Few figures in Qing dynasty (1644-1912) history embody the tragedy of shifting tides quite like Duanfang, a Manchu statesman born in 1861. Duanfang rose through the imperial ranks, earned distinction for his service during the Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901) and went on to hold major regional posts, such as governor of China’s Hubei province and viceroy of the Liangjiang region. His career took a bizarre turn when he was stripped of his viceroyalty in 1909 for supposedly showing disrespect by...