The Last Empress and the First Hai Gui

 History has shrouded her in disapproval, but an eyewitness account of Empress Dowager Cixi reveals a tough, smart old broad who played the game of power better than any so-called man in the kingdom. Was she flighty? Sure. She grew up with status determining not just what you had for breakfast, but whether you were allowed to eat it sitting down. Furthermore, such status could be irrevocably lost by a careless act or gesture. That kind of game makes the strongest souls neurotic.