Forbidden City Exhibition

Since it is #MuseumWeek on Twitter, it is a perfect time to write this post that I've been meaning to do for a long time. Last summer, I visited the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) to see The Forbidden City exhibition. It featured a vast collection of artifacts from the Forbidden City, home to the emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasty. Here were some of the interesting things:

Clothing

This is the ceremonial robe worn by the young Tongzhi Emperor at his coronation. Compare it with the robes worn by Oscar Leung and Pako Au, who both played Tongzhi in The Confidant.
 

There were different attire for different occasions. On the left is a ceremonial robe worn by the Jiaqing Emperor for the sacrifice ceremony at the autumn equinox. On the right is a ceremonial armour for the Yongzheng Emperor when he performed military inspections.
 

Here are some styles for imperial women. The left picture shows an Empress's ceremonial summer coat and the right picture shows an informal riding jacket.
 

This dress was most likely worn by Empress Dowager Cixi, as it is similar to the dress that she was wearing in the portrait on the right.
 

Even animals got special treatment! On the left is a saddle made for the emperor's horse. On the right is an outfit made for an imperial dog. There were special eunuchs assigned to take care of the royal animals.
 

Footwear for men versus women in the palace.
 


Symbols of Authority

This was the setting of the imperial throne in the Inner Court. It was less lavish than the throne in the formal halls of the Outer Court, but still conveyed the Emperor's royal status. It was surrounded by various objects such as fans with elephant stands, crane candle-holders and luduan (a Chinese mythical creature) figures. Compare it to TVB's setting in The Confidant.


Each emperor inherits the set of imperial seals. Originally, there were 39 seals in the set, each with different titles and purposes. However, the Qianlong Emperor found this to be confusing and reduced the set to 25 seals. The remaining seals were placed in a collection at the old Manchurian palace, including this one, which had the inscription "皇帝的寶" ("Treasure of the Emperor").
 

The Yongzheng Emperor had this special seal made for himself. It had the phrase "為君難" ("being ruler is difficult") to remind himself to be a diligent ruler.


This is an imperial edict issued during the Yongzheng era, written in both Chinese and Manchu.
 

This is an example of a "tally" that was used by anyone who wanted to enter or exit the Forbidden City. There were two pieces to a tally - one with the words raised and one with the words carved into it. Anyone who wanted to pass through the gates had to have one piece of the tally, which they would hold up against the guard's piece. If the two pieces fit together, they would be allowed to pass.



Tableware

This is a rare chicken cup from the Ming Dynasty. Emperor Chenghua's mother was particularly fond of small utensils, thus the Emperor especially ordered for this cup to be made for her. The unique thing about the cup is the way the colours were applied. Using a technique called doucai (鬪彩), the colours were painted both under and over the glaze. Only a few of these original cups survive to this day; one of these cups was sold for $36 million in an auction.


These are plates used in Tongzhi's wedding to Lady Alute (Natalie Tong in The Confidant). Tongzhi was one of only few Qing emperors who married while occupying the throne, thus it was a grand occasion for celebration. In particular, 10,000+ wedding wares were ordered to be made. It took five years to make all the pieces before the wedding. They contained symbols of good fortune, such as children playing (left) and the Chinese character for "happiness" (right).
 


This food basket could hold everything that the Emperor needed for a picnic. It had a silver wine pot, six wine cups, ten dishes, a large silver plate and ten sets of chopsticks.
 


Arts and Literature

Portraits of the Yongzheng Emperor. Does Ben Wong look like him in Gilded Chopsticks?
 


When he was still a prince, Yongzheng commissioned a set of paintings of 12 beautiful women. They featured the ladies engaged in various leisurely activities with scenery from the courtyard in the background. The paintings were mounted on a screen in the prince's favourite study. It is uncertain who exactly these women were; they may have been his concubines. (Could it have been Joey Meng from Gilded Chopsticks?)
 


This is a compilation book of poems that were written by the Qianlong Emperor. Throughout his lifetime, he composed more than 42,500 poems!
 

