilion +powder instead of ink, with two little brushes to write with. At each +side of the table stood a pair of large porcelain vases, with two large +branches of willow. Of course no one was allowed to speak, but I was +curious and wanted to find out why everyone had to wear the willow +leaves on the head. Her Majesty's yellow satin cushion was placed in +front of this table. She stood there and took a piece of sandalwood and +placed it in the incense burner filled with live charcoal. The Young +Empress whispered to me to go over and help Her Majesty to burn them. +I placed several pieces in until she told me that was enough. Then Her +Majesty knelt on her cushion, the Young Empress knelt behind her, and we +all knelt in a row behind the Young Empress, and commenced to pray. The +Young Empress taught us that very morning how to say the prayer: "We +worship the Heavens, and beg all the Buddhas to take pity on us and save +the poor farmers from starving. We are willing to sacrifice for them. +Pray Heaven send us rain." We repeated the same prayer three times, and +bowed three times--nine times in all. After that Her Majesty went to her +usual morning audience. It was much earlier than usual that morning for +the Court was returning to the Forbidden City at noon. His Majesty, the +Emperor Kwang Hsu, was to pray at the Forbidden City and Her Majesty +always wanted to accompany him wherever he went. It was nine o'clock in +the morning when the audience was over. She ordered me not to bring any +jewels for her to the Forbidden City this time, for she would not need +them at all. I went to the jewel-room and locked everything up, and +placed the keys in a yellow envelope, sealed it, and placed the envelope +among the others, and gave them to a eunuch who takes care of these +things. We packed all her favorite things. Her gowns were the most +important things to pack, she had so many and it was impossible to take +all. I noticed that the Court lady who was looking after her gowns was +the busiest amongst us. She had to select gowns enough to last four or +five days. She told me that she had selected about fifty different ones. +I told her that Lao Tsu Tsung might stay at the Forbidden City four or +five days, and that she would not need so many gowns. She said it was +safer to bring many, for one was not sure what would be Her Majesty's +idea for the day. Packing at the Court was very simple. Eunuchs brought +many yellow trays, which are made of wood, painted yellow, about five +feet by four feet and one foot deep. We placed a large yellow silk scarf +in the tray, then the gowns, and covered them with a thick yellow cloth. +Everything was packed the same way. It took us about two hours to pack +fifty-six trays. These things always started off first, carried by the +eunuchs. His Majesty, the Emperor Kwang Hsu, the Young Empress and all +the Court ladies, had to kneel on the ground for Her Majesty's sedan +chair to pass the Palace Gate, then we went in search of our own chairs. +The procession as usual was pretty, soldiers marching in front of her +chair, four young Princes riding on horseback on each side of her, and +from forty to fifty eunuchs also on horseback behind her, all dressed in +their official robes. The Emperor's chair and the Young Empress' chair +were of the same color as Her Majesty's. The Secondary wife of the +Emperor had a deep yellow chair. The chairs of the Court ladies were +red, and were carried by four chair bearers, instead of eight like their +Majesties. Our own eunuchs also rode on horseback, behind us. We rode a +long time, it seemed to me, before I noticed the Emperor's chair begin +to descend from the stone-paved road, and we all followed him. I could +see that Her Majesty's chair was still going straight on, and we took a +nearer route to reach Wan Shou Si (The long life temple), to await Her +Majesty's arrival. We alighted from our chairs and started at once to +prepare Her Majesty's tea and her little dishes. I went to help her to +alight, and supported her right arm to mount the steps. Her Majesty +sat on Her Throne, and we placed a table in front of her and my sister +brought her tea. (The custom was, that if she went anywhere, or during +the festivals, we must bring to her everything, instead of the eunuchs.) +We placed all the dainties in front of her, and then we went to rest. +Her Majesty always stopped at this temple on the way from the Summer +Palace to the Forbidden City. + + + +CHAPTER TEN--THE YOUNG EMPRESS + +I THOUGHT of so many things while I was riding in my chair. It was a +glorious day. I felt sorry for Her Majesty, for she was very quiet +that day. Generally she was happy, and made everyone laugh with her. I +thought about the branches of willow, too, but could not understand the +meaning. I came out of the hall while Her Majesty was dining with the +Emperor, and found the Young Empress sitting in a small room on the left +side of the courtyard, with several Court ladies. When they saw me they +made signs for me to go there. I found them all drinking tea, and the +Young Empress said to me, "I am sure you must be tired and hungry. +Come and sit near me and have a cup of tea." I thanked her and sat down +beside her and we talked of what we saw on the roads and how we had +enjoyed our long ride. She said: "We have still an hour's ride before +we reach the Forbidden City." She also talked about the ceremony we +had performed that morning and said that we must all pray earnestly for +rain. I could not wait any longer, so I asked her what those branches of +willow meant. She smiled and told me that willow could bring water, as +the Buddhist religion believes, and that it was an old custom of the +Court wearing willow leaves, when praying for rain. She also told me +that we must perform the same ceremony every morning until the rain +came. + +We heard Her Majesty talking in the courtyard, and knew that she had +finished her luncheon, so we went in with the Young Empress, and ate +what was left, as usual. I found the food very nice indeed, although it +seemed rather funny without having meat. We came out into the courtyard +and saw that Her Majesty was walking up and down. She said to us: "My +legs are so stiff, riding in the chair. I must walk a little before we +leave here. Are you all tired?" We told her that we were not tired, so +she ordered us to walk with her. It looked very funny to see us walking +round and round, Her Majesty in front, and we following her. Her Majesty +turned and smiled at us, and said: "We are just like horses taking their +rounds at a stable." It reminded me of a circus. Li Lien Ying came and +knelt down, and said that it was time for Her Majesty to depart, in +order to reach the Forbidden City at the lucky hour she had selected, so +we left Wan Shou Si. All the chairs went very fast, and after an hour's +ride we came near the Palace Gate. We followed the Emperor's chair, +taking a shorter route, and noticed the gate was wide open. His Majesty, +the Emperor, and the Young Empress' chairs went in, but we had to alight +and walk in. There were small chairs waiting for us. (As I explained +before these little chairs were carried by eunuchs, with a rope across +their shoulders.) We came to the courtyard of the Audience Hall where +the Emperor and the Empress were waiting for us. As usual His Majesty +knelt in front. Behind him was the Young Empress, and we knelt in a row +behind her, waiting to welcome Her Majesty to her Palace. She went to +her room where the eunuchs had placed everything in order long before +her arrival. We held the ceremony that afternoon and evening. After Her +Majesty had retired we came back to our rooms and found that everything +was in order, our eunuchs had made up our beds already. It was very nice +to have them, for we could not do our own work at all. I was so tired +and my limbs were stiff. I immediately went to sleep and did not realize +how long I had slept until I heard someone knocking at my window. I got +up and pulled the blind away. I noticed that the sky looked dull and +thought it was clouded. I felt happy, and thought it might rain, and +so relieve Her Majesty. I got dressed in great haste, but much to my +disappointment I saw the sunshine on the opposite windows. + +The Palace in the Forbidden City was so old, and built in such a queer +way. The courtyards were small, and the verandas very broad. All the +rooms were dark. No electric light. We had to use candle light. One +could not see the sky except by going into the courtyard and looking +up. I found that I had risen before the sun was up, and I was not quite +awake yet, and thought the sky was clouded. I went to Her Majesty's own +Palace and found the Young Empress already there. She was always the +first and always looked so tidy I often wondered how early she had to +get up. She told me that I was not late, although Her Majesty was +awake but not up yet. I went into her bedroom and made my usual morning +courtesy to her. The first thing she asked me was about the weather. I +had to tell her the truth--that there was no sign of rain. Her Majesty +got up, dressed, and had her breakfast as usual, and told us there +would be no audience that morning. The Emperor went to the Temple, +sacrificing, and there was nothing important to attend to. We prayed for +three days in succession, but no rain came. I found that Her Majesty was +truly discouraged, and ordered each of us to pray twenty times a day. +We marked a spot with vermilion powder and a little water on big yellow +sheets of paper each time we prayed. + +On the sixth day of the fourth moon the sky was clouded. I ran to Her +Majesty's bedroom that morning to tell her the news, but found that +someone had told her already. She smiled, and said to me: "You are not +the first one to give me the good news. I know everyone of you wanted to +be the first to tell me. I feel very tired today, and wish to lie down +a little longer. You can go, and I will send for you when I am ready +to get up." When I went to search for the Young Empress I found all the +Court ladies there also. They all asked me if I had noticed the rain. We +came out of the waiting room and found that the courtyard was wet, and +after a while it rained very fast. Her Majesty got up, and we prayed as +usual. Fortunately the rain did not stop, but came pouring down all that +day. + +Her Majesty played solitaire with the dominoes, and I stood at the back +of her chair watching her. I saw that the Young Empress and all the +girls were standing on the veranda. Her Majesty saw them, too, and said +to me: "Go and tell them to wait in the waiting room. Can't they +see that the veranda is wet?" I went to them, but before I had the +opportunity of telling them anything the Young Empress told me that the +waiting room was wet, and that the water had gone in. As I said before, +this building was very old, and there were no drains at all. Her +Majesty's own Palace was high; it had twelve steps, while our waiting +room, which was on the left side of her Palace, was built right on the +ground, with no raised foundation at all. While I was talking on the +veranda just for a few minutes, I got quite wet. Her Majesty knocked at +her glass window and told us to go in. Now I must explain that none of +us, not even the Young Empress could enter Her Majesty's Palace without +her orders except we had work to do there, or were on duty. Her Majesty +was very happy that day. She laughed and said that we looked as if we +had just been pulled out of the lake. The Young Empress had on a pale +blue gown, and the red tassel on her headdress was dripping red water +all over her gown. She smiled and said to us: "Look at those girls; +their gowns are all spoiled." While we were talking, Her Majesty gave us +orders for us to change our clothes. + +After they had gone, I went back to Her Majesty. She looked at me and +said: "You are wet also, only your clothes do not show." I had on a +cashmere dress which was made very plain. She touched my arm and said: +"How wet you are. You had better change, and put on a thick dress. I +think foreign clothes must be very uncomfortable; the waist is too small +and it seems to me out of proportion to the rest of the body. I am +sure that you will look much prettier in our Manchu gown. I want you to +change and put your Parisian clothes away as souvenirs. I only wanted to +know how foreign ladies dressed and now I have seen enough. The Dragon +Boat Festival will be here next month and I will make some pretty gowns +for you." I thanked her by kowtowing to the ground and told her that +I would be only too pleased to change into Manchu clothes, but having +lived so many years abroad, and having always worn foreign clothes, +I had not had any made. We were planning to change into Manchu gowns +before coming to the Court, but we had received orders that Lao Tsu +Tsung wished to see us in foreign clothes. I was very glad when I +received that order as there were several reasons why I wanted to wear +Manchu gowns. First, the Court ladies at the beginning treated us as +outsiders. Secondly, I knew that Her Majesty did not like them, and +besides, we were very uncomfortable living at the Palace in Peking, and +made up our minds that we must wear Manchu clothes, which were made for +it. We had so much work to do, and having to stand most of the time one +absolutely needed loose garments. Her Majesty ordered one of the eunuchs +to bring one of her dresses for me to try on, so I went back to my own +room, and took off my wet clothes and changed. I tried on her gown, but +it was too loose for me. The length was quite all right and so were the +sleeves. Her Majesty told one of the eunuch writers to write down my +measurements in order to have a gown made for me, and said she was sure +it would fit me. She did the same thing for my mother and sister, and +ordered our gowns to be made at once. I knew she was pleased, as she +told me what color would suit me the best. She said that I should always +wear pink and pale blue, for they suited, and were her favorite colors, +too. She also talked about our headdress, and ordered some made the same +as worn by the other Court ladies. She said to me: "I know you can +wear my shoes, for I tried yours on the first day you came, don't you +remember? I must select a lucky day for you to become a Manchu once +more," she said this with a smile, "and no more foreign clothes after +that." She took her special book for lucky days and hours, and studied +it a little while, then she said the eighteenth of that month was the +best. Li Lien Ying, the head eunuch knew how to please Her Majesty, and +said he would give orders to have everything ready for us at that time. +Her Majesty told us the way we must have our hair dressed, and what kind +of flowers we should wear, in fact she was very happy arranging to make +us into Manchus. A short while after she dismissed us for the day. It +rained for three days without stopping. The last day the Emperor came +back, and all ceremonies ceased. Her Majesty never liked to stay in the +Forbidden City, and I was not a bit surprised, as I hated the place. +We had to use candles to dress by, in the morning, as the rooms were in +absolute darkness even in the middle of the afternoon. It rained so much +that finally Her Majesty said she would return to the Summer Palace the +next day, whether it was raining or not, and we were all very glad to +go. + +We returned to the Summer Palace on the seventh. It was a dull day, but +no rain. We packed everything in just the same way we had done when +we came, and stopped at Wan Shou Si and had our luncheon. That day we +commenced to eat meat again. I noticed that Her Majesty enjoyed her meal +very much. She asked me if I liked the food without meat, and I told her +that everything was nicely done and that I enjoyed the food very much, +although without meat. She told me that she could not eat that kind of +food and enjoy it, and that if it were not necessary to make sacrifice +she would not have abstained. + +The first garden party of the year was given by the Empress Dowager to +the ladies of the Diplomatic Corps, in the fourth moon. This year Her +Majesty desired to deviate a little from previous custom, and issued +orders that stalls should be arranged in the garden, on a similar +principal to a bazaar, on which were to be displayed curios, embroidered +work, flowers, etc., etc. These were to be given as presents to the +guests. The guests were: Mrs. Conger, wife of the American Minister, +Mrs. Williams, wife of Chinese Secretary of the American Legation, +Madame and Mademoiselle de Carcer, wife and daughter of the Spanish +Minister, Madame Uchida, wife of the Japanese Minister, and a few ladies +of the Japanese Legation, Madame Almeida, wife of the Portuguese +Charge d' Affaires, Madame Cannes, wife of the Secretary of the French +Legation, the wives of several French Officers, Lady Susan Townley, +wife of the First Secretary of the British Legation, two ladies from the +German Legation, wives of German Officers, and wives of a few Customs +Officials. On this occasion Her Majesty selected a most beautiful gown +of peacock blue, embroidered all over with phoenix. The embroidery was +raised and each phoenix had a string of pearls two inches long sewed +into its mouth. Whenever Her Majesty stirred, these strings of tiny +pearls moved forwards and backwards and it made a very pretty effect. +Of course, she wore her jade phoenix on her hair as usual and shoes +and handkerchief embroidered with the same pattern. My mother wore a +lavender silk gown, trimmed with silver braid, her hat was of the same +shade with plumes to match. My sister and myself wore pale blue Chinese +silk gowns with insertion and medallions of Irish crochet and trimmed +with tiny velvet bands. We wore blue hats with large pink roses. All the +Court ladies dressed in their most picturesque gowns and it was a very +pretty sight to see the procession walking to the Audience Hall. + +Her Majesty was in her happiest mood that morning and said to us: "I +wonder how I would look in foreign clothes; my waist is very small, but +wearing this kind of loose gown it would not show. I don't think I would +need to squeeze myself so tight, either, but I don't think there is +anything in the world prettier than our Manchu gowns." + +First the guests were received in audience by Their Majesties. They were +accompanied by the Doyen, Baron Czikann, Minister for Austria, and an +interpreter from each Legation. On entering the Audience Hall all the +guests stood in line and the Doyen presented a short address to +Their Majesties. This was translated to Prince Ching, who, in turn, +communicated it to the Emperor. The Emperor made a suitable reply in +Chinese which was translated by the Doyen's interpreter. Then the Doyen +mounted the steps of the dais and shook hands with Their Majesties, the +rest of the guests being presented in turn. I was standing at the right +hand of the Empress Dowager and as each guest came forward, called out +their names, and the Legation which they represented. Her Majesty had +a few words for everyone, and when she saw a new face she would ask how +long they had been in China; whether they liked it, etc., etc. All these +conversations I interpreted for Her Majesty. As the guests finished +paying their respects they passed along and remained standing in the +Hall until everybody had been presented. + +The interpreters, who did not take part in this ceremony but had +remained standing in the Hall until it was over, were then conducted +by Prince Ching to another part of the Palace, where refreshments were +provided for them. After they had gone out Their Majesties descended +from the dais and mixed with the guests. + +The formal ceremony now being concluded, chairs were brought in and +everybody made themselves comfortable. Tea was brought in by the +eunuchs and after a few minutes' conversation, we all adjourned to +the refreshment room, with the exception of the Empress Dowager, the +Emperor, the Young Empress and the Secondary wife. In the absence of Her +Majesty, the Imperial Princess (The Empress Dowager's adopted daughter) +officiated as hostess, Mrs. Conger sitting at her right and Madame de +Carcer, wife of the Spanish Minister, on her left. The food was all +Chinese, but knives and forks were provided for the use of the guests. +During the luncheon the Imperial Princess stood up and spoke a few +words of welcome, which I translated into English and French. After the +luncheon was over we adjourned to the garden where Their Majesties were +awaiting us. A brass band was playing European airs. + +Her Majesty led the way around the gardens, passing the various stalls +on the way, where the ladies would stop and admire the different +articles, which were later presented to them as souvenirs of the +occasion. On arriving at a teahouse which had been erected in the +gardens, everybody rested and partook of tea. Their Majesties then +wished everybody good-bye and the guests were then conducted to their +chairs and took their departure. + +As usual, we reported to Her Majesty everything that had taken place and +how the guests had enjoyed themselves. She said: "How is it that these +foreign ladies have such large feet? Their shoes are like boats and +the funny way they walk I cannot say I admire. I haven't yet seen one +foreigner with pretty hands. Although they have white skins, their faces +are covered with white hair. Do you think they are beautiful?" I replied +that I had seen some American beauties when I was abroad. Her Majesty +said: "No matter how beautiful they are they have ugly eyes. I can't +bear that blue color, they remind me of a cat." After a few more +remarks, she ordered us to retire, saying that we must be tired. We +were rather used up and glad of an opportunity to rest, so made our +courtesies and retired. + +We had been at the Palace more than two months, and I had had no +opportunity to see my father at all, who was quite ill at that time. +We did not know whether we could ask leave of absence from the Court. I +received letters from my father every day, telling me to have courage, +and to do my duty. My mother asked the Young Empress if it would be +correct to ask Her Majesty for permission to go home for a day or two. +The Young Empress told us that it would be quite all right to do that, +but she thought it would be better if we could wait until after the +eighth, for there would be a feast on that day. The eighth day of the +fourth moon every year is the ceremony of eating green peas. According +to the Buddhist religion there is a hereafter which divides or grades, +according to the life that is lived on earth, that is to say, those who +live good lives go to Heaven when they die and those who are bad go to a +bad place to suffer. On this occasion Her Majesty sent to the people she +liked, each a plate containing eight peas, and we had to eat them. The +Young Empress told me that if I presented a plate of peas to Her Majesty +it would please her, which I did. This meant: "May we meet in the +hereafter" (Chi Yuen Dou). Her Majesty was very happy that day. We went +to the west side of the lake and had our luncheon there. Her Majesty +talked to us about the first day we came to the Court, and then said to +mother: "I wonder if Yu Keng is any better. When will he be able to come +to the Court? I haven't seen him since he returned from France." (My +father had asked three months leave of absence from the Court on account +of his poor health.) My mother answered and said that he was feeling +better, but that his legs were still very weak, and he could not walk +much. Her Majesty then said to us: "Oh, I have forgotten to tell you +that if you wish to go home, you can ask permission. I have been so busy +lately, and forgot to remind you." We thanked her and told her that we +would like to go home and see how my father was, so she gave orders that +we should leave the Court the next day. Then she asked me how long I +would like to stay at home, and of course I knew the custom, and told +her that I was waiting for her orders: "Would two or three days be +enough?" We told her that it suited us beautifully. I was so surprised +when she mentioned it to us, and wondered if anyone had told her of our +intentions, or if Her Majesty was a mind reader. + +When she retired that afternoon I went to see the Young Empress, who +was always very nice and kind, and asked me to sit near her. Her eunuch +brought me a cup of tea. Her rooms were furnished exactly the same as +Her Majesty's, but everything looked extremely dainty, and showed very +good taste. We talked about the life at the Palace for a long time, and +she told me that she was very fond of us, and so was Her Majesty. I told +her that Her Majesty had mentioned to us about going home for two or +three days and that I was surprised to see how thoughtful she was. She +said that someone had reminded Her Majesty to let us go home, for we had +been at the Court for more than two months. I found out afterwards that +it was the head eunuch Li who had heard that we were anxious to go. The +Young Empress said to me: "I want to teach you to be wise, that is, +you are ordered to leave the Court to-morrow, but Her Majesty did not +mention any particular hour. You must not talk about it to anyone, and +don't show that you are excited to go home. Don't dress as if you are +going out to-morrow, but be natural and do your work as if you don't +care about going at all. Don't you remind her, in case she forgets to +tell you to go, and come back on the second day, which is the custom. It +will show that you are anxious to see Her Majesty, so you come back +one day earlier than the appointed time." I was so happy to get this +information and asked her if it would be all right to bring Her Majesty +some presents when we returned to the Court. She said that was just the +proper thing to do. The next day we did the same work, and went to the +Audience Hall with Her Majesty, as usual. After the audience was over +Her Majesty ordered her luncheon to be served at the country teahouse. +This teahouse was built in country style, and right on top of her peony +mountain, with bamboo and straw, and all the furniture was made of +bamboo also. They were beautifully made, and the frames of the +windows were carved into a line of characters--Shou (long life), and +butterflies, with pink silk curtain hangings. At the rear of this +exquisite little building was a bamboo shade, with railings all around, +hung with red silk lanterns. The seats were built against the railings, +so that one could sit on them comfortably. This was supposed to be +used by the Court ladies as their waiting room. We played dice with Her +Majesty when luncheon was over. We played a very long time, and I won +the game that day. Her Majesty laughed and said to me: "You have luck +to-day. I think you are so happy to go home that your fairies have +helped you to win the game." As I mentioned before, this game was called +"Eight Fairies Going across the Sea." "I think it is time for you to go +now." While saying this she turned and asked one of the eunuchs what the +time was, and he answered that it was half-past two. We kowtowed to Her +Majesty, and stood waiting for more orders. Then she said: "I am sorry +to see you go although I know you are coming back within two or three +days. I know I shall miss you." To my mother she said: "Tell Yu Keng to +take care of his health and get well soon. I have ordered four eunuchs +to accompany you, and am sending some of my own rice for him." We had +to kowtow again in thanking Her Majesty for her kindness and finally she +said: "Nemen tzowba" (you can go now). + +We withdrew, and found the Young Empress on the veranda. We courtesied +to her, and said good-bye to the Court ladies and came to our rooms +to get ready to start. Our eunuchs were very good, and had everything +packed up ready for us. We gave ten taels to each of our eunuchs, for +that was the custom, and gave four taels to each chair bearer of the +Palace. When we arrived at the Palace Gate our own chairs were waiting +for us. We said good-bye to our eunuchs. Strange to say they seemed +attached to us and told us to come back soon. The four eunuchs ordered +by Her Majesty to see us home were there, and as soon as we got into our +chairs I saw them riding on horseback beside us. It seemed to me just +like a dream the two months I had spent at the Court, and I must say I +felt very sorry to leave Her Majesty, but at the same time I wanted very +much to see my father. We got home after a two hours' ride, and found +him looking much better, and one can imagine how happy he was to see us. +The four eunuchs came into our parlor, and placed the yellow bag of rice +on the table. My father thanked Her Majesty by kowtowing to the ground. +We gave these eunuchs each a little present, and they departed. + +I told my father about my life at the Palace, and how very kind Her +Majesty was to me. He asked me if I could influence Her Majesty to +reform some day, and hoped he would live to see it. Somehow or other I +had the idea that I could and promised him that I would try my best. + +Her Majesty sent two eunuchs to see us the next morning, and also sent +us food and fruits. They told us that Her Majesty missed us, and had +told them to ask if we missed her. We told these eunuchs that we were +returning to the Court the next day. We stayed at home only two days and +a great many people came to see us, and kept us busy all the time. My +father suggested that we should start from the house at about 3:00 A. +M., so as to get to the Summer Palace before Her Majesty was up. We left +our house at 3:00 A. M. in total darkness, just like we had two months +before. What a change. I thought I was the happiest girl in the world. +I was told by many people, especially by the Young Empress, that Her +Majesty was extremely fond of me. I had also heard that she did not care +for young people at all. Although I was happy, I noticed that some of +the Court ladies did not like me, and they made me uncomfortable on many +occasions by not telling me just the way Her Majesty wanted the work to +be done. They smiled to each other whenever Her Majesty was saying to +my mother that she liked me, and that I was always careful in doing +anything that pleased her. I knew I was going to see those people again. +However, I made up my mind to fight my battles alone. I only wished to +be useful to Her Majesty, and would not take any notice of them. + +It was a little after five o'clock when we reached the Summer Palace. +Our own eunuchs were very happy to see us again and told us that Her +Majesty was not up yet and that we had time to go to our rooms, where +they had some breakfast prepared for us. We went to see the Young +Empress first, and found she was ready to go to Her Majesty's Palace. +She was also very glad to see us, and told us that our Manchu costumes +were all ready, and that she had seen them and they were perfectly +lovely. We were very hungry, and enjoyed our breakfast immensely. After +that we went to see Her Majesty. She was awake, so we went into her +bedroom. We greeted her the same way that we did every morning, and +kowtowed to her and thanked her for all the things she had sent us while +we were at home. She sat up on the bed, smiled, and said: "Are you glad +to come back? I know everyone who comes to me and stays for a while +does not like to go away from here any more. I am glad to see you (to +my mother). How is Yu Keng?" My mother told her that my father was much +better. She asked us what we did for those two days, staying at home. +She also wanted to know whether we still remembered which day she had +chosen for us to change into our Manchu costume. We told her we knew the +date, and were looking forward to it. The eunuchs brought in three +large yellow trays, full of beautiful gowns, shoes, white silk socks, +handkerchiefs, bags for nuts, in fact the whole set, including the gu'un +dzan (Manchu headdress). We kowtowed to her, and told her we were very +much pleased with everything she had given us. Her Majesty told the +eunuchs to bring everything out for us to see. She said to us: "You see +I give you one full official dress, one set of Chao Chu (amber heads), +two embroidered gowns, four ordinary gowns for everyday wear, and two +gowns for Chi Chen wear (the anniversary of the death of an Emperor or +Empress), one sky blue, the other mauve, with very little trimming. +I also have a lot of underwear for you." I was excited and told Her +Majesty that I would like to commence to dress up at once. She smiled, +and said: "You must wait until the day comes, the lucky day I have +selected for you. You must try to fix your hair first, which is the most +difficult thing to do. Ask the Young Empress to teach you." Although +she told me to wait, I knew she was pleased to see that I showed so much +enthusiasm. She asked me the first day when we came to the Court why +my hair was so curly. I showed her that I curled it with paper, and she +teased me ever afterwards. She also said that I could not pull my hair +straight in time to wear Manchu clothes, that everyone would laugh at +me, and how ugly I would look. That night one Court lady came over to me +while I was sitting on the veranda and said: "I wonder if you will look +nice in Manchu dress?" I told her I only wanted to look natural. "You +have lived so many years abroad we consider you are a foreigner to us." +I told her that as long as Her Majesty considered I was one of her own, +I would be satisfied and that she need not worry herself about me. I +knew they were jealous of us, so I went in search of the Young Empress +and left this girl alone. We were talking with the Young Empress in the +waiting room, and this girl came in and sat near me, smiling to herself +most of the time. One of the servant girls was fixing some fresh flowers +for Her Majesty. She looked at her and asked her why she was smiling. +The Young Empress saw, and asked her the same question. She would not +answer, but kept on smiling all the time. At this moment a eunuch came +and said that Her Majesty wanted me. I afterwards tried to find out what +she had told the Young Empress but could not. Several days passed very +quietly. Her Majesty was happy, and so was I. One day the Young Empress +reminded us that we should make all preparations in order to be able +to dress ourselves properly on the eighteenth, as the time was getting +short--only two days left. That night, after Her Majesty had retired, I +went to my own room and fixed my headdress on and went to see the Young +Empress. She said that I looked very nice, and that she was sure Her +Majesty would like me better in Manchu costume. I told her that I used +to wear Manchu dress when I was a little girl, before we went to Europe, +and of course I knew how to put it on. I also told her that I could not +understand why these girls looked upon me as a foreigner. She said that +they only showed their ignorance, and that they were jealous of me and I +should not pay any attention to them at all. + + + +CHAPTER ELEVEN--OUR COSTUMES + +THE next day we got up earlier than usual and dressed ourselves in our +new gowns. I could not believe my own eyes, and asked several times +whether that was myself or not. I found that I looked all right, +although I hadn't been wearing this sort of costume for so long. +They seemed to think that we would look awkward. Our own eunuchs were +delighted to see us dressed that way. The Young Empress came in while +passing our rooms on her way to the Empress Dowager's Palace, and waited +for us to go with her. When we arrived at the waiting room a lot of +people came in and looked at us, and talked so much about us, that it +made me feel rather shy. Everyone told us that we looked much better +that way than in foreign clothes, except the Emperor Kwang Hsu. He +said to me: "I think your Parisian gowns are far prettier than this." +I smiled and said nothing. He shook his head at me, and went into Her +Majesty's bedroom. Li Lien Ying came and saw us, and was very much +excited and told me to go and see Her Majesty at once. I told him that +everyone was looking at us, as if we were curios. He said: "You don't +know how nice you look now, and I wish that you would not wear foreign +clothes at all." Her Majesty laughed so loud when she saw us that it +made me uncomfortable, for I was afraid we looked unnatural to her. She +said: "I cannot believe you are the same girls. Just look at yourselves +in this looking-glass." She pointed to a large mirror in her room. "See +how you have changed. I feel that you belong to me now. I must have some +more gowns made for you." Then Li Lien Ying said that the twenty-fourth +would be the first day of the Summer. On that day everyone would begin +to wear jade hairpins instead of gold, and we had none. Her Majesty said +to Li: "I am very glad you told me that. I must give them each a jade +hairpin after having asked them to change into Manchu dress." Li went +away and came back with a box of hairpins of pure green jade. Her +Majesty took a beautiful one and handed it to my mother and told her +that that pin had been worn by three Empresses. She took two very nice +ones, and gave one to me and one to my sister. She told us that these +two were a pair, and that the other Empress Dowager (the East Empress +Dowager) used to wear one, and that the other was worn by herself when +she was young. I felt ashamed that Her Majesty had given us so many +presents and I had done nothing for her in any way. However, we thanked +her most sincerely, and showed our appreciation. She said: "I look upon +you as my own people, and the gowns I have made for you are the very +best. I have also decided to let you wear the full Court dress, the +same as one of the Princesses. You are my Court lady, so you are equally +ranked here." Li stood there behind her and made a sign to us to kowtow +to her. I cannot remember how many times I kowtowed that day. The +headdress was very heavy, and I was not quite used to it; I was afraid +it might fall off. Her Majesty also said that she would make our rank +known to the Court on her seventieth birthday. I will explain this. On +every decade from the time of her birth Her Majesty used to give special +favors to anyone she liked, or to anyone who had done something for her, +and had been useful to her. She could promote anyone at any time, but +on these occasions it was something special. The Young Empress +congratulated us, and said that Her Majesty was looking for a young +Prince to marry me. She was also very fond of teasing. I wrote to my +father about all the favors that had been given to me. He wrote me he +hoped that I deserved them all, and that I must do all I could to be +useful and loyal to Her Majesty as long as she lived. + +I was very happy. Life was perfectly lovely at the Palace. Her Majesty +was always nice and kind. I noticed the difference in the way she had +treated us since (as she said) we had become Manchus once more. One day +Her Majesty asked me while we were sailing on the lake in the moonlight, +if I wanted to go to Europe any more. It was a superb night, and several +boats were sailing behind us. In one boat several eunuchs were playing +a kind of sweet music on the flute and an instrument very much like the +mandolin, called Yeuh Chin (small harp, like the shape of the moon), +with Her Majesty singing very softly to herself. I told her I was +satisfied to be with her, and did not wish to go anywhere at all. She +said that I must learn to sing poetry and that she would teach me every +day. I told her that my father had made me study all kinds of poetry and +I had composed some myself. She looked surprised and said: "Why didn't +you tell me that before? I love poems. You must read to me sometimes. +I have many books here containing poems of different dynasties." I told +her that my knowledge of Chinese literature was very limited, and I +dared not let her see how little I knew. I had only studied eight years. +Her Majesty told me that the Young Empress and herself were the only +ones who were familiar with Chinese literature at the Court. She told +me that she tried to teach the Court ladies to read and write some time +ago, but having found them so lazy she gave them up. My father told me +to be very careful not to show them what I could do until I was asked, +so I kept it to myself. After they found this out, some of the Court +ladies were very disagreeable to me, and this went on day after day. + +Except for this unpleasantness the fourth moon passed very agreeably. +The first day of the fifth moon was a busy day for us all, as from the +first to the fifth of the fifth moon was the festival of five poisonous +insects, which I will explain later--also called the Dragon Boat +Festival. All the Viceroys, Governors and high officials, besides +the Imperial Family, Court ladies and eunuchs, all offer Her Majesty +beautiful presents. I never saw such a lot of things as came into the +Palace during this festival. Each person who sent in presents must +accompany them with a sheet of yellow paper, and at the right lower +corner the sender's