CHAPTER TWO

Seeing Puyi for the First Time

I finally divorced my first husband in 1955, after I had started to work at the Jinshan Clinic. For the first time ever, I had become financially independent, earning my own salary. Having already suffered one unhappy marriage, I was hesitant whenever my friends and colleagues introduced an eligible man to me. Our hospital's management quite often expressed their concern about finding a good match for me. I was introduced to highranking government officials, rich and handsome engineers, doctors, teachers, etc. I gave each of them a lot of consideration, but would always politely decline their advances. Time passed very quickly and I was by now already used to being on my own.

"Little Emperor Xuantong" Puyi and Regent Zaifeng, his father

On 10th February 1962, I returned to work after a break of five days for the Chinese New Year holiday. That day, Mr. Sha Zengxi, an editor at the People's Publishing House and one of my old friends, came to the clinic to see me. Because I had been snowed under with invitations from friends and colleagues during the New Year, and having dined at some of their homes, he hadn't been able to catch me at home. So finally he had decided to visit me at the clinic following the New Year celebrations.

"I'd like to introduce an eligible gentleman to you. Would you be interested in meeting him?" he asked me, when nobody else was in the room.

"Where's he from? What kind of job does he have?" I enquired.

"Trust me! I would only introduce a decent man to you, wouldn't I?" he responded.

"How about telling me about his background first", I asked.

"Please come to my home when you have some time, then I'll tell you all the details," he revealed.

Of course, I couldn't refuse his kind offer. Two days later, I found time to go to his home. Only then, did he tell me the full story.

"He works for the Research Committee of the Historical Accounts of Past Events (RCHAPE), which is affiliated with the Chinese People' s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC)," he explained.

"What is his name?" I asked.

"Emperor Xuantong," Mr. Sha blurted out, watching my reaction. This was a name known to everybody in China! "You've got to be kidding!" I said, knowing that he had been the Emperor. I was frightened.

"Why are you scared of him? Do you know him?" he questioned.

"I hate the notorious emperors in the films and traditional operas. I don't want to see him," I stressed.

The emperors on the stage had left a very deep impression on me from childhood. They were majestic-looking but extremely pompous and exceptionally cruel. How on earth could I make friends with an emperor?!

"He has been fully reeducated and as far as I know he has very high standards when choosing a lady friend", he added.

"Then, I won't go at all," I responded, feeling somewhat inferior.

"I have already arranged your meeting with him, come and have a look first," he suggested. Then, jesting he added, "I myself have never seen the 'Last Emperor'. I'd like to take this opportunity to see him too, to broaden my own horizons."

I thought it over. Mr. Sha had fixed the appointment on my behalf, because as a loyal friend, he cared about me. I had no reason to refuse his help and considered that it might be nice to see what the "Last Emperor" was like. This was the way it turned out. Mr. Sha had a fellow townsman¹, named Zhou Zhenqiang Mr. Zhou had been a former Kuomintang² General and had once held the position of Captain of Chiang Kaishek's bodyguards. But later on, he was taken captive by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (the PLA), and was reeducated in prison for ten years and later getting Special Amnesty, together with Emperor Xuantong (Puyi). They had both been assigned jobs at the Research Committee of the Historical Accounts of Past Events (RCHAPE) of the CPPCC, sharing the same office. Knowing that the "Last Emperor" was living alone and couldn't take care of himself at all, Mr. Zhou had felt sorry for him. Once, when he mentioned the matter to Mr. Sha, who had immediately thought of me. They had discussed this matter together, concluding that Emperor Xuantong and I might be suitable for each other. Then Mr. Zhou had taken my photo from Mr. Sha to show it to the "Last Emperor", after which Puyi had gladly agreed to see me. In fact, Mr. Sha hadn't told me anything about that beforehand. The photo that he gave to Mr. Zhou was an old one that I had sent him some time before.

