In the twelfth year of the Republic of China, "go, look at the little emperor marrying a lady", became a joy in the life of the people of Beijing at that time, this year the Forbidden City ushered in the wedding of its last owner, which was the last cooperation between the Sunqing court and the Republic of China government, which brought together the various dignitaries in the society at that time, and also lit up the last glimmer of the afterglow of the Qing Dynasty in the eyes of the people.
"I don't want grace"
Preparations for the little emperor's big wedding began in the tenth year of the Republic of China, when Puyi had just celebrated his fifteenth birthday, and the four concubines in the palace summoned Puyi's biological father, Zaifeng, the former regent of the jianguo state, to discuss the emperor's wedding with the ten princes of the clan.
In view of the precedent of Empress Dowager Cixi choosing a concubine for the marriage of The Tongzhi and Guangxu Emperors, the four concubines also wanted to take this opportunity to arrange the emperor's pillow person as their own, so as to monopolize the power in the Sunqing court.
Above_ Puyi When he was a teenager
Since The widows of the Tongzhi Emperor, Zhuang and Taifei, died not long after the "marriage proposal", One of the four concubines, Ronghui Taifei, was a cowardly character and did not participate in these affairs.
Only the battle between The Tongzhi Emperor's widow Jingyi and the Guangxu Emperor's widow Duan Kang wrestled with each other.
Both sides vowed to keep the little emperor firmly in their hands.
At that time, the favorite candidate of Princess Jingyi was the daughter of Duan Gong of the Erdet clan of Manchuria
Embroidery
Duan Kang's concubine chose the daughter of Guo Bro's Rongyuan
Grace
。
For this reason, the two did not hesitate to make a big fuss in the palace, and each found an Austrian aid outside the palace, that is, Puyi's two uncles Zaixun and Zaitao, running for the "favorite people" of the two concubines, but the two sides could not argue with each other, so they kicked the ball to Puyi and let him decide for himself. Because the former emperor chose the empress and concubines in the form of delivering ruyi or giving purses, the operability of which was too great, the prince and minister used the most "modern" method for the sake of fairness - picking photos. Present the prepared photo of the Manchurian woman to the emperor, who the emperor likes, just mark the photo.
Above_ Erdet Wenxiu (December 20, 1909 – September 17, 1953), courtesy name Huixin, self-proclaimed Eileen, Mongolian
Until this time, Puyi's big wedding was not the one-step situation of "one queen and one concubine" imagined by posterity.
At first, it was only to select an empress, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs sent a total of four photos to Puyi, namely the daughters of the Mongolian prince Yangcang Zabu, the former capital Hengyong, Rongyuan, and Duangong.
The four photos are in Puyi's own words: "In my opinion, they are all the same look, each has a body like a paper paste bucket, the face is very small, and it is really impossible to distinguish the ugly." The young Puyi then made a mistake in four photos, and finally chose a photo that looked good and drew a circle, and this person was Wen Xiu, who was only twelve years old at the time.
As soon as the results came out, Princess Duankang stopped doing it, and the person she liked was not elected, but the old rival Jingyi became the empress, so how could she preside over the affairs of the palace in the future. Duan Kang, on the grounds that Wen Xiu's family was poor and people were not good-looking, entangled a group of princes to let Puyi re-elect, the so-called re-selection is actually only one option, that is, only Guo Buluo Wanrong can be chosen.
Left and right are nothing more than drawing another circle, and Puyi drew a circle on the photo of the only candidate Wanrong in order not to see it.
This result Jingyi did not accept, and in the end, Princess Ronghui stood up and made peacemakers, since both sides were not satisfied, then both wanted,
Wan Rong was the empress, and Wen Xiu was a concubine, so that the storm after the election could be regarded as calming down.
Above_ Guo Buluo Wanrong (November 13, 1906 – June 20, 1946), zi Mu Hong, Zhi Lian, Manchuria Zhengbai Banner (Daur)
The emperor did not have any money to marry
The marriage person was selected, and Puyi appointed his seventh uncle Zaitao to handle the big wedding ceremony, and the minister of internal affairs Shao Ying and Qi Ling as deputies officially began to prepare for the big wedding ceremony and purchase. After listening to the report of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Puyi gave a ceiling on the number of marriage fees, that is, it should not exceed 360,000 yuan.
However, when the Ministry of Internal Affairs, according to the emperor's wishes, drew up the procurement plan and sent it to Puyi's grand general Ruan Jinshou, the chief eunuch beat the plan back. After many inquiries, the Ministry of Internal Affairs knew that it was because these funds were too small, and they were distributed to the eunuchs in the palace, especially the hands of the grand master, so they could not pass.
