'Two Years in the Forbidden City' is an authentic account of the Chinese imperial life in last several years of Qing Dynasty. It was written by Princess Der ling (1885~1943), elder daughter of the Chinese ambassador to France Yugeng. She served as private secretary of Empress Dowager Cixi for from 1903 to 1905, helping her with diplomatic affaires. Brought up in Japan and European countries, Princess Der ling and her sister Rong ling received a western education. She spoke English, French, Spanish and Japanese and used to learn western dancing from Isabella Duncan. During her two years' stay in the Imperial City, young Der ling observed the people around her as well as the customs of her age-old motherland carefully. Her writings have provided us with an interesting insight into life at the Qing Imperial Court.
Among all the people she had encountered, Der ling showed a particular empathy towards Emperor Guangxu, as she recounted the following:
I saw Emperor Kwang Hsu (Guangxu) every morning, and whenever I had the time he would always ask some words in English. I was surprised to learn that he knew quite a bit of spelling, too. I found him extremely interesting. He had very expressive eyes. He was entirely a different person when he was alone with us. He would laugh and tease, but as soon as he was in the presence of Her Majesty he would look serious, and as if he were worried to death. At times he looked stupid. I was told by a great many people who were presented to him at the different audiences that he did not look intelligent, and that he would never talk. I knew better, for I used to see him every day. I was at the Court long enough to study him, and found him to be one of the most intelligent men in China. He was a capital diplomat and had wonderful brains, only he had no opportunities. Now a great many people have asked me the same question, if our Emperor Kwang Hsu had any courage or brains. Of course outsiders have no idea how strict the law is, and the way we have to respect our parents. He was compelled to give up a great many things on account of the law. I have had many long talks with him and found him a wise man, with any amount of patience. His life was not a happy one; ever since his childhood his health was poor. He told me that he never had studied literature very much, but it came natural to him. He was a born musician and could play any instrument without studying. He loved the piano, and was always after me to teach him. There were several beautiful grand pianos at the Audience Hall. He had very good taste for foreign music, too. I taught him some easy waltzes and he kept the time beautifully. I found him a good companion and a good friend, and he confided in me and told me his troubles and sorrows. We talked a great deal about western civilization, and I was surprised to learn he was so well informed in everything. He used to tell me, time after time, his ambitions for the welfare of his country. He loved his people and would have done anything to help them whenever there was famine or flood. I noticed that he felt for them. I know that some eunuchs gave false reports about his character, -- that he was cruel, etc. I had heard the same thing before I went to the Palace. He was kind to the eunuchs, but there was always that distinction between the master and the servants. He would never allow the eunuchs to speak to him unless they were spoken to, and never listened to any kind of gossip. I lived there long enough, and I know just what kind of cruel people those eunuchs were. They had no respect for their master. They came from the lowest class of people from the country, had no education, no morals, no feeling for anything, not even between themselves. The outside world has heard so many things against His Majesty, the Emperor Kwang Hsu's character, but I assure my readers that these things were told by the eunuchs to their families, and of course they always stretched it out as far as possible in order to make the conversation interesting. The majority of the people living in Peking get all kinds of information through them. I have witnessed the same thing many a time during my stay at the Palace.
--- Chapter 9, Two Years in the Forbidden City, by Princess Der ling
Der ling finally left the imperial palace partly because Cixi wanted her to go, partly because she realized that it was impossible for her to persuade Cixi to implement real reform in China. Being a member of the Manchu noble clan, it is not hard to understand that Der ling personally regretted for the fall of Qing dynasty, as she went so far as to claim later in her life that 'If Guangxu Emperor were able to implement his reforms, I believe that China would still be a strong Empire by now'. However, history wouldn't be allowed for a second chance.
After leaving the Imperial court in 1905, Princess Der ling married an American dentist and moved to live in the US. She had two sons but they both died young. Afterwards, she might have divorced with her husband. Princess Der ling died in 1943 in Canada, after being mortally injured in a car accident.
'Two Years in the Forbidden City' is Der ling's most authentic work while the others were more or less forged.
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