A chronological account of the life and political career of the Empress Dowager Tzŭ Hsi, tracing her origins and rise within the imperial court, her regencies and influence over successive emperors, interactions with court factions and eunuchs, responses to reform movements, and her role during the anti-foreign uprising and court exile; the book draws on official papers and a household diary to describe palace ceremonies, statecraft decisions, and the recovery and final years of her rule, illustrating the complexities of late imperial governance and the personal and institutional forces that shaped policy and succession.