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In the autumn of this year, 1865, took place the burial of the late
Emperor, Hsien-Feng, the preparation of whose tomb had been
proceeding for just four years. With him was buried his consort
Sakota, who had died in 1850, a month before her husband’s
accession to the Throne; her remains had been awaiting burial at a
village temple, seven miles west of the capital, for fifteen years. As
usual, the funeral ceremonies and preparation of the tombs involved
vast expenditure, and there had been considerable difficulty in
finding the necessary funds, for the southern provinces, which, under
ordinary circumstances would have made the largest contributions,
were still suffering severely from the ravages of the Taiping rebellion.
The Emperor’s mausoleum had cost nominally ten million taels, of
which amount, of course, a very large proportion had been diverted
for the benefit of the officials of the Household and others.
The young Emperor, and the Empresses Regent proceeded, as in
duty bound, to the Eastern Tombs to take their part in the solemn
burial ceremonies. Prince Kung was in attendance; to him had fallen
the chief part in the preparation of the tomb and in the provision of
the funds, and Her Majesty had no cause to complain of any
scamping of his duties. The body of the Emperor, in an Imperial
coffin of catalpa wood, richly lacquered and inscribed with Buddhist
sutras, was borne within the huge domed grave chamber, and there
deposited in the presence of their Majesties upon its “jewelled
bedstead,” the pedestal of precious metals prepared to receive it. In
the place of the concubines and eunuchs, who in prehistoric days
used to be buried alive with the deceased monarch, wooden and
paper figures of life size were placed beside the coffin, reverently
kneeling to serve their lord in the halls of Hades. The huge candles
were lighted, prayers were recited, and a great wealth of valuable
ornaments arranged within the grave chamber; gold and jade
sceptres, and a necklace of pearls were placed in the coffin. And
when all was duly done, the great door of the chamber was slowly
lowered and sealed in its place.
Next day the Empresses Dowager issued a Decree in which
Prince Kung’s meritorious acts are graciously recognised, and their
Majesties’ thanks accorded to him for the satisfactory fulfilment of
the funeral ceremonies.
“Prince Kung has for the last five years been preparing the
funeral arrangements for his late Majesty and has shown a
due sense of decorum and diligence. To-day, both the late
Emperor and his senior consort have been conveyed to their
last resting place, and the great burden of our grief has been
to some extent mitigated by our satisfaction in contemplating
the grandeur of their tombs, and the solemn ceremonies of
their burial. No doubt but that the spirit of His Majesty in
Heaven has also been comforted thereby. We now feel bound
to act in accordance with the fraternal affection which always
animated the deceased Emperor towards Prince Kung, and to
bestow upon him high honours. But the Prince has repeatedly
declined to accept any further dignities, lest perchance he
should again be tempted to arrogance. His modesty meets
with our approval, and we therefore merely refer his name to
the Imperial Clan Court, for the selection of a reward. But we
place on record the fact that as Grand Councillor he has been
of great service to us, and has of late displayed notable
circumspection and self-restraint in all matters.
“The Decree which we issued last Spring was caused by
the Prince’s want of attention to small details of etiquette, and
if we were obliged to punish him severely, our motives have
been clearly explained. No doubt everyone in the Empire is
well aware of the facts, but as posterity may possibly fail to
realise all the circumstances, and as unjust blame might fall
upon the memory of Prince Kung, if that Decree were allowed
to remain inscribed amongst the Imperial Archives, thus
suggesting a flaw in the white jade of his good name, we now
command that the Decree in which we announced Prince
Kung’s dismissal from office be expunged from the annals of
our reign. Thus is our affection displayed towards a deserving
servant, and his good name preserved untarnished to all
time.”
“As soon as the troops have found the body of the usurper
known as the ‘Heavenly King,’ Hung Hsiu-ch’uan, let it be
dismembered forthwith and let the head be sent for exhibition
in every province that has been ravaged by his rebellion, in
order that the public indignation may be appeased. As to the
two captured leaders, let them be sent in cages to Peking, in
order that they may be examined and then punished with
death by the lingering process.”
For four years after the collapse of the rebellion, Tseng Kuo-fan
remained at Nanking as Viceroy. (The Hunanese still regard that post
as belonging by prescriptive right to a Hunanese official.) His only
absence was during a brief expedition against the Mahomedan
rebels in Shantung. In September 1868 he was appointed Viceroy of
Chihli, and left for Peking at the end of the year, receiving a
remarkable ovation from the people of Nanking. In Peking he was
received with great honours, and in his capacity of Grand Secretary
had a meeting with the Council on the morning after his arrival,
followed immediately by an Audience, to which he was summoned
and conducted by one of the Princes. The young Emperor was
sitting on a Throne facing west, and the Empresses Regent were
behind him, screened from view by the yellow curtain, Tzŭ An to the
left and Tzŭ Hsi to the right of the Throne. In the Chinese narrative of
the rebellion to which we have already referred, the writer professes
to report this audience, and several that followed, practically
verbatim, and as it affords interesting information as to the manner
and methods of Tzŭ Hsi on these occasions, the following extracts
are worthy of reproduction. It is to be observed that the writer, like all
his contemporaries, assumes ab initio that the Empress Tzŭ An,
though senior, is a negligible quantity and that the whole interest of
the occasion lies between Tzŭ Hsi and the official in audience.
Upon entering the Throne room, Tseng fell upon his knees, as in
duty bound, and in that position advanced a few feet, saying “Your
servant Tseng Kuo-fan respectfully enquires after Your Majesties’
health.” Then removing his hat and performing the kowtow, he
humbly returned thanks for Imperial favours bestowed upon him.
These preliminaries completed, he rose and advanced a few steps to
kneel on the cushion prepared for him below the daïs. The following
dialogue then took place:—
Her Majesty Tzŭ Hsi. When you left Nanking, was all your
official work completed?
Tseng. Yes, quite completed.
Tzŭ Hsi. Have the irregular troops and braves all been
disbanded?
Tseng. Yes, all.
Tzŭ Hsi. How many in all?
Tseng. I have disbanded over twenty thousand irregulars
and have enrolled thirty thousand regulars.
Tzŭ Hsi. From which province do the majority of these men
hail?
Tseng. A few of the troops come from Hunan, but the great
majority are Anhui men.
Tzŭ Hsi. Was the disbandment effected quite quietly?
Tseng. Yes, quite quietly.