TWO YEARS IN
THE
FORBIDDEN CITY Illustrated from Photographs BY
THE PRINCESS DER LING
FIRST LADY IN WAITING
TO THE EMPRESS DOWAGER NEW YORK DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY 1929 Copyright, 1911, by
MOFFAT, YARD AND COMPANY
NEW YORK
PRINTED IN U.S.A.
TO
MY BELOVED FATHER
LORD YÜ KENG
THE author of the
following narrative has peculiar qualifications for her task. She is a daughter
of Lord Yü Keng, a member of the Manchu White Banner Corps, and one of the most
advanced and progressive Chinese officials of his generation. Lord Yü 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 Yü 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 Yü 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.
I. INTRODUCTORY. . . .
. . . . . . 1
II. AT THE PALACE . . .
. . . . . 12
III. A PLAY AT THE
COURT . . . . .24
IV. A LUNCHEON WITH THE
EMPRESS . 39
V. AN AUDIENCE WITH THE
EMPRESS . 48
VI. IN ATTENDANCE ON
HER MAJESTY .55
VII. SOME INCIDENTS OF
THE COURT .73
VIII. THE COURT LADIES.
. . . . . 94
IX. THE EMPEROR KWANG
HSU . . . . 110
X. THE YOUNG EMPRESS .
. . . . . .131
XI. OUR COSTUMES. . . .
. . . . . 155
XII. THE EMPRESS AND
MRS. CONGER .172
XIII. THE EMPRESS'S
PORTRAIT. . . 203
XIV. THE EMPEROR'S
BIRTHDAY. . . .240
XV. THE MID-AUTUMN
FESTIVAL . . . 269
XVI. THE SUMMER PALACE
. . . . . .288
XVII. THE AUDIENCE HALL
. . . . . 312
XVIII. THE NEW YEAR
FESTIVALS. . .328
XIX. THE SEA PALACE. .
. . . . . .345
XX. CONCLUSION. . . . .
. . . . . 368
The Princess Der Ling
in evening costume Frontispiece
North view of the
Summer Palace. . . . . . 14
Pai Lou
(archway)-Summer Palace. . . . . . 14
The Empress Dowager in
her one hundred butterfly robe. . 22
In front of the Pan
Yuin De'en Palace. . . 40
View taken from Pei
Yeun Dien. . . . . . . 52
The Empress Dowager
dressed in her bamboo-leaf
embroidered robe. . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
The Empress Dowager,
Lady Yü, and Lady Roong
Ling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
The Empress Dowager in
one of her boats on the
Lotus Lake. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Her Imperial Majesty in
her yellow dragon robe . . 112
Her Imperial Majesty
walking to the theatre after
the morning audience. . . . . . . . . . .148
Bridge at the Summer
Palace. . . . . . . .172
The Jade Girdle
Bridge-Summer Palace . . .172
East side of the lake
inside the Summer Palace . . 186
Stand erected for
foreigners . . . . . . .186
The writer assisting
Her Majesty . . . . .220
The Empress of China
dressed as the Goddess of
Mercy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250
Emperor's coffin
carried by ``600'' pole bearers . . 300
Umbrella carriers in
the funeral . . . . .300
Foreigners in front of
stand waiting for the funeral . 340
Flag carriers in the
funeral . . . . . . .340
MY father and mother,
Lord and Lady Yü Keng, and family, together with our suite consisting of the
First Secretary, Second Secretary, Naval and Military Attachés, 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 Hôtel 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 Hôtel 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 [1]
(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 Yü 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 Fêng.
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.
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 Yü) 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 phœnix 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 phœnix 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 Yü), 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 phœnix 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.
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 Yü 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.
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 Yü 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 Plançon, 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 crosslegged, 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.
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 crêpe de chine gowns, trimmed with Brussels lace and
transparent yokes of the same color chiffon. My mother wore her gray crêpe 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. Plançon, 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. Plançon
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. Plançon, as she
could not speak English. After this, Her Majesty told me to take Mdme. Plançon
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. Plançon 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. Plançon 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. Plançon 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 Plançon. 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. Plançon 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 début 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. Plançon 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.
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 crêpe 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.
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 crêpe 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: ``Yü tai tai (Lady Yü) 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. Plançon 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.''
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 gossipping, 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
crosslegged, 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. Plançon the
other day. Do you remember what Her Majesty said to you? `That Mdme. Plançon
was so different from many ladies she had met, and also dressed differently.'
'' It was a chiffon dress, with hand paintings, which Mdme. Plançon 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.
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 waitingroom 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 waitingroom, 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.
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 waitingroom 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
waitingroom. 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 waitingroom 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 waitingroom, 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 phœnix. The
embroidery was raised and each phœnix 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 phœnix 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 Yü 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 waitingroom. 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 Yü 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 Yü 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 waitingroom, 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.
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 waitingroom 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: ``Yü 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.
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.
AFTER staying a little
while at the temple, we returned to the Palace, and the ladies said good-bye
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.
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.
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 waitingroom 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.
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 waitingroom,
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 ennuchs 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.
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 gossipping 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 waitingrooms 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.
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 good-bye 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 spinnning 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.
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 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.
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 descent 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.
THE END