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The Guangxu Emperor
Guāngxù (光緒 /
光绪 , Wade-Giles: Kuang-hsü) (1871-1908) of the Qing
Dynasty was emperor of China from 1875 to 1908. He initiated the Hundred Days' Reform but was abruptly stopped when Empress Dowager Cixi launched a coup in 1898. His reign
name means "The Glorious Succession".
Guang Xu was born Caitian to Prince
Chun, who was married to Empress Dowager Cixi's younger sister. So, Guang Xu was Cixi's nephew. That reason gave Cixi to rule
as a co-regent. Initially after the death of her son, Ci'an suggested Prince Kung's son but she was overruled by Cixi. Cixi
suggested Prince Chun's son and the imperial family agreed with this choice.
Guang Xu was married to Lungyu, Cixi's niece. Her father was Cixi's brother. His favourite concubine was Chen Fei (the Pearl
Concubine) who was pushed down into a well at the order of Cixi after she begged the dowager to let the emperor stay in Beijing
for negotiating with the foreign powers. That incident happened when Cixi was getting ready to leave the Forbidden City due to the Boxer Rebellion in 1900.
Guangxu died the day before Cixi's death. He was thought to have been poisoned by the empress dowager. He was succeeded by the
child-prince Pu Yi, later the Xuantong Emperor. His empress, Empress Lungyu became an
empress dowager and signed the abdiction decree in 1911. She died in 1913. She was childless.
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