Once upon a time, Pu Yi was the emperor admired by everyone, and he was surrounded by servants in the Forbidden City. However, the wheels of history rolled forward, and the artillery fire of the Xinhai Revolution dragged him off the dragon chair. Today, he has to work with his own hands to earn a living, squeezing the bus to and from work. One day, when several former Eight Banners disciples saw him and still knelt down and shouted "Emperor", Pu Yi just said coldly, "It's been liberated for so long, don't come to this set." This sentence expresses his inner confusion and contradictions: as the last emperor, should he completely let go of the past and fully integrate into the new life, or is he destined to be entangled with the shadow of the old system for the rest of his life?
Brilliant to the point of decline
On October 10, 1911, the Wuchang Uprising kicked off the Xinhai Revolution. This great revolution, which completely abolished the absolute monarchy and established republican democracy, put an end to China's feudal dynastic rule that lasted for more than 2,000 years. Pu Yi was the last reigning emperor, and his fate was closely linked to the revolution.
Pu Yi, formerly known as Aixin Jueluo Qingui, was born in 1906 and was the fourth son of the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty. In 1908, Aixin Jueluo Zaiyan died, and the two-year-old Pu Yi was elected emperor, the youngest emperor to ascend the throne in the history of the Qing Dynasty. After Pu Yi ascended the throne, the regency dynasty of the Eastern Pavilion scholars, composed of Zaiyan's concubines, came to power, and Pu Yi was only a nominal emperor.
In October 1911, after the outbreak of the Wuchang Uprising, all localities responded, and the revolution was in full swing. The decadent rule of the Qing Dynasty was already self-defeating, and Puyi's throne was in jeopardy. On February 12, 1912, Pu Yi, persuaded by the regent Yuan Shikai, issued an edict to abdicate, ending the 266-year rule of the Qing Dynasty. In this way, the 6-year-old Pu Yi was forced to abdicate after only more than 3 years of reign and became the last emperor of China.
After his abdication, Pu Yi was once under house arrest in the Forbidden City, living in embarrassment, and could only make money by selling paintings. In 1917, Zhang Xun, a warlord of the Feng family, launched the famous "Restoration of Prince Chongmu" movement, wanting to restore Puyi. Pu Yi re-ascended the throne for a time, but it lasted only 12 days before being defeated by the forces of the warlord's direct line, and this restoration came to an end.
On September 18, 1931, the famous "918" incident broke out, and the Japanese invaders occupied Northeast China. The following year, Japan supported Pu Yi to establish a puppet regime "puppet Manchukuo" in the northeast, and Pu Yi was restored for the third time as the "emperor". But this is just a pawn of the Japanese, and Pu Yi has no real power at all. On August 15, 1945, Japan announced its unconditional surrender, and the puppet state of Manchukuo collapsed. Pu Yi's restoration is even more ridiculous and powerless.
From glory to decline, Pu Yi's life can be described as ups and downs. He was born to be the emperor's fate, but his fate was ill-fated, and three restorations ended in failure. The last time he became a puppet of the Japanese and became synonymous with slaves. The artillery fire of the Xinhai Revolution dragged him down from the dragon chair, and he lost the dignity and power of the emperor, and could only find a way out of survival in the spring breeze of New China.
The hardships of a new life
In 1959, Pu Yi received an amnesty from the new Chinese government, ending his 14-year captivity. Walking out of the prison gate, he was greeted by a whole new world.
After the amnesty, Pu Yi was arranged to stay in an ordinary hotel in Beijing. This is the first time he has left the Forbidden City to experience the life of ordinary people. Although the environment in the hotel is simple, it is a new experience for Pu Yi. He has been regarded as a long-lived lord since he was a child, and he has never experienced this kind of life of ordinary people. At first, he felt very uncomfortable with this kind of life.
In order to allow Pu Yi to integrate into his new life as soon as possible, the government arranged a job for him to work at the Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. This was the first time in Pu Yi's life that he did practical labor. Growing up in the Forbidden City, he never did any housework, not even boiling water. After entering the botanical institute, he could only start with the most basic cleaning.
At the beginning, Pu Yi felt very unfamiliar and difficult with this kind of labor. As the former "Master of All Ages", he never imagined that one day he would have to rely on labor to make a living. But instead of giving up, he gritted his teeth and persevered. Gradually, he learned basic skills such as boiling water and cleaning.
In addition to the discomfort at work, Pu Yi also encountered many new experiences in life. After work, he needs to squeeze the bus home like a regular worker. Once, when he was standing on the bus platform, suddenly a few former Eight Banners disciples recognized him and knelt down directly to call "Emperor". Pu Yi said very coldly: "It's been liberated for so long, so don't come to this set." ＂
This sentence expresses Pu Yi's inner contradictions. As a former emperor, he is still worshipped by some people. But he himself no longer wants to be treated as an emperor, and just wants to live an ordinary life. This change of identity had a huge psychological impact on him.
