Wondery plus subscribers can listen to even the royals early and ad free right now. Join wondery plus in the wondery app or on Apple podcasts. A quick note about our show. We do a lot of research for our stories, but we also aren't your boring high school history class. So some details and scenes are dramatized, and heads up, there will be swearing, murder, and some forbidden love. Please be advised. So, Arisha, can you just complete this lyric for me?

Who run the world?

Girls. Yes. And it could not be more appropriate for who we're talking about today. She's a total rebel, who, as a literal teenager, was like, I should run one of the largest empires on the planet.

I mean, I had the same thought as a teenager. Didn't happen, though, right?

Well, you're running this empire. Our podcasting empire.

Yes.

So this is the story of the 19th century empress Dowager Sashi. She ran China for almost 50 years and totally reshaped the country. Like, the China we know today would not be what it is without her. But the best part is that Sashi didn't inherit her power or even marry into it. She just took that shit.

Oh, my God. Wait, as a teenager?

No, she's, like, in her 20s, but still impressive. And Sashi is legit. The definition of started at the bottom. Now we're here because she started as a concubine.

Love that.

And, you know, any woman who successfully takes power in the 19th century, no less, did not ask politely. So, Arisha, are you ready for this?

Oh, God. Yeah. I'm going to get up my vision board, because I think I'm going to have a lot of things to add to it.

Yeah, you are. It's a warm fall night in 1860 at the summer palace just north of Beijing. Sashi is 25 years old and has been a part of the emperor's harem for eight years. She's lying awake, listening to the sounds of her female servant sleeping. She hears light snoring and footsteps. The door flies open, and a servant rushes to her bedside. Sashi rolls over to be like, what the hell, man? But she looks at his wide eyes and knows that something is very wrong. He says, everyone must leave the palace tonight. And, Arisha, I gotta say, thank God this wasn't you, because you would have slept right through it.

That, and. Or I'd be like, do I put.

On clothes, or do I just run? Just run. Honestly, Sashi sees the other women in the room wake up and start to panic. She doesn't know what's going on, but she knows she needs to run. Sashi leaps out of bed and follows the group of women running toward the door. Her mind is racing, but she picks up pieces about what's going on as she passes servants gathering silverware and pulling paintings off the walls. Foreign troops have attacked Beijing, and China's forces were badly beaten. It won't be long before they come for the summer palace and everyone in it. They need to get out, and fast. But Saxi turns back and pushes against the other bodies. She needs to find something much more precious than silverware. And then she sees her lost in a sea of chaos. Her best friend, Sion. Sashi runs to her and hugs her as tight as she can. Her friend's eyes are wet with tears, but Sashi isn't afraid. She's pissed. Not at the invading armies. She's angry at the one guy who was supposed to keep all of China safe, the emperor, because he's the reason they need to run.

Sashi wipes the tears from Sion's cheeks. The time for crying is over. Now it's time to act. They hold hands and quickly head for the door. Sashi knows she could do a better job of running this country than the men around her. So as she runs for her life, she thinks maybe that's exactly what she should do. From wondery, I'm Brooke Zifrin.

And I'm Arisha Skidmore Williams.

And this is even the royals, where we bring you true stories of the world's kings, queens, and all the wannabes in their orbit.

Fancy champagne, let go down. Royal drama in my crown. It's a show about pulling back the.

Gilded curtain, because despite the whole anointed by God thing, royals are just like us.

They have messy breakups, pack stabbing frenemies, and workplace drama.

Only theirs end in wars, beheadings, and sometimes the fall of dynasties.

All that leaders is embold.

This two part series is all about Sashi, the 19th century concubine who uses her sharp wit and scrappy attitude to fight her way to the throne, becoming one of the most powerful chinese empresses of all time. This is part one coup. There it is, 1847, in Beijing, and eleven year old Sashi is sitting in front of her sewing station. It's late at night, but she's hunched over a pair of shoes, embroidering tiny designs onto their sides. She and her father will be selling them tomorrow, and they have to be perfect. There are beads of sweat on her forehead, and every so often, she pricks her hand on the needle. She doesn't yell out, though. Her father is sitting in the kitchen sorting through bills, and she doesn't want to worry him. Sashi finishes her last stitch and holds the shoes up proudly. Her fingers are numb from the work, but she doesn't care. Sashi carries the shoes over to her father and sees all of the papers sprawled on the table. Her family's in a lot of debt, which is why Sashi is working so hard right now. But no matter what they do, the bills just keep coming.

