Death of Tongzhi Emperor; Cixi continues influence with Guangxu.
On January 12, 1875, Tongzhi Emperor died unexpectedly, leaving a power vacuum at the imperial court. Cixi seized this opportunity to install her nephew Zaitian as the new Guangxu Emperor. This move ensured she retained significant influence over the Qing administration, as she continued her role as regent, thus further consolidating her power within the Qing dynasty.