During his time at the Institute of Botany, Pu Yi gradually mastered some botanical knowledge and learned to observe and propagate plants. Although the task may seem simple, it was a new challenge for Pu Yi. He was never educated in this area and learned everything from scratch.
Overall, leaving the Forbidden City and starting a new life was a huge turning point for Pu Yi. He had to adapt to a new living environment and a new way of working. Despite feeling strange and uncomfortable at one point, he eventually gritted his teeth and persevered and learned the basic skills of independent survival. This was his first step into a new society.
Find a new identity
After receiving the amnesty, Pu Yi began a new life. But as a former emperor, it is difficult for him to completely get rid of the shadow of the past, and finding a new identity has become a major problem for him.
In order to completely get rid of the label of "emperor", Pu Yi deliberately alienated some old acquaintances. He would deliberately stagger the rush hour of commuting, reduce dining in fixed places, and avoid meeting with former court personnel. Whenever someone bowed to him, he would sternly refuse, and even show impatience.
Pu Yi did this in the hope of completely severing ties with the old society and re-establishing his identity in the new life. As the last emperor, his past status will undoubtedly cast a shadow over his new life. Only by completely letting go of his former identity can he truly integrate into the new society.
In 1964, Pu Yi had a new identity. This year, he was elected as a member of the Third National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. The moment he got the committee card, Pu Yi was so excited that he burst into tears. He felt that he had finally become the master of the country, and that he was no longer a remnant of the old society.
In Pu Yi's view, from the emperor to the ordinary people, and then to the people's representative, his life experience can be described as ups and downs. When he was the emperor, he was the supreme being who was enshrined as the "Protector of the Eternal Masters". But after the Xinhai Revolution, he became an ordinary person without power for a time. Now, he has gained a new identity and is the master of the country. This change in identity made him see another possibility in life.
Having the right to vote means a lot to Pu Yi. In the old society, he was the "divinely ordained" emperor and held the highest power. But in New China, power is given by the people. Gaining the right to vote means that he has become the master of the country, and he can decide the future and destiny of the country through elections. This change in identity made Pu Yi feel more proud than ever.
In addition to being elected as a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Pu Yi also received other honors. In 1975, he was awarded the title of "Model of Patriotism and Patriotism". This is undoubtedly the highest affirmation of his new life. From being regarded as a "slave to the country" to winning this honor, Pu Yi's life experience can be described as ups and downs.
In general, getting rid of the old identity and finding a new identity is an important step for Pu Yi to integrate into the new life. By alienating himself from his old days and being elected as a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, he finally found a new sense of belonging. This made him see another possibility in life, so as to completely let go of his former emperor's identity.
The turbulent waves of life
Looking back on Pu Yi's life, he "served" an emperor a total of four times and experienced too many thrilling encounters.
The first time was in 1908, when the two-year-old Pu Yi was elected emperor and inherited the throne of the Qing Dynasty. But he was only a nominal emperor and was actually ruled by a regent. After the outbreak of the Xinhai Revolution in 1911, the six-year-old Pu Yi was forced to abdicate, ending 266 years of Qing rule.
In 1917, the Feng warlord Zhang Xun launched the "Restoration of Prince Chongmu" movement, and Pu Yi ascended the throne for the second "restoration". But this restoration lasted only 12 days before it was defeated by the forces of the direct warlords. This brief restoration dealt a heavy blow to Pu Yi.
After the September 18 Incident in 1931, the Japanese occupied Northeast China. The following year, they supported Pu Yi to establish a puppet regime "puppet Manchukuo" in the northeast, and Pu Yi was "restored" for the third time and became the "emperor". But in fact, he was just a pawn of the Japanese, and he had no real power at all.
In August 1945, Japan announced its unconditional surrender, and the puppet state of Manchukuo collapsed. Pu Yi's ridiculous "restoration" came to an end.
These three "restorations" are all illusory, and Pu Yi is just a pawn in the hands of others, and he cannot control his own destiny at all. His dream of being an emperor was nothing but an empty one, and in the end it was drowned by the torrent of history.
It was not until 1959 that Pu Yi received amnesty from the new Chinese government and started a new life. This time, he finally became a real "emperor" - the master of the people.
After gaining the right to vote, Pu Yi had the power to decide the future and fate of the country. In the old society, he was the emperor who was "divinely ordained" and held the highest power. But in New China, power is given by the people. Having the right to vote means that he becomes the master of the country and can decide the direction of the country. This change in identity made Pu Yi feel more proud than ever.
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In 1975, Pu Yi also won the glorious title of "Model of Patriotism and Patriotism". From being regarded as a "slave to the country" to receiving this honor, his life experience can be described as ups and downs, ups and downs. The first three times as an "emperor" were all vain, and the last time was the real "emperor". This change of identity allowed Pu Yi to see another possibility in life. He went from being regarded as the supreme existence of "the teacher of all ages" to becoming an ordinary person without power and power, and then to becoming the master of the country, this experience of ups and downs undoubtedly made him re-understand the value and meaning of life.