Too real.

Sashi can see how tired and stressed her dad is, so she declares she's gonna make even more shoes, so even more handkerchiefs, whatever she needs to do to help fix this. She starts to head back to her sewing station, but her father grabs her arm and tells her to stay. He pours some tea, and Sashi smiles. She loves talking with her dad. A minute turns into an hour as the two discuss where and how to sell the shoes and what, says she can sew next to make more money. Now, I don't know about you, but at eleven, this was definitely not what I talked about with my dad.

No, I planned my sweat into the oldies with Richard Simmons. Part two. Birthday party, sleepover when I was eleven with my dad.

Wow. Sad I missed that. But says she is no ordinary eleven year old. After chatting with her father, she returns to her station. A few minutes later, she sees her dad asleep at the table, and that's when her own exhaustion hits. Sashi is determined to help her family no matter what, but even her patience is starting to run thin. No little girl should have to do this. And if Sashi has the chance, one day she'll make sure no little girl like her ever has to again. So, Arisha, you and our listeners might be wondering how her family got to the point where a child is sewing shoes late at night.

Yeah, a little bit.

So it wasn't always like this for Tsushi, but eight years ago, China went to war with England. It started because England wanted to trade with China, but China was like, yeah, no, thanks. We're good. So in turn, England flooded China with the super addictive drug opium, which, long story short, led to the first opium war. And after three years of fighting, England won, and China was completely broke. So now to cover their debts, the government is getting creative. And in the case of Sashi's family, they're forced to pay back old debts they owe the government plus interest.

How do they even have records? Honestly, not like they can just pull up an excel sheet. I know.

Seriously. But. So now her family is struggling to keep up with these payments, obviously. That's awful. So even though Sashi is only eleven and a girl, she has to help her dad provide for the family. So, like we said, she does the sewing, and she also helps her dad decide how and where to sell the goods. Sashi is so helpful that her dad starts to treat her like a son, including talking to her about politics, which is usually off limits for.

I mean, I want to be like, wow, that's so surprising. But is it?

It's not. I know.

Gestures around. Look at the world we're in.

Just a side note, the names of little girls weren't actually recorded in China, typically in the 19th century. So what? I know we don't actually know what her parents called her, but we do know that as an adult, she was called Sashi. So we are sticking with that.

I mean, tell me you don't care about somebody without telling me you don't care about something. Yeah.

So anyway, Sashi's upbringing is unusual, and talking about official business and state affairs with your dad isn't exactly normal father daughter bonding stuff. But as a result, Sashi grows up with opinions about politics like any man, and she likes it, even if doing anything with this passion is a total pipe dream for a girl. But then, at 16, Sashi gets a letter from the emperor's court. All the girls of her social class and age are being called to the forbidden city, aka the emperor's palace in Beijing. The 21 year old ruler has begun his search for an empress. So basically, this is Sashi's Cinderella moment, minus cute birds making her dress.

You would say minus that part.

I know, and it excites her, but not because she's looking to marry a prince and live happily ever after. If she's chosen to be the empress, she'll finally be at the center of it all, where decisions are made. And after years of feeling powerless, this could be her big chance.

Is it just me, or is this whole dynamic essentially the bachelor?

Okay, well, honestly, hold your horses, because we're going to get to that, okay? It's a march morning in 1852, and Sashi is standing in line with dozens of other girls. The tall brick walls of the forbidden city tower above them in all directions. Sashi is wearing a long, embroidered gown and a heavy headpiece decorated with flowers, which sounds gorgeous like, to me, anyway. She's using every muscle in her neck to keep it upright, which is kind of like me and my tiny neck, but just with a bare head. Honestly, even though it says she is small and just over 5ft, she stands on her toes to make her feet look even smaller and more delicate. A handful of these girls will get to stay and join the emperor's harem as his concubines. Their job is to have sex with him and pop out a few male heirs. But one lucky concubine will be chosen as his empress and get to rule China by his side. Arisha, like you said, it's giving the bachelor, but in the weirdest way possible.

