CHAPTER FIVE

The Last Emperor's Grand Nuptials

Puyi kept asking me to marry him. He urged me: "Shuxian, what else are you still worrying about? We have been going steady for some months. Let's get married soon! Then I won't have to hurry to your home every day." I hated to disappoint him, so we agreed to set our wedding day for April 30th 1962, because the following day would be the May 1st Labour Day. Puyi who had been an emperor of China, wished to connect this day of "great personal rejoicing" with the workers' festival.

The top leaders of the CPPCC paid special attention to Puyi's marriage plans. They knew that both Puyi and I had lived a single life for a long time and kindly advised us that since we were setting up home together for the first time, we needed to plan it well.

"Before your wedding day you had better purchase all the domestic articles you will need such as pots, bowls, plates, chopsticks and the like. All of your expenses will be paid by the government," they said.

Puyi and I at the Golden-Water Bridge in front of Tian'anmen Gate

Not long before our wedding day, the top leaders of the CPPCC dispatched a handyman of the CPPCC HQ, named Zhao Huatang, to help us with the shopping and they also offered us two introduction letters to two special department stores, the Wangfujing Department Store and the Friendship Store. As this was a time of great hardship, ordinary stores had very few household goods available.

Actually, I wasn't short of everyday clothes, but I was eager to take this opportunity to buy some beautiful dresses. I heard that leaders from all circles would attend our wedding ceremony, including many celebrities as well as Chinese and foreign reporters. As the bride, I certainly wanted to look my best!

Standing by the counter of the store and pointing to the fabric and the dresses I had chosen, I looked at Puyi, wanting to seek his opinion. But it seemed he didn't understand me. Mr. Zhao Huatang, who was accompanying us, had to interrupt us, saying:

"Getting married is the greatest day of your lives. You shouldn't be tight-fisted with your bride!" Puyi turned to me, gently explaining to me:"The government is so kind to pay for our shopping expenses this time. So we should be conservative and cut down on our expenses, only buying essential household items. I think you should buy only one top quality dress this time. Why don't we buy some more dresses for you later, when we have future savings?" What he said was reasonable. Our country was still suffering from great economic hardship, but the government was trying its best to take good care of us, therefore in turn we should do what is right for our country. So, from the two stores, we only bought a bed cover, a quilt, and a western-style skirt for me. Puyi didn't buy anything for himself.

Mr. Zhao became anxious when he saw that Puyi hadn't bought any new clothes for himself. He persuaded him: "You shouldn't leave here without buying anything for yourself!" But Puyi stuck to his guns, saying that his old suits would cover his needs. Later, Mr. Zhao Huatang often complimented Puyi as a "person with political understanding¹ ".

On April 25, Puyi came to my home to see me. I happened to be suffering from a sore throat and I found it difficult to speak. He became quite uneasy, saying to me: "The reporters of the Xinhua News Agency(China's state news agency) heard that I was going to get married and hoped to issue a photo of me with my 'bride to be' before our wedding day. They have invited us to tour the Summer Palace tomorrow, to take some photos there. But you are ill now. What can we do about it?" After saying this, he sat down and wept sadly.

"What are you crying for?" I asked him in a hoarse voice.

"I'm afraid your illness will worsen and that our wedding will have to be put off."

"I've only caught a cold. I will recover very soon. I will go to the Summer Palace if I feel a little better tomorrow. It won't hinder the plans of the Xinhua News Agency," I assured him.

I got up to pass Puyi a towel to wipe away his tears. He cheered up again and smiled. On the next morning, Puyi came in a car dispatched by the CPPCC HQ. We completed our planned tour to the Summer Palace smoothly.

On April 29th, the CPPCC HQ sent a truck to my home to take my simple furniture, as well as several suitcases packed with my dresses, personal luggage, pots, bowls, basins, and other sundry items to Puyi's apartment.

The following morning, in a car provided by the CPPCC HQ and accompanied by Puyi, I went to have my hair set at the noted Silian Luxury Salon in Wangfujing Street. Afterwards, he sent me back to my now empty home, outside Chaoyangmen. During the afternoon, Puyi came back in the same car, taking me and several of my colleagues to the CPPCC HQ. We enjoyed a meal together there, at their canteen.

