Reign & Exile of Empress Cixi
How did a concubine seize China?
4.1 (38)
48 mins
Explore how a young concubine engineered palace coups to control the vast Qing dynasty for nearly fifty years. Discover Cixi's ruthless political tactics as she imprisoned her own nephew to halt modernizing Western reforms. Learn about the dramatic end of dynastic imperial rule triggered by her deathbed power plays.
Ep 1:
The Dragon Lady Rises: A Concubine's Origins
Meet the girl from a modest Beijing household who entered the Forbidden City as a lowly concubine—and nearly lost her life for daring to speak on matters of state.
Ep 2:
Checkmate: Cixi's Path to the Throne
A newborn son changes everything, but when the Emperor dies, eight regents stand between Cixi and power. At twenty-five, she executes a flawless coup to seize control of China.
Ep 3:
Behind the Curtain: Reform, Rivalry, and Rule
Behind lavish luxury and ritual, Cixi builds a modernizing empire—navies, schools, diplomacy—while surviving palace intrigue, a dead ally, and the tragic rise and fall of her own son.
Ep 4:
The Fall of the Dragon Throne
War, betrayal, and catastrophe collide as Cixi crushes reform, unleashes the Boxers, and races through sweeping change—before her death sets the dynasty on its final countdown.
Discussions (5)
Zane
Level 7 · 6 days agoGuangxu was confirmed poisoned by arsenic testing in 2008. That checks out.
Casimir
Level 6 · 6 days agoShe seized an empire, ran it for 50 years, and still found time to care about 150,000 apples for the scent. Priorities.
Randy
Level 5 · 6 days agoso cixi nearly got executed for giving unsolicited political advice and then turned around and ran the whole empire for 50 years iconic behavior honestly
