How the Emperor of China Ended Up as a Gardener
It was December of 1908 when Puyi was crowned as the eleventh emperor of China at two years old. When his inauguration was held at the Forbidden City in Beijing, the new baby emperor burst into tears at the sight of thousands standing before him. Rumors went around the city that the baby emperor’s tears meant something ominous for the empire.
Puyi’s Early Life
Born on February 7, 1906, to the younger brother of the emperor, Aisin-Gioro Puyi was selected as the rightful heir to the throne, as the emperor left no child. When the reigning emperor died, Empress Cixi, who was the practical ruler of the country at the time, appointed Puyi as the next emperor as his young age would make it easier for manipulation. However, Cixi died a month before Puyi was inaugurated, giving his father most of the power in a declining empire.
Brief Time as the Emperor
As Puyi was only two when he became the emperor, his father was the practical ruler of China. However, as China (Qing) was going through a chaotic time, the royal family could not exercise much power over the empire. Three years after Puyi became the emperor, the Qing Dynasty fell to a warlord named Yuan Shikai. In 1912, Qing…
