Aixin Jueluo Puyi, the last emperor in Chinese history, believes that most people still have an impression of this person, Puyi was born on February 7, 1906, is the 20th century after the 00s.
He entered the palace at the age of 3 and left the palace at the age of 19, which can be said to be for Puyi, the Forbidden City represents his childhood and youth, although he is no longer the emperor.
Sixteen years of life in the Forbidden City, these 16 years, whether in the whole of China or the Forbidden City, are 16 years of earth-shaking upheaval.
The Qing Dynasty became the Republic of China, the imperial system became a republic, and it can be said that the emperor became the most meaningless existence, so what did Puyi do in the Forbidden City? What is the significance and value of his sixteen years?
First, the sudden throne
The time begins in 1908, which is the thirty-fourth year of Guangxu according to the Manchu Qing Dynasty calendar.
The Guangxu Emperor, who had been an emperor for thirty years, or a puppet for thirty-four years, was seriously ill and would not be able to do it.
As the true ruler of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, Cixi began to worry about the next generation of emperors and eventually chose Puyi.
But at that time, the Manchu Qing Dynasty was in turmoil, and everyone knew that this emperor was not good, and Puyi's grandmother just fainted after listening to Yi's will.
The old man knew very well that Puyi, who was on the throne at this time, was not a glorious and rich emperor, and it was most likely that he was the last emperor, and no one who was waiting for him knew what it was.
The future emperor Puyi even cried and beat the inner prison to let him go. Puyi's wet nurse, Wang Jiaoshi, carried Puyi into the palace together.
On this day, Puyi entered the imperial palace that was still the dream of the people of the world at that time, but no one expected the accident to come so quickly.
On November 14, Guangxu died, and Empress Dowager Cixi ordered Puyi to inherit the imperial throne, and Puyi became the emperor that countless people dreamed of.
Second, the last emperor Puyi
Puyi became emperor, and the title Xuantong was not yet secure, only three years, the third year of Xuanun (1911) October 10, the Wuchang Uprising broke out, and the Qing court was in a panic.
This was followed by the well-known reign of Yuan Shikai, and after the outbreak of the Civil War between the North and the South, the provinces in South China declared their secession from the central government of the Qing Dynasty.
Finally, under the persecution of Yuan Shikai and the Beiyang clique, the Manchu Qing Dynasty came to an end.
On February 12, the first year of the Republic of China (1912), Empress Longyu promulgated the "Abdication Edict" in the name of the empress, and Puyi abdicated.
At this time, Puyi, who was just 6 years old, walked off the throne again in ignorance!
Relying on the Republic of China's honor for the Manchu Qing royal family, Puyi after abdicating the throne could still live a luxurious and free life in the Forbidden City.
Third, Puyi's vision of Western culture
In March 1919, at the age of 14, Puyi met his British teacher Johnston for the first time.
Before that, Puyi did not have a black eye on foreign countries, his master Chen Baochen had been to Nanyang, met foreigners, and taught Puyi some world knowledge.
Johnston is Puyi's English teacher, but for Johnston, he wants Puyi to become a civilized person in the eyes of Westerners.
Johnston also gave Puyi and the people in the Forbidden City a bunch of English names, Puyi was called Henry, and the empress was called Elizabeth.
It seems that in this way, Puyi can become a Westerner and become a civilized person.
Puyi recalled that "the Western civilization represented by the aircraft cannons, chemical candies and etiquette at the tea party on the pictorial newspaper was still deeply imprinted in my heart."
Perhaps because of the decline of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, Puyi was completely fascinated by Western civilization, he liked English and liked suits.
Even on the wedding day, Puyi took off her dragon robe, which was full of suits and duck-tongue hats.
However, Puyi did not expect that his civilization had caused opposition from teachers and friends.
On the day of the big wedding, Johnston, who came with foreign friends, could not help but be disappointed to see Puyi, who was wearing a suit and a duck-tongue hat.
Foreign ambassadors also do not understand that the Chinese emperor wears a hunting hat?
In fact, Puyi did not understand, although he could usually show his civilization, but as the former emperor of China at the wedding, he must at least maintain his dignity, otherwise even foreigners will look down on him.
Unfortunately, Puyi did not seem to understand, and he seemed eager to show his "civilization" in front of his foreign friends.
Fourth, Puyi who entertains himself
In addition, Puyi was also trying his best to rely on those Western things in his daily life, he put on glasses and installed a telephone in the Forbidden City.
Although he was scolded more than once by the princes and ministers inside and outside the palace, he was still immersed in self-amusement.
Perhaps he had already understood that although others still called him emperor, he was no longer the master of this great country, and what ancestral system and what dragon body had become the past.
At Puyi's big wedding, Pujia's "wedding gift" to him was a bicycle, which was also Puyi's first bicycle in his life.
Puyi also likes bicycles, riding during the day, riding at night, and also teaching Wan Rong to ride, it seems that he is addicted to this means of transportation that represents civilized people.
Puyi also ordered the Ministry of Internal Affairs to spend a lot of money to buy a variety of bicycles, often riding more than 20 cars, there are British double gun cards, three gun cards, hat cards, German blue cards, French goose cards and other different sizes of styles.
In order to ride a bicycle in the palace, Puyi let people see off all the thresholds of the palace gate, and others said anything that affected the big Qing feng shui.
Can the feng shui of Daqing be worse? Or is there still a big Qing?
He also did a lot of things, including dismissing eunuchs and the like, but the Manchu Qing was already extinct.
He did not seem to have any of the emperor's worries and ambitions, or perhaps he had not received an orthodox imperial education since childhood, so he did not have much ambition.
But the days passed like this, occasionally engaged in restoration, and occasionally sold antiques.
5. Forced to leave the Forbidden City
November 5, 1924, the thirteenth year of the Republic of China, was the darkest day in Puyi's life.
Feng Yuxiang sent Lu Zhonglin to bring troops into the Forbidden City and force Puyi to leave the Forbidden City, there was no emperor in China, and the Forbidden City did not need a master.
Puyi may not have had any idea of the passing away of Manchu Qing in the past, but this time he truly understood that Manchu Qing had become a thing of the past.
Since then, the Forbidden City has never had a new owner, and Puyi has become a puppet of the Japanese with reluctance and resentment.
In fact, as far as Puyi is concerned, the 16 years in the Forbidden City have been a rare happy time, the Manchu Qing Dynasty lost countless Chinese territories, but in the end it was still supported by the Beiyang government for 13 years, which has to be said to be ironic.