How does a lowly concubine rise through the ranks to become the Dowager Empress of China? Ask Empress Cixi. Imperial China wasn’t an easy place for a woman to rule, but Empress Cixi managed to reign for almost 50 years, thanks to a trademark combination of cleverness, ambition, and occasionally, mind-bending cruelty. Get ready: We’re pulling back the golden curtain on one of history’s most fascinating rulers. Empress Cixi Facts1. She had Humble BeginningsOn November 29, 1835, a small-time duke and his wife welcomed a baby girl named Cixi. Little did they know, she’d turn out to be one of China…