Puyi, known as the last emperor of China, lived a life marked by powerlessness and upheaval amid significant historical transformations. Born in Beijing in 1906, he ascended to the throne as a young child under the influence of Empress Dowager Cixi, only to be forced to abdicate in 1912 following the fall of the Qing dynasty. His brief reign ended when he was expelled from the Forbidden City by a warlord in 1924, and his subsequent years were characterized by political manipulation and personal struggle.

In 1932, the Japanese established Puyi as the figurehead ruler of Manchukuo, a puppet state in occupied Manchuria. Following Japan’s defeat in 1945, he was captured by the Red Army while attempting to flee to Tokyo and spent several years in Soviet custody. In 1950, he was transferred to the newly founded People’s Republic of China, where he underwent a decade of re-education before being released in 1959. He spent his later years working modestly as a gardener in Beijing until his death in 1967.

Recent scholarship sheds new light on a little-examined period in Puyi’s life, focusing on the two years between his marriage to Wanrong in December 1922 and his expulsion from the Forbidden City in November 1924. Contrary to earlier portrayals that depicted him as sexually inexperienced and their marriage as unhappy from the start, archival letters and diaries reveal a more nuanced and humanized relationship. The couple engaged in typical adolescent activities, including smoking cigarettes, playing tennis, and adopting Western fashions, which contrasted sharply with their confined palace existence.

Their marriage began awkwardly. Wanrong, sixteen at the time, was carried through Beijing’s cold streets under cover of darkness by eunuchs and remained veiled until she reached the bridal chamber. Puyi, overwhelmed and inexperienced, reportedly fled the bridal room to practice calligraphy alone, leaving Wanrong to face the night unaccompanied.

Life inside the Forbidden City was surrounded by ancient customs and peculiar household arrangements, including hundreds of eunuchs assigned to attend to the imperial family. These eunuchs performed tasks ranging from everyday service to handling sanitation, some of whom endured harsh and sometimes brutal conditions. Despite the rigid environment, Puyi and his brother were involved in removing valuable artworks from imperial storerooms, highlighting the decay within the once-powerful dynasty.

The palace itself was not immune to disorder; in 1923, a significant fire broke out at the Palace of Established Happiness, suspected to be arson. In its aftermath, Puyi dismissed over a thousand eunuchs, many of whom were left destitute or drove themselves to suicide.

Following his eviction from the Forbidden City, Puyi’s fortunes continued to decline. After collaborating with the Japanese regime in Manchukuo, his capture and re-education under Communist China underscored the dramatic fall of an emperor once revered as “Son of Heaven.” His life remains an extraordinary testament to the turbulent political and social transformations China underwent in the 20th century.