The Weight of the Dragon Throne: Tongzhi’s Early Years

When the Xianfeng Emperor died in 1861, his five-year-old son Zaichun ascended as the Tongzhi Emperor under the regency of the infamous Empress Dowager Cixi and her co-regent Ci’an. Historical accounts from palace tutors and officials reveal a striking contradiction: while the dowagers praised the child emperor’s docility during ceremonial appearances, behind the scenes, Tongzhi displayed increasingly rebellious behavior that would plague his short reign.

The Qing dynasty’s rigorous educational system for emperors, established since Kangxi’s reign, demanded extraordinary discipline. Princes typically began studying at age six with a brutal schedule: 10-hour daily sessions memorizing Confucian classics through rote repetition. Yet Tongzhi’s case proved exceptional—not for academic diligence, but for his ingenious resistance to imperial schooling.

Classroom Rebellion: The Emperor Versus His Tutors

The most revealing account comes from Zhao Liewen, secretary to statesman Zeng Guofeng, who documented a startling classroom incident. When tutor Qi Juzao wept while pleading with the emperor to study seriously, the 12-year-old Tongzhi mischievously manipulated his lesson text. Covering two radicals in the Confucian phrase “君子不器” (junzi bu qi – “a gentleman is not a vessel”), he transformed it into “君子不哭” (“a gentleman does not weep”), teasing his distraught teacher.

This episode showcases Tongzhi’s troubling traits:
– Defiance of authority figures who traditionally commanded absolute reverence
– Clever but disrespectful wordplay mocking Confucian values
– Emotional detachment from his tutors’ distress

Even more concerning was his deliberate mispronunciation of the character “帝” (di – emperor) as “屁” (pi – fart), a shocking breach of protocol that tutors dared not punish severely given his imperial status.

The Burden of Dual Expectations

Historian Weng Tonghe, who joined the teaching staff in 1865, identified a critical tension in Tongzhi’s upbringing. While the dowagers demanded rigorous education, they simultaneously infantilized the emperor. Unlike previous princes who endured harsh discipline, Tongzhi enjoyed relative leniency—a privilege that backfired.

His daily schedule, recorded in the Qing Shi Liezhuan, included:
– Dawn lectures in the Hongde Hall
– Military drills and equestrian practice
– Political observation during ministerial audiences
– Mandatory visits to the dowagers

Though contemporaries blamed this workload for Tongzhi’s struggles, comparison with earlier regimes reveals the opposite. Kangxi Emperor famously studied until coughing blood as a child, memorizing texts through 240 repetitions. Tongzhi faced no such demands—his failure stemmed from lack of self-discipline, not excessive pressure.

The Psychology of a Caged Emperor

Modern historians interpret Tongzhi’s behavior as psychological rebellion against his symbolic role. During court ceremonies, he performed the expected stillness, earning Ci’an’s maternal sympathy (“the poor child sits so obediently”). But in private, he asserted agency through defiance—a dynamic seen in:

1. Academic Sabotage: Purposeful errors in basic characters
2. Emotional Manipulation: Mocking tutors’ earnest efforts
3. Selective Compliance: Passive resistance through minimal engagement

Weng Tonghe’s journals capture this disconnect. When lectured on proverbs like “an inch of time is an inch of gold,” the emperor merely nodded (“颌之而已”), absorbing nothing.

Legacy of a Failed Education

Tongzhi’s death at 19 from smallpox (or possibly syphilis, according to rumors) ended one of China’s most tragic imperial educations. His reign exposed critical flaws in late-Qing governance:

– Regency Dilemmas: Dowagers’ simultaneous overprotection and overexpectation
– Cultural Rigidity: Confucian pedagogy’s inability to adapt to individual needs
– Symbolic Versus Practical Rule: Emperors as ceremonial figures versus decision-makers

The contrast between Tongzhi and his predecessor Kangxi highlights how Qing educational ideals deteriorated. Where Kangxi’s harsh training produced a scholarly ruler, Tongzhi’s moderated version—without either true discipline or intellectual inspiration—yielded disengagement.

Modern Parallels: Pressure, Rebellion, and Expectations

Tongzhi’s story resonates with contemporary discussions about:
– The effects of excessive academic pressure on youth
– The importance of mentorship over rote discipline
– How privilege can undermine personal growth

His life remains a cautionary tale about the perils of raising leaders between indulgence and unrealistic demands—a historical mirror for modern parenting and education debates. The boy who mocked his weeping tutor became an emperor who mocked an empire’s conventions, with consequences that echoed through China’s turbulent 19th century.