Podcasts about Imperial Court

In its many thousands of years of history, China has had only one official ruling monarch who was a woman. Sure, there were powerful Empress Consorts who pulled the strings of weak Emperor husbands, but Empress Wu Zetian ambitiously, and ruthlessly, upended convention to claim the throne in her own name. Born to a prosperous and well-connected family sometimes in the first half of the 620s, Wu joined the Imperial Court at the age of 14 in the privileged position of concubine to the Emperor. Instead, she became a trusted scribe and advisor who was sent to live out her life in a monastery after his death. But his son, Emperor Gaozong, brought her back to court, where she promptly began having babies with him, something his official wife was never able to do. It took many years, but through devious, even violent means, Wu Zeitan would clear the Court of all rivals to her power and become Gaozong's legal wife, and Empress Consort of China. This was an open door to full control of China; Wu Zeitan only needed to walk through it - and she did. Listen ad-free at patreon.com/trashyroyalspodcast. To advertise on this podcast, reach out to info@amplitudemediapartners.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Enjoy a nearly three thousand year exploration of Persian food, culture and inventions that made our culinary pleasures, even more pleasurable!Info if you want to find out about yakhtchal, the ancient Persian refrigerators check here;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakhch%C4%81lThe Shahnameh (“Book of Kings”) By Ferdowsi -the Persian epic poemhttps://sdbiblestudy.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/The-Shahnameh.pdfMedieval Persian Cookbook"A Baghdad Cookery Book"https://www.amazon.co.uk/Baghdad-Cookery-Book-Al-oTabaikh-Culinaires/dp/1903018420/ref=pd_bxgy_d_sccl_1/258-4486056-9939464?pd_rd_w=h0uD7&content-id=amzn1.sym.46f507f3-7fc1-4bf4-9492-ed026d6e4f68&pf_rd_p=46f507f3-7fc1-4bf4-9492-ed026d6e4f68&pf_rd_r=CY9W5FDBRDZ88YJH8B8J&pd_rd_wg=jGw6S&pd_rd_r=287bc114-87a3-4bc4-bc48-174d24e4ac0b&pd_rd_i=1903018420&psc=1-How Persian Kings and the Imperial Court was drinking wine from rhyton:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yJCay1_CA4Food of Life: Ancient Persian and Modern Iranian Cooking and Ceremonies by Najmieh Khalili Batmanglij https://www.najmieh.com/book/food-of-life-ancient-persian-and-modern-iranian-cooking-and-ceremonies/I hope you will enjoy this episode as much as I did!Much love,Thom & The Delicious LegacySupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-delicious-legacy. If you love to time-travel through food and history why not join us at https://plus.acast.com/s/the-delicious-legacy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Righteous Blood Ruthless Blades by @OspreyGames (available Here) We begin a new game! In this case a Wu Xia game of frenzied swordfights, jockeying for position in a hidden world behind the Empire. While the Imperial Court involves politics and assassinations, the Jiang Hu is a much more cutthroat world where reputation is everything. Reputation […]

On Tuesday, February 27, 2024, Joy Ann Wrona, Michael Wah and David G. Poole from the Imperial Court of Buffalo joined Rockabilly Greg to talk about musical theatre and their upcoming MisCast fundraiser. All have worked together on stage over the years and reminisced about the many facets of performing in live musical theatre productions.

Last time we spoke about the Railway Protection Movement and the Wuchang Uprising. Emperor Guangxi and Empress Dowager Cixi were dead leaving regent Zaifeng in charge of the ailing dynasty. Alongside their deaths, the Guangzhou-Hankou and Sichuan-Hankow railway lines would become the trigger to end the Qing dynasty. The people were already angry, but would become furious when news came that the railway lines were going to be nationalized using foreign loans. Some in Sichuan attempted financing their railway line to thwart the foreigners, but in the end they simply were unable. Zaifeng unleashed the brutish General Zhao Erfeng to quell the protesters, but this massively backfired. Revolutionaries within the Hubei army unleashed an uprising in Wuchang. The mutineers formed a military government representing Hubei with Li Yuanhong as their leader. The year is 1911, Wuchang is but the spark that will light the flame of revolution.   #87 The Xinhai Revolution of 1911   Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. The insurrection that broke out in Wuchang on October 10th of 1911, was not a sheer accident. It was part of a larger event occurring all over China. Revolutionary leaders like Dr. Sun Yat-sen had inspired multiple groups of revolutionaries, many of whom recruited men within the New Armies forming in the provinces. These groups also had links to secret societies. If you pop open wikipedia and look up the Xinhai Revolution or 1911 revolution one of the first things you will notice is the page consists of a long list of uprisings. Uprisings sprang out all over China. Some of these groups were connected, many were not at all. A famous revolutionary leader, Song Jiaron founded the Revolutionary Alliance in 1911. Song Jiaoren and Huang Xing helped Sun Yat-sen start a second uprising in Guangzhou that failed, and this basically ended the Revolutionary Alliance's role as the dominant revolutionary group. When the Wuchang uprising began, all these leaders were taken by surprise. The Hubei revolutionaries had very loose connections to the revolutionary alliance. It was Song Jiaorens intent to use the Revolutionary alliance as a sort of authority over the multiple revolutionary groups. Song Jiaoren advised the Wuchang uprisers to take it slower, but they simply were impatient for action.  As a result of the Wuchang uprising, the Qing court ordered the Minister of War, General Yinchang and General Feng Guozhang to lead the Beiyang Army to quell the rebellion in Hubei. In the last episode I mentioned Admiral Sa Zhenbing was also asked to take the Qing navy to quell the rebellion, but they simply sailed off to Shanghai and got caught up in their own sort of mutiny. Now while this was going on, back in 1909 Yuan Shikai, the man who created the Beiyang Army, had been relieved of all his posts by Zaifeng. Yuan Shikai kept networking with influential figures during his exile. Something particularly important he did was manage his contacts that could help him remain in control of his precious Beiyang army. He married his niece to his adopted son Duan Qirui. Duan Qirui was reported to him regularly the ongoings of the beiyang Army. Now the Qing court knew the only force capable of quelling the rebellion was the Beiyang army, but their loyalty seemed to still be with the exiled Yuan Shikai. The Qing court in a panic had been repeatedly requesting Yuan Shikai return, offering him first Viceroy of Huguang and then Prime Minister of the Imperial Court. But Yuan Shikai kept procrastinating, stating he had a foot ailment and could not take such appointments. The Qing court kept begging and on October 30th, Yuan Shikai finally agreed and became Prime Minister on November 1st. As soon as Yuan Shikai took this position he asked Zaifeng to withdraw from Politics, effectively resigning as regent. After this Yuan Shikai formed a new cabinet, notably Han dominant. Empress Dowager Longyu awarded Yuan Shikai the noble title of Marquis of the 1st rank. Basically the Qing court was bending over backwards to please Yuan Shikai because he literally was holding them hostage because he made it clear the Beiyang army was his to command alone. Meanwhile Yinchang and Feng had traveled to Hankou by rail and attempted to seize control over the city's northern suburbs. By October 18th, 1000 revolutionary soldiers had attacked Liujiamiao train station located at the northern approach to Hankou. The rebels were driven back initially, but later that day they regrouped and with the help of railway workers ambushed a train coming in with Qing soldiers. The train derailed, as Qing soldiers fought the rebels, but many also fled for their lives. 400 Qing soldiers were killed by the revolutionary force who proceeded to capture Liujiaomiao. The revolutionaries were greatly emboldened and grew to a force 5000 strong. On October the 20th, the rebels attacked Wushengguan, but were dealt a defeat and forced to withdraw back to Liujiaomiao. Despite the defeat, the rebels had proven themselves capable and this had an enormous impact. On October the 22nd, Tongmenghui in Hunan province led by Jiao Defeng and Chen Zuoxin declared an uprising at Changsha. They captured the city, killing the local Qing general and announced a new Hunan Military government in opposition to the Qing dynasty. Alongside this on October 22nd, Tongmenghui in Shaanxi led by Jing Dingcheng, Qian Ding and Jing Wumu launched an uprising and captured Xi'an after two days of battle. The Hui muslim community was divided on who to support. Hui of Gangsu supported the Qing dynasty while Hui of Shaanxi supported the revolutionaries. The Hui muslims of Xi'an joined the revolutionaries to slaughter Manchu, but General Ma Anliang led over 20 battalions of Hui Muslims to fight for the Qing against a revolutionary army led by Zhang Fengui. Within the Xi'an area, over 20,000 Manchu would be massacred by revolutionary forces. However Ma Anliang would be very successfully fighting back for the Qing forces, it was only after learning later on that the throne was abdicating that Ma Anliang would change sides. Thus Hunan and Shaanxi had both declared independence from the dynasty. Back in Hubei, the Qing court removed Yinchang from command and handed formal power to Yuan Shikai whose loyal lt's Duan Qirui and Feng Guozhang were right and ready for action. Duan and Feng led the 1st and 2nd armies who marched upon Wuhan. By the 26th, the Beiyang Army was advancing by rail and stormed the northern suburbs of Hankou. They began their assault using heavy artillery and machine guns to devastating effect. The revolutionary forces took 500 deaths, under the rather poor leadership of Zhang Jingliang. It was suspected Zhang Jingliang was sitting on the fence, possibly collaborating with the Qing. The revolutionaries would lose control over Liujiamiao and regain it twice. By the 28th Liujiamiao saw house to house fighting between the two sides. On that same day Song Jiaoren and Huang Xing arrived to Hankou from Shanghai. They came to offer their support to the revolutionaries. Huang Xing had brought over 1000 revolutionary troops to help bolster Wuchangs 5000 strong force. With the additional support the revolutionaries were able to hold the Qing forces back, but they lacked heavy artillery and machine guns. The Qing forces were dishing out severe casualties. Facing such tough resistance, Feng Guozhang became enraged and ordered Hankou razed to the ground. A fire would burn throughout the city for over 3 days. By the 1st of November, the Qing had seized control over Hankou, but both sides had suffered casualties in the thousands as a result. On November 3rd, Li Yuanhong handed command of the revolutionary forces to Huang Xing who had proven himself a more capable military leader. New recruits from Hunan began to boost their force and by November the 11th the province declared independence. Around this time, the Qing Navy had effectively defected, multiple warships had gone to assist revolutionaries in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. An uprising broke out in Hangzhou seeing revolutionaries capture a large quantity of military supplies. Here a young Chiang Kai-shek captured some government offices and gradually Hangzhou. The revolutionaries of Zhejiang and Jiangsu raised a siege against Nanjing using Qing warships. The siege was led by Xu Shaozhen, Chen Qimei and other defected generals. Between November 24th to December 1st, the revolutionaries captured Wulongshan, Mufushan, Tianbao, Yuhuatai and countless other Qing strongholds. On December 2nd, Nanjing fell to the revolutionaries, it was a tremendous victory.  Back over in Hubei, the revolutionaries now 13,000 strong at Hanyang, forded the Han river marching to take back Hankou. Yuan Shikai was on the other side of the river leading a force 30,000 strong. While many revolutionary leaders sought to defend Hanyang, it was Huang Xing who seized the initiative. On November 17th the revolutionary forces began an artillery bombardment of Hankou from the Guishan heights, before launching a two-pronged attack. Their artillery was quite inaccurate and as their infantry advanced, Yuan Shikai's artillery quickly pinned down their right flank. This saw the revolutionary left flank managing to ford the river alone, whom ran into Qing defenders who easily repelled them back by the 18th. The revolutionary army suffered 800 casualties in the disastrous attempt. On the 21st of November, Yuan Shikai launched an attack against Hanyang. One force bypassed the revolutionaries' defenses by assaulting Xiaogan further to the west. The two armies gradually converged and fought at Sanyanqiao. The next day another Qing force forded the Han river from Hankou and seized the strategic heights in Hanyang. The revolutionaries sent reinforcements twice from Wuchang to advance across the Yangtze river to Hanyang, but suffered tremendous casualties in the process. Another group of revolutionaries in Wuchang planned to cross the Yangtze to advance to strike Liujiamiao behind the Qing defensive lines, but apparently their commander got too drunk and failed to initiate on time. As a result his force failed to help the general assault which saw the Qing artillery bombardment the revolutionaries as they attempted crossing the Yangtze. Facing such terrible losses, the Hubei revolutionaries began to preserve their strength, causing outrage amongst the Hunan revolutionaries. After a week of brutal house to house combat, Yuan Shikai's forces gradually fought their way to the center of Hanyang. There they captured the munitions factory and revolutionaries artillery position upon Guishan. By November 27th, the revolutionaries were in a full retreat from Hanyang after suffering 3300 deaths trying to defend the city. By the end of November, Duan Qirui and Feng Guozhang both submitted plans to Yuan Shikai on how to deliver the killing blow to Wuchang. However despite their victories at Hankou and Hanyang, things overall were not good for the Qing loyalists. During the battle for Hanyang, as Huang Xing became the defacto commander in chief, Song Jiaoren had decided to withdraw south of the Yangtze to create a secondary revolutionary center. This was of course occurring everywhere in China. The fight to dethrone the Manchu empire had created an enormous power vacuum that many were eager to set upon. Within weeks of the Wuchang uprising, as I had mentioned over in Shanghai leaders of the revolutionary alliance began an uprising declaring Shanghai independent. This spread to Zhejiang and Jiangsu, and soon 14 provinces had seceded. With so many provinces declaring independence and so many revolutionary groups vying for power, the need for a central government became a necessity. If the movement was to survive, regional rivalries needed to be overcome, national unity was essential. Wuchang and Shanghai being two of the strongest factions began to clash, but while they did the siege of Nanjing saw the great secondary capital seized by rebels.  Now while all of this was going on, secret talks were being made between the revolutionaries and none other than Yuan Shikai. Unbeknownst to the Qing court as they continuously lavished Yuan Shikai with titles, he was being tossed countless bribes to come to the revolutionary side. On november 3rd the Qing Court under immense pressure had passed the 19 articles, intending to finally reconstitute the Qing government into a constitutional monarchy. 6 days later Huang Xing cabled Yuan Shikai inviting him to join their republic. Yuan Shikai was thus in one of the most advantageous positions possible. For he and he alone could control the strongest army in CHina, the Beiyang army. He could crush the rebels in Wuchang, but he did not do so. In fact he had held his men back the entire time. On December 1st, Yuan Shikai agreed to a 3 day cease-fire and secretly began talks with the revolutionaries in Hankou. The 3 day ceasefire soon turned into another 3 days, then 15 days, and finally it encompassed all of december. On December 2nd Nanjing fell, and the revolutionaries agreed the new provisional government should be set up there. Revolutionary leaders met there and passed an outline on December 3rd on how they would create a republic. A public announcement was made that within a week's time they would elect a provisional government. This all was done within the scramble for power, for example Song Jiaoren and Chen Qimei had stayed in Shanghai attempted to hold their own assembly. On December the 18th, a North-South Conference was held in Shanghai trying to figure out how to solve issues between the north and south. Yuan Shikai sent his subordinate Tang Shaoyi to negotiate with the revolutionaries in Wuhan. Meanwhile the revolutionaries chose Wu Tingfang to speak to the foreign powers of the UK, US, Germany, Russia, France and Japan about helping support their new republic. Thus simultaneously, the Revolutionaries were negotiating with foreign powers to fix future deals with their republic as they negotiated with Yuan Shikai to allow their revolution to succeed. In the end, it was Yuan Shikai who held the keys to the car as we say. You might be asking yourself, ok, but where is Dr. Sun Yat-Sen during all of this? At the offset of the Wuchang uprising Dr Sun Yat-sen was in Denver Colorado. He had been in the US for quite some time fund raising for revolutions. He was shocked to find out about the Wuchang uprising and there was little he could do about everything. Huang Xing was thus his 2nd in command trying to hold the fort down for him. Dr Sun Yat-Sen with his closest foreign advisor and friend, Homer Lea rushed over to Britain trying to secure financing for a future Chinese republic, before sailing back to China by December 21st. He had come back just in the nick of time as the presidential election was held on December 29th. Over 45 representatives from 17 provinces participated and Sun Yat-Sen received 16 out of 17 votes. On January 1st of 1912, Sun Yat-Sen announced the establishment of the republic of China in Nanjing and was inaugurated as the provisional president of the republic. General Li Yunhong was made provisional vice president; Huang Xing became minister of the army; Song Jiaoran became director general of law making and countless other positions were filled. At the same time many leaders sought to establish the new flag of the republic. Wuchang wanted to use their 9 star flag; Lu Hadong wanted to use his Blue Sky with a White sun flag; Huang Xing favored a flag bearing the mythical well field system of village agriculture, but in the end a major compromise was met. The new flag would be the banner of 5 Races under one Union. If you google the flag, you can see its 5 colors; red for Han, yellow for Manchu, blue for Mongols, white for Muslims and black for Tibetans. This was all grand, but there was one problem, Yuan Shikai could obliterate their new republic at any moment. To solve the Yuan Shikai problem, some of the revolutionaries sought to lure him to the south. To do so they began secretly negotiating with him, offering to appoint him president over the new Nanjing government. However if Yuan Shikai were to move to the south, he would lose the power of his northern armies. On January 16th, while returning to his residence, Yuan Shikai was ambushed in a terrorist attack organized by the Tongmenghui. 18 revolutionaries  tried to kill him with a bomb at Donghuamen in Beijing. 10 Qing guards were killed in the process, but Yuan Shikai was not seriously injured. Yuan Shikai sent a message to the revolutionaries the next day pledging his loyalty to their cause and asking them not to try assassinating him again. To make a point, Yuan Shikai secretly ordered his troops to begin looting and burning down parts of Beijing like the Dong'anmen gate. Thousands of people were killed in this type of mutiny. Yuan Shikai was showcasing to the rebels the new government would be in Beijing and that he refused to move to Nanjing where he would not be able to control his military as effectively.  In the meantime there was the pesky issue of…well the Qing dynasty and their emperor still existed! The entire time Yuan Shikai and the revolutionaries were playing game of thrones, Yuan Shikai was also manipulating the Qing court. Yuan Shikai told the Qing court and Empress Dowager Longyu the revolutionaries would butcher them all, unless dramatic concessions were made. Zaifeng stepped down as regent on December 6th, and the Empress Dowager Longyu took over the empire. Yuan Shikai made it clear to her, Puyi had to abdicate the throne, because he would not be able to protect them from the revolutionaries. On February the 12th, Yuan Shikai and Empress Dowager Longyu met, and as recalled in Puyi's autobiography “The Dowager Empress was sitting on a kang [platform] in a side room of the Mind Nature Palace, wiping her eyes with a handkerchief as a fat old man [Yuan] knelt before her on a red cushion, tears streaming down his face. I was sitting to the right of the widow and wondering why both adults were crying. There was no one in the room other than the three of us and everything was very quiet; the fat man snorted as he spoke and I couldn't understand what he was saying... This was the time when Yuan directly raised the question of abdication”. Yuan Shikai pressured Empress Dowager Longyu, by stating the imperial family's lives would not be spared if the emperor did not abdicate. If the revolutionaries reached Beijing before an abdication, the provisional government would not honor and terms between them. On February the 3rd Longyu gave Yuan Shikai full authority to negotiate the abdication terms between the Qing dynasty and the provisional government. Yuan Shikai sneakily drew up his own terms and dispatched it to the revolutionaries. The Imperial edict of abdication of the Qing Emperor would thus end 276 years of Qing rule and imperial rule that has lasted over 2132 years. Nearly 4000 years of monarchy had come to an end. Throughout China's grand history, old dynasties had always been replaced by new dynasties. After 1911, it was the first time a monarchy was completely overthrown and a republic was ushered in.  Puyi would retain his imperial title and be treated as a monarch by the new Republic. Puyi and the royal family could remain in the northern half of the Forbidden city and the Summer palace. The Republic would grant them an annual 4 million taels. The reign of the last Qing emperor Puyi, had thus come to an end. All of this was negotiated through Yuan Shikai with the revolutionaries. He promised the revolutionaries he would get the emperor to abdicate, in return to be made the president of the new provisional government. It was a masterstroke of deception and power grabbing. In many ways you game of thrones fans can think of him as little finger if he actually won the throne…well maybe in the books he might still do so if Martin ever gets his fat ass to finish them.  The revolutionaries really had no choice in the matter. During the battles, Yuan Shikai proved his Beiyang army was overwhelmingly more powerful. The only reason Yuan Shikai did not crush the rebellion was simply because he sought the best outcome for himself. After working most of his life to bring an end to the Qing dynasty, to usher in democracy, Dr Sun Yat-sen had to give up his presidency. It was a bittersweet moment to be sure. Dr Sun Yat-Sen is considered the Father of the Nation by both China and Taiwan. Though Dr Sun Yat-Sen had to step down, he still fought bitterly to keep the new capital as Nanjing rather than Beijing. But Yuan Shikai's powerbase was in Beijing, his Beiyang Army and loyal officers were all there.  On February the 14th the issue came to a vote in the provincial senate, 20-5 in favor of Beijing vs Nanjing, there were two other votes for Wuhan and Tianjin. The senate majority wanted to secure the peace with Yuan Shikai, and there was also the added effect of checking against a Manchu restoration or Mongol secession. Sun Yat-sen and Huang Xing argued for Nanjing to balance against Yuan Shikai's power base in the north. Li Yuanhong presented Wuhan as a compromise, the provincial senate voted again, this time 19 vs 6 for Nanjing. Sun Yat-Sen then dispatched Cai Yuanpei and Wang Jingwei to persuade Yuan Shikai to move to Nanjing. Yuan Shikai welcomed the delegation and agreed to the move, but then suddenly on February 29th riots and fires broke out all over Beijing. It was allegedly orchestrated by Cao Kun a loyal officer under Yuan Shikai. The chaos gave Yuan Shikai pretext to stay in Beijing, lest the unrest continue. Thus Yuan Shikai won the issue, Beijing would be the capital. The battles during the Xinhai revolution had raged on for 41 days and in the end 13 provinces joined the revolution. In October of 1912 Yuan Shikai conferred honors to commanders on both sides of the battles to commemorate the founding of the new republic. It is estimated the battles had taken the lives of 4300 soldiers. Yuan Shikai was air quotes elected provisional president of the republic of China on February 14th and sworn in March 10th. In 1912, the Chinese national assembly elections were held, the first for the new republic. 30,000 electors chose 2000 members of the provincial assemblies and 596 members of the house of representatives and 274 senate members were elected by the provincial assemblies. Adult males over the age of 21 who were educated, owned property, paid taxes or who could prove they resided in China for more than 2 years were allowed to vote. Its estimated 40 million people registered for the election, that's roughly 5% of the population. Now Sun Yat-Sen was not going to allow Yuan Shikai to steal the new republic without a fight. Sun Yat-Sen was no fool and knew he  would have to take a backseat for awhile so he asked Song Jiaoren to lead the political war effort to try and dismantle Yuan Shikai's stranglehold. Song Jiaoren mobilized the Tongmenghui. He offered an alliance to like minded small parties to join the Tongmenghui and thus ushered in the Kuomintang on August 25th of 1912 at the Huguang Guild Hall in Beijing. Song Jiaoren's KMT party won 269 out of 596 seats in the house of representatives and 123 seats out of 274 in the senate. The remaining seats were taken by the 3 other parties; the republicans led by Li Yuanhong; The Unity Party led by Zhang Binglin and the Democratic Party led by Tang Hualong. There were countless other smaller parties, but effectively Song Jiaoren was regarded as the next prime candidate for the position of Prime Minister. The 3 other losing parties all merged into the Progressive Party under the leadership of Liang Qichao and thus they were the opposition.  At this point Yuan Shikai held overwhelming executive power and Song Jiaoren was leading the fight to dismantle that. During his campaigning Song Jiaoren made it abundantly clear he vehemently desired to limit the powers of the president. He also always took the chance to be critical of Yuan Shikai's obvious ambitions. Song Jiaoren from the very beginning began a campaign against Yuan Shikai, accusing him of attempting to restore a monarchical system, most likely to make himself Emperor. Song Jiaoren was learning from Dr Sun Yat-Sen and proved himself a very capable politician, but he also made a ton of enemies, above all else, Yuan Shikai. It looked like Song Jiaoren's first major action would be to push for an election of a future president. On March 20th of 1913, while traveling with a group of colleagues to parliament in Beijing, Song Jiaoran was shot twice at the Shanghai railway station by a lone gunman named Wu Shiying. Wu Shiying had been contracted by Ying Guixin, the leader of the Green Gang an underworld group. Ying Guixin also happened to be the chief of intelligence for Chen Qimei and a close associate of Yuan Shikai. Yuan Shikai had his secretary Zhao Bingjun order the hit. Song Jiaoren died two days later from his wounds. An investigation was made implicating Ying Guixin in the assassination, but Ying Guixin fled for his life and was murdered by two unknown swordsmen. Then Zhao Bingjun was poisoned. Talk about loose ends? Chinese media sources all pointed fingers at Yuan Shikai and indeed the population basically knew it was him. However there was no significant evidence to pin the crime upon Yuan Shikai and thus he was never actually implicated.  Yuan Shikai was busy planning further assassinations of his political enemies and in april he secretly secured a loan of 25 million pounds sterling from Britain, France, Germany, Russia and Japan. This loan was used to bolster his Beiyang Army. In order to secure this loan the Beiyang government had to cede partial control over its national treasury to foreign ownership as leverage. This of course was humiliating and done without parliament causing massive outrage. The ones giving the most voice against Yuan Shikai were of course the KMT, whose leader had just been assassinated. Yuan Shikai began a process of bribing and killing his KMT enemies. Yuan Shikai began dismissing governors who were pro KMT and did whatever he possibly could to collapse them.  Meanwhile as a result of the formation of the republic of China, all the revolutionary armies had been disbanded, but their soldiers were not compensated for toppling the Qing dynasty. This led to wide scale discontent. Yuan Shikai continued to gradually seize control over the government, while increasing his Beiyang Army and diminishing any other military forces that could threaten him. Yuan Shikai had thus greatly angered the revolutionary soldiers and the KMT. His political abuses were rampant, he was using violence to basically dissolve any opposition. The paint was on the wall as they say. Dr Sun Yat-Sen and the KMT would not stand for it any longer, there was to be a second revolution. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. The Wuchang Uprising was a springboard for other uprisings that ushered in the Xinhai revolution. The Qing dynasty had fallen and now a new Republic of China had emerged, but for how long could this experiment last? Yuan Shikai sought to seize ultimate power and it seems he was winning.