Above_ The marriage room set up in the Yangxin Hall
On one side was the emperor, on the other hand was the chief of the palace, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs held the idea of calming things down and making more money on its own, and finally gave a plan that a big wedding would require at least four hundred thousand yuan.
Puyi did not understand the "flower work" in it, and naturally agreed. However, the Ministry of Internal Affairs could not come up with this money, so it had to go to the Beiyang government and ask them to allocate 400,000 yuan of the "preferential treatment fee for clearing the house" that had been owed over the years to solve the urgent need.
According to the provisions of the second paragraph of the "Conditions for Preferential Treatment after the Resignation of the Emperor of the Great Qing Dynasty" in the first year of the Republic of China, and with reference to the financial plan of the Qing Dynasty Imperial Family for the three years of Xuanun, the commitment given by the Government of the Republic of China was:
"After the abdication of the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, the annual use was four million taels, and after the new coin was minted, it was changed to four million yuan, which was allocated by the Republic of China."
Above_ The marriage bed set up at Khun Ninh Palace
However, the reply given by the Beiyang government at this time is:
"Fang is now that the treasury is empty, it is difficult to do so, please raise separately."
For such a reply, the Ministry of Internal Affairs was mentally prepared, because according to the accounts of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, except for the first year of the Republic of China, after the Beiyang government allocated four million two-year fees in full and on time, the second year of the Republic of China was two million and eighty-eight million taels, and after the fifth year of the Republic of China, it could only receive more than one million taels per year, less than half of the prescribed amount, and the annual guaranteed expenditure of the Ministry of Internal Affairs was about 2.69 million taels. In
"There are dates without dates to hit a shot"
The idea, Shao Ying and Qi Lingcai and the Beiyang government held this consultation, since the Beiyang government can not solve the difficulties here, then continue the old way - selling.
In fact, the sale of property had long been a way for the Sunqing court to live, and the then ministry of internal affairs, Lang Zhongkai, proposed that the ministry of internal affairs raise a batch of treasures first, and he would go to Tianjin to sell these things to foreign merchants. But in this way, the other officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are not willing, you go to do it, you sell it? The benefits don't all come to you alone. So he poked the matter to the newspaper, and hyped up the news that the Sunqing royal family had betrayed the cultural relics of the imperial palace, forced by the pressure of public opinion.
In the end, the Ministry of the Interior used the method of "mortgage" to borrow wedding funds from HSBC at the cost of more than forty large wooden boxes of gold and silver utensils plus two boxes of porcelain and jade, and the kickbacks given by HSBC were for everyone's share.
Above_ The xi bed set up in the Winter Nuan Hall of Kunning Palace, on which is the yongzheng Emperor's imperial book "Bit Zheng Kunyuan" plaque
Full cooperation with the Beiyang government
Due to the boiling noise Chinese the mortgage palace this time, the Beiyang government also had no light, so the authorities expressed their best support for this big wedding, and first the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of China specially wrote a well-worded apology letter to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, explaining why there was no money to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Then he deliberately allocated 100,000 yuan from the tariff as a big wedding fund, but 20,000 yuan of this 100,000 yuan should be regarded as the official congratulatory gift of the Republic of China government.
At the same time, the Beiyang government promised to be responsible for all the security work during the big wedding, and according to Puyi's statistics, only the regular army troops dispatched 2,498 people during the big wedding
In addition, there are a large number of gendarmes, police, and fire brigades on standby to maintain order.
Above_ On the day of Puyi's wedding, the police guarded the shenwu gate in beijing
Above_ The send-off team and the police escorting outside the Shenwu Gate
In order to take care of the face of the Sunqing royal family,
The Beiyang government also specially approved that the welcoming procession and the empress could enter the Forbidden City from the Donghua Gate
。 Yes, the Empress's attempt to enter the Forbidden City from the previous dynasty required approval from the Beiyang government. Because as early as the beginning of Puyi's abdication, Yuan Shikai delineated the scope of residence for Puyi, that is, from Qianqingmen to the north to Shenwumen was the residence of the Sunqing royal family, while the south of Qianqingmen belonged to the Republic of China government.
According to the custom of other emperors in the Qing Dynasty to marry in the Forbidden City, marrying the empress is to enter the harem from the Central Axis of the Forbidden City through the Great Qing Gate, but now it is different from the past, and being able to enter from the Donghua Gate has already made the royal family grateful.
