Hi Fannia,
You are correct. The answer to question the question is Tzu Hsi!...Sort of.

I made a gross error in my first question. Am I allowed to swear? ^%&*!!! Let me explain what my question should have been…

Question should have been --Who was the eastern half of an infamous Orchid?" Answer...Empress Tzu An. (I wrote western half but meant to write eastern half in my first question….There is a huge difference.) Sorry about that folks...But Fannia is still correct.

Eastern half - Empress Tzu An lived in the Eastern Palace whereas her co-regent, Empress Tzu Hsi lived in the Western Palace. Tzu An, was the primary wife of Emperor, Hsien Feng of China. She lived the Forbidden City from the late 1840s to 1881. She shared co-regent duties with Empress Tzu Hsi from 1861-1881. She was also known as Lady Niuhuru, during her early life in the Forbidden City. She was elevated to Empress Consort Niuhuru in 1852 and finally, Mother Empress Dowager during her co-regency. Tzu An means “motherly and calming. She was shy and did not intervene in politics, handing everything off to her brilliant and legendary co-regent Tzu Hsi.

Infamous Orchid - or Empress Tzu Hsi, was one of Hsien Feng's lesser concubines. As Fannia rightly pointed out, "Tzu Hsi or Empress Orchid gave birth to Emperor Hsien Feng’s only son, Tung Chih. She was despised by the British", and vilified by author Edmund Backhouse, whose work should be avoided if possible. (Try Sterling Seagrave’s Dragon Empress for further reading on the brilliant and infamous Tzu His.) In Fannia’s words “She survived a coup attempt, the Opium Wars, the TaiPing rebellion in Nanking, and the Boxer Rebellion. Also correct "Tzu Hsi refused to modernize China and prevented the Europeans from colonizing China.” What is remarkable about this particular empress is that she entered the Forbidden City as a minor concubine, by 1861 she was co-regent of China, and by 1881 she was sole ruler of China. Due to her role as mother of the next emperor of China was elevated to Empress status on Hsien Feng’s death. (To make a very long story short.)

Hint – “Both women lived in the Forbidden City, shared the same bed, bet never at the same time. The lady in question was shy and retiring. Her brilliant “sister” took issue with Boxing.”

Forbidden City – The Eastern and Western Palaces are located in the Forbidden City.

Shared the same bed – reverse to fathering children with the Hsien Feng. Tzu An, gave him a daughter Tzu His, a son.

The lady in question was she and retiring – was known for her quiet charm, did not engage in politics, stood in the background while her power hungry co-regent, was the true was the power behind the throne.

Her brilliant sister took issue with Boxing...as regents they addressed themselves as "sister", brilliant sister reverse to Tzu Hsi. “Took issue with Boxing” reverse to the Boxer Rebellion.

Please excuse me if my question and hints were confusing.