Cixi and Guangxu Emperor flee to Xi'an as foreign forces invade.
On August 14, 1900, as the Eight-Nation Alliance forces entered Beijing during the Boxer Rebellion, Cixi and the Guangxu Emperor fled the capital in disguise. They relocated to Xi'an, from where Cixi continued to govern the empire in exile. This episode illustrated her adeptness in crisis management and political survival during the turmoil caused by anti-imperialist and anti-foreign sentiments.