In a general hospital in Beijing, on a late autumn night in 1967, Pu Yi, the former "Son of Heaven", died of uremia. His death was not only the end of an era, but also the beginning of a family tragedy. Li Shuxian, Pu Yi's widow, faced the death of her husband and chose to be widowed. However, behind this is not just loyalty to the deceased lover, but a long legal battle around Pu Yi's legacy. What kind of secrets are hidden in the 10-year lawsuit? With whom is Li Shuxian fighting for this inheritance? How can the inheritance of an ordinary citizen cause such a long-term controversy? Could it be that all this has something to do with a book?
The transformation of the last emperor into a commoner
In the long history of China, Pu Yi is undoubtedly a special symbol. His life, the transformation from a supreme emperor to an ordinary citizen, is a microcosm of China's great transformation from a feudal society to a socialist society. Puyi's civilian transformation is not only a change in identity and status, but also a radical innovation in lifestyle and ideology.
Born in 1906 in Beijing's Prince Alcohol Mansion, Pu Yi was the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty, and his life was destined to be different. In 1908, at the age of two, Pu Yi succeeded to the throne under the arrangement of the Empress Dowager Cixi and became the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty. However, his reign as emperor was short-lived. In 1911, the Xinhai Revolution broke out, and Qing rule was in jeopardy. In 1912, Pu Yi was forced to abdicate, the Qing Dynasty officially ended, and China entered the Republic of China period. Despite this, Pu Yi continued to live in the Forbidden City and enjoyed the privileges and allowances stipulated in the "Qing Family Preferential Treatment Regulations".
Pu Yi was not alone in his life in the Forbidden City, and he was accompanied by a group of loyal eunuchs and court maids. However, the influence of these palace maids on Pu Yi was much more than that. According to historical records, during his life in the Forbidden City, Pu Yi had illicit relationships with palace maids, and these relationships caused serious damage to his physical health, eventually causing him to be unable to have children. In 1932, Pu Yi became the puppet emperor of Manchukuo under the manipulation of Japan, which was the second time in his life that he ascended the throne. However, this time the emperor was not really the ruler, but a puppet of the Japanese. During the puppet period of Manchukuo, Pu Yi's life was still luxurious, but his heart was empty. In 1945, Japan surrendered, and Pu Yi's career as a puppet Manchu emperor also ended. He was captured by the Soviet Red Army and spent five years in captivity in the Soviet Union.
In 1950, Pu Yi was sent back to China and began his path of transformation. In the Fushun War Criminals Management Center, Pu Yi underwent a decade-long ideological reform. Here he is no longer an emperor, but an ordinary war criminal. He studied Marxism, went to work, and lived with other war criminals. This experience had a profound impact on Pu Yi's ideology. He began to recognize his past mistakes and came to identify with the Communist Party's policies and reforms.
In 1959, Pu Yi was released from prison under amnesty and began his new life as an ordinary citizen. He was assigned to work in the Committee on Cultural and Historical Materials of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and became a commissioner of culture and history. Here, Pu Yi has his own office and his own work tasks. He was in charge of reviewing the literary and historical materials sent by the provinces, and also wrote his memoir "The First Half of My Life". This book details his life, his transformation from an emperor to an ordinary citizen.
Pu Yi's transformation into a commoner is not only his personal change, but also the transformation of Chinese society. His life is a microcosm of China's transformation from a feudal society to a socialist society.
Li Shuxian: Pu Yi's last companion in life
In Pu Yi's life journey, Li Shuxian's appearance was like a warm light, illuminating his later years. Li Shuxian, eleven years younger than Pu Yi, is a nurse who has experienced two failed marriages, and the ups and downs in her life have made her more resilient and independent. Unlike those women who admired Pu Yi just because he was once an emperor, Li Shuxian fell in love with Pu Yi, who had gone through vicissitudes and transformed into an ordinary person.
In 1962, Pu Yi and Li Shuxian registered their marriage in Beijing, which was the fourth marriage in Pu Yi's life and the only one he had without any political marriage. Life after marriage is a new experience for Pu Yi. Although their residence is simple, Pu Yi finds the long-lost family warmth here. He would buy some small gifts for Li Shuxian on holidays
Behind the Legacy War: "The First Half of My Life"
Throughout Pu Yi's life, his autobiography "The First Half of My Life" was not only a testimony to his personal history, but also the focus of a decade-long legal dispute after his death. The creation and publication of this book involved many people and events, which eventually led to a fierce battle over copyright.