Beauty at War Connection

Recall the post about the connection between The Confidant and Curse of the Royal Harem. Beauty At War (and the original War and Beauty) occurs in the time period immediately before Curse of the Royal Harem.

The Qianlong Emperor (乾隆) abdicated after 60 years on the throne because he did not want to exceed the 61 years of service of his grandfather, the Kangxi (康熙) Emperor. The retired Qianlong took the title Taishang Huang (太上皇), but still held de facto power for the next four years until his death.
-   Christine Ng is the concubine of Qianlong. Her character does not exist in real history.

The Jiaqing (嘉慶) Emperor, played by Yu Yang, assumes the throne after his father’s abdication. War and Beauty was set 15 years into his reign. Beauty at War takes place sometime later in his reign.  

Rebecca Chan is Jiaqing’s (second) Empress in War and Beauty. One of her sons is the 4^th prince, Mianxin (綿忻), portrayed by Joel Chan in COTRH.
-   Gigi Wong’s role in COTRH is the older version of Rebecca Chan’s role.
-   The 4^th prince will be played by the actor Chris Lee in Beauty at War.

Sheren Tang correctly holds the title of Consort Yu (如妃) at the time of both series. She was posthumously named as Imperial Noble Consort Gongshun (恭順皇貴妃). She is the mother of Jiaqing’s fifth son, Mianyu (綿愉), which is child actor Pako Au in Beauty at War.
-   The 5^th prince was born in the 19^th year of Jiaqing. In Beauty at War, he is said to be seven years old, but in history, Jiaqing already died when the prince was six.
- The 5^th prince dies too early in BAW. In reality, he lives until the age of fifty.

In War and Beauty, the other concubines were named as Noble Ladies (貴人). In reality, they all held different titles at the time setting of the drama (in the 15^th year of Jiaqing).

Gigi Lai = Consort Hua (華妃). She married Jiaqing when he was a prince. She is the most senior concubine of the Consort rank, even higher than Consort Yu (Sheren Tang). She died in the 9^th year of Jiaqing, which is before WAB.

Charmaine Sheh = Imperial Concubine Chun (淳嬪). She was the daughter of the head of the national library committee. [Note that her title shares the same character as Christine Ng’s character in BAW, but they are not the same person.]

Maggie Cheung = First Class Attendant An (安常在). Unlike the ending of WAB, she actually survives the Jiaqing Emperor and is elevated to the rank of Imperial Concubine (安嬪) by his successor.

At the end of WAB, there was an invasion of Forbidden City, which is the Eight Trigrams Uprising by members of the Tianli Sect. The future Daoguang (道光) Emperor (Sunny Chan in COTRH), a prince at that time, led the defensive efforts and personally killed two rebels with his musket. It is said that his heroic actions was one of the reasons why Jiaqing (Yu Yang) ultimately named Daoguang (Sunny) as his successor. 

Note: In BAW, a 6^th prince was born to the Emperor, but in reality Jiaqing (Yu Yang) only had five sons.

See Gilded Chopsticks Connection for map before Qianlong
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Relationship map continues with The Curse of the Royal Harem & The Confidant

Miscellaneous Historical Facts in The Confidant

The Yehe Nara Curse

During the late-Ming Dynasty, Nurhaci (努爾哈赤), the leader of the Aisin-Goro clan, was uniting the Jurchen tribes (later known as the Manchu) in Manchuria (northeast China). The last tribe to be conquered was the Yehe Nara, led by a man named Gintaisi (金台石). They opposed the Jurchen union because they were being treated well by the Ming court. However, despite having the help of the Ming army, Nurhaci eventually defeated the Yehe Nara tribe and Gintaisi was either executed or forced to commit suicide. Before his death, Gintaisi allegedly cursed Nurhaci that as long as one of his descendants survived, even if it was a female, they will bring down the Aisin-Goros.