Yeah. Without the ridiculous jobs like Chicken enthusiasts or party of tender.

Party attender is amazing. So she hears the enormous red doors open and sneaks a look. This is pre paparazzi, so she's never even seen the emperor. If all goes well, this is a man who could become her husband. Emperor Chan Feng enters, draped in ornate robes and flanked by court officials. His hair is shaved high up on his forehead. Sashi is surprised to see he has a slight limp. Chanfeng turns quickly and catches Sashi staring. She holds her breath and stares straight into his eyes for one, two, 3 seconds. And then the emperor whispers to one of the officials. A midwife walks over and escorts Sashi behind a screen. She undresses Sashi and inspects her body.

Is there any communication here, or she's just, like, frog marching her silently and stripping her down?

Honestly, I don't know, but I feel like this is very common, so they're like, they know what's going to happen.

I got to remind myself, this is not 2023, right?

Yeah.

This is very different time.

Yeah. She examines Sashi's skin for blemishes, sniffs her armpits, and even checks if she's a virgin.

Okay.

Yeah. So it's getting different than the bachelor. A little bit.

Just a little bit.

Yeah. And it's humiliating. But the emperor's partners are supposed to be pure, so after Sashi is poked and prodded, she's told she has to stay the night. She's been shortlisted, but the emperor needs another day or two to decide which girls will become concubines. So basically, she'll be heading into hometown dates any day now.

Like getting a callback. Yeah.

Sashi lets out a sigh of relief. She's so close. And shortly afterwards, Sashi is picked to be part of the emperor's harem. The emperor will choose his empress later, so for now, all the girls get a numbered status. Unfortunately for Tsushi, she's only a level six concubine, which is one of the lowest rankings. This means she'll get less clothes, attendance.

And food so they can eat. But on a tiered scale.

Yes, but she's still hopeful. She's got a foot in the door of the forbidden palace. She's closer than ever to the heart of politics. She'll get one on one time with the emperor, and she can chat him up and show him how smart she is. Then he's sure to pick her as his empress, because as we all know, historically powerful men love girls who can outsmart them.

Right? That's literally all they seek. That's why I'm constantly having people knock down my door saying, will you be a princess?

Well, for Tsa, she only time will tell you. A year later, Sashi is now 18 and in bed with Chen Feng.

Promoted?

Well, not exactly. I'll. I'll get to that in a minute. She's been at the palace for a while now and has spent several nights like this with the emperor. But the man lying next to her still feels like a stranger. He's facing the other way, basically pretending like she's not there. So you and that mirror you kissed have more chemistry?

Oh, my God. You dare bring that up?

I couldn't wait to say that to you. I could not wait so she can see the sun starting to rise outside the window any minute. One of the eunuchs, a castrated servant who works for the royal family.

Yeah, I watch Game of Thrones.

Okay, they'll come in and escort her out, but Sashi isn't ready to leave. She's not looking to whisper sweet nothings while they spoon. Saxi wants to ask Tian Feng about the position of the chinese army.

Quality pillow talk topic.

Exactly. Yeah, it's romance. People look it up. So far, Tianfeng is not that different from his dad, the previous emperor who led China into that first war. Qianfeng hates everything western, and he surrounded himself with a group of advisors called the Grand Council. They are basically a bunch of dudes who think the same way he does.

Oh, an echo chamber. Those are so productive.

Yeah. Tishi does not like this. She remembers what happened the last time China refused to trade with Europe, and she doesn't want any little girls to be stuck sewing all night like she did. And she's upset about some recent news reports. She's seen civil unrest is spreading across China, and it's become very personal for Tsaxi. Her father was forced to flee his town, which stressed him out so much, he got sick. And Saxi just learned her father died.

Oh, no.

I know. I can't imagine that. It's so sad.

And they had such a special relationship.

They really did. Sashi is desperate to share her thoughts with the emperor. Her dad was always happy to hear her advice. Surely Chan Feng will be as well. But no matter how many nights she gets with him, Sashi can't find the right moment to wow him with her ideas on the economy and foreign relations. Maybe today is her chance. She opens her mouth to speak, but then she hears a knock on the door. The eunuchs are here, so she has to act fast or not act at all. Before she can change her mind, she quickly blurts out one teensy little suggestion on how to deal with the starving peasants in civil unrest, and I'm sure you can assume how that went.

