Emperor Tao Kuang who ruled over China from 1821 to 1851 was the Inst of the so-called "great emperors" fof the Manchu Dynasty; that is to. say he was the last Emperor who. made his influence felt in the Gov ernment of the country. His whole reign was one long, vain strustele cope with the corruption in the higher: ranks of the administration and, above all to try and bring order into, the hopelessly disordered finances of the Imperial treasury. In this fight for reform he even attempted to clean fut the Aujean stables of the Court itself. to which end he gave an example of the strictest economy in his own private fife, As a result he has one down to posterity, quite unfairly, stingy, small-minded monarch. whereas, in actual fect, he was a well-intentioned. and conscientious ruler. Nevertheless, despite his good intentions, he was not proof against those temptations that beset the ordinary common mortal, as is shown by the following tragic story.
One night in mid-winter an amicer of the Imperial bodyguard, a certain Manchu called En, was on duty at the gate of the Imperial living quarters, the Palace of Heavenly Purity. Tt was. a bitterly cold night and he was very bored with life, as he sat in the cold guardhouse huddled close to the small Chareoal stove, warming his hands at its feeble fame', and discussing fitfully family affairs with one of the Palace About midnight, Just as they were beginning to feel drowsy and were thinking of turning in, the door was flung open and 9 eunuch from the Emperor's personal entourage, pale and trembling with excitement, came rushing into the room and called 00. En to come with him at once to the Emperor's private "apartments, could scarcely believe his cars. for was strictly against all regulations for an officer or man of the Imperial bodyguard to enter the Palace [precinets, much less go anywhere near the private quarters.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.