Nurhaci’s descendants went on to defeat the Ming-rebellion leader Li Zicheng and began their rule over China. Whether as a coincidence or because the Aisin-Goros were fearful of the curse, it was not until the reign of the Xianfeng Emperor that a Yehe Nara woman gained a prominent ranking within the imperial harem. That woman would later become known as Empress Dowager Cixi.

There are two ways in which the curse seems to have been fulfilled. The first interpretation is that Cixi’s disastrous rule brought about the Qing Dynasty’s downfall.  Her anti-reformist stance and extravagant spending were reasons why China fell behind in terms of military and technological advancement. The second interpretation is that a Yehe Nara woman – Empress Dowager Longyu (隆裕皇后) – signed the abdication agreement on behalf of Puyi to officially end the Qing Dynasty.

The Making of a Eunuch

In the Qing Dynasty, the castration of eunuchs was performed by government-sanctioned “knifers”. There were two families who specialized in the surgery: “畢五” and “小刀劉”. Anyone who wished to become a eunuch had to first register with one of them. Following a background check, the approved males would need sign a waiver to excuse the knifer of any consequences from the castration. They will also need to bring a gift for the knifer and several items to help them through their recovery. There is a fee of six silver pieces, but since most families could not afford to pay the price, they will sign a promissory note to repay their debts once they enter the palace.

The optimal time for surgery was in late-spring or early summer when it was relatively warm, because the castrated man cannot wear pants for at least one month after the surgery. Before the surgery, the person will rid themselves of poop and urine, then they will be locked in a sealed room for 3-4 days without food or water. Once they are ready, their male parts will be anaesthetized with hot chili sauce or pepper. They will be strapped to a chair and asked, once again, if they are willing to become a eunuch. If there is any hesitation at all, the knifer will not perform the surgery.

Using a curved knife, the knifer will sever the genitals in a single quick slice and then quickly insert a plug to prevent the blockage of the urethra. For the next three days, the patient is kept in a sealed room and forbidden from eating or drinking. The plug is removed after three days and the surgery is considered a success if the patient can urinate properly. The new eunuch will need to wait for the wound to heal, a recovery process that takes approximately 100 days. His “preciouses” will be hung from the ceiling on a red string in hopes of a rapid rise up the palace ranks. Upon the eunuch’s death, his family will reclaim the “preciouses” from the knifer so that the eunuch can be buried as a whole man.

The Use of “Nucai”

The term nucai (奴才) is a self-depreciating term meaning “your servant/slave”. This term is traditionally used by eunuchs to address themselves in the presence of the Emperor. Generally, other court officials would use the term chen (臣) instead, meaning “your subject”. Recall in Curse of the Royal Harem where all the court attendants, including the concubines, referred to themselves as nucai. There is actually historical basis for it. In the Qing Dynasty, Manchu court officials, regardless of rank, would use the term nucai to refer to themselves. Meanwhile, Han court officials, regardless of rank, were only permitted to use the term chen. This is because the Manchu Emperor and officials were considered to be akin to master and servant from the same household, whereas the Han people are not part of the “family” and are only treated as subjects of the Manchu ruler. Such a distinction is so important that the Qianlong Emperor was greatly angered when a Han official referred to himself as nucai when submitting a joint memorial with a Manchu official. The Qianlong Emperor issued a decree that, from then on, Manchu and Han officials who make joint submissions must both refer to themselves as chen. The Emperor would rather have the Manchu “downgrade” to use chen than to allow the Han people the privilege of being a nucai of the Emperor. 

Read The Confidant Review

More Historical Context posts:
The Unequal Treaties
The Confidant Characters
The Empress Dowagers
The Xinyou Coup - How Cixi came to power
The Burning of Yuan Ming Yuan
The Confidant & Curse of the Royal Harem Connection - Relationship Map of Late Qing Emperors

The Confidant Review

Producer: Marco Law

Genre: Historical

Cast: Wayne Lai, Michelle Yim, Maggie Siu, Oscar Leung, Raymond Wong, Power Chan, Raymond Cho, Edwin Siu, Nancy Wu

WARNING! Before proceeding, please check your history books at the door. Thank you. Love, TVB.

