On September 17, 1953, a sick woman died at the age of 44 in a dilapidated house in Picai Hutong in Xicheng, Beijing. Her name is Fu Yufang, and her husband, Liu Zhendong, is a cleaner, and they live in poverty and have no children, but this has not affected their relationship.
When Fu Yufang died, Liu Zhendong was the only one by his side. On the occasion of his death, Fu Yufang told Liu Zhendong a big secret, "Zhendong, I was the imperial concubine of the Qing Dynasty, and Pu Yi was my husband back then. ”
Listening to his wife's words, Liu Zhendong fell into deep thought. After Fu Yufang's death, Liu Zhendong made a rudimentary coffin out of four wooden boards, and his wife's funeral was hastily completed.
Then, Liu Zhendong and two colleagues took his wife's coffin outside Andingmen in a wooden cart and buried her. So, is what Fu Yufang said true? I can responsibly tell you that what Fu Yufang said is true, she was indeed the imperial concubine of the Qing Dynasty, and her first husband was the last emperor Puyi.
Fu Yufang, this name Erdet Wenxiu, she was born in a wealthy family in Xizhen Mansion in Fangjia Hutong, Beijing, her grandfather Erdet Xizhen was once an official to the Ministry of Shangshu, and the family had thousands of family wealth.
However, due to two generations of profligacy, the family's wealth gradually diminished. In addition, Fu Yufang's father, Erdet Duangong, is also an ordinary person. Fu Yufang's mother, Jiang, did not enjoy the glory brought by her son because she did not give birth to a boy.
Unfortunately, soon after Jiang gave birth to her second daughter, Wen Shan, Duan Gong died of illness, and she could only live with her two daughters and the daughter born to Duan Gong's ex-wife.
In the last years of the Qing Dynasty, the reign of the last emperor Puyi was crumbling, and the life of the Wenxiu family was difficult. In February 1912, the Qing Dynasty fell, and the dominance of the Manchu aristocracy, who were no different from ordinary people, was a thing of the past.
In this case, the Jiang family could only be separated, and Wenxiu was sent to study when she was 8 years old. She is gifted and has excellent academic performance, and she is also very sensible and often helps her mother with household chores.
If Wenxiu hadn't married the last emperor, Pu Yi, her future might have been even better. In 1922, Wenxiu and Wanrong became Puyi's first concubine together, but because Wanrong's family was prominent, Wenxiu paid relatively little attention.
However, Wen Xiu's talent and mind are far beyond grace, and her talent and charm are hard to ignore.
On the day of Puyi's wedding, he and his two wives Wanrong and Wenxiu did not enter the cave room. He said, "Can I feel the loneliness of Wanrong and Wenxiu alone in Kunning Palace and Changchun Palace?
I can't even think about it. All I want is restoration, and I want to restore my ancestral business with my own hands. When she first got married, Pu Yi invited Chinese and English teachers for Wenxiu, and occasionally went to the Changchun Palace, where she lived.
However, he soon found himself and Wanrong getting closer and closer, while Wenxiu was alone in the empty room. In Pu Yi's autobiography "The First Half of My Life", he once mentioned an article written by Wen Xiu "Mourning Garden Deer".
In the article, Wen Xiu described the beautiful scenery of spring, but suddenly heard the mournful cry of the deer and felt very pitiful when he saw it dying. She believes that although Yuanlu was raised in the Imperial Garden, she lost her freedom, just like a prisoner in a prison who could only leave after receiving an amnesty.
In this article, Wen Xiu expressed her dissatisfaction with the life of the palace. In fact, Pu Yi was not as good as he imagined for Wanrong. In his mind, the two wives are just tools to restore their ancestral business.
Later, he admitted this, saying, "Even if I only have one wife, she won't find it interesting." Because all I think about is restoration, and I don't have any thoughts about love.
For me, the relationship between husband and wife is that of master and slave, and the wife is only the slave and tool of the king. ”
The relationship between Wanrong and Pu Yi has always been controversial, and Wenxiu, as a representative of the feudal style of three obedience and four virtues, is not easy to get rid of such a life. In 1924, Feng Yuxiang staged a coup d'état in Beijing to drive Pu Yi out of the Forbidden City.
Soon, Pu Yi came to Tianjin with Wanrong, Wenxiu and the Manchu relics. They first lived in Zhangyuan, the residence of Zhang Biao, who followed Zhang Zhidong in his early years, and later invested in industry and built a Western-style mansion Zhangyuan.
In order to welcome the arrival of Pu Yi and his entourage, Zhang Biao purchased a large number of daily necessities and high-end furniture. Although Zhang Yuan is not as luxurious as the Forbidden City, Pu Yi found that living here is even more comfortable than the Forbidden City.