At about 6:30 pm, after the dinner, the buses and cars, provided by the CPPCC HQ, drove in convey to the grand wedding ceremony at the Cultural Club on Nanheyan Road. Our bridal car, decorated on the bonnet with a huge silk crimson flower was in front of the convoy. Because the next day would be the "May 1st Labour Day", all of the main streets in Beijing were beautifully-decorated with lanterns and festoons, also adding colour and beauty to our ceremony.

When we reached the Cultural Club, Puyi and I were immediately surrounded by a large group of guests as we got out from the car. Among them were the leaders of the United Front Work Department of the Central Committee of the CPC and the CPPCC, the leaders of the United Front Work Department of Peking Municipal Committee of the CPC, cultural and artistic celebrities, the Commissioners of the HAPE, my hospital colleagues and our relatives and friends. They all followed us into the hall, introducing and greeting each other happily.

In the hall, all of the guests were ushered to the long tables covered with snow-white linen tablecloths with teacups, cakes, sweets and fruit on each table. Puyi and I took our seats first and shortly afterwards he took me to each table, introducing me to the guests. We shook hands happily. Puyi and I expressed to them our warm welcome and they all greeted us and gave us their sincere congratulations. Mr. Wang Yaowu, a former Kuomintang Lieutenant General and the former Chairman of Shandong Province, but now the commissioner of the HAPE, expressed his congratulations to Puyi, "Laopu, tomorrow will be 'May 1st Labour Day'. It's interesting that you're holding your wedding ceremony today. It's wonderful!" Puyi was overwhelmed with delight: " 'May 1st Labour Day' is the 'Grand Festival of the Workers'. I'm one of them now, and it touches my heart." said Puyi.

Mr. Li Jue, a former Kuomintang Lieutenant-General and then a member of the CPPCC and the Director of the General Affairs Department of the CPPCC HQ, played the role of the Master of Ceremonies. At 7 pm, he announced the commencement of our ceremony.

First of all, Mr. Zaitao, Puyi's seventh uncle, a former Navy Chancellor of the Qing-Dynasty Government, and the one who was also presiding over our wedding ceremony, made his congratulatory speech. At the age of 77, his voice was still sonorous. He declared:

Zaitao (1884-1970), one of Emperor Daoguang's grandsons and Puyi's seventh uncle, in his youth. He was one of the principle organisers of Puyi's "Grand Nuptials".

Today, I'm delighted to join this wedding ceremony. In your married life, I hope both of you will take good care of each other and learn the merits from each other, making your own contribution to the revolution and construction of our socialist motherland, and thus repaying the thoughtfulness and care of the government to you both. Finally, I wish you both a harmonious life together, till you are both old and grey.

Mr. Zaitao sat down after making the speech. In 1922, he had been one of the main organisers of Puyi's Grand Nuptial held in the Forbidden City when Puyi married both Wanrong, his "Empress" and Wenxiu, his "Imperial Concubine", and in 1937, he helped Puyi to confer the title of "Auspicious Concubine" on Miss Tan Yuling. This time, he presided over a completely different wedding ceremony for Puyi. The two former wedding ceremonies had become fresh in his mind and therefore all sorts of feelings were welling up in his heart.

Next, Mr. Li Jue, the Master of Ceremonies, announced that it was the groom's turn to make a speech. Puyi strode to the front and with an air of confidence spoke the following:

Leaders, comrades, relatives and friends: Madam Li Shuxian and I are marrying on the most important Festival of the Working Class. We are cordially grateful for your presence at our wedding ceremony today. We chose this day to hold our wedding ceremony because it is the eve of the happiest Festival of the Working Class. We will remember this day and continue to learn from the great working class in our future days, following their excellent virtues of being valiant, industrious, forthright and simple and the noble ideas and affections of the proletariat. I hated the first half of my life, for it was a humiliating experience of an exploiter and parasite. Following the ten years of reformation, I have turned into a "glorious" worker with the ability to earn my own living. Now, I'm a horticultural worker at the Beijing Botanical Gardens and also a Historical Records Worker at the CPPCC. My wife is a respectable medical worker. We are setting up our home together on the eve of the Festival of Workers. This is the happiness I've been pursuing. Now, this happiness is at hand. It is given to us by our government and our people. Now, on behalf of my wife and I, I'd like to inform our guests of our desired intentions. We will mutually encourage each other, be ready to overcome our shortcomings and mistakes, do our respective work well, be loyal to the people's cause and devote our strength to our Motherland, just as she desires.

Puyi personally wrote a draft beforehand for his wedding ceremony speech.

