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Abstract During the Boxer Movement， Wang Wenshao was an important official in both the central government and the ministry of translation. He witnessed in person and heard about all kinds of chaos in the capital city. At the onset of the Boxer Movement in Beijing and Tianjin， Wang Wenshao was cautious and noncommittal， refraining from making any public statements. As the conflict between China and foreign powers became imminent， Wang Wenshao finally offered advice at an imperial court meeting. This move made him a target for elimination by the conservative force led by Zaiyi and Gangyi， but he was rescued by the intervention of Cixi and Ronglu. This incident also reveals that although Zaiyi’s faction was at its peak and controlled the defense of the capital， Cixi still sought to balance power within the systems of the Grand Council and the Military Affairs Department. When the event of “Xi Shou” was initiated， Wang Wenshao carried the Grand Council seal and chased for three days before he met with the imperial court. He became the most important minister during the early stage of the “Xi Shou”， and played a crucial role in maintaining government affairs， transmitting updates on the political situation， participating in the establishment of the telecommunications， overseeing the “household administration”， and managing disaster relief affairs in the Northwest. The conflicts between Wang Wenshao and Lu Chuanlin over issues such as the impeachment of Xia Zhenwu， the imperial visit to Xi’an， personnel appointments， treaties with Russia， and the return of the royal family to Beijing vividly highlighted Wang Wenshao’s consciousness of political territoriality and his deep connection with Sheng Xuanhuai， subtly reflecting the lingering tensions of the “North-South political dispute”.
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Received: 30 September 2024
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2024, Vol. 63 