(There should really be some kind of disclaimer like that before airing any TVB “historical” dramas.)

Plot: Throw away your history books and join TVB on this wonderful behind-the-scenes adventure on how Empress Dowager Cixi and Li Lianying come to rule over China. As a bonus, we add in three(!) amazing love stories. Rest assured there will be no steamy sex scenes that will corrupt the minds of our innocent young children.

Review:

First, the scenery was beautiful. Everything looks so authentic. The cast went to Hengdian to film in the replica Forbidden City, which is scores better than the TVB computer-graphic generated palace (see The Life and Times of a Sentinel). The only question: did they really hold meetings in such a small room? The court officials look so cramped in that tiny room. Some of them even had to stand outside.

In terms of plot, ignoring all historical facts, how is this drama as a fictional piece of work? The Confidant is different from other palace dramas because it focuses on the life of being a eunuch, rather than political struggles or concubines fighting for the emperor’s affections. The beginning offers a glimpse of how life was for a lowly, powerless eunuch. Some have higher aspirations, such as Edwin Siu, while others are content with getting through the day peacefully, like Wayne Lai. The series then turns its focus on the love stories of the eunuchs and that’s when it begins to get draggy. Especially Raymond Wong and Aimee’s love story, where there were endless scenes of them being love-sick. Remember in No Regrets when Fala Chen’s death was dragged on forever? Same thing here with Aimee. Wayne and Nancy’s story was also tedious because he can’t make up his mind on being with her. I find Raymond Cho’s love story was acceptable in terms of time spent on it and its importance in moving the story along. As for the ending, the final episodes were a failed attempt at drama. No one would realistically believe Wayne turned against Cixi. That Maggie Siu and Natalie Tong would believe him shows that either they are very stupid or very desperate. Basically, in the end, Wayne returns to the palace and disposes of the bad guys in an effortless manner.  

Wayne Lai certainly deserves TV King for his performance. This time, his characterization was refreshing and different from his classic roles. In the beginning, he is a cowardly, small-time eunuch and he shows this with his facial expressions and voice, where he is more passive and unsure of himself.  As he rises to the top, you can see him maturing. He is more confident and composed. Although he has a sense of righteousness, he finally realizes sometimes sacrifices must be made to do what’s right. 

Michelle Yim lacks a certain presence because of her small frame. You don’t sense authority and power streaming from her because she is not towering over people, even when those people are kneeling. However, her emotional scenes are excellent, showing how the heavy burden of carrying the dynasty has taken a toll on her. For example, the scene where she was stunned after the failed coup by Tsui Wing was well done. She also has a compassionate side, which is seen when she is engaging in friendly conversation with her servants.

Maggie Siu goes from nice to evil to nice to evil again. Each time she turned evil, I don’t really understand what triggered her. All of a sudden, she decides she has been unfairly denied of her prestige and power. But she is not an ambitious person to begin with, so I’m not sure what she wants to do with the power. Nonetheless, Maggie makes a very convincing delusional woman. The Emperor truly desires to be a good ruler, but he is frustrated by Cixi and the ministers. Oscar Leung is supposed to a teenager in this role and he is able to reflect that, such as putting on his pouty face when he’s being scolded by Cixi. He also looks great in his dragon robes. KK Cheung’s Prince Gong didn’t have a prominent role because of the lack of emphasis on the political affairs of the day. Which is a pity, because he could have been used to create more drama. What did he ever do with the secret imperial edict that could order Cixi to be executed? Nothing. 

