Citizenship--Puyi and His Five Women

Author: Zhang Yu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-10-01
Features: The life of the last Emperor of China, Puyi, is filled with. His identity underwent constant changes throughout the tumultuous history: from the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty to a mere figurehead “Son of Heaven” within the Forbidden City, then to a reclusive resident in the Japanese concession of Tianjin, followed by a puppet Emperor of Manchukuo, a prisoner in the Soviet Union, a war criminal in the Fushun prison, and ultimately becoming a common citizen of the People's Republic of China. In the tenth year of the Republic of China, when Puyi was fifteen, the dowager empresses and princes in the palace were discussing his marriage. The process from engagement to wedding took nearly two years. According to the rules of the Qing inner court, the wives of the Emperor were ranked in seven levels: Empress, Consort Imperial, Consorting Constance, Concubine, Lady, Attendant, and Accepted. In Beijing in 1921, a group of strangers arrived in Wenxiu’s small hall, filling it to the brim. They all wore the braids that were no longer fashionable at the time. Wenxiu’s wife, Su Shu, quietly served tea and water to the guests: “Uncle, please have some tea.”