The Secret History of the Qing Palace

During the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, the mountains and rivers were turbulent, external and internal troubles, and China was on the line between life and death. Emperor Guangxu (played by Shu Shu) is in power, but because the Empress Dowager Cixi (played by Tang Ruoqing) listens to politics behind the curtain, he can't help himself, just like a puppet. Weng Tong, the Minister of Household Affairs, studied the classics and interpreted the meanings of Guangxu's scriptures, and instilled enlightenment ideas, which made Guangxu want to reform. Guangxu's favorite concubine Zhenfei (played by Zhou Xuan) also saved some silver every day for military supplies. After the disastrous defeat of the Sino-Japanese War, Weng Tonghe returned to his hometown. Before leaving, he recommended Kang Youwei to Guangxu. In the Year of Wuxu (1898), Guangxu and the reformers launched reforms, but they were resisted by the die-hards headed by Cixi, and the conflict between the two parties intensified. The Queen Mother made a plan to use the military parade in Tianjin to depose Guangxu; the reform faction also took advantage of the situation and sent Yuan Shikai (played by Luo Wei) to assassinate Ronglu and surround the Queen Mother...