A Dynasty in Crisis: The Backdrop of the Xianfeng Era

The year 1861 marked a pivotal moment in Qing Dynasty history, unfolding against the backdrop of imperial decline and foreign encroachment. Emperor Xianfeng, having fled Beijing during the Second Opium War (1856-1860), died in exile at the Chengde Mountain Resort, leaving behind a power vacuum. His heir, the five-year-old Tongzhi Emperor, was too young to rule, creating a contentious regency struggle between three factions: the conservative Eight Regent Ministers led by Sushun, the reformist Prince Gong (Yixin), and the boy emperor’s mothers—Empress Dowager Ci’an and the ambitious Empress Dowager Cixi.

Geography played an unexpected role in this crisis. The 230-kilometer journey between Beijing and Chengde, which took Xianfeng’s funeral procession eight days due to ceremonial delays and雨季 rains, became a fatal window for political maneuvering. By contrast, the young emperor and the dowagers returned to Beijing in just six days—a seemingly minor gap that would alter the course of history.

The Race Against Time: How a Funeral Sped a Coup

The coup’s success hinged on a critical three-day advantage. While Sushun and the regents escorted Xianfeng’s heavy coffin at a ceremonial pace (halting nightly for rituals), the dowagers and Prince Gong seized their chance:

1. The Emperor’s Shocking Declaration (September 29, 1861)
Upon arriving in Beijing, the dowagers staged an emotional reunion with Prince Gong and officials. In a theatrical moment, the six-year-old Tongzhi suddenly cried, “Mother, if these slaves betray us, let their heads be chopped off! Do not weep!” The outburst—whether coached or spontaneous—legitimized the purge.

2. Lightning Arrests (September 29 – October 1)
Prince Gong’s faction arrested regents Zaiyuan and Duanhua in Beijing, while Sushun—still unaware in Miyun—was ambushed at an inn. Eyewitness accounts describe soldiers breaking down doors to capture him.

3. Power Redistributed in Five Edicts (October 1)
The dowagers issued decrees appointing Prince Gong as Prince-Regent and reshuffling the government, all before Sushun’s faction could react.

Cultural Tremors: Theatrics, Gender, and Power

This coup defied Qing norms in three ways:

– Theater of Power: The dowagers’ public weeping and the child emperor’s scripted outburst weaponized Confucian familial piety to justify usurpation.
– Women in Politics: Cixi’s role marked a radical shift—while Qing tradition excluded women from governance, she leveraged her son’s legitimacy to dominate politics for decades.
– Bureaucratic Theater: The arrests mirrored judicial rituals, with officials forcibly removing the regents’ rank insignia before imprisonment, symbolizing the stripping of imperial mandate.

Legacy: The Birth of Modern China’s Power Structure

The Beijing Coup’s consequences rippled far beyond 1861:

– Cixi’s Ascent: The coup launched Cixi’s 47-year rule, shaping China’s response to modernization and foreign threats.
– Prince Gong’s Reforms: The new regency initiated the Tongzhi Restoration (1862–1874), a half-hearted modernization attempt that laid groundwork for later reforms.
– A Warning to Elites: The regents’ brutal executions (Sushun was beheaded publicly) demonstrated the risks of opposing the throne—even for high-ranking nobles.

Historians still debate whether those three days saved or doomed the Qing. The coup centralized power but entrenched conservative forces, delaying systemic reforms until the dynasty’s collapse in 1911. Yet its masterstroke—using time, geography, and symbolism to outmaneuver opponents—remains a case study in political cunning.