then, speaking with great vehemence, she declared that it was impossible
for her to brook these latest indignities put upon her by the foreigners.
Her Imperial dignity could not suffer it. Until yesterday, until, in
fact, she had read the dispatch addressed to the Tsungli Yamên by the
Diplomatic Body, it had been her intention to suppress the Boxers; but
in the face of their insolent proposal that she should hand over the
reins of government to the Emperor, who had already proved himself quite
unfitted to rule, she had been brought to the conclusion that no peaceful
solution of the situation was possible. The insolence of the French
Consul at Tientsin Tu Shih-lan (Du Chaylard), in demanding the surrender
of the Taku Forts was bad enough, but not so grievous an affront as
the Ministers’ preposterous proposal to interfere with her personal
prerogatives as Sovereign. Her decision was now taken, her mind resolved;
not even Jung Lu, to whom she had always looked for wise counsel, could
turn her from this purpose. Then, addressing more directly the Chinese
present, she bade them all to remember that the rule of her Manchu House
had conferred many and great benefits upon the nation for the past two
hundred and fifty years, and that the Throne had always held the balance
fairly in the benevolent consideration for all its subjects, north and
south alike. The Dynasty had scrupulously followed the teachings of the
Sages in administering the government; taxation had been lighter than
under any previous rulers. Had not the people been relieved, in time of
their distress, by grants from the Privy Purse? In her own reign, had
not rebellions been suppressed in such a manner as to earn the lasting
gratitude of the southern provinces? It was therefore now their duty to
rally to the support of the Throne, and to assist it in putting an end,
once and for all, to foreign aggression. It had lasted too long. If only
the nation were of one mind, it could not be difficult to convince these
barbarians that they had mistaken the leniency of the past for weakness.
That leniency had been great; in accordance with the principle which
prescribes the showing of kindness to strangers from afar, the Imperial
House had ever shown them the greatest consideration. The Emperor K’ang
Hsi had even allowed them liberty to propagate their religion, an act of
mistaken benevolence which had been an increasing cause of regret to his
successors. In matters of vital principle, she said, these foreigners
ignore the sacred doctrines of the Sages; in matters of detail, they
insult the customs and cherished beliefs of the Chinese people. They have
trusted in the strength of their arms, but to-day China can rely upon
millions of her brave and patriotic volunteers. Are not even striplings
taking up arms for the defence of their country? She had always been
of the opinion that the allied armies had been permitted to escape too
easily in the tenth year of Hsien Feng (1860), and that only a united
effort was then necessary to have given China the victory. To-day, at
last, the opportunity for revenge had come.
Turning to the Emperor, she asked for his opinion. His Majesty, after a
long pause, and with evident hesitation, urged her to follow Jung Lu’s
advice, to refrain from attacking the Legations, and to have the foreign
Ministers escorted in safety to the coast. But, he added, it must be for
her to decide. He could not dare to assume any responsibility in the
matter.
The junior Chinese Member of the Council, Chao Shu-ch’iao then spoke. He
begged the Old Buddha to issue her orders for the immediate extermination
of every foreigner in the interior, so as to avoid the danger of spies
reporting on the nature and extent of the patriotic movement. Her
Majesty commanded the Grand Council to consider this suggestion and to
memorialise in due course for an Edict.
After him, however, each in his turn, the Manchu Li-shan, and the Chinese
Hsü Ching-ch’eng and Yüan Ch’ang implored the Empress not to declare war
against the whole world. China, they said, could not possibly escape
defeat, and, even if the Empire should not be partitioned, there must
arise great danger of rebellion and anarchy from within. Yüan Ch’ang
even went so far as to say that he had served as a Minister of the
Tsungli Yamên for two years and that he had found foreigners to be
generally reasonable and just in their dealings. He did not believe in
the authenticity of the despatch demanding the Empress’s abdication,
which Prince Tuan professed to have received from the Diplomatic Body; in
his opinion, it was impossible that the Ministers should have dared to
suggest any such interference with China’s internal affairs.
At this Prince Tuan arose and angrily asked the Empress whether she
proposed to listen to the words of a Chinese traitor? Her Majesty rebuked
him for his loud and violent manner of speaking, but ordered Yüan Ch’ang
to leave the Audience Hall. No one else dared to say anything.
