The Guangxu Emperor was the second to last Emperor of China and was famous for his attempted Hundred days reform i 1898. These attempted reforms included creating a modern education system, transitioning the Government from absolution to a democratic Constitutional Monarchy, a complete overhaul to the military and rapid industrialization. Sadly for China, a coup by Empress Cixi stopped all attempt at reform and left the Emperor as a powerless figurehead under house arrest. Fast forward 10 years to 1908 and the dying Empress Dowager apparently ordered the Emperors murder ( On 4 November 2008, forensic tests revealed that the level of arsenic in the Guangxu Emperor's remains was 2,000 times higher than that of ordinary people. Scientists concluded that the poison could only be administered in a high dose one time. So its pretty obvious that he was poisoned). So lets say that the Empress either doesn't order his murder, dies before she's able too or the Eunechs chose to not carry out this order and the Emperor is restored to full power after her death. How would this change history? Would Guangxu be able to successfully transform China into a democratic Constitutional Monarchy or was this doomed to fail?