The Wuxu Reforms and the Gathering Storm

In the late 19th century, the Qing Dynasty faced existential threats from foreign imperialism and internal decay. The humiliating defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895) exposed China’s military and technological backwardness, sparking calls for reform. Emperor Guangxu, eager to modernize China, launched the ambitious Wuxu Reforms (Hundred Days’ Reform) in June 1898. These reforms aimed to overhaul education, the military, and government administration, drawing inspiration from Japan’s Meiji Restoration.

However, the reforms threatened the conservative faction led by Empress Dowager Cixi, who saw them as undermining traditional authority. The reformers, including Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao, lacked broad support within the bureaucracy, making the movement vulnerable. By September 1898, tensions reached a breaking point, setting the stage for a dramatic confrontation.

The Coup of September 21: Cixi Strikes Back

On September 21, 1898 (the 6th day of the 8th lunar month), Cixi executed a swift coup, ending the Hundred Days’ Reform. Historical records reveal that just a day earlier, Guangxu had met with Japanese statesman Itō Hirobumi, unaware that Cixi was secretly observing. As described in Xiao Yishan’s General History of the Qing Dynasty, Cixi delayed her move to avoid disrupting the diplomatic meeting but immediately seized control afterward.

Guangxu was summoned before a council of conservative princes and officials, where Cixi, seated imperiously like a sovereign, subjected him to a humiliating interrogation. According to Su Jizou’s Records of the Qing Court During the Wuxu Coup, the emperor knelt before her as she listed his supposed crimes. Guangxu, powerless and terrified, could only weep in submission.

The Three Interrogations: A Theater of Power

### First Interrogation: The Day of the Coup

The initial interrogation served as Cixi’s public assertion of dominance. With bamboo rods ominously placed nearby—a symbol of imperial punishment—she berated Guangxu for overstepping his authority. The emperor, trembling and tearful, offered no resistance. This spectacle marked the end of his brief reign as an active ruler.

### Second Interrogation: Forced Betrayal

The following day, Cixi demanded Guangxu denounce his closest allies. She forced him to issue an edict condemning Kang Youwei and other reformers as traitors. As documented in Explorations of Hidden Truths from the Imperial Courier Stations, Guangxu hesitated painfully before complying. Signing the order against his own supporters was a devastating blow, revealing his utter powerlessness.

### Third Interrogation: The Charade of Confession

By the third day, Cixi sought to extract a formal confession. She presented “evidence” confiscated from Guangxu’s quarters, accusing him of treason. The emperor, recognizing the futility of protest, remained silent. His reforms had sought to save China, yet he was now branded a criminal. Cixi interpreted his silence as guilt, paving the way for her final verdict.

The Aftermath: Cixi’s Restoration and Guangxu’s Imprisonment

Cixi’s victory was absolute. She issued a decree resuming her regency, couched in language of reluctant duty: “For the sake of the ancestral temple and the nation, I must reluctantly accept the burden of governance once more.” The proclamation, issued in Guangxu’s name, was a masterstroke of political theater.

Simultaneously, she isolated the emperor, spreading rumors of his “grave illness” to justify his removal. Guangxu was confined to Yingtai, a small island in the Forbidden City’s Zhongnanhai complex. Cut off from the world, he lived as a prisoner for a decade until his death in 1908—a demise shrouded in mystery, with many suspecting foul play.

Cultural and Political Repercussions

The coup’s impact extended beyond the palace walls. The suppression of reforms hardened conservative resistance to modernization, delaying China’s adaptation to global changes. Intellectuals disillusioned by the failure of top-down reform, like Sun Yat-sen, turned toward revolution, ultimately leading to the 1911 collapse of the Qing Dynasty.

Cixi’s ruthless consolidation of power also deepened foreign skepticism about China’s stability. Western powers and Japan, witnessing the Qing Court’s internal strife, grew bolder in their encroachments, culminating in the Boxer Rebellion and the punitive Eight-Nation Alliance invasion of 1900.

Legacy: A Cautionary Tale of Reform and Reaction

The 1898 coup remains a pivotal moment in Chinese history. Guangxu’s tragedy underscores the perils of reform in an ossified system, while Cixi’s triumph exemplifies the resilience of entrenched conservatism. Modern historians often debate whether a successful Wuxu Reforms could have spared China decades of turmoil—or if the dynasty’s collapse was inevitable.

Today, the episode serves as a metaphor for the tension between progress and tradition, resonating in contemporary discussions about governance and change. The ruins of Yingtai, now a tourist site, stand as a silent testament to an emperor who dared to reform—and paid the price.