She then ordered the promulgation of the Decree, for immediate
communication to all parts of the Empire; at the same time announcing
her intention of sacrificing at the ancestral shrines before the
commencement of hostilities. Prince Chuang and Duke Lan were appointed
joint Commanders-in-Chief of the Boxers, but Tzŭ Hsi gave them clearly
to understand that if the foreign Ministers would agree to take their
departure from Peking this afternoon Jung Lu was to do his best to
protect them as far as Tientsin. Finally, the Empress ordered the Grand
Council to report themselves at mid-day for further orders. All were then
permitted to retire with the exception of Prince Tuan and Duke Lan; these
remained in special audience for some time longer. Hsü T’ung was present
at the general audience, having made good his escape from the Legation
quarter, and was congratulated by Her Majesty on his safety.
They say that Duke Lan told the Empress of a vision in which, the night
before, he had seen Yü Huang, the Jade Emperor. To him, and to his
company of Boxers while drilling, the god had appeared, and had expressed
his satisfaction with them and their patriotic movement. The Old Buddha
observed that the Jade Emperor had appeared in the same manner at the
beginning of the reign of the Empress Wu of the T’ang Dynasty (the most
famous woman ruler in Chinese history); the omen, she thought, showed
clearly that the gods are on the side of China and against the barbarians.
When, at the hour of the Sheep (1 P.M.) Kang Yi returned to the Palace,
he found Prince Ch’ing in the anteroom of the Grand Council, greatly
excited. It seems that En Hai,[77] a Manchu sergeant, had just come to
his residence and reported that he had shot and killed two foreigners
whom he had met, riding in sedan chairs that morning, just opposite the
Tsungpu Street. As orders had been issued by Prince Tuan and Ch’i Hsiu
to the troops that all foreigners were to be shot wherever met, and as
one of these two was the German Minister, he hoped that Prince Ch’ing
would recommend him for special promotion. Prince Tuan had already heard
the news and was greatly pleased. Prince Ch’ing and Kang Yi discussed
the matter and decided to inform the Empress Dowager at once. Kang Yi
did not think that the death of one foreign devil, more or less, could
matter much, especially now that it had been decided to wipe out the
Legations entirely, but Prince Ch’ing thought differently and reiterated
his opinion that the killing of an accredited Envoy is a serious matter.
Until now, only missionaries and their converts had been put to death,
but the murder of a Minister could not fail to arouse fierce indignation,
even as it did in the case of the British negotiator[78] who was captured
by our troops in the 10th year of Hsien-Feng (1860).
The Grand Council then entered the presence. Prince Li, as the senior
member of the Council, told the Old Buddha the news, but added that the
foreigners had brought it on themselves because they had first fired on
the people. Upon hearing this Her Majesty ordered Jung Lu to be summoned
in haste, but Kang Yi, being extremely busy with his work of providing
supplies for the Boxers, did not await his arrival.
Now, even as I write, they tell me that bullets are whizzing and
whistling overhead; but I am too deaf to hear them. En Ch’u says that
already the Kansuh braves have begun the attack upon the Legations and
that Jung Lu’s endeavours to have the foreigners escorted to a place of
safety have completely failed.
Liu Shun has just come in and asked for leave to go home for a week.
People are leaving the city in all directions and in great numbers.
_24th Day of the 5th Moon_: _the Hour of the Dog_, 7-9 P.M. (June 20th,
1900).—En Ming has just come in to inform me that a foreign devil[79]
has been captured by Tung Fu-hsiang’s troops. They were taking him,
wounded, to Prince Chuang’s Palace, prodding at him with their bayonets;
and he was babbling in his foreign tongue. He will be decapitated, and
his captors will receive good rewards (Prince Ch’ing has just been given
command of the gendarmerie). “The rut in which the cart was overturned
is just ahead.” Let this be a warning to those puny barbarian ruffians,
the soldiery encamped at the very gates of the Palace. (_This alludes to
the proximity of the Legations to the Palace enclosure._) Jung Lu was all
ready to escort the foreigners to Tientsin; he had with him over 2,000
Manchu troops. Doubtless he means well, but the Old Buddha now says that
she will not prevent the Kansuh braves from destroying the Legations. If
the foreigners choose to leave with Jung Lu, let them do so, and they
will not be attacked; but if they insist upon remaining, then their
punishment be upon their own heads, and “let them not say they were not
forewarned.”
Duke Lan sent over to invite me to breakfast with him to-morrow; he is
sore pressed with business cares just now; nevertheless, he and his
brothers always treat their old teacher with politeness and respect.
