Chapter 5: The Nation's Heavy Equipment (4)
Cixi coughed twice, turned to the tawny-robed man who had been standing solemnly for a long time, and said in a trembling voice: "Tianjia Hu Fa, fortunately, the earth plate lamp still exists. Please return the Holy King Ding to the underground palace as soon as possible."
The man in the yellow robe nodded slightly and said, "The four phases of gold, wood, water, and fire have been scattered. The five-phase earth palace's four mechanisms have been destroyed. Relying solely on the earth phase... If others can't find the earth palace, it doesn't matter. But if they do find it, the earth palace will be useless. It would be better for Her Majesty to instruct His Majesty to keep the Sacred King Cauldron by his side and guard it day and night, which is safer than leaving it in the earth palace."
Cixi said, "Tian Jia Hu Fa, in this Forbidden City of mine, I have been uneasy for a long time. Please take back the Sacred Wang Ding to the underground palace. Even if ordinary people know its location, it will probably take them ten or eight years to find it."
The man in yellow robes let out a dry laugh: "The guardian of the Tian family is listening to the empress's orders."
Cixi turned around and ordered Zaizhen: "Zaizhen, return the tripod to Tian's family guardian."
Although Zai Yu was puzzled, he had no choice but to hand the tripod over to the man in the yellow earth robe. The man took it and gazed at the shining earthen lamp for a moment before putting the tripod into his bosom. With a wave of his hands, the tripod vanished instantly. The man in the yellow earth robe said, "Please have the Empress Dowager depart, this place is no longer suitable for a long stay."
Puyi pulled at Zaifeng's sleeve and asked: "Father, is that man a magician? How did he make the tripod disappear?"
"Your Majesty, it's not lost, it's hidden on his body."
Puyi was still curious: "What's the point of hiding it on your body? Are you afraid someone will steal it?"
"Yes, I'm afraid of theft."
Cixi and others carried the body of Guangxu Emperor, who had already passed away, out of the Buddhist hall, and sat in a sedan chair. The man in yellow robes slightly bowed his fist to the crowd at the entrance of the Buddhist hall, pushed into the Buddhist hall, and immediately the bean-sized candlelight went out. Inside the Buddhist hall, it seemed as if no one had ever existed.
The three sedan chairs flew out of the dense forest quickly, and only heard the sound of walls collapsing and houses crumbling behind them, echoing into a piece.
"Quickly! To the main gate!" The group of people rushed towards the main gate of Yiheyuan, and when they reached halfway, they saw that the main gate was gradually filled with noise and flames, as if a large number of horses and men were rushing over.
They walked a little over half a mile further ahead, and more than ten sword-carrying guards suddenly appeared by the roadside. Li Lianying shouted "Stop!" and the sedan chair came to a halt. Those dozen or so guards stepped forward, pulling the six sedan bearers aside. Before they could even react, with a few swift knife strikes, those six sedan bearers were killed without being able to utter a single cry.
Six more guards came up from inside, lifted the sedan chair and rushed away quickly.
Two days later, the news of Guangxu's death was spread, and two days later, Cixi also died in Yilun Hall, Xiyuan, Beijing. Half a month later, Puyi ascended to the throne in Taihe Hall, with Empress Longyu and Zaifeng as regents. The following year, the era name was changed to Xuantong, thus Puyi became the last emperor of the Qing dynasty.
Li Lianying completed the funeral of Cixi and left the palace on February 2, 1909, after living there for 51 years. At that time, Empress Dowager Longyu, who was in charge of the inner court, allowed him to "retire with his original salary" as a token of gratitude for his many years of service in the palace, which meant he would receive sixty taels of silver per month after retirement. After leaving the palace, Li Lianying lived a reclusive life but was eventually assassinated near Houhai Lake. This was because Cixi had secretly instructed Empress Dowager Longyu and Zaifeng before her death that she feared Li Lianying, being a Han Chinese, knew about the sacred Ding of the Five Emperors and could not be left alive. Li Lianying died in 1911 at the age of 64.
In the third year of Xuantong (1911), the Xinhai Revolution broke out, and on February 12 of the following year, Empress Dowager Longyu was forced to issue the "Edict of Abdication" on behalf of Puyi, who retreated to the Nourishing Heart Palace in the Forbidden City, marking the end of the Qing dynasty and the feudal imperial system that had lasted for over two thousand years.
Longyu fell ill in 1913 and never recovered. Before her death, she asked the eunuchs to bring the abdicated Emperor Puyi to her side and told those around her: "Don't make it difficult for him."
In the last three years of the Qing dynasty (1909-1911), Zaifeng was the de facto ruler of China. Zaifeng inherited his father's weak character, lacking in talent and insight, and unable to bear the weight of great responsibility. Faced with a tumultuous situation, he repeatedly made mistakes, hastening the downfall of the Qing dynasty. After the Xinhai Revolution in 1911, Zaifeng resigned as regent and retreated from public life, remaining silent and uninvolved in politics, refusing to participate in Zhang Xun's restoration activities or take up any position in the puppet state of Manchukuo. Under Japanese rule, he resisted repeated attempts by the Japanese to persuade him to collaborate, insisting on staying in the north and drawing a clear line between himself and "Manchukuo". After national liberation, Zaifeng donated his family's books and cultural relics to Peking University, responded to the Huai River flood disaster with donations, and led by example in purchasing "Victory Bonds". He died of illness on February 3, 1951.
In June 1917, Zhang Xun led the Qing loyalist army into Beijing and, together with Kang Youwei and other monarchists, declared the restoration of Puyi on July 1. On the 12th, amidst nationwide protests, Puyi once again announced his abdication.
On November 5, 1924, Feng Yuxiang sent Lu Zhonglin to lead troops into the Forbidden City, forcing Puyi out of the palace, an event known as the "forced evacuation of the palace". Puyi moved into the Northern Mansion (the residence of Zaifeng), and then fled to the Japanese legation. After Puyi was forced out of the palace, major Japanese newspapers published articles sympathetic to him, laying the groundwork for the future establishment of Manchukuo.
Ironically, during the Eight-Nation Alliance, Japan had sent the most troops and fought the hardest. Soon after, Puyi was escorted by the Japanese to Tianjin.
On March 1, 1932, Japan supported Puyi as the regent of the Japanese puppet regime "Manchukuo", and the era name was "Datong".
In 1934, the national title was changed to "Manchurian Empire", and the emperor's title was changed. The year number was also changed to "Kangde", which is a shortened form of Kangxi and Dezong Guangxu, with the intention of commemorating and conveying the wish to continue the Qing dynasty's legacy.
As for the whereabouts of the Five Elements Supreme Sacred King Tripod, only Puyi, Zaifeng and Zheng Xiaoxu, the first Prime Minister of Manchukuo, knew. Of course, there was also the absolutely unknown Five Elements family. Apart from this, various warlords and ambitious people also coveted the heavy treasure left by the last dynasty, and the emperor's dream still lingered on Chinese soil, although only faintly, but all were desperately searching.
What's worse, Japanese Emperor Hirohito finally confirmed the existence of Wu Xing Zhi Zun Sheng Wang Ding through various means. For Emperor Hirohito, possessing Wu Xing Zhi Zun Sheng Wang Ding was the spiritual foundation for the Great Japanese Empire to thoroughly conquer China and make the Japanese emperor a legitimate ruler of China. The intensity of this desire had reached an extent where Japan would spare no cost, even going all out...