name must be written and also the word Kuai Jin, +meaning to present their gifts kneeling, also to write what the presents +were. The eunuchs took big yellow trays to bring them in. During these +five days everyone was busy, especially the eunuchs. I could not count +just how many people sent presents to Her Majesty. The presents were of +every kind, such as things for the household; silks and jewelry of all +kinds and description. A large part of the presents were foreign goods +of the ordinary kind. I also saw lovely carved thrones and embroideries. +Her Majesty ordered them to be put away, and the foreign things to be +kept in her Palace, for those were new to her. + +The third day of the fifth moon was the day for just the people of the +Palace to make presents. It was a most beautiful sight to see. We were +busy all night making preparations, and had to go and help the Young +Empress. The next morning we placed our presents in the big courtyard +in these big yellow trays. The Young Empress had her trays in the first +row. The presents from the Young Empress to the Empress Dowager were +made by her own hands. There were ten pairs of shoes, silk embroidered +handkerchiefs, little bags for betel nuts, and bags for tobacco, all +exquisitely done. The Secondary wife of the Emperor Kwang Hsu presented +about the same to Her Majesty. The Court ladies' presents were all +different, as we could ask permission to go out shopping before the +Feast. We could not go out together, for one or two of us must be there +at all times, and it was very exciting to tell each other what we had +bought. We ourselves did not ask permission to go out of the Palace, +for we had our presents ready long before. Everyone seemed to be talking +about presents, whether Her Majesty would like them or not. My mother, +my sister and myself had written to Paris to get some lovely French +brocades, one set of furniture, French Empire style. We had learned Her +Majesty's taste already during our short stay there, so including those +presents we also gave her fans, perfumes, soaps and some other French +novelties. Her Majesty always looked over everything, and noticed +some of the presents were of very poor quality, and wanted to know the +sender's name. The eunuchs and servant girls also made her good and +useful presents. Her Majesty would select the articles she liked the +best, and order the rest to be put away, and she might never see them +again. I must say that Her Majesty liked and admired some foreign things +very much, she especially loved the French fancy brocades, for she was +making new gowns almost every day. She was also pleased with soaps and +powder that would beautify the skin. She always thanked us in a very +nice way and said how very thoughtful we were in selecting beautiful +articles for her. Her Majesty would also say something nice to the +eunuchs and girls, and that made everyone feel pleased. + +The fourth day of the fifth moon was the day that Her Majesty gave +presents to us all, the different Princes, high officials, servant +girls and eunuchs. Her memory was something extraordinary, for she could +remember every one of the presents that had been given to her the day +before, and the names of the givers also. That was a busy day for us. +Her Majesty gave people presents according to the way they gave her. We +had yellow sheets of paper and wrote out the names of those to whom +she wished to give. That day Her Majesty was very angry with one of the +wives of a certain Prince because her presents were the poorest. Her +Majesty told me to keep that tray in her room and said she would go over +them and see what they were. I knew she was not pleased, for she had +a telltale face. She told us to measure the silks and ribbons in that +tray, and leave it in the hall. The ribbons were all of different +lengths, all too short to trim a gown, and the dress materials were not +of good quality. Her Majesty said to me: "Now you look for yourself. +Are these good presents? I know very well all these things were given +to them by other people and they of course would select the best for +themselves, and give me what was left. They know they are obliged to +send me something. I am surprised to see how careless they are. Probably +they thought as I receive so many presents I would not notice. They are +mistaken, for I notice the poorest the first, in fact I can remember +everything. I can see those who gave me things in order to please me, +and those who gave because they were obliged to. I will return them the +same way." She gave the Court ladies each a beautiful embroidered gown +and a few hundred taels, the same to the Young Empress and the Secondary +wife. The presents which she gave us were a little different, consisting +of two embroidered gowns, several simple ones, jackets and sleeveless +jackets, shoes, and flowers for the Manchu headdress. She said that +we had not so many gowns, and instead of giving us the money, she had +things made for us. Besides that, she gave me a pair of very pretty +earrings, but none to my sister, for she noticed that I had a pair of +ordinary gold earrings, while my sister had a pair set with pearls and +jade. Her Majesty said to my mother: "Yu Tai Tai. I can see you love one +daughter better than the other. Roonling has such pretty earrings and +poor Derling has none." Before my mother could answer her she had turned +to me while I was standing at the back of her chair: "I will have a nice +pair made for you. You are mine now." My mother told her that I did not +like to wear heavy earrings. Her Majesty laughed and said: "Never mind, +she is mine now, and I will give her everything she needs. You have +nothing to do with her." The earrings she gave me were very heavy. Her +Majesty said that if I would wear them every day I would get used to +them, and so it proved that after some time I thought nothing of it. + +Now about this Feast. It is also called the Dragon Boat Feast. The fifth +of the fifth moon at noon was the most poisonous hour for the poisonous +insects, and reptiles such as frogs, lizards, snakes, hide themselves in +the mud, for that hour they are paralyzed. Some medical men search +for them at that hour and place them in jars, and when they are dried, +sometime use them as medicine. Her Majesty told me this, so that day I +went all over everywhere and dug into the ground, but found nothing. The +usual custom was that at noon Her Majesty took a small cup filled with +spirits of wine, and added a kind of yellow powder (something like +sulphur). She took a small brush and dipped it into the cup and made a +few spots of this yellow paint under our nostrils and ears. This was to +prevent any insects from crawling on us during the coming summer. The +reason why it was also called the Dragon Boat Festival was because at +the time of the Chou Dynasty the country was divided into several parts. +Each place had a ruler. The Emperor Chou had a Prime Minister named Chi +Yuan, who advised him to make alliance with the other six countries, +but the Emperor refused, and Chi Yuan thought that the country would be +taken by others in the near future. He could not influence the Emperor, +so he made up his mind to commit suicide and jumped into the river, +taking a large piece of stone with him. This happened on the fifth day +of the fifth moon, so the year afterwards, the Emperor got into a Dragon +boat to worship his soul, and throw rice cakes, called Tzu Tsi, into the +river. On that day the people have celebrated this feast ever since. +At the Palace the theatre played first this history, which was very +interesting, and also played the insects trying to hide themselves +before the most poisonous hour arrived. On that day we all wore tiger +shoes, the front part of which was made of a tiger's head, with little +tigers made of yellow silk to wear on the headdress. These tigers were +only for the children to wear, and signified that they would be as +strong as a tiger, but Her Majesty wanted us to wear them also. The +wives of the Manchu officials came to the Court, and when they saw us +they laughed at us. We told them it was by Her Majesty's orders. + +A register recording the birthdays of all the Court ladies was kept by +the head eunuch, and a few days before my own birthday came around, the +tenth day of the fifth moon, he informed me that the custom of the Court +was to make a present to Her Majesty and said that the present should +take the form of fruit, cakes, etc., so I ordered eight boxes of +different kinds. + +Early in the morning I put on full Court dress, and made myself look as +nice as possible and went to wish Her Majesty good morning. When she had +finished dressing, the eunuchs brought in the presents and, kneeling, +I presented them to Her Majesty, bowing to the ground nine times. She +thanked me and wished me a happy birthday. She then made me a present of +a pair of sandalwood bracelets, beautifully carved, also a few rolls of +brocade silk. She also informed me that she had ordered some macaroni +in honor of my birthday. This macaroni is called (Chang Shou Me'en) long +life macaroni. This was the custom. I again bowed and thanked her for +her kindness and thoughtfulness. After bowing to the Young Empress and +receiving in return two pairs of shoes and several embroidered neckties, +I returned to my room, where I found presents from all the Court ladies. + +Altogether I had a very happy birthday. + +I can never forget the fifteenth day of the fifth moon as long as I +live, for that was a bad day for everyone. As usual we went to Her +Majesty's bedroom quite early that morning. She could not get up and +complained that her back ached so much. We rubbed her back, in turns, +and finally she got up, though a little late. She was not satisfied. +The Emperor came in and knelt down to wish her good morning, but she +scarcely took any notice of him. I noticed that when the Emperor saw +that Her Majesty was not well, he said very little to her. The eunuch +who dressed her hair every morning was ill, and had ordered another one +to help her. Her Majesty told us to watch him very closely to see that +he did not pull her hair off. She could not bear to see even one or two +hairs fall out. This eunuch was not used to trickery, for instance, in +case the hair was falling off, he could not hide it like the other one +did. This poor man did not know what to do with any that came out. He +was frightened, and Her Majesty, seeing him through the mirror, asked +him whether he had pulled her hair out. He said that he had. This made +her furious, and she told him to replace it. I almost laughed, but the +eunuch was very much frightened and started to cry. Her Majesty ordered +him to leave the room, and said she would punish him later. We helped +her to fix up her hair. I must say it was not an easy job, for she had +very long hair and it was difficult to comb. + +She went to the morning audience, as usual, and after that she told the +head eunuch what had happened. This Li was indeed a bad and cruel man, +and said: "Why not beat him to death?" Immediately she ordered Li +to take this man to his own quarters to receive punishment. Then Her +Majesty said the food was bad, and ordered the cooks to be punished +also. They told me that whenever Her Majesty was angry everything went +wrong, so I was not surprised that so many things happened that day. Her +Majesty said that we all looked too vain with our hair too low down +at the back of the head. (This Manchu headdress is placed right in the +center of one's head and the back part is called the swallow's tail, and +must reach the bottom part of one's collar.) We had our hair done up the +same way every day, and she had previously never said a word about it. +She looked at us, and said: "Now I am going to the audience, and don't +need you all here. Go back to your rooms and fix your hair all over +again. If I ever see you all like that again I am going to cut your hair +off." I was never more surprised in my life when I heard her speak +so sharply to us. I don't know whether I was spoken to or not, but I +thought it well to be wise, and I answered I would. We were all ready to +go and Her Majesty stood there watching us. When we were about five or +six feet away we heard her scolding Chun Shou (the girl who was neither +a Court lady nor a servant). Her Majesty said she was pretending she was +all right, and Her Majesty ordered her to go also. When we were walking +towards our own place, some of them laughed at Chun Shou, which made +her angry. When Her Majesty was angry with anyone, she would say that we +were all doing something on purpose to make her angry. I must say that +everyone of us was scared, and wondered who would have dared to do that. +On the contrary, we tried our best to please her in every way. + +But that day she was furious all day and I tried to stay away from her. +I noticed some of the eunuchs went to her to ask questions concerning +important matters, but she would not look at them, but kept on reading +her book. To tell the truth, I felt miserable that day. At the beginning +I thought all the eunuchs were faithful servants, but seeing them every +day, I got to know them. It did not do them any harm to be punished once +in a while. + +The Young Empress told me to go in and wait on Her Majesty as usual. She +said that probably if I would suggest playing dice with her, she might +forget her troubles. At first I did not want to go, for I was afraid +that she might say something to me, but seeing that the poor Young +Empress spoke to me so nicely, I told her I would try. When I entered +Her Majesty's sitting room I found her reading a book. She looked at me +and said: "Come over here, I would like to tell you something. You know +these people at the Palace are no good and I don't like them at all. +I don't want them to poison your ears by telling you how wicked I am. +Don't talk to them. You must not fix your hair too low down at the back +of your head. I was not angry with you this morning. I know you are +different. Don't let them influence you. I want you to be on my side, +and do as I tell you." Her Majesty spoke very kindly to me, and her face +changed also--not at all the same face she had that morning. Of course I +promised her that I would be only too happy to do all I could to please +her. She spoke to me just like a good mother would speak to a dear +child. I changed my opinion and thought that perhaps after all she was +right, but I had often heard from the officials that one cannot be +good to a eunuch, as he would do all he could to injure you without any +reason whatsoever. + +I noticed that day they all seemed to be more careful in doing their +work. I was told that when once Her Majesty got angry, she would never +finish. On the contrary, she talked to me very nicely, just as if there +had been no troubles at all. She was not difficult to wait upon, only +one had to watch her moods. I thought how fascinating she was, and I had +already forgotten that she had been angry. She seemed to have guessed +what I was thinking, and said: "I can make people hate me worse than +poison, and can also make them love me. I have that power." I thought +she was right there. + + + +CHAPTER TWELVE--THE EMPRESS AND MRS. CONGER + +ON the twenty-sixth day of the fifth moon, during the morning audience, +Prince Ching told Her Majesty that Mrs. Conger, the wife of the American +Minister to Peking, had asked for a private audience, and would Her +Majesty please mention a day. She told him not to give any answer until +the next day, just to give her time to think it over. I was sitting +behind the large screen, listening, but the other Court ladies made +too much noise, so Her Majesty ordered them not to say a word during +audience. I was very glad myself, because I could listen to some of the +interesting conversations between the Empress Dowager and her Ministers. +After the audience, Her Majesty ordered her lunch to be served on the +top of the hill at Pai Yuen Dien (Spreading Cloud Pavilion). She said +that she preferred to walk, so we followed her very slowly. To get to +this place we had to mount two hundred and seventy-two steps, besides +ten minutes' climbing over rough stones. She did not seem to mind +the climbing part at all. It was the funniest thing to see two little +eunuchs on either side, to support her arms, trying to keep pace with +her. I noticed that she was very much preoccupied, and did not speak +to any of us. When we arrived at our destination we were very tired and +quite exhausted. Her Majesty, who was a good walker herself, laughed at +us. She was always very much pleased when she excelled in games of skill +or endurance. She said: "You see I am old, and can walk much faster than +you young people. You are all no use. What is the matter with you?" Her +Majesty was very fond of receiving compliments. I had been there long +enough to know and had learned to say things which would please her. She +also hated anyone to pay her compliments at the wrong moment, so one had +to be very careful even in paying her compliments. + +This "spreading cloud" pavilion was a beautiful Palace. It had an open +space in front of the building, just like one of the courtyards, with +pink and white oleanders all over the place. There was a porcelain table +and several porcelain stools. Her Majesty sat on her own yellow satin +stool and was drinking her tea in silence. It was very windy that day, +although the sky was blue with warm sunshine. Her Majesty sat there +just for a few minutes, and then said it was too windy and went into the +building. I was more than glad to go in, too, and whispered to the Young +Empress that I thought the wind might blow off my headdress. The eunuchs +brought the luncheon and placed everything upon the table. The Young +Empress made a sign for us to follow her, which we did. When we came to +the back veranda we sat down on the window seats. I will explain about +these seats. All the windows were built low at the Palace, and on the +veranda there was something like a bench built along the window, about +a foot wide. There were no chairs to be seen excepting Her Majesty's +thrones. The Young Empress asked me whether I had noticed that Her +Majesty had something on her mind. I told her that perhaps she was +thinking about the private audience which Prince Ching had mentioned +that morning. She said that I had guessed right, and asked: "Do you know +anything about this audience? When will it take place?" I said that Her +Majesty had not yet given her answer. + +By this time Her Majesty had finished eating and was walking up and down +the room, watching us eating. She came over to my mother and said: "I am +just wondering why Mrs. Conger asks for a private audience. Perhaps she +has something to say to me. I would like to know just what it is so I +can prepare an answer." My mother said that probably Mrs. Conger had +someone visiting her who wished to be presented to Her Majesty. "No, +it can't be that, because they must give the list of names of those who +wish to come to the Palace. I don't mind the formal audiences, but I +don't think that I should have private ones at all. I don't like to be +questioned, as you all know. The foreigners are, of course, very nice +and polite, according to their own way, but they cannot compare with us, +so far as etiquette is concerned. I may be conservative in saying that I +admire our custom and will not change it as long as I live. You see our +people are taught to be polite from their earliest childhood, and just +look back at the oldest teachings and compare them with the new. People +seem to like the latter the best. I mean that the new idea is to be +Christians, to chop up their Ancestral Tablets and burn them. I know +many families here who have broken up because of the missionaries, who +are always influencing the young people to believe their religion. Now +I tell you why I feel uneasy about this audience is because we are too +polite to refuse anyone who asks any favors in person. The foreigners +don't seem to understand that. I'll tell you what I will do. Whenever +they ask me anything, I'll simply tell them that I am not my own boss, +but have to consult with my Ministers; that although I am the Empress +Dowager of China, I must also obey the law. To tell the truth, I like +Madame Uchida (wife of the Japanese Minister to Peking) very much. She +is always very nice and doesn't ask any silly questions. Of course the +Japanese are very much like ourselves, not at all forward. Last year, +before you came to the Court, a missionary lady came with Mrs. Conger, +and suggested that I should establish a school for girls at the Palace. +I did not like to offend her, and said that I would take it into +consideration. Now, just imagine it for a moment. Wouldn't it be foolish +to have a school at the Palace; besides, where am I going to get so +many girls to study? I have enough to do as it is. I don't want all the +children of the Imperial family studying at my Palace." + +Her Majesty laughed while she was telling us this, and everyone else +laughed, too. She said: "I am sure you will laugh. Mrs. Conger is a +very nice lady. America is always very friendly towards China, and I +appreciate their nice behavior at the Palace during the twenty-sixth +year of Kwang Hsu (1900), but I cannot say that I love the missionaries, +too. Li Lien Ying told me that these missionaries here give the Chinese +a certain medicine, and that after that they wish to become Christians, +and then they would pretend to tell the Chinese to think it over very +carefully, for they would never force anyone to believe their religion +against their own will. Missionaries also take the poor Chinese children +and gouge their eyes out, and use them as a kind of medicine." I told +her that that was not true; that I had met a great many missionaries, +and that they were very kind-hearted and willing to do anything to +help the poor Chinese. I also told her what they had done for the poor +orphans--given them a home, food and clothing; that sometimes they went +into the interior and found the blind children who might be useless to +their parents, and when they get them they have to support them. I +know several cases like that. These country people offer their deformed +children to the missionaries, as they are too poor to feed and take care +of them. I told her about their schools, and how they helped the poor +people. Her Majesty then laughed, and said: "Of course I believe what +you say, but why don't these missionaries stay in their own country and +be useful to their own people?" I thought it would be of no use for me +to talk too much, but at the same time I would like her to know of the +dreadful times some of the missionaries had in China. Some time ago, +two of them were murdered at Wu Shuih, in June, 1892 (a little below +Hankow), the church being burnt down by the mob. My father was appointed +by Viceroy Chang Chih Tung to investigate the matter. After much trouble +he caught three of the murderers and, according to the Chinese law, they +were put to death by hanging in wooden cages, and the Government paid an +indemnity to the families of the murdered missionaries. The year after, +1893, a Catholic church was burnt down at Mar Cheng, on the Yangtse, +near Ichang. The mob said they saw many blind children at the church, +who were made to work after having their eyes gouged out. The Prefect of +Ichang Province said it was true that missionaries did get the Chinese +childrens' eyes for making medicine, so my father suggested having those +blind children brought into the Yamen and ask them. The Prefect was +a most wicked man, and was very anti-foreign also. He gave the poor +children plenty of food, and taught them to say that the missionaries +did gouge their eyes out, but when they were brought in the next day +they said that the missionaries treated them very kindly and gave them a +nice home, good food and clothing. They said they were blind long before +they became Catholics, and also said that the Prefect had taught them +to say that the missionaries were cruel to them, which was not true. The +blind children begged to go back to the school and said that they were +very happy there. + +Her Majesty said: "That may be all right for them to help the poor and +relieve their suffering. For instance, like our great Buddha Ju Lai, who +fed the hungry birds with his own flesh. I would love them if they would +leave my people alone. Let us believe our own religion. Do you know how +the Boxer rising began? Why, the Chinese Christians were to blame. The +Boxers were treated badly by them, and wanted revenge. Of course that is +always the trouble with the low class of people. They went too far, +and at the same time thought to make themselves rich by setting fire to +every house in Peking. It made no difference whose house. They wanted to +burn so long as they could get money. These Chinese Christians are the +worst people in China. They rob the poor country people of their land +and property, and the missionaries, of course, always protect them, in +order to get a share themselves. Whenever a Chinese Christian is taken +to the Magistrate's Yamen, he is not supposed to kneel down on the +ground and obey the Chinese law, as others do, and is always very rude +to his own Government Officials. Then these missionaries do the best +they can to protect him, whether he is wrong or not, and believe +everything he says and make the magistrate set the prisoner free. Do you +remember that your father established rules in the twenty-fourth year of +Kwang Hsu, how the Chinese officials should treat the Bishops whenever +they had dealings with each other? I know the common class of people +become Christians--also those who are in trouble--but I don't believe +that any of the high officials are Christians." Her Majesty looked +around and whispered: "Kang Yue Wai (the reformer in 1898) tried to make +the Emperor believe that religion. No one shall believe as long as +I live. I must say that I admire the foreigners in some ways. For +instance, their navies and armies, and engineers, but as regards +civilization I should say that China is the first country by all means. +I know that many people believe that the Government had connections with +the Boxers, but that is not true. As soon as we found out the trouble we +issued several Edicts, and ordered the soldiers to drive them out, but +they had gone too far already. I made up my mind not to go out of the +Palace at all. I am an old woman, and did not care whether I died or +not, but Prince Tuang and Duke Lan suggested that we should go at once. +They also suggested that we should go in disguise, which made me very +angry, and I refused. After the return of the Court to Peking, I was +told that many people believed that I did go in disguise, and said that +I was dressed in one of my servant's clothes, and rode in a broken cart +drawn by a mule, and that this old woman servant of mine was dressed as +the Empress Dowager, and rode in my sedan chair. I wonder who made that +story up? Of course everyone believed it, and such a story would get to +the foreigners in Peking without any trouble. + +"Now to come back to the question of the Boxer Rising. How badly I was +treated by my own servants. No one seemed anxious to go with me, and a +great many ran away before the Court had any idea of leaving the Capital +at all, and those who stayed would not work, but stood around and waited +to see what was going to happen. I made up my mind to ask and see how +many would be willing to go, so I said to everyone: 'If you servants are +willing to go with me, you can do so, and those who are not willing, can +leave me.' I was very much surprised to find that there were very +few standing around listening. Only seventeen eunuchs, two old women +servants and one servant girl, that was Sho Chu. Those people said they +would go with me, no matter what happened. I had 3,000 eunuchs, but they +were nearly all gone before I had the chance of counting them. Some of +the wicked ones were even rude to me, and threw my valuable vases on the +stone floor, and smashed them. They knew that I could not punish them at +that important moment, for we were leaving. I cried very much and prayed +for our Great Ancestors' Souls to protect us. Everyone knelt with me and +prayed. The Young Empress was the only one of my family who went with +me. A certain relative of mine, whom I was very fond of, and gave her +everything she asked, refused to go with me. I knew that the reason she +would not go was because she thought the foreign soldiers would catch up +the runaway Court, and kill everyone. + +"After we had been gone about seven days, I sent one eunuch back, to +find out who was still in Peking. She asked this eunuch whether there +were any foreign soldiers chasing us, and whether I was killed. Soon +after the Japanese soldiers took her Palace, and drove her out. She +thought she was going to die anyway, and as I was not yet assassinated, +she might catch up with the Court, and go with us. I could not +understand how she traveled so fast. One evening we were staying at a +little country house, when she came in with her husband, a nice man. She +was telling me how much she had missed me, and how very anxious she +had been all that time to know whether I was safe or not, and cried. I +refused to listen to what she was saying and told her plainly that I did +not believe a word. From that time she was finished for me. I had a very +hard time, traveling in a sedan chair, from early morning, before the +sun rose, until dark and in the evening had to stop at some country +place. I am sure you would pity me, old as I am, that I should have had +to suffer in that way. + +"The Emperor went all the way in a cart, drawn by a mule, also the +Empress. I went along, and was praying to our Great Ancestors for +protection, but the Emperor was very quiet, and never opened his mouth. +One day something happened. It rained so much and some of the chair +carriers ran away. Some of the mules died suddenly. It was very hot, +and the rain was pouring down on our heads. Five small eunuchs ran away +also, because we were obliged to punish them the night before on account +of their bad behavior to the Magistrate, who did all he could to make +me comfortable, but of course food was scarce. I heard these eunuchs +quarreling with the Magistrate, who bowed to the ground, begging them +to keep quiet, and promised them everything. I was of course very angry. +Traveling under such circumstances one ought to be satisfied that one +was provided for. + +"It took us more than a month before we reached Shi An. I cannot tell +you how fatigued I was, and was of course worrying very much, which made +me quite ill for almost three months. So long as I live I cannot forget +it. + +"We returned to Peking early in the twenty-eighth year of Kwang Hsu and +I had another dreadful feeling when I saw my own Palace again. Oh! it +was quite changed; a great many valuable ornaments broken or stolen. All +the valuable things at the Sea Palace had been taken away, and someone +had broken the fingers of my white jade Buddha, to whom I used to +worship every day. Several foreigners sat on my throne and had their +photos taken. When I was at the Shi An I was just like being sent +into exile, although the Viceroy's Yamen was prepared for us, but the +building was very old, damp and unhealthy. The Emperor became ill. It +would take a long time to tell you everything; I thought I had enough +trouble, but this last was the worst. When I have time, I will tell you +more about it. I want you to know the absolute truth. + +"Now let us come back to the question of Mrs. Conger's private audience. +There must be something special, but I hope that she will not ask for +anything, for I hate to refuse her. Can you guess what it is?" I told +Her Majesty that there could not be anything special; besides, Mrs. +Conger considered herself to be a person who knew Chinese etiquette +very well, and I didn't believe she would ask for anything at all. Her +Majesty said: "The only objection I have is that Mrs. Conger always +brings one of the missionaries as her interpreter, when I have your +mother, your sister and yourself, which I think should be sufficient. I +don't think it is right for her to do that; besides, I cannot understand +their Chinese very well. I like to see the ladies of the Diplomatic +body sometimes, but not the missionaries. I will stop that when the +opportunity comes." + +The next morning Prince Ching told Her Majesty that the American +Admiral, and Mrs. Evans, and suite wished to be presented to her. The +American Minister asked two private audiences. He said he had made +a mistake by telling her that Mrs. Conger had asked an audience for +herself, the day before. + +After the regular morning audience was over Her Majesty laughed and +said: "Didn't I tell you yesterday that there must be a reason for +asking an audience? I rather would like to meet the American Admiral +and his wife." Turning to us she said: "Be sure and fix everything up +pretty, change everything in my bedroom, so as not to show them our +daily life." We all said "Jur" (yes), but we knew it was going to be a +hard task to turn the Palace upside down. + +It was just the night before the appointed audience. We started to work +taking off the pink silk curtains from every window, and changing them +for sky blue (the color she hated); then we changed the cushions on the +chairs to the same color. While we were watching the eunuchs doing the +work, several of them came into the room, carrying a large tray full of +clocks. By this time her Majesty had come into the room, and ordered us +to remove all her white and green jade Buddhas and take some of the jade +ornaments away, for those things were sacred, and no foreigners should +see them, so we replaced them with these clocks, instead. We also took +away the three embroidered door curtains, and changed them for ordinary +blue satin ones. I must explain that these three curtains were sacred, +too. They were embroidered to represent five hundred Buddhist deities, +on old gold satin, and had been used by Emperor Tou Kwang. Her Majesty +believed that by hanging these curtains at her door they would guard +against evil spirits entering her room. The order was that one of us +should remember to place them back again when the audience was over. We +fixed every piece of furniture in her bedroom. Her toilet table was the +most important thing. She would not let anyone see it-not even the wives +of the Officials who came in, so of course we had to put it in a safe +place, and lock it up. We changed her bed from pink color into blue. +All her furniture was made of sandalwood, also carvings on her bed. This +sandalwood, before it was made into furniture, was placed in different +temples, to be sanctified, so of course no foreigner could see it. As +we could not take this carving from her bed, we covered it up with +embroidered hangings. While we were working Her Majesty came in and told +us not to hurry in her bedroom, because the audience the next day would +only be for Admiral Robley Evans and his staff, and they would not visit +the private rooms. The audience for Mrs. Evans and the other ladies +would be the day after. She said it was important to see that the +Audience Hall was fixed up properly. She said: "Place the only carpet +we have here in the hall. I don't like carpets anyway, but it cannot be +helped." + +After we had finished, Her Majesty started to tell us what to wear for +the ladies' audience. She said to me: "You need not come to the throne +to-morrow, there will only be gentlemen. I will get one of the Ministers +from Wai-Wu-Pu (Bureau of Foreign Affairs). I don't want you to talk to +so many strange men. It is not the Manchu custom. These people are all +strangers. They might go back to America and tell everybody what you +look like." At the same time Her Majesty gave orders for the Imperial +Yellow Gown to be brought in next day, for the gentleman's audience. She +said that she must dress in her official robe for this occasion. This +robe was made of yellow satin, embroidered with gold dragons. She wore a +necklace composed of one hundred and eight pearls, which formed part of +this official dress. She said: "I don't like to wear this official robe. +It is not pretty, but I am afraid I will have to." She said to all of +us: "You need not dress especially." + +The next morning Her Majesty got up early, and was busier than ever. +It seemed to me that whenever we had an audience we always had so much +trouble. Something was sure to go wrong and make Her Majesty angry. She +said: "I want to look nice, and be amiable, but these people always make +me angry. I know the American Admiral will go home and tell his people +about me, and I don't want him to have a wrong impression." It took her +almost two hours to dress her hair, and by that time it was too late +for her usual morning audience, so she proposed holding that after the +foreigners had gone away. She looked at herself in the looking-glass, +with her Imperial robe on, and told me that she did not like it, and +asked me whether I thought the foreigners would know that it was an +official robe. "I look too ugly in yellow. It makes my face look the +same color as my robe," she said. I suggested that as it was only a +private audience, if she wished to dress differently, it would not +matter at all. She seemed delighted, and I was afraid lest I had not +made a proper suggestion, but anyway I was too busy to worry. Her +Majesty ordered that her different gowns should be brought in, and +after looking them over she selected one embroidered all over with the +character "Shou" (long life), covered with precious stones and pearls, +on pale green satin. She tried it on, and said that it was becoming to +her, so she ordered me to go to the jewel-room and get flowers to match +for her hair. On one side of the headdress was the character (shou) +and on the other side was a bat (the bat in China is considered to be +lucky). Of course her shoes, handkerchiefs and everything else were +embroidered in the same way. After she was dressed, she smiled and said: +"I look all right now. We had better go to the audience hall and wait +for them, and at the same time we can play a game of dice." Then to us +all she said: "All of you will stay at the back of the screen during +the audience. You can see all right, but I don't wish that you should +be seen." The eunuchs had laid the map down on the table and were just +going to commence playing dice, when one of the high rank eunuchs came +into the Hall and, kneeling down, said that the American Admiral had +arrived at the Palace Gate, together with the American Minister--ten or +twelve people altogether. Her Majesty smiled and said to me: "I thought +it was just going to be the American Minister and the Admiral, and one +or two of his staff. Who can the rest of the people be? However, never +mind, I will receive them anyway." We helped her to mount her throne +upon the dais, fixed her clothes, and handed her the paper containing +the speech she was to give. Then we went back of the screen, with the +Young Empress. It was so very quiet, not a sound anywhere, that we could +hear the boots of the visitors as they walked over the stones in the +courtyard. We were peeping from behind the screen, and could see several +of the Princes mounting the steps, conducting these people to the Hall. +The Admiral and the American Minister came in, and stood in a line. They +bowed three times to the Empress Dowager. The Emperor was also on his +throne, sitting at her left hand. His throne was very small, just +like an ordinary chair. Her Majesty's speech was simply to welcome the +Admiral to China. They then came up to the dais and shook hands with +their Majesties, ascending on one side, and retiring down the other. +Prince Ching took them into another Palace building, where they had +lunch, and the audience was over. It was very simple and formal. + +After the audience was over Her Majesty said that she could hear us +laughing behind the screen, and that maybe the people would talk about +it, and did not like it at all. I told her that it was not myself who +laughed. She said: "The next time when I have men in audience you need +not come into the Audience Hall at all. Of course it is different when I +have my own people at the morning audiences." + +Her Majesty did not go to her bedroom that afternoon. She said she +wanted to wait until these people had gone and hear what they had to +say. After a couple of hours Prince Ching came in and reported that they +had lunched, and that they were very pleased to have seen Her Majesty, +and had gone away. I must here explain that the Admiral had entered by +the left gate of the Palace. The middle gate was only used for Their +Majesties, with one exception, viz.: in the case of anyone presenting +credentials. Then they entered by the center gate. The Admiral left by +the same gate he had entered. Her Majesty asked Prince Ching whether +he had showed them around the Palace buildings or not (this was in +the Summer Palace), and what they had thought