Did you know, that the compass, gunpowder, paper, and the printing press, all history-changing technologies, were invented in China? Yet, the realization of their economic values happened in Europe, not in China. This is the story of the steep price that imperial China paid for the sake of stability and scale, a story that Communist China seems to be repeating now. Dr. Yasheng Huang of MIT's Sloan School of Management, HbN's guest for this subject, analyzes China's colossal economic successes and gigantic failures ("gigantic" is his word) in the context of innovation, freedom of ideas, and diversity of ideologies. Similar to other countries, China's economic success depends on the right balance between scope and scale, terms that Dr. Huang explains. But in most of China's long history, this balance has tipped towards scale, with grave consequences for China's economy and civilization. In this episode, Dr. Huang discusses the following: What new perspective does his book (see below) offer about China? Hint: EAST. When was China's golden age of innovation? China's civil service exam system was an opportunity ladder - similar to America's rags-to-riches stories. China's universal education system was established centuries before Europe's. Unlike European monarchs, China's emperors were surrounded by commoners who entered the inner sanctum of the Imperial Court through merit, not by birthright. Why didn't China's rigorous education and meritocratic civil service system contribute to innovation and economic growth? When did China's innovation and economy fall behind Europe's? Despite its gigantic failures, why has China's Communist Party proved so durable? Read more about this episode, see historical images and watch videos on the HbN website here. This New York Times article, which I mention in this episode, is about a Chinese woman whose journey epitomizes the entrepreneurial spirit that was the backbone of China's economic miracle. A Gigantic Ponzi In China? Is China's real estate debt structure, essentially one gigantic Ponzi scheme? According to Dr. Victor Shih - yes it is. Dr. Shih is a professor at UC San Diego's School of Global Policy and Strategy, and the Chair in China and Pacific Relations. I spoke with him last year in Season 2, Episode 1, as China's giant real estate developer, the Evergrande Group, was defaulting on its loans. Our conversation then was timely for another reason: the publication of a book edited by Dr. Shih, Economic Shocks and Authoritarian Stability, which is about how authoritarian governments, such as China's, handle economic crises. I hope you enjoy these episodes. Adel Host of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠History Behind News⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcast Watch my guests & I ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SUPPORT⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here⁠ and join⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ our other supporters in the news peeler community. Thank you.

