Meet Empress Dowager Tzu Hsi. In 1860 China was in the midst of a national crisis, producing a coup d’état which in turn elevated an insignificant imperial concubine onto the stage as the Empress Dowager. The key was the son she had borne the dying emperor Hsien Feng. With the aid of clever officials and her brother-in-law Prince Kung, Tzu Hsi aka. Cixi, as she was known, clung to her position through three regencies. She was pushed and pulled by political factions. Her genius was her ability to

The beloved concubine moved the evil empress dowager, and the empress dowager gave her glory, and the harem exploded

Restoration of Empress Dowager Cixi's Clothes