Though bellicose by nature, he is singularly gentle and refined. Chi
Pin[80] sent over to ask whether we would like to move to his house in
the north of the city, because the noise of the firing is very great in
our quarter, but I am so deaf that I hear not a sound of it all.[81]
Chi Pin is writing to his father-in-law, Yü Hsien, about the audience in
the Palace.
Duke Lan writes to tell me that this evening ⸺ informed Prince Tuan and
Chi Hsiu that, by the orders of that rascally Chinaman, Yüan Ch’ang,
the corpse of the foreign devil had been coffined. ⸺ wanted Prince Tuan
to have the corpse decapitated and the head exhibited over the Tung An
Gate. Yüan Ch’ang defends his action, saying that he knew the German
Minister personally at the Tsung Li Yamên, and he cannot bear the idea
of leaving his body uncoffined. Mencius says, “It is common to all men
to feel pity. No one can see a child fall into a well without a shudder
of commiseration and horror.” But these Chinese traitors of ours are
compassionate to the enemies of our glorious Kingdom, and the foes of our
ancient race. It is passing strange!
_25th Day of the 5th Moon: the Hour of the Monkey_, 3-5 P.M. (June
21st).—My chair-bearers have fled from the city, so to-day I had to
use my cart to go to Duke Lan’s residence. Prince Tuan and the Grand
Secretary, Kang Yi, were there; also Chung Li, lately Commandant of the
gendarmerie, and the “Beileh” Tsai Lien. Prince Tuan had seen the Old
Buddha this morning; their Majesties have moved from the Palace by the
lake into the Forbidden City. As the Empress Dowager was crossing the
road which runs between the Gate of the Hsi Yüan (Western Park) and
the Hsi Hua Gate of the Forbidden City she saw that a number of Boxers
had lined up on each side of the street as a Guard of Honour for the
“Sacred Chariot.” She presented them with 2,000 taels, congratulating
their commander, Prince Chuang, on their stalwart appearance. Said
the Old Buddha to Prince Tuan, “The foreigners are like fish in the
stew-pan. For forty years have I lain on brushwood and eaten bitterness
because of them, nursing my revenge like Prince Kou Chien of the Yüeh
State (5th Century B.C.). Never have I treated the foreigners otherwise
than generously; have I not invited their womenfolk to visit the Lake
Palace? But now, if only the country will stand together, their defeat is
certain.”
I think Prince Tuan hopes that the Old Buddha will now have the Ta-A-Ko
proclaimed Emperor; but unfortunately the Nanking Viceroy, Liu K’un-yi,
has much influence over her in this matter. When he was in Peking this
spring, in the second moon, he solemnly warned her against the Boxers and
ventured even to remonstrate at the Ta-A-Ko being made Heir Apparent.
Were it not for Liu K’un Yi, he would have been Emperor long since;
therefore Prince Tuan has a very bitter hatred against him. Liu told the
Old Buddha at his second audience that if H.M. Kuang Hsü were deposed,
the people of his province would assuredly rise in rebellion. What
concern is it of theirs who reigns in the Capital? His present Majesty’s
reign has brought many misfortunes to the nation; it is high time that it
came to an end. Why does not Prince Tuan enter the Palace and proclaim
his son Emperor? Tung Fu-hsiang’s Kansuh braves and the Prince’s own
Manchu soldiery would surely rally round him. But if Jung Lu opposed
them the Old Buddha would side with him. His wife[82] is for ever in the
Palace.
_26th Day of the 5th Moon_ (June 22nd).—I went this morning to Prince
Li’s palace in the western quarter of the city. I had to go in my small
cart, because my chair-bearers have either run away to their homes in
the country or had joined the Boxers. My two sons, En Ch’u and En Ming,
have been making arrangements to quarter one hundred Boxers in our outer
courtyard, and it seems that we shall have to supply them with food.
Although it cannot be denied that everyone should join in this noble work
of exterminating the barbarians, I grudge, nevertheless, spending money
in these hard times even for the Boxers, for rice is now become as dear
as pearls, and firewood more precious than cassia buds. It may be that,
in my old age, I am becoming like that Hsiao Lung, brother to the founder
of the Liang Dynasty, who was so miserly that he stored up his money in
heaps. On every heap of a million cash he would place a yellow label,
while a purple label marked each hoard of ten millions. It is recorded
of him, that his relatives abused him for this habit; as for me, my sons
would like to get at my money, but they cannot.
