For example, "Guoqiang Daily" reported this: Puyi's concubine attempted suicide because she could not bear the abuse by the emperor and the eunuchs, so she planned to escape and hired a lawyer to ask for a divorce.

In August 1931, Peking and Tianjin newspapers reported a major news story, which shocked the whole country. For example, "Guoqiang Daily" reported this:

Puyi's concubine failed to commit suicide because she could not bear the abuse by the emperor and the intimidation of eunuchs. She planned to escape and hired a lawyer to ask for a divorce. This is really the first time in thousands of years that the emperor's palace has had a revolution by a concubine!

The "concubine" mentioned in the newspaper is Wenxiu, so what kind of humiliation did she suffer that made her so determined to divorce Puyi?

In 1909, Wenxiu was born into an aristocratic bureaucratic family with a yellow flag in Manchuria. His grandfather served as a minister of the Ministry of Personnel in the late Qing Dynasty and left a lot of inheritance. However, his father Duan Gong was a mediocre man who repeatedly failed the scientific examination. generation. Shortly after Wenxiu's mother Jiang gave birth to her and her sister Wenshan, Duan Gong died of illness.

After that, the Jiang family dragged Wenxiu and Wenshan to live a hard life. In September 1916, the Jiang family, who understood the righteousness, sent the 8-year-old Wenxiu to the private Dunben Primary School in the flower market. Wenxiu did very well in school and was deeply loved by her teachers. When Wenxiu was 13 years old, she looked like an adult. Although her appearance was not beautiful, she was tall, with big eyes, fair complexion, fat and thin, and had a rich appearance.

Wenxiu

In the spring of 1921, Puyi, the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty who lived in the Beijing Palace and retained the imperial title of the Qing Dynasty, was 16 years old. His father Zaifeng decided to choose a queen for him and hold a wedding. Wenxiu's uncle Hua Kan saw that the opportunity was rare, so he took it upon himself to send Wenxiu's photos to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, waiting for Puyi's selection.

According to Puyi's own recollection, four photos of women were presented to him at that time. In Puyi's opinion, these four people all looked the same, and he had no choice but to compare whose cheongsam color was more special. Puyi first chose Wenxiu, but Princess Duankang felt that Wenxiu's family background was not good, so she persuaded Puyi to re-elect her, so Puyi drew a circle on Wanrong's photo.

In the end, Wanrong was selected as the queen, and Wenxiu was selected as the imperial concubine. On November 30, 1922, Wenxiu was married to the imperial palace by Puyi in a grand wedding. The palace called her "Shu Fei ". On their wedding night, after Puyi saw Wenxiu for the first time, he said to her coldly: "Go down and have a rest!"

Deep in the palace, Wenxiu felt fear for the first time, but she didn't know it yet , this is just the beginning of her sad life.

Puyi was good to Wenxiu at first. He often went to Wanrong's palace to chat with her and joke with her. Puyi always asked Wanrong and Wenxiu to appear together in some activities suitable for his concubines. In order to help Wenxiu learn English well, Puyi specially ordered a foreign teacher to be hired for her.

Puyi

But Wanrong was very dissatisfied with Wenxiu being favored. She thought she was more beautiful than Wenxiu, and often acted arrogantly and coquettishly toward Puyi with the arrogance of a royal palace. She competed for favors and favors, and always tried to outdo Wenxiu. Due to Wanrong's noisy entanglement, Puyi had no choice but to accommodate her and alienate Wenxiu. Wanrong gained the upper hand and became more aggressive and did whatever he wanted. Over time, Puyi became "fallen head first".

Once, the childish Wenxiu was chatting and laughing with the maids while relaxing in the harem. Wanrong happened to catch him. She immediately complained to Puyi, saying that Wenxiu had no respect for himself at all. After Puyi heard this, he sternly reprimanded Wenxiu for going out of line, disrespecting his dignity, and being unbecoming, regardless of whether it was true or false. Although Wenxiu knew that Wanrong was stirring up trouble, she was helpless.

Wanrong's monthly salary was initially 1,000 yuan and Wenxiu's monthly salary was 800 yuan, but was later reduced to 200 yuan by Pu Yi. Every time it was Wanrong's birthday, Puyi would make great arrangements for her, but when it came to Wenxiu's birthday, he showed nothing. Over time, even the eunuchs below refused to listen to Wenxiu's orders, and even contradicted her face to face. Wenxiu gradually suffered from neurasthenia and insomnia , and often read until dawn. She once wrote:

She was lying alone in bed reading, and a large part of the burning candle was gone without realizing it, and the candle flame was shaking unsteadily. , I cut it with scissors, just as my body and mind were so exhausted, the inexplicable sadness came to me again.