Oh, they were like, yes, we're changing the policies right now.

Yep, exactly. Obviously, Qianfeng tenses up. There's a few moments of painfully awkward silence, and then he tells her to get out. Sashi flinches and lets the eunuch lead her out. The message is clear. No woman will tell him what to do with his country. For a girl who loves strategy, Sashi just blew her first battle. Now Tsa Xi's place in the harem is on shaky terms. Chanfeng has zero interest in a concubine with opinions and that whole empress thing. Sexi lost that chance already. Qian Feng chose another concubine named Tsion. You might remember her from the beginning of our story.

The crying one.

Yes, but at this point in time, the two young women are far from friends. Sion is just a year younger, and basically Sashi's opposite. Seon is friendly, easygoing, and a natural peacemaker in the harem. Sashi had hoped she might at least rise in status. Now those chances seem as good as.

Kanye becoming president, depending on who you're talking to.

In comparison to the perfect sion, Sashi feels radioactive, and her mistake means she's trapped as a low level concubine, forced to watch men make decisions. She knows she could do better. She's supposed to spend her days playing music or painting, but not even Bob Ross could chill Sashid out right now because she sees Sion approaching. The empress is smiling, but that only makes Sashi more nervous. She's probably only happy because she's here to tell Sashi to leave the palace or worse. But Sion is just here to offer her some friendly advice. She confides in Sashi that the emperor hates discussing his official duties. What he really loves talking about is music and theater. Sashi isn't sure what's harder to believe, that the empress is offering to help Seshi smooth things out with her own husband? Or that one of the most powerful men in the world spends his free time talking about show tunes.

Yeah, well, is she being a villain? Is this really the batch? No, we have a villain. Or is she genuinely like, here's a good idea for you to connect with my husband?

No, she's being genuine. Sion's like, look, we're gonna spend the rest of our lives together, so we might as well help each other out, okay?

Love this.

Yeah. She says she'll even put in a good word for tsushi with the emperor, and she means it. Not long after this, the eunuchs come into the harem to collect one concubine for the emperor. And this time, they call for Sashi. She can't believe it. Theon got Sashi another shot. Now she needs to make the most of it. Saxi isn't the empress, but as a concubine, she can still produce a male heir to the throne. She knows Tian Feng is desperate for a son, and if she could deliver one first, she would become the second most important woman at court. Maybe then she can sweet talk politics to the emperor. But for now, she'll let Qian Feng talk to her about stuff like opera, which really does it for him. Sashi becomes a regular nighttime visitor, which gives her a lot more chances to make that male heir. Finally, in April of 1856, almost four years after she first arrived at court, Sashi gives birth to a baby boy. He'll be the next ruler of the empire, and she's determined to make him a good one. So after giving birth, Sashi joins the main entourage.

Technically, her son is supposed to be raised by the Empress Xiyan, but Xian and Sashi raise Tungji together. That's the name her little boy will take as emperor. Friendship goals are, for sure shaping a future leader, and I love it.

I love it so much. To the point where I'm like, this could be the only way I would think about having a kid. A bunch of friends being like, okay, we'll do this together. Kind of like pass the baton type thing.

Yeah, I'm in. But you have to give birth.

Then I'm out.

Okay. Over the next four years, the two friends and their son spend many days at the emperor's summer palace, northwest of Beijing. And so she loves it. She spends her time eating, listening to music, and playing outside with her son. This little oasis is a great escape from China's problems, because outside of the palace walls, things aren't nearly as rosy. For the last few years, China has been fighting with the west in yet another war, and by August of 1860, Sashi is feeling particularly nervous about it all. Qian Feng's advisors have been telling him that China needs to remain firm and avoid negotiations with the west. Anything less will make China look weak. Saxi saw how the west crushed China in the last war and fears history will repeat itself. Their weapons are old and rusty and are no match for the West's more advanced options. But the emperor refuses to accept this fact, and Sashi remembers what happened the last time she tried to interfere with politics. So she bites her tongue and waits for Qian Feng and his men to do the right thing.

Well, she's still waiting, I assume.

