CHINESE  HISTORY  :  THIRD  PERIOD  31
the  missions,  through  the  intermediary  of  the  French
Minister,  of  the  property  for  religious  and  philanthropic
work  which  had  been  confiscated  during  the  persecutions.
To  the  Chinese  text  of  the  article  was  added  a  clause  :  It
shall  also  be  permitted  to  French  missionaries  to  buy  or
rent  land  and  build  houses  in  any  of  the  provinces  at  their
pleasure.”  This  clause  is  not  found  in  the  French  text,
which  is  authoritative,  but  the  Chinese  Government  has
allowed  it  to  pass  by  default  (see  Chapter  VII.,  “  Extraterritoriality ­
  ”).
Upon  the  death  of  the  Emperor  Hienfeng,  his  only  son,
a  child  of  six  years,  became  his  successor.  The  Court  being
then  at  Jehol,  the  government  fell  into  the  hands  of  a
coterie  bent  on  renewing  the  war  and  resisting  foreign
aggression  at  all  costs,  the  reign  title  Kisiang  (Favoring
Fortune)  being  adopted.  To  carry  out  their  policy  and
maintain  their  power,  they  planned  to  seize  the  Empresses
Regent  and  their  adherents  ;  but  they,  with  the  support
of  Prince  Rung,  brother  of  Hienfeng,  effected  a  counter
coup  d’état,  put  to  death  some  and  banished  others  of  the
leaders  of  the  government,  seized  the  reins,  and  changed
the  reign  title  to  Tungchih  (Peace  and  Order).  The  Empress ­
  Consort  and  Empress  Mother  exercised  the  regency,
and  Prince  Rung  became  the  principal  Minister  and  the
most  powerful  of  those  engaged  in  the  administration.
The  foreign  envoys  took  up  their  residence  in  Peking,  the
first  to  do  so  being  Sir  Frederick  Bruce  for  Great  Britain,  the
Hon.  Anson  Burlinghame  for  the  United  States  of  America,
Monsieur  de  Bourboulon  for  France,  and  General  Vlangaly
for  Russia.
Second  Stage  of  Taiping  Rebellion  (1862-1864)
The  Taiping  forces,  though  driven  back  from  the  immediate ­
  vicinity  of  Shanghai  and  restricted  to  the  Yangtze
valley  above  Chinkiang,  soon  felt  the  relief  given  by  the
defeat  of  the  Imperial  forces  at  the  hands  of  the  foreign
allied  powers,  and  again  occupied  the  whole  of  the  triangle