about it. Did they say +anything, and were they pleased or not. She said to Prince Ching: "You +can go now, and make the necessary preparations for the ladies' audience +next day." That same evening Her Majesty said to us: "You must all dress +alike to-morrow, and wear your prettiest clothes. These foreign ladies +who are coming to the Palace may never see us again, and if we don't +show them what we have now, we will not have another opportunity." She +ordered us all, including the Young Empress, to wear pale blue, also the +Secondary wife of the Emperor. She said to me: "If the ladies ask who +the Secondary wife is, you can tell them; but if they don't ask, I don't +want you to introduce her to them at all. I have to be very careful. +These people at the Palace here are not used to seeing so many people +and they might not have nice manners, and the foreigners will laugh at +them." Then she said to us again: "I always give presents when ladies +come to the Court, but don't know whether I will give this time or not, +for at the last audience I did not give anything at all." Addressing me, +she said: "You can prepare some pieces of jade, in case I need them. Put +them in a nice box and have them all ready. Don't bring them to me until +I ask for them." She said: "We have talked enough now, and you can all +go to rest." We courtesied good night. I was only too glad to go to my +own room. + +The next morning everything went on very nicely and there was no trouble +at all. Her Majesty was well satisfied, for we had all taken great care +in fixing ourselves up. She said to me: "You never put enough paint on +your face. People might take you for a widow. You will have to paint +your lips, as that is the custom. I don't need you yet, so go back and +put some more paint on." So I went back to my room and painted myself +just like the rest of them, but I could not help laughing at seeing +myself so changed. By the time I got to her room again, she said: "Now +you look all right. If you think that powder is expensive, I will buy +some for you." She said that with a laugh, for she always liked to tease +me. + +By the time Her Majesty had finished her toilet, one of the ladies +brought a number of gowns for her to select one from. She said she would +wear pale blue that day. She looked over twenty or thirty gowns, but +found nothing which suited her, so she gave orders for some more to be +brought in. Finally she chose a blue gown embroidered with one hundred +butterflies, and wore a purple sleeveless jacket, which was also +embroidered with butterflies. At the bottom of this gown were pearl +tassels. She wore her largest pearls, one of which was almost as large +as an egg, and was her favorite jewel. She only wore this on special +occasions. She wore two jade butterflies on each side of her headdress. +Her bracelets and rings were also all designed in butterflies, in fact +everything matched. Among her beautiful jewels, she always wore some +kind of fresh flowers. White jessamine was her favorite flower. The +Young Empress and the Court ladies were not allowed to wear fresh +flowers at all unless given to them by Her Majesty as a special favor. +We could wear pearls and jade, etc., but she said that the fresh flowers +were for her, her idea being that we were too young, and might spoil +fresh flowers if we wore them. After she was dressed we went into the +Audience Hall. She ordered her cards to be brought in as she wanted to +play solitaire. She talked all the time she was playing, and said that +we must all be very nice and polite to the American ladies, and +show them everywhere. She said: "It doesn't matter now, for we have +everything changed." She said: "I want to laugh myself. What is the use +of changing everything? They will imagine we are always like this. By +and bye, if they question you about anything, just tell them that it +is not so, and that we change everything at each audience, just to give +them a bit of surprise. You must tell it some day, otherwise no one will +know it at all, and the trouble would not be worth the while." It was a +private audience for ladies, and Her Majesty did not use the big throne, +but was sitting on her little throne at the left side of the Audience +Hall, where she received her own Ministers every morning; the Emperor +was standing. A eunuch came in, the same as the day before, and +announced that the ladies had arrived at the Palace Gate, nine in all. +Her Majesty sent some of the Court ladies to meet them in the courtyard, +and bring them to the Audience Hall, which they did. I was standing at +the right side of Her Majesty's chair, and could see them mounting +the steps. Her Majesty whispered to me, and asked: "Which one is Mrs. +Evans?" As I had never seen the lady, I answered that I could not +tell, but when they got nearer I saw a lady walking with the American +Minister's wife, and concluded that she must be Mrs. Evans, and told Her +Majesty. As they got nearer, Her Majesty said: "Again that missionary +lady with Mrs. Conger. I think she must like to see me. She comes every +time. I will tell her I am very glad to see her always, and see if she +understands what I mean." + +Mrs. Conger shook hands with Her Majesty and presented Mrs. Evans and +also the wives of the American officers. I was watching Her Majesty and +saw that she was very nice and amiable, with such a pleasant smile--so +different from her everyday manner. She told them she was delighted to +see them. Her Majesty ordered the eunuchs to have chairs brought in +for the ladies, and at the same time other eunuchs brought in tea. Her +Majesty asked Mrs. Evans whether she liked China; what she thought of +Peking; how long she had been there; how long she was going to stay, and +where she was staying. I was so accustomed to Her Majesty's questions +that I knew exactly what she would ask. Mrs. Conger told her interpreter +to tell Her Majesty that she had not seen her for such a long time, and +enquired about Her Majesty's health. Her Majesty said to me: "You tell +Mrs. Conger that I am in good health and that I am delighted to see her. +It is a pity that I cannot hold an audience more frequently, otherwise +I could see more of her." She continued: "The Imperial Princess (her +adopted daughter-daughter of Prince Kung) will accompany them to lunch." +This ended the audience. + +Lunch was served at the back of her own Palace building (Yang Yuen +Hsuen--the place where the clouds gather to rest). This room was +specially furnished as a banqueting room where refreshments could be +served. All the Court ladies went to the lunch, except Her Majesty, the +Young Empress and the Secondary wife. It had taken me two hours to fix +the table for the luncheon. Her Majesty ordered that a white foreign +tablecloth should be used, as it looked cleaner. The eunuch gardeners +had decorated the table with fresh flowers, and Her Majesty gave +instructions as to how the seats were to be placed. She said: "Mrs. +Evans is the guest of honor. Although Mrs. Conger is the wife of the +American Minister, she is more of a resident, so Mrs. Evans must have +the principal seat." She also told me to arrange to seat everybody +according to their respective ranks. The Imperial Princess and Princess +Shun (Her Majesty's niece, sister of the Young Empress) were hostesses, +and were to sit opposite each other. We placed golden menu holders and +little gold plates for almonds and watermelon seeds; the rest all silver +ware, including chopsticks. Her Majesty ordered that foreign knives and +forks should be provided also. The food was served in Manchu style, and +was composed of twenty-four courses, besides sweetmeats--candies and +fruits. Her Majesty instructed us that only the best champagne was to be +served. She said: "I know that foreign ladies love to drink." + +I think I was the only one who was really happy to meet these ladies, +more so than the rest of the Court ladies, the reason being that Her +Majesty lectured them too severely, telling them how to behave, so that +they had grown to hate the very mention of a foreign audience. While we +were eating, a eunuch came in and told me that Her Majesty was waiting +at her private Palace, and that I should bring these ladies there after +the lunch was over. So when we had finished we entered her own Palace +and found her waiting there for us. She got up and told me to ask Mrs. +Evans whether she had had anything to eat--that the food was not very +good. (This is a custom with the Chinese when entertaining, always to +underrate the food.) She said that she would like to show Mrs. Evans +her private apartments, so that she could form some idea of the way we +lived, so she took Mrs. Evans to one of her bedrooms. She invited Mrs. +Evans and Mrs. Conger to sit down, and the eunuchs brought in tea, as +usual. Her Majesty asked Mrs. Evans to stay a little while in Peking, +and to visit the different temples. She said: "Our country, although +very old, has not such fine buildings as there are in America. I +suppose you will find everything very strange. I am rather too old now, +otherwise I would like to travel around the world. I have read much +about different countries, but of course there is nothing like visiting +the different places and seeing them yourself. However, one cannot tell. +I may be able to go after all, by and bye, but I am afraid to leave +my own country. By the time I returned I should not know the place any +more, I'm afraid. Here everything seems to depend on me. Our Emperor is +quite young." + +She then turned and ordered us to take these ladies to visit the +different buildings of the Palace, also the famous temple of the King +of Dragons. This is on a little island in the center of the lake of +the Summer Palace. Mrs. Conger said that she had something to ask Her +Majesty, and told the Missionary lady to proceed. While Mrs. Conger was +speaking to this lady Her Majesty became rather impatient as she wanted +to know what they were talking about, so she asked me. It was very hard +for me to listen to both of the ladies and to Her Majesty at the same +time. The only words I heard were: "The portrait," so I guessed the +rest. Before I had a chance to tell Her Majesty this Missionary lady +said: "Mrs. Conger has come with the special object of asking permission +to have Her Majesty's portrait painted by an American lady artist, Miss +Carl, as she is desirous of sending it to the St. Louis Exhibition, in +order that the American people may form some idea of what a beautiful +lady the Empress Dowager of China is." Miss Carl is the sister of Mr. F. +Carl who was for so many years Commissioner of Customs in Chefoo. + +Her Majesty looked surprised, for she had been listening very carefully +whilst this lady was talking. She did not like to say that she did +not quite understand, so she turned to me, as had been previously +arranged,--a sign for me to interpret. I did not, however, do so +immediately, so Mrs. Conger told her missionary friend to repeat the +request in case Her Majesty had not quite understood it. Her Majesty +then said to me: "I cannot quite understand what this lady says. I think +perhaps you can tell me better." So I explained everything, but I knew +that Her Majesty did not know what a portrait was like, as, up to that +time she had never even had a photograph taken of herself. + +I must here explain that in China a portrait is only painted after +death, in memorium of the deceased, in order that the following +generations may worship the deceased. I noticed that Her Majesty was +somewhat shocked when the request was made known to her. I did not want +Her Majesty to appear ignorant before these foreign ladies, so I pulled +her sleeve and told her that I would explain everything to her later. +She replied: "Explain a little to me now." This was spoken in the +Court language, which the visitors were unable to understand, it being +somewhat different from the ordinary Chinese language. This enabled +Her Majesty to form some idea of the conversation, so she thanked Mrs. +Conger for her kind thought, and promised to give her answer later. She +said to me: "Tell Mrs. Conger that I cannot decide anything alone, as +she is probably aware that I have to consult with my Ministers before +deciding anything of an important character. Tell her that I have to +be very careful not to do anything which would give my people an +opportunity to criticize my actions. I have to adhere to the rules +and customs of my ancestors." I noticed that Her Majesty did not seem +inclined to discuss the subject further at the moment. + +Just then the head eunuch came in and, kneeling down, informed Her +Majesty that the boats for the ladies were ready to take them across the +lake, to see the temple. This action on the part of the eunuch was owing +to his having received a signal from one of the Court ladies, which +implied that Her Majesty was getting tired of the conversation, and +wished to change the subject. I must explain that on every occasion when +a foreign audience was taking place, one of the Court ladies was +always told off to watch Her Majesty, and whenever she appeared to be +displeased or tired of any particular subject under discussion, she, the +Court lady, would give the signal to the head eunuch, who would break in +upon the conversation in the above manner, and thus save the situation +from becoming embarrassing. So Her Majesty said good-bye to the ladies, +as she thought it would be too late for them to have to return to say +good-bye, besides which it would give them more time to see the various +sights. + +The ladies then proceeded to the island in the Empress Dowager's +pleasure boat known as the Imperial barge, previously described, and +visited the temple. This temple is built on top of a small rock, in the +center of which is a natural cave, and it was generally supposed that +no human being had ever been inside of this cave. The Empress Dowager +believed the popular superstition that this hole was the home of the +King of Dragons--from which the temple derives its name. + + + +CHAPTER THIRTEEN--THE EMPRESS'S PORTRAIT + +AFTER staying a little while at the temple, we returned to the Palace, +and the ladies said goodbye and took chairs to the Palace gate, where +their own chairs were waiting for them. I then went to report to Her +Majesty in the usual way what had been said by the visitors; whether +they had expressed themselves as being pleased with the reception they +had received. Her Majesty said: "I like Mrs. Evans. I think she is a +very good woman. It seems to me that her manners are quite different +from those of the other American ladies whom I have met. I like to meet +people who are polite." Then, referring to the subject of the portrait +Her Majesty said: "I wonder why Mrs. Conger has this idea. Now please +explain to me what painting a portrait really is." When I explained that +it would be necessary for her to sit for several hours each day she was +excited, and afraid she would never have the patience to see it through. +She asked me what she must do during the sitting, so I explained that +she would simply have to pose for the portrait, sitting in one position +all the time She said: "I shall be an old woman by the time the portrait +is finished." I told her that I had had my own portrait painted during +my stay in Paris, by the same artist Mrs. Conger had proposed should +paint her own portrait (Miss Carl). She immediately told me to fetch +the portrait of myself so that she could examine it and see what it was +like, so I gave the order right away to a eunuch who was standing by to +go to my house and bring it. Her Majesty said: "I do not understand +why I must sit for the portrait Couldn't someone else do it for me." +I explained to her that as it was her own portrait, and not that of +somebody else, they wished to paint, it would be necessary for her to +sit herself. She then enquired whether it would be necessary for her to +wear the same dress at each sitting, also the same jewels and ornaments. +I replied that it would be necessary to do so on each occasion. Her +Majesty then explained that in China it was only necessary for an artist +to see his subject once, after which he could start right away and +finish the portrait in a very short time, and thought that a really +first-class foreign artist should be able to do the same. Of course I +explained the difference between foreign portrait painting and Chinese, +and told her that when she had seen it she would see the difference and +understand the reason for so many sittings. She said: "I wonder what +kind of a person this lady artist is. Does she speak Chinese?" I said +that I knew Miss Carl very well, and that she was a very nice lady, but +that she didn't speak Chinese. She said: "If her brother has been in the +Customs service for so long, how is it that she doesn't speak Chinese +also?" I told her that Miss Carl had been away from China for a long +time; that in fact she had only been in China for a very short time +altogether, most of her work being in Europe and America. Her Majesty +said: "I am glad she doesn't understand Chinese. The only objection +about this portrait painting is that I have to have a foreigner at the +Palace all the time. With my own people gossiping they might tell her +things which I don't want anyone to know." I told her that would be +impossible as Miss Carl did not understand Chinese at all, neither did +any of the people at Court understand English, with the exception of +ourselves (my mother, sister and myself). Her Majesty answered: "You +must not rely too much on that, as after spending a short time at the +Court they will soon learn to understand each other." Continuing, +she said: "By the way, how long will it take before this portrait is +finished?" I told her that it depended entirely upon how often she sat, +and how long each time. I didn't like to tell her exactly how long it +would take, as I was afraid she might consider it too much bother, so +I said that when the artist arrived I would tell her to get along and +finish the portrait as quickly as possible. + +Her Majesty said: "I don't see how I can very well refuse Mrs. Conger's +request. Of course I told her, as you know, that I would have to consult +with my Ministers, just to give me time to think the matter over. If +you know all about this artist lady, and think she is quite all right to +come here to the Palace, of course she may come, and I will tell Prince +Ching to reply to Mrs. Conger to that effect. First of all we must talk +over what we are going to do, for to have a foreign lady staying in the +Palace is out of the question altogether. As a rule I always spend the +summer at my Summer Palace, and it is so far from the city that I +don't think she will be able to go to and from the Palace every day, on +account of the distance. Now, where can we put her? Someone will have +to watch her all the time. This is such a difficult matter that I hardly +know what to decide upon. How would you like to look after her? Do you +think you could manage it in such a way that no one at the Palace will +have a chance to talk with her during the daytime, but who is going to +stay and watch her during the night?" Her Majesty walked up and down the +room thinking it over for quite a while. Finally she smiled and said: "I +have it. We can treat her as a prisoner without her knowing it, but it +will all depend on your mother, your sister and yourself to act for me +in this matter. Each of you will have to play your part very carefully, +and I mine also. I will give orders to have the Palace Garden of Prince +Chung (the Emperor Kwang Hsu's father) fixed up for Miss Carl during her +stay here." + +This Palace garden is quite close to Her Majesty's own Palace, about ten +minutes' drive. It is not in the Palace ground, but is quite a separate +Palace outside the Summer Palace. + +Continuing, Her Majesty said: "Now, you will have to come with her every +morning and return to stay with her every night. I think this is the +safest way out of the difficulty, but be careful with regard to all +correspondence which she may either receive or send away. The only thing +about it is that it will give you a lot of extra work, but you know +how particular I am over things of this kind, and it will save a lot +of trouble in the end. There is another thing you will have to be very +careful about, and that is to watch that Miss Carl has no chance to talk +with the Emperor. The reason why I say this is because, as you know, +the Emperor is of a shy disposition, and might say something which would +offend her. I will appoint four extra eunuchs to be in attendance during +the sittings for the portrait, so that they will be on hand in case +anything is wanted." Her Majesty then said: "I noticed that Mrs. Conger +was watching you when you pulled my sleeve. I wonder what she thought +of it. You needn't care, anyway. Let her think anything she likes. I +understood what you meant if Mrs. Conger didn't, and that is all that +is necessary." I told her that perhaps Mrs. Conger thought I wanted to +advise her to refuse this request, but Her Majesty said: "What does that +matter? If it hadn't been that you know the artist yourself I would not +have consented in any case. It is not the painting of the portrait that +I mind, but it might give rise to serious results." + +The next morning I received a letter from Mrs. Conger begging me not to +prejudice Her Majesty against Miss Carl in any way. I translated this to +Her Majesty, and it made her furious. She said: "No one has any right +to write to you in such a way. How dare she suggest that you would say +anything against Miss Carl? Didn't I tell you she was watching you when +you pulled my sleeve? When you reply to that letter tell her whatever +you like, but answer in the same way she writes herself, or, better +still, you write and inform her that it is not customary for any Court +lady to try and influence Her Majesty in this country, and that in +addition, you are not so mean as to say anything against anybody. If you +don't like to say that, just say that as Miss Carl is a personal friend +of yours you certainly would never think of saying anything against +her." + +I therefore replied to Mrs. Conger's letter in the ordinary way, making +it as formal as possible. + +Her Majesty then talked of nothing but the portrait during the whole of +that afternoon. By and bye she said: "I hope that Mrs. Conger will not +send a missionary lady with Miss Carl to keep her company during her +stay at the Palace. If she does I will certainly refuse to sit." The next +morning the eunuch arrived with my portrait, and everyone at the Court +had a good look at it before I took it to show to Her Majesty. Some of +them were of the opinion that it was very much like me, while the others +thought the painting a very poor one. When I informed Her Majesty of the +arrival of the portrait she ordered that it should be brought into her +bedroom immediately. She scrutinized it very carefully for a while, even +touching the painting in her curiosity. Finally she burst out laughing +and said: "What a funny painting this is, it looks as though it had been +painted with oil." (Of course it was an oil painting.) "Such rough work +I never saw in all my life. The picture itself is marvellously like you, +and I do not hesitate to say that none of our Chinese painters could get +the expression which appears on this picture. What a funny dress you +are wearing in this picture. Why are your arms and neck all bare? I have +heard that foreign ladies wear their dresses without sleeves and without +collars, but I had no idea that it was so bad and ugly as the dress you +are wearing here. I cannot imagine how you could do it. I should have +thought you would have been ashamed to expose yourself in that manner. +Don't wear any more such dresses, please. It has quite shocked me. What +a funny kind of civilization this is to be sure. Is this dress only worn +on certain occasions, or is it worn any time, even when gentlemen are +present?" I explained to her that it was the usual evening dress for +ladies and was worn at dinners, balls, receptions, etc. Her Majesty +laughed and exclaimed: "This is getting worse and worse. Everything +seems to go backwards in foreign countries. Here we don't even expose +our wrists when in the company of gentlemen, but foreigners seem to +have quite different ideas on the subject. The Emperor is always talking +about reform, but if this is a sample we had much better remain as we +are. Tell me, have you yet changed your opinion with regard to foreign +customs? Don't you think that our own customs are much nicer?" Of course +I was obliged to say "yes" seeing that she herself was so prejudiced. +She again examined the portrait and said: "Why is it that one side +of your face is painted white and the other black? This is not +natural--your face is not black. Half of your neck is painted black, +too. How is it?" I explained that it was simply the shading and was +painted exactly as the artist saw me from the position in which she was +sitting. Her Majesty then enquired: "Do you think that this Artist lady +will paint my picture to look black also? It is going to America, and +I don't want the people over there to imagine that half of my face is +white and half black." I didn't like to tell her the truth, that her +portrait would in all probability be painted the same as mine, so I +promised Her Majesty that I would tell the artist exactly how she wished +to be painted. She then asked me if I knew when the artist proposed +commencing the portrait. I told her that the artist was still in +Shanghai, but that Mrs. Conger had already written to her to come up to +Peking, to make the necessary preparations. One week later I received a +letter from Miss Carl informing me that she proposed coming up to Peking +at once, and that she would be delighted if Her Majesty would allow +her to paint this portrait. I translated the letter to Her Majesty, who +said: "I am very glad that you know this lady personally. It will make +it much easier for me. You know there may be some things which I may +want to tell Miss Carl, but which I don't want Mrs. Conger to know. I +mean that there might be certain things which I shall have to say to +Miss Carl, which, if Mrs. Conger heard of them, would give her the +impression that I was very difficult to please. You understand what I +mean. As this lady is a friend of yours, you will of course be able to +tell her things in such a manner as not to offend her, and I may tell +you again that if it were not that she is a personal friend of your +own I would not have her here at all, as it is quite contrary to our +custom." + +On the third day of the second-fifth moon Prince Ching informed Her +Majesty that the artist had arrived at Peking and was staying with Mrs. +Conger and wished to know Her Majesty's pleasure in regard to commencing +the portrait. Now I must explain that the Chinese year varies as to the +number of moons it contains. For example, one year contains the ordinary +twelve months or moons. The following year may contain thirteen moons. +Then the two years following that may contain twelve moons only, and +thirteen moons the next year, and so on. At the time of the proposed +visit of the artist the Chinese year contained thirteen moons, there +being two fifth moons in that year. When Prince Ching asked Her Majesty +to name the day on which Miss Carl should commence her work, she +replied: "I will give her my answer to-morrow. I must first consult my +book, as I don't want to start this portrait on an unlucky day." So the +next day, after her usual morning audience Her Majesty consulted this +book for quite a time. Finally she said to me: "According to my book the +next lucky day will not occur for another ten days or so," and handed me +the book to look myself. Eventually she picked out the twentieth day of +the second-fifth moon as the most lucky day for beginning the work. Next +she had to consult the book again in order to fix on the exact hour, +finally fixing on 7 o'clock in the evening. I was very much worried when +she told me that, as by that time it would be quite dark, so I explained +to Her Majesty as nicely as I could that it would be impossible for Miss +Carl to work at that hour of the day. Her Majesty replied: "Well, we +have electric lights here. Surely that would be sufficient light for +her." Then I had to explain that it would not be possible to get such +good results by means of artificial light as if it were painted during +the daytime. You see I was anxious to get her to change the hour, as +I was sure that Miss Carl would refuse to paint by means of electric +light. Her Majesty replied: "What a bother. I can paint pictures myself +in any kind of light, and she ought to be able to do the same." After +much discussion it was finally settled that 10 o'clock on the morning of +the twentieth day of the second-fifth moon should be the time for Miss +Carl to commence to paint this portrait, and I can assure you that I +felt very much relieved when it was all settled. When the eunuch brought +in my portrait, he also brought in several photographs which I had had +taken during my stay in Paris, but I decided not to show them to Her +Majesty in case she should decide to have a photograph taken instead of +having this portrait painted, as it would be much quicker and save her +the trouble of sitting each day. However, as Her Majesty was passing on +the veranda in front of my bedroom the next morning she stepped into +the room just to have a look around and, as she put it, to see whether +I kept everything clean, and in good order. This was the first time +she had visited me in my own room, and I was naturally very much +embarrassed, as she very rarely visited the rooms of her Court ladies. I +could not keep her standing, and I could not ask her to sit down in +any of my own chairs, as it is the Chinese custom that the Emperor and +Empress should only sit down in their own special chairs, which are +usually carried by an attendant wherever they go. I therefore was on the +point of giving an order for her own stool to be brought in, when Her +Majesty stopped me and said that she would sit on one of the chairs in +the room, and so bring me good luck. So she sat down in an easy chair. +A eunuch brought in her tea, which I handed to her myself instead of +letting the eunuch wait upon her. This of course was Court etiquette, +and was also a sign of respect + +After she had finished her tea, she got up and went around the room, +examining everything, opening up all my bureau drawers and boxes in +order to see whether I kept my things in proper order. Happening to +glance into one corner of the room she exclaimed: "What are those +pictures on the table over there," and walked across to examine them. As +soon as she picked them up, she exclaimed in much surprise: "Why, they +are all photographs of yourself, and are very much better than the +picture you had painted. They are more like you. Why didn't you show +them to me before?" I hardly knew what to answer, and when she saw that +I was very much embarrassed by her question, she immediately started +talking about something else. She often acted in this manner when she +saw that any of us were not quite prepared for any of her questions, +but she would be sure to reopen the subject at some future time, when we +were expected to give a direct answer. + +After examining the photographs for sometime, which by the way, were +all taken in European dress, Her Majesty said: "Now these are good +photographs; much better than the portrait you had painted. Still I have +given my promise, and I suppose I shall have to keep it. However, if +I do have my photograph taken, it will not interfere at all with the +painting of the portrait. The only trouble is I cannot ask an ordinary +professional photographer to the Palace. It would hardly be the thing." + +My mother thereupon explained to Her Majesty that if she desired to have +her photograph taken, one of my brothers, who had studied photography +for some considerable time, would be able to do all that was necessary. + +I would like to explain that I had two brothers at Court at that time, +who held appointments under the Empress Dowager. One was in charge of +all the electrical installation at the Summer Palace, and the other, her +private steam launch. It was the custom for all the sons of the Manchu +officials to hold certain positions at the Court for two or three years. +They were perfectly free to walk about the grounds of the Palace, and +saw Her Majesty daily. Her Majesty was always very kind to these young +men, and chatted with them in quite a motherly way. These young fellows +had to come to the Palace each morning very early, but as no man was +allowed to stay all night in the Palace they of course had to leave when +they had finished their duties for the day. + +When Her Majesty heard what my mother said, she was very much surprised, +and asked why she had never been told that my brother was learned in +photography. My mother replied that she had no idea that Her Majesty +wished to have a photograph taken, and had not dared to suggest such a +thing herself. Her Majesty laughed, and said: "You may suggest anything +you like, as I want to try anything that is new to me, especially as +outsiders can know nothing about it." She gave orders to send for my +brother at once. On his arrival Her Majesty said to him: "I hear that +you are a photographer. I am going to give you something to do." My +brother was kneeling, as was the custom of the Court, whilst Her Majesty +was addressing him. Everybody, with the exception of the Court ladies, +had to kneel when she was speaking to them. Even the Emperor himself was +no exception to this rule. Of course the Court ladies, being constantly +in attendance, were allowed not to kneel, as Her Majesty was talking to +us all the time, and it was her orders that we should not do so, as it +would be wasting a lot of time. + +Her Majesty asked my brother when he would be able to come and take her +photograph, and what kind of weather was necessary. My brother said that +he would go back to Peking that night, to fetch his camera, and that he +could take the photograph at any time she desired, as the weather would +not affect the work. So Her Majesty decided to have her photograph taken +the next morning. She said: "I want to have one taken first of all in +my chair, when going to the audience, and you can take some others +afterwards." She also asked my brother how long she would have to sit, +and was surprised to learn that only a few seconds would suffice. Next +she enquired how long it would be before it was finished, so that she +could see it. My brother answered that if it were taken in the morning +it could be finished late the same afternoon. Her Majesty said that was +delightful, and expressed a wish to watch him do the work. She told +my brother that he might select any room in the Palace to work in, and +ordered a eunuch to make the necessary preparations. + +The next day was a beautiful day, and at eight o'clock my brother was +waiting in the courtyard with several cameras. Her Majesty went to the +courtyard and examined each of them. She said: "How funny it is that you +can take a person's picture with a thing like that." After the method of +taking the photograph had been fully explained to her, she commanded one +of the eunuchs to stand in front of the camera so that she might +look through the focusing glass, to see what it was like. Her Majesty +exclaimed: "Why is it your head is upside down? Are you standing on your +head or feet?" So we explained when the photo was taken it would not +look that way. She was delighted with the result of her observations, +and said that it was marvellous. Finally she told me to go and stand +there, as she wanted to have a look at me through this glass also. She +then exchanged places with me, and desired that I should look through +the glass and see if I could make out what she was doing. She waved +her hand in front of the camera, and on my telling her of it, she was +pleased. + +She then entered her chair, and ordered the bearers to proceed. My +brother took another photograph of Her Majesty in the procession as she +passed the camera. After she had passed the camera she turned and asked +my brother: "Did you take a picture?" and on my brother answering that +he had, Her Majesty said: "Why didn't you tell me? I was looking too +serious. Next time when you are going to take one, let me know so that I +may try and look pleasant." + +I knew that Her Majesty was very much pleased. While we were at the back +of the screen during the audience, I noticed that she seemed anxious to +get it over, in order to have some more photographs taken. It only took +about twenty minutes to get that particular audience over, which was +very rare. + +After the people had gone, we came from behind the screen and Her +Majesty said: "Let us go and have some more pictures taken while the +weather is fine." So she walked the courtyard of the Audience Hall, +where my brother had a camera ready, and had another photograph taken. +She said that she would like to have some taken sitting on her throne, +exactly as though she were holding an audience. It took us only a few +minutes to have everything prepared in the courtyard. The screen was +placed behind the throne, and her footstool was also placed ready for +her, and she ordered one of the Court ladies to go and bring several +gowns for her to select from. At the same time I went and brought some +of her favorite jewelry. She ordered the two gowns which she had worn +at the audiences when she received Admiral Evans and Mrs. Evans, to be +brought in, and also the same jewels as she had worn on those respective +occasions. She had two photographs taken in these costumes, one in +each dress. Next she wanted one taken in a plain gown, without any +embroidery. She then ordered my brother to go and finish the pictures +which had already been taken, as she was anxious to see what they were +like. She said to my brother: "You wait a minute, I want to go with +you and see how you work on them." Of course, I had not considered +it necessary to explain to Her Majesty the process of developing the +pictures, the dark room, etc., so I explained to her as well as I could +the whole thing. Her Majesty replied: "It doesn't matter. I want to +go and see the room, no matter what kind of a room it is." So we all +adjourned to the dark room in order to see my brother work on the +photographs. We placed a chair so that Her Majesty could sit down. She +said to my brother: "You must forget that I am here, and go along with +your work just as usual." She watched for a while, and was very pleased +when she saw that the plates were developing so quickly. My brother held +up the plate to the red light, to enable her to see more distinctly. +Her Majesty said: "It is not very clear. I can see that it is myself all +right, but why is it that my face and hands are dark?" We explained to +her that when the picture was printed on paper, these dark spots would +show white, and the white parts would be dark. She said: "Well, one is +never too old to learn. This is something really new to me. I am not +sorry that I suggested having my photograph taken, and only hope that +I shall like the portrait painting as well." She said to my brother: +"Don't finish these photographs until after I have had my afternoon +rest. I want to see you do it." When she got up at about half-past +three, it did not take her long to dress herself, as was her usual +custom, and she went immediately to where my brother had the papers and +everything prepared. He then showed Her Majesty how the printing was +done. There was plenty of light, as it was summer time, and as it was +only four o'clock in the afternoon, the sun was still high. Her Majesty +watched for two hours while my brother was printing, and was delighted +to see each picture come out quite plainly. She held the first one in +her hands so long while examining the others, that when she came to look +at it again, she found that it had turned quite black. She could not +understand this at all, and exclaimed: "Why has this gone black? Is it +bad luck?" We explained to her that it must be washed after printing, +otherwise a strong light would cause the picture to fade, as this one +had done. She said: "How very interesting, and what a lot of work there +is." + +After the printing process had been finished, my brother placed the +pictures in a chemical bath, as usual, finally washing them in clean +water. This caused Her Majesty even more surprise when she saw how clear +the pictures came out, and caused her to exclaim: "How extraordinary. +Everything is quite true to life." When they were finally completed, +she took the whole of them to her own room and sat down on her little +throne, and gazed at them for a long time. She even took her mirror in +order to compare her reflection with the photographs just taken. + +All this time my brother was standing in the courtyard awaiting Her +Majesty's further commands. Suddenly she recollected this fact, and +said: "Why, I had