Last time we spoke about the battle of Beijing. General Gaselee and the 8 nation alliance began a grand march upon Beijing. They fought numerous battles at places like Beicang and Yangcun utterly routing the Qing and Boxer forces. The road to Beijing was laid bare open to them, lest it not be for the extreme summer heat which took the lives of many. The Russians attempted to outrace everyone else to Beijing, but quickly bit off more than they could chew. Ultimately the British were the first ones to enter the foreign legations. The besieged foreigners in the legations had been met with a last ditch effort by the Qing to overrun them, but they held on for dear life. Now Beijing was being occupied by the 8 nation alliance. What was to become of the Qing officials, of Empress Dowager Cixi? How would justice be served?   #67 The Boxer Rebellion part 7: The Boxer Protocol   Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. Usually you would assume the story was won and done. The 8 national alliance was flooding into Beijing, as they say “the cavalry had arrived”, but it was not over. The next day of August 15th saw more violence. The French deployed 4 artillery pieces onto the Tartar wall and began bombarding the pink walls of the Imperial City. Meanwhile General Chaffee was mounting an assault upon the Imperial city alongside the American forces who were battering their way through a series of courtyards trying to get to the Imperial Cities southern gate. Their ultimate objective was the Forbidden City. When it seemed they were within reach of the Forbidden City, suddenly General Chaffee commanded a withdrawal. The commanders had been arguing at a conference and they all agreed that the 8 nation alliance should take a more conciliatory approach towards the Qing government. Everyone was wondering whether the Emperor and Empress Dowager remained within the Forbidden city. If there was to be a conciliation at all, they would be needed. Rumors began to emerge stating if the Empress Dowager were still in the city, she would most likely commit suicide rather than be taken prisoner. Lenox Simpson was trying to investigate the situation, riding up to the Imperial City where he discovered a terrified Eunuch huddled in a Qing guardhouse in the outer wall. He asked the eunuch how many forces guarded the Forbidden city and the whereabouts of the Emperor and Empress Dowager. The Eunuch blurted out “The Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and indeed, the whole Court, had disappeared—had fled, was gone.” There are countless tales of how it occurred, the dramatic flight of the Qing court. It is most likely the decision to flee Beijing came about in the early hours of August 15th. One account given by magistrate Wu Yung claimed he helped the Empress Dowager flee. Cixi was disguised in dark blue clothes of a Chinese peasant woman, they even clipped her nails, go google a picture of Cixi, imagine clipping those things haha. Allegedly Cixi told Wu Yung as she was hastily grabbing some personal belongs “Who would have thought it would come to this?” Of the things she hastily grabbed, one was a precious bloodstone that she believed protect her through all dangers. She boarded one of three wooden carts, and Cixi forcefully grabbed the emperor not allowing him to be taken as a hostage, alongside her niece and the heir apparent. The Imperial concubines were forbidden to accompany them and made tearful farewell. It is said Emperor Guangxu's favorite concubine begged to take her with him, prompting Cixi who hated the girl to demand she be tossed down a well. Apparently the Eunuchs rolled the poor girl up in a carpet and literally tossed her down a well in front of Emperor Guangxu, which is hardcore? Another account has it that Cixi tricked the girl by telling her “We will all stay where we are, but we cannot allow ourselves to be taken alive by Western barbarians. There is only one way out for you and me—we must both die. It is easy. You go first—I promise to follow you.” Then the Eunuch tossed her in the well, one other account has the Eunuchs simply tossing the girl down the well after the imperial party departed because they didn't like her. Can't help but picture Varies from GOT leading eunuchs to get revenge on a royal family haha.  Empress Dowager Cixi had fled the Imperial city once before, in fact 40 years prior during the 2nd opium war. Was a symbolic moment. Back then she had apparently told the Emperor to stay in the city lest the British and French raze Beijing to the ground, this time she did the opposite. On August 10th, Cixi had made an imperial decree ordering General Jung Lu and some other Qing officials to remain in Beijing and maintain the government in exile. The royal party fled through roads filled with others fleeing the city. Their eunuch planners assumed they would buy provisions along the way, but when they entered the countryside they found it completely devastated. On August 17th the royal party made it to the small town of Huailai, north of Beijing. The Boxers and disaffected troops had devastated the town so much, there was only a bowl of millet and green bean porridge to serve the Empress Dowager. Apparently to this she said to her host “In time of distress this is enough. Can I at this time say what is good and what is not good?” From Huailai they traveled to Kalgan and Tatung, near the Mongolian plateau, before they turned towards Taiyuan. Now being so far from Beijing they felt safer and thus instead of conducting themselves under the guise as peasants they now openly showed themselves and told people they were performing an official tour of inspection. It is said by Wu Yung the empress dowager enjoyed talking to him and told him “talk as you please”, and she herself took a large interest in talking to locals and visiting temples and attractions. Wu Yung theorized she had been cooped up for so long in the imperial city, the outside world fascinated her. The mule litters were replaced with sedan chairs, Cixi began wearing luxurious Manchu garb and regrew her fingernails.  Soon the royal party were issuing edicts and receiving reports on the situation of the court in Beijing. Countless governors, viceroys and other Qing officials flocked to pay respects and tribute to the royal party. They stayed in Taiyuan for 3 weeks at the home of Yuxiang where he boasted to Cixi of how many foreigners he executed. However the Taiyuan massacre meant the foreigners might come to the city for revenge, so the royal party continued southwest towards Sian, the old capital of the Tang dynasty. This was territory held by General Dong Fuxiang whose troops were the primary ones escorting the royal party. It was under Dong Fuxiang's protection the royal party now hunkered down for winter. It is said Guangxu's nephew began drawing pictures of demons and would often sketch a large tortoise with the name Yuan Shikai on its back. You see the tortoise was a symbol of homosexuality, thus it was to insult Yuan Shikai who was seen as an enemy who betrayed Guangxu. It is also said Guangxu took the pictures, hung them up on walls and fired crossbows at them. Personally this story to me sounds like an author giving a bit of foreshadowing flavor, for Yuan Shikai would perform even greater betrayals later on. Indeed Yuan Shikai is kind of a meme on my personal channel, over there I have to the point of me writing this script, covered 1830-1932 thus far for Chinese-Japanese history. Yuan Shikai is a behemoth when it comes to the formation of modern day China and honestly his story is interesting to say the least. If you ever want to jump into the future, just check out my content at the Pacific War channel on the Xinhai revolution and China's warlord era episodes, or better yet the full China warlord documentary that encompasses pretty much all of it. Anyways. Back over in Beijing, news of the flight of the Qing court was not met with surprise by the foreigners. Now the foreigners were uncertain what to do next. For some it was a bit reminiscent of Napoleon's arrival to a deserted Moscow, without the highest ranking Qing officials, what could they do? Meanwhile, one place that was still under threat was Peitang. Over at the Peitang Cathedral the foreigners had been fighting for their lives the entire time. When news emerged that the foreign legations had been rescued, everyone in the Cathedral at Peitang rejoiced awaiting their own rescue. The Cathedral was the only Christian building within the Imperial city that was able to hold on and defend itself. It was a miracle they managed to do so. The commander of 30 French marines sent by Pichon on June 1st to help out at Peitang was Lt Paul Henry. At the age of just 23, Bishop Favier had to say of his conduct “he was as pious as he is brave— a true Breton.” Henry had been given an impossible task, to defend an area with around 1400 yards of wall 12-15 feet high with a tiny amount of troops. Henry had the men dig trenches, erect parapets, and used the Cathedral as a last stronghold if they were overrun. The first week of June saw fires erupt throughout the capital and gunfire could be heard everywhere. Bishop Favier looked out from the top of the cathedral to see on the 13th and 14th churches and cathedrals in Beijing being razed to the ground. Refugees poured into Peitang Cathedral more and more, and on the 15th a group of Catholic sisters and children were running from Boxers to the cathedral with Favier giving this account of the scene “Their leader, on horse, is a lama or bonze [priest]; he precedes an immense red flag, surrounded by young Boxers who have undergone the incantations and are likewise dressed in red. They burned perfumed sticks, prostrated themselves on entering our street to the south, and then advanced in compact bands”. The French marines allowed them to reach 200 yards from the barricades before unleashing a volley wounded 50 and sending them fleeing. By June 18th, Henry worried about enemy artillery and tried to fortify the defenses more so. On the 20th, news of von Kettelers death came, Pichon sent a message to Favier, there was no hope of fleeing Beijing. 3420 people, two thirds of which were women and children were trapped in Peitang. Their defenses were comically small, 30 French and a dozen Italian marines, whose commander was Lt Olivieri aged 25. The able bodied Chinese christians volunteered to bolster the forces, making spears, brandishing some knives and a few were given rifles by the marines. June 22nd saw Krupp guns firing upon Peitang shattering windows and sending bricks flying. The main gate to Peitang was being battered by shells. Lt Henry led a sortie of 4 marines and 30 Chinese christians to seize the artillery piece hitting the main gate. They managed to seize it, losing 2 Chinese in the process. The next day simply saw more artillery bombardment. By the 26th, all the buildings near Peitang were ablaze and Boxers were seen erecting ladders and scaffoldings against the walls. The defenders were being pot shotted at every day. On the 27th Henrys second in command Jouannic was shot in the shoulder and would die 3 days later. By July 1st the defenders of Peitang began to eat mule and horse as they ran out of vegetables. Smallpox broke out amongst the children, by July 3rd 15 were dying per day.  The french marines began making scarecrows to help against snipers. It turned out the watchmakers amongst their Chinese christians were capable of creating cartridges for Mausers and other guns. The defenders were able to manufacture powder for cannons with things they seized from the surrounding enemy during sorties. The men fired only 100 rounds per day, Henry noted on July 5th 13 rounds were only fired, on the 14th 74. Famine was more threatening than lack of ammunition. On July 6th Henry checked rations and estimated they could hold out for 20 days. The Boxers began manufacturing exploding missiles that they lobbed at the cathedral. These were a sort of fire pot, a container carrying around three pounds of gunpowder with long fuses. On a single day the Boxers tossed more than 250 of these, but the defenders ingeniously put buckets, casks and even bathtubs full of water everywhere to fight the emerging fires.  The Qing artillery smashed the cathedrals clock tower and walls without mercy. On July 18th, the defenders were countermining when a mine exploded killing 25 and injuring 28. One French marine described the carnage “where bits of waste meat were being dragged out, fragments of flesh and severed limbs were spattered about and part of someone's chest was smashed against a wall”. Qing troops atop the Imperial City walls fired down upon the defenders at all times. By July 28th rations were a meager 8 ounces of food per day. On July 30th the Qing assaulted the north wall, setting the cathedral roof on fire. Henry tried rallying the men and took a bullet in the neck and another into his side. Henry died in the arms of a priest 20 minutes later and was buried beneath a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes in the Cathedral garden. Olivieri took command after his death. The Qing and Boxers seemed emboldened and began firing arrows with messages to the Christian Chinese urging them to abandon the foreigners and return to the old ways. “You, Christians, shut up in the Pei-tang, reduced to the greatest misery, eating leaves of trees, why do you resist? We have leveled cannon and set mines against you, and you will be destroyed in a short time. You have been deceived by the devils of Europe; return to the ancient religion . . . deliver up Bishop Favier and the others, and you will have saved your lives, and we will give you to eat. If you do not do so, you, your wives and children, will all be cut into pieces.” It is said the Boxers believed Bishop Favier was a demon who was using an invulnerability spell by smearing menstrual blood over his faced and nailing naked women and dead fetuses to the Cathedral walls. They also believed the foreigners posed a weapon called “the ten thousand woman flag” woven from female pubic hair which stole power from the Boxer gods. Gotta hand it to their imagination. Despite the messages, the Chinese Christians stayed put. By August 2nd the besieged were starving and began trying to capture stray dogs to eat. On August 5th, Favier wrote this “we can resist balls, bullets, and bombs, but there is no defense against famine.” On August 10th, 400 pounds of rice and a mule were all that remained. Favier was forced to send Christian Chinese out in desperation to try and reach the foreign legation for help. Many were flayed, beheaded and put in spikes near Peitang. On August 12th a violent explosion shook Peitang a giant mine had gone off causing a crater 7 yards deep and 40 yards wide. It buried 5 Italian marines with Olivieri and 80 Chinese. Olivieri recounted being saved with the burial “They succeeded in uncovering one of my hands, and finding it still warm, redoubled their efforts until my whole body was free”. However his men were mutilated and dying. The mine had caused a large breach in the wall and the enemy could easily have stormed Peitang, but they didn't. Another mine went off the following day, but the enemy did not storm Peitang. Just when it seemed they were all going to die on August 14th the defender heard Boxers scream out “The devils from Europe are approaching!” The Boxers were also screaming at the defenders of Peitang that they would all be massacred before their rescuers got to them. But Oliveiri and the defenders watch as Qing banners were lowered from walls, Qing soldiers and Boxers were beginning to flee.  By 5pm they saw europeans on the walls waving an american flag.  The defenders waited for their rescue on August 15th, but no one was coming. Olivieri worried the relief force had been repelled. Then suddenly Japanese troops climbed over the walls and stormed into Peitang. Olivieri rushed over shouting “we are saved!”. The other members of the 8 nation alliance were rather shocked by the actions of the Japanese, Peitang was a French responsibility. The French force that entered Beijing however was too small to fight their way to Peitang. As General Frey noted “What was our surprise to see ahead of us between 250 and 300 Japanese whose presence nobody could explain.” The Japanese without any fuss simply did the deed on their own merit.  Peitang saw 400 people including 166 children die during the siege, unlike the fight for the legations Peitang never had a single day of rest. There was no truce for Peitang, the defenders fought every single day. As Favier assessed the damage in Beijing he had this to say “In Pekin, three churches, seven large chapels, the colleges, hospitals—all are destroyed. . . . The Peitang . . . damaged by shells, is the only building undestroyed. . . . In short, the ruin is almost entire, the work of forty years is nearly annihilated; the courage of missionaries, nevertheless, is not on the wane; we shall begin over again.” As Bishop Favier wandered Beijing, he estimated perhaps 30,000 catholics had been killed. News emerged that 200 foreign nuns, priests, missionaries and their family members had been murdered. Half the population of Beijing fled in terror as the foreign armies flooded in. Many Qing officials committed suicide, many Chinese women with bound feet likewise did so. The special correspondent of the Daily Telegraph, Dr. E.J Dillon wrote “Chinese women honestly believed that no more terrible fate could overtake them than to fall alive into the hands of Europeans and Christians. It is to be feared that they were right.” Dillon personally saw the corpses of women who had been raped and bayoneted to death. Luella Miner within the foreign legation had this to say of the matter “The conduct of the Russian soldiers is atrocious, the French are not much better, and the Japanese are looting and burning without mercy.... Women and girls by hundreds have committed suicide to escape a worse fate at the hands of Russian and Japanese brutes. Our American soldiers saw them jumping into the river and into wells, in Tungchow. Twelve girls in one well, and one mother was drowning two of her little children in a large water jar.” Roger Keyes added his own account “Every Chinaman . . . was treated as a Boxer by the Russian and French troops, and the slaughter of men, women, and children in retaliation was revolting.” A British officer, Major Luke, told Keyes that “he had never seen anything more horrible, and some of his young Marines were literally sick”. Lenox Simpson stated he say British Indian forces molesting female Chinese christians until they were flogged by some foreign women. It is said the Japanese had planned ahead of time for the situation. According to Roger Keyes “their Government had wisely taken the precaution of sending their ‘regimental wives' [prostitutes] with them, and they were established in houses at Tientsin and Peking directly the troops settled down”. The first days of the occupation saw indiscriminate looting and rape by all nationalities. The allied commander in chief von Waldersee who only arrived in late september wrote “Every nationality accords the palm to some other in respect to the art of plundering, but it remains the fact that each and all of them went in hot and strong for plunder.” On August 18th all the diplomats and military commanders met at the Russian legation to discuss how to go about reprisals against the Qing. The Germans argued for severe punishment because of Von Kettelers murder, they wanted a punitive expedition and to raze the Imperial city. The Russians favored a more conciliatory line in northern China, but of course something I have not talked about was going on, the Russians had basically invaded Manchuria. One thing they all agreed upon was an enormous victory parade through the Imperial City, a grand humiliation. Each nation scrambled to be the first in the parade, the Russians argued they had the largest force, which was a lie, it was the Japanese. There are countless photographs of the foreign armies in the city and of the parade, but to give a brief description on August 28th George Morrison stated “the appearance of the French troops, complaining that there was every excuse for their uniforms to be dirty but that the faces of many of the men should be so too was quite inexcusable. The French looked singularly decadent in blue dungaree and that their commander, General Frey, was small and pot-bellied. He thought the Cossacks were “heavy” and “rough” but that the Germans looked “splendid” and the Japanese officers “very smart.” The British, by contrast, looked ather “rag tag and bobtail.” The dignity of the occasion was further undermined by the ineptitude of the Russian band, which could not keep pace with eight successive national anthems and found itself blasting out the “Marseillaise” as the Italians marched past the saluting base”. An army of eunuchs escorted by Qing officials brought the foreigners into the Forbidden city which saw looting. Indeed the looting of the capital of China by the 8 nation alliance is probably one of the largest looting accounts in human history, one of the sources I am using has an entire chapter dedicated to only story accounts of what was stolen and by whom, but its simply too much to delve into. Many museums today hold stolen items from this event. Within 24 hours of taking the city not a race of Boxers existed. There was a wild Boxer hunt that saw much horror. Daily executions occurred as described to us by George Morrison “The execution and the long drawn out neck. The butcher with his apron. The executioner tearing open his long coat—the grunt as he brought down the knife—the dogs lapping up the blood—the closeness of the head to the ground, the face nearly touching.” Apparently the Germans got their prisoners to dig their own trench before being shot in the back of the head. During september the allies were awaiting the arrival of von Waldersee, but a number of military operations were mounted against Boxer strongholds in the Beijing region.  Von Waldersee arrived to Beijing in October assuming command and established his HQ in Cixi's palace in the forbidden city. Von Waldersee decided punitive expeditions needed to be increased and Germany began taking the lead in several dozen. The countryside was butchered in a wild hunt for Boxers. Civilians, Qing soldiers, Qing officials, just about anyone faced numerous foreign troops who killed or abused them. Von Waldersee faced a more daunting task however, peace negotiations. There was a mutual distrust amongst the nations and conflicts broke out often. Li Hongzhang, poor old Li Hongzhang and Prince Qing were appointed the imperial plenipotentiary powers and only arrived in Beijing in October. The first meeting was held on Christmas Eve between them and the foreign ministers. Li Hongzhang was not present due to illness. The foreign ministers questioned whether the Qing plenipotentiaries were even real agents of the Emperor or Qing government in exile. Prince Qing managed to convince them he held authority. The allies pondered if the dynasty should change, but it was quickly apparent the Manchu would never allow for such a thing. All the ministers agreed the Manchu dynasty should remain on the throne. Then they pondered punishment of the guilty and a large indemnity on behalf of the Qing dynasty. The indemnity fee first brought up was 67,500,000 roughly 4.3 or so billion dollars by todays figures. The Americans argued it was far too high and would bankrupt China. American secretary of state John Hay sent a telegram to the great powers stating “America's policy was to bring permanent safety and peace to China and to preserve China's territorial integrity”. Von Waldersee would go on the record to say  “the United States it seems to desire that nobody shall get anything out of China.” However on May 26th an imperial edict announced that the indemnity payment would be 67,500,000$ to be paid in full over 39 years. The sum was to be distributed as follows: Russia 28.97%, Germany 20.02%, France 15.75%, Britain 11.25%, Japan 7.73%, United States 7.32%, Italy 7.32%, Belgium 1.89%, Austria-Hungary 0.89%, Netherlands 0.17%, Spain 0.03%, Portugal 0.021%, Sweden and Norway 0.014%. The payment by the way would only be amortized on December 31st of 1940.  Now the negotiations for punishments were a lot more complicated. The allies first wanted to see the executions of prominent pro-Boxer officials, which Empress Dowager Cixi wanted to avoid. Cixi made many counter proposals, but eventually was forced to hand over some officials. Yuxiang, the mastermind behind the Taiyuan massacre was reportedly executed, though notably there is a myth he simply went into exile. Qing official Ying Nien straggled himself, some other officials apparently were killed by having their mouths and nostrils stuffed with rice paper by eunuchs, which is a pretty weird one I must say, many were poisoned. Prince Duan and his brother escaped the death penalty and were exiled to Turkestan. Dong Fuxiang was too powerful to kill much to the dismay of the foreigners. Indeed his Muslim army in the northwest was the bulwark at the time, all he suffered was a demotion, but in reality he was now a major leading figure. Over 100 Qing officials were executed or exiled in the end.  A peace treaty containing 12 articles was signed in the Spanish legation on September 7th of 1901 known as the Boxer Protocol. The Qing were prohibited from importing arms and ammunition for 2 years; the Taku forts were ordered to be destroyed; the legation quarters would receive special status; Boxers and Qing officials who had supported them would face justice; the Zongli Yamen was replaced with a foreign office; the Qing government was to prohibit under the pain of death, any membership for anti-foreign societies; civil examinations were suspended for 5 years in any area that saw violence against foreigners; the Emperor Guangxu was to apologize to Kaiser Wilhelm for the murder of Baron von Ketteler; Emperor Guangxu was to appoint Na't'ung to be a special envoy to be sent to apologize the Emperor Meiji for the murder of Mr. Sugiyama; the Qing government was to erect a commemorative arch over the spot Baron von Ketteler was killed; and at last the great powers would be allowed to occupy numerous important cities so as to make sure their legations were protected. Empress Dowager Cixi was surprised by the terms of the treaty and that she was not punished personally. Hell China was not required to surrender any more territory. Some members of her court argued China should continue the war and that the 8 nation alliance could not hope to face the interior of China. Some argued if Dong Fuxiang were to be allowed to raise his force to 50,000 he could dislodge the foreign encroachment. Cixi however was as much a pragmatist as she was conservative in her ways. If the allied nations would allow Emperor Guangxu and her to return to Beijing retaining their honor, she believed she had little to lose. She also was not a moron and understood exactly why the Boxer Protocol was made in the way it was, the great powers wanted to received payments and in order to do so, needed the Manchu to sit on the throne. She ordered Li Hongzhang to do all he could to re-establish relations with the foreign governments. She also ordered any decrees she made praising the Boxers to be expunged from the official records and secretly ordered all blame to be placed on Guangxu. She gave posthumous honors to all the progressive Qing officials she had beheaded during the siege and disinherited the heir apparent son of Prince Duan, whom apparently she did not like much. An imperial decree in the name of Emperor Guangxu announced “Our Sacred Mother's advanced age renders it necessary that we should take the greatest care of her health, so that she may attain to peaceful longevity; a long journey in the heat being evidently undesirable, we have fixed on the 19th day of the 7th Moon [1 September] to commence our return journey and are now preparing to escort Her Majesty.” The return to Beijing should be held as one of the greatest feats of public relations exercises in history, second only to Robert Downey Jr. The 700 mile journey began in October of 1901 seeing the imperial family carried in yellow sedan chairs, sparing no expense. George Morrison details it quite well  “Along the frost-bound uneven tracks which serve for roads in northern China, an unending stream of laden wagons croaked and groaned through the short winter's day and on, guided by soldier torch-bearers through bitter nights to the appointed stopping places. But for the Empress Dowager and the Emperor there was easy journeying and a way literally made smooth. Throughout its entire distance the road over which the Imperial palanquins were carried had been converted into a smooth, even surface of shining clay, soft and noiseless under foot; not only had every stone been removed but as the procession approached gangs of men were employed in brushing the surface with feather brooms. At intervals of about ten miles, well-appointed rest-houses had been built.The cost of this King's highway, quite useless of course for the ordinary traffic of the country, was stated by a native contractor to amount to fifty Mexican dollars for every eight yards—say, £1,000 per mile—the clay having to be carried in some places from a great distance. As an example of the lavish expenditure of the Court and its officials in a land where squalor is a pervading feature, this is typical.” The Empress Dowager crossed the yellow river in a gilded, lacquered, dragon shaped barge after offering wine and incense to the river god. Believe it or not, the last part of the journey was done by train and Empress Dowager Cixi looked excited to be in what she called an “iron centipede”. Everyone in Beijing was given an imperial decree to graciously permit them to watch the royal family return to the Imperial Court. We are told “As Cixi got out of her chair, the Empress glanced up at the smoke-blackened walls and saw us: a row of foreigners . . . and, looking up at us, lifted her closed hands under her chin, and made a series of little bows.” Cixi was a lover of theatricals and made sure it was a hell of a show.  Within days foreign ministers were summoned to present themselves to the Emperor and for the first time officially enter the forbidden city. On February the 1st Cixi invited the ladies of diplomats to her. The foreign community nor Cixi could know it, but the Boxer rebellion was to be one of the last nails in a coffin made for the Qing dynasty.  I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. And so the Boxer rebellion excluding some events in Manchuria was ended. The Boxer protocol ushered in a brand new Qing dynasty that surely would survive the test of time and not succumb to an agonizing death as the people of China could take it no longer.   

