When Tung Chih died there was a formidable party in the palace
opposed to the two dowagers, anxious to oust them and their party
and place upon the throne a dissolute son of Prince Kung. But it
would require a master mind from the outside to learn of the
death of her son and select and proclaim a successor quicker than
the Empress Dowager herself could do so from the inside. She
first sent a secret messenger to Li Hung-chang whom she had
appointed viceroy of the metropolitan province at Tientsin eighty
miles away, informing him of the illness of her son and urging
him to come to Peking with his troops post-haste and be ready to
prevent any disturbance in case of his death and the announcement
of a successor.

When Li Hung-chang received her orders, he began at once to put
them into execution. Taking with him four thousand of his most
reliable Anhui men, all well-armed horse, foot and artillery, he
made a secret forced march to Peking. The distance of eighty
miles was covered in thirty-six hours and he planned to arrive at
midnight. Exactly on the hour Li and his picked guard were
admitted, and in dead silence they marched into the Forbidden
City. Every man had in his mouth a wooden bit to prevent talking,
while the metal trappings of the horses were muffled to deaden
all sound. When they arrived at the forbidden precincts, the
Manchu Bannermen on guard at the various city gates were replaced
by Li's Anhui braves, and as the Empress Dowager had sent eunuchs
to point out the palace troops which were doubtful or that had
openly declared for the conspirators, these were at once
disarmed, bound and sent to prison. The artillery were ordered to
guard the gates of the Forbidden City, the cavalry to patrol the