people of Kiangsi were glad to co-operate with him in driving Shih Ta-k'ai from the province into Hunan and finally to Szechwan where Shih was executed. The eventual success of Hsiao and others in dislodging Shih was doubtless an important step toward the suppression of the Rebellion.
In 1859 Shih Ta-k'ai invaded south Hunan, and furiously attacked Pao-ch'ing with a large force. Hsiao Ch'i-chiang and other generals were ordered to the relief of the city. When the siege of the city was raised (July 28) Hsiao was entrusted with the pursuit of Shih Ta-k'ai to Kwangsi where furious battles were fought to save Kweilin, the capital of the province, from seizure by the enemy. Hsiao was then summoned back to Hsiang-t'an, Hunan. Meanwhile Shih Ta-k'ai marched from Kweichow to Szechwan, and Hsiao was dispatched to the latter province to combat his old enemy. He arrived in Szechwan in the spring of 1860 but before long died of illness. He was granted the title of a provincial governor and the posthumous name, Chuang-kuo 壯果.
[1/438/1a; 2/65/45a; 5/36/14a; 8/19上/1a.]
HSIAO-ch'in Hsien Huang-hou 孝欽顯皇后 née Yehe Nara (Yehonala) 葉赫那拉, Nov. 29, 1835–1908, Nov. 15, is referred to in these biographies as Empress Hsiao-ch'in, but was also known by her title, as Tz'ŭ-hsi Huang-t'ai-hou 慈禧皇太后, or by her residence as Hsi T'ai-hou 西太后. In Western works she is generally known as the Empress Dowager or "The Old Buddha", the latter a translation of the Chinese term, "Lao Fo-yeh" 老佛爺. In the Palace she was sometimes referred to as "Lao Tsu-tsung" 老祖宗, or "Venerable Ancestor", in reference to her position in later life as head of the Imperial Family. Her own family belonged to the Manchu Bordered Blue Banner. Her father, Hui-chêng 惠徵 (posthumous name 端恪), was a clerk in the Board of Civil Office, at least during the years 1836 to 1837. He later rose to be intendant of the Circuit of Southern Anhwei (Hui-Ning-Ch'ih-T'ai Tao 徽寧池太道) but was cashiered in 1853 for leaving his post in the face of the advancing Taiping forces. He seems to have died soon after.
In 1851 Empress Hsiao-ch'in, then seventeen sui, was selected to enter the Palace as a low ranking concubine of Emperor Wên-tsung (i.e. I-chu, q.v.). Her status was raised in 1854, and again in 1856 when she gave birth to a son, Tsai-ch'un [q. v.], and was made a second class concubine with the title, I Fei 懿妃. Since her son was the only heir of Emperor Wên-tsung, and therefore destined to succeed the throne, her position in the Palace was greatly strengthened. In later years she confided to Ch'ü Hung-chi (see under Sun Chia-nai) that she learned about affairs of state from Emperor Wên-tsung who let her classify his memorials for him. In 1860, when the British and French allies advanced on Peking she and the child, then five sui, accompanied the Emperor to Jehol. On August 21, 1861, the day before the Emperor died, the child was proclaimed Heir Apparent. During his minority affairs of state were entrusted, according to his father's will, to a regency composed of eight men, including four adjutant generals, and four Grand Councilors, then in Jehol (see under Su-shun). In issuing decrees, however, the eight regents were to obtain the consent of the Dowager Empresses, namely, the child emperor's mother, and the senior consort, Empress Hsiao-chên 孝貞顯皇后 (née Niuhuru 鈕古祿, 1837-1881), also known as Tz'ŭ-an (慈安) Huang T'ai-hou, or Tung (東) T'ai-hou. Before his death the Emperor is said to have entrusted to Hsiao-chên a seal bearing the characters Yü-shang 御賞 to be impressed at the beginning of every edict issued by the regency. To Tsai-ch'un, in whose name the edicts would be issued, was given a seal bearing the characters T'ung-tao-t'ang 同道堂, to be impressed at the close of each edict. But as the child was still in his minority this seal was entrusted to his mother. Hence without her consent to use the seal no edict could be issued or recognized as authentic.
One of the first edicts issued by the regency from Jehol, in the name of the child Emperor (Mu-tsung), raised both Hsiao-chên and Hsiao-ch'in to the rank of Huang-t'ai-hou, or Dowager Empresses—the former with the designation Mu Hou 母后 "Empress Mother", the latter with the designation, Shêng Mu 聖母 "Saintly Mother". Another edict ordered I-hsin [q. v.], half-brother of the deceased Emperor, to look after affairs in Peking—the Allied Forces having by then departed and foreign ministers having taken up residence there. Early in September 1861 I-hsin went to Jehol, with Kuei-liang and Wên-hsiang [qq. v.], to persuade the Court to return to Peking and perhaps also to find out how the regency was functioning. What took place at the conference is not known, but in view of subsequent events the visit foreshadowed a series
295