I find Prince Li much depressed in his mind; his treasure vaults contain
vast wealth; as senior member of the Grand Council, moreover, he feels
a weight of responsibility that is too much for him. His abilities are
certainly small, and I have never yet understood why the Old Buddha
appointed him to succeed Prince Kung as senior Councillor. He tells me
of a stormy meeting at the Grand Council this morning; it seems that Her
Majesty is greatly annoyed with Liu K’un-yi for sending in a telegram
strongly denouncing the Boxers. He has also telegraphed privately to Jung
Lu, imploring him to check their rebellion, but no one knows what answer
Jung Lu has made.
In his telegram to the Empress Dowager, which came forward by express
couriers from Pao-ting-fu, the Viceroy declares that he would be more
than ready to march north with all his troops if it were to repel a
foreign invasion, but he firmly declines to lend his forces for the
purpose of massacring a few helpless foreigners. Commenting on this, the
Empress Dowager quoted the words of the Classic Historical Commentary
(Tso Chüan): “The upper and lower jaws mutually assist each other; if
the lips shrivel, then must the teeth catch cold.” Thereby she meant
to imply that even such, in its close interdependence, is the relation
between the northern and southern parts of our Empire, and no one should
know this better than Liu K’un-yi, after his experiences at the time of
the Taiping Rebellion.
The Old Buddha has directed Prince Chuang, as head of the city
gendarmerie, to issue a proclamation offering Tls. 50 for every head of a
male barbarian brought in, Tls. 40 for that of a woman, and Tls. 30 for
that of a child.
While I was still talking with Prince Li, Jung Lu came over in his sedan
chair to visit his kinsman. He looks very tired, and walks with a limp.
He was loud in denouncing the Boxers, who, he says, are quite incapable
of doing any good. They had even now dared to shout abuse at him while
passing the “Houmen,” calling him a Chinese traitor. I could not help
thinking that Jung Lu deserved the name, but I did not say so. He is a
strong man, the strongest of all the Manchus, and I greatly fear that his
influence may yet be able to wreck all our hopes.
Returning to my house, I heard that the Princes Tuan and Chuang were
sending troops to surround the French Cathedral, which is defended by
a few foreign soldiers only, and which should, therefore, be easily
captured. Prince Li’s palace is within a stone’s throw of the cathedral,
and to enter the Forbidden City he has to pass just south of it,
through the “Hsi-Hua” gate. Although greatly disturbed by the impending
hostilities in his neighbourhood, he fears to move to a quieter locality,
lest, in his absence, his treasure vaults should be plundered. No doubt
the cathedral will fall in a few days.
My courtyard is now full of Boxers and Kansuh soldiery; I can no longer
call my house my own. How I loathe these cursed foreigners for causing
all this disturbance!
_The same Day: at the Hour of the Dog_ (7-9 P.M.).—I learn that Jung Lu
has just sent off a courier with a telegram, which Yüan Shih-k’ai is to
send on to the Viceroys of Canton, Nanking and Wucha’ng. Prince Li has
sent me a copy, which I am to keep secret; it reads as follows:—
“With all respect I have received your telegrams. Where one
weak people dares to oppose ten or more powerful nations, the
inevitable result can only be complete ruin. It has always been
maintained as a fixed principle with civilised nations, that,
in the event of war between any two Powers, their respective
Envoys should be treated with respect. Can it now be that
this our great inheritance, founded by our remote ancestors
at so great a cost of toil and danger, is to be endangered,
and suddenly brought to ruin, by these false workers of magic?
Shall the fate of the Dynasty be staked on a single throw?
It requires no peculiar sagacity to see that these Boxers’
hopes of success are nothing but the shadow of a dream. It is
true and undeniable, that, from their Majesties on the Throne
down to the very lowest of our people, all have suffered from
the constant aggression of foreigners and their unceasing
insults. For this reason these patriotic train-bands have been
organised, claiming a divine mission of retaliation; but the
present crisis is all-serious, and although I have used every
effort to explain its dangers, I have laboured in vain. I am
sick and suffering from lameness, but since I obtained leave
of absence I have already submitted seven separate memorials
denouncing these Boxers. Seeing that they produced no result,
I have now left my sick bed, in order, if possible, to explain
the situation clearly to their Majesties; and this also has
been in vain.
“All the Princes and Ministers of State who surround the Throne
now cry out against me with one voice, as your Excellencies
can readily believe. I dare not quote in this place the words
of Her Majesty, but I may say that the whole of the Imperial
family have joined the Boxers, and at least two-thirds of our
troops, both Manchu and Chinese, are with them. They swarm in
the streets of our capital like a plague of locusts, and it
will be extremely difficult to disperse them.
