In ancient times, although being a eunuch was a very painful choice, it was also a road to wealth for many low-level people.
Because, not to mention those eunuchs who are particularly mixed with cattle, that is, the lowest-ranking eunuchs in the palace, their three meals a day can at least be guaranteed, and there are fixed Feng Lu every month, which is equivalent to a small civil servant.
Only, if you're in
In 1911, he chose to become a eunuch
, that's bad, because
The following year the Qing Dynasty collapsed
Even more frightening, the feudal dynasty also came to an end, the new government advocated the democratic republic, and the profession of eunuch became history, and no one dared to use eunuchs anymore. In other words, you yourself are white castrated, and you say that it is not miserable!
But in fact, choosing to be a eunuch in 1911 is not the most tragic thing, because although the Qing Dynasty collapsed in 1912, the Republic of China government according to the abdication regulations, although the emperor abdicated, they still lived in the Forbidden City, the original way of living is unchanged, history said
The government of the Republic of China also paid 4 million taels of silver yuan per year for the liquidation of the house
。
This life lasted until 1924, when Puyi was expelled from the Forbidden City by Feng Yuxiang.
In this sense, if you choose to be a eunuch in 1911, it is not really miserable, because although the Qing Dynasty collapsed, you can still serve the royal family in the Forbidden City, still have three meals a day without worry, and still receive a fixed salary every month.
The point is that the job can still be done for 13 years, and if planned well, the money saved in these 13 years is enough to live a life of hunger and starvation for the rest of your life. On the contrary, during this time, many people did not have the opportunity to become eunuchs
The people at the bottom, that's really called to do a miserable word
Because, since Puyi's abdication, China has been an era of warlord chaos.
One war after another, such as the Dharma Protection Movement, the Patriotic Movement, the Zhiwan War, and the Zhifeng War, were held one after another
Hundreds of people have been displaced, how many families have been torn apart, and countless people have died tragically, not to mention starvation or illness.
And in
The people who chose to become eunuchs in 1911 were not only far away from all these disasters, but also had no worries about food and clothing
Who do you say is miserable?
In fact
The real misery of being eunuchs was that they chose to become eunuchs in 1924, because they had just become eunuchs when they encountered Feng Yuxiang's Beijing coup
Not only were all members of the royal family expelled from the Forbidden City, but the eunuch palace ladies were also expelled from the palace, so when they were eunuchs at this time, it was really white castration, and it was really miserable!
However, at that time, no one would choose to become a eunuch in 1924, because from 1917, after Puyi's second abdication, the Republic of China government no longer allowed the Qing imperial family to recruit eunuchs into the palace, nor did it allow the people to castrate, otherwise they would be severely punished.
The last eunuch in Chinese history, called Sun Yaoting, was a eunuch who entered the palace in 1916
As for this Sun Yaoting, it was not too miserable, and after Puyi was just released from the Forbidden City by Feng Yuxiang, he returned to work in the regent's palace. Later, after Puyi served as the "emperor" of the puppet state of Manchukuo, he ran to Changchun to serve as an errand boy for Puyi.
After the Liberation War, Sun Yaoting became a staff member in the Wanshou Xinglong Temple, with a monthly salary of 35 yuan. After the Cultural Revolution,
Sun Yaoting lived in Guanghua Temple until his death in 1996, at the age of 94. Such an experience is really not too tragic!
Finally, I would like to tell you one
Really miserable
This is what happens
In October 1944, a man named Martin. J． Monty's American pilot, who deliberately flew a plane from the United States to Defect to Germany, surrendered to Germany
The Martin fled to Germany because he was opposed by the U.S. government's propaganda against the Soviet Union and wanted to fight the Soviet Union.
But the problem is that in World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union were allies and could not start a war. So, his mind was open, and he came up with the idea of defecting to Germany and then joining the German army to fight the Soviet Union.
As a result, after he had worked so hard to come to Germany from the United States and surrender to the German army,
The Germans did not believe that he had come to fight the Soviet Union, but instead thought he was an American spy, so he was imprisoned by the Germans
Fortunately, it was only a few months before the German surrender, so the Martin did not stay in prison for long. After the end of World War II, he was sent back to the United States, where he was sentenced to death for treason, but given the tense relations between the United States and the Soviet Union at that time, he surrendered to Germany only to fight the Soviets
In the end, he was exempted from the death penalty, but he was still sentenced to twenty-eight years in prison.