垂帘听政

垂帘听政 [chuí lián tīng zhèng]

1. ■ attend to state affairs behind the bamboo curtain -- said of an empress; hold court from behind a screen; administer the state from “behind the veil”; attend to state affairs from behind a curtain; let down the screen and receive reports on the government; rule in place of the emperor behind a screen; supervise administration behind the bamboo [pearl] screen:

清朝慈禧太后垂帘听政几十年。 The Empress Dowager of the Qing Dynasty attended to state affairs for several decades.