I was going to say, she can kiss that tongue goodbye, bite it right off. Yep, it's a mistake she'll never make again, because sure enough, Chan Feng and his advisors don't negotiate. If anything, they double down. And that's when western forces decide to give the emperor a visit. They march north towards Beijing and the summer palace. Now, this brings us back to that fateful night in the fall of 1860, when Sashi is woken up in the middle of the night and has to flee the summer palace. Not long after, british and french troops burn the palace to the ground. The chinese government is backed into a corner, and the royal family has to hide in a hunting lodge in the mountains.

I mean, if it's snowy, could be cozy.

Well, days turn to months, and Qianfeng makes everyone stay there and freeze their butts off through winter. Okay, the war finally ends, and China loses. Badly, of course, but he still makes everyone stay in that damn hunting lodge. He's hiding from his failure, and Sashi is over it. She's done letting men make bad decisions and having to live with the consequences. But what she needs is power. Real power. But after a year of hiding out in the mountains, her proximity to power suffers a big hit. Qianfeng's health worsens. He's coughing up blood and randomly losing consciousness. It's not long before Chanfang dies, which means their son Tung ji is now the emperor. And why is this bad for Tsushi? You see, Tongji is only five and will have to wait eleven years before he can rule. And Cheungfeng's grand council are appointed as Tongji's regents until then. Which means Sashi is out. Now that the emperor is dead, Sashi is going to get demoted to the harem with the rest of his widows, far away from her son, the new emperor. And where the decisions are made. Sashi refuses to let that happen, and she's not afraid to break a few rules to get what she wants.

Hey, I'm Arisha.

And I'm Brooke.

And we're the hosts of Wonderies podcast, even the rich, where we bring you absolutely true and absolutely shocking stories about the most famous families and biggest celebrities the world has ever seen.

Our newest series is all about pop superstar Taylor Swift. A lonely kid who ached for friendship. She did everything in her power to let her music be her voice. But as her career explodes and she rockets to stardom, she'll still have to learn how to deal with the dark side of being famous.

In our series, Taylor Swift Fearless, we'll tell you how a lonely girl desperate for connection became the biggest pop star on the planet.

Follow even the rich on the wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge even the rich and Taylor Swift fearless early and ad free right now on wondery. Plus.

All that glitters in the world.

It's late at night, not long after Qian Feng died, and Sexi is still awake. She's frantically looking through documents and papers, trying to find a loophole, any loophole, that will let her stay on as the mother of the emperor, as an empress like Xion. Because here's the deal. Seshi isn't Tungji's legitimate mother. In the eyes of the court, Sion is, which means Xion can stay as empress, but seashi cannot. Her job was to please the emperor, and now that he's gone, she no longer matters. She is, technically speaking, screwed.

Here's the thing, okay? I know this is just, like, the running theme for all of these stories, but just the idea of, like, we need you to give us an heir. And once you've done that, you are as useful as a bag of rocks. Like, come on.

It's like Handmaid's tale. Anyone serious? It gives me those vibes. Yeah, but Sushi needs to find a way to stay in the palace, like, asap. After searching through document after document, she finally finds her golden ticket, an ancient record that says China once had two dawager empresses. So she doesn't waste any time. She shows the regents what she found, and they agree to give her the title of Dowager empress, just like Tzion.

Wow.

Yeah. They probably assume there's no harm in letting Sashi have her cute little title. Yeah, clearly, they've yet to learn that. You should never underestimate the power of a woman with a plan or a.

Woman who knows how to read right.

Yeah, the most dangerous.

Truly.

The regents just gave Tashi an inch, and she's gonna turn it into a mile. Now all she has to do is secure a partner in crime. Late one night, Sashi approaches Sian, who is sitting by a fireplace in the hunting lodge. Sashi's hands are shaking, but not because of the cold. This is no ordinary late night chat. Sashi takes a breath and then just spits it out. Sashi thinks Xi and Xion should become the regents themselves and rule China through the little emperor.

I love that.

Me too. Sion keeps staring into the fire without saying anything. Sashi starts to doubt herself. Maybe she's misread things. Maybe she finally pushed the limits of their friendship too far. She waits as the silence grows. Then Theon pulls out a piece of parchment from under her gown and holds it out to Sashi. It's a decree the emperor made just before his death and gave it to Xion. It says that if Sashi ever tries to meddle in politics, she is to be executed.