Above_ Puyi stopped outside the Qianqing Palace when she married Wanrong
The Beiyang government not only gave enough face in the form of the wedding, but also Li Yuanhong, who was the president at the time, also specially sent a ceremonial officer on the wedding day on December 1, 1922, to congratulate Puyi
In addition, Puyi was also allowed to receive the Beiyang Civil and Military Officials and the warlord representatives of the provinces. The most outrageous of these was the attendant military attaché of the presidential palace, Chang Yinchang, who, when he met Puyi, wore a Western-style dress, bowed to the newcomer, and suddenly announced:
"Just now that represents the Republic of China, modern watch slaves themselves to the emperor to pay tribute"
When you say it, get down on your knees and prostrate yourself.
As soon as this move came out, the people present were shocked, secretly happy and dismissive, but for Puyi, it gave him a great sense of satisfaction. What surprised the royal family the most was that foreign ambassadors also joined hands to enter the palace from Dongjiaomin Lane to congratulate Puyi, for which the little emperor also issued a warm thank you in English.
Above_ Puyi and Wanrong receive foreign guests at the Yangxin Hall
Congratulations received by the Emperor on his wedding
Attending the wedding, there must be a congratulatory gift, Puyi's big wedding is no exception, in addition to the grand scene, the various forces sent a variety of gifts are also dazzling. According to Puyi's "Catalogue of Items for the Great Wedding Ceremony", we can see the grand situation at that time, and now some of the gifts of the Politicians of the Republic of China are listed:
No. 2, Xu Shichang (former president of the National Congress of the Republic of China) Gongjin: one ruyi handle, one piece of yellow velvet cloud dragon carpet, twenty-eight pieces of porcelain, ten pieces of kujin satin cushion table and chair.
No. 77, the two lakes parade made Wu Peifu present: three inlaid jade ruyi handle, white satin Xiang embroidered feathered flower screen into the hall, enamel Zhou Ya bottle into pairs, on the use of a kind of etymology into the part · · · (and several pieces of precious clothing).
No. 153, the head of the head wearing the former vice president of the Bow Virtue Academy Kang Youwei kneeling; silver coins of one thousand yuan, two pieces of the French Emperor Napoleon and princess Ao's big wedding album, and one piece of the Italian Flor trainer jade mo color figure small screen.
No. 160, gifted by President Li Yuanhong: Dragon and phoenix gold inlaid jade double ruyi frame, dragon and phoenix enamel silver round box in pairs, dragon and phoenix enamel silver round vase paired... Red satin splendid flowers are happy to be paired up...
No. 214, The General Tax Department Anglian presented: a silver plate.
No. 215, Zhang Zuolinjin, commander-in-chief of the security of the three eastern provinces: 10,000 yuan of silver coins.
On The 219th, President Li Yuanhong presented a congratulatory gift of 20,000 yuan in silver coins.
Li Yuanhong (October 19, 1864 – June 3, 1928), formerly known as Bingjing (秉經), courtesy name Song Qing, was a native of Huangpi, Hubei
Among the dignitaries, cao kun, Feng Yuxiang, Zhang Xun and others also had many gifts to offer, even the Jewish capitalist Hartung in Shanghai, and the British capitalist He Dong in Hong Kong also sent precious gifts, gold and silver clothing, diamond beads and countless.
Although the above congratulatory gifts from the political leaders of the Republic of China are rich, the most important thing for the Sunqing court is still the attitude of "gongjin" and "kneeling in", and the words are extremely humble, so that the long-low royal family seems to have a glory again, which can be described as "agni cooking oil, flowers with brocade", but it is like seeing it feasting guests, seeing it collapse,
After the wedding, less than two years later, Puyi and his empress and concubine were expelled from the palace.
Above_ After Puyi left the palace, Feng Yuxiang's department inspected the Yongshou Palace accompanied by The Manchu Qing Imperial Representative Shaoying
Above_ After Puyi was expelled from the palace, the military and police were sealing up Qianqing
However, the grand situation at the time of the big wedding made Puyi unforgettable for a long time, and it also made him have an illusion and a terrible thought:
"If it weren't for the revolution, I would have started pro-government... I want to restore my ancestral inheritance with my own hands."
Once such a thought is rooted, with the help of "people with hearts", it will become a towering tree, coupled with the encouragement of the old and the young around him, and the "overtures" of the Japanese, Puyi after the big wedding will also start to move step by step to the position of the head of the puppet Manchukuo from the little emperor who never asks about the world.
Text: Wei Siwei
Resources:
[1] "The First Half of My Life" Puyi Mass Publishing House
[2] "Puyi's Wedding Documentary", Pujia Literature and History Materials Publishing House
[3] "Secrets of the Imperial Family of the Sunqing Dynasty", Qin Guojing, Forbidden City Publishing House
[4] "Pseudo-Manchukuo History", Qi Fulin, Social Science Literature Publishing House
The text was created by the History University Hall team, and the picture originated from the Internet and the copyright belongs to the original author