A Forbidden Love Saved an Empire

August 27, 2026

China, 1854. Nineteen-year-old Robert Hart crosses the world to outrun disgrace and illness, only to collide with a destiny far greater than his shame. In the teeming treaty ports of the Qing Dynasty, he purchased a quiet, perceptive concubine whose language, intuition, and courage open doors he never knew existed. As her whispered guidance leads him past courtiers and cutthroats, Hart learns to read a civilization from the inside out—and to risk everything for the woman who steadies his soul.

From the smoke-choked fields of the Taiping Rebellion to the shadow diplomacy of the Opium Wars, Hart navigates treacherous alliances with warring Western powers and wary imperial officials, rising from outcast foreigner to a confidant within the Dragon Throne. Battles rage and treaties twist, but in the hush of their shared rooms, a partnership of heart and mind forges the steel he’ll need to confront betrayal, negotiate peace, and drive an astonishing program of modernization that will reverberate across the Far East.

Dramatic, sensuous, and impeccably researched, My Splendid Concubine reveals the little-known genesis of a towering figure—haunted by scandal, sustained by love—whose vision transformed a nation. Lloyd Lofthouse’s rich prose and intimate storytelling illuminate the perilous bargain between passion and power, and the remarkable woman whose quiet strength helped alter the course of history.

Hart’s great understanding of Chinese culture and his ability to see things from the Chinese perspective meant that he became a trusted and influential figure, valued by the Chinese government and foreign ministers alike, who often sought his advice. The extent to which he was appreciated is reflected in the numerous titles and awards bestowed upon him by both the Chinese and the British. These included, on the part of the Chinese, the award of a Red Button (highest rank), a Peacock’s Feather, and the Order of the Double Dragon, while the British granted him the orders of CMG (1880), KCMG (1882), GCMG (1889) and ultimately, a baronetcy (1893). Source: SOAS

Sir Robert Hart oversaw the creation of China’s modern lighthouses, naval fleet elements, meteorological offices, and the Imperial Chinese Postal service, unifying the vast nation’s communication and trade networks. He managing trade relations and tariffs directly under Chinese imperial employment, he helped Beijing navigate intense Western imperial pressure saving an empire from total collapse.

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Do not get vaccinated and risk death to make your country stronger

December 5, 2024

The western history of vaccines seldom mentions China, so I’ll start there, explaining why I’ll post this on my iLookChina bog first.

“The Liao Dynasty, which existed around the 10th century, is thought to be the first Chinese dynasty to use inoculation, an early form of vaccination. The son of a statesman was inoculated against smallpox by having a powder made from smallpox scabs blown into his nose. Another method was to scratch smallpox into the skin.

“The Chinese method of inoculation, known as variolation, spread to other countries in the 17th century. In 1689, Russian envoys visited the Qing Dynasty to learn about variolation, which was considered a concept that included both treatment and prevention. In 1726, Jesuit missionaries in Beijing reported on variolation to European countries, but it was not widely accepted.

“In 1796, Dr. Edward Jenner scientifically tested a method to protect against smallpox using the cowpox virus. He is often considered the father of vaccines for his scientific approach.”

“Number of Lives saved by vaccines from 1974 to 2024 — more than 153 million.” — Our World in Data

Not counting the fact that vaccines have saved 150 million children over the last 50 years. — Our World in Data

Next, learn about polio epidemics and the development, approval and impact of the polio vaccine.

“1948-1955: Before a polio vaccine became available, several polio epidemics had occurred between 1948 and 1955. Many people avoided crowds and public gatherings, such as fairs, sports games and swimming pools, during this time due to concern about getting polio. Some parents wouldn’t let their children play with new friends and regularly checked them for symptoms.” — Mayo Clinic

Maybe what Putin wants his puppet, Donald Trump, his supporters, and 2nd administration, to do in the United States is create a pandemic worse than the black plague. It’s no secret that Putin wants to destroy the United States and the EU anyway possible to elevate Russia to superpower status, knocking the US off that perch.

“The Black Death was so extreme that it’s surprising even to scientists who are familiar with the general details. The epidemic killed 30 to 50 percent of the entire population of Europe. Between 75 and 200 million people died in a few years’ time, starting in 1348 when the plague reached London.”

Thirty percent of the US population would add up to more than 100,000,000 [million] deaths.

“The bubonic plague left its mark on the human population of Europe, showing that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” — American Scientist

Did you know that General George Washington mandated [required with no choice] that his army be vaccinated to protect them from smallpox that was spreading through the colonies during the revolution that led to the birth of the United States?