Wenxiu

In November 1924, Puyi was expelled from the Forbidden City by Feng Yuxiang during the "Beijing Coup" and had to move to Prince Chun's palace . Leaving the palace would be a disaster for Puyi and other members of the royal family, but this may not be the case for Wenxiu. Wenxiu thought that she could give advice to her husband Puyi as an "equal". She wants to use her knowledge to change this dilemma of being dependent on others.

Not long after, Zheng Xiaoxu offered advice to Puyi: "If you want to restore the Qing emperor's legacy, you must use Japan as foreign aid."

Puyi was still wary of Japan at first, but Zheng Xiaoxu persuaded him that he had already contacted him in Japan. Dignitaries from all walks of life in the dynasty recognized him as Emperor Xuantong of the Qing Dynasty and were willing to help him revive his ancestral business. In this way, Puyi was finally tempted, and he said innocently: "It seems that Japan is not bad for us, the Qing Dynasty."

Zheng Xiaoxu

When Puyi told Wenxiu about the matter, Wenxiu immediately persuaded him: "The Japanese are extremely cruel. During the Russo-Japanese War , countless Chinese people were massacred. You must not listen to Zheng's lies and lead the wolf into the house, otherwise the consequences will be extremely tragic. "

But at that time, Puyi was already crazy about restoration and could not listen to Wenxiu's criticism. . On February 24, 1925, Puyi, escorted by Japanese plainclothes, disguised himself as a businessman, secretly sneaked into Tianjin by train, and moved into Zhangyuan in the Japanese Concession. After that, Wanrong, Wenxiu and others also went to Tianjin to join him.

On July 9, 1929, Puyi moved to Qianyuan on the same street and renamed it "Jingyuan". On the surface, it means "living quietly and peacefully, without fighting against the world", but in reality it means "quietly and watch its changes". , wait for the opportunity" ambition in order to make a comeback. During this period, Puyi frequently met with the Japanese consul and garrison commander in Tianjin, and also met frequently with Minister Yoshizawa of the Japanese Legation in Beijing.

Faced with Puyi's collusion with the Japanese, Wenxiu repeatedly advised him to rein in his efforts. Not only did Puyi not listen, but he even became more disgusted with Wenxiu. He was with Wanrong every day. When he went out on the street, he only took Wanrong with him. Even for daily meals, he did not eat at the same table as Wenxiu. When receiving guests, Puyi only wanted to accompany him gracefully, and Wenxiu was not included in the rewards given during festivals. This shows that Puyi was determined to leave Wenxiu aside.

Puyi and Wanrong

Once during the Mid-Autumn Festival, because Wanrong sowed discord and Puyi did not uphold justice, Wenxiu was greatly wronged and very angry. She picked up the scissors and was about to commit suicide in front of Puyi. Fortunately The maid next to her quickly stopped her with quick eyes and hands. From then on, Puyi increased the number of people to guard Wenxiu day and night, restricting all her freedom of movement. And Wenxiu also made noises and beat things all day long, making the entire "Quiet Garden" restless.

After all, Puyi was no longer the emperor at this time, and he was afraid that someone would die and he couldn't afford it, so he decided to invite Wenxiu's sister Wenshan to persuade Wenxiu.

Wenshan brought another woman named Yufen with her. Yufen is the daughter of Wenxiu's distant cousin-in-law Yuzhang. She belongs to Wenxiu's younger generation, but she is several years older than Wenxiu. Yufen's marriage is also unfortunate. Her husband, Feng Shushan, is the eldest grandson of former President of the Republic of China Feng Guozhang. He comes from a distinguished family, but Feng Shushan's bad habits are hard to change. He spends his days eating, drinking, having fun, looking for flowers, and has a very bad relationship with Yufen. But Yufen also gained knowledge because of this, especially her unique opinions on divorce and safeguarding women's rights.

Yufen persuaded Wenxiu: "Today is the era of the Republic of China, and the law states that men and women are equal , and Puyi has long been driven out of the palace, and is no longer the Xuantong emperor who had the power of life and death in the past, and We are all equal citizens. He also has to abide by the law and treat others equally. You can accuse him of abusing his wife, hire a lawyer, file a lawsuit, divorce him, and ask for alimony." But Wenxiu said worriedly. I am already the emperor's concubine. Unlike ordinary women, I have nothing else to ask for. I just hope that I will not be locked up like a bird and that I can have the same freedom as ordinary people."

Wenxiu

At this time Wenshan also advised Wenxiu: "You can't be too naive. You have to fight your own life and make your own path. With Puyi and Wanrong controlling you, not only will you never be free, your situation will only get worse. "

Under the persuasion of Wenshan and Yufen, Wenxiu finally made up his mind to divorce. After deliberation, the three came up with a plan to escape.

