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Court Life in China-Part19_Issac Taylor Headland(1859-1942)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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" 'But they have been taken into the palace,' I urged, to try to

comfort her, 'and I have heard that the Emperor is very fond of



your eldest daughter, and wanted to make her his empress.'

" 'Quite right,' she replied, 'but what consolation is there in



that? They are only concubines, and once in the palace they are

dead to me. No matter what they suffer, I can never see them or



offer them a word of comfort. I am afraid of the court intrigues,

and they are only children and cannot understand the duplicity of



court life--I fear for them, I fear for them,' and she swayed

back and forth on her brick bed.



"Time, however, the great healer with a little medicine and

sympathy to quiet her nerves, brought about a speedy recovery,



though in the end her fears proved all too true."

In 1897 the brother of this first concubine met Kang Yu-wei in



the south, and became one of his disciples. Upon his return to

Peking, knowing of the Emperor's desire for reform, and his



affection for his sister, he found means of communicating with

her about the young reformer.



At the time of the coup d'etat, and the imprisonment of the

Emperor, this first concubine was degraded and imprisoned on the



ground of having been the means of introducing Kang Yu-wei to the

notice of the Emperor, and thus interfering in state affairs. She



continued in solitaryconfinement from that time until the flight

of the court in 1900 when in their haste to get away from the



allies she was overlooked and left in the palace. When she

discovered that she was alone with the eunuchs, fearing that she



might become a victim to the foreign soldiers, she took her life

by jumping into a well. On the return of the court in 1902, the



Empress Dowager bestowed upon her posthumous honours, in

recognition of her conduct in thus taking her life and protecting



her virtue.

Some conception of the haste and disorder with which the court



left the capital on that memorable August morning may be gleaned

from the fact that her sister was also overlooked and with a



eunuch fled on foot in the wake of the departing court. She was

overtaken by Prince Chuang who was returning in his chair from



the palace, where, with Prince Ching, he had been to inform their

Majesties that the allies were in possession of the city. The



eunuch, recognizing him, called his attention to the fleeing

concubine, who, when he had alighted and greeted her, begged him



to find her a cart that she might follow the court. Presently a

dilapidated vehicle came by in which sat an old man. The Prince



ordered him to give the cart to the concubine and sent her to his

palace where a proper conveyance was secured, and she overtook



the court at the Nankow pass.

At the audiences, this concubine was always in company with the



Empress Yehonala, standing at her left. She, however, lacked both

the beauty and intelligence of her sister.



The ladies of the court, who were constantly associated with the

Empress Dowager as her ladies in waiting, are first, the Imperial



Princess, the daughter of the late Prince Kung, the sixth brother

of the Empress Dowager's husband. Out of friendship for her



father, the Empress Dowagers adopted her as their daughter,

giving her all the rights, privileges and titles of the daughter



of an empress. She is the only one in the empire who is entitled

to ride in a yellow chair such as is used by the Empress Dowager,



the Emperor or Empress. The highest of the princes--even Prince

Ching himself--has to descend from his chair if he meet her. Yet



when this lady is in the palace, no matter how she may be

suffering, she dare not sit down in the presence of Her Majesty.



"One day when we were in the palace," says Mrs. Headland, "the

Imperial Princess was suffering from such a severe attack of



lumbago, that she could scarcely stand. I suggested to her that

she retire to the rear of the room, behind some of the pillars



and rest a while.

" 'I dare not do that,' she replied; 'we have no such a custom in



China.' "

She is austere in manner, plain in appearance, dignified in



bearing, about sixty-five years of age, and is noted for her

accomplishment in making the most gracefulcourtesy of any lady



in the court.

During the Boxer troubles and the occupation, her palace was






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