Nancy Wu is a great supporting actress, but she doesn’t capture much attention in this drama. Her role serves as the turning point for many character changes, such as Wayne and Power Chan. I felt her death could have been made more dramatic instead of just being killed off by a rogue Edwin Siu. Remember when Wayne said if he had to choose between a brother’s life or Nancy’s life, he would rather let Nancy die? Why not let us see what he will do if he is actually faced with that choice in the end? Aimee Chan was a pain to watch. She was okay in those cutesy scenes fooling around with Raymond W., but in the serious scenes, her face was set in stone. Her eyes are wide and unblinking, and her eyebrows don’t move at all. Even ignoring her accent, the way she says her lines doesn’t convey any emotions. Natalie Tong doesn’t have much of a role until the final episodes. I thought there might have been a mini concubine struggle between her and Cilla Kung, but Cilla disappeared into thin air. Natalie is less annoying here than bulging-eye concubine in King Maker. Selena Li, as guest star in the first five episodes, surprised me. She was especially good at showing her emotions through her eyes, whether it was the sadness of being cast aside or the anger when trying to avenge her child’s death.

I’ve never been a fan of Raymond Wong. There is something about the way he speaks that irks me. Nor do I like his character being all love-sick with the princess. The way he turns evil at the end was weird. Yes, the princess died and I would understand his impulsive rage when he wanted to set the palace on fire. But afterwards, he got obsessed with getting revenge, which is uncharacteristic of him. I was annoyed that he seemed to have forgotten that he, himself, was also responsible for the death of An Dehai. Edwin Siu was entertaining as the silly little eunuch, but when he turned evil, he was trying too hard to look villainous. His glares are not terrifying at all. When he talks, he would roll his eyes big and lift his eyebrows. And when he screams in pain, he cries like a baby. Raymond Cho, on the other hand, perfected the villainous glare. However, he has that look on even with his wife. He seems detached for her even though he is supposedly madly in love with her. Elliot Ngok’s acting was seriously OTT. I recall one scene where he was yelling at Power Chan and his arms were flailing all over the place. Ai-ya, and how can I forget about Power Chan, who has attracted the most attention. At first, he is a bully in the palace, but he slowly grasps the concept of friendship, and in the end, he is probably the most loyal out of that group. Power Chan portrays his character in a light-hearted way that provides comedic relief. Last comment on the eunuchs: I was disappointed that Lo Chun Shun is more or less like a kelefe here because he is the best eunuch ever.  

Overall, this was a great series with (mostly) great actors. The major problem is the random character changes. It’s as if time has mysteriously passed by and we see abrupt changes to people’s attitudes and mentalities.

Conclusion: One of the best this year.

Rating: 4.5/5

Historical Context: Unequal Treaties

The “Unequal Treaties” (不平等條約) refers to a series of one-sided treaties signed between China and other countries during the late-Qing Dynasty. Western empires, such as the British, French and Russians, used their military might to force enormous concessions from the weak Qing court. In effect, these treaties opened up China to foreign trade and infringed on China's sovereignty. 

The 1^st of the unequal treaties was the Treaty of Nanking (南京條約), signed with the British Empire to end the First Opium War. The most famous repercussion of this treaty was the cession of Hong Kong to Britain. China had to open five trading ports, where British citizens were free to trade and reside while being exempted from Chinese law. The Qing court was also forced to pay a sum of 21 million dollars to cover for Britain’s losses during the war. A supplement treaty was signed afterwards to clarify and add to the terms of the Treaty of Nanking.

Following the Treaty of Nanking, the United States and France both forced China to sign separate treaties giving them similar rights as the British. In addition, the Americans and French secured the right to build churches and cemeteries. As a result of the French treaty, the Qing court had to rescind a previous imperial edict that had banned Christianity in China.

The treaty that has been mentioned in The Confidant is the Treaty of Tianjin (天津條約), signed with Britain, France, Russia and USA during the Second Opium War. Among the terms, China was to open ten additional ports to foreign trade. Foreigners were granted permission to travel into the interior regions of China and navigate ships on the Yangtze River. Each of the countries was also allowed to establish diplomatic offices in the capital city Beijing. The Treaty of Tianjin was supposed to end the war, but the war resumed when the Chinese tried to block the British and French armies from escorting their envoys to Beijing.