MaoMao is your average girl, until one day she was kidnapped and sold into slavery in the Imperial Court as one of the emperor's concubines. However, her quick wit and medical knowledge lands her in the center of courtly drama and murder mysteries, as well as a position as food taster. Good thing she likes poison... like... maybe too much? This week, Matt, Sam, Jae, and Jacob read and discuss The Apothecary Diaries written by Natsu Hyūga & Itsuki Nanao and illustrated by Nekokurage.Read along, meme along, or just yell at our bad opinions by following @OverMangaCast on Twitter.YouTube / Instagram / FacebookLeave a review: Podchaser

Born and raised in New York City, this Spanish and Italian Bronx born native has always loved the vibe of this great city, which never sleeps. With a theatrical background, James started performing at a very young age. From community theatre to film and television, he has enjoyed many years on the stage and screen.   From his early days in Community Theatre to earning his B.A from Hunter College to entering the world of Female Impersonating and Massage/Escorting, his candid recall of it all is both intriguing and mind blowing.  Show Business all the way!   Fiona St. James first appeared in 1988 and has experienced success in night clubs worldwide as well as being the 15th elected and still the only Latina Empress of The Imperial Court of New York. He has been a proud member of this worthwhile organization since 1992 and was also crowned Miss Long Island Best Professional 1994.  He has been a proud member of SAG-AFTRA for well over two decades with film and TV credits including “To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar”, “Stonewall”, “Ugly Betty”, and “Orange is the New Black”.  His most memorable role was playing the resident prison tranny bitch on the hit HBO series “OZ” for five of the six seasons.   As a sex worker for 38 years and counting, Bobby St. James has been able to adapt to the ever changing world we live in and attributes his longevity to this industry to doing many different things. From Sex Worker to Actor to Retail and to being a Social Influencer, all of these things keep one another fresh.  All of this led to he self publishing his memoirs, "The Life and Crimes of Fiona St. james" Raw, Gritty and Brave!  Bobby recalls his very colorful existence in this very detailed account of his accomplishments along with the trials and tribulations of life.  Since his birth, this self-aware extrovert has been an out and proud gay male. Pushing boundaries and raising eyebrows sexually, both professionally and personally with no shame for 38 years!  He has always had the support of a loving family and close circle of friends, in spite of it all.     It was the time of NYC nightlife at its best, along with the glory days of Fire Island.  His gripping story telling including careers, romances and extracurricular everything! Lots of Sex (with and without pay), Drugs and Rock N' Roll!  An eye opening and very real no holds barred reliving of a time when all was fair game in NYC. His honest and graphic nature in sharing his memoirs with specific details makes for a very refreshing and vulnerable journey.  A must read for all!     https://www.sextpanther.com/BobbyStJames https://onlyfans.com/cutesmoothbobby https://justfor.fans/BobbyStJames https://twitter.com/BobbyStJames1    https://allmylinks.com/cutesmoothbobby    https://www.masseurfinder.com/massage-therapists/28569/ https://rentmasseur.com/CuteSmoothBobby https://rentmen.com/BobbyStJames  

Choshu rebels attack foreign ships and suffer the consequences. Choshu and Satsuma reach a secret alliance. The Bakufu plans a punitive expedition against Choshu but is out-maneuvered. The sudden death of the Emperor and a coup in the Imperial Court leads to Choshu receiving an amnesty. Choshu and Satsuma use the Imperial Pennants to defeat the Bakufu. The Tokugawa era ends in Japan with the final shoguns of Japan. The Meiji Restoration ends 265 years of Tokugawa rule in Japan.Image: "DSC21873, Honmaru Palace, Nijo Castle, Kyoto, Japan" by jimg944 is licensed under CC BY 2.0. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Tokugawa shogunate in Japan prohibited ocean going vessels or travel between Japan and most countries. Japan rejected offers to commence trade with the West. Commodore Perry forced a first treaty on a reluctant Japan. The Samurai and country wanted to resist, but instead Japan began to open up and build a navy and build up a more western military. American desires for a new trade treaty uncover fractures among the Bakufu and with the Imperial Court.Image: "Samurai" by Tekniska museet is licensed under CC BY 2.0. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael Dylan Welch has written haiku since 1976. He is a past or current officer, director, or board member of the Haiku Society of America, the Haiku Poets of Northern California, Haiku Northwest, Haiku North America (cofounder, 1991), the American Haiku Archives (cofounder, 1996), and the Tanka Society of America (founder, 2000; president 2000-2004). Michael is poet laureate for the city of Redmond, Washington, is the proprietor of National Haiku Writing Month (NaHaiWriMo), and runs an extensive personal website devoted mostly to haiku (graceguts). He is also editor/publisher of Press Here haiku and tanka books (since 1989). His books include True Colour (a collection of solo rengay), Here, There, and Everywhere (an anthology of longer poetry), various Haiku North America conference anthologies, With Cherries on Top: 31 Flavors from NaHaiWriMo (a free PDF book with his photographs featuring poems by NaHaiWriMo contributors), Fifty-Seven Damn Good Haiku by a Bunch of Our Friends (edited with Alan Summers), and several art books from PIE Books in Tokyo with translations from the Japanese (with Emiko Miyashita), including 100 Poets: Passions of the Imperial Court, a translation of the thirteenth-century waka collection, Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, a poem from which was published on the back of 150,000,000 U.S. postage stamps in 2012. Michael lives with his family in Sammamish, Washington. Find much more here: https://www.graceguts.com/ As always, we'll also include live open lines for responses to our weekly prompt or any other poems you'd like to share. A Zoom link will be provided in the chat window during the show before that segment begins. For links to all the past episodes, visit: https://www.rattle.com/rattlecast/ This Week's Prompt: Go to quora.com. Answer one of the questions on the home page incorrectly, as a prose poem or haibun. Bonus points if you post it there. Next Week's Prompt: Write a linked haiku sequence in which each haiku includes a line from the previous haiku. The Rattlecast livestreams on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, then becomes an audio podcast. Find it on iTunes, Spotify, or anywhere else you get your podcasts.