The creation of "The First Half of My Life" began in 1954, when Pu Yi was still undergoing reform in the Fushun War Criminals Management Center. Here, Pu Yi is encouraged to write down his memories as a way to reflect on the past. Pu Yi's memoirs were originally used only as internal material for research and educational purposes. However, as Pu Yi's transformation progressed, this personal memory was gradually regarded as a document with broader social value.
In order to organize and publish this memoir, the government arranged for the editor Li Wenda to assist Pu Yi. Li Wenda is an experienced editor who is extremely interested in Pu Yi's life and is well aware of the book's potential impact. In the following years, Li Wenda and Pu Yi had many in-depth discussions and repeatedly proofread the manuscript to ensure the accuracy of history and the fluency of the writing. In 1964, this detailed account of Pu Yi's transition from emperor to ordinary citizen was finally published.
After the publication of the book, it quickly attracted a lot of attention among the academic community and the public due to its unique historical perspective and detailed content. Pu Yi's name once again became the focus of discussion, and the book became an important source for the study of modern Chinese history. However, after Pu Yi's death, copyright issues about the book began to surface.
After Pu Yi's death, his widow Li Shuxian discovered that "The First Half of My Life" was not only Pu Yi's memoir, but also a valuable asset he left to future generations. However, when Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci planned to adapt the book into a film, the issue of copyright became a complex legal issue. The producers initially approached Lee in the hope of obtaining the rights to adapt the book. However, Lee Shu-hyun and the producer could not reach an agreement on the copyright fee, which led the producer to contact Lee Man-tat instead.
Lee claimed that he played a key role in the editing and collation of the book, and that he should have the right to commercially exploit the contents of the book. This claim immediately sparked a backlash from Li Shuxian, who argued that Pu Yi was the sole author of the book, and that Li Wenda had only participated in the editing work as an assistant, and that she had no right to authorize the adaptation of the book alone.
Subsequently, Li Shuxian took Li Wenda to court, and the two sides launched a ten-year legal battle over the copyright ownership of "The First Half of My Life". This lawsuit not only involves the legal issue of copyright, but also touches on the right to interpret and inherit historical memory. What the court needs to consider is not only the specific contributions of Pu Yi and Li Wenda in the creation of books, but also how to deal with the commercialization of historical documents fairly.
This copyright dispute over "The First Half of My Life" was finally decided by the court in 1995. The court confirmed that Pu Yi was the sole author of the book, and although Li Wenda had editorial contributions, it was not enough to identify him as a co-author. This decision not only addresses the issue of copyright ownership, but also redefines the boundaries between personal memoirs and public historical records.
Victory in court and the irony of life
In the battle for Pu Yi's inheritance, the court's ruling not only marks the resolution of a legal issue, but also reveals the impermanence and irony of life. After Pu Yi's death, Li Shuxian launched a ten-year legal battle with Li Wenda for the copyright of the book "My First Half of Life". This lawsuit is not only a battle for Pu Yi's legacy, but also a protection of his personal historical memory.
Li Shuxian insisted that all literary property rights to Pu Yi, as the sole author of the book, should be held by his immediate heirs. Li Wenda, on the other hand, argues that his contribution to the process of editing and organizing the book gives him certain rights. This controversy touched on the definition of authors' rights and editors' rights from a legal perspective, and aroused widespread social concern and discussion in the legal community.
In 1995, the court finally ruled that Pu Yi was the sole author of "The First Half of My Life" and rejected all of Li Wenda's claims. The verdict brought a legal victory for Li Shuxian, confirming that the legal heirs of Puyi's estate owned the full copyright to the book. Behind this victory, however, lies a profound irony of life.
Although the court's decision upheld the justice of copyright, for Li Shuxian personally, the joy of victory did not last long. Shortly after the verdict was announced, Ms. Lee died of illness and was unable to truly enjoy the fruits of the lawsuit. In addition, after Li Shuxian's death, Pu Yi's estate once again faced uncertainty due to the lack of direct heirs. Once again, the copyright of the book has become an unanswered question, as if to foreshadow the cycle and irony of history.
Pu Yi's estate controversy is not only a legal issue, but also a profound reflection on the relationship between the past and the present, between the individual and society. As a record of Pu Yi's personal experience, "The First Half of My Life" is worth far more than the material level, it is a witness to the historical changes of an era and a country. This battle for Puyi's heritage also reflects the society's emphasis on historical memory and the protection of cultural heritage.
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As time goes on, Pu Yi's life and his book, The First Half of My Life, will continue to be studied and discussed by later generations. This book not only records Puyi's transformation from emperor to citizen, but also records the great transformation of China from feudalism to modern society. Pu Yi's story and his books are like a mirror, reflecting the complex relationship between personal destiny and national history.