Puyi's speech won a warm applause. Actually, Puyi had made good preparation for the speech. He had discussed the matter with me several times: "Shuxian, I will definitely be asked to make a speech at our wedding. I think that you should say something then too. It would be very significant." I told him that I was afraid to talk on formal occasions. Puyi persisted, "You can make a draft and practice it repeatedly beforehand!"

I didn't agree with him outwardly, but did prepare one secretly, so that I was prepared. When Puyi had finished his speech, I heard some guests shouting, "The bride should say something!"

"Yes! Say a few words." More people followed it, clapping their hands to give me encouragement. Mr. Li Jue, the Master of the Ceremonies walked to me and politely said to me: "You'd better satisfy the request from the guests!" I became aware that it was impossible for me to refuse it, so I nodded my head. I took out the draft I had written and stood up to read it:

Respectable Leaders, comrades, relatives and friends: first of all, I'd like to express our honest thanks to you all for being so kind as to attend our wedding. Through a period of mutual understanding, Mr.Puyi and I have confidence in each other and we are determined to tie our futures together. We love each other sincerely and we are very glad to hold our wedding today. On this unforgettable moment, Puyi and I want to present our heartfelt thanks to our Socialist Motherland because she has given us a happy home for our married life together! Finally, I'd like to thank you all again.

Puyi and I at our wedding

As soon as I completed reading the draft, I heard someone say:

"I didn't expect the Bride to make such a brilliant speech!"

Then Mr. Li Jue, the Master of Ceremonies, on behalf of the CPPCC leaders, happily conveyed their warm congratulations to us.

When the wedding was over, the guests rearranged the seats into a circle and the hall was brimming with cheering and laughter. Madam Feng Lijuan, wife of Mr. Zheng Tingji, a former Kuomintang General and now a Commissioner of the HAPE, was the most vivacious lady, with her voice resounding more than everybody else's. Pointing her finger at Puyi, she said: "Aren't you interested in medicine? Now you are married to a 'fighter in white'². Your dream has finally come true."

Mr. Liao Mosha, a famous writer and the Director of the United Front Work Department (UFW)³, affiliated with the Beijing Municipal Committee of the CPC ,was sitting near us and kept looking over at us with a broad smile on his face.

According to Chinese civil custom, at wedding the bride and groom should entertain guests by pouring tea and lighting cigarettes for them. But Puyi didn't seem to know this. He stayed in his chair, excitedly chatting with the guests. I was afraid that the guests would be unhappy with this, so had to remind him to follow the custom. Instead of doing that, he stood up and announced to the guests: "Please help yourselves to cigarettes and tea!" How angry I was! I had to amuse the guests myself, hurrying around the hall to light cigarettes for former Kuomintang Generals, Mr. Du Yuming, Mr. Shen Zui, Mr. Zhou Zenqiang, and other noted guests. They all arose from their seats and thanked me politely. Several times, Puyi had whispered to me to take care of myself and to have a rest. I was exhausted that day when we returned to our bridal suite. With concern, Puyi said to me: "Luckily, Mr. Wang Yaowu, Mr. Zheng Tingji and Mr. Fan Hanjie didn't smoke; otherwise lighting cigarettes for them would make you very weary!"

The photographers from the China News Agency and some other leading newspapers in China attended our wedding by invitation. They eagerly took a lot of "historic photos" for us. Taking this very rare chance, they shot a special family photo of the Aixinjuelo Royal Clan. I had been a southerner of Han Nationality extraction, but from this day, I had become a formal member of this "Family of Great Renown",which had declined after the "Xinghai Revolution" (the 1911 Revolution, which overthrew the Qing Dynasty).

We were not driven back to our bridal suite in the CPPCC HQ until after 9 pm that evening, when we were accompanied by some of my colleagues from my hospital and Mr. Zhou Zhenqiang, our matchmaker. After being assigned work at the CPPCC HQ, as an unmarried man, Puyi had been given a temporary apartment, which had been converted from offices. These were located next to the Secretary's Section of the CPPCC HQ. Actually, this had been especially suitable for him, for his office and apartment were then in the same courtyard, making his lifestyle easier. This same apartment had been redecorated to become our bridal suite. We received group after group of well wishers there. We lived there for a few months until the government chose another residence for us later.