Welcome to Warmonger, a weekly HH gaming meta podcast on the Eye of Horus Podcast Network. This episode premieres 5 days early on the Eye of Horus Patreon.The Ninth Legion was once the most shit-canned of all the legions, even the Night Lords gaining higher esteem in the Imperial Court. This was all changed when Sanguinius arrived. Achieving the grandest turn-around of any of the Legions, and sporting splendid wings, combined with his deeds he was cemented in the hearts and minds of humans all across the galaxy, a beacon of hope, a true angel of death.Investigate our Corporate Dirtbags!Versatile Terrainhttps://www.versatileterrain.co.uk/Grimdark Terrainhttps://grimdarkterrain.com/Crystal Fortresshttps://www.crystal-fortress.com/Skeleton Games and Terrainhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW9xvWgc18i-_a5WfcMeBWwBlack Label Paintinghttps://www.facebook.com/blacklabelpaintimg/Quartermasterhttps://itunes.apple.com/au/app/quartermaster-5/id879731050EOH PATREON:https://www.patreon.com/eyeofhoruspodcastThe Push for Beta Garmon Global Campaign!https://linktr.ee/thedabpodcast30K GLOBAL EVENT CALENDAR:https://www.facebook.com/groups/147669179268284/

After some monumental "off pod" chaos and catching up on their weekly activities (dinner with Michael Musto, the Imperial Court, a soft-soft opening, etc.), Freddie & Jim are finally downstairs on the Red Eye NY stage, where they will be from now on! Our episode starts on site just as a Get Out Magazine photoshoot featuring GLAM nominees from last year concludes, but our intrepid hosts were able to grab a few folks from the shoot for some fun and fast conversations before everyone escaped: live singing sensation, "marinating" fashionista and multiple GLAM nominee Jasmine Rice LaBeija; avant-garde door diva & Queen of the Universe star Novaczar, also multi-GLAM nominated; last year's Best DJ winner, Madd Monday's drag DJ Boyish Charm; and Da Main Bitch who started it all, the GLAM Awards' creator and producer Cherry Jubilee! In the News: Drag Race Season 15 details are finally here, including NYC & NJ's cast members; Marti Cummings & Brita Filter attend the Presidential signing of the Respect for Marriage Act at the White House, but (predictably) face conservative backlash; and the actor former known as NYC drag queen Crystal Demure stars in Broadway's newly premiered Some Like It Hot musical. And what's on our new TOP TEN list of this week's nightlife events! Email the podcast at thotlight@redeyeny.com!

Strange things were said to happen around Darya Saltykova's estate. Tales of torture and abuse slowly trickled out of the Russian noblewoman's lands where screams were said to be heard long into the night and young girls were said to disappear. In a tale reminiscent of the Hungarian Blood Countess, Elizabeth Bathory some 200 years earlier, comes a tale of a woman with ties to the highest echelon of Russian nobility, even as high as the Imperial Court. Darya Saltykova's is a tale of a scorned woman turned raging maniac, who targeted young female serfs with her rage and aggression. But it wasn't this torture and brutality that lead to the Blood Countess being tried for her crimes. It was the fact that she crossed the Russian nobility's line of though shalt not kill, only punish by maiming. When all was said and done, as many as 130 deaths were attributed to Darya's rage. Also in this spoooky season episode, AllieCat makes another appearance and Kat and Rachel run through a sort of rapid fire round of spoooky questions!

Rebuilding the Kingdom It seemed an impossible calling. The authority of the Catholic church had stood for centuries. Both the ecclesiastical and political powers stood against the reform of the Church. However, the Lord raised up a German Monk, Martin Luther, to lead the movement to return the Church to Biblical truth. At first, his work was mocked. The Pope said that they need only wait till this drunk German sobered up or fell asleep. Next, his work was threatened. He was brought before an Imperial Court to recant his views. Next, he was placed under the ban when he refused to recant. The ban meant that his life could be taken without punishment. Despite all these impediments to the work of reformation Luther continued to find success. In a generation, the Protestant Reformation became the most powerful religious force in modern history. When reflecting on the prospering of the reformation work Luther wrote that it was not his power that brought about the Reformation but rather the Word of God. He said, The Word created heaven and earth and all things; the Word must do this thing, and not we poor sinners. In short, I will preach it, teach it, write it, but I will constrain no man by force, for faith must come freely without compulsion. Take myself as an example. I opposed indulgences and all the papists, but never with force. I simply taught, preached, and wrote God's Word; otherwise, I did nothing. And while I slept, or drank Wittenberg beer with my friends… the Word so greatly weakened the papacy that no prince or emperor ever inflicted such losses upon it. I did nothing; the Word did everything.” How is the work of rebuilding the kingdom accomplished? How does the work of God prosper? It prospers not by human power but rather it prospers by the power of God's Word. In our passage for this Sunday, the work of rebuilding the temple is opposed. The people of God are discouraged by the seemingly impossible nature of the task. However, what we will see is that God spends His Word to prosper their work of rebuilding the temple. Despite the opposition of their enemies, the work of God's people flourishes as they obey God's Word, trust His providence, and work for His Glory. To come prepared for the sermon, take time this week to read and to meditate upon Ezra 5-6, Deuteronomy 29:9, 1 Kings 2:1-4, Psalm 1, Isaiah 53:10, and this article on Haggai and Zechariah.

Rebuilding the Kingdom It seemed an impossible calling. The authority of the Catholic church had stood for centuries. Both the ecclesiastical and political powers stood against the reform of the Church. However, the Lord raised up a German Monk, Martin Luther, to lead the movement to return the Church to Biblical truth. At first, his work was mocked. The Pope said that they need only wait till this drunk German sobered up or fell asleep. Next, his work was threatened. He was brought before an Imperial Court to recant his views. Next, he was placed under the ban when he refused to recant. The ban meant that his life could be taken without punishment. Despite all these impediments to the work of reformation Luther continued to find success. In a generation, the Protestant Reformation became the most powerful religious force in modern history. When reflecting on the prospering of the reformation work Luther wrote that it was not his power that brought about the Reformation but rather the Word of God. He said, The Word created heaven and earth and all things; the Word must do this thing, and not we poor sinners. In short, I will preach it, teach it, write it, but I will constrain no man by force, for faith must come freely without compulsion. Take myself as an example. I opposed indulgences and all the papists, but never with force. I simply taught, preached, and wrote God's Word; otherwise, I did nothing. And while I slept, or drank Wittenberg beer with my friends… the Word so greatly weakened the papacy that no prince or emperor ever inflicted such losses upon it. I did nothing; the Word did everything.” How is the work of rebuilding the kingdom accomplished? How does the work of God prosper? It prospers not by human power but rather it prospers by the power of God's Word. In our passage for this Sunday, the work of rebuilding the temple is opposed. The people of God are discouraged by the seemingly impossible nature of the task. However, what we will see is that God spends His Word to prosper their work of rebuilding the temple. Despite the opposition of their enemies, the work of God's people flourishes as they obey God's Word, trust His providence, and work for His Glory. To come prepared for the sermon, take time this week to read and to meditate upon Ezra 5-6, Deuteronomy 29:9, 1 Kings 2:1-4, Psalm 1, Isaiah 53:10, and this article on Haggai and Zechariah.

Tuesday's top stories across the state, including the barbs that U.S. House candidates Sarah Palin and Nick Begich are trading after the deadline to withdraw passed, an update on which state troopers were involved in a shooting last week that left a Wasilla man dead, and a peek at the Golden Jubilee of the Imperial Court of All Alaska... plus, a look at how Alaskans spent their Labor Day holiday.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I continue the mini-series about the emergence of sake with an episode about probably the major technological breakthrough in sake making: the use of koji, this amazing friendly microorganism, I was talking with Akemi Yokoyama about in Episode 16.  But what is the link between sake and the Imperial Court? And what is "soboshu", monk sake? Don't forget, Sugidama Podcast now has a sponsor, London Sake, an excellent online sake store. London Sake has one of the widest selections of premium and craft sake available online today. They deliver across the UK and Europe, and with over 100 sake from 25 breweries, there really is something for everyone.Using simple online tasting notes and sensible, affordable food pairings they help you find the perfect sake without any of the fuss. Listeners of the podcast can get a 10% discount Listen to the episode to get the magical code! London Sake: making sake simple.Episode's Content:The appearance of koji in JapanKoji revolt in KyotoSake and the Imperial Court Soboshu: sake brewed by monksSake of the episode: Yoemon Tokubetsu Junmai Miyama NishikiKampai!Sake mentioned:Yoemon Tokubetsu Junmai Miyama NishikiList of Natural Natural stores (in-store only)NOMIKAI: The Sake Experience at HIS Japan Premium212 Shaftesbury Ave London WC2H 8EBTEL : 020-7484-3311Sugidama Podcast on Podchaser - please review if you don't use Apple PodcastsMusic used:Wirklich Wichtig (CB 27) by Checkie Brown https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Checkie_Brown_1005/hey/Wirklich_Wichtig_CB_27Just Arround the World (Kielokaz ID 362) by KieLoKaz https://freemusicarchive.org/music/KieLoKaz/Free_Ganymed/Just_Arround_the_World_Kielokaz_ID_362Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/Vocal: Svetlanr 

The day had come. Bayushi Shoju and his army were here. Confusion ran through the city as samurai and commoners alike tried to make sense of what was happening. Waves of people tried to flee Otosan Uchi, only to be turned around by the Scorpion army which had taken control of the roads exiting the city. Tomo, Buro, Kenshi, and Akari deliberated at Hollow Hill. They decided to attack Shoju with the one weapon they had against him. It was decided that the samurai would split up the love letters sent between Doji Hoturi and Bayushi Kachiko. Buro would take half the letters to Kachiko's trial, as evidence of her infidelity and to dishonor her in the eyes of the Imperial Court, while Tomo, Kenshi, and Akari would take the other half of the letters directly to Shoju.Traveling to the Forbidden Palace, Buro was stopped by samurai guarding the entrance to the Ekohikei. They claimed that ronin had no business outside of the Toshisoto, especially not in a time such as this. Buro was unable to sway the guards into letting him pass, but luckily a servant wearing the mon of the Doji family overheard the conversation and intervened. The servant reminded the guards of an obscure precedent in Rokugani law that allows ronin to speak as witnesses in trials held in the Forbidden Palace. Failure to abide by imperial law could have the samurai stripped of their titles. Annoyed, the samurai let Buro pass into the Forbidden Palace. The Crane servant bowed, and wished Buro luck.The quiet reverence and respectful humility that once filled the Emperor's Palace was replaced with fully armed samurai and a sense of urgency. Suspicion weighed heavily in the air. The Lion clan had transformed the most holy place in all of Rokugan into what looked like a military fortification. Where Kachiko once sat at the Emperor's right hand, Akodo Toturi now sat in brilliant lacquered armor. As Buro took his seat, he surveyed the room. Distinguished courtiers of every great clan and revered members of the imperial families were in attendance. There were, however, a few noted absences. Not a single representative of the Dragon clan was in attendance, Ide Makujin was still missing, and, most suspiciously, Doji Shizue was nowhere to be found.Meanwhile, Tomo, Kenshi, and Akari rode toward the Scorpion camp. When stopped by the ashigaru controlling traffic out of the city, the three samurai told them they wanted an audience with Shoju. They said Shoju would know who they were. The guards scoffed at the three, but sent word up the chain of command anyway. Before long, they were being escorted to the Scorpion Champion's private pavilion. Resting on a hill was a small maze of red and black screens, guarded by Shoju's personal guard and tended to by a host of servants. Inside, seated upon a camp throne, wearing his red demon mask, was the Lord of Whispers. He welcomed the three into his presence.Kenshi presented him with a ninjato taken off the body of one of the Scorpion saboteurs positioned beneath Otosan Uchi. This was a warning to Shoju. To tell him that his plot had been uncovered. He was unphased.Next, Tomo presented the love letters. One by one, Shoju read the letters and neatly set them to the side. Once again, he was unphased.“Kachiko has been unfaithful to you, and you do nothing? How can samurai follow a man who accepts such disloyalty?” The boy governor asked.Shoju replied with a question of his own: “What did you see coming to my pavilion? You saw the true strength of the Scorpion clan: loyalty. Are these letters proof against my wife's loyalty, or proof of it?”Bewildered, the samurai asked if Shoju knew about Kachiko's affair with the Crane champion. They were presented with yet another puzzle. '`Do you know the beautiful irony of the Scorpion's mask?” he asked. “Take it off, and no one recognizes the face beneath. Tell only lies, and no one will trust the truth.” And with that, he dismissed the samurai. He told them to bring him the emperor. They will hold a parlay on neutral ground outside of the city. Anyone who would hear what he has to say is invited as well. No one will be armed. The three left the Scorpion camp, Shoju's words swirling about their minds like thick bands of smoke.In the Forbidden Palace, Kachiko's trial was underway. Witnesses took turns offering testimony to the events surrounding Kachiko's alleged misdeeds. Emerald Magistrates provided evidence of the Scorpion clan's involvement in some sort of coup d'etat. They spoke of Shosuro Izuki, his journal, the saboteurs beneath the city, and their connection to the army now camped outside Otosan Uchi. It would seem that Kachiko was pulling strings from within the city and offering ill-counsel to the emperor in order to weaken the city's defenses and supplant her own agents in positions of authority. Other prominent members of the court supported this allegation, including Isawa Ujina, Kuni Fujiko, Akodo Toturi, Matsu Tsuko, and the leaders of the Three-Headed Alliance, as well as a cast of voices with lower status.Kachiko's defense did not refute these claims, but they did cast doubt on the honor of those accusing. The reputations of Buro, Tomo, Kenshi, and Akari were scrutinized. Every one of their misdeeds at court were examined. Kachiko's most notable defender was Doji Hoturi, the passionate, young, and undeniably handsome champion of the Crane clan. He pointed out that these four samurai tainted the armor of the Martyr Monk and planned to bring it before the Emperor. They were Maho-Tsukai and were not to be trusted. He claimed that all of this was part of an elaborate scheme to help the Lion stage a coup within the capital, and everyone who supports them is in on it. Noticing the Lion samurai clad in full wargear and forcing a military trial, it was hard to deny that it looked like an overthrow of the imperial order. Hoturi was backed by an array of voices, both weak and powerful, including Iashi, the Mantis samurai who produced documentation of the Lion clan's planned surprise attack against the Mantis.Through it all, Kachiko was unmoved. She sat back straight, head held high, not saying a word, but accepting testimonies as they came. It was not clear which side was holding more sway over the emperor. Feeling uncertain, Buro decided to hold his tongue.Suddenly, Tomo. Kenshi, and Akari appeared in the audience chamber unannounced. They claimed they had a message from Shoju. That he requests an audience with the emperor, and all who would hear what he has to say.Shoju's words kept repeating in Tomo's head. They frustrated him. Like a voice he could almost hear, but was too quiet to discern, or words he could almost read, but were too faint to decipher. Until he had an epiphany.Tomo presented Kachiko and Hoturi's love letters to the emperor. He announced that they have been having an affair, and that Kachiko was now pregnant with Hoturi's child. Seeing this opportunity, Buro presented his half of the letters as well. The chamber erupted as the lords and ladies of the court began whispering to each other in disconcerted tones. The emperor sat, mouth agape, unable to bring order to his chamber.Then, Hoturi did the unimaginable. He stood up and confessed. “I love Kachiko, and I'm tired of hiding it” he proclaimed. “It's true. She bears my child.”For the first time, Kachiko looked uncomfortable.CreditsArt by Dylon MunozMusicRokugan Theme by Brandon Spain"After the Court" by Podcast of the Five Rings"Dark Passage" by Podcast of the Five Rings"The Trial" by Podcast of the Five Rings"The Alliance" by Podcast of the Five Rings