At noon on August 25, 1931, Wenxiu met while having lunch. The eunuch was negligent and lost his temper on purpose, shouting loudly: "Trash! Hate! "

Pu Yi thought that Wen Xiu was referring to Sang and scolding Huai, and couldn't help being furious: "You are guilty of deceiving the emperor, you deserve to die!" "

Wenxiu picked up a pair of scissors and stabbed his own throat, but the eunuch with quick eyes and hands snatched it away. Wenxiu used this to cry and make a fuss, leaving Puyi helpless, so he had to send someone to invite Wenshan in. Come here.

After Wenshan came over, she said to Puyi: "My sister is crying, she is depressed, and persuasion is not working. Please allow me to accompany her to go out to the theater to relax."

Puyi showed mercy for a moment and readily agreed: "You can take her out to play, but don't show your face. Take my car and come back on time in the evening." "

After the Wenxiu sisters got in the car, they went straight to Tianjin National Hotel. As soon as they got off the car, they walked into the room that Wenshan had arranged. The accompanying eunuch Zhao Changqing also wanted to go in, but Wenxiu said: "Slave, please don't be rude. Just waiting here, you are not allowed to come in unless I ask you to come in. "

Zhao Changqing argued: "The slave should follow. "

Wenshan said bluntly: "I can tell you that Concubine Shu will not go back after she comes out this time. She will go to the court to sue the emperor soon. "

Zhao Changqing's face turned pale with fright. He quickly knelt down and kowtowed while saying: "If Concubine Shu doesn't go back, I won't be able to deliver the favor to the emperor, and the emperor will beat me to death.

Wenxiu comforted Zhao Changqing and said: "Today's matter has nothing to do with you. You and the car should go back quickly!" Then she took out a letter from her arms, handed it to Zhao Changqing and said, "Just give this letter to the emperor." "

Wenxiu complained in the letter that she had been mistreated on weekdays and had no choice but to resort to law to divorce Puyi. Puyi couldn't help being shocked after reading it, because there had never been a concubine in the past who dared to divorce the emperor. If this happened If the news spread, he would be disgraced. He immediately sent someone to drive to the National Hotel to pick up Wenxiu and declared: "As long as she can return to the park, everything can be discussed. "

But when Puyi's people arrived, Wenxiu had already moved elsewhere. Only the three lawyers she hired were waiting here. The lawyer said to the eunuchs: "Ms. Wenxiu asked us to inform you. You go back and tell the emperor. Please consider applying according to the conditions mentioned in the letter! "

Wenxiu

The next day, major newspapers reported that Wenxiu was divorcing Puyi, causing an uproar in public opinion. Articles from all walks of life were written to express their approval of Wenxiu's courage and courage, and to support her; and Some feudal relics also intervened in the lawsuit. They accused Wenxiu of being rebellious and immoral, and firmly opposed her divorce from Puyi.

As things got worse, Puyi was as anxious as an ant on a hot pot. It was him at that time. Wanting to use the power of the Japanese to complete the critical period of restoration, he did not want to cause trouble, and finally agreed to divorce, and sent someone to find Wenxiu's lawyer, trying to "privately"

Wenxiu raised three issues about divorce to Puyi through his lawyer. Conditions:

1. Complete separation without disturbing each other;

2. The clothes I use daily have been listed and all should be paid according to this list;

3. Allocate 500,000 yuan in alimony. After learning about it, Puyi said: "I can only do that." If I give her 30,000 yuan at a time, I really have no financial resources! "

From September 4 to October 2, the two parties finally reached an agreement on the alimony issue after 4 bargainings. Puyi paid Wenxiu 55,000 yuan in a lump sum. On October 22, the two parties formally signed a Divorce Agreement .

After seeing the agreement, Puyi finally breathed a long sigh of relief. In order to save his dignity, he immediately issued an "imperial edict":

Concubine Shu left the palace without authorization, which was against the ancestral rules, and the original seal was removed. The title is deposed to a commoner, so I admire this.

September 13, the 23rd year of Xuantong

On November 10, 1931, Puyi, escorted by Zheng Xiaoxu and others, hurriedly crossed the Baihe River by car from Tianjin, then boarded the Japanese merchant ship "Awaji Maru" and rushed to Japan. The northeastern Yingkou port under occupation eventually fell under the wings of Japanese imperialism when his puppet emperor went away. Fortunately, Wenxiu had divorced Puyi at this time and did not fall into the abyss of sin with him.

Puyi

After Wenxiu's divorce, she found a place near Di'anmen to live in seclusion, and hired two nannies to take care of her daily life. More than a year passed, and most of the money Puyi gave her had been spent. Wenxiu was unwilling to just sit back and have nothing, so she decided to find a job.