The British-French alliance invaded Beijing, causing the Xianfeng Emperor to flee the capital and leaving Prince Gong in charge of negotiations. Prince Gong reached an agreement with the British, French and Russians, known as the Convention of Peking (北京條約). Its first condition was for China to ratify the Treaty of Tianjin. Additional monetary compensation was given to Britain and France and one extra trading port was opened (besides the ten ports named in the Treaty of Tianjin). China ceded the Kowloon Peninsula to the British as well. In terms of religious freedom, all Christians (whether foreign or Chinese) were free to conduct missionary activities and enjoy the protection of the Qing court.  The Convention of Peking ended the Second Opium War.

As the Qing Dynasty continued to decline and eventually was abolished, China was forced to sign more unequal treaties (see list). With World War I, China was at war against Germany and Austria-Hungary, terminating any treaties signed with those two countries. The treaties with Japan and Italy were similarly terminated with World War II. Later, Britain, France, Soviet Union and the United States voluntarily gave up their rights under the treaties. With the handover of Hong Kong and Macau in 1997 and 1999, respectively, the majority of the consequences arising from the unequal treaties had ended.




More Historical Context posts:
The Confidant Characters
The Empress Dowagers
The Xinyou Coup - How Cixi came to power
The Burning of Yuan Ming Yuan
The Confidant & Curse of the Royal Harem Connection - Relationship Map of Late Qing Emperors

Historical Context: The Confidant Characters

The Tongzhi Emperor (同治帝) was the son of Cixi and the only surviving prince of the Xianfeng Emperor. He ascended to the throne at age 5. As a young emperor, the authority was placed in the hands of the Empress Dowagers Cixi and Ci’an, and his uncle Prince Gong. Due to his lack of power, he became uninterested in politics and neglected his education. He allegedly sneaked out of the Forbidden City to visit brothels. He gained the right to rule on his own at age 18, yet he did not know how to handle governmental affairs and caused trouble. In one instance, he issued an edict to rebuild Yuan Ming Yuan, without considering the lack of state funds. When Prince Gong and other ministers disagreed with his plan, he demoted them. His actions were so appalling that the Empress Dowagers appeared in court and forced the Emperor to withdraw his edict. Tongzhi died at the age of 19 without an heir. Official records show that he died of smallpox, but some believe he died from a sexually transmitted disease, contacted while engaging with prostitutes. 

The Jiashun Empress (嘉順皇后), also known as Lady Alute, was the Empress Consort of Tongzhi. She was said to be extremely intelligent, virtuous and beautiful. She was a relative of Ci’an and heavily favoured by Tongzhi, which gained her the wrath of Cixi. Moreover, her grandfather was one of the disposed regents from the Xinyou Coup. Cixi was unhappy that her son spent all his time with Lady Alute, while neglecting the concubines that were favoured by Cixi. She tried to separate the young couple. This action was supposedly what prompted him to seek entertainment from prostitutes. Lady Alute died shortly after Tongzhi. Her death was officially recorded as due to illness, however, speculations are that she was either forced to commit suicide or poisoned by Cixi. It is believed that she was pregnant at the time of Tongzhi’s death and Cixi was worried that her power would be threatened if the baby turned out to be a boy.

Conflict between Lady Alute and Cixi:

Two alleged incidents deepened Cixi’s hatred towards Lady Alute. In the first, Cixi ordered that Lady Alute be slapped on the face by eunuchs over a minor offence. This was considered an extremely degrading punishment to females such that even servants were rarely subjected to it.  Lady Alute pleaded with Cixi to spare her the humiliation because she had entered the palace through the Great Qing Gate (大清門) after all. The Great Qing Gate was the palace’s main entrance and used for ceremonial purposes only. During the wedding of the Emperor and Empress, the Empress would be carried into the palace through the Great Qing Gate, which was the case for Lady Alute. But Cixi had only been a concubine to her husband, the Xianfeng Emperor, thus she had only been eligible to enter the palace through a side entrance. Cixi felt that Lady Alute’s comment was meant as an insult and deeply resented her for it. In the second incident, Lady Alute was at the bedside of her ailing husband, Tongzhi, complaining to him about Cixi’s tyranny and spoke of her desire to see him recover so that they can rule the country together. Cixi overheard this and rushed into the room, grabbing her by the hair and hitting her. After this, Cixi vowed to get rid of Lady Alute.