Trans activist Eden Torres -- Emperor and Empress of ERSICSS -- Don Kelly LGBT HistorianWe speak with Eden Torres. Eden Rose Torres is a content creator, trans activist, public speaker, photographer & writer. Eden is the Founder & President of PridePortraits.org. She has photographed & interviewed seven thousand LGBTQIA+ community members & allies across the country.Guest: Eden Rose Torreshttps://www.edenrosetorres.com/Then, we speak with the newly crowned Emperor and Empress of ERSICSS (The Empire of The Royal, Sovereign, Imperial Court of the Single Star ) The organization was formed in 1984 as The Imperial Court of the Single Star. In 1991, when they filed Articles of Incorporation with the State of Texas, our official name became The Royal, Sovereign, Imperial Court of the Single Star of Houston, Inc. The application for tax exempt status has been filed with the IRS, and approved which changed the name to The Empire of The Royal, Sovereign, Imperial Court of the Single Star of Houston Incorporated. Locally and throughout the International Court system they are referred to as ERSICSS (pronounced ereeses).GUEST: Landon Fatale and Ivanna Cupcake https://www.ersicss.org/Finally, we speak with LGBT historian Don Kelly.  Don Kelly was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1940. He moved to Texas more than 50 years ago to join the U.S. Air Force and serve his country. After earning a Bachelor of Arts from the University of St. Thomas and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Kansas in 1967, he began a professional career in city government. He worked as a city manager, director of regional services, and executive director in various departments in east Texas. After serving his fellow Texans for 35 years, he retired in 2000. A social activist, Kelly collected rare LGBTQIA+ documents, journals, literary works to help understand the history of gay people. The Don Kelly Research Collection of Gay Literature and Culture was acquired by Texas A&M University in 2015.Guest: Don Kellyhttps://www.outsmartmagazine.com/2015/03/aggies-embrace-lgbt-culture/

Donald Macleod lifts the veil on neglected yet prolific composer, Marianna Martines Marianna Martines lived and worked in Vienna alongside some of classical music's greatest names. She was tutored by Haydn, played piano duets with Mozart, corresponded with Padre Martini and Farinelli, and was frequently invited to perform for the Imperial Court. For nearly forty years, she was mentored by Metastasio, Europe's most celebrated opera librettist. Martines became a significant personality in Viennese cultural circles, with her works regularly performed in the city and commissions and honours coming her way from across Europe. This week, Donald Macleod is joined by Dr Jeremy Llewellyn to lift the veil on this long neglected yet prolific and highly celebrated composer and discover the unique perspective her story provides on cultural life in Vienna during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Music Featured: Dixit Dominus (excerpt) Keyboard Concerto in E Joseph Haydn: Symphony No 1 in D Sonata in E for harpsichord Sonata in A for harpsichord WA Mozart:Missa solemnis in C minor, K139 Overture in C Sonata in G for harpsichord (Allegro brillante) Come le limpide onde (excerpt) Keyboard Concerto in A Dixit Dominus (excerpt) Keyboard Concerto in G Il primo amore Sonata in G for harpsichord (Allegro assai) La Tempesta Santa Elena al Calvario (excerpt) Il nido degli amori WA Mozart: Sonata for two pianos in D, K448 (Allegro con spirito) Orgoglioso fiumciello Presented by Donald Macleod Produced by Luke Whitlock for BBC Cymru Wales For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Marianna Martines (1744-1812) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0013s39 And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we've featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z

My guest this week is an actor, a singer, a songwriter, an LGBTQ community activist, an associate at the Imperial Court of New York, a board member at the Metropolitan Community Church of New York, a board member at the Big Apple Performing Arts-NYCGMC and a board member/first tenor for the New York City Gay Men's Chorus. He is The multi-talented Nelson Gonzalez a.k.a. Domingo Diaz Jr. Aside from being a skilled performer, board member, writer and activist, Nelson is also a master chef who studied at the New York Restaurant School. In 2013 he founded Sofrito, an online magazine devoted to the Latino culinary arts. He interviewed many prestigious Hispanic chefs including Master Chef winner Claudia Sandoval for Sofrito. Once a manager of a popular NYC restaurant, Nelson is also familiar with every aspect of the restaurant industry. As an actor/singer he has participated in many shows throughout the years, from a childhood production of West Side Story to his most recent role in Terry Lee King's musical, Dragita which I had the privilege of seeing. In addition to his talent for acting and singing, Nelson is also a stellar Latin dancer. I am overwhelmed with gratitude to have such an amazingly talented, accomplished, intelligent and all-around wonderful guest on my podcast this week!

My guest this week is an actor, a singer, a songwriter, an LGBTQ community activist, an associate at the Imperial Court of New York, a board member at the Metropolitan Community Church of New York, a board member at the Big Apple Performing Arts-NYCGMC and a board member/first tenor for the New York City Gay Men's Chorus. He is The multi-talented Nelson Gonzalez a.k.a. Domingo Diaz Jr. Aside from being a skilled performer, board member, writer and activist, Nelson is also a master chef who studied at the New York Restaurant School. During the 2020 lockdown he founded Sofrito, an online magazine devoted to the Latino culinary arts. He interviewed many prestigious Hispanic chefs including Master Chef winner Claudia Sandoval for Sofrito. Once a manager of a popular NYC restaurant, Nelson is also familiar with every aspect of the restaurant industry. As an actor/singer he has participated in many shows throughout the years, from a childhood production of West Side Story to his most recent role in Terry Lee King's musical, Dragita which I had the privilege of seeing. In addition to his talent for acting and singing, Nelson is also a stellar Latin dancer. I am overwhelmed with gratitude to have such an amazingly talented, accomplished, intelligent and all-around wonderful guest on my podcast this week! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

My guest this week is an actor, a singer, a songwriter, an LGBTQ community activist, an associate at the Imperial Court of New York, a board member at the Metropolitan Community Church of New York, a board member at the Big Apple Performing Arts-NYCGMC and a board member/first tenor for the New York City Gay Men's Chorus. He is The multi-talented Nelson Gonzalez a.k.a. Domingo Diaz Jr. Aside from being a skilled performer, board member, writer and activist, Nelson is also a master chef who studied at the New York Restaurant School. In 2013 he founded Sofrito, an online magazine devoted to the Latino culinary arts. He interviewed many prestigious Hispanic chefs including Master Chef winner Claudia Sandoval for Sofrito. Once a manager of a popular NYC restaurant, Nelson is also familiar with every aspect of the restaurant industry. As an actor/singer he has participated in many shows throughout the years, from a childhood production of West Side Story to his most recent role in Terry Lee King's musical, Dragita which I had the privilege of seeing. In addition to his talent for acting and singing, Nelson is also a stellar Latin dancer. I am overwhelmed with gratitude to have such an amazingly talented, accomplished, intelligent and all-around wonderful guest on my podcast this week! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

If These Walls Could Talk with Wendy Stuart & Tym MossHosts: WENDY STUART & TYM MOSSSpecial guest: IKE AVELIWednesday, July 14thLIVE from PANGEA Restaurant, NYCWatch LIVE on YouTube at Wendy Stuart TV Ike Avelli began his career in 2009 as a 'last minute' fill in at a Christmas Party doing Stand Up comedy. The sound of laughter sealed the deal, and he would continue to write/perform his own material. Some of his idols are Joan Rivers, Sandra Bernhard, Rodney Dangerfield, Whoopi Goldberg, Tracey Ullman and Chelsea Handler.Since 2009, he has performed at many venues around the U.S.: Las Vegas, NV; NYC; Atlantic City, NJ; Windsor, CT; Philadelphia, PA; Hollywood, FL to name a few.He is a supporter of the LGBT Community and has performed for LIFEbeat (lifebeat.org), The Imperial Court of NY (ICNY.org), and Gay Men's Health Crisis (gmhc.org).Who else but hosts Wendy Stuart and Tym Moss could “spill the tea” on their weekly show “If These Walls Could Talk” live from Pangea Restaurant on the Lower Eastside of NYC, with their unique style, of honest, and emotional interviews, sharing the fascinating backstories of celebrities, entertainers, recording artists, writers and artists and bringing their audience along for a fantastic ride.

Through the eyes of an artist, With the Empress Dowager of China provides a glimpse of life in the Chinese Imperial Court, unseen by any other Westerner. In 1903, Katharine Carl, an American artist, was invited to paint a portrait of Cixi, the Empress Dowager of China, for display at the 1904 Exhibition at St Louis, USA. For nine months from the 5th of August 1903 when the painting was begun, Miss Carl lived within the Chinese Imperial Court, residing at the Summer Palace, Winter Palace and Sea Palace. During those nine months, a total of four portraits of the Empress Dowager were completed. While living in the Chinese Imperial Court, Miss Carl had the opportunity to observe the customs, personalities, entertainments and politics of the Royal household, and in particular to observe the Empress Dowager, who Miss Carl found to be graceful, warm, intelligent and generous. Although Katharine Carl did not plan to publicise her experiences, With the Empress Dowager of China was written as a response to articles appearing in the American and British press containing statements never made by her and other misrepresentations. Words were being put into her mouth, she was being put into a very difficult position, and corrections needed to be made. By writing an account of life in the Imperial Court she risked “offending the sensibilities of her Chinese friends” since any comments on the personalities of the Emperor or Empress Dowager were considered to breaches of etiquette. Nevertheless, she did publish “a simple and truthful narrative of my experiences” in 1906. For most of the time from 1861 until her death in 1908, Cixi, the Empress Dowager of China, was co-regent or regent, and was in control of the Chinese government, due to the youth and inexperience of the Emperors during those years as well as to her capabilities. Her legacy is controversial, and she is viewed variously as a despot, a reformer, and a capable and gracious ruler and administrator. Katharine Carl's St Louis Exposition portrait of the Empress Dowager of China resides in the collection of the Arthur M Sackler Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC. Genre(s): Social Science (Culture & Anthropology), Memoirs Katharine Carl (1865 - 1938) --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/3daudiobooks0/support

I'm joined this week by Billy Little who is a celebrity impersonator, drag performer, fashion designer and painter. Billy has won multiple contest titles including Ms. Fire Island Elite and most recently Mr. Tropicana International. Being the first black member of The Imperial Court in Manhattan, he has stayed with this festive, entertaining organization for nearly thirty years. Once a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology, he now creates his own and a few other performers' costumes. The designs are always eye-catching and elaborate. Prince, Donna Summer, Michael Jackson and Wanda Sykes are some of the celebrities he has impersonated. He has also been in body-building competitions and enjoys creating wonderfully captivating paintings. Museums were Billy's favorite venues to practice painting as he was developing his art form. Billy Little has many talents and a delightfully engaging personality. It was a privilege to have a guest with so much versatility, charisma, wisdom, and creativity on my podcast! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Please enjoy this inspiring talk and interview with Elijah, aka Eddie Broadway, who shares his story to becoming his true self as a trans man and most recently winning Mr Trans USA, 2020. He chats about early days of being a male impersonator, performing in drag shows, becoming Emperor XIII of the Imperial Court of AZ, marriage, relationships, surgeries and more. Through all of this, Elijah is an LMSW and spends his days as a mental health and gender therapist for trans youth. He works to raise money for numerous organizations around the Phoenix area and bring light to those organizations in need. It was really a great chat and we hope you take something new and inspiring into your days from this interview. Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, we'd love if you leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Please also be sure to follow Elijah on his social media @eddie.broadway for more information and inspiration in his endeavors. Thank you friends!

“Life with the homophile movement continues to be exciting and stimulating and infinitely interesting and rewarding.” • Bonus episodes!! Research dives! (Often NSFW.) Mugs! Buttons! Books! Plus tons of other fun stuff! $3/month at Patreon.com/QueerSerial. Bonus episodes come right to your phone like any other podcast! If you’re already a Patreon gal, click here to make those bonus episodes pop up in your regular podcast feed. Looking for some reruns? Check out this handy dandy EPISODE GUIDE.

On this episode, drag queen Juanita MORE! shares her experience of giving back to her community through drag, service, and Juanita's List. She is this year's Imperial Court SF's Empress. Nick Vargas and Priscilla McNamara find out what it takes to be royalty, baby! Sit back and enjoy. For more info on Juanita visit www.juanitamore.com.Support the show (http://paypal.me/thesourcelgbt)

The Heroes of Hirosaka receive an emissary from the Imperial Court. As plotting resumes, personal grievances result in discontentment within ranks. Thank you for listening! Follow the show on Twitter @L5Rcgapod. Find the cast at: Ludo (GM): @Delethiel and Heroes of the Republic Evan (Sakai-no-Doji Eiko): @Evan_Strite and on Discord as PushyMushy#1871 Charlie (Soshi Yuzume): @bowzerj and Ramblings of a Displaced Nerd Brad (Bayushi Minoru): @bzajdabarbarian and bzaj#1648 on Discord Sam (Asahina Hajime): @YoungSpaceDad and LiveFromMyBasement#1056 on Discord CourtGames is a fan project and is not an official affiliate of Fantasy Flight Games or EDGE Studios. Legend of the Five Rings is the property of Fantasy Flight Games and EDGE Studios. Opening/closing theme: "Shakuhachi after rain" by Sonic_amcb Find CourtGames online: @CourtGamesPod on Twitter Join the L5R discord server Check out our website! Listen to the Courtgames RPG Cast Check out Fortune and Strife, a CourtGames AP Brought to you by our supporters on Patreon In affiliation with D20 Radio "Where Gamers Rule!"

