The Last Empress: The She-Dragon of China

by Keith Laidler

In 1856 Emperor Hsien Feng turned over an ornately carved jade name-plaque next to his bedchamber, an action with which he brought a much-desired new concubine to his bed and unwittingly sealed the fate of the Manchu dynasty. A centuries-old prophecy had foretold that Manchu rule in China would be brought to ruin by a woman from the Yeho-Nala tribe; in the darkness of the bedchamber those words became reality. The Emperor was entranced with the young woman he had chosen, and from that time her power over him was ensured. Her name was Yehonala. Forced to enter the Forbidden City at the age of sixteen Yehonala lost her family, her betrothed and the life she had sought. She was entering a world of opulence, scholarship, intrigue and power struggles; a world that had remained for centuries untouched by the outside world or the passing of time, ruled by etiquette and tradition but with danger in every word or gesture. The beautiful young girl proved herself equal to all the court. She rose to be one of the greatest female autocrats in history, the most powerful person in China, maintaining her power with a mixture of seduction, intrigue, manipulation and even murder.

Genres: History, Biography, China, Nonfiction

316 pages, Paperback

First published April 21, 2003

Reviews

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a non-fiction book about the Empress Ci Xi (also called Empress Yehonola) and I picked it up because I was intrigued after reading a novel about this same woman (The Empress Orchid).
It was fun to read the fictionalized version first and then go to the history book next to get more context and the "real story". I now understand that the novel has QUITE a sympathetic take on this woman and her actions + motives. The Last Empress (the non-fiction book) - which I will say felt a little sensationalized at times - sticks to what I think is the more typical narrative of Ci Xi: she was obsessed with power and was willing to go to great diabolical lengths to keep that power, i.e. killing her own son and also her co-regent. And in the process, causing the fall of the 200-year old Manchu Dynasty.

Who really knows what Ci Xi was like - and I don't think we can under-estimate the cut-throat kill-or-be-killed environment in the Forbidden City. Probably safest to say that she is misunderstood.

Whatever the case, it was really interesting to read about life in the Forbidden City (the whole eunuch thing still just fascinates/ horrifies me!) and also about China's diplomatic relations with the West in the late 19th century. I have very limited Asian history knowledge, and this is my first small step into that vast arena - hope to keep getting into it.

[Tocotin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This biography of Cixi is not the best. There is a lot of speculation as to Cixi’s motives and choices, complete with her being the instrument of vengeance, wrought upon the Aishin-Gioro by the Yehe-Nara clan. There is also a lot of information and detail about the Westerners meddling in Chinese affairs, compared to the detail about the court life and Cixi’s personal and political relationships. But it is a quite readable book, with the extensive (Western) bibliography at the end, so if you are fascinated with Cixi and the last years of the Qing (as I am), it might be worth reading.

[Vo. · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exciting introduction to a small but prominent part of Chinese history, through the world of one of the 19th century's more curious personalities.
Not as much an intimate account of the Empress Dowager's life as I initially assumed. Neither a run through of life at court. There is certainly a great deal of details of both, yet this author chose to give a broader introduction to the person vs the society she in many ways created. The author writes with accuracy and the language flows easily.

[Candi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book interesting and readable and it expanded my knowledge of a part of Chinese history that I have bumped into in many ways but never explored. It is written by a Westerner with an appreciation of Chinese culture and a desire to honor it. The respect is evident but the western point of view is too. I would now like to read something from a Chinese author. As with any history, the authors interpretation guides the narrative. I would have like to see an occasional acknowledgement of that.

Overall this small book covers the 83 years of the Empresses life with explanation of some prior history and the contemporaneous events in China for context. I liked that because I did not know much of this. There is not much of the personal or day to day life of the Empress covered but it does a good job of placing her and her actions in the context of history, unlike so much history involving women that was ignored by contemporary writers as well as earlier historians. this is important to me.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a mixed bag, but it did grab my attention and helped fill in some gaps in my knowledge of Chinese history. Great story-telling, with lots of historical information and even some photos from the era. But mostly it gives a great taste of the 'flavor' of Chinese culture and life behind the walls of the Forbidden City. Turns out, China had rebellions, discontented poor, religious fanatics, conservative throwbacks, visionary futurists. This was the period of eye-opening that China was not the center of the earth. It was also the decimation of an empire, and the set-up to great power struggles in Europe in WWI and WWII. I read this in preparation for finishing up reading Forgotten Ally: China's World War II, 1937-1945.

It was a rather odd treatment of this period of Chinese history, when several Western countries laid claim to prime ports and even whole cities to facilitate their trade ambitions. On the one hand, there was an even-handedness to the treatment of the different world views, and a memorable quote about how each side was equally deluded and equally wrong. However, it seems Chinese rulers come out as the the cruel, insulated despots. The Westerners' taking of land, imposing of 'fines,' were a given, unquestioned. Maybe because history happened in their favor, and not China's.

Unfortunately, the author had a plot device driving the narrative. Namely, that there was an ancient Chinese curse--yes, I said that--that foretold a Manchurian woman would bring down the Chinese empire. Mostly, this is employed as speculative asides that don't interfere much with the flow of historical events, but the author does venture beyond speculation to possibly pure fiction with some of his guesses at the intentions and actions behind known historical events. Possibly justified, as he often quotes contemporary rumors in Chinese literature. Still, even the name he uses for the She Dragon, YenoHala, is hard to track down in other historical writings. He's apparently using her tribal name to fit the 'curse' narrative.

Overall, it was a good read, and corrected some of my misconceptions, hopes and wishes about Chinese history and culture. This is the missing piece I was looking to fill, and Laidler documents well the attempts at modernization, the foreign influence, the rebellions and the resistance to the Imperial court. Many of the younger generation had already studied abroad, about technological and political advancements. The court was only interested in learning European war-making to take on their invaders, and employed many hired guns to train their armies and update their armaments. But the She Dragon locked up her own son for being too open to new political ideas. The old guard had to go for modernization to happen. By the time they went, China was fragmented. But they're still there. So much for the curse.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written although it can get dry at points. The author does a good job giving background information and history that pertain to the Yehonala and China of that time period.

[Robert Hepple · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published in 2003, The Last Empress tells the story of the despotic Empress Yehonala of China during the time that she effectively ruled China in the second half of the 19th century. This was a period of turmoil even my China's standards, with internal rebellions and external interference by the likes of Great Britain, France, Germany, Japan and the USA. The story is quite dramatic and exciting. My only reservation is that in view of the fact that the author has experience in making TV documentaries, I suspect he has tended to overemphasise details that are, in my opinion, not important to the story. For example, it is mentioned that the Forbidden City had a huge staff made up of eunuchs. Whilst this is important, it does not excuse spending the best part of a chapter telling you about the historical use of eunuchs, along with the various methods of castration employed by different cultures over the years. Another example is the lengthy section devoted to detailing the use of foot-binding in Chinese culture. This smacks of sensationalism, and is just the way in which a tv documentary aimed at 'the great unwashed' would do things. In spite of this, and immensely enjoyable read and very informative.