“Before the invention of vaccinations in 1796, people had very few ways to protect themselves from disease.”

George Washington was a well-educated and literate person.

Unlike the convicted rapist, fraud and felon, lover of dictators, who wants to be a dictator, the dumber-than-dumb, doesn’t like to read, doesn’t like to exercise, Donald Trump, his supporters, and his incoming administration.

*****

Lloyd Lofthouse is the author of My Splendid Concubine and The Josh Kavanagh Thrillers.

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Xi’an (Chang’ an) – China’s Ancient Capital – Part 2/5

October 22, 2011

In Part One, I mentioned the subway system that was under construction in modern Xi’an.  That was in September 2008.

For an update, Travel China Guide.com says, “The Xi’an subway system is scheduled to have 6 lines, with a total length of 251.8 kilometers… While the first phase of subway Line 2 has been in use since Sep 16, 2011, the other five lines are designed to be finished in 2018 in sequence.”

When the second phase is completed, the full length of Line 2 will be 26.64 kilometers (about 16.5 miles).

The population of Xi’an has also increased since Neville Gishford hosted the documentary for China’s Most Honourable City. Today, there are more than 8 million people living there.

This segment of Gishford’s documentary starts with Archaeologist Charles Higham, a world famous authority on ancient Asian cities.

Higham says, “A delegation of jugglers from Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (161-180 AD, who is regarded as one of the greatest emperors in Roman history) traveled and performed in the Han Court of Chang’ an.”

More than two thousand years ago, the walls of Chang’ an (Xi’an) were made of rammed (compressed) earth and much of the city from kiln fired clay bricks, which was a revolutionary building material at the time that changed the history of architecture.

The builders of Han Chang’ an (Xi’an) used this new technology in revolutionary ways such as building an underground sewer system connected to the moat that surrounded the city.

Continued on October 19, 2011, in Xi’an (Chang’ an) – China’s Ancient Capital – Part 3 or return to Part 1

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Lloyd Lofthouse is the award-winning author of The Concubine Saga. When you love a Chinese woman, you marry her family and culture too. This is the love story Sir Robert Hart did not want the world to discover.

To subscribe to “iLook China”, sign up for an E-mail Subscription at the top
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History Counts – Part 1/2

October 13, 2011

Atrocities abound in the history books concerning treatment of Native American Indians during the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries. The Spanish destroyed the Aztec and Inca civilizations with disease and warfare, and the Catholic mission system in California enslaved Native American Indians.

After the Civil War, the United States military was sent west to drive North American native Indians from the land they had lived on for thousands of years and slaughtered men, women and children—millions died.

Today, many of the surviving American natives live in horrible poverty on reservations.

Then the American government grabbed Hawaii from the native Hawaiian people against their will. (There is a native Hawaiian nonviolent separatist movement asking for freedom from America.)

After the Spanish American War, America took possession of the Philippine islands and waged war against the native people killing
more than two hundred thousand. This went on until America entered World War II.

In fact, the treatment of American Indians has not changed much. The United States government might not wage brutal war against Native American Indians today as they did in the past, but in recent times billions of dollars slated to support Native American Indian tribes on reservations went missing, and no one seems to care where all that money went—except the native Indians.

It would appear that the era of lies and broken treaties has not ended.

If you want to learn more about native American Indians, I suggest you read what the New York Times said about the work written by Vine Deloria Jr., and check out Native American Literature worth reading.


Nearly a quarter of the Cherokee Nation froze or starved to death on the trail to Oklahoma Indian Territory. This video explores America’s darkest period: President Andrew Jackson’s Indian Removal Act of 1830 and the forced removal of the Cherokee Nation to Oklahoma in 1838.

It is best to stay away from Hollywood movies if you want to discover the truth.

When I brought this topic up in a 2010 E-mail conversation with a conservative, evangelical Christian friend, he said what happened in the past does not count today.

I disagree. History always counts. Jesus Christ said, “Let he who has no sin, cast the first stone,” and, “Go and sin no more”, and investigations in Iraq revealed that under President George W. Bush, the CIA was torturing prisoners.


Errol Morris examines the incidents of abuse and torture of suspected terrorists at the hands of U.S. forces at the Abu Ghraib prison.

Most in the West and America have heard about Tibet and the demands by Tibetans in exile that Tibet be free from China to rule itself. We hear claims of human rights violations taking place without much evidence to support the claims, and people that fear and hate Communism (the word not the reality) will believe anything.

The American media recently revealed that tens of thousands of illegal aliens in America (some seeking political asylum) were locked up in detention centers and were not getting proper medical care and were dying because of it.

