be demoted, and ordered the execution of a palace eunuch who collaborated with Consort Zhen. Zhirui, a cousin of the two consorts who served as an official, was banished from Beijing. Consorts Zhen and Jin were eventually restored to their positions on 29 May 1895, but it seems that Consort Zhen was excluded from court functions by the middle of 1896. In 1898 she was placed under house arrest. Death During the invasion of the Eight-Nation Alliance in 1900, the imperial court fled from the Forbidden City to Xi'an. Around this time, Consort Zhen is believed to have drowned in a well in the Forbidden City. Because many historical texts belonging to the Qing Court are missing or censored, the exact circumstances of Consort Zhen's death are unclear. One particularly famous version of the events was described in the 'Jianshan Diary' (a text that was allegedly written by a retired official). According to this account, Empress Dowager Cixi ordered Consort Zhen to be released from house arrest and brought in front of her. The empress dowager allegedly said, "I originally planned to bring you along with us. But you are young and pretty, and are likely to be raped by the foreign soldiers on the way. I trust you know what you should do." Realising that Empress Dowager Cixi meant to order her to commit suicide, Consort Zhen begged the empress dowager to allow the Guangxu Emperor to stay in Beijing and negotiate with the foreign powers. Infuriated with her, Empress Dowager Cixi finally ordered Consort Zhen to be thrown into a well behind Ningxia Palace in the northeastern part of the Forbidden City. Sir Reginald Johnston, tutor to the "last emperor" Puyi, was told a similar tale by palace eunuchs. According to Sterling Seagrave, this dramatic story was invented by writer Edmund Backhouse, who was responsible for many of the myths about Empress Dowager Cixi and that Cixi had left Beijing before 14 August. Seagrave says Consort Zhen's fate is unknown, but it is possible that she "was done in by the eunuchs on their own initiative, or flung herself down the well." Titles During the reign of the Guangxu Emperor (r. 1875–1908): Lady Tatara (from 27 February 1876) Concubine Zhen (; from 26 February 1889), fifth rank consort Consort Zhen (; from 6 February 1894), fourth rank consort Noble Lady Zhen (; from 26 November 1894), sixth rank