In Zhang Yuan, Pu Yi changed to a suit, a robe and a horse jacket, but this did not affect Wanrong, Wenxiu, and the Manchu widows' bows to him. The prosperity of Tianjin made Pu Yi linger, and Wanrong changed her previous dress, put on a cheongsam, carefully dressed herself, and she followed Pu Yi in and out of Tianjin's major high-end places.
And Wen Xiu was completely left out in the cold, the room she lived in Zhang Yuan was much smaller than Wanrong, and Pu Yi ignored her. In 1929, Pu Yi moved to Jingyuan at No. 70 Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin.
Jingyuan, formerly known as Qianyuan, is the residence of Lu Zongyu, the minister of Beiyang ** in Japan. Wen Xiu continued to suffer from the cold, and this time she broke down and had the idea of divorce. Many years later, Wenxiu recalled: "Although we lived in the same building in Tianjin, no one had anything to do with anyone, and we were like passers-by.
Wanrong put on the queen's big shelf all day long, domineering, and Pu Yi especially listened to her words, and I was treated coldly by the two of them. ”
On that day in 1931, 22-year-old Wen Xiu, accompanied by her sister and eunuchs, left Jingyuan. This move caused a sensation and also kicked off the prelude to the "Sword Concubine Revolution".
She went directly to the National Hotel in Tianjin and asked the eunuch to bring a letter to Pu Yi, in which she mentioned that she had been in the court for nine years, had been mistreated, could not stand it, and asked for a divorce. Although the Qing Dynasty had fallen, Wen Xiu became the first concubine to file for divorce from Emperor Xun.
When Pu Yi saw the letter, he was very angry and sent someone to the hotel to look for Wen Xiu, but Wen Xiu had already left, and only the lawyer was there. The lawyers told the visitors to follow the conditions set out in the letter.
Wenxiu's response caused chaos in Jingyuan, and Pu Yi sent representatives to discuss with Wenxiu's lawyers, but the lawyers refused.
Wen Xiu was with Wanrong and the daughter of a foreign minister, and the news spread in Tianjin the next day. Major newspapers rushed to report on the front page, causing a sensation. Soon, national newspapers such as "Declaration" and "Ta Kung Pao" also reported overseas, and even foreign reporters reported overseas, saying that this was a rare news in a thousand years, and it was boiling for a while.
Many newspapers published the full text of Wen Xiu's complaint, accusing Pu Yi of abusing her, living together for nine years without a single luck, deciding to divorce and demanding 500,000 yuan in personal daily clothes and alimony.
It was originally a trivial family matter, but it became the talk of the people of the whole country after tea and dinner, and representatives of the two sides met at a French law firm in Tianjin to start negotiations. On the third day of Wenxiu's departure, Pu Yi's representatives and Wen Xiu's lawyer formally began negotiations, and at first, Pu Yi's side showed a tough attitude, while Wen Xiu was resolute and uncompromising.
Pu Yi consulted with the Manchu elders, and they sent Wen Qi, the brother of the Wenxiu family, to persuade him. Wen Qi was loyal to Pu Yi and swore to defend feudal etiquette to the death. Knowing that Wen Xiu was going to divorce Pu Yi, Wen Qi published two open letters in Tianjin "Business Daily" to denounce Wen Xiu, insulting Wen Xiu in every way, calling her ridiculous and confused.
Wen Xiu was indomitable and immediately sent a letter back to Wen Qi: "Although I have the same surname as you, we are not related by blood, and we have never had any contacts. I've been in the palace for nine years, and I've never met you once.
Now, as a clan brother, you have openly taught me suicide in various newspapers in disregard of the provisions of Articles 299 and 325 of the Criminal Law of China, and slandered my third sister.
Such courage and determination are truly admirable. However, the ancestral teachings I received told me that whether I was a citizen of the Qing Dynasty or a citizen of the Qing Dynasty, I should abide by the corresponding laws and regulations.
Emperor Xun was kicked out of the palace before, and he made it clear that he was unwilling to become a ** citizen, so I secretly hid scissors and prepared to die with Emperor Xun. However, because Emperor Xun came to Tianjin and became a part of the **, how could I not follow? ”
Now irretrievable, Wenxiu resolutely proposed three conditions for divorce to Pu Yi on September 4: first, we are completely separated and no longer interfere with each other; Second, I have made a list of clothes for daily use, and you should pay me all according to the list, there is no room for negotiation; Third, you have to pay me $150,000 in alimony.
After that, the parties engaged in several negotiations, and the final point of dispute was the amount of alimony. In order to end her marriage with Pu Yi as soon as possible, Wen Xiu made great concessions, and finally the amount of alimony was set at 550,000 yuan.
