ort , ▁he ▁appointed ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁eight ▁reg ents ▁– ▁led ▁by ▁Z ai y uan , ▁Du anh ua ▁and ▁S ush un ▁– ▁to ▁assist ▁his ▁under age ▁son ▁and ▁successor , ▁Za ich un . ▁Y ix in ' s ▁flexible ▁attitude ▁towards ▁dealing ▁with ▁the ▁Western ▁powers ▁had ▁put ▁him ▁at ▁odd s ▁with ▁the ▁eight ▁reg ents , ▁who ▁were ▁polit ically ▁conserv ative ▁and ▁opposed ▁to ▁Western ▁influence . ▁Upon ▁request , ▁Prince ▁G ong ▁was ▁granted ▁permission ▁to ▁travel ▁to ▁Ch eng de ▁to ▁attend ▁the ▁fun eral . ▁In ▁Ch eng de , ▁he ▁met ▁the ▁Em press ▁Dow agers ▁Ci ' an ▁and ▁C ix i ▁and ▁told ▁them ▁about ▁how ▁the ▁eight ▁reg ents ▁mon opol ised ▁state ▁power . ▁When ▁the ▁X ian f eng ▁Emperor ' s ▁coff in ▁arrived ▁back ▁in ▁Be ij ing ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 8 6 1 , ▁Prince ▁G ong ▁and ▁the ▁two ▁em press ▁dow agers ▁launched ▁a ▁coup ▁– ▁histor ically ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁X iny ou ▁C oup ▁( <0xE8> <0xBE> <0x9B> <0xE9> <0x85> <0x89> 政 <0xE8> <0xAE> <0x8A> ) ▁– ▁to ▁ou st ▁the ▁eight ▁reg ents ▁from ▁power . ▁The ▁reg ents ▁were ▁arrested ▁and ▁removed ▁from ▁their ▁positions ▁of ▁power . ▁ ▁As ▁Prince - Reg ent ▁Za ich un , ▁who ▁was ▁ent hr oned ▁as ▁the ▁" T ong z hi ▁Emperor ", ▁appointed ▁Prince ▁G ong ▁as ▁Prince - Reg ent ▁( <0xE8> <0xAD> <0xB0>