forgotten all about your brother. The poor fellow +must be still standing waiting to know what I want next. You go and tell +him--no, I had better go and speak to him myself. He has worked so hard +all the day, that I want to say something to make him feel happy." She +ordered my brother to print ten copies of each of the photographs, and +to leave all his cameras at the Palace, in order that he could proceed +with the work the next day. + +The following ten days it rained continually, which made Her Majesty +very impatient, as it was impossible to take any more photographs until +the weather improved. Her Majesty wanted to have some taken in the +Throne Room, but this room was too dark, the upper windows being pasted +over with thick paper, only the lower windows allowing the light to +enter. My brother tried several times, but failed to get a good picture. + +During this rainy period the Court was moved to the Sea Palace, as +the Emperor was to sacrifice at the Temple of Earth. This was a yearly +ceremony and was carried out on similar lines to all other annual +ceremonies. On account of the rain Her Majesty ordered that boats should +be brought alongside the west shore of the Summer Palace. On entering +the boats, Her Majesty, accompanied by the Court, proceeded to +the Western Gate of the city, and on arrival at the last bridge, +disembarked. Chairs were awaiting us and we rode to the gate of the Sea +Palace. There we again entered the boats and proceeded across the lake, +a distance of about a mile. While crossing the lake Her Majesty noticed +a lot of lotus plants which were in full bloom. She said: "We are going +to stay at least three days here. I hope the weather will be fine, as +I should like to have some photographs taken in the open boats on the +lake. I have also another; good idea, and that is, I want to have one +taken as 'Kuan Yin' (Goddess of Mersy). The two chief eunuchs will be +dressed as attendants. The necessary gowns were made some time ago, and +I occasionally put them on. Whenever I have been angry, or worried over +anything, by dressing up as the Goddess of Mercy it helps me to calm +myself, and so play the part I represent. I can assure you that it does +help me a great deal, as it makes me remember that I am looked upon as +being all-merciful. By having a photograph taken of myself dressed in +this costume, I shall be able to see myself as I ought to be at all +times." + +When we arrived at the private Palace the rain ceased. We walked to +her bedroom, although the ground was still in bad condition. One of +Her Majesty's peculiarities was a desire to go out in the rain and walk +about. She would not even use an umbrella unless it was raining very +heavily. The eunuchs always carried our umbrellas, but if Her Majesty +did not use her umbrella, of course we could not very well use ours. The +same thing applied in everything. If Her Majesty wanted to walk, we had +to walk also, and if she decided to ride in her chair, we had to get +into our chairs and ride as well. The only exception to this rule was +when Her Majesty, being tired walking, ordered her stool to rest on. We +were not allowed to sit in her presence, but had to stand all the time. +Her Majesty liked her Sea Palace better than her Palace in the Forbidden +City. It was far prettier, and had the effect of making her good +tempered. + +Her Majesty ordered us to retire early that day, as we were all very +tired after the trip, and said that in the event of it being fine the +next day, she would have the proposed photographs taken. However, much +to Her Majesty's disappointment, it rained incessantly for the next +three days, so it was decided to stay a few days longer. On the last day +of our stay it cleared up sufficiently to enable the photographs to be +taken, after which we all returned to the Summer Palace. + +The day after our arrival at the Summer Palace Her Majesty said that +we had better prepare everything for the audience to receive the lady +artist (Miss Carl). She told the chief eunuch to issue orders to all +the other eunuchs not to speak to Miss Carl, but simply be polite as +occasion required. We Court ladies received similar orders. Also, that +we were not to address Her Majesty while Miss Carl was present. The +Emperor received similar instructions. Her Majesty gave orders to have +the Gardens of Prince Chung's Palace ready. She then said to us: "I +trust you three to look after this lady artist. I have already given +orders for food to be supplied by the Wai Wu Pu. The only thing that +I have been worried about is that I have no foreign food here for Miss +Carl." She ordered us to have our stove taken over to Prince Chung's +Palace in case Miss Carl desired something cooked. She said: "I know +it will be very hard for you to take her to the Palace each morning and +return with her at night, besides having to watch her all day long, but +I know you do not mind. You are doing all this for me." After a while +she smiled, and said: "How selfish of me. I order you to bring all your +things to this place, but what is your father going to do? The best +thing will be to ask your father to come and live in the same place. The +country air might benefit him." We kowtowed and thanked Her Majesty, +as this was a special favor, no official nor anyone else having been +allowed to live in Prince Chung's Palace previously. We all were very +pleased--I could now see my father every day. Hitherto we had only been +able to see him about once a month, and then only by asking special +leave. + +The next day Her Majesty sent us to Prince Chung's Palace to make all +necessary arrangements for Miss Carl's stay. + +This Palace of Prince Chung's was a magnificent place. All the smaller +dwellings were quite separate from each other, not in one large +building, as was the custom. There was a small lake in the grounds, and +lovely little paths to walk along, exactly like the Empress Dowager's +Summer Palace, but, of course, on a much smaller scale. We selected one +of these small dwellings, or summer houses, for the use of Miss Carl +during her stay, and had it fitted up nicely, to make her as comfortable +as possible. We ourselves were to occupy the next house to Miss Carl, in +order that we might always be on hand, and at the same time keep a good +eye on her. We returned to the Summer Palace the same evening, and told +Her Majesty just how everything had been arranged. She said: "I want you +all to be very careful not to let this lady know that you are watching +her." She seemed very anxious about this, repeating these instructions +for several days prior to Miss Carl's arrival. + +I felt very much relieved when the day before the audience arrived, and +everything was finally fixed to Her Majesty's satisfaction. She ordered +us to retire early that evening, as she wanted to rest and look well +the next morning. When morning came we hurried over everything, even +the usual morning audience, so that we could be ready when Miss Carl +arrived. + +While I was standing behind the screen, as usual, a eunuch came and told +me that Mrs. Conger, the artist, and another lady had arrived, and that +they were now in the waiting room. By that time the audience was about +finished. The chief eunuch came in and told Her Majesty that the foreign +ladies had arrived and were waiting in another room. Her Majesty said to +us: "I think I will go to the courtyard and meet them there." Of course, +at all private audiences Her Majesty received the people in the Throne +Room, but as Miss Carl was more of a guest, she did not think it +necessary to go through the usual formal reception. + +While we were descending the steps we saw the ladies entering the gate +of the courtyard. I pointed out Miss Carl to Her Majesty, and noticed +that she eyed Miss Carl very keenly. When we arrived in the courtyard, +Mrs. Conger came forward and greeted Her Majesty and then presented Miss +Carl. Her Majesty's first impression of Miss Carl was a good one, as +Miss Carl was smiling very pleasantly, and Her Majesty, who always liked +to see a pleasant smile, exclaimed to me in an undertone: "She seems to +be a very pleasant person," to which I replied that I was very glad she +thought so, as I was very anxious about the impression Miss Carl would +make on Her Majesty. Her Majesty watched Miss Carl and myself as we +greeted each other, and I could see that she was satisfied. She told me +afterwards that she had noticed Miss Carl appeared very glad to see +me again, and said: "We will handle her pretty easily, I think." Her +Majesty then went to her own private Palace, and we all followed. On our +arrival, Miss Carl told me that she had brought her own canvas. This +was a piece about six feet by four feet. I had told Miss Carl a little +previously that Her Majesty refused to sit for a very small portrait and +that she would like a life-size one. When Her Majesty saw the canvas she +appeared to be very much disappointed, as in her opinion even that was +not large enough. We placed the tables ready for Miss Carl, and Her +Majesty asked her to choose the position in which she wished to paint. +I knew that Miss Carl would have great difficulty in choosing a good +position on account of the windows being built so low, there being very +little light except low down near the ground. However, Miss Carl finally +placed the canvas near the door of the room. Her Majesty told Mrs. +Conger and the rest to sit down for a while as she wanted to change into +another gown. I followed her into her bedroom. The first question Her +Majesty asked was how old I thought Miss Carl was, as she herself could +not guess her age, her hair being extremely light, in fact almost white. +I could hardly refrain from laughing outright on hearing this, and told +Her Majesty that Miss Carl's hair was naturally of a light color. Her +Majesty said that she had often seen ladies with golden hair, but never +one with white hair, excepting old ladies. She said: "I think that she +is very nice, however, and hope she will paint a good portrait." + +Turning to one of the Court ladies, she ordered her to fetch a yellow +gown as although, as she put it, she did not like yellow, she thought it +would be the best color for a portrait. She selected one from a number +which the Court lady brought, embroidered all over with purple wisteria. +Her shoes and handkerchiefs matched. She also wore a blue silk scarf, +embroidered with the character "Shou" (long life). Each character had +a pearl in the center. She wore a pair of jade bracelets and also jade +nail protectors. In addition she wore jade butterflies and a tassel on +one side of her headdress, and, as usual, fresh flowers on the other +side. Her Majesty certainly did look beautiful on that occasion. + +By the time she came out from her room Miss Carl had everything +prepared. When she saw how Her Majesty was dressed, she exclaimed: "How +beautiful Her Majesty looks in this dress," which remark I interpreted +to Her Majesty, and it pleased her very much. + +She seated herself on her throne, ready to pose for the picture. She +just sat down in an ordinary easy position, placing one hand on a +cushion. Miss Carl explained: "That is an excellent position, as it is +so natural. Please do not move." I told Her Majesty what Miss Carl said, +and she asked me whether she looked all right, or not. If not, she would +change her position. I assured her that she looked very grand in that +position. However, she asked the opinion of the Young Empress and some +of the Court ladies, who all agreed that she could not look better. I +could see that they never looked at Her Majesty at all, they were too +much interested in what Miss Carl was doing. + +When Miss Carl commenced to make the rough sketch of Her Majesty +everyone watched with open mouth, as they had never seen anything done +so easily and so naturally. The Young Empress whispered to me: "Although +I don't know anything about portrait painting, still I can see that she +is a good artist. She has never seen any of our clothes and headdresses, +and she has copied them exactly. Just imagine one of our Chinese artists +trying to paint a foreign lady, what a mess he would make of it." + +After the sketch was finished Her Majesty was delighted and thought +it was wonderful for Miss Carl to have made it so quickly and so +accurately. I explained that this was a rough sketch and that when Miss +Carl commenced painting, she would soon see the difference. Her Majesty +told me to ask Miss Carl whether she was tired and would like to rest; +also to tell her that she was very busy all the day, and would only be +able to give her a few minutes' sitting each day. We then took Miss +Carl to luncheon, together with Mrs. Conger, and after luncheon we +accompanied Her Majesty to the theatre. + +After Mrs. Conger had departed I took Miss Carl to my room to rest. As +soon as we arrived there, Her Majesty sent a eunuch to call me to her +bedroom. Her Majesty said: "I don't want this lady to paint during my +afternoon rest. She can rest at the same time. As soon as I am up you +can bring her here to paint. I am glad that it looks like turning out +better than I had anticipated." I therefore told Miss Carl Her Majesty's +wishes in this respect and that she could paint for a little while, +if she chose to, after Her Majesty had had her rest. Miss Carl was so +interested in Her Majesty, she told me she didn't want to rest at +all, but that she would like to go on with the painting right away. Of +course, I did not like to tell her anything the first day, as it might +upset her, and did not say that this was a command from Her Majesty. +After a lot of maneuvering I got her to give up the idea of continuing +straight off, without offending her. I took her out on the veranda as +the eunuch was preparing the table for Her Majesty's dinner in the room +we were then occupying. The Young Empress kept Miss Carl busy talking, I +acting as interpreter. Soon one of the eunuchs came and informed us that +Her Majesty had finished dinner, and would we please come and take ours. +On entering the room I was very much surprised to see that chairs had +been placed there, as this had never been done previously, everybody, +with the exception of Her Majesty, taking their meals standing. The +Young Empress was also very much surprised and asked me whether I knew +anything about it. I said that perhaps it was on account of Miss Carl +being there. The Young Empress told me to go over and ask Her Majesty, +as she was afraid to sit down without receiving orders to do so. +Her Majesty whispered to me: "I don't want Miss Carl to think we are +barbarians, and treat the Young Empress and the Court ladies in that +manner. Of course, she does not understand our Court etiquette and might +form a wrong impression, so you can all sit down without coming over to +thank me, but be natural, as though you were accustomed to sitting down +to dinner every day." + +After Her Majesty had washed her hands she came over to our table. Of +course we all stood up. Her Majesty told me to ask Miss Carl whether she +liked the food, and was pleased when Miss Carl answered that she liked +the food better than her own kind. That relieved Her Majesty. + +After dinner was over I told Miss Carl to say good-bye to Her Majesty. +We courtesied to her, also to the Young Empress, and said good night to +the Court ladies. We then took Miss Carl to the Palace of Prince Chung. +It took us about ten minutes' ride in the carts. We showed Miss Carl her +bedroom, and were pleased to leave her and get to our own rooms, for a +good night's rest. + +The next morning we took Miss Carl to the Palace, and arrived there +during the morning audience. Of course Miss Carl, being a foreigner, +could not enter the Throne Room, so we sat down on the back veranda +of the Audience Hall and waited until it was over. This, of course, +prevented my being in attendance each morning, as usual, and was a great +disappointment to me, as I was unable to keep in touch with what was +taking place. Moreover, during the time I had been at Court, my one +object had been to endeavor to interest Her Majesty in Western customs +and civilization. I believed that to a great extent Her Majesty was +becoming interested in these things, and would refer the subjects of our +conversations to her Ministers, for their opinions. For instance, I had +shown her photographs taken of a Naval Review at which I was present +in France. Her Majesty seemed to be impressed, and said that she would +certainly like to be able to make a similar display in China. This +matter she consulted with her Ministers, but they gave the usual evasive +answer, viz.: "There is plenty of time for that." From this you will see +that Her Majesty was not able to introduce reforms entirely alone, even +though she might desire to do so, but had to consult the Ministers, who +would always agree with Her Majesty, but would suggest that the matter +be put off for a time. + +My experience while at the Palace was that everybody seemed to be afraid +to suggest anything new for fear they might get themselves into trouble. + +When Her Majesty came out from the Audience Hall, Miss Carl went up +to her and kissed Her Majesty's hand, which caused her great surprise, +although she did not show it at the time. Afterwards, however, when we +were alone, she asked me why Miss Carl had done this, as it was not a +Chinese custom. She naturally thought that it must be a foreign custom, +and therefore said nothing about it. + +Her Majesty then proceeded on foot to her own Palace, to change her +dress for the portrait. It was a beautiful morning, and when she had +posed for about ten minutes, she told me that she felt too tired to +proceed, and asked if it would be all right to ask Miss Carl to postpone +it. I explained that as Miss Carl was going to be at the Palace for +some time, the postponement of one day's sitting would not make much +difference at that time, although I knew that Miss Carl would naturally +be disappointed. Still, I had to humor Her Majesty as much as possible, +otherwise she might have thrown up the whole thing. Miss Carl said that +if Her Majesty wished to go to rest, she could be working painting the +screen and the throne, and Her Majesty could pose again later on if she +felt like it. This pleased Her Majesty, and she said that she would try +to sit again after taking her afternoon's rest. Her Majesty ordered me +to give Miss Carl her lunch in my own room at twelve o'clock each day, +my mother, my sister and myself keeping her company. Dinner at the +Palace was usually taken about six o'clock, and it was arranged that +Miss Carl should take dinner with the Young Empress and the Court ladies +at that hour, after Her Majesty had finished dining. Her Majesty also +ordered that champagne or any other wine which Miss Carl preferred, +should be served, as she said she knew it was the custom for all foreign +ladies to take wine with their meals. Where she got hold of this +idea, nobody knew. I was sure that Her Majesty had been misinformed by +somebody, but it would have been bad policy to have tried to tell her +different at the moment. She disliked very much to be told that she was +wrong in any of these things, and it could only be done by waiting and +casually introducing the subject at some other time. + +After Miss Carl had gone to rest during the afternoon, Her Majesty +sent for me and asked the usual question, viz.: What had Miss Carl been +saying? etc., etc. She seemed particularly anxious to know what Miss +Carl thought of her, and when I told her that Miss Carl had said that +she was very beautiful and quite young looking, she said: "Oh! well, +of course Miss Carl would say that to you." However, on my assuring her +that Miss Carl had given this opinion without being asked for it, +she showed very plainly that she was not at all displeased with the +compliment. + +Suddenly Her Majesty said: "I have been thinking that if Miss Carl can +paint the screen and the throne, surely she ought to be able to paint +my clothes and jewels, without it being necessary for me to pose all the +time." I told her that would be quite impossible, as nobody could hold +the things for Miss Carl to get the proper effect. To my surprise she +answered: "Well, that is easily gotten over. You wear them in my place." +I hardly knew what to say, but thought I would get out of the +difficulty by telling her that perhaps Miss Carl would not like such an +arrangement. Her Majesty, however, could see no possible objection +on Miss Carl's part, as she herself could pose when the time came for +painting her face. So I put the matter as nicely as possible to Miss +Carl, and it was finally arranged that I should dress in Her Majesty's +robes and jewels whenever Her Majesty felt too tired to do the posing +herself. In this manner the portrait of the Empress Dowager was painted, +and with the exception of just a few hours to enable Miss Carl to +get Her Majesty's facial expression, I had to sit for two hours each +morning, and for another two hours each afternoon until the portrait was +finished. + + + +CHAPTER FOURTEEN--THE EMPEROR'S BIRTHDAY + +MY father's four months' leave having expired, he was received in +audience by their Majesties on the first day of the sixth moon. He was +much improved in health, but his rheumatism was still very troublesome. +This was particularly noticeable when climbing the steps to the Audience +Hall, and Her Majesty ordered two of the eunuchs to assist him. + +First he thanked Her Majesty for her kindness towards my sister and +myself, and, as was the custom, took off his hat and knelt down, bowing +his head until it struck the ground. This ceremony was always gone +through by any official who had received special favors from Their +Majesties. + +He then replaced his hat on his head and remained kneeling before the +throne. Her Majesty then questioned him about his life in Paris, from +time to time complimenting him on his work. Seeing that remaining in +this kneeling position appeared to be making him tired, Her Majesty +ordered one of the eunuchs to bring a cushion for him to use, which was +another great honor, as this cushion was only used by the President of +the Grand Council. + +Her Majesty told him that as he was now getting to be a very old man, +she did not intend sending him away from China again, as she wanted to +keep my sister and myself at the Court, which she could not do if she +sent him to some foreign country, as he would want to take his daughters +with him. She said she was pleased, that although we had been away from +China for such a long time, we were well acquainted with the Manchu +customs. My father replied that it had been his care that we should be +brought up according to the customs of our own country. + +Her Majesty when asked the Emperor if he had anything to say, and he +replied by asking my father if he spoke French, and thought it very +strange on learning that he did not. My father explained that he had +never had the time to study it, besides which he considered himself too +old to learn a foreign language. + +The Emperor next asked what was the feeling in France towards China. +My father replied that they were very friendly at that time, but that +immediately after the Boxer trouble the post of Minister had been a +very embarrassing one. Her Majesty said that it had been an unfortunate +affair, but she was glad that everything was now settled satisfactorily. +She told my father that he was to get well again as quickly as possible, +and the audience came to an end. + +Afterwards Her Majesty said that my father was looking very old since +his return from France and that he would have to be careful and take +things easy until he got stronger again. She was pleased that he had +shown appreciation of her interest in my sister and myself. + +Preparations were now commenced for celebrating the birthday of His +Majesty, the Emperor Kwang Hsu, which was to take place on the 28th of +that month. The actual date of the Emperor's birthday was the 26th of +the sixth moon, but this day, being the anniversary of the death of a +previous Emperor of China, we were unable to hold any festivities, +and so it was always celebrated on the 28th day instead. The official +celebration lasted for seven days, three days before and four days after +the actual date. During that time the whole of the Court dressed in +official robes, and no business of any kind whatever was attended to. +This being the Emperor's 32nd birthday, and as the full celebrations +only took place every tenth year, i. e. On his 20th birthday, his 30th +birthday, and so on, the festivities were not carried out on a very +grand scale. However, it was quite sufficient to interfere with all +business, and the usual morning audiences did not take place during +these seven days. The Empress Dowager herself was the only person who +did not dress especially during these celebrations, and who did not take +any active part in the festivities. Another reason why the celebrations +were not carried out on a very large scale was the fact that the Empress +Dowager, being alive, she took precedence, according to the Manchu +custom, over the Emperor himself, in fact she was the actual ruler of +the country, the Emperor being second. The Emperor was quite aware of +this fact, and when the Empress commanded that preparations be commenced +for the celebrations, the Emperor would always suggest that it was not +at all necessary to celebrate the occasion unless it happened to be a +tenth year, and would very reluctantly agree to the festivities taking +place. Of course this was more out of politeness on the part of the +Emperor and to conform to the recognized etiquette, but the nation +recognized this birthday and naturally celebrated according to the usual +custom. During this period, therefore, the painting of the portrait was +postponed. + +When the morning of the 25th arrived, the Emperor dressed himself in his +official robe-yellow gown, embroidered with gold dragons and coat of a +reddish black color. Of course, being the Emperor, in place of the +usual button on the hat he wore a large pearl. I might mention that +the Emperor was the only person who could wear this particular pearl in +place of a button. He came as usual to wish Her Majesty Chi Hsiang and +then proceeded to the temple to worship before the ancestral tablets. +After this ceremony was over he returned to the Empress Dowager and +kowtowed to her. All the Chinese adopt this rule of kowtowing to their +parents on their own birthdays, as a sign of reverence and respect. The +Emperor next proceeded to the Audience Hall, where all the Ministers +were assembled, and received their salutations and congratulations. This +ceremony very often caused amusement, for to see several hundred people +all bobbing their heads up and down, especially when they did not all +manage to do it together, was a very funny sight. Even the Emperor +himself had to laugh, it was such an extraordinary spectacle. + +The musical instruments which were used during the ceremony deserve a +little description. The principal instrument is made of hard wood, and +has a flat bottom about three feet in diameter, with a dome-shaped top +raised about three feet from the ground. The inside is quite hollow. +A long pole made of the same material is used as a drumstick, and an +official, specially appointed, beats with all his might on the drum. The +noise can be better imagined than described. This is used as a signal to +announce when the Emperor takes his seat upon the throne. In addition +to the above, a full sized model of a tiger, also made of similar hard +wood, and having twenty-four scales on its back, is brought into the +courtyard. In this case they did not beat the instrument, but scraped +along its back over the scales, which emitted a noise similar to the +letting off simultaneously of innumerable crackers. This noise was kept +up during the whole of the ceremony, and what with the drum and this +tiger instrument it was sufficient to deafen one. During the ceremony, +an official crier used to call out the different orders, such as when +to kneel, bow, stand up, kowtow, etc., etc., but with the noise it +was quite impossible to hear a single word of what he uttered. Another +instrument was composed of a frame made of wood, about eight feet high +by three feet broad. Across this frame were three wooden bars, from +which was suspended twelve bells, made out of pure gold. When these were +struck with a wooden stick the sound was not at all unlike the dulcimer, +only, of course, very much louder. This was placed on the right side +of the Audience Hall. On the left side a similar instrument was placed, +with the exception that the bells were carved out of white jade. The +music which could be brought out of the instrument was very sweet. + +When this ceremony of receiving the Ministers was concluded, the Emperor +proceeded to his private Palace, where the Young Empress (his wife), +the Secondary wife and all the Court ladies were gathered, and, after +kowtowing, all of the Court ladies present, led by the Young Empress, +knelt before him and presented him with a Ru Yee. This is a kind of +sceptre. Some are made out of pure jade, while others are made out of +wood inlaid with jade. This Ru Yee is a symbol of good luck and was +supposed to bring happiness and prosperity to the person to whom it was +presented. The ceremony was gone through to the accompaniment of music +played on string instruments, which was very sweet. + +Next the eunuchs were received by the Emperor, and they similarly +congratulated him, but without the accompaniment of music. After the +eunuchs came the servant girls, and the whole of the ceremony was over. +The Emperor next proceeded to Her Majesty's Palace, where he knelt +before Her Majesty and thanked her for the celebration which had been +given in his honor, after which Her Majesty, accompanied by the whole +Court, went to the theatre to see the play. On arrival at the theatre we +were all presented by Her Majesty with sweetmeats, this being the custom +on these occasions, and after a little while Her Majesty retired for her +afternoon rest. Thus the celebration ended. + +Two days after the celebration the seventh moon commenced. The +seventh day of the seventh moon was the occasion of another important +anniversary. + +The two stars, Niu Lang (Capricorn) and Chih Nu (Lyra) are supposed to +be the patrons of agriculture and weaving and, according to tradition, +were at one time man and wife. As the result of a quarrel, however, they +were doomed to live apart, being separated from each other by the "Milky +Way." But on the seventh day of the seventh moon of each year they are +allowed to see each other and the magpies are supposed to build a bridge +to enable them to meet. + +The ceremony is rather peculiar. Several basins full of water were +placed so that the sun's rays would fall upon them. Her Majesty then +took several tiny needles and dropped one into each basin. These floated +on the water, casting a shadow across the bottom of the basins. These +shadows took different forms, according to the position of the needle, +and if the shadow took certain prescribed forms, the person throwing +in the needle was supposed to be very lucky and clever, while if they +represented certain other forms, they were despised by the gods as being +ignorant. In addition, Her Majesty burned incense and offered up prayers +to the two gods referred to. + +This was always a sad moon for Her Majesty, it being the anniversary of +the death of her husband, the Emperor Hsien Feng, who died on the 17th +of that month. The fifteenth of the seventh moon each year is the day of +the festival for the dead, and early in the morning the Court moved +to the Sea Palace in order to sacrifice. The Chinese hold that when +a person dies, his soul still remains on the earth, and on these +anniversaries they burn imitation money, the belief being that the soul +of the departed one will benefit to the extent of the amount of money so +represented. On the anniversary above referred to Her Majesty sent for +hundreds of Buddhist priests to pray for those unfortunate people who +had died without leaving anyone who could sacrifice for them. On the +evening of this day, Her Majesty and all her Court ladies set out in +open boats on the lake, where imitation lotus flowers were arranged as +lanterns, with a candle placed in the centre, which formed a sort of +floating light, the idea being to give light to the spirits of those who +had departed during the year, so as to enable them to come and receive +the blessings which had been prepared for them. Her Majesty ordered us +to light the candles and place the flowers on the water ourselves, as +she said it would be appreciated by the spirits of the dead. Some of the +eunuchs had told Her Majesty that they had actually seen some of these +spirits, which assertion was thoroughly believed. Although she had never +seen them herself, she accounted for this by the fact that she was of +too high a rank and the spirits were afraid of her, but she ordered all +the rest of us to keep a sharp lookout and tell her if we saw anything. +Of course we didn't see anything, but many of the Court ladies were so +frightened that they closed their eyes for fear they might see something +supernatural. + +Her Majesty was devoted to the late Emperor Hsien Feng, and she was very +sad and morose during this period. We all had to be very careful indeed +not to upset her in any way, as she would find fault on the slightest +provocation. She hardly had a word to say to any of us, and cried almost +incessantly. I could hardly understand the reason for such grief, seeing +that the Emperor had died so many years previously. None of the Court +ladies were allowed to dress in light-coloured gowns during the whole of +the seventh moon. We all dressed either in dark blue or pale blue, while +Her Majesty herself dressed in black every day without exception. Even +her handkerchiefs were black. The theatres which were usually opened on +the first and fifteenth of each month, were closed during the seventh +moon. There was no music, and everything was conducted in the most +solemn manner; in fact, the whole Court was in deep mourning. + +On the morning of the seventeenth day of the seventh moon, Her Majesty +visited the late Emperor's tablet, and knelt there crying for quite a +while. In order to show respect for the late Emperor, none of us were +allowed to eat meat for three days. This being my first year at the +Palace, it appeared to me very strange, after the customary gaiety and +noise. Of course I felt very sorry for Her Majesty, as I could see that +it was a genuine display of grief and was not in any way put on. As I +was her favorite at that time, she kept me close to her side during this +sad period. The Young Empress said to me one day: "Her Majesty is very +much attached to you, and I think you had better stay with her for the +time being." This I did, and I was so miserable myself that when Her +Majesty commenced crying I would cry also. When she saw that I was +crying, Her Majesty would immediately stop and ask me not to cry. She +would tell me that I was too young to cry, and that in any case I did +not know what real sorrow was as yet. During the conversations we had at +that time she would tell me quite a lot about herself. On one occasion +she said: "You know I have had a very hard life ever since I was a +young girl. I was not a bit happy when with my parents, as I was not the +favorite. My sisters had everything they wanted, while I was, to a great +extent, ignored altogether. When I first came to the Court, a lot of +the people were jealous of me because I was considered to be a beautiful +woman at that time. I must say myself that I was a clever one, for I +fought my own battles, and won them, too. When I arrived at Court the +late Emperor became very much attached to me and would hardly glance at +any of the other ladies. Fortunately, I was lucky in giving birth to a +son, as it made me the Emperor's undisputed favorite; but after that +I had very bad luck. During the last year of his reign the Emperor was +seized with a sudden illness. In addition to this the foreign soldiers +burnt down the Palace at Yuen Ming Yuen, so we fled to Jehol. Of course +everybody knows what took place at that time. I was still a young woman, +with a dying husband and a young son. The East Empress Dowager's nephew +was a bad man, who coveted the throne, which he had no right to in +any event, as he was not of royal blood. I would not wish anyone to +experience what I myself passed through at that time. When the Emperor +was in a dying condition, being practically unconscious of what was +taking place around him, I took my son to his bedside and asked him what +was going to be done about his successor to the throne. He made no reply +to this, but, as has always been the case in emergencies, I was equal to +the occasion, and I said to him: 'Here is your son,' on hearing which he +immediately opened his eyes and said: 'Of course he will succeed to the +throne.' I naturally felt relieved when this was settled once and +for all. These words were practically the last he spoke, for he died +immediately afterwards. Although it is now so many years ago, I can see +him now in that dying condition, just as though it all happened only +yesterday. + +"I thought that I could be happy with my son as the Emperor Tung Chi, +but unfortunately he died before he was twenty years of age. Since that +time I have been a changed woman, as all happiness was over as far as I +was concerned when he died. I had also quite a lot of trouble with the +East Empress Dowager and found it very difficult to keep on good terms +with her. However, she died five years after the death of my son. In +addition to all this, when the Emperor Kwang Hsu was brought to me as a +baby three years old, he was a very sickly child, and could hardly walk, +he was so thin and weak. His parents seemed to be afraid of giving him +anything to eat. You know his father was Prince Chung, and his mother +was my sister, so of course he was almost the same as my own son, +in fact I adopted him as such. Even now, after all my trouble on his +account, he is not in perfect health. As you know, I have had plenty of +other troubles beside these, but it is useless to mention them now. I +am disappointed with everything, as nothing has turned out as I had +expected." With this remark Her Majesty commenced crying afresh. +Continuing, she said: "People seem to think that just because I am the +Empress Dowager that I am bound to be happy, but what I have just +told you is not all. I have gone through much more than that. If ever +anything went wrong, I was always the one who was blamed. The censors +even dare to impeach me once in a while. However, I am philosopher +enough to take things for what they are worth, otherwise I would have +been in my own grave long, long ago. Just imagine how small minded these +people are. Amongst other things they objected to my transferring my +Court to the Summer Palace during the hot weather, although I could do +no harm by being there. Even in the short time you have spent at Court, +you can see that I am unable to decide anything alone, while whenever +they want anything they consult with each other and then present their +petition to me, which, unless it is something of a very serious nature, +I never think of refusing." + +After the time set apart for mourning had expired, we all went back +to the Summer Palace, where Miss Carl re-commenced her work on Her +Majesty's portrait. Her Majesty apparently soon got tired of this +portrait painting, for one day she asked me when I thought it would be +finished. She was afraid that it would not be finished by the time the +cold weather came on, when we always removed the Court to the Forbidden +City, and she said it would be a lot of trouble and inconvenience to +have to continue the portrait there. I told Her Majesty that it could +easily be arranged and that she need not worry herself. + +After I had been posing in Her Majesty's place for several days Her +Majesty asked me whether Miss Carl had said anything about it, and if +she did, I was to inform her that it was a command from Her Majesty, and +that I dare not make any further suggestions in that respect. So we had +no further trouble with Miss Carl after that. I had, however, quite +a lot of trouble with the eunuchs, who, in spite of Her Majesty's +instructions, were anything but polite to Miss Carl. Of course Miss +Carl herself did not know this. I tried to make them behave better by +threatening to tell Her Majesty about them, which had a good effect for +a while, but they were soon as bad as ever. + +At the commencement of the eighth moon, Her Majesty always attended to +the transplanting of her chrysanthemums, which was one of her favorite +flowers, so each day she would take us with her to the west side of the +lake and, assisted by us, would cut the tops of the young plants and set +them in flower pots. I was very much surprised at this, as there were +no roots, only the stems of the flowers, but Her Majesty assured me that +they would soon grow into very pretty plants. Every day we went over to +water these flowers until they began to bud. In case it rained heavily, +Her Majesty would order some of the eunuchs to go over and cover up +these chrysanthemum plants with mats, so that they would not be broken. +It was characteristic of Her Majesty that, no matter what other business +she had to attend to, her flowers had her first consideration and +she would, if necessary, even go without her usual rest in order to +superintend them personally. She also spent quite a time in looking +after her orchard, where she had planted apple trees, pear trees, etc. +Another thing which I began to notice was that when the spring and +summer days had passed, she got quite irritable and sad, while in the +winter she was simply unbearable. She loathed cold weather. + +One day, during the eighth moon, Her Majesty was taken slightly ill, and +complained of suffering from severe headaches. This was the only time I +ever saw Her Majesty actually sick. She, however, got up as usual in +the morning, and held audience, but was unable to take her luncheon, and +very soon had to retire to her bed. Several doctors were summoned, each +of whom took her pulse. This was quite a ceremony in itself. The doctors +knelt at the bedside, and Her Majesty stretched forth her arm, resting +her hand upon a small pillow which was provided for that purpose. After +this each doctor wrote out his prescription, all of which were different +from each other. We handed them to Her Majesty, who chose the one which +she thought was the nicest to take, and two attendants and the doctor +himself had to take a dose in her presence before she would touch it. +Then she would take it all right. + +During this time it rained a great deal and was very hot. The climate at +this time of the year is very damp, which causes the flies to make their +appearance in millions. If there was one thing more than another that +Her Majesty detested it was these flies. During the actual summer they +were not so troublesome as at this particular time. Of course every +precaution was taken to keep them away, a eunuch being posted at each +door, provided with sort of a switch made of horse hair fastened at the +end of a bamboo pole. We were never troubled by mosquitoes, however; in +fact I never saw a mosquito curtain in the Palace during the whole of +my stay there. These flies were an abomination, and in spite of all that +could be done a few would find their way into the rooms. Whenever they +alighted on Her Majesty she would scream, while if by any chance one +were to alight on her food she would order the whole lot to be thrown +away. This would spoil her appetite for the whole day and put her into +a terrible temper as well. Whenever she saw one anywhere near her, she +would order whoever happened to be present to go and catch it. I myself +often received this order, but I detested them almost as much as Her +Majesty did, they were so dirty, and stuck to one's hands whenever they +touched them. + +After her illness Her Majesty was indisposed more or less for quite a +long time, and doctors were constantly in attendance. She took so many +different kinds of medicine that instead of getting better she got worse +and eventually contracted a fever. Her Majesty was very much afraid of +fevers of any kind and we had to stay with her all night and all day and +had to take our meals whenever we could get away from her bedside for a +few minutes. Another peculiarity was Her Majesty's aversion for any kind +of perfume near her when she was sick, while when she was feeling well +she was simply smothered in it. The same applied to fresh flowers; in +spite of her love for them under ordinary conditions, when she was sick +she could not bear them anywhere near. Her nerves became absolutely +unstrung, as she was unable to sleep during the day, and consequently +the time passed very slowly to her. In order to make the time pass +a little less tediously, she gave instructions for one of the better +educated eunuchs to read to her during the daytime. This reading +generally consisted of ancient Chinese history, poetry and all kinds of +Chinese lore, and while the eunuch was reading to her we had to stand by +her bedside, one of us being told off to massage her legs, which seemed +to soothe her somewhat. This same program was gone through every day +until she was completely herself again--some ten days later. + +One day Her Majesty asked me: "What kind of medicine does a foreign +doctor usually give in case of a fever? I have heard that they make you +take all kinds of pills. This must be very dangerous, as you never know +what they are made of. Here in China all medicines are made from roots, +and I can always find out whether I am receiving the right medicine, +as I have a book which explains what each different medicine is for. +Another thing I have heard is that foreign doctors generally operate +on you with a knife, while we cure the same sickness by means of our +medicine. Li Lien Ying told me that one of our little eunuchs had a boil +on his wrist and someone advised him to go to the hospital. Of course +they didn't know what they would do, and the foreign doctor there opened +the boil with a knife, which frightened the child very much. I was very +much surprised when I heard he was all right again in a couple of days." +Continuing, Her Majesty said: "A year ago one of the foreign ladies came +to the Palace, and hearing me cough a lot, gave me some black pills and +told me to swallow them. I did not like to offend her, so I took the +pills and told her I would take them by and bye. However, I was afraid +to take them and threw them away." Of course I answered that I didn't +know much about medicines, to which she replied that she had seen me +take foreign medicines whenever I was not feeling well. She then said: +"Of course I know there are people in Peking who do take the medicines +given them by foreign doctors and even some of my own relatives +patronize these foreigners also. They try not to let me know, but I do +know for all that. In any case, if they choose to kill themselves by +taking these things, it is none of my business; that is the reason why, +when they are sick, I never send my own doctors to attend them." + +When Her Majesty had completely recovered from her illness she used to +go out on the lake a great deal, sometimes in an open boat and at other +times in a steam launch. She always appeared to enjoy this kind of +thing. For some reason or other she always insisted on taking the west +side of the lake, which was very shallow, and invariably the launch +would get stuck fast in the mud, which seemed to afford Her Majesty +great enjoyment; she simply loved to feel the launch strike the bottom. +The open boats would then come alongside and we would have to get out +of the launch and enter the boats and proceed to the top of the nearest +hill to watch the efforts of the eunuchs trying to refloat the launch. +It was a characteristic of Her Majesty to experience a keen sense of +enjoyment at the troubles of other people. The eunuchs knew this quite +well, and whenever opportunity offered, they would do something which +they thought would amuse Her Majesty. So long as it was nothing of a +serious nature Her Majesty would always overlook it, but in case it +proved serious or was carelessness, she would always order them to be +severely punished. Thus it was very hard to tell just what to do in +order to please her. + +Another of Her Majesty's peculiarities was inquisitiveness. For example: +As I have stated before, it was the custom for Her Majesty to have +sweetmeats brought to her before every meal, and after she had finished +with them, the remainder were distributed among the Court ladies. +Whenever it happened that we were very busy, we did not bother with the +sweetmeats at all, which Her Majesty very soon found out. One day, after +she had finished dining, she came and looked through the window to see +what we were doing, and saw some of the eunuchs eating the sweetmeats +which she had given to us. She did not say anything, but simply ordered +that the sweetmeats should be brought back again, making us believe that +she wanted some more herself. I knew that there was something wrong, as +she never ordered them back before. When she saw what was left of them, +she asked who had been eating so many, as they were nearly all finished, +but she got no reply--we were all too scared. However, after thinking +it over, I came to the conclusion that it would be best to tell her the +truth, for I was quite certain that she knew anyhow. So I told her that +we had all been very busy and had forgotten all about the sweetmeats, +and that the eunuchs had come and taken them themselves, and I added +that this was not the first time they had done so. I was rather glad +that she had given me this opportunity to report the eunuchs, for Her +Majesty replied that if she intended the eunuchs to have sweetmeats, she +herself could give them some, but thought it a lack of appreciation +on our part not eating them ourselves after she had been so kind as to +provide them for us. She turned to me, and said: "I am glad that you +have told the truth, as I saw myself what was happening." She gave +orders that the offending eunuchs should each have three months' wages +deducted as a punishment, but of course I knew very well they didn't +mind that, as they were making many times the amount of their salary in +other ways. On my return to the sitting room, one of the Court ladies +said: "You should not have told Her Majesty about the eunuchs, they are +sure to revenge themselves in some way." I asked how they could possibly +injure me in any way, as they were only servants, but she told me that +they would find some underhand way in which to get even with me, this +being their general custom. Of course I knew the eunuchs were a bad lot, +but could not see what cause they had to be against me in any way. I +knew they dare not say anything against me to Her Majesty, so I forgot +all about the matter. I found out afterwards that one of the tricks they +used to play on any of the Court ladies who offended them was to try and +prejudice Her Majesty against us. For instance, if Her Majesty told one +of the eunuchs that a certain thing should be done, instead of telling +me what Her Majesty wanted, the eunuch would go off to one of the other +ladies and tell her. In this way Her Majesty would get the impression +that I was too lazy to wait upon her myself, and of course the other +lady would get all the credit. Although Her Majesty was very kind to me, +also the Young Empress, it was very hard to get along with eunuchs, +and it was not good policy to offend them in any way. They regarded +themselves as being exclusively the servants of Her Majesty, the +Empress Dowager, and refused to take instructions from anybody else, +consequently they were often very rude to the other ladies of the Court, +not even excepting the Young Empress. + +Everything proceeded as usual until the eighth moon, when the Emperor +was to sacrifice at the "Temple of the Sun." On this occasion the +Emperor wore a red robe. + +About this time Mrs. Conger asked for a private audience, as she +wanted to see Her Majesty and at the same time see how the portrait was +progressing. Her Majesty replied that she would receive her and gave +orders accordingly. At this private audience Mrs. Conger brought into +the Court two of her relatives to be presented to Her Majesty, besides +Miss Campbell and a missionary lady. As it was a private audience, +the guests were conducted to Her Majesty's private Palace. They were +received in the hall which was being used as studio for this lady +artist, although Her Majesty was out of patience with the portrait +painting, and talked to us a great deal about it, yet when she saw Mrs. +Conger and the others she was extremely polite and told them that the +portrait was going to be a masterpiece. She was in an unusually good +humor that day and told me to give orders to the eunuchs to open all the +buildings and show them to her guests. Her Majesty led the way from one +room to another and showed them her curios in the different rooms, until +she came to rest in one of the bedrooms, when she ordered chairs to be +brought in for the guests. There were many chairs in this room, but they +were really small thrones of Her Majesty's, although they looked like +any ordinary chairs. The custom is that no matter what kind of a chair +it may be, as soon as she uses it, it is at once called her throne and +no one is allowed to sit on it thereafter unless the order is given by +her. + +During the time the eunuchs were bringing in the chairs kept purposely +for foreigners to use, one of the ladies of the party made a mistake and +sat upon one of Her Majesty's thrones. I noticed her at once, and before +I had a chance to warn her, Her Majesty made a sign of annoyance to me. +I went to this lady at once and told her I wanted to show her something +and naturally she was obliged to get up. The trouble was this, although +Her Majesty felt that no one had the right to sit upon her throne, she +expected me to get this lady off the chair and at the same time not to +tell her the reason why. While I was busy interpreting for her, she said +in an undertone: "There she is again, sitting on my bed. We had +better leave this room." After this the ladies were conducted to the +refreshment room, and when they had partaken of lunch, bade Her Majesty +good-bye, leaving Miss Carl with us. As usual we reported to her that we +had seen the guests safely off. She said to me: "That was a funny lady: +first she sat upon my throne, and then upon my bed. Perhaps she does not +know what a throne is when she sees one, and yet foreigners laugh at +us. I am sure that our manners are far superior to theirs. Another +thing--did you notice that Mrs. Conger handed a parcel to Miss Carl out +in the courtyard when she came in?" I replied that I had noticed her +passing something like a parcel, but could not tell what the parcel +contained. She thereupon told me to go and ask Miss Carl what it was. At +that time I had received so many peculiar orders from Her Majesty that +I was beginning to get accustomed to them and used my own discretion in +carrying out her instructions. Therefore I did not ask Miss Carl, but +set about finding out for myself. However, when I began to look around +for the parcel, it had mysteriously disappeared and I could not find +the thing anywhere. This naturally worried me, knowing as I did that +Her Majesty liked her instructions carried out quickly. While I was +searching, one of the eunuchs came in and told me that Her Majesty +wanted to see me, and of course I had to go to her. Before she could say +anything to me, I informed Her Majesty that I had not been able to +ask Miss Carl about the parcel as she was asleep, but would do so +immediately she got up. Her Majesty said: "I don't want Miss Carl to +think I have told you to ask what the parcel contains, otherwise she +might think I am suspicious of what is going on, so you must manage +to get the information somehow without mentioning the matter; you are +clever enough to do that much." Shortly afterwards, while I was walking +along with Miss Carl to Her Majesty's Palace, to proceed with the +portrait, I noticed that she was carrying the parcel in question, which +was a great relief to me, I can assure you. On arrival at the Palace, +Miss Carl said to me: "You need not trouble to pose at present, as it is +rather dark, and I can be painting the throne; you can look through +this magazine, if you like, to pass the time away." So I opened up the +parcel, which proved to contain nothing more than an ordinary American +monthly magazine. After glancing through the book, I made an excuse to +hurry away and inform Her Majesty. However, she had already gone out +for her usual trip on the lake, so I took my chair and followed. When I +reached the lake, Her Majesty, who had seen me, sent a small boat and I +was rowed out to the launch. Before I could get a chance to speak, Her +Majesty said with a smile: "I know all about it, it was a book and Miss +Carl handed it to you to read." I was very much disappointed that I had +had my journey for nothing. I knew that the eunuchs would report it to +Her Majesty at the first opportunity, but I hardly expected they would +have done so already. Her Majesty was now quite satisfied, and simply +asked whether Miss Carl suspected that she had enquired about the +matter. + +As I was about to return to Miss Carl, Her Majesty called me and said: +"There is one thing I want to tell you and that is whenever any foreign +ladies are visiting the Palace, always keep close to the Emperor so that +in the event of their speaking to him you can interpret." I answered +that so far whenever any foreigners were present I was present also and +did not think that anybody had held any conversation with the Emperor +whatsoever. She explained that her reason for mentioning this was +that she wanted me to be just as courteous to the Emperor as I was to +herself, and I was to place myself entirely at his disposal whenever +visitors were present. Of course I knew very well that this was not +the true reason at all but that she wanted to take every precaution +to preclude the possibility of foreigners influencing the Emperor in +matters of reform, etc. + + + +CHAPTER FIFTEEN--THE MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL + +ON the fifteenth day of the eighth moon came the celebration of the +Mid-Autumn Festival, sometimes called the Moon Festival. + +This name is derived from the belief which the Chinese hold that the +moon is not permanently round when full, but that on this particular day +it is a perfect circle. The ceremony which is gone through is conducted +entirely by the Court ladies and consists of worshiping the moon as soon +as it appears in the sky. In other respects the celebrations are exactly +the same as in the Dragon Boat Festival, presents were exchanged between +Her Majesty and the Court officials. The festival concluded with a +theatrical performance which describes a scene in the moon. The belief +is that a beautiful maiden lives in the moon, her only companion being +a white rabbit, called a Jade Rabbit. According to the play this rabbit +escapes from the moon to the Earth and becomes a young and beautiful +girl. A golden rooster which lives in the sun, becoming aware of the +rabbit's descent to the earth, himself descends from the sun and +changes into a handsome prince. Of course they very naturally meet and +immediately fall in love. Now, on the earth lived another rabbit--a +red one, who, on finding out what was going on, changed himself into a +prince also and set about making love to the beautiful maiden with the +object of cutting out the rooster. However, he was seriously handicapped +inasmuch as he was unable to change the color of his face, which +remained red, therefore his love making met with no success and the +rooster prince had it all his own way. At this point, the beautiful +maiden in the moon, on discovering her loss, sent the soldiers of Heaven +to re-capture her rabbit, with the result that she was taken back to +the moon and the rooster being left alone, had no alternative but to +reluctantly return to his home in the sun. + +During this performance the head eunuch brought a young man into +the courtyard, who kowtowed to Her Majesty. This was such an unusual +occurrence that everybody noticed it. I could see that he was a stranger +and did not belong to the Court and I wondered who he could be. At +the other end of the veranda I saw two or three of the Court ladies +whispering together and smiling. They finally came over to me and asked +if I knew who he was. I told them that he was a stranger to me and +they ought to know better than I did as they had been at the Court much +longer. Anyhow I gave it as my opinion that he was decidedly ugly. That +same evening Her Majesty asked me whether I had noticed this young man, +and told me that he was the son of a very high Manchu official; that his +father was dead and that he had succeeded to the title and to a large +amount of money. I was surprised that Her Majesty should give such a +lengthy explanation about this young man, but I told her that I did +not think him very handsome. Her Majesty was talking in a very serious +manner but I did not think anything of the occurrence at the time but a +few days later while I was posing for the portrait I heard Her Majesty +whispering to my mother at the other end of the room. I saw that Her +Majesty was holding a photograph in her hands which she showed to my +mother, at the same time asking whether my mother considered him good +looking. My mother answered "not very." On Her Majesty replying that +beauty was not everything I began to suspect that there was something +going on which directly concerned me. I began to think of some excuse +in order to get out of what I could plainly see was a proposed marriage +between myself and this gentleman. I knew that if Her Majesty had made +up her mind that I was to marry him I could not help myself, but, at the +same time, I made up my own mind that rather than marry anyone whom I +did not like, especially one I had never seen before, I would leave the +Court altogether. When Her Majesty retired for her usual afternoon rest +she told me she wanted to see me for a moment. After beating about the +bush for some time, she asked me whether I would like to stay with her +always or whether I would like to go away again to some foreign country. +I at once answered that I was quite satisfied to stay with her as long +as she cared to have me but that when she was tired of me she could then +send me away. Her Majesty informed me that it had been her intention to +marry me to this young gentleman and asked my opinion. I told her that I +did not want to get married at all, especially seeing that my father was +sick at this time, and leaving home to go to live apart from my family +would break his heart and perhaps be the cause of his premature death. +Her Majesty said that was no excuse as I should not have to go out of +China but would be able to see my father and family any time I wished. +I told Her Majesty that I would much rather stay with her altogether and +that I did not want to marry anybody. Her Majesty then said: "I won't +listen to any excuse. I have already explained everything to your +mother, but much to my surprise she said it would be better to mention +it to you first, on account of your having been brought up differently +from the rest of the Court ladies. Had it not been for this fact I would +simply have arranged everything with your mother and the matter would +have been settled so far as you were concerned." I could not say +anything in answer to this, so commenced to cry. I told Her Majesty that +I was not like the rest of the Court ladies who pretended they did not +want to marry, when all the time they were simply looking forward to +getting married, if only for the change from the monotony of Court life. +I promised that I would stay with her forever, and that I had no desire +to go away from China again. I explained that I should not have gone +away at all had it not been that my father was transferred to Paris. Her +Majesty said: "Oh, well, I am very glad that you did go away as you are +more useful to me than you would have been had you stayed in China all +your life." After a lot more discussion Her Majesty said: "Well, I will +leave you to think the matter over. If you don't like the young man I +have chosen there are plenty of others," which remark did not help me +very much as I could see that she meant to marry me off anyway. However, +I had managed to get out of it this time, and thought I would be able +to arrange matters satisfactorily should the question come up again. +Nothing further was said about the matter until nearly a month later +when I heard that a marriage had been arranged between this gentleman +and the daughter of one of the princes. So everything ended very +satisfactorily from my point of view. + +The twenty-sixth day of the eighth moon was the occasion of another +celebration. At the time the Manchu Dynasty began, Emperor Shung Chih, +who had fought very hard to gain the throne, found himself on the +twenty-sixth day of the eighth moon, absolutely out of provisions of +every kind and it was necessary for him and his army to live on the +leaves of trees, which was the only form of food obtainable at the time. +Thus the anniversary of this day, even up to the present time, is always +celebrated by the Manchu people, who deny themselves all luxuries, +especially at the Court. We did not eat any meat on that day, but only +rice wrapped in lettuce leaves. Chopsticks were also discarded and the +food was conveyed to the mouth by the hands alone. Even the Empress +Dowager was no exception to this rule. This is done in order to remind +the present generation of the privation suffered by their ancestors who +established the Manchu Dynasty. + +Towards the close of the eighth moon Her Majesty's gourd plants, which +had been planted early in the spring, were ripening, and each day she +would take us all to see what progress they were making. She would pick +out those which she considered to be the most perfect in form, i. e., +those with the smallest waist and tie ribbons around them so as not to +lose sight of them. She pointed to one of these plants one day, and said +to me: "This reminds me of yourself when dressed in foreign clothes. +Surely you feel more comfortable in the clothes you are now wearing." +When these gourds were quite ripe they were cut down and Her Majesty +would scrape the outer skin with a bamboo knife, afterwards wiping the +fruit with a wet cloth. They were then allowed to dry and after a +few days they would assume a brownish color, when they were ready for +hanging as ornaments in the Summer Palace. In one room alone there were +over 10,000 of these gourds, of different shapes. It was the duty of the +Court ladies to periodically wipe these gourds with a cloth, in order to +give them a shiny appearance, and also to scrape any new ones which were +pulled and prepare them for the Palace. None of us cared very much +about this work excepting Her Majesty. One day whilst attending to these +gourds I happened to knock the top off one of the old ones which was Her +Majesty's particular favorite. I dared not go and tell Her Majesty what +had happened and one of the Court ladies suggested throwing the thing +away altogether and saying nothing about it as Her Majesty would not +be likely to find it out, having so many of them. However, I finally +decided to go and tell Her Majesty about it, and take punishment if +necessary. For a wonder Her Majesty did not make much bother about it. +She said: "Well it was quite an old one in any case and the top was +ready to drop off at any time; it so happens that you were the one to +wipe it, and of course it came off. It can't be helped." I told Her +Majesty that I was very much ashamed at being so careless, especially as +I knew it was one of her favorites, and there the matter ended. All the +rest of the Court ladies were in the waiting room and were anxious to +know how I would get out of it, and when I told them they said that had +it been any of them there would have been a fine row. They laughed, +and said it must be nice to be a favorite which made me feel very +uncomfortable. I told the Young Empress exactly what had happened, and +she said I was quite right to tell Her Majesty the truth and told me to +be very careful as there was much jealousy going on. + +At the beginning of the ninth moon the chrysanthemums commence to bud +and it was the duty of the ladies of the Court to go and trim them each +day by cutting away all the buds except one on each stalk. This trimming +gives the flower a better chance of developing, a much larger blossom +being the result. Even Her Majesty would help with this work. She was +very particular about these plants, and would not allow any of us to +meddle with them if our hands were not perfectly cool, as to touch them +with hot hands would cause the leaves to shrivel up. These flowers are +generally in full bloom about the end of the ninth moon or beginning of +the tenth moon. Her Majesty had a wonderful gift of being able to tell +what kind of flower would bloom from each separate plant, even before +the buds appeared. She would say: "This is going to be a red flower," +and we would place a bamboo stick in the flower pot, with the name +written on it. Then another, Her Majesty would declare to be a white one +and we would place a similar bamboo stick in the flower pot, with the +description, and so on. Her Majesty said: "This is your first year at +the Palace and no doubt you are surprised at what you have just seen and +heard me say, but I have never yet made a mistake. For you will see when +the flowers commence to bloom." It was a fact as everything turned out +exactly as she had predicted. None of us ever knew how she was able to +distinguish one from the other, but she was always right. I did once ask +her to explain how she was able to tell but she answered that it was a +secret. + +All this time the portrait was proceeding very slowly and one day Her +Majesty asked me how long I thought it would be before it was finished +and what the custom in Europe was as regards remuneration for such a +portrait. I replied that it was customary to pay very handsomely, but +she would not hear of such a suggestion, saying that in China it was not +the custom and that it would be regarded as an insult to offer money for +such a service. She suggested decorating Miss Carl as a reward for her +services, which she considered would be appreciated far more than +a money present. There was nothing for me to say at this time but I +determined to mention the matter again when a favorable opportunity +occurred. + +During the ninth moon a Russian circus visited Peking and of course +everybody talked of little else. Her Majesty, hearing so much talk about +this circus asked what it was like, and after we had explained to her, +she became very interested and said that she would like to see it. My +mother thought it would be a good idea to have the circus brought up to +the Summer Palace, where they could perform, so she asked Her Majesty +whether this might be done. Her Majesty was delighted with the idea, and +arrangements were accordingly made for the performance. While everything +was being fixed, the people belonging to the circus, and the animals, +were quartered near our own house and we had to feed them at our own +expense. However, we wanted to show Her Majesty what a circus was like +so the expense did not matter. It took them two days to erect the tent +and make all necessary preparations, and during this time Her Majesty +received reports as to what was being done, and the progress they were +making. + +The day before the performance, we noticed that Her Majesty, on coming +from her audience, looked very angry, and on our enquiring what was the +matter she informed my mother and myself that some censors had raised +objections against having this circus in the Palace grounds, as there +had never been anything of this kind allowed before and they had begged +Her Majesty to give up the idea. Her Majesty was very angry, and said: +"You see how much power I have here; I cannot even have a circus without +somebody raising objections. I think we had better pay them something +and let them go away." Of course we agreed to anything she thought best. +After considering for a time Her Majesty jumped up and said: "They have +the tent up already; they will talk just the same whether we have the +circus or not; I will have it anyway." So the performance duly took +place and Her Majesty and all the Court were delighted. One item +consisted of a young girl walking and dancing on a large globe. This +especially pleased Her Majesty and she insisted on the performance being +repeated several times. Another item of interest was the trapeze act. Of +course nobody present with the exception of my mother, sister and myself +had ever seen a circus performance before, and Her Majesty was very +much afraid that the man would fall from the trapeze and kill himself. +Another thing which interested Her Majesty was the bare-back riding, +which she thought simply wonderful. The only objection to the whole show +which she raised was when it was suggested to bring in the lions and +tigers, etc. She said it was not safe to bring wild beasts into the +Palace and that she would rather not see this part of the performance. +The proprietor of the circus, however, brought in a small baby elephant +which performed several clever tricks. This delighted Her Majesty more +than anything else and when the proprietor saw how pleased she was he +offered the elephant as a present, which she accepted. However, after +the performance was over we tried to make him go through his tricks +again but he would not budge an inch, so we had to give it up as a +bad job and send him away to be placed along with the other elephants +belonging to the Palace. + +Altogether there were three performances given by the circus, and before +the final performance, the circus Manager told me that he would very +much like to show the lions and tigers: there was no chance of any +accident and it really would be worth seeing. So after a lot of +discussion Her Majesty finally consented to allow them to be brought +in but on the distinct understanding that they should not be let out of +their cages. + +When they were brought in the ring all the eunuchs gathered around Her +Majesty, and after remaining in the ring for a few minutes Her Majesty +ordered them to be taken away again. She said: "I am not afraid for +myself, but they might get loose and hurt some of the people." This item +finished the whole of the performance and the circus departed richer by +some Taels 10,000 which Her Majesty had ordered to be given to them. + +For the next couple of days we discussed the merits of the circus but +afterwards, Her Majesty, when referring to the subject, expressed great +disappointment with the whole thing. She said she had expected +something entirely different and far more wonderful. This was another +characteristic of Her Majesty; nothing pleased her for more than +five minutes at a time. She said to me: "I don't see anything at all +wonderful in foreign accomplishments. Take for instance this portrait +which this lady is painting. I don't think it is going to be at all a +good picture, it seems so rough. (Her Majesty did not understand oil +painting). Then again why should she always want to have the things +before her while painting them. An ordinary Chinese artist could paint +my dress, shoes, etc., after seeing the things once. She cannot be very +much of an artist in my opinion, though you need not tell her that I +said so." Continuing, Her Majesty said: "By the way, what do you talk +about when you are posing for this portrait of mine; although I don't +understand what she is saying, still I can see she has a lot to say. Be +sure not to tell her anything connected with the Court life and do not +teach her any Chinese. I hear that she often asks what different things +are called in Chinese, but don't tell her. The less she knows the better +for us. I can see that she has seen nothing of our ordinary Court +life, as yet. I wonder what she would say if she were to see one of the +eunuchs being punished, or anything like that. She would think that we +were savages, I suppose. I noticed the other day, when I was angry, that +you took this lady artist away. This was very wise of you; it is +better that she should not see me in a temper, she might talk about +it afterwards. I wish this portrait was finished. The cool weather is +coming on and we have to open up the boxes and get our winter clothes +ready. You girls need winter clothes I know as you have none but foreign +dresses. Then, again, my birthday is next month and there will be the +usual celebrations. After that we return to the Sea Palace, and what can +we do with this artist? I suppose she will have to go back and stay at +the American Legation and come to the Sea Palace each day until the work +is finished. This will be a lot of trouble as it is not ten minutes' +drive as at present, but nearer an hour's drive. And even if this can be +satisfactorily arranged, what about the Winter Palace in the Forbidden +City? Try and get to know how long she expects to be before it is +finished." This gave me an opportunity to tell Her Majesty that Miss +Carl was just as anxious to get the work finished as she was to have it +finished, but explained that Miss Carl had very little time to paint as +Her Majesty could spare very little time to give personal sittings, and +again, when Her Majesty went to lie down each afternoon, Miss Carl had +to stop painting as she was working in the next room to Her Majesty's +bedroom. Her Majesty replied: "Well, if she expects me to sit for her +all day long I will give up the whole thing at once," and then added: "I +think you yourself are getting tired of sitting, and want me to take it +up again, but I have already had quite enough of it." Of course, I told +her that instead of being tired of it, I enjoyed sitting on Her Throne, +which I regarded as a great honor. I explained to Her Majesty that Miss +Carl did not like me to pose in her place, as she could not get along +so quickly as if she were to sit herself; but she simply said that I was +acting under her commands, and that should be sufficient for me. + +For the next ten days we were kept very busy selecting materials for +winter clothing and also official robes for my sister and myself to be +worn during the forthcoming birthday celebrations. These dresses were +full winter Court dresses, of red satin embroidered with golden dragons +and blue clouds, and were trimmed with gold braid and lined with grey +squirrel. The cuffs and collars (which were turned down) were of sable. +While Her Majesty was giving one of the eunuchs instructions as to how +these were to be made, the Young Empress beckoned to me, and I went out. +She said: "You go and kowtow to Her Majesty as it is a great favor for +her to give you a dress trimmed with sable. This is usually only worn +by a Princess." So when I returned to the room I availed myself of the +first opportunity to kowtow and thank Her Majesty for the great favor +she had granted me. She answered: "You deserve it, and I see no +reason why you should not be treated as a Princess anyway; many of the +Princesses are not of the Imperial family. Any title may be bestowed for +special services rendered to the country and you have been of more help +to me than any other Court lady I have ever had, and I can see that you +are faithful in the discharge of your duties. You may think I do not +notice these things, but I do. You are certainly entitled to be +ranked as a Princess, and in fact I never treat you different from the +Princesses, but rather better in many ways." Turning to a eunuch she +said: "Bring my fur cap here." This cap was made of sable, trimmed +with pearls and jade and Her Majesty explained that our caps would be +something after the same style except that the crown, instead of +being yellow as in the case of Her Majesty's cap, would be red. I was +naturally delighted. In addition to the cap and full Court dress Her +Majesty had two ordinary dresses made for everyday wear, one lined with +sheepskin and the other lined with grey squirrel. Then she gave us four +other dresses of finer material, lined with black and white fox skin, +and all trimmed with gold braid and embroidered ribbons. In addition +there were two other dresses, one of a pale pink color, embroidered with +one hundred butterflies and the other of a reddish color embroidered +with green bamboo leaves. Several short jackets, also lined with fur, +were also included in Her Majesty's present, and several sleeveless +jackets went to complete the lot. + +On coming out of the room, one of the Court ladies remarked that I was +very lucky to receive so many clothes from Her Majesty and said that +she had never received so many during the whole time she had been at +the Palace--nearly ten years. I could see she was jealous. The young +Empress, overhearing this conversation, joined us and told her that when +I arrived at the Palace I had nothing but foreign clothes and how was +I to manage if Her Majesty did not get me the proper dresses. This +incident was the beginning of another unpleasant time for me with the +ladies of the Court. At first I took no notice until one day one of the +girls attached to the Palace joined in the unkind remarks. She said that +before my arrival she had been Her Majesty's particular favorite, but +I gave her to understand that she had no right to discuss me in any +way whatsoever. The Young Empress, who was present, spoke to them about +their treatment of me and said that some fine day I would be telling +Her Majesty about it. This seemed to have a good effect for they never +troubled me much afterwards