Oh, my God.

I know.

He was a little bit smarter than.

I thought I was giving him credit for. Yeah. Sashi's heart drops.

Wow.

This is obviously a huge problem, because Sashi is seriously meddling right now. If Sion shows this document to the regents, they will kill Sashi. Moments pass, intense silence, and then Sion throws the emperor's letter into the fireplace.

Okay, I love the solidarity.

Sashi is surprised, but, hey, choosing your friend over your dead husband is totally girl code.

It is.

And clearly, Sian doesn't want to watch these guys run China into the ground either. As the decree burns, Sian tells Xi that whatever she's planning, she wants in. Sashi and Sion spend countless hours sitting with their heads together, whispering about their plan. But the two empresses have to be careful. If they're caught, they could be killed. So they need to do everything on the DL. Sashi starts putting her plan in motion. Step one. Collect powerful allies. Thankfully, between Sashi's smarts and Sion's smooth talking, they're able to gain favor with members of the court who are not fans of the regents either.

So basically, Sion and Sashi walked so big brother could run.

Exactly. You're catching on. Finally, step two. Prove that the regents can't be trusted to sear the country. And if they can't be trusted to rule, then naturally the job should fall to Sashi and Sion. After all, they are the mothers of the emperor. He trusts them to make decisions because he's five. His concerns are more power rangers than power struggles. You know what I mean?

Yeah.

Much like mine. Still today. And finally, step three. Use the grand council's obsession with tradition against them. Uno, reverse style.

The.

She puts her plan in motion by inviting the eight regents to a meeting with her and her son, the emperor. They're all sitting at the hunting lodge, but in a matter of days, the regents will go back to Beijing to lead the country. Now, we don't know exactly how this meeting went down, but I'm sure the eight regents walked in confident and in control. They probably barely look at Sashi, who is holding Tanji, and act like she's wasting their valuable time.

I would be like, listen, I won't let him go down for a nap. And then you'll really see a mad ruler.

Honestly, Arisha, for someone who doesn't like psychics, you might be one, because you're not totally off the mark. So she makes a risky suggestion that she and Sion should also have seats on the grand council. The regents are shocked and pissed. She's a woman, so that just isn't gonna happen. But they're not calmly responding. They're yelling. During all of this, Sashi keeps her eye on ji. She sees him taking it all in. His lip starts quivering. The regents keep yelling, and Sashi sits there quietly with her hands folded. She's trying to hide her smile, because they are playing right into her hand. And just as they really get going, they all hear a terrible sound, crying from Emperor Tungji. His face is red, and tears are streaming down his cheeks, and everyone can see he's so scared that he wet his pants.

Oh, my God. Poor baby. How loud are they yelling?

I mean, I don't know, but clearly loud enough to make a five year old cry. The regents look at each other. This is not good. They upset the emperor, which is a big offense, and they know it. So she starts comforting Tengji, but inside, she's smiling because her plan is working perfectly, and the ball is in her court. Now, Sashi doesn't waste any time letting people know about the regent's behavior. She calls for their removal and convinces her allies that the regents should be arrested. The regents are taken into custody, but Sashi still isn't done. She writes a series of decrees stating that the regents should be permanently removed. She even makes it official by using Emperor Tungji's seal, and it works.

What's his seal? A peanut butter smudge. I honestly hope so much that it is.

The regents are dismissed from their positions, and a few are even sentenced to death.

Oh, my God. This woman does not play around.

I know it's dark stuff, but honestly, for a coup in the 19th century, it's pretty bloodless, all things considered.

Yeah, I'm just thinking of the gravestone, like death by decree of a five year old. That's gotta hurt.

That's rough.

Yeah.

