Empress Orchid by Anchee Min

The prequel to The Last Empress by the same author, the novel begins from the humble life of the famous Empress Dowager Tzu Hsi, aka Orchid and how she entered the palace to her historical fame in China's monarchy.

I have definitely sung praises for The Last Empress, which ironically was the book I read before this prequel and I have to say, Anchee Min did not disappoint in this book either.
It was amazing the imagination of the author as she saw the world of palace life through the young eyes of an ordinary girl like you and me.

Despite the general perception of how manipulative or conniving the empress was in her early days to gain power and the favor of the emperor in the kingdom, in this book, the empress was portrayed as a young girl who yearned to be loved and to learn about love and survival in a world filled with deception and secrets.

When Orchid first entered the palace, she never imagined that she would have to resort to tactics to ensure her survival in the palace. Being the naive girl she was, she thought that her entry into palace as one of the consort contestants would save her family from the poverty state they are in but she ended up yearning to gain attention from the most desirable man in the palace; the Emperor himself.

It was not her intention to gain power and status when she first entered, but succumbing to a daily boring routine of a life made her changed her mind and she soon wondered about being loved by a man; and none other but the ruler of the country himself.
Feeling the misery of loneliness, Orchid soon realized that she had to resort to ways others had been practising before her to gain entry to the Emperor's chamber before his heart.

It was an interesting journey as Anchee Min dived into the deepest desires and fears of a young girl of 17 based on the basic instincts of a human being.
When Orchid found her way to the chamber of the Emperor, she found that the Emperor too, had paved his presence in her heart. Her efforts had not been wasted; as she gained the love of the Emperor who started to spend time with her alone as she was not only there to satisfy his manly desires but also one whom he could confide in.

Orchid slowly started to secretly help the Emperor in his government of the country, paving her path as one of the most historical women in one of the strongest Chinese dynasties.

I have always felt that Anchee Min 'breathed' life into the famous Empress; bringing her from her high rank above down to our level, that the Empress herself was once a young girl from a simple background and that she had thoughts just like any curious young girl would have had.
It is amazing and I must say that the story had a 'soul', as Empress Orchid is portrayed as truly, an ordinary woman and not all the scheming or evil person that most fiction/history books portrayed her to be and that she too, had her own reasons in everything that she did.

It is a tale of reality, and not just about history and I highly recommend this for a read. It may be a historical fiction, but who knows? Empress Orchid was indeed someone like us before she ascended to power; only that she had to find a way to survive amidst the dark settings in the palace where everyone is fighting for survival.

The Last Empress by Anchee Min

An engaging story about the life and thoughts of one of the most prominent female leaders struggling amongst the thorns in the conservative society in China back then.
Empress Dowager; Tzu Chsi (or Orchid) as she is fondly known as.

Anchee Min spins the tale in a way that it was narrated from the lady herself; detailing her thoughts and emotions.
It was cleverly told, and the narrator assumes her role and responsibilities from a normal brought-up peasant and ordinary girl just like you and me, and how she too, goes through traumatic times in making life-threatening decisions.

The contemporary world has formed a perception of Tzu Chsi as a tyrant; and a cold-blooded ruler who would do just about anything, to protect her authority as she makes her way up to the top; including murdering her own son.

This story shows us the other side of Tzu Chsi; a Tzu Chsi who may have been misunderstood by the world, a lady who have her own difficulties in explaining to the world on everything she has done; for the pride and dignity of her country and at the same time, protect her own son, the emperor from further humiliation.

It was a realistic depiction, and I felt like I was reading the Empress's thoughts; and seeing her human side compared to the cold portrait that has been painted based on the stories I have heard and read about her throughout all the years.
The author has injected a touch of humanity and a tale of compassion into this famous female ruler who had to protect herself and the throne from all the conniving men surrounding the two widows and the son who was the true heir to the throne.
When her own son has contracted a deadly disease which was too disgraceful to be announced, Tzu Chsi was torn between true compassion and depression and at the same time, being realistic to understand the consequences of the news to the empire.
During that time, there were foreign forces which were particularly interested in the Chinese empire due to their strong influence and resources.

Tzu Chsi had to be careful with her every move, as there is no one whom she can trust in the palace. It was an internal battle itself, behind the palace walls, as she struggles to make the right decisions and forming her own very trusted allies; comprising of the devoted General Yung Lu and her eunuch who died somewhere in the novel.
Initially, Prince Kang was another allie who soon found his way out to his own interests and Tzu Chsi was left with no other choice.
Her close and intimate relationship with General Yung Lu ignited the sparks among themselves and also the whisperings along the palace corridors and the main hall. However, the author told about the empress as a lonely widow but still one with rationality and traditional mindset to swerve towards any form of behavior which will be frowned upon.
At the same time, Tzu Chsi was still human after all, and all those suppressing of her own inner feelings for a man has those times when she just wanted to break away from tradition and follow her heart, just a thought that occasionally seeps into her mind.

It was a poignant tale; but brilliantly told to show us a personally expressed story by the protagonist herself.

I love this novel; and this is actually a sequence to the Empress Orchid which starts the tale from how she became the empress; from a young peasant girl.
This novel itself; is the sequel in which her tale continues from the death of the emperor and her assuming her role as one of the Empress Dowager and at the same time, the mentor and guide to the budding young emperor who was her own son.

This is a book that I will definitely read again; to revive that compassion and heartfelt emotions of the glorious and yet humane empress.

Rating: 4.5/5