Now that things have come to this point, Pu Yi can only agree to a divorce.
On October 2, 1931, Wen Xiu, witnessed by his lawyer and Pu Yi's representatives, officially dissolved her marriage with Pu Yi. In the divorce agreement, Pu Yi's conditions include: Wenxiu broke away from the Qing royal family, received a one-time life living allowance of 55,000 yuan, and took all the commonly used belongings with him, and the two parties no longer had any demands and lawsuits.
Despite the fact that 550,000 oceans is enough to protect the second half of Wenxiu's life, but after paying the lawyer's fees, she also gave it to many people who helped, and in the end there was only 2 left in her hand60,000 oceans.
In order to save face, soon the major newspapers in Tianjin published Pu Yi's "edict", announcing that Wenxiu left the garden without authorization, and the original title should be removed and abolished.
Wen Xiu returned to Beiping after the divorce and bought a house in Liuhai Hutong. However, distant relatives borrowed money from her, causing the funds in her hands to gradually decrease, and the money was not returned in the end.
Wenxiu's life became more difficult because of this, and she eventually had to sell her jewelry and house. Looking back on the past, Wen Xiu regretted that she admitted that she was too gullible and neglected her own needs and safety.
During the fall of Beiping, Wenxiu was blackmailed again, and her life became even more turbulent. The neighbors saw her hard work and persuaded her to remarry. Although Wenxiu hopes to remarry, she has lingering feelings about her failed marriages in the past.
In order to make ends meet, she had to cut back on her expenses and start doing laundry, cooking, and buying food for others. He even sold cigarettes on the street and worked as a small worker carrying mud and bricks on the construction site.
The scene of a former imperial concubine selling cigarettes on the street is shocking, which has also attracted a lot of attention and discussion, and brought a lot of trouble to Wenxiu. She had no choice but to ask her cousin Liu Shan for help.
Liu Shan is an honest and upright person who works as a bricklayer, and his family of five lives in a rented bungalow at the back gate of Shijuma Street in Xicheng, and their life is equally difficult.
Liu Shan was a warm-hearted person, and Wenxiu received his help when she moved. In order to repay Liu Shan, Wenxiu began to paste paper boxes with her cousin-in-law. Soon after, Liu Shan learned that the North China ** Society needed to repair the house, and he recommended Wenxiu to Section Chief Ding.
Liu Shan introduced Wenxiu's experience to Section Chief Ding, but did not mention that she was the imperial concubine of the Qing Dynasty and that her ex-husband was Pu Yi. Section Chief Ding expressed sympathy for Wenxiu's experience and immediately reported to President Zhang Mingwei.
Zhang Mingwei sympathized with Wenxiu's experience and immediately agreed to Wenxiu's coming to work. Wenxiu is a grateful person, whenever she pays her salary, she always gives a part to her cousin first, leaving a small part.
After working at the newspaper, her colleagues gradually learned that she had been divorced, and many people came up with the idea of introducing her to someone. Wenxiu herself also hopes to re-establish a family, and there is no need for her to abide by the rule of "no remarriage", not to mention that Pu Yi at that time has become the emperor of the puppet Manchukuo and has been abused by the people.
The president Zhang Mingwei was the most active, she expressed her appreciation for Wenxiu's talent, and planned to introduce her aunt and cousin Liu Zhendong to her. Liu Zhendong was born poor, but he studied for a few years.
In the ranks of the Kuomintang, he hated flattery, and was promoted to major by fighting without fear of death. Zhang Mingwei asked his wife to come forward and match Wenxiu and Liu Zhendong. After Wenxiu and Liu Zhendong met, after 5 months of getting to know each other, they held a wedding in Beiping in the summer of 1947.
Liu Zhendong didn't know that Wenxiu's former husband was Pu Yi. At this time, Liu Zhendong was a major officer under Li Zongren, the commander of the North Parallel Battalion, and he retired from the army the following year and opened a flatbed freight truck dealership, and the business was quite hot.
The story of Liu Zhendong and Wen Xiu: He disposed of car dealerships and belongings at a low price, and originally wanted to flee south, but failed. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, he took the initiative to confess his problems and became a cleaner for the Xicheng cleaning team.
They live at the west entrance of Picai Hutong in Beijing's Xicheng and live a simple life. After Wen Xiu's death, it took a long time for the clansmen to learn the news. In 1959, when Pu Yi returned to Beijing after being pardoned, he mentioned Wenxiu, saying: "Fortunately, she divorced me early, otherwise she would have become Wanrong's second."
I think this is the beginning of her life's triumph and happiness. ”