Unlike Mao’s time, today’s Chinese leaders must answer to the seventy-million Party members scattered throughout China. These people listen to the 1.3 billion Chinese that do not belong to the party. The result: if an elected official is not doing his or her job, that person usually isn’t reelected.

Continued on October 14, 2011 in History Counts – Part 2

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Lloyd Lofthouse is the award-winning author of The Concubine Saga. When you love a Chinese woman, you marry her family and culture too. This is the love story Sir Robert Hart did not want the world to discover.

To subscribe to “iLook China”, sign up for an E-mail Subscription at the top right-hand side of this page and then follow directions.

 

Note: This revised and edited post first appeared in February 2010 as An American Genocide, An American Shadow Over the Philippines, In a Dark Mirror Without Reflection, and After Mao.

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A Snapshot of Democracy in Asia – Part 2/6

September 28, 2011

When you discover the roller-coaster ride of corruption, protests, shootings/assassinations, and military coups/dictatorships that have taken place in the Republic of (South) Korea [RoK], it makes Japan look honest in comparison and provides more evidence of why the West and America, in particular, wants China to become a similar multi-party democracy.

On August 14, 1948, Syngman Rhee became the first president of the RoK. In May 1952, Rhee pushed through constitutional amendments, which made the presidency a directly elected position. To do this, he declared martial law, arrested opposing members of parliament, demonstrators, and anti-government groups.  In 1954, Rhee regained control of parliament by fraudulently pushing through an amendment that exempted him from the eight-year term limit.

Then in 1956,  Rhee’s administration arrested members of the opposing party and executed the leader after accusing him of being a North Korean spy.

The U.S. Department of State says, “President Syngman Rhee was forced to resign in April 1960 following a student-led uprising.”

The Second Republic under the leadership of Chang Myon ended one  year later when Major General Park Chung-hee led a military coup. Park declared martial law, dissolved the National Assembly and suspended the constitution, which resulted in mass protests and a return to democracy.

Park’s rule, which resulted in tremendous economic growth and development but increasingly restricted political freedoms, ended with his assassination in 1979, when a powerful group of military officers, led by Lieutenant General Chun Doo-hwan, declared martial law and took power.

Then on May 18, 1980, students at Chonnam National University protested, which led to the Gwangju Massacre with estimates of the civilian death toll ranging from a few dozen to 2,000. Later, a full investigation by the civilian government reported nearly 200 deaths and 850 injured.

It wouldn’t be until October 1987 that a revised Constitution would be approved by a national referendum leading to the direct elections of President Roh Tae-woo in the first direct presidential election in 16 years.

In 1997, the country suffered a severe economic crises leading to the next civilian president, Roh Moo-hyun being impeached in March 2004 on charges of a breach of election laws and corruption. While under investigation for bribery and corruption, he committed suicide.

Roh’s successor was Lee Myung-bak, who was inaugurated in February 2008 and is still in office.

The CIA says 15% of the RoK’s population lives below the poverty line, while poverty in the United States in 2009 was 14.3%.

In August 2011, CBS reported that 20 percent of American children lived in poverty.

In fact, Homelessness in America remains an issue of deep concern. The American dream is a distant one for about 2.3 million to 3.5 million Americans that do not have a place to call home and about 1.35 million of the homeless are children.

Continued on September 29, 2011 in A Snapshot of Democracy in Asia – Part 3 or return to Part 1

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SIDE NOTE: The Gwangju Massacre (1980) in The Republic of (South) Korea—a strong ally of the United States—is the second massacre “I never heard of” while writing this Blog.

However, annually, the media and American politicians remind us of the so-called Tiananmen Square Massacre in 1989, which I wrote of in The Tiananmen Square Hoax after learning from Wiki Leaks that a massacre never happened.

In addition, the protests in Beijing in 1989 were never a democracy movement, which was revealed by a BBC documentary. I wrote of this in What is the Truth about Tiananmen Square?

Then there was the first massacre “I never heard of” until I stumbled on it by accident while researching another post. I wrote of that massacre [by a strong ally of America] in the 2/28 Massacre in Taiwan.

Why is it that the world knows so much about the Tiananmen Square Incident while hardly anyone knows about the Gwangju Massacre and the one in Taiwan?

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Lloyd Lofthouse is the award-winning author of The Concubine Saga. When you love a Chinese woman, you marry her family and culture too. This is the love story Sir Robert Hart did not want the world to discover.

To subscribe to “iLook China”, look for the “Subscribe” button at the top of the screen in the menu bar, click on it then follow directions.

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