▁which ▁C ix i ▁was ▁extremely ▁reaction ary ▁and ▁concerned ▁with ▁maintain ing ▁her ▁own ▁power , ▁even ▁at ▁the ▁exp ense ▁of ▁China . ▁However , ▁this ▁narr ative ▁has ▁been ▁question ed ▁by ▁some ▁histor ians . ▁ ▁The ▁protagon ists ▁of ▁the ▁film ▁are ▁the ▁Emperor ▁Gu ang x u ▁( who ▁is ▁presented ▁as ▁bene vol ent ▁and ▁wise , ▁but ▁const rained ▁by ▁the ▁fil ial ▁p iety ▁he ▁ow es ▁the ▁Em press ▁Dow ager ) ▁and ▁Imperial ▁Conc ub ine ▁Z hen ▁( who ▁bra v ely ▁encourag es ▁him ▁to ▁resist ▁the ▁Em press ▁Dow ager ). ▁▁ 1 8 8 9 ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁first ▁scene , ▁Gu ang x u ▁( Sh u ▁Sh i ) ▁is ▁invited ▁to ▁choose ▁his ▁wife ▁from ▁among ▁the ▁ladies ▁at ▁court . ▁However , ▁when ▁he ▁tries ▁to ▁choose ▁the ▁woman ▁he ▁lov es , ▁C ix i ▁( T ang ▁Ru oj ing ) ▁brow be ats ▁him ▁into ▁choosing ▁someone ▁else . ▁The ▁woman ▁he ▁lov es ▁is ▁re leg ated ▁to ▁being ▁a ▁conc ub ine , ▁Imperial ▁Conc ub ine ▁Z hen ▁( Z hou ▁Y un ). ▁▁ 1 9 0 0 ▁ ▁This ▁is ▁the ▁year ▁when ▁the ▁Box ers , ▁in ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁def ending ▁the ▁Q ing ▁dynast y , ▁murder ed ▁large ▁numbers ▁of ▁foreign ers ▁and ▁Chinese ▁Christians ▁and ▁bes ie ged ▁the ▁Foreign ▁Leg ation ▁Qu arter ▁in ▁Be ij ing . ▁ ▁Cast