Complete Biography of Empress Dowager Cixi

This is a popular historical work focusing on the core of power in the late Qing Dynasty and the decline of the dynasty. The whole book takes Cixi's power advancement as the main line, from the undercurrent of power struggle in the palace, to the difficult advancement of the Westernization Movement, to the hypocritical struggle of the New Deal reforms, and delicately outlines every choice made by the actual ruler of the late Qing Dynasty at the crossroads of history. The book not only contains the thrilling game of restructuring the power structure after Ci'an's death, but also the embarrassment and perseverance of Westernizationists such as Yi Xin and Li Hongzhang in promoting industry amid doubts from the government and the public. It not only shows the interest entanglements and factional disputes within the late Qing court, but also restores the calculation of power and the loss of popular support behind the New Deal reforms. From the deep palaces of the Forbidden City to the navy training ground in Dagukou, Tianjin, from the quarrels in the court to the gossip among the people, every historical scene is endowed with vivid details and warmth. With popular and vivid narrative style, the author peels off the heavy veil of history and explores the deep logic of the rise and fall of dynasties in the magnificent historical picture of the late Qing Dynasty, allowing readers to feel the thrilling power game and understand the inevitable fate of a huge empire gradually sinking in the tide of the times.