The prescribed parade of Manchu maidens was
held in the Palace and, out of the six hundred or
more, Tungchih was stated to have fixed his choice
on Ahluta, daughter of the " Duke " Chung-yi, a
prominent Bannerman and a scholar of unusual learn-
ing for a Manchu, as he was a Hanlin, It was
rumoured that Ahluta was actually the Emperor's own
selection, although it is certain that the Empresses
Regent would not have allowed this consideration to

have weighed with them, had they not deemed the

90



THE REIGN OF TZE-HFS SON 91

lady suitable. Indeed, custom as well as self-interest
dictated the intervention of his mother, if living, to
help the Emperor in his choice of consort. Tze-hi
was doubtless a willing go-between. As she proved
later in the case of her adopted son Kwanghsu, she
had no doubts as to the necessity of the young
Empress being an amenable daughter-in-law before
she was a wife acceptable to her husband. We shall
see, however, that there is reason to suspect that she
misjudged the strength of Ahluta's character, with
disastrous results to the unhappy daughter-in-
law.