with their talk. + + + +CHAPTER SIXTEEN--THE SUMMER PALACE + +JUST about the end of the ninth moon Her Majesty began to tire of doing +nothing day after day, and said: "What is the use of waiting until the +first of the month to have the theatrical performance? Let us have a +performance to-morrow." So she gave instructions for the eunuchs to +prepare for the play, which should be staged without the assistance of +any outside actors. I might here mention that certain of the eunuchs +were specially trained as actors and used to study their parts every +day. Indeed, they were far cleverer than the professionals from outside. + +Her Majesty gave the head eunuch the list of the plays she wished to be +performed, which were for the most part dramatised fairy tales, and we +had a performance the next day. + +After Her Majesty had gone to rest in the afternoon, during the +theatrical performance I met the Emperor returning to his own Palace. +I was surprised to see only one eunuch in attendance. This was the +Emperor's own private eunuch and he trusted him implicitly. He asked me +where I was going and I told him I was going to my room to rest a while. +He remarked that he had not seen me for quite a long time, which made me +laugh as I saw him every morning at the audience. He said: "I don't +get as much chance of chatting with you as formerly since this portrait +painting began. I am afraid I am not making much progress with my +English as I have nobody to help me now that your time is occupied with +this lady artist. You appear to enjoy her company very much. All the +same I suppose it is very monotonous. Has she found out yet that you +are there simply to keep an eye upon her?" I told him that I was very +careful not to betray myself in any way and that I did not think she +suspected she was being watched. + +The Emperor then said: "I understand there is a rumor to the effect that +when this lady has finished Her Majesty's portrait she is going to paint +mine. I should very much like to know who says so." I told him this was +the first I had heard about it so could not say. I asked him whether he +would like to have his portrait painted but he only answered: "That is +rather a difficult question for me to answer. You know best whether I +ought to have it painted or not. + +"I see Her Majesty having so many photographs taken and even the eunuchs +are in the picture." I understood at once what he meant, so I asked him +if he wished me to take him with my little kodak. He looked surprised +and asked: "Can you take pictures, too? If it is not too risky for us, +we might try it some day when we have an opportunity. Don't forget, but +I think we must be very careful." + +He then changed the conversation by saying: "Well, now that we have +time to talk I want to ask you a question and I expect you to answer +me truly. What is the general opinion amongst the foreigners regarding +myself? Do they consider me a man of character and do they think me +clever? I am very anxious to know." Before I could say anything in +answer to this question he continued: "I know very well that they regard +me as nothing more than a boy, and as being of no consequence at all. +Tell me, is not this so?" I replied that many foreigners had asked +me about him--as to what kind of man he was, but that they had never +expressed any opinion of their own regarding him excepting that they +understood he was in the best of health. "If any wrong impression does +exist regarding myself and my position at the Court," continued the +Emperor, "it is owing to the very conservative customs of the Chinese +Court. I am not expected to either say or do anything on my own +initiative, consequently outsiders never hear much about me and I am +regarded as being nothing more than a figure-head. I know this is +so. Whenever they ask you about me in the future just explain to them +exactly what my position here is. I have plenty of ideas regarding the +development of this country but you know I am not able to carry them out +as I am not my own master. I don't think the Empress Dowager herself +has sufficient power to alter the state of things existing in China at +present, and even if she has, she is not willing to. I am afraid it will +be a long time before anything can be done towards reform." + +The Emperor went on to say how nice it would be if he were allowed to +travel about from place to place the same as the European monarchs, but +of course such a thing was out of the question for him. I told him +that several Princesses had expressed a wish to visit the St. Louis +Exposition and said I thought it would be a good thing if that could be +arranged as they would see for themselves the difference between their +own country and customs and foreign countries and customs. The Emperor +expressed doubts as to this permission being granted as such a thing had +never been heard of before. + +We talked for quite a long time, mostly about foreign customs, and the +Emperor remarked that he would very much like to visit Europe and see +for himself how things were carried on there. + +Just then one of my eunuchs came and said that Her Majesty was awake, so +I had to hurry off to her room. + +We now arrive at the tenth moon. + +The first day it snowed, and the head eunuch enquired of Her Majesty +whether it was her intention to celebrate her birthday at the Summer +Palace as usual. As previously explained the Summer Palace was Her +Majesty's favorite place of abode; so she replied in the affirmative and +arrangements were accordingly made for the celebration to be held there +as usual. The head eunuch then brought Her Majesty a list giving the +names and ranks of all the Princesses and the names of the wives and +daughters of the Manchu officials, and she selected those whom she +wished to be present at the celebrations. On this occasion she selected +forty-five ladies, who were duly informed that she desired their +presence at the Palace. I was standing behind Her Majesty's chair all +this time, and she turned and said: "Usually I do not ask many people to +my birthday celebrations, but on this occasion I have made an exception +as I want you to see the way they dress and how ignorant they are of +Court etiquette." + +The celebrations commenced on the sixth day of the tenth moon. Miss +Carl, having returned to the American Legation in Peking for the time +being, my mother, my sister and myself went back to the Palace again. +Early on the morning of the sixth, the eunuchs decorated the verandas +with different colored silks and hung lanterns all over the place and +amongst the trees. At about seven o'clock in the morning the visitors +began to arrive and I quite agreed with what Her Majesty had told me +about them. The eunuchs introduced them to all the Court ladies, but +they seemed to have very little to say, appearing very shy. They were +then conducted to the waiting room, but there were so many of them that +we Court ladies had to stand outside on the veranda. Some of them were +very expensively dressed, but their colors were, for the most part, very +old fashioned, and their manners very awkward. We watched them for quite +a while and then went off to report to Her Majesty. + +On such occasions as this Her Majesty was generally in pretty good +spirits. She commenced asking us a lot of questions. Amongst other +things she asked whether we had noticed an elderly lady among the +visitors, dressed as a bride. She explained that this lady was the only +Manchu lady present who was married to a Chinese official, and had been +invited because of her previous connection with the Court. Her Majesty +said she had never seen her herself, but understood that she was a +very clever woman. We had not noticed such a person, and suggested that +perhaps she had not yet arrived. + +Her Majesty dressed very quickly, and as soon as she was ready she +came into the hall, where the head eunuch brought in the visitors and +presented them to Her Majesty. We Court ladies were all standing in +a row behind the Throne. As they came in, some kowtowed; others +courtesied, while others did not do anything at all, in fact nobody +appeared to know what to do with herself. Her Majesty spoke a few words +of welcome and thanked them for the presents they had sent her. + +I would like to say here that, contrary to the general idea which +exists, Her Majesty always expressed her thanks for any present or +service rendered, no matter how insignificant. + +Her Majesty could see plainly that everybody was embarrassed and ordered +the head eunuch to show them to their respective rooms, and told them +to make themselves at home and to go and take a rest. They hesitated a +moment, not knowing whether to go or not, until Her Majesty said to us: +"Take them and present them to the Young Empress." + +When we arrived at the Palace of the Young Empress they were duly +presented and were not nearly so shy as before. The Young Empress +informed them that in case they desired to know anything or to be put +right on any point of Court etiquette, the Court ladies would be pleased +to give them all necessary information and she decided that the best way +would be for each Court lady to have charge of so many of the visitors, +as it would not be nice to have any mistakes occur during the ceremony, +on the tenth. So we each were allotted so many guests and had to look +after them and instruct them how to act on the different occasions. + +During Her Majesty's afternoon rest I paid a visit to the guests I was +to take charge of. Among them was the bride referred to by Her +Majesty. So I went and made myself agreeable to her and found her very +interesting. She had evidently received a good education, unlike the +majority of Manchu ladies, as I found she could read and write Chinese +exceptionally well. I then explained to all of them what they would have +to do, and how to address Her Majesty, should it be necessary to do +so. I don't know whether I have mentioned it previously, but whenever +anybody spoke to Her Majesty, they always addressed her as "Great +Ancestor," and when referring to themselves, instead of the pronoun "I," +they would say "Your slave." In all Manchu families a similar rule is +observed, the pronouns "You" and "I" being dispensed with and the titles +"Mother" and "Father" and the son's or daughter's first name being +substituted. + +Her Majesty was very particular about this rule being strictly observed. + +For the next four days, until the day of the ceremony, these visitors +passed their time in learning the Court etiquette and going to the +theatre. + +Every morning, as usual, we waited on Her Majesty and reported anything +of interest which had occurred during the previous day. Then we all +preceded Her Majesty to the theatre, where we awaited her arrival +standing in the courtyard. On Her Majesty appearing, we would all kneel +down until she had passed into the building opposite the stage, kneeling +in rows--first the Emperor, behind him the Young Princess, next the +Secondary wife, then the Princesses and Court ladies, and last of all +the visitors. The first two days everything went of all right, but +on the third morning the Emperor, from whom we received the signal, +suddenly turned and said: "Her Majesty is coming." Down we all went on +our knees, the Emperor alone remaining standing and laughing at us. +Of course there was no sign of Her Majesty and everybody joined in the +laugh. He was never so happy as when he could work off a joke like this. + +On the evening of the ninth, none of the Court ladies went to bed, as we +all had to be up betimes on the morning of the tenth. The visitors were +told to proceed by chair to Her Majesty's special Audience Hall on the +top of the hill, where they were to await our arrival. They arrived at +the Audience Hall at three o'clock in the morning, and we followed +soon afterwards, arriving there about daybreak. By and bye Her Majesty +arrived and the ceremony commenced. This ceremony in no way differed +from the one previously described in connection with the Emperor's +birthday, so there is no need to give particulars, except one thing. +Very early on the morning of the tenth, we had to bring another present +to her and each of us brought a hundred birds of various kinds. Each +year, on her birthday, Her Majesty did a very peculiar thing. She would +buy 10,000 birds with her own money, from her private purse and set them +free. It was a very pretty sight to see those huge cages hung in the +courtyard of the Audience Hall. Her Majesty would select the most lucky +hour and order the eunuchs to carry the cages and to follow her. The +hour selected was four o'clock in the afternoon. Her Majesty took the +whole Court with her to the top of the hill, where there was a Temple. +First she burnt sandal wood and offered up prayers to the Gods, then the +eunuchs, each with a cage of birds, knelt in front of Her Majesty and +she opened each cage one after another and watched the birds fly away, +and prayed to the Gods that these birds should not be caught again. +Her Majesty did this very seriously and we asked each other in whispers +which bird we thought was the prettiest and would like to keep it for +ourselves. Among this lot there were a few parrots. Some were pink; +others were red and green; all were chained on stands, and when the +eunuchs broke the chains, the parrots would not move. Her Majesty said: +"How funny; each year a few parrots will not go away at all and I have +kept them until they died. Look at them now. They won't go away." +By this time the head eunuch arrived. Her Majesty told him what had +happened and he immediately knelt down and said: "Your Majesty's great +luck. These parrots understand Your Majesty's kindness and would rather +stay here and serve Your Majesty." This ceremony is called "Fang Sheng." +It is considered a very meritorious action and will not fail of reward +in Heaven. + +One of the Court ladies asked me what I thought of the parrots that +would not fly away, and I told her that it was really very strange. She +said: "It is very simple and not strange at all. These eunuchs, ordered +by the head one, have bought these parrots long ago and trained them. +During Her Majesty's afternoon rest, these parrots were brought to the +top of the very same hill every day to accustom them to the place. The +object of this is just to please and otherwise fool Her Majesty, to make +her feel happy and believe that she is so merciful that even such dumb +things would rather stay with her." Continuing, she said: "The huge joke +is this: while Her Majesty is letting the birds free, there are a few +eunuchs waiting at the rear of the hill to capture them and sell them +again, and so, no matter how Her Majesty prays for their freedom, they +will be caught at once." + +The celebrations were continued until the thirteenth day. Nobody did any +work and all was gaiety and enjoyment, the theatre being open every day. +Towards the close of the thirteenth day the visitors were informed that +the celebrations were at an end and they made arrangements to leave +early the next morning. They all bade Her Majesty good-bye that evening +and departed early the following day. + +For the next few days we were all busy preparing for removing to the Sea +Palace. Her Majesty consulted her book and finally selected the 22d as +being the most favorable day for this removal. So at six o'clock on +the morning of the 22d the whole Court left the Summer Palace. It was +snowing very heavily and the journey was only accomplished with great +difficulty. Of course we were all in chairs, as usual, and the eunuchs +who were not employed as chair-bearers rode horseback. Many of +the horses fell on the slippery stones and one of Her Majesty's +chair-bearers also slipped and brought Her Majesty to the ground. All of +a sudden I thought something dreadful had happened, horses galloping and +eunuchs howling: "Stop! Stop!!" I heard someone saying: "See if she is +still alive." The whole procession stopped and blocked the way. This +happened on the stone road just before entering the Western Gate. +Finally we saw that Her Majesty's chair was resting on the ground, so +we all alighted and went forward to see what had happened. A great many +people were talking excitedly all at the same time, and for a moment I +was rather frightened (for just about that time we heard a rumor that +some of the revolutionists were going to take the life of the whole +Court, and, although we heard that, we did not dare tell Her Majesty), +so I immediately went to her chair and found her sitting there +composedly giving orders to the chief eunuch not to punish this +chair-bearer, for he was not to blame, the stones being wet and very +slippery. Li Lien Ying said that would never do, for this chair-bearer +must have been careless, and how dare he carry the Old Buddha in this +careless way. After saying this, he turned his head to the beaters +(these beaters, carrying bamboo sticks, went everywhere with the Court, +for such occasions as this) and said: "Give him eighty blows on his +back." This poor victim, who was kneeling on the muddy ground, heard the +order. The beaters took him about a hundred yards away from us, pushed +him down and started to do their duty. It did not take very long to +give the eighty blows and, much to my surprise, this man got up, after +receiving the punishment, as if nothing had happened to him. He looked +just as calm as could be. While we were waiting a eunuch handed me a cup +of tea, which I presented to Her Majesty, and asked her if she was +hurt. She smiled and said it was nothing, ordering us to proceed on our +journey. I must explain about this tea; the eunuchs had it prepared +all the time and always carried a little stove along with hot water. +Although this went every time when the Court moved, it was seldom used. + +As usual, all the Court ladies take a short cut to the Palace, so as to +be ready to receive Her Majesty, when she arrived. After waiting in the +courtyard for quite a long time, during which we were nearly frozen, +Her Majesty arrived, and we all knelt until she had passed, and then +followed her into the Palace. Her Majesty also complained of the cold +and ordered that fires should be brought into the hall. These fires were +built in brass portable stoves lined with clay, and were lighted outside +and brought into the hall after the smoke had passed off somewhat. There +were four stoves in all. All the windows and doors were closed, there +being no ventilation of any description, and very soon I began to feel +sick. However, I went on with my work getting Her Majesty's things in +order until I must have fainted, for the next thing I remembered was +waking up in a strange bed and inquiring where I was, but on hearing Her +Majesty giving orders in the next room, I knew it was all right. One of +the Court ladies brought me a cup of turnip juice which Her Majesty said +I was to drink. I drank it and felt much better. I was informed that Her +Majesty had gone to rest, and so I went off to sleep again myself. When +I awoke, Her Majesty was standing by my bedside. I tried to get up, but +found that I was too weak, so Her Majesty told me to lie still and keep +quiet and I would soon be all right again. She said that I had better +have a room close to her bedroom, and gave instructions for the eunuchs +to remove me there as soon as it was prepared. Every few minutes Her +Majesty would send to inquire how I was progressing and whether I wanted +anything to eat. It was the custom to stand up whenever receiving a +message from Her Majesty, but it was out of the question for me to do +so, although I tried, with the result that I made myself worse than +ever. + +Towards evening the head eunuch came to see me and brought several +plates of sweetmeats. He was very nice, and told me that I was very +fortunate, as Her Majesty very rarely bothered herself about any of +the Court ladies and that evidently she had taken a fancy to me. He sat +talking for some little time, and told me to eat some of the sweetmeats. +Of course I was not able to eat anything at all, let alone sweetmeats, +so I told him to leave them and I would eat them later. Before leaving +he said that in case I wanted anything I was to let him know. This visit +was a great surprise to me, as usually he took very little notice of +any of us, but I was told afterwards that the reason he was so nice was +because Her Majesty showed such an interest in me. + +The next morning I was able to get up and resume my duties. I went in +to see Her Majesty and kowtowed to her, thanking her for her kindness +during my indisposition. Her Majesty said that the head eunuch had told +her the previous evening that I was much better and that she was glad I +was up and about again. She said it was nothing serious, simply that I +was unaccustomed to the fumes from the fires, which had gone to my head. + +As the snow had stopped falling, Her Majesty decided that the next day +we would go and choose a place for Miss Carl to continue the painting. +I suggested that perhaps it would be better if we waited until Miss Carl +arrived herself, so that she could choose a suitable place for her work, +but Her Majesty said that would not do at all, because if it were left +to Miss Carl, doubtless she would choose some impossible place. Of +course there were many parts of the Palace which were kept quite private +and Miss Carl would not be allowed to go there. So the next day +Her Majesty and myself set out to find a place. After visiting many +different rooms, all of which were too dark, we finally fixed on a +room on the lake side of the Palace. Her Majesty said: "This is very +convenient, as you can go to and fro either by chair or by water." I +found that it took about three-quarters of an hour by chair to get to +the Palace Gate, and rather less than that by boat. I was expecting +to return to stay at the Palace with Her Majesty, but it was finally +decided that this would not do, as it would not be policy to allow Miss +Carl, who was staying at the American Legation, to go in and out of the +Palace Gate alone, so Her Majesty said it would be better for me to stay +at my father's place in the city and bring Miss Carl to the Palace +each morning, returning with her in the evening. This was anything but +pleasant, but I had no other alternative than to obey Her Majesty's +instructions. + +When Miss Carl arrived at the Palace the next day and saw the room which +had been selected for her to work in, she was not at all pleased. In the +first place she said it was too dark, so Her Majesty ordered the paper +windows to be replaced by glass. This made the room too bright, and Miss +Carl asked for some curtains so as to focus the light on the picture. +When I informed Her Majesty of this request, she said: "Well, this is +the first time I have ever changed anything in the Palace except to suit +myself. First I alter the windows, and she is not satisfied, but must +have curtains. I think we had better take the roof off, then perhaps +she may be suited." However, we fixed up the curtains to Miss Carl's +satisfaction. + +When Her Majesty examined the portrait to see how it was progressing, +she said to me: "After all the trouble we have had over this picture, I +am afraid it is not going to be anything very wonderful. I notice that +the pearls in my cape are painted in different colors; some look white, +some pink, while others are green. You tell her about it." I tried to +explain to Her Majesty that Miss Carl had simply painted the pearls +as she saw them, according to the different shades of light, but Her +Majesty could not understand that at all and asked if I could see +anything green about them, or pink either. I again explained that this +was simply the tints caused by the light falling on the pearls, but she +replied that she could not see any shade except white. However, after a +while she did not seem to trouble any further about the matter. + +Situated in a room near Her Majesty's bedroom in the Sea Palace was +a Pagoda, about ten feet in height, made of carved sandalwood. This +contained various images of Buddha, which Her Majesty used to worship +every morning. The ceremony consisted of Her Majesty burning incense +before the Pagoda, while a Court lady was told off each day to kowtow +before the images. Her Majesty told me that this Pagoda had been in the +Palace for more than a hundred years. Among the different images was one +representing the Goddess of Mercy. This image was only about five inches +in height and was made of pure gold. The inside was hollow and contained +all the principal anatomical parts of the human body, made out of jade +and pearls. This Goddess of Mercy was supposed to possess wonderful +powers and Her Majesty often worshiped before it when in any trouble, +and maintained that on many occasions her prayers had been answered. She +said: "Of course, when I pray to the image, I pray earnestly, not the +same as you girls, who simply kowtow because it is your duty and then +get away as quickly as possible." Her Majesty went on to say that she +was quite aware that many of the people in China were discarding the +religion of their ancestors in favor of Christianity, and that she was +very much grieved that this was so. + +Her Majesty was a firm believer in the old Chinese superstitions +connected with the Sea Palace, and during one of our conversations she +told me I was not to be surprised at anything I saw. She said it was +quite a common occurrence for a person walking beside you to suddenly +disappear altogether, and explained that they were simply foxes who took +human shape to suit their purpose. They had probably lived in the Sea +Palace for thousands of years and possessed this power of changing their +form at will. She said that no doubt the eunuchs would tell me they were +spirits or ghosts, but that was not true: they were sacred foxes and +would harm nobody. As if to confirm this superstition, one evening, a +few days later, my fire having gone out, I sent my eunuch to see if any +of the other Court ladies were awake, and if so, to try to get me +some hot water. He went out taking his lantern along with him, but he +returned almost immediately with a face as white as chalk. On inquiring +what was the matter, he replied: "I have seen a ghost: a woman, who came +up to me, blew the light out and disappeared." I told him that perhaps +it was one of the servant girls, but he said "No"; he knew all the women +attached to the Palace and he had never seen this one before. He stuck +to it that it was a ghost. I told him that Her Majesty had said there +were no ghosts, but that it might be a fox which had taken human shape. +He replied: "It was not a fox. Her Majesty calls them foxes, because she +is afraid to call them ghosts." He went on to tell me that many years +previously the head eunuch, Li Lien Ying, while walking in the courtyard +back of Her Majesty's Palace, saw a young servant girl sitting on the +edge of the well. He went over to ask her what she was doing there, but +on getting closer he found that there were several other girls there +also, and on seeing him approach, they all deliberately jumped down +the well. He immediately raised the alarm, and on one of the attendants +coming forward with a lantern, he explained what had occurred. The +attendant showed him that it was impossible for anybody to jump into the +well, as it was covered with a large stone. My eunuch said that a long +time before this several girls did actually commit suicide by jumping +down this well, and that what Li Lien Ying had seen were the ghosts of +these girls, and nothing more. It is believed by the Chinese that when +a person commits suicide their spirit remains in the neighborhood until +such time as they can entice somebody else to commit suicide, when they +are free to go to another world, and not before. I told him that I +did not believe such things and that I would very much like to see for +myself. He replied: "You will only want to see it once; that will be +sufficient." + +Things went along in the usual way until the first day of the eleventh +moon, when Her Majesty issued orders to the Court that as the eleventh +moon contained so many anniversaries of the deaths of previous rulers +of China, the usual theatrical performance would be eliminated and the +Court dress would in addition be modified to suit the occasion. On the +ninth day the Emperor was to go and worship at the Temple of Heaven. So, +as was customary on all these occasions, he confined himself to his own +private apartments for three days before the ninth, during which time +he held no communication whatsoever with anybody excepting his private +eunuchs. Not even the Young Empress, his wife, was allowed to see him +during these three days. + +This ceremony did not differ very materially from the other sacrifices, +except that pigs were killed and placed on the numerous altars of +the Temple, where they remained for a time, after which they were +distributed among the different officials. The eating of the flesh of +these pigs, which had been blessed, was believed to bring good luck and +prosperity, and the officials who were presented with them considered +themselves greatly favored by Her Majesty. Another difference was that +the Emperor could not appoint a substitute to officiate for him; but +must attend in person, no matter what the circumstances might be. The +reason for this was, that according to the ancient law, the Emperor +signs the death warrant of every person sentenced to death, record of +which is kept in the Board of Punishments. At the end of the year the +name of each person executed is written on a piece of yellow paper and +sent to the Emperor. When the time for worshiping at the Temple arrives, +he takes this yellow paper and burns it in order that the ashes may +go up to Heaven and his ancestors know that he has been fearless and +faithful, and has done his duty according to the law. + +As this ceremony of worshiping at the Temple of Heaven was to take place +in the Forbidden City, in spite of Her Majesty's dislike to the place, +she commanded that the whole of the Court be transferred there, +her reason for this being that she did not wish to be away from the +Emperor's side even for an hour. So we all moved to the Palace in the +Forbidden City. After the ceremony was over, the Court was to return +to the Sea Palace, but as the thirteenth day was the anniversary of the +death of the Emperor Kang Hsi, it was decided that we should remain in +the Forbidden City, where the ceremony was to be held. The Emperor Kang +Hsi ruled over the Chinese Empire for sixty-one years, the longest reign +of any Chinese Ruler up to the present time, and Her Majesty told us +that he was the most wonderful Emperor China had ever had and that we +must respect his memory accordingly. + + + +CHAPTER SEVENTEEN--THE AUDIENCE HALL + +ON the fourteenth day of the eleventh moon, after the morning audience, +Her Majesty informed us that there was a likelihood of war breaking +out between Russia and Japan and that she was very much troubled, as +although it actually had nothing whatever to do with China, she was +afraid they would fight on Chinese territory and that in the long run +China would suffer in some way or other. Of course we did not bother +ourselves about it much at the moment, but the next morning the head +eunuch reported to Her Majesty that fifty eunuchs were missing. As there +was no apparent reason for this, everybody was much excited. There +was no rule against any of the eunuchs going into the city after their +duties were ended, providing they returned before the Palace Gate was +closed, but when on the following morning it was reported that another +hundred eunuchs had also disappeared, Her Majesty at once said: "I know +now what the trouble is; they must have heard what I said about this war +coming on and are afraid there may be a repetition of the Boxer trouble, +and so they have cleared out." It was the custom whenever a eunuch +was missing to send out search parties and have him brought back and +punished, but in the present instance Her Majesty gave instructions that +nothing was to be done about recapturing them. One morning, however, +one of Her Majesty's personal attendants was missing, which made her +furious. She said that she had been very kind to this particular eunuch +in many ways, and this was all the thanks she got; he ran away at the +first sign of trouble. I myself had noticed how good she had been to +this eunuch, but I was not really sorry that he had left, as he used to +take advantage of every opportunity of getting some of the Court ladies +into trouble. + +These disappearances continued from day to day until Her Majesty decided +that it would be safer for us to remain in the Forbidden City until the +following spring at any rate. + +On inquiring from my eunuch the cause of these disappearances, he said +that it was just as Her Majesty suspected; they were afraid of getting +mixed up in another such affair as the Boxer trouble, and added that +he was not a bit surprised at Her Majesty's favorite eunuch going along +with the rest. He further told me that even Li Lien Ying himself was not +to be absolutely relied upon, as at the time of Her Majesty's leaving +Peking for Shi An during the Boxer movement, he had feigned sickness, +and followed a little later, so that in the event of anything happening, +he would be able to return and make his escape. While talking about Li +Lien Ying, my eunuch told me in confidence that he was responsible for +the death of many innocent people, mostly eunuchs. He had unlimited +power at the Court, and it was very easy for him to get anybody put +away who offended him or to whom, for some reason or another, he took +a dislike. Furthermore, the eunuch informed me that, although not +generally known, Li Lien Ying was addicted to opium-smoking, which habit +he indulged in very freely. Even Her Majesty was unaware of this, as +opium-smoking was strictly forbidden in the Palace. + +Each morning there was fresh news regarding the trouble between Russia +and Japan, and of course everybody gradually became very much excited +at the Palace. One day Her Majesty summoned the whole of the Court to a +special audience and there informed us that there was no need for us to +get excited at all; that if any trouble did occur, it was none of our +business and we should not be interfered with, as the spirits of our +ancestors were watching over us, and she did not want to hear any more +talk and gossip on the subject. However, she summoned all of the Court +ladies to her apartment and there commanded us to pray to the spirits of +our ancestors to protect us, which plainly showed that she was just as +much worried as we were ourselves. In spite of what she had said with +reference to gossiping about this trouble, Her Majesty often spoke about +it herself, and during one of our conversations she said she wished she +could get information each day as to what was actually occurring, so +I suggested that it would be very easy to get all the latest news by +taking the foreign papers and also Reuter's specials. Her Majesty jumped +at the suggestion and told me to have these sent each day to my father's +house in his name, and have them brought to the Palace, where I could +translate them for her. I told her that my father received all these +papers as they were published, so I arranged that they should be brought +along as directed by Her Majesty. Each morning during the audience I +translated into Chinese all the war news, but the telegrams began to +arrive so rapidly that it soon became quite impossible for me to write +them all out in Chinese, so I told Her Majesty that I would read and +translate them into Chinese as they arrived. This was much quicker +and interested Her Majesty so much that she insisted on my not only +translating the war news, but everything else of interest in the papers. +Especially was she interested in all news appertaining to the movements, +etc., of the crowned heads of Europe, and was very plainly astonished +when she learned that their every movement was known. She said: "Here, +at any rate, it is more private, for nobody outside the Palace ever +knows what is going on inside, not even my own people. It would be a +good thing if they did know a little more, then perhaps all these rumors +about the Palace would stop." + +Of course, during our stay in the Forbidden City, Miss Carl attended +each morning to work on the portrait. We had given her a nice room, +which seemed to suit her very well, and Her Majesty had instructed me +to let her have every convenience possible to assist her, as she was +getting tired of the business and would like to see it finished quickly. +Her Majesty hardly ever went near the place herself, but when she did +go, she would be most affable and, really, one would think that it was +the greatest pleasure of her life to go and inspect the portrait. + +Things went very slowly during this eleventh moon on account of the +Court being in mourning, so one day Her Majesty suggested that she +should show us round the Forbidden City. First we proceeded to the +Audience Hall. This differs somewhat from the Audience Hall of the +Summer Palace. To enter, one must mount some twenty odd steps of +white marble, with rails on either side of the steps made of the same +material. At the top of the steps a large veranda, supported by huge +pillars of wood, painted red, surrounded the building. The windows along +this verandah were of marvellously carved trellis-work, designed to +represent the character "Shou" arranged in different positions. Then we +entered the hall itself. The floor is of brick, and Her Majesty told +us that all these bricks were of solid gold and had been there for +centuries. They were of a peculiar black color, doubtless painted over, +and were so slippery that it was most difficult to keep on one's feet. +The furnishing was similar to that in the Audience Halls in the Summer +Palace and in the Sea Palace, with the exception that the throne was +made of dark brown wood inlaid with jade of different colors. + +The Hall was only used for audience on very rare occasions, such as the +birthday of the Empress Dowager and New Year's Day, and no foreigner +has ever entered this building. All the usual audiences were held in a +smaller building in the Forbidden City. + +After spending some little time in the Audience Hall, we next visited +the Emperor's quarters. These were much smaller than those occupied by +Her Majesty, but were very elaborately furnished. There were thirty-two +rooms, many of which were never used, but all were furnished in the +same expensive style. In the rear of this building was the Palace of the +Young Empress, which was smaller still, having about twenty-four rooms +in all, and in the same building three rooms were set apart for the +use of the Secondary wife of the Emperor. Although close together, the +Palaces of the Emperor and his wife were not connected by any entrance, +but both buildings were surrounded by verandas connecting with Her +Majesty's apartments, which were quite a distance away. There were +several other buildings, which were used as waiting rooms for visitors. +In addition to the above, there were several buildings which were not +used at all; these were sealed and nobody seemed to know what they +contained, or whether they contained anything at all. Even Her Majesty +said she had never been inside these buildings, as they had been sealed +for many years. Even the entrance to the enclosure containing these +buildings was always closed, and this was the only occasion that any +of us ever even passed through. They were quite different in appearance +from any other buildings in the Palace, being very dirty and evidently +of great age. We were commanded not to talk about the place at all. + +The apartments of the Court ladies were connected with those of Her +Majesty, but the rooms were so small one could hardly turn round in +them; also they were very cold in winter. The servants' quarters were at +the end of our apartments, but there was no entrance and they could +only be reached by passing along our veranda, while the only entrance we +ourselves had to our rooms was by passing along Her Majesty's veranda. +This was Her Majesty's own idea, in order that she could keep an eye on +all of us and could see when we either went out or came in. + +Her Majesty now conducted us to her own Palace, and pausing a little +said: "I will now show you something which will be quite new to you." +We entered a room adjoining her bedroom, which was connected by a narrow +passage some fifteen feet in length. On either side the walls were +painted and decorated very beautifully. Her Majesty spoke to one of the +eunuch attendants, who stooped down and removed from the ground at each +end of this passage two wooden plugs which were fitted into holes in the +basement. I then began to realize that what I had hitherto regarded as +solid walls were in reality sliding panels of wood. These panels when +opened revealed a kind of grotto. There were no windows, but in the roof +was a skylight. At one end of this room or grotto