The Seeds of Conflict in the Forbidden City

The tension between Empress Dowager Cixi (then known as Noble Consort Yi) and Grand Councilor Su Shun became one of the most consequential rivalries in late Qing politics. Their feud, simmering within the gilded halls of the Forbidden City, reflected deeper fractures in Emperor Xianfeng’s court.

Su Shun, a trusted advisor to the emperor, had risen through the ranks by currying favor through controversial means. Historical records suggest he encouraged Xianfeng’s indulgences—arranging liaisons with concubines like the “Four Spring Maidens,” the widowed Madame Cao from Shanxi, and even the courtesan Zhu Lianfen. More alarmingly, he supplied the emperor with aphrodisiacs, violating strict Qing palace protocols. His motive was clear: by controlling the emperor’s pleasures, he sought to monopolize political influence.

Meanwhile, Noble Consort Yi (the future Cixi) watched these developments with growing unease. As the mother of Xianfeng’s only surviving son, Zaichun (the future Tongzhi Emperor), her position should have been unassailable. Yet Su Shun’s machinations threatened her in two critical ways: Xianfeng’s neglect diminished her personal influence, and her informal role in state affairs—such as sorting memorials—was rendered obsolete.

The Escalation: A Deadly Game of Thrones

The rivalry reached a boiling point when Su Shun devised a daring plan to undermine Cixi. Recognizing that Zaichun’s existence guaranteed her power, he sought to replace him by orchestrating the birth of another imperial heir. His pawn? A disgraced former concubine named Xu Jiashi.

Xu Jiashi’s backstory reads like a palace drama. Once favored as the “Noble Lady Mei,” she had been demoted to a lowly palace maid after two scandalous offenses: brutally punishing a servant (reminiscent of the infamous “zhanghong” beatings) and flirting with a eunuch—a grave breach of decorum. Yet when Su Shun rediscovered her, she had blossomed anew. Under his covert patronage, she regained Xianfeng’s favor and, against all odds, became pregnant in 1858.

The court held its breath. If Xu Jiashi bore a healthy prince, Cixi’s supremacy would crumble. But in a twist befitting Shakespearean tragedy, the child was stillborn. While Xu was promoted to “Consort Mei,” the political damage was done. The incident laid bare the viciousness of the power struggle—and Su Shun’s willingness to gamble with imperial succession.

The Cultural Undercurrents of the Feud

Beyond personal animosity, this conflict revealed systemic flaws in Qing governance. Three critical themes emerged:

1. The Fragility of Imperial Succession: With Xianfeng’s health failing and only one heir, the court became a pressure cooker. The stillbirth of Xu Jiashi’s child underscored how dynastic continuity hinged on precarious biological chance.

2. Gender and Power: Cixi’s reliance on her son contrasted sharply with Su Shun’s male-dominated political network. Yet her eventual triumph proved how maternity could be weaponized in Confucian patriarchy.

3. The Shadow Government: Eunuchs like An Dehai (Cixi’s ally) and officials like Su Shun operated parallel power structures, revealing the emperor’s growing detachment from governance.

The Legacy: How a Palace Feud Changed China

The Cixi-Su Shun feud didn’t end with Xu Jiashi’s tragedy. In 1861, after Xianfeng’s death, their conflict erupted into the Xinyou Coup, where Cixi outmaneuvered Su Shun, resulting in his execution. This victory cemented her regency and decades-long dominance, shaping China’s response to Western imperialism and internal rebellions.

Modern historians debate whether Su Shun’s anti-foreign stance might have altered the Opium Wars’ outcome. Yet his downfall ensured Cixi’s conservative policies prevailed, delaying reforms until the dynasty’s collapse in 1912. Even the “Guixiang Incident”—a minor 1859 misunderstanding where Xianfeng mistakenly accused Cixi’s family of gift-giving violations—foreshadowed her later paranoia about court conspiracies.

Ultimately, this clash wasn’t just about two individuals. It was a microcosm of the Qing Empire’s decay: a system where personal rivalries dictated national policy, and survival meant mastering the dark arts of palace intrigue. For better or worse, the woman who became Empress Dowager Cixi learned those lessons all too well.