Ike #Avelli began his career in 2009 as a 'last minute' fill in at a Christmas Party doing #StandUp #comedy. The sound of laughter sealed the deal, and he would continue to write/perform his own material. Some of his idols are Joan Rivers, Sandra Bernhard, Rodney #Dangerfield,# Whoopi #Goldberg, Tracey #Ullman and Chelsea #Handler. Since 2009, he has performed at many venues around the U.S.: Las #Vegas, NV; NYC; Atlantic City, NJ; Windsor, CT; #Philadelphia, PA; #Hollywood, FL to name a few. He is a supporter of the #LGBT Community and has performed for LIFEbeat (lifebeat.org), The Imperial Court of NY (ICNY.org), and #Gay Men's Health Crisis (gmhc.org). He has appeared on many talk/radio shows in the U.S and Internationally. Ike also Co-hosted on the #1 Show on Wildfire Radio, "The Idiots" and has appeared in the LGBT publications of GET OUT and NEXT Magazine. Since 2013, Ike Wrote, Produced and Starred in 10 original shows "I've Slept My Way To The Top....Twice"(2013) , "Ike Avelli Is Coming To Town" (2014) , "50 Shades of Gay" (2015), "Love On A DEAD END Street" (2016) , "I Thought I Would Be Dead By Now" (2016), "You're A Mean One, Ike Avelli" (2016) , "The Book Of Ike" (2017), "Ike Avelli's Day Off" (2018) , "Dear Santa, Define Good. Love, Ike" (2018) and "Lube: A Gay-sical" (2019) in different cities and all shows were PACKED HOUSES! He co-hosted "Un-Talented Tuesday's" with Viki Villainess for a 4 week limited engagement in the spring of 2018. Created "LIVE! In Bed With Ike Avelli on Zoom during the 2020 Pandemic. "50 Shades of Gay" was a hit in NYC during PRIDE and SOLD OUT Bally's in Atlantic City in 2019. It was also part of the 2017-2019 Rochester Fringe Festival and SOLD OUT all four nights. The Huffington Post called it "the performance of the summer", while hailing Ike Avelli as the "mastermind of creativity". ​ Ike wrote his first book entitled, 'A Year In The Life Of Ike Avelli...And It Ain't Pretty", a diary of the year 2017 and was listed in the Top 20 new releases on Amazon.com. He was nominated for the 2013/2015 Glam Award for Best Comedy Performer. Winner of the Get Out Magazine LGBT 2014 Comedian of the Year. Winner of the 2018 Providence Fringe Award for 50 Shades of Gay Performance from the band Words for hands #Merch Store: www.dckproductions.com/shop #Betterhelp : www.betterhelp.com/sipod #VIKING REVOLUTION AFFILIATE LINKS Viking Revolution Beard Kit https://amzn.to/2E7ca83 Viking Revolution Beard Wash and Conditioner https://amzn.to/2OInwBg Viking Revolution Beard Oil 3 pack https://amzn.to/2CpXY9S Viking Revolution Beard Balm 3 pack https://amzn.to/32FT3vT Viking Revolution Pomade https://amzn.to/3eSFVpM Viking Revolution Quick Shower Wipes https://amzn.to/3fO6ii5 Viking Revolution Toilet Wipes https://amzn.to/32I8oMC MY FAVORITE #AMAZON PROUCTS AFFILIATE LINKS The #headphones I use From Beats https://amzn.to/2WG28RE My stream #camera bundle https://amzn.to/2CrhXFb #Elgato Cam Link https://amzn.to/3fP9D01 My Favorite Cooking Device https://amzn.to/39iNmWb My Favorite Beer Glasses https://amzn.to/2OMo6OF #beardedmen #vikingrevolution #beard #podcast #suckit #suckitpodcast #derek #music #celebrityinterviews --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thedarksideofmusic/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thedarksideofmusic/support

Pride coverage rolls along! We are thrilled to welcome Josh Davidsburg and Muffy Blake Stephyns, director and star of the new documentary Queen of the Capital, to the show. Queen of the Capital follows Muffy's campaign to be elected Empress of the Imperial Court of Washington, an organization of drag performers that raise money for charity. Josh and Muffy share plenty of insights from making the film and the history of drag in Washington D.C. One of Ian's favorites from the Slamdance film festival, Queen of the Capital is definitely one you won't want to miss. Queen of the Capital is available on Alamo Drafthouse VOD starting June 20th. https://ondemand.drafthouse.com/film/queen-of-the-capital/. You can also check out the film's website http://queenofthecapital.com/. Be sure to follow Muffy and Josh on Twitter @MuffyBStephyns & @jdavidsburg Ian's review from Slamdance: https://ianthomasmalone.com/2020/01/slamdance-review-queen-of-the-capital/ Cover art by Karolyn Popat  

'We Han Chinese outnumber the Jurchen by more than a hundred to one. If the Imperial Court decided to employ honest and loyal men, our great Empire would prevail. With one hundred of our men against one of their worthless soldiers, how could the Jin army win?' In the thirty third episode of The Translated Chinese Fiction Podcast, we are looking at Legend of the Condor Heroes (射雕英雄传 / Shèdiāo Yīngxióng Chuán), the magnum opus of Wuxia grandmaster Jin Yong. Our guest is one of the translators working to bring it into English, Gigi Chang. Condor Heroes is a huge entry in Chinese literature (both highbrow and lowbrow), and pop culture in general. In this first episode of the podcast's Wuxia season, I begin to get to grips with this absolute behemoth of genre fiction.   // NEWS ITEMS // Paper Republic's Sunday Sentence 一周一句 Deng Anqing's Forty Days    // WORD OF THE DAY // (忠肝义胆 / Zhōng Gān Yì Dǎn / Loyal liver, righteous guts)   // MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE // Mobikes 'Qi Blasts' in Street Fighter President Deng Xiaoping as Wuxia nerd The Assassin, dir. by Hou Hsiao Hsien Paper Swordsmen: Jin Yong and the Modern Chinese Martial Arts Novel JG Ballard's Miracles of Life, Yao Xueyin's Li Zicheng 姚雪垠 李自成, Ma Ka-fai's new book 马家辉 鸳鸯六七四    // Handy TrChFic Links // Buy Me a Coffee Bonus Shows on Patreon  The TrChFic Map INSTAGRAM // TWITTER // DISCORD // MY SITE  

Save a Stallion, ride a cowboy! For the grand finale of season 2, we're trying something different: a video interview with one of Winnipeg's most beloved performers. Anita Stallion, Matron of Club 200 and 2020 Aunty of the Year, dishes on her history with the Imperial Court, Club 200 throughout the ages, her timeless approach to drag and her 20+ year legacy. To watch the video interview on Facebook, click here. /// Follow Drag in the Peg for news on upcoming drag shows in Winnipeg, episode releases and extra content! Facebook: facebook.com/draginthepeg Twitter: twitter.com/draginthepeg Instagram: instagram.com/draginthepeg E-mail: draginthepeg@gmail.com

Queen of the Capital follows Muffy Blake Stephyns, a drag performer with high aspirations. Muffy and her everyday persona, Daniel, navigate the drag and her bureaucratic day job in Washington, D.C., while following her dream to lead a colorful group of philanthropic drag performers. As a former political consultant, she campaigns for "empress" of the Imperial Court of Washington, D.C.

In this jam packed episode, Zhen Huan finally wins a round against Hua Fei. She unknowingly flirts with a handsome Prince and confronts a backstabbing sister. Even though Hua Fei seems to have regained favor, it's not all flowers and roses for her. The Imperial Court and Imperial Harem are closely linked. Does anyone understand the pieces on the board?

Born and raised in New York City, this Spanish and Italian Bronx born native entered the world of Female Impersonating and Escorting in the late 80’s. His Drag persona Fiona St. James has experienced success in night clubs worldwide as well as being the 15th elected and still the only Latina Empress of The Imperial Court of New York. He has appeared in film on “To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar”, “Stonewall”, “Ugly Betty”, and “Orange is the New Black”.  His most memorable role was playing the resident prison tranny bitch on the hit HBO series “OZ” for five of the six seasons. His adventures in drag and escorting inspired him to write his memoirs where he shares stories about pushing boundaries and raising eyebrows sexually, professionally and personally with no shame for over 30 years!  For his book visit: http://www.fionastjames.com To book a massage appointment call (646 387 9048) or visit: https://www.masseurfinder.com/massage-therapists/28569/ https://rentmasseur.com/CuteSmoothBobby Escorting services:        https://rent.men/BobbyStJames Social Media: https://instagram.com/fionastjamespalacio https://twitter.com/fionastjamesds9 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4E8BwQY72b24P4YwRDXNcA 

Husbands Anthony Aragon and David Westman have been volunteering and fundraising in the Colorado LGBT community for over 23 years.  They’ve been dubbed the “Gay Mayors” of Denver and one of Denver’s “Power Couples”, both well known in the Denver community by their drag persona’s, Lushus La’Rell and the “triple nippled” Nucula Waste.  Anthony was Empress 40 of the Imperial Court of the Rocky Mountain Empire. Anthony also bares the title Miss Gay Pride of All Colorado 2019. Both were involved in the Colorado Gay Rodeo. David was named 2002 Mr. Colorado Gay Rodeo and 2003 Mr. International Gay Rodeo. Anthony and David will be honored with the Dennis Dougherty Award at the Matthew Shepard Foundation Bear to Make a Difference fundraising gala, coming up on October 26th. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/listening-studio/message

Hey friends! You are listening to Bold is… a women’s ministry podcast with the goal of helping you learn the Bible verse-by-verse. As you may know by now, we are working our way through the Gospel of Mark. Before we get to that, there is something I need you to know -- everything we make is 100% free. We never want a woman to not learn Scripture due to money. However, running a ministry does cost money. So, if you believe in what we are doing would you consider helping support our ministry? We would love for you to subscribe to our patreon which is a community of folks just like you with plans ranging from $1/month to $25/month. Your monetary donation gives you access to discounts on our merchandise, additional resources on our website, and early access to all of our content. With your support, you are ensuring that we can effectively deliver daily content to help women better understand their Bible which in turn creates disciples who impact the kingdom in greater ways. If you cannot afford to help, we ask that you send us some love by praying for our ministry! We also have merchandise available on our website at www.theboldmovement.com/products. When you receive your new shirts or hat, take a photo and tag us on social media so we can see how great you look in it! Okay, friend -- are you ready to learn the conclusion of Mark 6?! INTRO If you are new here, welcome to the podcast! Our goal is to walk you through Scripture verse by verse, so we will read a section of the passage and then try to break it down for you. I am going to be reading from the (ESV) English Standard Version for those who want to follow along! This is the Word of God and is profitable for you: The Death of John the Baptist14 King Herod heard of it, for Jesus' name had become known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” 15 But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16 But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” Before I go any further, I think I need to shine a light on John the Baptist here before we go any further! Matthew 11:11 says, “[A]mong those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist.” This was from the mouth of Jesus. Before he was born he had the Holy Spirit. This is Jesus’ cousin too. If you all get a chance, I would love for you to check out more on John the Baptist, but today for the sake of time, let’s continue on.17 For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife because he had married her. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife.” … and you thought your family was messed up… let’s break this down. Herodias was the daughter of Herod’s half-brother Aristobulus. This makes her Herod’s niece, okay? Not only was she Herod’s niece, but she was married to his other half-brother, Herod-Philip. So, she was also his sister-in-law. He still convinced her to leave his brother and become his wide. Obviously this was not okay, and John the Baptizer had something to say about it. (see Leviticus 18:16; 20:21).19 And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, 20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.When I first read this, I was amazed at the confusion of Herod. Why was he protecting John and what in the world is happening?! As one person stated, “The truth will make you free, but first, it will make you miserable.” I just want you to know exactly how this all works. Let’s continue on...21 But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 For when Herodias's daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” Typically, this dance that we are reading about would have been done by the court prostitutes or the professional court dancers, but Herodias, Herod’s wife, sent her daughter. I want to make it known that women of rank would not have danced like this for these men. This was very out of character and possibly one of the reasons Herod was so impressed.23 And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” 24 And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26 And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests, he did not want to break his word to her. Okay, William Lane said, “The king was greatly distressed” (v. 26). He was in genuine grief. This word was used only one other time in the New Testament, to describe Jesus’ pain in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:34). For a moment at least Herod’s conscience was mightily torn! On the one hand, John was a good man and had done Herod much good; Herodias had deceived him. But then again, what would his friends think? These tribunes would carry news of his reneging back to Rome, and the whole Imperial Court would laugh. He could not have that. There was only one choice.27 And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head. He went and beheaded him in the prison 28 and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb. 30 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest awhile.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. Ladies, remember, the disciples are returning after Jesus sent them out two by two earlier in this chapter. It appears by the language Mark uses here that there were crowds following each other. It says they were coming and going and that the disciples had no downtime. So, they went out on a boat to take a breath. Any other introverts out there that can identify with this?There is something else I want to point out. It does not say this in the gospel of Mark, but that’s why it is so cool that God gave us 4 different perspectives of Jesus’ story. In Matthew chapter 14, it tells us that right after John’s disciples bury him, they tell Jesus about his death. Jesus went with the disciples and I am making an assumption here, but I think they all just needed a break. Then they came back to shore and check out what happens...34 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. Guys, this is alluding to the OT prophecy… check it (Numbers 27:17 says, “to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the Lord’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.” and (that’s right there is more than one…) Ezekiel 34:5 says, “So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals.”Lanes says, “In the carefully constructed twofold introduction to the feeding narrative, it is the wilderness motif which exhibits the deeper significance that Mark found in the events he records. The time of rest in the wilderness has come when the Son of God establishes meal-fellowship with his people.”This next part that we are about to dive into (which is the feeding of the 5,000) must be read in contrast to the events that lead up to this. Remember, Herod and his drunken debauchery and now we have 5,000 very hungry average folks (some poor I am sure) who are here -- waiting to learn and see this messiah. I am going to quote William Lane one more time for good measure, “In contrast to the drunken debauchery of the Herodian feast, Mark exhibits the glory of God unveiled through the abundant provision of bread in the wilderness where Jesus is Israel’s faithful shepherd.” 35 And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. Okay, I want to make a side note here: did anyone else picture this happening like a brunch kind of ordeal or is it just me? When I read this and studied it with my Greek professor in preparation for you all, it occurred to me that this was a late hour, not brunch time. Movies that depict this always show it as if it were the middle of the day, but this is actually happening around dinner time. Just something that I just now realized and wanted to point on. Anyhoo, let’s keep reading. 36 Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37 But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” For reference, 200 denarii was pretty close to a year’s salary for a day laborer. 38 And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39 Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. 41 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. 42 And they all ate and were satisfied. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 44 And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men. Jesus Walks on the Water45 Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. Have you all noticed that Jesus goes to a remote place constantly and prays? How often are you taking the time to go and be alone with God for prayer? How could that change our lives? 47 And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. 48 And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night (today we would say 3 am), he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, 50 for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” 51 And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, Okay, let’s talk for a second about this. The passage we just read is very popular. However, did you all notice that Peter stepping out of the boat is not even mentioned in this gospel? Do you know why? Because that is not the point of what is happening here. So, Job 9:8 says, “He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.” WHAT?! That’s right, Jesus is claiming to be God by walking on the water. Peter steps out and cannot do it without Jesus helping him… even then, he begins to sink. Still, that is not the point of this story. The point is -- Jesus really is God and even when a man tries to be God -- it does not work. I bet you were not expecting that. 52 for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened. Jesus Heals the Sick in GennesaretLet’s take a minute and check out verse 52. I was reading in a commentary and the guy who wrote it, Hughes Kent, says, “So it is with us. So often when Christ comes to us in our misery, we reject him because we do not believe he will really come to our aid. We think he can help others, but that he is unaware of our situation and powerless. Or, in the perverse pathology of our hearts, we may even reject his help when it comes because it does not come in the way we expected. Thus we push away the very hand which would heal us.”53 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore. 54 And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him 55 and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well. Okay, so you all remember when the woman who was bleeding touched the hem of Jesus garment and was healed. Check this out… I went to the Jews for Jesus website and did some looking around (I typically use logos for studying purposes, but thought why not) check out what they said, “These verses support the earlier theory concerning the Old Testament account of David and Saul, i.e. that the hem or edge of a garment stood for the wearer’s authority. The woman believed that if she could only touch the hem of Jesus’ garment, she would experience the power of His person and authority. Her act was not a matter of superstition, but a silent cry for Jesus to grant her His personal attention and healing power.In contemporary terms, the account might be likened to the public appearance of a popular politician or musician where people want to shake hands or in some way touch and connect with a celebrity. Jesus allowed those who “connected” with Him by touch to experience who He was: the Great Physician.” Guys, that’s all I got for you today. Make sure you subscribe, rate and review our podcast and please check us out at www.theboldmovement.com. If there was something that stood out to you, will you post it on your social media and tag us so we can see what you learned?! It would make our day! Okay ladies, remember – go out and be bold. [1] Freeman, J. M., & Chadwick, H. J. (1998). Manners & Customs of the Bible (p. 427). North Brunswick, NJ: Bridge-Logos Publishers.

