Chapter 119 The Burden of the Emperor

The 11th Emperor of the Great Qing Empire had clawed his way to power. For sixteen years, he had been nothing more than a puppet under Empress Dowager Cixi, and when he finally claimed the throne, it was under the shadow of constant opposition. 

Unlike his predecessors, who inherited loyal ministers and unchallenged authority, he had to fight for every piece of his power.

Starting from nothing, he built his court from scratch. He faced internal dissent and external threats, beginning his reign with the Allied Forces of the Eight Nations encamped outside Beijing.

 Reform-minded officials were fledgling in experience, while his conservative ministers clung to outdated traditions, oblivious even after witnessing Japan's success with modernization.

Weak finances, an untrained military, and a fractured court—these were the conditions under which he began.