Issue 49 - Tse Qigong Centre

If Cixi had used her great influence tostrengthen the empire and resist the incursionsof the colonial powers, who were biting greatchunks of annexed territory from the borders andforcing China into trade agreements, includingthose following the despicable opium wars, wecould cast a forgivingly understanding eye overher actions. Unfortunately she lived in a world ofterrified sycophants, corrupt and avariciouseunuchs, and military ineptitude. A world partlyof her own creation, and certainly of hermaintenance. A world divorced from the realityof everyday life, where she watched stage playsfor days and nibbled at great luncheon banquetsof over one hundred courses. She was a tiny eaterbut she did like choice. A world where, withavaricious colonialists beating on the borders sheexpropriated funds designated for the rebuildingof the navy, in order to construct a splendid palacefor herself on the shores of a huge manmadelake.However, even Cixi was forced torecognise that something was seriously wrongwhen the colonial powers set up legations in the capital, Beijing.She truly hated these outsiders who brought their barbarianways into her civilised life style, but what to do about them?Her army was useless against their weapons and moderntactics, whilst her navy, well, enough said about that. She coulddo nothing, and feeling powerless was not something sheenjoyed, then help came from an unexpected area, the Boxers.The name was given by the western press to northernmilitia groups who united with peasants in their hatred ofcolonialist aggression and who called themselves ’The Fists ofRighteous Justice.’ Rampaging through the country, killingforeigners, Chinese Christians and anyone suspected of linksto foreigners, the Boxers finally reached the capital, Beijing.Cixi now had a problem. She wanted to be rid of thecolonialists but she despised and mistrusted the rough peasantBoxers. Chinese history is, as we have seen, punctuated bypeasant uprisings accompanied by the fall of dynasties andCixi had no intention of becoming an historical exclamationmark. Also, who would win? If she backed the Boxers and theylost she would incur the indignant wrath of the colonialists. Ifthe Boxers won and they turned on her? How she must haveshivered with horror when she imagined lunch without lark’stongues. Faced with a difficult decision she opted for doingnothing. She let the Boxers lay siege to the legations, who builta rough defensive ring in the centre of the city, but she did notassist the rebels with imperial troops. She was hopeful andfearful of a Boxer victory.The Boxers, believing themselves to be immune to bulletsthrough the use of charms, assaulted the legations with ill-ledand poorly conceived attacks. This gave the colonialists, whohad been busy squabbling about who should be in charge ofthe compound, the British and French were never going to agreeover that one, time to build their fortifications. Their successfuldefence was achieved largely through the dynamism of anAustralian adventurer who had the twin benefits of commonsense and no breeding. The military ineptitude of the Boxers,though almost matched by incompetence within the perimeter,allowed the western powers beyond the borders time to mounta relief column and after several months a combinedinternational force of British, French, German, Japanese,Empress Dowager Cixi being carried through the streets in a sedan chairRussian and U.S. troops lifted the siege. Within the ImperialPalace of The Forbidden City, Cixi examined her options as aresponsible ruler and fled to Xian.With her empire facing possible destruction, and certainupheaval, she now faced a highly unusual situation on theroad to the ancient capital, she was hungry. She could rant asmuch as she wished and threaten her servants with death untilthey shook in their slippers, but there was still nothing to eat.The servants also remembered past rages directed towardschefs who had produced food which had not pleased her andhad paid for their culinary deficiency with their lives. They wereunderstandably unwilling to return with rough peasant farewhich might provoke similar results for themselves. Sharp eyedCixi, however, caught sight of refugees eating something andordered it brought to her. It was a steamed, cone-shaped breadmade of corn meal which Cixi tasted and declared to bedelicious, much to the relief of her servants.Back in Beijing things were beginning to calm down andthe Allied force, now not quite as allied as it had been, wasstarting to think about important things like peace, trade andreparations. For this they needed the emperor, and that meantThe Empress Dowager Cixi. It was safe for her to return.One of the first things Cixi did on her reappearancewas to order some corn bread to be baked for a meal,remembering how delicious it had been. When it was broughtto her she found it horrible, tasteless and rough textured. Sheflew into one of her famous rages and had several chefsexecuted. The remaining chefs were terrified; agreeing thatnow she had the finest food in the empire and she was nolonger hungry, peasant bread was never going to please her.What could they do? Then one chef had an idea, proposing arecipe for a smaller cone of bread mixed with chestnut mealand brown sugar. They tried the recipe, she tasted it anddeclared it to be delicious, though not as good as the breadshe had eaten on the road to Xian. The chefs were relieved,they were happy with mild criticism, and commented that whilstcorn meal is as sweet as honey when you are hungry, evenhoney loses its sweetness when your stomach is fullby Nick BattersbyQi Magazine 15