Abstract: In August 1861, the Emperor Xianfeng arranged “the funeral affairs” on his deathbed. This arrangement created a balance of power, but also set the stage for the subsequent power struggle. The provision of the imperial seal institutional1y ensured the preservation of imperial power and precluded the possibility of Su Shun and others forcing the new child emperor to do their bidding, but it also provided the opportunity for Ci Xi to grasp the highest power of Qing court. The numerous victories that Ci Xi won over Su Shun, such as obtaining the title of queen mother, were a result of her ability to control the imperial seal. Many ministers, literati and officials, who held orthodox ideas of imperial power, expressed widespread doubts over the legality and reliability of Su Shun and his supporters thereby assisting the child emperor. The orthodox idea of imperial power was the profoundly decisive reason that Ci Xi won victory in the coup. It not only influenced the people of that time but also has influenced some contemporary historians.