Guangxu Emperor

The Guangxu Emperor (August 14, 1871–November 14, 1908) (Wade-Giles:Kuang hsu) of the Qing Dynasty was emperor of China from 1875 to 1908. He initiated the Hundred Days' Reform but was abruptly stopped when Empress Dowager Cixi launched a coup in 1898. His reign name means "The Glorious Succession".

Guangxu was born Zaitian to the 1st prince Chun, who was married to Empress Dowager Cixi's younger sister. So, Guangxu was Cixi's nephew. Initially after the death of Cixi's son, Emperor Tongzhi, the Empress Dowager Ci'an suggested Prince Gong's son but she was overruled by Cixi. Cixi suggested Prince Chun's son and the imperial family agreed with this choice.

Guangxu was married to to Cixi's niece, who became Empress Dowager Longyu (隆裕太后) after Guangxu's death in 1908. Her father was Cixi's brother. His favourite concubine was the concubine of the third rank Zhen (珍妃), better known in English as the "Pearl Concubine", who was pushed down into a well at the order of Cixi after she begged the dowager to let the emperor stay in Beijing for negotiating with the foreign powers. That incident happened when Cixi was getting ready to leave the Forbidden City due to the Boxer Rebellion in 1900.

Guangxu died the day before Cixi's death. He was thought to have been poisoned by the empress dowager. He was succeeded by his nephew Puyi, who became the Xuantong Emperor. His consort, now Empress Dowager Longyu, signed the abdication decree in 1912. She died, childless, in 1913.