Puyi is the last emperor of our country with a very legendary color. He was not allowed to decide every time Puyi ascends the throne or abdicates. This last emperor also became a puppet that everyone was fighting for in troubled times. So what was Puyi’s early life in the palace like? How did he escape from the Forbidden City step by step and finally take the position of the pseudo-Manchukuo emperor?
Puyi's bumpy life
Puyi is the eldest son of the Qing Dynasty Regent Zaifeng . The day before Empress Dowager Cixi passed away, he named Puyi, who was only three years old, as emperor. The young Puyi had no idea what he, the "emperor", would go through in the future, and his father, Regent Zaifeng, was dealt with. By the time Puyi was about to become an adult, there was no "political affairs" to deal with in the Qing Dynasty.
The actual ruler of the late Qing Dynasty "Aisin Gioro Zaifeng"
The young Puyi had never even left the palace gate, and he was also very yearning and curious about life outside the palace. Puyi lives in the palace wall. I know very little about the outside world, only knowing that everyone is making a revolution and cutting their braids until Puyi met the teacher who changed his life " Johnston ".
Puyi's "foreign teacher" Johnston
Johnston was one of the rare China at that time. After graduating from Oxford University , Johnston came to China and served in the British colonial regime in Hong Kong and Shandong. In the end, he became the teacher of Puyi, the last emperor, responsible for teaching Puyi English, geography, Western learning and other knowledge.
Under the influence of Johnston Puyi learned many Western views. After that, Puyi put on glasses, rode a "foreign bike" (bicycle), and learned British gentlemanly etiquette and free love . Johnston was in Shandong, China and was not like those who were always colonists. He advocated the preservation of the people's original lifestyle and not interfering too much.
Puyi's queen Wanrong and the palace servants rode bicycles
Qing Dynasty was overthrown by the Republic of China government. According to the preferential conditions for signed by the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China government, Puyi still lives in the palace. However, at this time, Puyi no longer had to hide in the palace like before, but could leave the palace occasionally. At this time, Puyi was in a straight suit and sat in a car with glasses, looking like a rich young man who went abroad to return to China.
When he was young, Puyi looked like a young man and looked like a young man. Not long after, the stable life of Wu Peifu's government suddenly collapsed, and Puyi was forced to leave the Forbidden City , where he had lived for many years. From then on, the last emperor officially began his wandering life. He fled to Tianjin at that time and lived in Jingyuan in Tianjin for a while.
Tianjin Jingyuan, where Puyi lived, and Puyi in the concession also felt unprecedented freedom and respect, and many foreigners called him the emperor. Puyi also lingers among various places in Tianjin, and made friends with various warlords and powerful people. I hope that these people can stand around them when they restore in .
But things went against my expectations, as time passed. Puyi could feel that his "power" was passing by, and finally Puyi thought of Japan, which had always been helpful to him. At that time, the Japanese proposed a condition that Puyi could not refuse: "Build a new country, the puppet Manchukuo."
The State Council of the puppet Manchukuo established by Japan
Japan's original intention of establishing the puppet Manchukuo was actually to recruit soldiers and horses for the Japanese garrison through Puyi's name. However, Puyi, who was blindfolded by the restoration at the time, could not see these, and he decisively chose to cooperate with the Japanese . After becoming the emperor of the puppet Manchukuo, Puyi completely lost his personal freedom. He was placed under house arrest by the Japanese in Changchun. All his thoughts were his own unrealistic fantasy. His dream of emperor is not worth mentioning in front of the profit-seeking Japanese.
Public Manchukuo Palace in Changchun (now the Puppet Manchukuo Palace Museum)
A few years later, Puyi finally waited for the day of liberation.The Soviet Red Army captured Changchun, Jilin, and Japan announced its surrender at this point. Puyi also issued the "Abdication Edict" . He fled from Changchun to Shenyang, and was about to fly to Japan in Shenyang, but was captured by the Soviet Red Army and the Japanese at the airport.
Puyi was imprisoned in the Soviet Union for five years, but during these five years, the Soviet Union did not neglect the former emperor. Both food and accommodation are taken care of.
Puyi in the Soviet Union
Puyi even wrote letters to Stalin many times during this period, asking to stay in the Soviet Union because he was afraid of being tried domestically after returning home. On August 10, 1946, Puyi attended the Far East International Military Court as a witness and testified in court about the Japanese's crimes. Puyi claimed that in the puppet Manchukuo, he was just a puppet of the Japanese and had no personal freedom or power, and said that he was held hostage by the Japanese to Changchun.
Puyi accused Japanese
later life in the Far East military court
1950 Puyi was extradited to China by Chinese and was detained in Fushun War Criminals Management Office . In the management office, Puyi received Marxist education, etc., and during this period he had to wear clothes and tie his shoelaces, which he had never had before. In addition, the followers who served Puyi in the past were not allowed to call the emperor anymore. They dared to call the emperor only when they met in private.
Puyi was in Fushun War Criminals Management Office
At first, Puyi wanted to continue to be the emperor, but after being instilled with socialist ideas, Puyi realized his mistakes and could take care of himself and communicate freely with others in Fushun War Criminals Management Office. So Puyi became the first batch of amnesty personnel issued by the central government, and was integrated into the society of the new China.
Puyi’s former cell
became a new Chinese citizen , Puyi worked in the botanical garden for about a year, and then joined National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and became a CPPCC member . During this period, under the introduction of Premier Zhou, he also met nurse Li Shuxian , and the two got married. After marriage, Puyi wrote the book "My First Half of Life" , which tells the story of his bitterness and helplessness as the last emperor.
Puyi and Li Shuxian's photo
Prince Zhou publicly supported Puyi in the newspaper after reading it:
"Puyi has been back from the Soviet Union for sixteen years. He wrote this book with a painful mood. We transformed the last emperor into a citizen, which is a unique miracle in the world."
But at this time, Puyi was already seriously ill, often with fever and hematuria . After learning about this, Premier Zhou found many experts from urology and moved Puyi to high-ranking ward .
However, after being admitted to the hospital, Puyi's health was still getting worse and worse. After many doctors diagnosed it, they also told Premier Zhou that the last emperor had little time left. In the early morning of October 17, 1967, Puyi passed away in the hospital. The legendary life of the last emperor ended here.
Aisin Gioro Puyi’s memorial service
Also worth mentioning is that before his death, Puyi kept shouting to see Premier Zhou, probably to entrust Premier Zhou to take care of his widow and the people of the tribe.
Puyi's funeral
After Puyi's death, Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou both paid close attention to this matter. Premier Zhou said:
"Puyi's funeral is held according to the rules of Aisin Gioro family . The country respects the habits of Puyi's family."
Although our country is vigorously promoting cremation at this time, Puyi's identity is special. Premier Zhou said:
"Puyi's body can be buried or cremated according to the wishes of his family. Whether he wants to be buried with Aisin Jueluo's family or enters the Revolutionary Cemetery or Wan'an Cemetery, he will be chosen by Aisin Jueluo's family."
Puyi's cemetery, and was buried with the people after his death. Later, he was moved to Hualong Royal Cemetery by Zhang Shiyi.
Puyi's life is legendary. He became an emperor who could not take care of himself at the beginning and became a "Western prince". Later, he worked in various places in the Tianjin Concession to seek restoration. He became the emperor of the pseudo-Manchukuo for a false promise from the Japanese and lived a dark house arrest life.
But in the end, he became a Chinese citizen under the transformation of the Chinese government and was also elected as a member of the CPPCC. From Puyi's life experience, we can also see that our party is extremely tolerant of Puyi, and it is this tolerant and the spirit of serving the people that changed Puyi.