was a large rock, +on the top of which was a seat with a yellow cushion, and beside the +cushion an incense burner. Everything had the appearance of being very +old. The room contained no furniture of any description. One end of +this room led into another passage similar to the one already described, +having sliding panels, which led into another grotto, and so on; in fact +the whole of the palace walls were intersected by these secret passages, +each concealing an inner room. Her Majesty told us that during the Ming +dynasty these rooms had been used for various purposes, principally by +the Emperor when he wished to be alone. One of these secret rooms was +used by Her Majesty as a treasure room where she kept her valuables. +During the time of the Boxer trouble, she hid all her valuables here +before she fled. When she returned and opened this secret room she found +everything intact, not one of the vandals who ransacked the Palace even +suspecting there was such a place. + +We returned to our veranda, and on looking around for the rooms we had +just vacated, could see nothing excepting black stone walls, so well +were they hidden. One of the principal reasons for Her Majesty's dislike +to the Forbidden City was the mysteries which it contained, many of +which she did not know of herself. She said: "I don't even talk about +these places at all, as people might think that they were used for all +kinds of purposes." + +While at the Palace in the Forbidden City I met the three Secondary +wives of the previous Emperor Tung Chi, son of the Empress Dowager, who, +since the death of the Emperor, had resided in the Forbidden City and +spent their time in doing needlework, etc., for Her Majesty. When I got +to know them I found that they were highly educated, one of them, Yu +Fai, being exceptionally clever. She could write poetry and play many +musical instruments, and was considered to be the best educated lady +in the Empire of China. Her knowledge of western countries and their +customs surprised me very much; she seemed to know a little bit of +everything. I asked how it was that I had never seen them before, and +was informed that they never visited Her Majesty unless commanded by +her to do so, but that when Her Majesty stayed in the Forbidden City, +of course they had to call and pay their respects each day. One day I +received an invitation to visit them in their Palace. This was separated +from all the other buildings in the city. It was rather a small +building, and very simply furnished, with just a few eunuchs and servant +girls to wait upon them. They said they preferred this simple life, +as they never received any visitors and had nobody to please but +themselves. Yu Fai's room was literally packed with literature of all +descriptions. She showed me several poems which she had written, but +they were of a melancholy character, plainly showing the trend of her +thoughts. She was in favor of establishing schools for the education +of young girls, as only very few could even read or write their own +language, and she suggested that I should speak to Her Majesty about it +at the first opportunity. In spite of her desire to see western reforms +introduced into China, however, she was not in favor of employing +missionary teachers, as these people always taught their religion at +the expense of other subjects, which she feared would set the Chinese +against the movement. + +Toward the end of the eleventh moon Her Majesty granted an audience to +the Viceroy of Chihli, Yuan Shih Kai, and as this particular day was +a holiday and Miss Carl was absent, I was able to attend. Her Majesty +asked him for his opinion of the trouble between Russia and Japan. +He said that although these two countries might make war against each +other, China would not be implicated in any way, but that after the war +was over, there was sure to be trouble over Manchuria. Her Majesty said +she was quite aware of that, as they were fighting on Chinese territory, +and that the best thing for China to do would be to keep absolutely +neutral in the matter, as she had quite enough of war during the +China-Japan war. She said it would be best to issue orders to all the +officials to see that the Chinese did not interfere in any way, so as +not to give any excuse for being brought into the trouble. + +She then asked his opinion as to what would be the result in the event +of war--who would win. He said that it was very hard to say, but that +he thought Japan would win. Her Majesty thought that if Japan were +victorious, she would not have so much trouble over the matter, although +she expressed doubts as to the outcome, saying that Russia was a large +country and had many soldiers, and that the result was far from certain. + +Her Majesty then spoke about the condition of things in China. She said +that in case China were forced into war with another nation, we should +be nowhere. We had nothing ready, no navy and no trained army, in fact +nothing to enable us to protect ourselves. Yuan Shih Kai, however, +assured her there was no need to anticipate any trouble at present so +far as China was concerned. Her Majesty replied that in any event it +was time China began to wake up and endeavor to straighten things out in +some way or other, but she did not know where to begin; that it was her +ambition to see China holding a prominent position among the nations +of the world and that she was constantly receiving memorials suggesting +this reform and that reform, but that we never seemed to get any +further. + +After this audience was over, Her Majesty held an audience with the +Grand Council. She told them what had been said during her interview +with Yuan Shih Kai, and of course they all agreed that something should +be done. Several suggestions were discussed with regard to national +defense, etc., but a certain Prince said that although he was in perfect +sympathy with reform generally, he was very much against the adoption of +foreign clothing, foreign modes of living, and the doing away with the +queue. Her Majesty quite agreed with these remarks and said that it +would not be wise to change any Chinese custom for one which was less +civilized. As usual, nothing definite was decided upon when the audience +was over. + +For the next few days nothing was talked of but the war, and many +Chinese generals were received in audience by Her Majesty. These +audiences were sometimes very amusing, as these soldiers were quite +unaccustomed to the rules of the Court and did not know the mode of +procedure when in the presence of Her Majesty. Many foolish suggestions +were made by these generals. During one of the conversations Her Majesty +remarked on the inefficiency of the navy and referred to the fact that +we had no trained naval officers. One of the generals replied that we +had more men in China than in any other country, and as for ships, why +we had dozens of river boats and China merchant boats, which could be +used in case of war. Her Majesty ordered him to retire, saying that +it was perfectly true that we had plenty of men in China, but that the +majority of them were like himself, of very little use to the country. +After he had retired, everybody commenced to laugh, but Her Majesty +stopped us, saying that she did not feel at all like laughing, she was +too angry to think that such men held positions as officers in the army +and navy. One of the Court ladies asked me why Her Majesty was so angry +with the man for mentioning the river boats, and was very much surprised +when I informed her that the whole of them would be worse than useless +against a single war vessel. + +Just about the end of the eleventh moon Chang Chih Tung, Viceroy of +Wuchang, arrived, and was received in audience. Her Majesty said to him: +"Now, you are one of the oldest officials in the country, and I want you +to give me your unbiased opinion as to what effect this war is going to +have on China. Do not be afraid to give your firm opinion, as I want to +be prepared for anything which is likely to happen." He answered that +no matter what the result of the war might be, China would in all +probability have to make certain concessions to the Powers with regard +to Manchuria for trade purposes, but that we should not otherwise be +interfered with. Her Majesty repeated what had been discussed at the +previous audiences on this subject and also regarding reform in China. +Chang Chih Tung replied that we had plenty of time for reform, and that +if we were in too great a hurry, we should not accomplish anything at +all. He suggested that the matter be discussed at length before deciding +upon anything definite. In his opinion it would be foolish to go to +extremes in the matter of reform. He said that ten or fifteen years ago +he would have been very much against any reform whatsoever, but that +he now saw the need for it to a certain extent, as circumstances had +changed very much. He said that we should adhere strictly to our own +mode of living and not abandon the traditions of our ancestors. In other +words, he simply advised the adoption of western civilization where +it was an improvement on our own, and nothing more. Her Majesty was +delighted with the interview, for Chang Chih Tung's opinions coincided +exactly with her own. + +During the whole of these audiences the Emperor, although present each +time, never opened his lips to say a word, but sat listening all the +time. As a rule, Her Majesty would ask his opinion, just as a matter of +form, but he invariably replied that he was quite in accord with what +Her Majesty had said or decided upon. + +Of the many religious ceremonies in connection with the Buddhist +religion the "La-pachow" was the most important. This was held on the +8th day of the twelfth moon each year. According to the common belief, +on this eighth day of the twelfth moon, many centuries ago, a certain +Buddhist priest Ju Lai set out to beg for food, and after receiving a +good supply of rice and beans from the people, he returned and divided +it with his brother priests, giving each an equal share, and he became +celebrated for his great charity. This day was therefore set apart as +an anniversary to commemorate the event. The idea was that by practising +self-denial on this day, one would gain favor in the sight of this +Buddha Ju Lai, therefore the only food eaten was rice, grain and beans, +all mixed together in a sort of porridge, but without any salt or +other flavoring. It was not at all pleasant to eat, being absolutely +tasteless. + + + +CHAPTER EIGHTEEN--THE NEW YEAR FESTIVALS + +WE now reached the time set apart for cleaning the Palace in preparation +for the New Year festivals. Everything had to be taken down and +thoroughly overhauled, and all the images, pictures, furniture and +everything else were subjected to a thorough scrubbing. Her Majesty +again consulted her book in order to choose a lucky day on which to +commence these operations, finally choosing the twelfth day as being +most favorable. As we had all received our orders previously, we +commenced early on the morning of the twelfth. Several of the Court +ladies were told off to take down and clean the images of Buddha and +prepare new curtains for them. The rest of the cleaning was done by the +eunuchs. I asked Her Majesty whether I was to clean her jewelry, but +she answered that as nobody but herself ever wore it, it didn't need +cleaning. + +After everything had been cleaned to Her Majesty's satisfaction, +she prepared a list of names of the people she desired to attend the +ceremony of Tzu Sui. This ceremony was held on the last day of each year +and was something like the midnight services usually held in Europe on +the last night of each old year--just a farewell ceremony to bid the old +year adieu. The guests were invited about a fortnight ahead, so as to +give them plenty of time to get ready. Her Majesty also ordered new +winter clothing for the Court ladies. The only difference between these +new garments and those we were then wearing was that they were trimmed +with the fur of the silver fox instead of the gray squirrel. + +The next thing was to prepare cakes, which were to be placed before the +Buddhas and ancestors, during the New Year. It was necessary that Her +Majesty should make the first one herself. So when Her Majesty decided +that it was time to prepare these cakes the whole Court went into a +room specially prepared for the purpose and the eunuchs brought in the +ingredients-ground rice, sugar and yeast. These were mixed together into +a sort of dough and then steamed instead of baked, which caused it to +rise just like ordinary bread, it being believed that the higher the +cake rises, the better pleased are the gods and the more fortunate +the maker. The first cake turned out fine and we all congratulated Her +Majesty, who was evidently much pleased herself at the result. Then +she ordered each of the Court ladies to make one, which we did, with +disastrous results, not one turning out as it should. This being my +first year, there was some excuse for my failure, but I was surprised +that none of the older Court ladies fared any better, and on inquiring +from one of them the reason, she replied: "Why, I did it purposely, of +course, so as to flatter Her Majesty's vanity. Certainly I could make +them just as well as she, if not better, but it would not be good +policy." After we had all finished making our cakes, the eunuchs were +ordered to make the rest, and needless to say they were perfect in every +way. + +The next thing was to prepare small plates of dates and fresh fruits +of every kind. These were decorated with evergreens, etc., and placed +before the images of Buddha. Then we prepared glass dishes of candy, +which were to be offered to the God of the Kitchen. On the twenty-third +day of the last moon the God of the Kitchen left this earth to go on a +visit to the King of Heaven, to whom he reported all that we had been +doing during the past year, returning to earth again on the last day of +the year. The idea of offering him these sweets was in order that they +should stick to his mouth and prevent him from telling too much. When +these candies were prepared, we all adjourned to the kitchen and placed +the offering on a table specially placed for the purpose. Turning to +the head cook, she said: "You had better look out now; the God of the +Kitchen will tell how much you have stolen during the past year, and you +will be punished." + +The following day another ceremony had to be gone through, that of +writing out the New Year Greetings for the guests and Court, so in the +morning we all went with Her Majesty to the Audience Hall, where the +eunuchs had prepared large sheets of yellow, red and pale green paper. +Her Majesty took up a large brush and commenced to write. On some of +these sheets she wrote the character "Shou" (Long Life) and on others +"Fu" (Prosperity). By and bye, when she began to feel tired, she would +get either one of the Court ladies or one of the official writers to +finish them for her. When finished, they were distributed to the guests +and different officials, the ones Her Majesty had written herself being +reserved for her special favorites. These were given out a few days +before the New Year. + +Her Majesty received New Year presents from all the Viceroys and +principal officials. She would examine each present as it was received, +and if it found favor in her eyes, she would use it, but if not, she +would have it locked away in one of the storerooms and probably never +see it again. These presents consisted of small pieces of furniture, +curios, jewelry, silks, in fact everything--even clothing. The present +sent by Viceroy Yuan Shih Kai was a yellow satin robe, embroidered with +different colored precious stones and pearls designed to represent the +peony flower; the leaves were of green jade. It was really a magnificent +thing, and must have cost a fortune. The only drawback was its weight; +it was too heavy to wear comfortably. Her Majesty appeared delighted +with this gown, and wore it the first day, after which it was discarded +altogether, although I often suggested that she should wear it, as it +was the most magnificent gown I ever saw. Once when Her Majesty was +granting an audience to the Diplomatic Corps, I suggested that she +should wear this dress, but she refused, giving no reason, so nobody +outside the Court has ever seen this wonderful garment. + +Another costly present was received from the Viceroy of Canton, and +consisted of four bags of pearls, each bag containing several thousands. +They were all perfect in shape and color, and would have brought +fabulous prices in Europe or America. However, Her Majesty had so many +jewels, especially pearls, that she hardly paid any attention to them +beyond remarking that they were very nice. + +The Young Empress and the Court ladies were also expected to give +presents to Her Majesty each New Year. These were for the most part +articles that we had made ourselves, such as shoes, handkerchiefs, +collars, bags, etc. My mother, my sister and myself made presents of +mirrors, perfumes, soaps and similar toilet accessories which we had +brought with us from Paris. These Her Majesty appreciated very much; she +was very vain. The eunuchs and servant girls gave fancy cakes and other +food stuffs. + +The presents were so numerous that they filled several rooms, but we +were not allowed to remove them until Her Majesty gave orders to do so. + +The Court ladies also exchanged presents among themselves, which often +led to confusion and amusement. On this occasion I had received some +ten or a dozen different presents, and when it came my turn to give +something, I decided to use up some of the presents I had received from +my companions. To my surprise, the next day I received from one of the +Court ladies an embroidered handkerchief which I immediately recognized +as the identical handkerchief I had myself sent her as my New Year's +present. On mentioning the fact, this lady turned and said: "Well, that +is rather funny; I was just wondering what had made you return the +shoes I sent you." Of course everybody laughed very heartily, and still +further merriment was caused when, on comparing all the presents, it was +found that quite half of us had received back our own presents. In order +to settle the matter, we threw them all into a heap and divided them as +evenly as possible, everybody being satisfied with the result. + +About a week before New Year's day all audiences ceased and the seals +were put away until after the holidays. During this time no business was +transacted by Her Majesty. Everything was much more comfortable and we +could see that Her Majesty also appreciated the change from bustle to +quietness. We had nothing whatever to do but to take things easy until +the last day of the year. + +Early on the morning of the thirtieth Her Majesty went to worship before +the Buddhas and Ancestral Tablets. After this ceremony was finished, the +guests began to arrive, until by midday, all the guests, numbering about +fifty, were present. The principal guests were: The Imperial Princess +(Empress Dowager's adopted daughter), Princess Chung (wife of Emperor +Kwang Hsu's brother), Princesses Shun and Tao (wives of the Emperor's +younger brothers), Princess hung (wife of the nephew of the Imperial +Princess), and Prince Ching's family. All these ladies were frequent +visitors to the Court. Next day many other Princesses, not of the +Imperial family, but whose titles were honorary titles bestowed by +previous rulers, came. Next, the daughters of the high Manchu officials +and many other people whom I had never seen before. By midday all the +guests had arrived, and, after being presented to Her Majesty, were +taken to their different apartments and told to rest a while. At two +o'clock in the afternoon everybody assembled in the Audience Hall, lined +up according to their different ranks and, led by the Young Empress, +kowtowed to Her Majesty. This was the ceremony Tzu Sui already referred +to, and was simply a last goodbye to Her Majesty before the New Year set +in. When it was all over, Her Majesty gave each of us a small purse made +of red satin embroidered with gold, containing a sum of money. This is +to enable each one to commence the New Year with a kind of reserve fund +for a rainy day, when they would have this money to fall back upon. It +is an old Manchu custom and is still kept up. + +The evening was spent in music and enjoyment, and was carried on right +through the night, none of us going to bed. At Her Majesty's suggestion +we commenced gambling with dice, Her Majesty providing each of us with +money, sometimes as much as $200. She told us to be serious about it, +and to try and win, but of course we took good care not to win from Her +Majesty. When Her Majesty began to tire, she stopped the game and said: +"Now, all this money I have won I am going to throw on the floor, and +you girls can scramble for it." We knew that she wanted to see some fun, +so we fought for it as hard as we could. + +At midnight the eunuchs brought into the room a large brass brazier +containing live charcoal. Her Majesty pulled a leaf from a large +evergreen tree, which had been placed there for the purpose, and threw +it into the fire. We each followed her example, adding large pieces of +resin, which perfumed the whole atmosphere. This ceremony was supposed +to bring good luck during the coming year. + +The next item was making cakes or pies for New Year's day. On the first +of the New Year, nobody is allowed to eat rice, these cakes taking its +place. They were made of flour paste, with minced meat inside. While +some of us were preparing these cakes, others were peeling lotus seeds +for Her Majesty's breakfast. + +It was now well on into the morning hours and Her Majesty said that she +was tired and would go and rest a while. She was not going to sleep, +however, so we could carry on our noise as much as we liked. This we did +for some time, and on visiting Her Majesty's bedroom, we found that she +was fast asleep. We then all repaired to our various rooms and commenced +to make ourselves tidy for the day. As soon as Her Majesty was awake, +we all proceeded to her bedroom, taking with us plates of apples +(representing "Peace"), olives ("Long Life"), lotus seeds (Blessing). +She suitably acknowledged these gifts and wished us all good luck in +return. She inquired whether we had been to bed and, on learning that +we had been up all night, she said that was right. She herself had not +meant to sleep, only to rest a little, but somehow she had not been able +to keep awake, and gave as a reason that she was an old woman. We waited +on her until she had finished her toilet and then wished her a Happy New +Year. We then proceeded to pay our respects to the Emperor and to +the Young Empress. There was nothing further to be done in the way of +ceremonies, and we therefore all accompanied Her Majesty to the theatre. +The performance took place on a stage erected in the courtyard, and Her +Majesty closed in one part of her veranda for the use of the guests and +Court ladies. During the performance I began to feel very drowsy, and +eventually fell fast asleep leaning against one of the pillars. I awoke +rather suddenly to find that something had been dropped into my mouth, +but on investigation I found it was nothing worse than a piece of candy, +which I immediately proceeded to eat. On approaching Her Majesty, she +asked me how I had enjoyed the candy, and told me not to sleep, but to +have a good time like the rest. I never saw Her Majesty in better +humor. She played with us just like a young girl, and one could hardly +recognize in her the severe Empress Dowager we knew her to be. + +The guests also all seemed to be enjoying themselves very much. In the +evening, after the theatrical performance was over, Her Majesty ordered +the eunuchs to bring in their instruments and give us some music. She +herself sang several songs, and we all sang at intervals. Then Her +Majesty ordered the eunuchs to sing. Some were trained singers, and sang +very nicely, but others could not sing at all and caused quite a lot of +amusement by their efforts to please Her Majesty. The Emperor appeared +to be the only one present who was not having a good time; he never +smiled once. On meeting him outside, I asked him why he looked so sad, +but he only answered: "A Happy New Year" in English, smiled once, and +walked away. + +Her Majesty rose very early next morning and proceeded to the Audience +Hall to worship the God of Wealth. We all accompanied her and took part +in the ceremony. During the next few days we did nothing but gamble and +scramble for Her Majesty's winnings. This was all very nice in its way, +until one day one of the Court ladies began to cry, and accused me of +stepping on her toes in the scramble. This made Her Majesty angry and +she ordered the offender to go to her room and stay there for three +days, saying that she did not deserve to be enjoying herself if she +could not stand a little thing like that. + +The tenth of the first moon was the birthday of the Young Empress, and +we asked Her Majesty whether we would be allowed to give presents. She +gave us permission to give whatever presents we might wish to. However, +we submitted all our presents to Her Majesty for her approval, before +giving them to the Young Empress, and we had to be very discreet and not +choose anything which Her Majesty might think was too good. It was very +difficult to tell what to send, as Her Majesty might take a fancy to +any of the presents herself, even though they might not be of much value +intrinsically. In such a case Her Majesty would tell us that she would +keep it, and to give the Young Empress something else. + +The celebration was very similar to that of the Emperor's birthday, but +not on such an elaborate scale. We presented the Ru Yee to the Young +Empress and kowtowed to her. She was supposed to receive these tokens of +respect sitting on her throne, but out of deference to Her Majesty +(we were Her Majesty's Court ladies) she stood up. She always was very +polite to us under all circumstances. + +On this day, as on the Emperor's birthday, the Emperor, Young Empress +and Secondary wife dined together. These were the only two occasions +when they did so, always dining separately at other times. Her Majesty +sent two of her Court ladies to wait upon the Empress, I myself being +one of them. I was very pleased, as I wanted to see for myself how they +conducted themselves when together. I went into the Young Empress' room +and informed her that Her Majesty had ordered us to wait upon them, to +which she simply answered: "Very well." So we went to the dining room +and set the table, placing the chairs into position. The meal was much +different from what I expected. Instead of being stiff and serious +like Her Majesty when dining they were quite free and easy, and we were +allowed to join in the conversation and partake of some of the food and +wine. A very pretty ceremony was gone through at the commencement of the +meal. The Emperor and Young Empress seated themselves, and the Secondary +wife filled their cups with wine and presented it to them in turn as a +sign of respect, the Emperor first. When the meal was over we returned +to Her Majesty's apartment and told her that everything had passed off +nicely. We knew very well that we had been sent simply to act as spies, +but we had nothing interesting to tell Her Majesty. She asked if the +Emperor had been very serious and we answered "Yes." + +The New Year celebrations terminated with the Festival of Lanterns on +the fifteenth day of the first moon. These lanterns were of different +shapes, representing animals, flowers, fruits, etc., etc. They were made +of white gauze, painted in different colors. One lantern representing +a dragon about fifteen feet long was fastened to ten poles, and ten +eunuchs were required to hold it in position. In front of this dragon +a eunuch was holding a lantern representing a large pearl, which the +dragon was supposed to devour. This ceremony was gone through to the +accompaniment of music. + +After the lanterns came a firework display. These fireworks represented +different scenes in the history of China, grape vines, wisteria +blossoms, and many other flowers. It was a very imposing sight. Portable +wooden houses had been placed near the fireworks from which Her Majesty +and the rest of the Court could see them without being out in the cold +air. This display lasted for several hours without a stop, and thousands +of firecrackers were set off during the time. Her Majesty seemed to +enjoy the noise very much. Altogether it was a good finish to the +celebrations and we all enjoyed it very much. + +The next morning all the guests departed from the Palace and we +re-commenced our everyday life. + +As usual after the guests had departed Her Majesty began to criticise +their mode of dressing, their ignorance of Court etiquette, etc., but +added that she was rather glad, as she didn't want them to know anything +about Court life. + +As Spring soon arrived it was time for the farmers to commence sowing +seed for the rice crop, and of course there was another ceremony. The +Emperor visited the Temple of Agriculture where he prayed for a good +harvest. Then he proceeded to a small plot of ground situated in the +temple and after turning the earth over with a hand plow he sowed the +first seeds of the season. This was to show the farmers that their +labors were not despised and that even the Emperor was not ashamed to +engage in this work. Anybody could attend this ceremony, it being quite +a public affair, and many farmers were present. + +About this same time the Young Empress went to see the silkworms and +watch for the eggs to be hatched. As soon as they were out, the Young +Empress gathered mulberry leaves for the worms to feed upon and watched +them until they were big enough to commence spinning. Each day a fresh +supply of leaves were gathered and they were fed four or five times +daily. Several of the Court ladies were told off to feed the worms +during the night and see that they did not escape. These silkworms grow +very rapidly and we could see the difference each day. Of course when +they became full grown they required more food and we were kept busy +constantly feeding them. The Young Empress was able to tell by holding +them up to the light when they were ready to spin. If they were +transparent then they were ready, and were placed on paper and left +there. When spinning the silkworm does not eat, therefore all we had to +do was to watch that they did not get away. After spinning for four or +five days their supply of silk becomes exhausted and they shrivel up and +apparently die. These apparently dead worms were collected by the Young +Empress and placed in a box where they were kept until they developed +into moths. They were then placed on thick paper and left there to lay +their eggs. + +If left to themselves, the silkworms when ready for spinning will spin +the silk around their bodies until they are completely covered up, +gradually forming a cocoon. In order to determine when they have +finished spinning it was customary to take the cocoon and rattle it +near the ear. If the worm was exhausted you could plainly hear the body +rattle inside the cocoon. The cocoon is then placed in boiling water +until it becomes soft. This, of course, kills the worm. In order to +separate the silk a needle is used to pick up the end of the thread +which is then wound on to a spool and is ready for weaving. A few of the +cocoons were kept until the worms had turned into moths, which soon ate +their way out of the cocoons when they were placed on sheets of paper +and left to lay their eggs, which are taken away and kept in a cool +place until the following Spring, when the eggs are hatched and become +worms. + +When the silk had all been separated we took it to Her Majesty for +inspection and approval. On this particular occasion Her Majesty ordered +one of the eunuchs to bring in some silk which she herself had woven +when a young girl in the Palace, and on comparing it with the new silk +it was found to be just as good in every way although many years had +passed since it was made. + +All this was done with the same object as the Emperor sowing the seeds, +viz.:--to set the people a good example and to encourage them in their +work. + + + +CHAPTER NINETEEN--THE SEA PALACE + +THIS year we had a very hot spring and Her Majesty was desirous of +getting back again to the Sea Palace. However, as war had already been +declared between Russia and Japan it was thought best to remain in the +Forbidden City until things were more settled. Her Majesty was very much +worried over this war and spent most of her time in offering prayers +to the different divinities for the welfare of China and we, of course, +were expected to join her. Things were very monotonous about this time +and nothing particular occurred until the beginning of the second moon. +By this time Her Majesty was quite sick of staying in the Forbidden City +and said that no matter what happened she would remove the Court to +the Sea Palace, where Miss Carl could get along and finish the portrait +which had been hanging on for nearly a year. So on the sixth day of the +second moon we moved back to the Sea Palace. Everything looked fresh and +green and many of the trees had commenced to blossom. Her Majesty took +us around the lake and we were in such good spirits that Her Majesty +remarked that we acted more like a lot of wild animals escaped from a +menagerie than human beings. She was much brighter now, but said that +she would be happier still to get to the Summer Palace. + +Miss Carl was summoned to the Palace, and Her Majesty visited her and +asked to see the portrait. She again asked me how long it would be +before it was finished, and I told her that unless she gave a little +more of her time to posing it might not be finished for quite a long +time. After a lot of consideration Her Majesty finally agreed to give +Miss Carl five minutes each day after the morning audience, but that she +desired it to be distinctly understood that she did not intend to pose +for anything but the face. She accordingly sat for two mornings, but +on the third morning she made an excuse saying that she was not feeling +well. I told her that Miss Carl could not proceed further unless she sat +for the face, so, although she was very angry, she gave Miss Carl a few +more sittings until the face was finished. She absolutely refused to sit +again whether it was finished or not, saying that she would have nothing +more to do with the portrait. I myself sat for the remainder of the +portrait, viz.:--for Her Majesty's dress, jewels, etc., and so by +degrees the portrait was completed. + +When Her Majesty learned that the portrait was nearing completion she +was very much pleased, and I thought it a good opportunity to again +broach the subject of payment. Her Majesty asked me whether I really +thought it necessary to pay cash for the portrait and how much. I told +her that as painting was Miss Carl's profession, if she had not been +engaged on painting Her Majesty's portrait she would most probably have +been engaged on other similar work for which she would have received +compensation, and that therefore she would naturally expect to be paid +even more handsomely in this instance. It was difficult to make Her +Majesty understand this and she asked if I was quite certain that Miss +Carl would not be offended by an offer of money, also Mrs. Conger who +had presented her. I explained that in America and Europe it was quite +customary for ladies to earn their own living either by painting, +teaching or in some other similar manner, and that it was no disgrace +but rather the opposite. Her Majesty seemed very much surprised to learn +this, and asked why Miss Carl's brother did not support her himself. I +told Her Majesty that Miss Carl did not desire him to provide for her, +besides which he was married and had a family to support. Her Majesty +gave it as her opinion that this was a funny kind of civilization. In +China when the parents were dead it was the duty of the sons to provide +for their unmarried sisters until such time as they married. She also +said that if Chinese ladies were to work for their living it would only +set people talking about them. However, she promised to speak with Her +Ministers about paying Miss Carl, and I felt somewhat relieved as there +seemed to be a probability of something satisfactory being arranged +after all. + +The twelfth day of the second moon was the anniversary of another +interesting ceremony, viz.:--the birthday of the flowers and trees. +After the morning audience we all went into the Palace grounds, where +the eunuchs were waiting with huge rolls of red silk. These we all +commenced to cut into narrow strips about two inches wide and three feet +long. When we had cut sufficient Her Majesty took a strip of red silk +and another of yellow silk which she tied round the stem of one of +the peony trees (in China the peony is considered to be the queen of +flowers). Then all the Court ladies, eunuchs and servant girls set to +work to decorate every single tree and plant in the grounds with red +silk ribbons, in the same manner as Her Majesty had done. This took up +nearly the entire morning and it made a very pretty picture, with the +bright costumes of the Court ladies, green trees and beautiful flowers. + +We then went to a theatrical performance. This represented all the +tree fairies and flower fairies celebrating their birthday. The Chinese +believe that all the trees and flowers have their own particular +fairies, the tree fairies being men and the flower fairies being women. +The costumes were very pretty and were chosen to blend with the green +trees and flowers which were on the stage. One of the costumes worn by a +lotus fairy was made of pink silk, worked so as to represent the petals +of the flower, the skirt being of green silk to represent the lotus +leaves. Whenever this fairy moved about the petals would move just +as though wafted by the breeze, like a natural flower. Several other +costumes representing different flowers were made in the same manner. +The scene was a woodland dell, surrounded with huge rocks perforated +with caves, out of which came innumerable small fairies bearing +decanters of wine. These small fairies represented the smaller flowers, +daisies, pomegranate blossoms, etc. The result can be better imagined +than described. All the fairies gathered together and drank the wine, +after which they commenced to sing, accompanied by stringed instruments, +played very softly. The final scene was a very fitting ending to the +performance. It represented a small rainbow which gradually descended +until it rested on the rocks; then each fairy in turn would sit upon +the rainbow which rose again and conveyed them through the clouds into +Heaven. This completed the celebration and we all retired to our rooms. + +On the fourteenth day of the second moon (March 2, 1904), I completed my +first year at Court. I had quite forgotten this fact until Her Majesty +reminded me of it. She asked whether I was comfortable and happy where +I was or did I long to return to Paris. I answered truly that although +I had enjoyed myself while in France still I preferred the life of the +Court, it was so interesting, besides which I was in my own native land +and among all my friends and relations, and naturally I preferred that +to living in a strange land. Her Majesty smiled and said she was afraid +that sooner or later I would tire of the life in the Palace and fly away +again across the ocean. She said that the only way to make sure of me +was to marry me off. She again asked me what was my objection to getting +married; was I afraid of having a mother-in-law, or what was it? If +that was all, I need not worry, for so long as she was alive there was +nothing to be afraid of. Her Majesty said that even if I were married it +would not be necessary for me to stay at home all the time, but that I +would be able to spend my time in the Palace as usual. Continuing, she +said: "Last year when this marriage question came up I was willing to +make allowances as you had been brought up somewhat differently from the +rest of my Court ladies, but do not run away with the idea that I have +forgotten all about it. I am still on the lookout for a suitable husband +for you." I simply answered as before--that I had absolutely no desire +to marry, but that I wanted to stay where I was and live at the Court so +long as Her Majesty was willing to have me there. She made some remark +about my being stubborn and said that I should probably change my mind +before long. + +During the latter part of the second moon Miss Carl worked very hard to +get the portrait finished and Her Majesty again consulted her book in +order to select a lucky day on which to put the final touches to the +picture. The 19th of April, 1904, was chosen by Her Majesty as the +best time, and Miss Carl was duly notified. Miss Carl most emphatically +stated that it