Soon after, with the help of her friends, Wenxiu entered a private primary school in Xicheng District as a Chinese language teacher. She went by the pseudonym "Fu Yufang". Because Wenxiu writes well in chalk, has a clear voice, and explains Chinese language courses thoroughly and clearly, students all like this teacher very much. But not long after, someone learned Wenxiu's true identity. After the incident became public, it became a major news anecdote in the school and in the market in Peking. Someone even wrote a limerick and posted it at the school door:

Emperor Xuantong’s concubine teaches Chinese at this school.

If you want to see the beauty, don't buy a ticket. Keep this door open during school hours.

From then on, during commuting time, there were always some people standing guard at the school gate, vying to see the "imperial concubine"'s grace, and some newspaper reporters also disclosed the "secret news" with added embarrassment. After a long time, Wenxiu became too tired and had no choice but to resign and live in seclusion again.

After the July 7th Incident, Beiping fell under the iron heel of the Japanese invaders, and Wenxiu became even more uneasy. The police, security chiefs, or scoundrels who rely on the Japanese influence come to the door one after another. Some of these people are borrowing money, extorting money, and proposing marriage. Once, a director named Zhu wanted to make Wenxiu his third concubine, so he sent someone to threaten him: "Director Zhu is a rich and powerful person. He said that he will never give up until he tastes the taste of an imperial concubine in this life." !"

Wenxiu was furious: "Rogue, whoever wants to be your little wife, get out of here!"

Wenxiu after divorce

After several years, Wenxiu's savings were completely exhausted, and she had to Selling physical labor to earn a living. She made a living from paper boxes at home, and once worked as a hard laborer in a bricklaying team. Because she could not withstand the heavy physical exertion, she finally made a living by selling cigarettes on the streets, experiencing the hunger and cold of the world. hardship.

After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War , Wenxiu was introduced by a friend and became a proofreader at the "North China Daily". Because of her serious work, she won the respect of Zhang Mingwei, the newspaper's president. Zhang Mingwei was very sympathetic to Wenxiu's experience and decided to introduce her to his cousin Liu Zhendong.

Liu Zhendong is a major quartermaster under Li Zongren . He was born into a poor family and joined the army at the age of 17. He was already over 40 at the time, but still unmarried. After Wenxiu and Liu Zhendong came into contact, they had a good impression of him and finally agreed to the marriage.

One day in the early summer of 1947, Wenxiu and Liu Zhendong held a grand wedding at the " Dongxing Building " Grand Hotel in Beijing. Wenshan and her husband also came this day. She said happily: "My 38-year-old sister has had a rough life. From being a concubine of a feudal emperor to today's free love and civilized marriage, this is an unimaginable change. Since today Now, my sister truly has a husband and a family. I wish them a lasting love and a long life together!"

Chinese embroidery stills of "The Last Princess"

Not long after the marriage, Liu Zhendong retired and used his savings to buy 8 He owned a flatbed truck , opened a trucking business, and made a living by renting cars and earning interest. Wenxiu also quit her job at the newspaper and took care of housework at home and helped her husband in business. The two lived a life of love for each other.

After the founding of New China, Liu Zhendong, under Wenxiu's persuasion, truthfully registered and frankly explained historical issues. The People's Government decided not to pursue criminal responsibility for Liu Zhendong and handed it over to the supervision and control of the masses.In 1951, the Beijing Municipal People's Government removed Liu Zhendong from supervision and control due to his better performance, and assigned him to be a worker in the cleaning team of Xicheng District, Beijing. During this period, although Wenxiu's life was very poor, her relationship with Liu Zhendong was still very good.

On September 17, 1953, Wenxiu died of myocardial infarction at the age of 45.

After Wenxiu passed away, Liu Zhendong asked the cleaning team for four wooden boards and built a coffin. With the help of two teammates, he buried her outside Andingmen in Beijing. There was no tombstone in front of the grave, and a handful of loess covered it. Wenxiu's coffin also covered up Wenxiu's tragic life from a down-and-out noblewoman to the last imperial concubine, and then to a commoner.

Although Wenxiu's life was bumpy, she dared to file for divorce, and after the divorce, her spirit was liberated and she gained freedom of movement. This is already remarkable. When Puyi recalled Wenxiu in his later years, he said: "Looking back now, fortunately she divorced me early and did not become Wanrong's second best. I think this was not only a victory for her, but also the starting point of her happiness in life. "

Puyi in his later years

About the author: Brother Di, an office worker born in the 1990s, has been writing full-time for 2 years and has published many articles with more than 100,000 hits on major self-media platforms. If you are interested in self-media, writing, and making money, and want to do side jobs or part-time jobs every month during your off-duty time, you can search and follow my public account " Emperor Ge talks about history " to discuss and make progress together.