Prince Gong (恭親王), personal name Yixin (奕訢), was the sixth son of the Daoguang Emperor. During his brother Xianfeng’s reign, he forged an imperial edict to grant his birth mother (step-mother to Xianfeng) the title of Empress Dowager. Xianfeng did not rescind the edict, but thereafter, Prince Gong was only given minor roles within the government. This lasted until the Second Opium War. While Xianfeng fled the capital, Prince Gong was given full authority to negotiate a treaty with the foreigners, culminating in the Convention of Peking. At the onset of his nephew Tongzhi’s reign, he aided the Empress Dowagers to gain power in the Xinyou Coup. To reward his help, he was named Prince-Regent and admitted into the Grand Council (the privy council of the Qing court). He pushed for many reform policies, such as establishing a foreign affairs ministry, creation of a school for learning Western-knowledge, use of foreign technologies and the opening of trade ports. His enthusiasm for foreigners earned him the nickname “鬼子六” (Devil Number Six). He irked Cixi in many ways, including his opposition to her plans for rebuilding the Summer Palace and his role in death of An Dehai. Eventually Cixi felt that his increasing political influence was a threat to her power and dismissed him from office by blaming him for the loss in the Sino-French War.

Li Lianying (李連英) was a eunuch that was heavily favoured by Empress Dowager Cixi. Reportedly, he gained her favour because he was very good at flattery and at braiding her hair. Her favouritism towards him is apparent as she made him a second-rank Head Eunuch despite a rule that limited eunuchs to only the fourth rank. Li Lianying has typically been portrayed in a negative light, as a self-interested and greedy eunuch. However, historic records describe him as attentive, cautious and sympathetic. Often, he would try to convince Cixi to spare servants from punishment. Nonetheless, it is true that he accepted briberies from other officials. With his proximity to the Empress Dowager, he had tremendous influence over who was granted an audience with the Cixi, allowing him to accumulate a handsome fortune. After Cixi died, he left the palace and was murdered just before the Revolution of 1911. His murder increased speculations that he had been involved in the poisoning of the Guangxu Emperor.

An Dehai (安德海) preceded Li Lianying as Head Eunuch. He had been successful in winning the affections of both the Xianfeng Emperor and Empress Dowager Cixi. He was a clever sweet-talker and very attentive to his master’s needs. For example, he especially built a theatre and trained a group of performers so that Cixi could watch opera at any time she liked. During the Xinyou Coup, he acted as a messenger between the Empress Dowagers and Prince Gong. For his role, he was promoted to the position of Head Eunuch. Relying on his close relationship with Cixi, An Dehai showed little respect to everyone else, including Tongzhi and Prince Gong. He often gossiped to Cixi about the young Emperor, causing their mother-son relationship to be strained. He also began to interfere in political matters even though Qing traditions strictly prohibited eunuchs from taking part in politics. Seeing Prince Gong as an obstacle, he persuaded Cixi to demote the Prince. His actions displeased many in the royal court, yet they could not do anything since he was Cixi’s favourite. Although he was a eunuch, An Dehai married a 19-year-old opera singer. As his wedding gift, Cixi granted him 1000 pieces of silver and 100 bundles of fine satin. His marriage fuelled rumours that he was a fake eunuch that was kept by Cixi to satisfy her sexual desires. 

His death: (Possible Spoilers!)