was quite impossible to finish the portrait properly by +the time named, and I told Her Majesty what Miss Carl said, explaining +that there were many small finishing touches to be added and I suggested +it would be better to give Miss Carl a few days longer if possible. +However, Her Majesty said that it must be finished by four o'clock on +the 19th day of April, and therefore there was nothing further to be +said. + +About a week before the time fixed for completion Her Majesty paid a +visit to the studio to finally inspect the picture. She seemed very much +pleased with it, but still objected to her face being painted dark on +one side and light on the other. As I have said before, I had explained +that this was the shading, but Her Majesty insisted on my telling Miss +Carl to make both sides of her face alike. This led to a pretty hot +discussion between Miss Carl and myself but she finally saw that it was +no use going against Her Majesty's wishes in the matter, so consented +to make some slight alteration. Happening to catch sight of some foreign +characters at the foot of the painting Her Majesty inquired what they +were and on being informed that they were simply the artist's name, +said: "Well, I know foreigners do some funny things, but I think this +about the funniest I ever heard of. Fancy putting her own name on my +picture. This will naturally convey the impression that it is a portrait +of Miss Carl, and not a portrait of myself at all." I again had to +explain the reason for this, saying that it was always customary for +foreign artists to write their names at the foot of any picture they +painted, whether portrait or otherwise. So Her Majesty said she supposed +it was all right, and would have to remain, but she looked anything but +satisfied with it. + +By working practically all night and all day, Miss Carl managed to get +the portrait finished by the time stipulated, and Her Majesty arranged +that Mrs. Conger and the other ladies of the Diplomatic Corps should +come to the Palace and see the portrait. This was quite a private +audience and Her Majesty received them in one of the small Audience +Halls. After the usual greetings Her Majesty ordered us to conduct the +ladies to the studio, which we did, Her Majesty bidding them good-bye +and remaining in her own apartments. The Young Empress in accordance +with instructions from Her Majesty, accompanied us to the studio, and +acted as hostess. Everybody expressed great admiration for the portrait +and it was voted a marvellous likeness. After inspecting the picture we +all adjourned for refreshments. The Young Empress sat at the head of +the table and asked me to sit next to her. Shortly after everybody was +seated a eunuch came and asked the Young Empress to inform these ladies +that the Emperor was slightly indisposed and was unable to be present. I +interpreted this, and everybody appeared satisfied. As a matter of fact +the Emperor was quite well, but we had forgotten all about him. And so +the guests departed without seeing him on this occasion. + +On reporting everything to Her Majesty as usual, she asked what they +thought of the portrait, and we told her that they had admired it very +much. Her Majesty said: "Of course they did, it was painted by a foreign +artist." She didn't appear to be very much interested and was quite +cross about something, which caused me great disappointment after all +the trouble Miss Carl had taken to finish the portrait. Her Majesty +then remarked that Miss Carl had taken a long time to get the portrait +finished, and asked why nobody had reminded her to inform the Emperor +about the audience, being particularly angry with the head eunuch on +this occasion. Her Majesty said that as soon as she remembered, she +immediately sent a eunuch to make excuses, as the ladies might very +well think that something had happened to the Emperor and it might cause +talk. I told her that I explained to them that the Emperor was not well +and they evidently thought nothing further of his absence. + +By the next day the carpenters in the Palace had finished the frame for +the portrait and when it had been properly fitted Her Majesty ordered my +brother to take a photograph of it. This photograph turned out so well +that Her Majesty said it was better than the portrait itself. + +The picture being now quite finished, Miss Carl prepared to take her +leave, which she did a few days later, having received a handsome +present in cash from Her Majesty in addition to a decoration and many +other presents as remuneration for her services. For quite a long time +after Miss Carl had left the Palace I felt very lonely, as during her +stay I had found her a genial companion and we had many things in common +to talk about. Her Majesty noticed that I was rather quiet, and asked me +the cause. She said: "I suppose you are beginning to miss your friend, +the lady artist." I did not care to admit that this was so, for fear she +might think me ungrateful to herself, besides which I knew she did not +like the idea of my being too friendly with foreigners. So I explained +to Her Majesty that I always did regret losing old friends but that I +would get used to the change very soon. Her Majesty was very nice about +it and said she wished that she was a little more sentimental over such +small things, but that when I got to her age I should be able to take +things more philosophically. + +After Miss Carl had left the Court, Her Majesty asked me one day: "Did +she ever ask you much about the Boxer movement of 1900?" I told her that +I knew very little of the Boxer movement myself, as I was in Paris at +the time and I could not say very much. I assured her that the lady +artist never mentioned the subject to me. Her Majesty said: "I hate to +mention about that affair and I would not like to have foreigners ask my +people questions on that subject. Do you know, I have often thought that +I am the most clever woman that ever lived and others cannot compare +with me. Although I have heard much about Queen Victoria and read a part +of her life which someone has translated into Chinese, still I don't +think her life was half so interesting and eventful as mine. My life is +not finished yet and no one knows what is going to happen in the future. +I may surprise the foreigners some day with something extraordinary and +do something quite contrary to anything I have yet done. England is one +of great powers of the world, but this has not been brought about by +Queen Victoria's absolute rule. She had the able men of parliament back +of her at all times and of course they discussed everything until the +best result was obtained, then she would sign the necessary documents +and really had nothing to say about the policy of the country. Now look +at me. I have 400,000,000 people, all dependent on my judgment. Although +I have the Grand Council to consult with, they only look after the +different appointments, but anything of an important nature I must +decide myself. What does the Emperor know? I have been very successful +so far, but I never dreamt that the Boxer movement would end with such +serious results for China. That is the only mistake I have made in +my life. I should have issued an Edict at once to stop the Boxers +practising their belief, but both Prince Tuan and Duke Lan told me that +they firmly believed the Boxers were sent by Heaven to enable China +to get rid of all the undesirable and hated foreigners. Of course they +meant mostly missionaries, and you know how I hate them and how very +religious I always am, so I thought I would not say anything then but +would wait and see what would happen. I felt sure they were going too +far as one day Prince Tuan brought the Boxer leader to the Summer Palace +and summoned all the eunuchs into the courtyard of the Audience Hall and +examined each eunuch on the head to see if there was a cross. He said, +'This cross is not visible to you, but I can identify a Christian by +finding a cross on the head.' Prince Tuan then came to my private Palace +and told me that the Boxer leader was at the Palace Gate and had found +two eunuchs who were Christians and asked me what was to be done. I +immediately became very angry and told him that he had no right to bring +any Boxers to the Palace without my permission; but he said this leader +was so powerful that he was able to kill all the foreigners and was not +afraid of the foreign guns, as all the gods were protecting him. Prince +Tuan told me that he had witnessed this himself. A Boxer shot another +with a revolver and the bullet hit him, but did not harm him in the +least. Then Prince Tuan suggested that I hand these two eunuchs supposed +to be Christians to the Boxer leader, which I did. I heard afterwards +that these two eunuchs were beheaded right in the country somewhere near +here. This chief Boxer came to the Palace the next day, accompanied by +Prince Tuan and Duke Lan, to make all the eunuchs burn incense sticks +to prove that they were not Christians. After that Prince Tuan also +suggested that we had better let the chief Boxer come every day and +teach the eunuchs their belief; that nearly all of Peking was studying +with the Boxers. The next day I was very much surprised to see all my +eunuchs dressed as Boxers. They wore red jackets, red turbans and yellow +trousers. I was sorry to see all my attendants discard their official +robes and wear a funny costume like that. Duke Lan presented me with +a suit of Boxer clothes. At that time Yung Lu, who was the head of the +Grand Council, was ill and asked leave of absence for a month. While he +was sick, I used to send one of the eunuchs to see him every day, and +that day the eunuch returned and informed me that Yung Lu was quite well +and would come to the Palace the next day, although he still had fifteen +days more leave. I was puzzled to know why he should give up the balance +of his leave. However, I was very anxious to see him, as I wished to +consult him about this chief Boxer. Yung Lu looked grieved when he +learned what had taken place at the Palace, and said that these Boxers +were nothing but revolutionaries and agitators. They were trying to get +the people to help them to kill the foreigners, but he was very much +afraid the result would be against the Government. I told him that +probably he was right, and asked him what should be done. He told me +that he would talk to Prince Tuan, but the next day Prince Tuan told me +that he had had a fight with Yung Lu about the Boxer question, and said +that all of Peking had become Boxers, and if we tried to turn them, they +would do all they could to kill everyone in Peking, including the Court; +that they (the Boxer party) had the day selected to kill all the foreign +representatives; that Tung Fou Hsiang, a very conservative General and +one of the Boxers, had promised to bring his troops out to help the +Boxers to fire on the Legations. When I heard this I was very much +worried and anticipated serious trouble, so I sent for Yung Lu at once +and kept Prince Tuan with me. Yung Lu came, looking very much worried, +and he was more so after I had told him what the Boxers were going to +do. He immediately suggested that I should issue an Edict, saying that +these Boxers were a secret society and that no one should believe their +teaching, and to instruct the Generals of the nine gates to drive all +the Boxers out of the city at once. When Prince Tuan heard this he was +very angry and told Yung Lu that if such an Edict was issued, the Boxers +would come to the Court and kill everybody. When Prince Tuan told me +this, I thought I had better leave everything to him. After he left the +Palace, Yung Lu said that Prince Tuan was absolutely crazy and that he +was sure these Boxers would be the cause of a great deal of trouble. +Yung Lu also said that Prince Tuan must be insane to be helping the +Boxers to destroy the Legations; that these Boxers were a very common +lot, without education, and they imagined the few foreigners in China +were the only ones on the earth and if they were killed it would be the +end of them. They forgot how very strong these foreign countries are, +and that if the foreigners in China were all killed, thousands would +come to avenge their death. Yung Lu assured me that one foreign soldier +could kill one hundred Boxers without the slightest trouble, and begged +me to give him instructions to order General Nieh, who was afterwards +killed by the Boxers, to bring his troops to protect the Legations. Of +course I gave him this instruction at once, and also told him that he +must see Prince Tuan at once and Duke Lan to tell them that this was +a very serious affair and that they had better not interfere with Yung +Lu's plans. Matters became worse day by day and Yung Lu was the only one +against the Boxers, but what could one man accomplish against so many? +One day Prince Tuan and Duke Lan came and asked me to issue an Edict +ordering the Boxers to kill all the Legation people first and then all +remaining foreigners. I was very angry and refused to issue this Edict. +After we had talked a very long time, Prince Tuan said that this must +be done without delay, for the Boxers were getting ready to fire on the +Legations and would do so the very next day. I was furious and ordered +several of the eunuchs to drive him out, and he said as he was going +out: 'If you refuse to issue that Edict, I will do it for you whether +you are willing or not,' and he did. After that you know what happened. +He issued these Edicts unknown to me and was responsible for a great +many deaths. He found that he could not carry his plans through and +heard that the foreign troops were not very far from Peking. He was so +frightened that he made us all leave Peking." As she finished saying +this, she started to cry, and I told her that I felt very sorry for her. +She said: "You need not feel sorry for me for what I have gone through; +but you must feel sorry that my fair name is ruined. That is the only +mistake I have made in my whole life and it was done in a moment of +weakness. Before I was just like a piece of pure jade; everyone admired +me for what I have done for my country, but the jade has a flaw in it +since this Boxer movement and it will remain there to the end of my +life. I have regretted many, many times that I had such confidence +in, and believed that wicked Prince Tuan; he was responsible for +everything." + +By the end of the third moon Her Majesty had had enough of the Sea +Palace and the Court moved into the Summer Palace. This time we +travelled by boat as it was very beautiful weather. On reaching the +water-gates of the Palace we found everything just lovely and the peach +blossoms were in full bloom. Her Majesty plainly showed how glad she +was to be back once more and for the time being seemed to have forgotten +everything else, even the war. + + + +CHAPTER TWENTY--CONCLUSION + +MY second year at the Palace was very much the same as the first. We +celebrated each anniversary and festival in the same way as before: the +usual audience was held each morning by Her Majesty, after which the day +was given up to enjoyment. Amongst other things Her Majesty took great +interest in her vegetable gardens, and superintended the planting of the +different seeds. When vegetables were ready for pulling, from time to +time, all the Court ladies were supplied with a kind of small pruning +fork and gathered in the crop. Her Majesty seemed to enjoy seeing us +work in the fields, and when the fit seized her she would come along and +help. In order to encourage us in this work, Her Majesty would give a +small present to the one who showed the best results so we naturally +did our best in order to please her, as much as for the reward. Another +hobby of Her Majesty's was the rearing of chickens, and a certain number +of birds were allotted to each of the Court ladies. We were supposed to +look after these ourselves and the eggs had to be taken to Her Majesty +every morning. I could not understand why it was that my chickens gave +less eggs than any of the others until one day my eunuch informed me +that he had seen one of the other eunuchs stealing the eggs from my hen +house and transferring them to another, in order to help his mistress to +head the list. + +Her Majesty was very particular not to encourage untidyness or +extravagance among the Court ladies. On one occasion she told me to open +a parcel which was lying in her room. I was about to cut the string when +Her Majesty stopped me and told me to untie it. This I managed to do +after a lot of trouble, and opened the parcel. Her Majesty next made me +fold the paper neatly and place it in a drawer along with the string so +that I would know where to find it should it be wanted again. From time +to time Her Majesty would give each of us money for our own private +use and whenever we wanted to buy anything, say flowers, handkerchiefs, +shoes, ribbons, etc., these could be bought from the servant girls who +used to make them in the Palace and we would enter each item in a small +note book supplied by Her Majesty for the purpose. At the end of each +month Her Majesty examined our accounts and in case she considered that +we had been extravagant she would give us a good scolding, while on the +other hand, if we managed to show a good balance she would compliment us +on our good management. Thus under Her Majesty's tuition we learned to +be careful and tidy against such time as we might be called upon to look +after homes of our own. + +About this time my father began to show signs of breaking down and asked +for permission to withdraw from public life. However, Her Majesty would +not hear of this and decided to give him another six months vacation +instead. It was his intention to go to Shanghai and see the family +physician, but Her Majesty did not approve of this, maintaining that +her own doctors were quite as good as any foreign doctor. These doctors +therefore attended him for some time, prescribing all kinds of different +concoctions daily. After a while he seemed to pick up a little but was +still unable to get about on account of having chronic rheumatism. We +therefore again suggested that it would be better for him to see his own +doctor in Shanghai, who understood my father thoroughly, but Her Majesty +could not be made to see it in that light. She said that what we wanted +was a little patience, that the Chinese doctors might be slow, but they +were sure, and she was convinced they would completely cure my father +very soon. The fact of the matter was she was afraid that if my father +went to stay in Shanghai the rest of the family would want to be there +with him, which was not in her programme at all. So we decided to remain +in Peking unless my father showed signs of getting worse. + +In due course the time arrived on which it had been arranged to hold the +Spring Garden Party for the Diplomatic Corps, and as usual one day was +set apart for the Ministers, Secretaries and members of the various +Legations, and the following day for their wives, etc. This year very +few guests attended the Garden Party but among those who did come were +several strangers. About half a dozen ladies from the Japanese Legation +came with Madame Uchida, wife of the Japanese Minister. Her Majesty +was always very pleased to see this lady whom she very much admired +on account of her extreme politeness. After the usual presentation we +conducted the ladies to luncheon, showed them over the Palace grounds, +after which we wished them good-bye and they took their leave. We +reported everything to Her Majesty, and as usual were asked many +questions. Among the guests there was one lady (English so far as I +could make out) dressed in a heavy tweed travelling costume, having +enormous pockets, into which she thrust her hands as though it were +extremely cold. She wore a cap of the same material. Her Majesty asked +if I had noticed this lady with the clothes made out of "rice bags," and +wasn't it rather unusual to be presented at Court in such a dress. Her +Majesty wanted to know who she was and where she came from. I replied +that she certainly did not belong to any of the Legations as I was +acquainted with everybody there. Her Majesty said that whoever she was +she certainly was not accustomed to moving in decent society as she +(Her Majesty) was quite certain that it was not the thing to appear at a +European Court in such a costume. "I can tell in a moment," Her Majesty +added, "whether any of these people are desirous of showing proper +respect to me, or whether they consider that I am not entitled to it. +These foreigners seem to have the idea that the Chinese are ignorant and +that therefore they need not be so particular as in European Society. I +think it would be best to let it be understood for the future what dress +should be worn at the different Court Functions, and at the same time +use a certain amount of discretion in issuing invitations. In that way I +can also keep the missionary element out, as well as other undesirables. +I like to meet any distinguished foreigners who may be visiting in +China, but I do not want any common people at my Court." I suggested +that the Japanese custom could be followed, viz.: to issue proper +invitation cards, stipulating at the foot the dress to be worn on each +particular occasion. Her Majesty thought this would meet the case and it +was decided to introduce a similar rule in China. + +Whenever the weather permitted, Her Majesty would pass quite a lot of +her time in the open air watching the eunuchs at work in the gardens. +During the early Spring the lotus plants were transplanted and she would +take keen interest in this work. All the old roots had to be cut away +and the new bulbs planted in fresh soil. Although the lotus grew in the +shallowest part of the lake (the West side) it was necessary for the +eunuchs to wade into the water sometimes up to their waists in order to +weed out the old plants and set the young ones. Her Majesty would +sit for hours on her favorite bridge (The Jade Girdle Bridge) and +superintend the eunuchs at their work, suggesting from time to time as +to how the bulbs were to be planted. This work generally took three or +four days, and the Court ladies in attendance would stand beside +Her Majesty and pass the time making fancy tassels for Her Majesty's +cushions, in fact doing anything so long as we did not idle. + +It was during the Spring that Yuan Shih Kai paid another visit to the +Palace, and among other subjects discussed was the Russo-Japan war. He +told Her Majesty that it was developing into a very serious affair and +that he feared China would be the principal sufferer in the long run. +Her Majesty was very much upset by this news, and mentioned that she had +been advised by one of the censors to make a present to the Japanese of +a large quantity of rice, but had decided to take no action whatever in +the matter, which resolve Yuan Shih Kai strongly supported. + +I was still working each day translating the various newspaper reports +and telegrams relating to the war and one morning, seeing a paragraph to +the effect that Kang Yu Wei (Leader of the Reform Movement in China in +1898) had arrived at Singapore from Batavia, I thought it might interest +Her Majesty and so translated it along with the rest. Her Majesty +immediately became very much excited which made me feel frightened as I +did not know what could be the matter. However, she explained to me that +this man had caused all kinds of trouble in China, that before meeting +Kang Yu Wei the Emperor had been a zealous adherent to the traditions of +his ancestors but since then had plainly shown his desire to introduce +reforms and even Christianity into the country. "On one occasion," +continued Her Majesty, "he caused the Emperor to issue instructions for +the Summer Palace to be surrounded by soldiers so as to keep me +prisoner until these reforms could be put into effect, but through the +faithfulness of Yung Lu, a member of the Grand Council, and Yuan Shill +Kai, Viceroy of Chihli, I was able to frustrate the plot. I immediately +proceeded to the Forbidden City, where the Emperor was then staying and +after discussing the question with him he replied that he realized his +mistake and asked me to take over the reins of government and act in his +stead." + + (The result of this was, of course, the Edict of 1898 + appointing the Empress Dowager as Regent of China.) + +Her Majesty had immediately ordered the capture of Kang Yu Wei and his +followers, but he had managed to effect his escape and she had heard +nothing further about him until I translated this report in the +newspaper. She seemed relieved, however, to know where he was, and +seemed anxious to hear what he was doing. She suddenly became very +angry again and asked why it was that the foreign governments offered +protection to Chinese political agitators and criminals. Why couldn't +they leave China to deal with her own subjects and mind their own +business a little more? She gave me instructions to keep a lookout for +any further news of this gentleman and report to her immediately, but I +made up my mind that in any case, I would not mention anything about him +again and so the matter gradually died away. + +During one of our visits to the Sea Palace Her Majesty drew attention +to a large piece of vacant ground and said that it had formerly been the +site of the Audience Hall which had been destroyed by fire during +the Boxer trouble. Her Majesty explained that this had been purely an +accident and was not deliberately destroyed by the foreign troops. She +said that it had long been an eyesore to her as it was so ugly, and that +she had now determined to build another Audience Hall on the same site, +as the present Audience Hall was too small to accommodate the foreign +guests when they paid their respects at New Year. She therefore +commanded the Board of Works to prepare a model of the new building in +accordance with her own ideas, and submit it for her approval. Up to +that time all the buildings in the Palace Grounds were typically Chinese +but this new Audience Hall was to be more or less on the foreign plan +and up to date in every respect. This model was accordingly prepared +and submitted to Her Majesty. It was only a small wooden model but was +complete in every detail, even to the pattern of the windows and the +carving on the ceilings and panels. However, I never knew anything to +quite come up to Her Majesty's ideas, and this was no exception. She +criticised the model from every standpoint, ordering this room to be +enlarged and that room to be made smaller: this window to be moved to +another place, etc., etc. So the model went back for reconstruction. +When it was again brought for Her Majesty's inspection everybody agreed +that it was an improvement on the first one, and even Her Majesty +expressed great satisfaction. The next thing was to find a name for the +new building and after serious and mature consideration it was decided +to name it Hai Yen Tang (Sea Coast Audience Hall). Building operations +were commenced immediately and Her Majesty took great interest in the +progress of the work. It had already been decided that this Audience +Hall was to be furnished throughout in foreign style, with the exception +of the throne, which, of course, retained its Manchu appearance. Her +Majesty compared the different styles of furniture with the catalogues +we had brought with us from France and finally decided on the Louis +Fifteenth style, but everything was to be covered with Imperial Yellow, +with curtains and carpets to match. When everything had been selected +to Her Majesty's satisfaction, my mother asked permission to defray the +expense herself and make a present of this furniture. This Her Majesty +agreed to and the order was accordingly placed with a well-known Paris +firm from whom we had purchased furniture when in France. By the time +the building was completed the furniture had arrived, and it was quickly +installed. Her Majesty went to inspect it and, of course, had to find +fault as usual. She didn't seem at all pleased with the result of the +experiment and said that after all a Chinese building would have been +the best as it would have had a more dignified appearance. However, the +thing was finished and it was no use finding fault now, as it could not +be changed. + +During the Summer months I had plenty of leisure time and devoted about +an hour each day to helping the Emperor with his English. He was a most +intelligent man with a wonderful memory and learned very quickly. His +pronunciation, however, was not good. In a very short time he was able +to read short stories out of an ordinary school reader and could write +from dictation fairly well. His handwriting was exceptionally fine, +while in copying old English and ornamental characters, he was an +expert. Her Majesty seemed pleased that the Emperor had taken up this +study, and said she thought of taking it up herself as she was quite +sure she would learn it very quickly if she tried. After two lessons she +lost patience, and did not mention the matter again. + +Of course these lessons gave me plenty of opportunity to talk with His +Majesty, and on one occasion he ventured the remark that I didn't seem +to have made much progress with Her Majesty in the matter of reform. +I told him that many things had been accomplished since my arrival at +Court, and mentioned the new Audience Hall as an instance. He didn't +appear to think that anything worth talking about, and advised me to +give up the matter altogether. He said when the proper time arrived--if +it ever did arrive--then I might be of use, but expressed grave doubts +on the subject. He also enquired about my father and I told him that +unless his health improved very soon it would be necessary for us to +leave the Court for a while at any rate. He replied that although he +should very much regret such a necessity, he really believed that it +would be for the best. He said he felt certain that I should never be +able to settle down permanently to Court life after spending so many +years abroad, and for his part would put no obstacles in the way of my +leaving the Court if I desired to do so. + +Her Majesty had given me permission to visit my father twice every +month, and everything appeared to be going along nicely until one day +one of Her Majesty's servant girls told me that Her Majesty was trying +to arrange another marriage for me. At first I did not take any notice +of this, but shortly afterwards Her Majesty informed me that everything +was arranged and that I was to be married to a certain Prince whom +she had chosen. I could see that Her Majesty was waiting for me to say +something, so I told her that I was very much worried at that time about +my father and begged her to allow the matter to stand over for the time +being at any rate. This made Her Majesty very angry, and she told me +that she considered me very ungrateful after all she had done for me. I +didn't reply, and as her Majesty did not say anything more at the time, +I tried to forget about it. However, on my next visit home, I told my +father all about it, and as before he was strongly opposed to such a +marriage. He suggested that on my return to the Palace I should lay +the whole matter before Li Lien Ying, the head eunuch, and explain my +position, for if anybody could influence Her Majesty, he was the one. +I, therefore, took the first opportunity of speaking to him. At first he +appeared very reluctant to interfere in the matter, and said he thought +I ought to do as Her Majesty wished, but on my stating that I had no +desire to marry at all, but was quite willing to remain at Court in +my present position, he promised to do his best for me. I never heard +anything further about my marriage, either from Her Majesty or Li Lien +Ying, and therefore concluded that he had been able to arrange the +matter satisfactorily. + +The Summer passed without anything further important occurring. During +the eighth moon the bamboos were cut down and here again the Court +ladies were called upon to assist, our work being to carve designs +and characters on the cut trees, Her Majesty assisting. These were +afterwards made into chairs, tables and other useful articles for Her +Majesty's teahouse. During the long Autumn evenings Her Majesty would +teach us Chinese history and poetry and every tenth day would put us +through an examination in order to find out how much we had learned, +prizes being awarded for proficiency. The younger eunuchs also took part +in these lessons and some of their answers to Her Majesty's questions +were very amusing. If Her Majesty were in a good humor she would laugh +with the rest of us, but sometimes she would order them to be punished +for their ignorance and stupidity. However, as they were quite +accustomed to being punished they did not seem to mind very much and +forgot all about it the next minute. + +As Her Majesty's seventieth birthday was approaching the Emperor +proposed to celebrate this event on an unusually grand scale, but Her +Majesty would not give her consent to this proposal on account of the +war trouble, for fear people might comment on it. The only difference, +therefore, between this birthday and former ones was that Her Majesty +gave presents to the Court, in addition to receiving them. These +included the bestowal of titles, promotions and increases in salary. +Among the titles conferred by Her Majesty, my sister and myself received +the title of Chun Chu Hsien (Princess). These titles, however, were +confined to members of the Court, and were granted specially by the +Empress Dowager. Similar promotions to outside officials were always +conferred by the Emperor. It was proposed to hold the celebrations in +the Forbidden City as it was more suited for such an important +event. However, Her Majesty did not like this idea at all, and gave +instructions that the Court should not be moved until three days before +the 10th of the tenth moon, the date of her birthday. This entailed a +lot of unnecessary work as it necessitated decorating both the Summer +Palace and the Forbidden City. Everything was hurry and bustle. To add +to this, it snowed very heavily during the few days previous to the +tenth. Her Majesty was in a very good mood. She was very fond of being +out in the snow and expressed a wish to have some photographs taken +of herself on the hillside. So my brother was commanded to bring his +camera, and took several very good pictures of Her Majesty. + +On the seventh day the Court moved into the Forbidden City and the +celebrations commenced. The decorations were beautiful; the Courtyards +being covered with glass roofs to keep out the snow. The theatres were +in full swing each day. The actual ceremony, which took place on the +tenth, did not differ in any respect from previous ones. Everything +passed off smoothly, and the Court removed again into the Sea Palace. + +While at the Sea Palace we received news that my father's condition was +becoming serious, and he again tendered his resignation to Her Majesty. +She sent her eunuchs to find out exactly what the matter was, and on +learning that he was really very ill, accepted his resignation. Her +Majesty agreed that it might be better for him to go to Shanghai and see +if the foreign physicians could do him any good. She said she supposed +it would be necessary for my mother to accompany him to Shanghai, but +did not consider it serious enough to send my sister and myself along +also. I tried to explain that it was my duty to go along with him as he +might be taken worse and die before I could get down to see him again, +and I begged Her Majesty to allow me to go. She offered all kinds of +objections but eventually, seeing that I was bent on going, she said: +"Well, he is your father, and I suppose you want to be with him, so you +may go on the understanding that you return to Court as soon as ever +possible." We did not get away until the middle of the eleventh moon, as +Her Majesty insisted on making clothes for us and other preparations +for our journey. Of course we could do nothing but await Her Majesty's +pleasure. + +When everything was ready Her Majesty referred to her book to choose a +suitable day for our departure, and fixed on the thirteenth as being the +best. We therefore left the Palace for our own house on the twelfth. +We kowtowed and said good-bye to Her Majesty, thanking her for her many +kindnesses during our stay with her. Everybody cried, even Her Majesty. +We then went to say good-bye to the Emperor and Young Empress. The +Emperor simply shook hands and wished us "Good Luck" in English. +Everybody appeared sorry to see us leave. After standing about for a +long time Her Majesty said it was no use wasting any more time and that +we had better start. At the gate the head eunuch bade us good-bye and +we entered our carriage and drove to my father's house, our own eunuchs +accompanying us to the door. We found everything prepared for our +journey, and early the next morning we took train to Tientsin where +we just managed to catch the last steamer of the season leaving for +Shanghai. As it was, the water was so shallow that we ran aground on the +Taku bar. + +On arrival in Shanghai my father immediately consulted his physician +who examined him and prescribed medicine. The trip itself seemed to have +done him a lot of good. I very soon began to miss my life at Court, +and, although I had many friends in Shanghai and was invited to dinner +parties and dances; still I did not seem to be able to enjoy myself. +Everything seemed different to what I had been accustomed to in Peking +and I simply longed for the time when I should be able to return to Her +Majesty. About two weeks after our arrival, Her Majesty sent a special +messenger down to Shanghai to see how we were getting along. He brought +us many beautiful presents and also a lot of medicine for my father. We +were very glad to see him. He informed us that we were missed very much +at Court and advised us to return as soon as it was possible for us to +do so. As my father began to show signs of improvement he suggested that +there was no further need for me to stay in Shanghai, and thought it +better that I should return to Peking and resume my duties at Court. I +therefore returned early in the New Year. The river was frozen and I had +to travel by boat to Chinwantao, from thence by rail to Peking. It was a +most miserable journey and I was very glad when it was over. Her Majesty +had sent my eunuchs to the station to meet me and I at once proceeded +to the Palace. On meeting Her Majesty we both cried again by way of +expressing our happiness. I informed her that my father was progressing +favorably and that I hoped to be able to remain with her permanently. + +I resumed my previous duties, but this time I had neither my sister for +a companion nor my mother to chat with and everything appeared changed. +Her Majesty was just the same, however, and treated me most kindly. +Still, I was not comfortable, and heartily wished myself back again +in Shanghai. I stayed at the Court, going through pretty much the same +daily routine as before until the second moon (March 1905), when I +received a telegram summoning me to Shanghai as my father had become +worse, and was in a critical condition and wished to see me. I showed +Her Majesty the telegram and waited for her decision. She commenced by +telling me that my father was a very old man, and therefore his chances +of recovery were not so great as if he were younger, finally winding up +by telling me that I could go to him at once. I again wished everybody +good-bye, fully expecting to return very soon; but this was not to be. +I found my father in a very dangerous condition, and after a lingering +illness, he died on the 18th of December, 1905. Of course we went into +mourning for one hundred days which in itself prevented my returning to +the Court. + +While in Shanghai I made many new friends and acquaintances and +gradually began to realize that after all, the attractions of Court life +had not been able to eradicate the influences which had been brought to +bear upon me while in Europe. At heart I was a foreigner, educated in a +foreign country, and, having already met my husband the matter was soon +settled and I became an American citizen. However, I often look back to +the two years I spent at the Court of Her Majesty, the Empress Dowager +of China, the most eventful and happiest days of my girlhood. + +Although I was not able to do much towards influencing Her Majesty in +the matter of reform, I still hope to live to see the day when China +shall wake up and take her proper place among the nations of the world. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Two Years in the Forbidden City, by +The Princess Der Ling + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TWO YEARS IN THE FORBIDDEN CITY *** + +***** This file should be named 889.txt or 889.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/8/8/889/ + +Produced by Charles Keller for Sarah + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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