The Last Empress (novel)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Last Empress
Author Anchee Min
Cover artist Lei Q Min
Language English
Genre(s) Historical novel
Publisher Houghton Mifflin
Published in
English		 21 March 2007
Media type Print (Hardback & Paperback)
ISBN ISBN 978-0618531462 (first edition, hardback)
Preceded by Empress Orchid

The Last Empress is a historical novel by Anchee Min that provides a sympathetic account of the life of Empress Dowager Cixi, (referred to as Empress Orchid) from her rise to power as Empress Tzu-Hsi, until her death at 72 years of age. Akin to the bestselling and preceding novel in the series Empress Orchid, names within the story are different in spelling but retain the same pronouciation - allowing the reader to identify each relevant character to his or her real life counterpart.

[edit] Plot summary

The story begins with the death of Orchid's mother, and the arising conflict between her and Prince Kung over political matters. The bond between Empress Orchid and her son Tung Chih is also beginning to weaken, much to Orchid's despair.

Just after Tung Chih's 17th birthday in 1872, the Selection of Imperial consorts for him is completed. The chosen Empress is a "cat-eyed, eighteen-year-old beauty" called Alute. At first, Orchid was displeased with the selection of Alute as the Empress; Orchid's preferred selection for Empress was the daughter of a provincial governor named Foo-cha. It was only due to Empress Nuharoo's rank as the higher wife that Alute was chosen.

The Selection of Imperial consorts is followed by the suspicious death of Orchid's close friend and eunuch An-te-hai. His death had a great emotional impact on Empress Orchid - and it is at this moment that she admits to 'giving up' on Tung Chih, as she realises the "depth of his disaffection" towards her.

Around one year later, tension begins to mount between Orchid and Alute. This is first observed after Tung Chih develops a sexually transmitted disease - Alute refuses to answer Orchid's queries about the situation, maintaining that it is between Tung Chih and her alone. Orchid becomes irritated at Alute's lack of co-operation, and is further annoyed with Alute's rude attitude towards her. Her annoyance soon turns to happiness when Alute claims that she is pregnant with Tung Chih's first child.

Tung Chih's illness worsens and in 1875 he dies with his mother beside him. Around the same time, Alute sends Empress Orchid a message threatening to commit suicide. Convinced that she will give birth to a son, Alute states that she should be entitled to the regency upon giving birth and so expects Orchid to hand over power to her. Empress Orchid refuses to do so, as she believes that Alute only sees the "glamour and glory" of being an Empress. As well as this, she also believes that Alute has little experience with political and court matters - thus rendering her unsuitable for the role as Empress of China.

Upon learning of Orchid's refusal to step down, Alute commits suicide by dousing herself with opium, smuggled into the Forbidden City by her father.

After the death of Alute, Empress Orchid learns that there was a possibility that Alute's pregnancy was staged. Orchid also realises that Alute may have been mentally disturbed. Yet these possibilities had no effect on English journals describing Orchid as an intimidating, violent character who contributed to the death of her son - whilst portraying Alute as the protagonist of the event. Many foreign reports and articles soon begin printing false reports of Orchid's actions as ruler of China, suggesting that she is solely responsible for China's decline due to her cruel regime. However, such stories are seemingly published only to justify further invasions of China.

After the death of Tung Chih and Alute, Orchid adopts her sister Rong's son Tsai-t'ien after realising that her sister's mental disorder caused the death of three of her infant sons. Orchid then renames her nephew Guang-hsu upon his succession to the Dragon Throne. Initially, Orchid felt no motherly love for her nephew as she only adopted him to prevent his death at Rong's hand. However, a mother-son bond eventually forms between the two. Nuharoo disagrees with Orchid's methods of bringing up Guang-hsu, causing yet more tension between the two characters.

Shortly after the appointment of Guang-hsu as Orchid's successor, her love interest Yung Lu announces that he is planning to marry and move away to faraway Sinkiang. Orchid's health begins to decline a short while afterwards. Soon after Orchid realises that she is no longer at full health, she receives information that Empress Nuharoo has collapsed from illness. Nuharoo dies, and rumours suggest that Orchid is responsible.

Several years later (after increasing attacks by foreign countries), Orchid and Guang-hsu move to Ying-t'ai. During her stay, Orchid becomes the victim of an attempted assassination, supposedly organised by her adopted son. After Guang-hsu learns of the mistake he made that almost cost Orchid's life, he becomes deeply shamed and loses the will to live. His attempted reform of China also fails, and he too succumbs to illness. Attacks by a rebellion group named the Boxers soon force Orchid, Guang-hsu and their servants to flee. They return to the Forbidden City after the attacks subside.

From this point, Orchid's health deteriorates further. During this time, she meets with Robert Hart, an important contributor to the stability of China's economy. On November 14th 1908, Emperor Guang-hsu dies. Orchid also dies the following day, after appointing her grandnephew Puyi as her successor.

[edit] References (via external links)