Madam Fu Xuewen, wife of Mr. Shao Lizi, visited us. She put two bottles of vintage wine on the table, merrily telling us, "Laoshao will come, in the next few days, to drink your wedding wine with you. He said that I should ask you if you can cook some delicious dishes for him then!" Puyi smiled and said, "We look forward to his visit!" Mr. Shao Lizi, her husband, once used to be the Kuomintang's Minister of Propaganda, The Chairman of Gansu Provincial Government and Chairman of Shaanxi Provincial Government. He had been quite a popular progressive personage and was referred to as "the old man seeking peace". Later, he had become a member of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC.

The Commissioners of the HAPE who had received the Special Amnesty in the first, second and third groups came forward in twos and threes to offer their congratulations. Some of them were the famous former Kuomintang Generals, such as Mr. Soong Xilian, Mr. Liao Yaoxiang, Mr. Du Yuming, Mr. Shen Zui and so on. Most of them wore the "Blue Mao Jackets" issued to them when they were in the Fushun War Criminal Prison. As gifts, some of them presented us ashtrays and some gave us children's toys -apparently they knew Puyi's hobby!

Puyi's colleagues in CPPCC HQ expressing their congratulations to Puyi and I at our wedding ceremony

Mr. Shen Bochun, Mr. Lian Yinong and Mr. Ping Jiesan, three of the leaders of the CPPCC, brought with them a very pretty quilt cover. They offered their congratulations: "Hoping you live together happily until you reach a hundred years!"

Mr. Yu Dejun, a botanist and the director of Beijing Botanical Garden, came too. In the March of 1960, according to the suggestion of Premier Zhou Enlai, the Civil Affairs Bureau of Beijing Municipal Government had assigned Puyi to the Beijing Botanical Garden with the Chinese Academy of Science.

Puyi had spent one unforgettable year there, working in the morning and writing and studying in the afternoon, developing a profound friendship with his colleagues there, sharing their common work and life. He had taken the Botanical Garden as his native home and still returned there to visit them, once a week, after he had been transferred to work at the CPPCC HQ. Director Yu himself brought us a wedding gift, together with two other previous superiors of Puyi, Mr. Tian Yumin and Mr.Hu Weilu. The gift was a set of hard backed books, being the Selected Works of Mao Zedong, with a dedication written on the front flyleaf of the first volume:

Congratulations on the Marriage of Comrades Aixinjuelo Puyi and Li Shuxian.

Respectfully presented by:

Yu Dejun

Tian Yumin

Hu Weilu

On the Eve of May 1st Labour Day 1962.

Beijing Botanical Garden

Chinese Academy of Science.

The Leaders of the Masses Publishing House came along to our apartment too, giving us an exquisite hanging scroll of a poem written by Chairman Mao Zedong, in his own handsome calligraphy. They knew that Puyi appreciated Chairman Mao's poems and calligraphy. Puyi immediately hung it on the wall of our lounge. He praised it, with appreciation, saying: "The Chairman's calligraphy is wonderful, so are his poems!'

Mr. Zaitao also came to see us. He gave Puyi a pair of marble ashtrays as a wedding gift.

Mr. Pujie, Puyi's second younger brother and his Japanese wife, Saga Hiro, were also there. They presented their elder brother with a snow-white shirt and a pair of socks and explained that they believed the second half of Puyi's life would be "as white as snow". Their gifts to me were a delicate purse and a white cloth dotted with black flowers to use for wrapping things in. I said to him that Mr. Pujie and his wife's gifts had special significance, symbolizing our future's industrious and frugal life. Puyi happily nodded his head, saying that both of us "should be fortunate" and that "we would live together happily till we were both old and grey".

Puyi and I and members of Aixinjuelo Royal Clan at our wedding ceremony

Mr. Puren, Puyi's fourth younger brother, also came. He brought his gift, a small electronic watch. Later on we hung it on the wall of our home, to serve us, by counting every minute and second for us.

Each of Puyi's younger sisters and brothers-in-law came at different times, bringing various gifts which had special significance.

It wasn't until 11 o'clock that night that all of the guests had left to return home. Then our sweet honeymoon week began.

But one of my hopes was soon to be dashed!

Notes

1　In 1962, the well-known and tragic "Great Famine" had just ended but China was still in tremendous financial difficulty, so Puyi did his best to cut down the expense for his wedding ceremony for which the government had offered to pay.

2　In China, people like to refer to doctors and nurses as "fighters in white".

3　The purpose of the work of the UFW, known as "Tong Zhan Bu", was to attract and unite celebrities outside of the CPC to engage in the work of the Socialist Revolution and Construction, thus accomplishing the great cause of the unification of China.