In 1912, Puyi promulgated the "Edict of Abdication" at the behest of Empress Dowager Longyu, declaring the end of the Qing Dynasty.
We know that in the nearly 300 years of the Qing Dynasty, a total of 12 hereditary princes and county kings were produced, commonly known as the "Iron Hat King". They made great contributions to the establishment and consolidation of the Qing Dynasty. When the Qing Dynasty fell, what were these 12 Iron Hat Kings doing?
Some organized armies to fight decisively with the revolutionary army
This is represented by Puwei the Prince of Gong.
Pu Wei was the grandson of the first Prince Gong of Gong, born on December 13, 1880, and succeeded to the throne in 1898, and successively served as the Minister of Official Housing, the Zhenghong Banner of Manchuria, and the Minister of Non-Smoking Affairs.
Among the royal children of the Puzi generation, Pu Wei was the oldest, capable of doing things, and was also affirmed by Empress Dowager Cixi, "Pu Wei is the closest and can be used as a help." In 1807, the Guangxu Emperor was seriously ill and anxious to find an heir, and Pu Wei was also among the candidates. Later, however, Empress Dowager Cixi chose Puyi, the son of Zaifeng the Prince of Alcohol.
In 1911, the Wuchang Uprising triggered the Xinhai Revolution, and Qing rule was in jeopardy. Pu Wei, Liang Bi, Tie Liang, and others formed the Sectarian Socialist Party, with Tie Liang as commander-in-chief, and organized the army to fight a decisive battle with the revolutionary army. Empress Longyu considered that Puyi was too young and prepared to let him abdicate. This move was fiercely opposed by Pu Wei. He made a request to Empress Longyu and Puyi: "The empress dowager and the emperor reward soldiers to serve the country." ”
Of course, at this time, the fate of the collapse of the Qing Dynasty has not been changed by the will of anyone. In 1912, after Puyi issued the "Edict of Abdication", Pu dawei was angry and shouted: "With me Puwei present, the Great Qing will not die." However, this kind of mantis arm was doomed to be useless, and soon Pu Wei saw that the trend had gone, and left the capital.
Some have withdrawn from the stage of history
Around 1911, the iron hat king who held the greatest power in the political arena of the Qing Dynasty was Zaifeng the Prince of Alcohol. To a large extent, this is due to Zaifeng's son Puyi being made emperor, and the father is noble to the son. After Zaifeng became the regent, he held the power of the imperial government. Even Prince Qing, who was in the middle of the day, and Yi Xi, the foreman of the military aircraft, had to obey Zaifeng's orders in handling political affairs.
Zaifeng, like his father, Prince Lao, acted low-key and cautiously. After the Xinhai Revolution, Zaifeng saw that the Qing Dynasty's rule had fallen into a state of isolation and helplessness, which was completely incomparable to the situation at the beginning of the Taiping Rebellion, so he resolutely relinquished power and returned to the Palace of Prince Alcohol, and has since withdrawn from the stage of history.
After Puyi issued the Edict of Abdication, Zaifeng no longer paid attention to any political activities. Even when there were guests at home and talking loudly, he only listened from the side and never expressed any opinion. Zaifeng lives in simplicity and rarely goes out. Occasionally participating in the red and white celebrations of relatives and their own clans, after arriving, they simply greeted each other and then resigned and returned home.
Perhaps because of this low-key caution, Zaifeng did not die until 1951 at the age of 68.
Some advocate peaceful handover of power in line with the times
At the end of the Qing Dynasty, Prince Yi of Qing was known for his insatiable greed. He colluded with his son Zai Zhen and the chancellor Na Tong to openly sell the official Jie Jue and obtain a huge income, and was known as the "Qingna Company".
However, Yi Li's ability to judge the current situation is quite high. In early 1912, there was a fierce debate within the imperial family over whether the emperor would abdicate. Many people, such as Pu wei, Zai Ze and others, resolutely opposed the abdication of the emperor and advocated stubborn resistance to the end. Only a few people, including Yi Li, advocated the abdication of the emperor and the peaceful transfer of power.
At that time, because Prince Zaifeng had retired, Yi Li had a high rank and great power within the imperial family, and played a role in saying nine words. Pu Wei, Zai Ze and others tangled more than 10 people to go to prince Qing's mansion and besieged Yi Li. Yi Li was not impressed. In the end, at yixi's insistence, Puyi issued the "Abdication Edict", ending the qing dynasty's nearly 300 years of rule.
Perhaps for this reason, in January 1917, when Yi Li died of illness, Puyi gave him the nickname "Secret", implying that he was responsible for the demise of the Qing Dynasty.