The Complete Story of Empress Dowager Cixi

This is a popular history book focusing on the heart of power in the late Qing dynasty and the decline of the empire. The story centers on Cixi's rise to power, tracing everything from the undercurrents of palace intrigue to the difficult advance of the Self-Strengthening Movement and the hollow struggles of the New Policies reforms. With a fine eye for detail, it depicts each choice this de facto ruler of the late Qing made at the crossroads of history.

The book recounts both the perilous power struggles that reshaped the court after Empress Dowager Ci'an's death and the determination of Self-Strengthening advocates such as Yixin and Li Hongzhang, who struggled to promote industry amid skepticism at court and beyond. It shows the conflicts of interest and factional rivalries within the late Qing palace, while laying bare the political calculations behind the New Policies reforms and the loss of popular support. From the secluded halls of the Forbidden City to the naval training grounds at Dagu Fort in Tianjin, from sharp exchanges in court to rumors among the people, every historical scene is brought to life with vivid detail and feeling.

With lively, accessible prose, the author lifts the heavy veil of history to explore the deeper forces behind the rise and fall of dynasties. Against the sweeping backdrop of the late Qing, readers can experience the thrilling clashes for power and understand the inevitable fate of a vast empire gradually sinking beneath the tides of a changing age.