“Even the divine wisdom of Her Majesty is not sufficient to
stand against the will of the majority. If Heaven is not on
our side, how can I oppose its will? For several days past
I have been pondering night and day on some way out of our
difficulties, some forlorn hope of escape. Therefore yesterday
morning (June 20th) I arranged for a meeting with the foreign
Ministers at the Tsung Li Yamên, with a view to providing
a safe conduct for the entire foreign community, with my
own troops, to Tientsin. This course appeared to me to hold
out some reasonable chances of success, but Prince Tuan’s
soldiery slew the German Minister, and since then the situation
continues to develop from hour to hour with such extraordinary
rapidity that words fail me to describe it. On my side, in the
discussions of the Grand Council and the Chamberlains of the
Presence, are Prince Ch’ing and Wang Wen-shao, but the former,
following his usual practice, has applied for leave, and Her
Majesty will have nothing to do with him; so that these two
are of no real assistance to me. I have no fear of death, but
I grieve at the thought of the guilt which will be recorded
against me in history; Heaven knows that I am overwhelmed with
grief and shame. I have received great favours at the hands
of the Throne, and can only now pray to the spirits of the
Dynastic ancestors to protect our Empire. The situation here
is well-nigh lost, but it remains for your Excellencies to
take all possible steps for the protection of your respective
provinces. Let each do his utmost, and let proper secrecy be
maintained.” Signed “Jung Lu, with tears in his eyes.”
It is reported from the Grand Council that Chang Chih-tung has
telegraphed to Her Majesty, assuring her of his devotion and loyalty, and
asking whether he should come north with his troops to help in the work
of destroying the barbarians. Chang is a time-server, and loves not the
Emperor;[83] we have not forgotten how he approved the Decree appointing
an Heir Apparent, and how he would have been a party to His Majesty’s
removal from the Throne, justifying himself on quibbling grounds of
legality and precedents as to the lawful succession. He trims his
sails according to the wind of the moment, and has no courage of fixed
principles, like Liu K’un-yi. I despise the latter’s views in opposing
the Boxers, but no one can help admiring his upright character.
(_At this point the diarist proceeds to give a full account of the rise
and spread of the Boxer movement, describing in detail their magic rites,
their incantations, and their ceremonies of initiation. The facts have
nearly all been published before, so that most of this portion of the
Diary is here omitted. It is chiefly interesting as showing to what
heights of superstition even the most educated of the Manchus, including
the Empress Dowager, could go. We give one example only of the farrago of
gibberish which, believed in high quarters, nearly brought about the end
of the Dynasty._)
The Boxers also possess a secret Talisman, consisting of a small piece of
yellow paper, which they carry on their persons when going into battle.
On it is drawn, in vermilion paint, a figure which is neither that of
man nor devil, demon nor saint. It has a head, but no feet; its face is
sharp-pointed, with eyes and eyebrows, and four halos. From the monster’s
heart to its lower extremities runs a mystic inscription, which reads:
“I am Buddha of the cold cloud; before me lies the black deity of fire;
behind is Laotzu himself.” On the creature’s body are also borne the
characters for Buddha, Tiger, and Dragon. On the top left-hand corner are
the words “invoke first the Guardian of Heaven,” and on the right-hand
corner, “invoke next the black gods of pestilence.” The Empress Dowager
has learned this incantation by heart, and repeats it seventy times
daily, and every time that she repeats it the chief eunuch (Li Lien-ying)
shouts: “There goes one more foreign devil.” The Boxers determine the
fate of their victims by a curious test, which consists of burning a
ball of paper, and seeing whether the ashes ascend or remain upon the
ground. They may believe that it is the spirits who decide, but, as
a matter of fact, these balls of paper are sometimes made of thinner
material, which naturally leave a lighter ash that is easily caught up in
the air; whereas, when they use thick paper, the ashes seldom rise. Some
of the balls are also more tightly rolled than others, and it is quite
evident that the ashes of the loose ones have a much better chance of
blowing away than those which are tightly rolled. Similarly, when they
set fire to any place, they profess to be guided by their gods, and they
say that fire leaps forth at the point of their swords in any quarter
which the spirits desire to have destroyed. As a matter of fact, however,
there is deception practised in this also, for when they wish to burn
any place for purposes of plunder they have it sprinkled in advance with
kerosene oil, and if no oil is available, they even pile up brushwood
around it, upon which they drop a lighted match secreted upon their
persons.