Sushi keeps going. She has a royal decree drawn up, which says there are only two people who understand the late emperor's wishes and who can guide his son, Siyan and Sushi. The decree is signed, and the two women are finally in charge. And just like that, Sashi and Sion have completed their coup, nails intact. But there's no time to pop the champagne, because now that Seshi's in power, there is a hell of a lot to do. Seshi doesn't waste any time. She believes that China could learn a few things from the outside world, and not just economically. Luckily, she's got a grand council full of supporters. Together, they open up trade with the west, and pretty soon, the economy starts to recover. Sushi sets up a new school to train interpreters in european languages and also to teach new sciences. Sushi even starts China's first modern navy. Seon is working by her side during all of this, keeping the court running smoothly. Basically, she's nice to people so that Sashi doesn't have to be. But even with all this progress, Sashi's still held back by old traditions. Xi and Xion aren't allowed to be in the same room as men, other than eunuchs or their son.

So they have to do all of their ruling from behind a yellow screen while the little emperor, Tung ji, sits in front of it. Kinda like a political ventriloquist dummy.

Basically, yeah.

Most of China's elite love what Tsushi is doing, but she still has her haters. One of them is Prince Chun, the half brother of the previous emperor. He hates the west, and he hates watching a woman boss the whole country around. He complains all the time, but Sashi ignores him. Like, I don't know. Maybe he should just smile.

Yeah. Why is he so mad? He'd be way prettier if he smiled.

Yeah. Sashi won't let anyone slow her down. Even though she's only 31, she's actually running out of time. Tongji is now ten, and when he hits his teen years, he'll be old enough to rule, because, you know, brains are definitely fully formed by then.

I mean, yeah, everyone knows when you're a teenager, you're perfectly mature. Enough to make decisions like taking out ridiculous loans for college and fighting in war?

Exactly. When Tungji is of age, Sashi's days of being in charge will be over. And before this happens, she needs to create the china of her dreams. Every day, she gets up at the crack of dawn and works until she literally passes out. She's turning her country into the place she's always wanted it to be. After a lifetime of struggling, Sashi finally feels like she's winning. But just like in the movies, now that the hero is at her height, she's bound to fall fast, hard, and.

Far all the glitters in the world.

It's a warm spring afternoon in 1869, and Sashi is sitting behind her yellow silk screen. She's been in power for almost eight years, but right now, she's not getting much work done. She's focused on the man sitting next to her behind the screen. He's a eunuch, Sashi calls little on. He's looking cute in his ceremonial robes, and he makes her laugh, which is rare for tsushi. Sashi looks down and sees her hands are just a few inches apart. She can feel the heat coming off his fingertips. The door to the hall opens, and Sashi yanks her hand back, which, of course, never looks suspicious.

Nope. Perfectly casual.

It's a eunuch calling her for dinner. Little on moves away and pretends to be busy. They can't be seen like this. People are already suspicious about them. And getting caught in the act would not be a good look for Tsuxi as a eunuch. Little on is a servant on the lowest rung of the court, and she is the most powerful woman in China. And that's when it dawns on she's the most powerful woman in China. What's the point of power if you can't let yourself fall in love?

Ugh. That needs to be a tagline for the next rom.com.

Yep. Who cares about the rumors? For the first time in decades, she isn't just thinking about what the emperor needs. She's thinking about what she wants. And she wants little on, so quick backstory. Eunuchs are bound to a life of service in the palace, so they're not allowed to leave. So she can relate. Despite being the empress, she never gets to leave either. She's too busy bringing China to the world stage to actually enjoy the world, and Sashi thinks little on must crave freedom, just like her. Sashi would give him the world if she could, but she can't. So instead, she decides to give little on a gift, an afternoon of freedom. It means a break with tradition, so it won't be simple, but she knows it would mean a lot to him. A few months later, Sashi is finally able to make his dream come true. Her son Tangji is a teenager and is supposed to get married soon. Saxi sends little on to pick up the wedding gowns from a city near Shanghai. He'll finally be able to leave the palace. Sashi is confident that this is okay. She's basically the emperor at this point.

She says goodbye to little Anne. He and a group of other eunuchs leave the harbor and start sailing south. Little Anne's family is even able to join him. Her plan is all coming to. What are you laughing about?

It's just like reading, like a trip to Marshall's. Like, you gotta go pick up this dress. It's like my whole family's coming with me to go run this errand.