Puyi in Tianjin in 1928

Several days later, on a Sunday, Mr. Sha accompanied me to the Cultural Club at Nanheyan Road to meet the "Last Emperor", Puyi, as arranged. When we entered the grounds of the club, we immediately saw two men standing in the bitter northern wind. Mr. Sha greeted one of them, Mr. Zhou, and then he introduced me to the other tall gentleman, Puyi, who shook hands with me warmly. I don't know why I was so nervous but I couldn't look him in the eye.

I had opportunity to observe the graceful manner of "The Emperor" after he had invited us to sit down in a private area of the club and had asked an attendant to serve us coffee. He had sleek hair and was wearing a dark blue Mao jacket and a pair of shiny black leather shoes. His genteel talk and actions immediately created a favorable impression in my mind.

In our conversation, Puyi inquired politely about our clinic, my age, my hometown, what ward I worked in and did we have a lot of patients each day? At that time I was still studying nursing at a spare-time medical school, so I had come with a medical textbook in my hand. Seeing it, Puyi changed the topic of our conversation:

"I have an interest in Chinese medicine. During the period of my reeducation, I had even dreamed about working as a doctor later in life, so I made the best use of the time to study traditional Chinese medicine. I read a lot of books about it and sometimes volunteered to assist in our prison clinic, measuring blood pressures, giving injections and learning how to treat different kinds of illness."

I asked him about his personal life. "Now, I'm living on my 100 yuan monthly salary. It's not really enough, but sometimes I get a state subsidy," he replied.

"Emperor Kangde" Puyi, reigning from 1933 to 1945

Again, he questioned me about my life. I told him that both of my parents had passed away, when I was a child, which aroused his sympathy. He sighed: "You have had a sad life!" He wanted to know what my father's profession had been. I told him that my father had been a junior bank clerk.

Before this meeting, I had found out some information about him also, knowing that he had once ruled the whole of China as Emperor Xuantong. Later he had become Emperor Kangde of the Manchukuo, which was in Northeast China. At the time, his portrait was hung on the wall of each family in the country. The people had to "kowtow" to his portrait every day, but now here sat a different Puyi in front of me: one with a broad, warm smile on his thick lips. I had to wonder, "Was he really that Emperor?" His manner wasn't the slightest bit haughty. He was no different from ordinary people! He was honest, amiable and wore plain clothes, not at all like the emperors in the traditional operas.

It was our first meeting, but we talked congenially, not being aware that our meeting had lasted almost four hours. Outside the gate of the Cultural Club, Puyi made sure to ask Mr. Sha for his address and the telephone number of his office, taking a small notebook from his pocket to write it down. Evidently he had been too shy to ask me.

While watching Puyi get on the bus to return back to the CPPCC HQ Mr. Zhou Zhenqiang was very excited, "Wonderful, this time I think we have done it!" he beamed to Mr. Sha and I. "How do you know that?" Mr. Sha said with a smile.

"Going by past experience, if he didn't like her, Puyi would always leave after exchanging a few final words with the lady and matchmakers. Whereas this time, he was very relaxed and talked with Comrade Li for several hours. He definitely likes Comrade Li," explained Mr. Zhou, who had a sanguine disposition, thus speaking with a positive attitude. With a cryptic look and a twinkle in his eye, he continued:

Being interested in the traditional Chinese medicine, Puyi is glad to work at the clinic inside the Fushun War criminal Prison.

"We have introduced more than ten eligible ladies to him, but he didn't like any of them."

"Really!" Mr. Sha responded, wanting to know more.

"He wanted to find a relatively young and pretty one, as the CPPCC often arranges for him to receive foreign guests. Protocol requires him to be accompanied by his wife sometimes, so he considers that he must marry a woman who is presentable," Mr. Zhou further explained.

Notes

1　In Chinese society, being a fellow townsman requires you to help each other as much as possible, even if you have never met before.

2　The Chinese Nationalist Party, abbreviated "the Kuomintang" or "KMT" was established on October 10, 1919 by Mr Sun Zhongshan ( Dr.Sun Yatsen). Its regime ruled China from 1927 to 1948 and had to withdraw from mainland China to Taiwan after being overthrown by the People's Liberation Army led by the CPC.