An Dehai: The handsome, favored eunuch who had his own child with Empress Dowager Cixi?

Among the subordinates beside Xu Xi, besides Li Lianying, An Dehai was the one who was most popular and close to this empress dowager. It is said that An Duc Hai was a eunuch who entered the palace to serve the Empress Dowager.

An Dehai (1844–1869) was a eunuch who served in the Qing court and was one of Empress Dowager Cixi's closest favorites.

The eunuch was greatly favored by Empress Dowager Cixi

According to Chinese media, An Dehai was soon orphaned by his parents at a young age and trafficked from person to person until he entered the palace as a eunuch at the age of 8.

The turning point in An Duc Hai's life came in 1861, when the eunuch was only 17 years old. The death of the Qing king Hamfeng resulted in a major power vacuum.

An Dehai was one of the effective assistants to help Empress Dowager Cixi and Empress Dowager Xu An conduct coups and seize power. An Dehai himself became the eunuch general of the Qing court.

According to Chinese historical records, An Duc Hai was extremely loyal, devoted and knew how to please his master. Knowing that Empress Dowager Cixi liked to watch plays, An Dehai built a large and splendid theater stage right in the harem.

People in the capital rumored that Empress Dowager Xu Xi graced An Dehai so much that he let this eunuch wear dragon cells and reward him with many treasures and ivory jade. An Duc Hai's words have the same "weight" as the holy thread. Every day, both of them frolic in the garden.

The eunuch surnamed An is described as a person who possesses a beautiful face with a relaxed appearance, and sings very well. Many people say that the reason why Xu Xi favored An Dehai so much was because the An family was not a real eunuch.

During the late Qing Dynasty, the purification of eunuchs was not closely monitored. The "unclean" purification process may leave An Duc Hai still capable of a man. It was even rumored that Empress Dowager Cixi had a stepson with the eunuch An Dehai.

Chinese history books do not record this. But according to modern historians, such stories partly reflect Empress Dowager Cixi's favor for An Dehai and Empress Dowager Cixi's domination of the harem.

Bitter departure

As soon as he was close to Empress Dowager Cixi, An Dehai gradually showed his contempt for the court ministers, even winning over several royal families, including Prince Yihan.

One time, Prince Gong came to ask the Empress Dowager, but Xu Xi sent someone out to say that he was busy with An Dehai so he didn't see him. This incident caused the Prince Palace to feel humiliated, to bear resentment against An Dehai, and to try to eliminate it with this eunuch who was very favored by Empress Dowager Cixi.

In 1869, feeling claustrophobic due to staying forever in the forbidden palace, An Dehai wanted to go out on excursions, so he asked permission from Empress Dowager Cixi to go down to Jiangnan to sew dragon cells and shop.

With Empress Dowager Cixi's permission, An Dehai forgot that he had violated the rules of the Cheng emperor, that eunuchs should never be allowed to leave the palace.

Claiming to be a false legate, An Duc Hai did not have any documents to prove it, and on the way he paraded martial arts again.

This was considered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Prince Palace to seek revenge. While passing through Shandong, An Dehai was immediately arrested by Ding Baozheng.

Ding Baozheng deeply hated those who borrowed the name of Empress Dowager Cixi who were arrogant and disrespectful, threatening others like An Dehai. So the governor brought this matter back to the Prince Palace.

When the song exposing An Dehai reached the Prince Palace, Empress Dowager Cixi was busy watching the play. The Prince then asked Empress Dowager Xu An's edict so that he could try An Dehai in the night.

Empress Dowager Xu An reluctantly agreed, but was still afraid when he issued an edict, "The Western Empress Dowager will kill me for this."

Empress Dowager Cixi was unaware of the trial of the eunuch An Dehai. The incident only reached Empress Dowager Cixi's ears when a eunuch from An Dehai's entourage arrived at the capital to announce.

After asking everything clearly, Empress Dowager Xu Xi was furious, and immediately ran to the Human Life Palace, reproaching Xu An the Empress Dowager. Xu An saw that Empress Dowager Xu Xi was angry, and took everything to the Prince Palace. Before waving her shirt and leaving, Empress Dowager Cixi vowed revenge.

It is possible that An Dehai's trial became a major turning point in Empress Dowager Cixi's time in power.

Empress Dowager Cixi silently seized power, trusting no one. Many people also said that Empress Dowager Xu An's death was later also caused by Empress Dowager Xu Xi in revenge for the old story.

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