It's like the postmates orders I get when the whole family's in the car. Good for you guys. Her plan is all coming together. Now she just needs to sit back, relax and wait for her loved one to return. A few weeks later, Sashi is called to the audience hall. She's not sure why she doesn't have any meetings scheduled, but she takes her place beside Sion behind their yellow screen. As they wait for the grand council to arrive, she tries to relax. She reminds herself that in here, she's the boss. But when the council starts to file in, Sashi's nerves return. Their voices sound tense as they get closer. A council member nervously clears his throat and tells her that little on and the eunuchs have been arrested. The council member says that the governor in the south was appalled to see eunuchs on a boat having a good time and attracting attention. He didn't care that the eunuchs had a permission slip from Sashi. The council is furious as well, and they have sentenced little on and the rest of the eunuchs to death.

I know for the time this was a big deal, but come on, it's like zero to 60 for the most.

Innocuous crimes I know. And Sashi and Theon both pull back in shock. Sashi's shock quickly turns into anger. She's done so much for this country. She's established peace with the west, calmed rebellions. Even China's economy is on the up. How dare they pull this kind of shit on her.

Okay, I know it sucks for her, but it's the eunuch that's getting completely screwed here.

True, but I think it's like she gave them permission, and they're just completely ignoring the fact that she gave them. You know, at the end of the day, she's still just a woman, not the emperor.

Yeah.

She glares at the stupid yellow screen, the one she can't even step out from behind because, you know, the patriarchy. Fion takes her hand to comfort her, but Sashi rips it away. She clenches it into a fist. She will find a way to save little an's life. She has to. Sashi immediately turns to Tsian to help. She's always been the people person. Can't she go talk to the grand council? While Sashi waits, she paces the harem. She can't sleep. She can barely eat. Everything reminds her of little an and the horrible mess she's gotten him into. Finally, Sion comes to her, but she can't look Sashi in the eyes, because even Sion couldn't sweet talk the council into changing little on's fate. A decree has been made that little an must die.

Wow.

And Sashi and Sion have to release it. Sashi stalls, but then a man comes to the harem. It's Prince Chun, Sashi's brother in law. Now, remember, he thinks China should take a harder stance against the west, so he and Sashi have been at ods for a while, right? Chun tells the women that they have to release the decree and allow the execution to go forward, or else everyone will know that Sashi is in love with a eunuch. Sashi's blood boils little on isn't the target. Sashi is. She's been focused on running the country while Chun has had nothing but time to fester. And now he set it up perfectly to strike at Sashi, because if she steps in to save little on's life, it will jeopardize everything she's worked so hard for. And if she doesn't stop the execution, she loses the love of her life. Sashi's damned if she helps little on, destroyed if she doesn't.

I want that brother in law's head on a platter.

Same. She wrestles with the decision, but ultimately, she chooses Chyna over little on. Damn. The decree is released. A week later, the awful news finally comes. Little Ann has been beheaded.

Oh, my God.

It's honestly so sad. Like poor little an. And so she lays in bed for over a month. Devastated, she stares at the wall and snaps at her servants. In this dark hour, she turns her sights to the future she's kept her power at a terrible cost, and now she's going to use it for revenge.

Oh, that's the end of the episode.

It's the end.

I was like, what's next? Where's this going?

Well, you're just gonna have to wait till the next episode. Follow even the royals on the Wondery app, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to every episode of even the Royals, early and ad free right now by joining Wondery plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. Before you go, tell us about yourself by completing a short survey@wondry.com. Slash survey this is coup. There it is, part one in our two part series on Empress Dowager Tushi of China.

We use many sources when researching our stories, but we especially recommend the book Empress Dowager Sushi by Zhang Chang. We also reference the Dragon Lady, Empress Dowager Sushi by Niraja Vishwanathan and articles from the Smithsonian magazine and National Geographics.

You can follow us. Your hosts on socials at Brooke Sifrin and at Arisha Skidmore Williams. I'm Brooke Cifrin.

And I'm Arisha Skidmore Williams. Colleen Scriven wrote this episode. Story editing is by Michaela Bly. And our cultural consultant is Nellie Ting Yang. Our associate producer is Hannah Ward. Sound design is by Sam Ada. Our coordinating producer is Sophia Martins. And our senior managing producer is Ryan Lohr. Julie McGruder and Rachel Engelman are our series producers. Our executive producers are Jenny Bloom, Aaron O'Flaherty and Marsha Louis. For wondery, it's.