On location at LUSH for a chat with Barry Karlenzig, Vice President of Programming for Pride Winnipeg. We talk about Barry's involvement with the organization, his involvement with The Imperial Court, some of the ways Canada is leading in the movement for equality, and the emerging acronym "GSRD", now widely in use in Canada in place of the variations of the LGBTQ acronyms that we use in the States.

On location at LUSH for a chat with Barry Karlenzig, Vice President of Programming for Pride Winnipeg. We talk about Barry's involvement with the organization, his involvement with The Imperial Court, some of the ways Canada is leading in the movement for equality, and the emerging acronym "GSRD", now widely in use in Canada in place of the variations of the LGBTQ acronyms that we use in the States.

The Nightingale Of Montgomery Street - Hey you queens. We’re here today for part one of the incredible stories of Jose Julio Sarria, the first openly gay man to run for office and the founder of the Imperial Court. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/yourqueerstory/message

The Nightingale Of Montgomery Street – Hey you queens. We’re here today for part one of the incredible stories of Jose Julio Sarria, the first openly gay man to run for office and the founder of the Imperial Court. But that was all after serving in World War 2 and becoming a wildly successful drag... The post 46: José Julio Sarria appeared first on Your Queer Story.

The date of Easter (again) and a visit to the Imperial Court by the Pope.

Luke describes Paul's hearing before a third Roman official, Agrippa, and his subsequent appeal to be judged at the Imperial Court in Rome by Caesar himself.

Emperor Harrington of the Imperial Court of New York and British TV Host/Writer/Singer/Philanthropist Nick Knowles join us on this episode of The Jimmy Star Show with Ron Russell broadcast live from the W4CY studios on Wednesday December 6th, 2017.This show is broadcast live on Wednesday's at 3PM ET on W4CY Radio – (www.w4cy.com) part of Talk 4 Radio (http://www.talk4radio.com/) on the Talk 4 Media Network (http://www.talk4media.com/).

Emperor Harrington of the Imperial Court of New York and British TV Host/Writer/Singer/Philanthropist Nick Knowles join us on this episode of The Jimmy Star Show with Ron Russell broadcast live from the W4CY studios on Wednesday December 6th, 2017. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-jimmy-star-show-with-ron-russell9600/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This week, we'll move into the messy early/mid 1860s and look at the doomed attempt to bridge the gap between the Tokugawa and the Imperial Court. We'll also look at the situation in Kyoto, which was growing more violent by the day.

The final battle of the war is only the beginning of trouble for Xin's Crows! The Grey Sky Horde will finally meet the Imperial army on the field of battle, but Xin's Crows have their own problems. The conspiracy against the Imperial Court must be stopped, not out of love for the Great Empire, but so the Crows can fulfill their own goals. Vo comes up with an ingenious plan to stop the conspiracy, but will it work? Find out how the "Double Hamlet" plan works in this last adventure before the epilogue for the campaign begins!

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Johann Wolfgang Goethe, the great German polymath. 'I had the great advantage of being born at a time that was ripe for earth-shaking events which continued throughout my long life, so that I witnessed the Seven Years War...the French Revolution, and the whole Napoleonic era down to the defeat of the hero and what followed after him. As a result I have attained completely different insights and conclusions than will ever be possible for people who are born now...' Goethe's friend Johann Peter Eckermann recorded these remarks made by the great writer at the end of his life in a series of published recollections. Goethe's life was indeed remarkable. At the age of twenty-five he was author of the first German international best-seller The Sorrows of Young Werther. A year later, he was invited by the Grand Duke to join him at the Imperial Court as Privy Councillor where he oversaw commissions on war, roads and tax. He rode to war with the Prussian Army against the French and embarked on a remarkable creative friendship with Schiller which saw the establishment of a new form of German theatre. What made Goethe the dominant cultural icon of his time and after? What links were there between his interest in politics and the arts? Why did he support Napoleon despite the French invasion of Weimar? How did his relationships with women define his work? And how was he able to transform the status of the German language? With Tim Blanning, Professor of Modern European History at the University of Cambridge; Sarah Colvin, Professor of German at the University of Edinburgh; W. Daniel Wilson, Professor of German at Royal Holloway, University of London.

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Johann Wolfgang Goethe, the great German polymath. 'I had the great advantage of being born at a time that was ripe for earth-shaking events which continued throughout my long life, so that I witnessed the Seven Years War...the French Revolution, and the whole Napoleonic era down to the defeat of the hero and what followed after him. As a result I have attained completely different insights and conclusions than will ever be possible for people who are born now...' Goethe's friend Johann Peter Eckermann recorded these remarks made by the great writer at the end of his life in a series of published recollections. Goethe's life was indeed remarkable. At the age of twenty-five he was author of the first German international best-seller The Sorrows of Young Werther. A year later, he was invited by the Grand Duke to join him at the Imperial Court as Privy Councillor where he oversaw commissions on war, roads and tax. He rode to war with the Prussian Army against the French and embarked on a remarkable creative friendship with Schiller which saw the establishment of a new form of German theatre. What made Goethe the dominant cultural icon of his time and after? What links were there between his interest in politics and the arts? Why did he support Napoleon despite the French invasion of Weimar? How did his relationships with women define his work? And how was he able to transform the status of the German language? With Tim Blanning, Professor of Modern European History at the University of Cambridge; Sarah Colvin, Professor of German at the University of Edinburgh; W. Daniel Wilson, Professor of German at Royal Holloway, University of London.

Buckle up for this episode, because it's a rocky ride. We've come to the Third Ecumenical Church Council. And for those of you who remember this one from Season 1, you know where in for troubled times. We're looking at the Council of Ephesus in 431 and the battle between Cyril & Nestorius.The First Council at Nicaea in 325 dealt with the challenge of Arianism and it's goofy ideas about the deity of Christ. It produced the Nicaean Creed, which became the standard statement of orthodox Christianity. But Arians managed to finagle things around and by a clever game of semantics, managed to hang on to their core ideas while appearing orthodox. The Nicaean Creed's less than comprehensive statement on the deity of the Holy Spirit became their undoing, when they claimed the Spirit was merely a force or influence, not a divine person co-equal and eternal with the Father and Son. So another council was called in 381 at the Eastern Capital of Constantinople, where Arianism was finally outed as heretical, and the Nicaean Creed was filled out to embrace a more comprehensive orthodox statement on the Holy Spirit.It was the language devised by the Cappadocian Fathers that was finally used to settle in on the Doctrine of the Trinity, that God is One in Essence, but Three in Person.Once the doctrine of the Trinity was conveyed in language all could agree on, the next issue up for theological consideration was how to understand Jesus. It's clear Scripture says He's both God and Man. How then were people to understand that? Was He two persons or one? Did He have 2 natures or one? And if he had two natures, who did those natures related tone one another since God and man are very different? THAT's the subject that was debated 50 years after Constantinople at the Council of Ephesus.There were actually 3 councils held at Ephesus. The first in 431, a second 18 yrs later, and a third in 475. But it's only the first in 431 that's reckoned as being one of the 7 Ecumenical Councils.As we get in to this, it's good to know that the 23 yrs from 428 to 451 when the Council of Chalcedon met, is probably THE most crucial period in the development of Christology, that branch of theology dealing with the nature of Christ.Nicaea had made it clear the orthodox position was that Jesus is both God and Man. It said: “We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father . . . For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man.”The question next up after hammering out how to describe the Trinity was, “How do we describe the God-Man, Jesus? We just said He's God & Man. How do those two natures interact and relate to each on IN Jesus? How much of Jesus is God and how much is Man? Does He have one mind or two? One Soul or Two? One Will or Two? Since God is bigger than man, maybe His divinity overwhelms the humanity. Or, maybe Jesus sublimated His deity and lived solely as a human?To many modern believers, all this may seem abstract & too ethereal to worry about. That mentality can only exist precisely because theologians and church leaders of the 5th C wrestled with and settled the issue for us. Most Christians don't concern themselves with such lofty ponderings because they assume smart guys figured all that out long ago and their formulas have ensured the success of the Church's Mission ever since. So, no need to go back and worry about all that. The smart guys have it covered. Keep in mind, there was a time when that formula didn't exist! And the smart guys hadn't nailed down exactly how to understand, then SAY what they understood. One of their most difficult tasks was finding exactly the right words by which to articulate what they'd come to understand Scripture said.Today we say that Jesus is Fully God & Fully Man. He is one person with two natures. These natures, while different, aren't in competition with each other. Nor are they mixed into some kind of hybrid that merges the human & divine. Before the Incarnation, Jesus had one nature as God. But Jesus took on humanity in the Incarnation and as Phil 2 says, emptied Himself of His divine prerogatives. Exactly what that means, theologians and Bible teachers have wrestled with for hundreds of years. But from the way Paul describes it, we get the sense Jesus, while fully God, chose to live primarily out of His nature and identity as a man, so that being found in a mortal body, He fully experienced the reality of humanity and was in all points, tempted just as we are, yet without sin. So, He was no less God in the Incarnation, but He chose not to live His life on Earth from that nature. Then, after His ascension back to Heaven, He kept his humanity, so that today, a God-Man sits at the right hand of the Father in glory forevermore.BUT – and here's the point, we can state that with great confidence today only because there were people in the 4th and 5th Cs who labored over it for decades, to first understand it, then to put it in just the right words that they could state it without misrepresenting Who & What Jesus is. The Council of Ephesus was crucial, a major milestone in that development.The Council was the result of a clash between two schools of thought on how best to understand the dual nature of Jesus. Both sides believed Jesus was one person with two natures, but they differed widely in how they understood and stated it.One side so strongly emphasized his dual nature, it at times sounded as though they advocated, not just two natures, but two persons. The other side so emphasized Christ's unity it seemed at times to say that while technically He had two natures, the divine so overshadowed the human, it reigned supreme and relegated the human nature of Jesus to a kind of spiritual coma.Sadly, The Council at Ephesus was such a mess and so fraught with turmoil that while it took pains to crush the idea Jesus was two natures in two persons, it never really made clear how He was two natures in one person. That's why the Council of Chalcedon was called just 20 years later. The Church realized Ephesus needed to be followed up by a Council that would tighten up its Christology and to wash the bitter taste from its mouth due to the wrangling at Ephesus.JD Kelly writes of the Council of Ephesus, “At no phase in the evolution of the Church's theology have the fundamental issues been so mixed up with the clash of politics and personalities.”The story of the Council of Ephesus revolves around two individuals; Cyril of Alexandria and Nestorius of Constantinople.But before we can get to them we need to back up and talk a bit about church politics.Wait; what? Church politics? Is there such a thing? Sadly, yes, all too often. It's the result of involving people. I know there are those of you who subscribe to CS who've been shocked and appalled by some of the sad chapters in church history. I know because you've written in to share your unease.You see, we have this idea of the Early Church that it was all love and light. You know those early chs of the Book of Acts; they loved each other and had all things in common; Kumbaya!Don't forget the other passages earlier in the Gospels; when the disciples argued among each other over who was the greatest. Jesus had to set them straight on that account more than once. Then in Acts, we read even the great Paul had a falling out with Barnabas over how to conduct one of their missionary journeys. Acts 15 records the real first Church Council in Jerusalem when church leaders argued over what to do with all the new Gentile converts. And even with them deciding what to do, there were people who didn't like the decision & continued to do their own thing, causing Paul a massive headache later.No – regrettably, there's always been a measure of politics in the Church. It may be at the Council of Ephesus the reality of that became most obvious for the first time.As we saw in Season 1, in the first Cs of the Church, just a few churches rose to exert a huge influence over the regions around them. Jerusalem was of course considered HQ's at first. Antioch in Syria became a regional center, as well as the Church in Alexandria. It's understandable why they would. Alexandria was the Romans Empire's 2nd largest city while Antioch was the 3rd, and by far the largest city of that entire area. Alexandria wasn't just a large city; it had a long reputation going back many generations as a center of scholarship, bolstered by its world famous library. To these 3 centers, Rome was quickly added as a fourth. Later, when the official capital of the Empire was shifted East by Constantine to Constantinople, that city's church became important due to its proximity to the Imperial Court. Constantinople's rise coincided with Jerusalem's decline. There just wasn't anyone left in the leadership of Jerusalem's Church that was recognized as carrying the mantle of the Apostles. That mantle now rested in Antioch, Alexandria, Rome and Constantinople. Two power axis developed; one btwn the Old Capital of Rome & New Rome, the new capital in Constantine's City; then btwn Antioch & Alexandria. The thing is, Rome was way off in the West and selected its own leaders without meddling on the part of the others churches. In the East, it was a much different matter. The Church of Constantinople simply didn't have the theological legacy and heritage to develop mature leaders of its own. So it picked its Patriarchs alternately from the older works at Antioch & Alexandria. And of course, whichever church had supplied the Capital church with its leader had bragging rights and the ear of the Emperor as well as his court. The problem was, while Alexandria was supposed to have superior academics & a more refined theological mojo, Constantinople often selected as its Patriarch someone from Antioch. And as far as the Alexandrian church was concerned, “That dog just ain't gonna' hunt.”Have you ever heard the term “Byzantine?” I'm not referring to an era of history. I mean the adjective that speaks of something hopelessly tangled and complex. It's often used to describe a bureaucracy that's so elaborate and convoluted, negotiating it is a herculean task. That phrase comes from the royal court at Constantinople, the City whose original name was Byzantium. While the Emperor lived in ostentatious style in his palace, he surrounded himself with layers of bureaucracy to make the Sun King Louis XIV's Versailles  look like a One Act Play. What that meant to the church in Constantinople was that there were factions at court always vying with each other for power. Since Church & State were hand in hand, the Patriarchate of the Church was a political football because whoever was the leader of the Church had massive influence on imperial policy. History tells us there were times when the Emperor wanted one Patriarch while factions of His court, even members of his family, wanted another.All of that plays into the Council of Ephesus.And like a serial episode of a TV story that ends each week in a cliffhanger, we're ending this episode here, a step away from what ends up being bloody debate and brawl that was the Council of Ephesus.