Ousting Sushun

By the time of the Xianfeng Emperor's death, Empress Dowager Cixi had become a shrewd strategist. In Jehol, while waiting for an astrologically favorable time to transport the coffin back to Beijing, Cixi liaised and plotted with powerful court officials and imperial relatives to seize power. Cixi's position as the lower-ranked Empress Dowager had no political power attached. In addition, her son the young emperor was not a political force himself. As a result, it became necessary for her to ally herself with other powerful figures. Taking advantage of the naïveté and good nature of the late emperor's principal wife, the Empress Dowager Ci'an, Cixi suggested that they become co-reigning Empress Dowagers, with powers exceeding those of the Eight Regent Ministers.

Tensions grew among the Eight Regent Ministers, headed by Sushun, and the two Empresses Dowager. Due to the long-standing Qing tradition that barred women from meddling in politics, the ministers did not appreciate Cixi's interference in political affairs, and the frequent confrontations left Ci’an frustrated and angry. Ci'an often refused to come to court audiences, leaving Cixi to deal with the ministers alone. Hoping to oust the eight Regents, Cixi began gathering the support of talented ministers, soldiers, and others who were ostracized by the Eight Regent Ministers for personal or political reasons. Among them was Prince Gong, who had great ambitions and was at that time excluded from the power circle, despite his being the closest relative of Xianfeng, and the Prince Chun, the sixth and seventh sons of the Daoguang Emperor, respectively. 

When the Emperor's funeral procession left for Beijing, Cixi took advantage of her alliances with Princes Gong and Chun. She and the boy Emperor returned to the capital before the rest of the party, along with Zaiyuan and Duanhua, two of the principal regents, while Sushun was left to accompany the deceased Emperor's procession. Cixi's early return to Beijing meant that she had more time to plan with Prince Gong, and ensure that the power base of the Eight Regent Ministers was divided between Sushun and his allies, Zaiyuan and Duanhua. The Regents were scapegoated for the humiliation of the Second Opium War, and were dismissed for having carried out incompetent negotiations with the "barbarians" which had caused Xianfeng Emperor to flee to Jehol "greatly against his will," among other charges.

To display her high moral standards, Cixi executed only three of the eight regent ministers. Prince Gong had suggested that Sushun and others be executed by the most painful method, known as slow slicing, but Dowager Cixi declined the suggestion and ordered that Sushun be beheaded, while the other two also marked for execution, Zaiyuan and Duanhua, were given white silk scarves and allowed to commit suicide. The other five regents were spared, but dismissed from their duties. In addition, Cixi refused outright the idea of executing the family members of the ministers, as would have been done in accordance with Imperial tradition of an alleged usurper. Ironically, Qing Imperial tradition also dictated that women and princes were never to engage in politics. 

Behind the Curtains

In November 1861, a few days following the coup, Cixi was quick to reward Yixin, the Prince Gong, for his help. He was made head of the General Affairs Office and the Internal Affairs Office. However, Cixi avoided giving Yixin the absolute political power that princes such as Dorgon had exercised during the Shunzhi Emperor's reign. As one of the first acts from behind the curtains, Cixi (nominally along with Ci'an) issued two important Imperial Edicts on behalf of the Emperor. The first stated that the two Empresses Dowager were to be the sole decision makers "without interference," and the second changed the boy Emperor's era name from Qixiang (祺祥: "Auspicious") to Tongzhi (同治: "Collective Rule").