The Tongzhi Regency (1861–1875), historiographically marked as the beginning of the Qing dynasty's (1644–1912) decline, also saw the emergence of a new political alliance between the Han Chinese grand councilors / Hanlin academicians and the Empress Dowagers Ci'an and Cixi, who ruled from behind the curtains with the former's support. The Hanlin academicians gained their high positions partly from their allegiance to the empress dowagers but largely through patron–client networks, which were based on native-place associations and scholarly interests. Using the case of Li Hongzao (1820–1897), the chief tutor of the Tongzhi Emperor, this article argues that, to him, such networks mattered more than the empress dowagers’ favor and recognition, and that his situation reveals the dynamics of late Qing court politics. In particular, the article focuses on how Li was able to use his appointment as Tongzhi's chief tutor to defy the wishes of the court and mourn his adoptive mother, showing the limits of late Qing imperial power in the realm of Confucian discourse.

中文翻译：

---

同治摄政哀悼

同治摄政（1861-1875 年）在史学上标志着清朝（1644-1912 年）衰落的开始，也见证了汉族大议事/翰林院士与慈安太后之间的新政治联盟的出现还有慈禧，在前者的支持下从幕后统治。翰林院士获得高位的部分原因是他们对皇太后的忠诚，但主要是通过基于本土协会和学术兴趣的赞助人-客户网络。本文以同治皇帝的太师李洪藻（1820-1897）为例，认为对他来说，这样的网络比皇太后的宠爱和认可更重要，他的处境揭示了近代的动态。清朝政治。特别是，