Abstract: After the failure of the Reform of 1898, Gang Yi and Zai Yi formed a clique within the highest ruling circles of the Qing dynasty and conspired to “establish a Crown Prince and abolish the Emperor Guangxu”. After the plot failed, the clique adopted a policy of patronizing the Boxers. Their support facilitated the Boxers' occupation of Beijing that led to foreign invasion and the suppression of the movement. Finally, under pressure from the foreign powers the Qing government was forced to “punish the culprits”and the clique was destroyed. The article concludes that this disaster was a product of the exceptional political interests of the ruling class.