The last eunuch in China: The empress never took a shower herself, she also revealed a big secret of Puyi

Eunuchs, the most tragic group in ancient palaces. If it is not really desperate, no one would be willing to go to the palace, let alone the eunuch who cannot return to his hometown when he is old, let alone be buried in the ancestral grave. Take Beijing as an example. The temples near the suburbs are the final homes of many eunuchs who spend the rest of their lives here. Of course, temples are not easy to enter. When the eunuch is working in the palace, he needs to donate some money.

Sun Yaoting is the last eunuch in our country. Compared with other eunuchs, his ending is much better. After Puyi abdicated in 1911, he continued to live in the second half of the Forbidden City under preferential treatment conditions, and secretly recruited eunuchs. Against this background, Sun Yaoting entered the palace when he was 16 years old.

At first, Sun Yaoting was assigned to Princess Jin as an errand. Regardless of Sun Yaoting's young age, he can do things neatly. She is cautious and clever, deeply trusted by Princess Jin. After Puyi and Wanrong got married in 1922, Princess Jin arranged for Wanrong to serve with several experienced eunuchs, and Sun Yaoting became one of them.

Working as a errand for the queen is not an easy task. Sun Yaoting said in an interview in his later years: "At first, I could bear staying up late on duty, but in winter it was particularly difficult. I was often reprimanded for dozing off. Seeing that this might lead to life. No guarantee, so I thought of asking the old eunuch for advice.”

The old eunuch really has a way. They told Sun Yaoting that you can put a few cockleburs in your shoes when you are on duty at night. Keep yourself awake. We know that Wanrong is the last queen, and her life is full of tragedy. Sun Yaoting is also full of sympathy for Wanrong. He has repeatedly revealed the secrets between Puyi and Wanrong.

Sun Yaoting said: "After (Pu Yi and Wan Rong) got married, Pu Yi rarely spent the night in Chuxiu Palace. It became a rare thing to come once or twice by accident. When I woke up in the morning, the emperor patted his butt and left. There is no such kind of love between husband and wife, and there is no bitterness. And Wanrong's expression is even more languid, and her thin face often leaves traces of tears."

Sun Yaoting also said: "Usually Wanrong takes a bath. From taking off her clothes all over and putting them on after washing, she doesn't move a little hand, but is served by the maids. No matter what, she sits there, always motionless. Wanrong sleeps at night. The door was never closed, but a curtain was dropped symbolically. Sun Yaoting and other eunuchs were deeply sympathetic to Wanrong’s experience.” In 1924, Puyi was driven out of the Forbidden City by Feng Yuxiang, and Sun Yaoting also left the Forbidden City.

In order to live, Sun Yaoting lived in a temple in Beijing. Sun Yaoting also said that he was very lucky. He received some rewards during his duties in the palace, which satisfied his life in the temple. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the People's Government made him responsible for the management of the temples in Beijing, and he was also paid monthly. Sun Yaoting died in Beijing in 1996 at the age of 94.

Reference materials: "The Last Eunuch Sun Yaoting"