An Dehai was sent by Cixi to Nanking to purchase fabric for the Emperor’s dragon robes. While travelling, An Dehai made it known that he was conducting business for the Empress Dowager. He made a grand scene by inviting women to play music on his boat and extorting local officials for briberies. On his birthday, he demanded the local people bring him gifts. This alerted the local governor, who arrested him on the basis that eunuchs were not allowed to travel outside the capital city. The governor promptly executed An Dehai on the orders of Ci’an (possibly masterminded by Tongzhi and Prince Gong). An Dehai’s corpse was hung on the city walls for three days, which should have dispelled rumours that he was not a real eunuch.

In The Confidant, Li Lianying (Wayne Lai) and An Dehai (Raymond Cho) are portrayed as good friends who had entered the palace together as young kids. In reality, An Dehai entered the palace before Li Lianying and was able to gain Cixi’s favour after the Xinyou Coup in 1861. By the time Li Lianying was sent to work at Cixi’s residence in 1864, An Dehai had already been made Head Eunuch. Due to their difference in status, it is unlikely that they became good friends.

Prince Chun is the seventh son of the Daoguang Emperor and married to Cixi’s younger sister. He lent military support to the Empress Dowagers in the Xinyou Coup and was responsible for the capture of Sushun. As a result, he was given increasingly prestigious roles and honours and became a close ally of Cixi. When Tongzhi died without an heir, his son was installed as the Guangxu Emperor. Fearing that Cixi may eventually perceive him as a threat (since he was the father of the Emperor), he resigned from all his posts. However, he later accepted an invitation to be in charge of his son’s education. Seeing his brother Prince Gong’s fall from grace and Ci’an’s sudden death (possibly at the hands of Cixi), Prince Chun was eager to please Cixi. When he was appointed to oversee the establishment of the navy, he diverted military funds towards the rebuilding of the Summer Palace for her. With the completion of that project, he died peacefully and his title of “Prince Chun” was passed onto his son. His son, the 2^nd Prince Chun, would become the father and regent of the last Qing Emperor, Puyi.

Other true historical characters:

Aimee Chan as 和碩公主 – She is the 9^th daughter of the Daoguang Emperor, sharing the same mother as Prince Chun. She is married to a man named Duk Fei (德徽), but he dies after 1+ years of marriage. (We have surely not seen the last of Aimee. She will likely return to the palace after her husband’s death.)

Selena Li as 婉太繽 – She is the concubine of the Xianfeng Emperor, however, she died too early in The Confidant. In reality, she died in the 20^th year of the Guangxu era, which takes place after Tongzhi’s (Oscar Leung) reign.

Cilia Kung as 慧妃 – She is the concubine of the Tongzhi Emperor. She was Cixi’s choice to be Empress, but Tongzhi picked Lady Alute (Natalie Tong) instead. As Cixi’s favourite, she was quickly made into an Imperial Noble Consort (皇貴妃, ranking second only to the Empress) ahead of the other concubines.

Tsui Wing as 勝保 – He was a military general who sided with Cixi in the Xinyou Coup. However, his long string of military losses and arrogant attitude led to other ministers complaining about him. He was convicted on charges such as falsifying military defeats as victories and fabricating military achievements, and forced to commit suicide.

Chung King-fai as 劉多生 – He was the eunuch responsible for the imperial seal during the Xianfeng era. He would later move to the Imperial Household Deprtmant (內務府) to be the assistant to Li Lianying. Once, when he was making funeral arrangements for Cixi’s mother, he met a Taoist priest. From then on, he became very devoted to Taoism, even using his personal wealth to build and repair temples.

Peter Pang as 桂祥 – He is Cixi’s younger brother and granted the title of 承恩公. However, he was not given this title until his daughter (the future Empress Dowager Longyu) married the Guangxu Emperor, thus it is inaccurate to refer to him by this title in The Confidant.

Mandy Lam as 婉貞 – She is Cixi’s younger sister and Prince Chun’s wife. She is the mother of the future Guangxu Emperor.

More Historical Context posts:
The Empress Dowagers 
The Xinyou Coup - How Cixi came to power
The Burning of Yuan Ming Yuan
The Confidant & Curse of the Royal Harem Connection - Relationship Map of Late Qing Emperors