Wanrong (Chinese: 婉容; 13 November 1906 – 20 June 1946), of the Manchu Plain White Banner Gobulo clan, was the wife and empress consort of Puyi, the last emperor of China.

[1] She later became the empress consort of the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo in northeastern China from 1934 until the abolition of the monarchy in August 1945, at the conclusion of the Second World War.

During the Soviet invasion of Manchuria at the end of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1945, Wanrong was captured by Chinese Communist guerrillas and transferred to various locations before she was placed in a prison camp in Yanji, Jilin.

[23] The American travel writer Richard Halliburton, who was present at the event, described it as follows: "At four in the morning this gorgeous spectacle moved through the moonlit streets of Peking en-route to the prison-palace.

Slowly, darkly, the great gates swung open,—I could look inside the courtyard and see the blazing avenue of lamps down which the procession would move up to the throne room where the emperor waited.

[26] Wanrong wore a veil, as was Imperial Chinese tradition for the night-time wedding ceremony, and Puyi, who was inexperienced with women, later stated: "I hardly thought about marriage and family.

[41] [42] The Empress would sometimes also playfully tease Puyi, calling him, in one letter, ''Henry dear little wife'' and referring to herself as ''loving husband, Elizabeth'' (In English.

Her tutor, Isabel Ingram, who began teaching her English in 1922,[50] observed Wanrong could focus for hours on tasks like studying and playing the organ.

[citation needed] Hu Siyuan, who later taught Wanrong classical literature in Tianjin commented "she was wise and eager to learn, quick-witted and inquisitive; she always made a thorough inquiry of the ups and downs of ancient events, had a profound understanding of the texts.

[4] Pujie (Puyi's brother) said there were always several two-person palanquins waiting to carry the tutors in at the Gate of Divine Valor every afternoon when they came to teach.

[54] On another occasion he was asked to go on a swing in the veranda of the Palace of Universal Happiness, with the other eunuchs pushing vigorously, scaring him, with Wanrong finding the situation to be humorous.

In my country (China), a steam train is still a fire-spitting demon, electricity is the eye of the devil, motor cars which are not uncommon, still elicit a dubious and suspicious response from the inland Chinese.

Every day I had to wear a full smile when meeting others, so no one could detect how much bitterness I was suffering in my heart!On 25 June 1931, she wrote: My darling told me that I could fall in love with others I said: "No!

[86] Late in 1931, Yoshiko Kawashima, acting under instruction from the Japanese Kwantung Army, fetched Wanrong from Tianjin to Dalian and then to Port Arthur (now Lüshun) to meet Puyi who had accepted an offer from the Empire of Japan to head the puppet state of Manchukuo in Manchuria (northeastern China) in the hope of restoring the Qing dynasty.

"[94] Yoshiko Kawashima, a strong-willed, flamboyant, openly bisexual woman noted for her habit of wearing male clothing and uniforms, had some influence on Wanrong and she eventually secretly relocated to Manchukuo.

Prince Su's Mansion in Lushun served as Puyi's temporary palace in which Wanrong would spend a few months before settling in Xinjing (Changchun).

"[100][101] In another incident, around August or September 1933, when the wife of Zhao Xinbo (趙欣伯), a Manchukuo official, was preparing to leave for Japan, Wanrong approached her and asked her for help.

The lyrics were dismal.."[111] On 21 November 1934, The New York Times wrote an article stating that: "due to nervous illness, Empress Yueh Hua [pen name used by Wanrong] will soon leave the capital to spend the Winter at Dairen.

"[112] Puyi became a devout Buddhist in the Manchukuo period, reading many books and sutras on the topic and had developed superstitions to the point where he would not allow his staff to kill a single fly.

[110] Wang Jianzhai, a man who had worked at the Palace, claimed Puyi had shackled Wanrong in order to prevent her moving around with ease and said the sound of chains on the floor could often be heard as they walked by her room.

[134][135] Yang Jingzhu (楊景竹), the wife of one of Puyi's relatives, Yuzhan (毓嶦), claimed she found Wanrong's personal maid, Chunying, crying in the Palace.

Upon asking her what was wrong, the maid had told her the empress had threatened to beat her if she did not eat a cookie that Wanrong had smeared with her own menstrual blood.

[138] A maid present at the palace also recalled Wanrong laughing and crying frequently, and often appeared naked, although it is unclear if this meant full nudity or undergarments.

It is claimed in her later years she struggled to walk and her eyesight severely deteriorated (likely due to an untreated eye disease[142]) and found brightness to be uncomfortable.

[147] Soviet soldiers quickly arrived in Dalizi and came into contact with Wanrong's entourage, telling Prince Pujian, a relative of Puyi's, that they had come to liberate Northeast China as well as asking to see the Empress.

[150] According to Behr in his book The Last Emperor, Li Yuqin supposedly offered Wanrong a place to stay at her home, but her mother having no sympathy alerted Communist party officials, who had the group arrested.

[152] Hiro Saga wrote about her time at the Jilin prison saying: "All day long, the Empress rolled around on the wooden floor, screaming and moaning like a mad woman, her eyes were wide with agony.

[154] The general hatred for Puyi meant few had any sympathy for Wanrong, who was seen as another Japanese collaborator, and a guard told Lady Saga "this one won't last," making it a waste of time feeding her.

[157] She died at the age of 39 on 20 June 1946 in Yanji, Jilin province,[157] from the effects of malnutrition and opium withdrawal in a pool of her own bodily fluids.

[161] 青天 路迢迢 喜馬拉山 比不高 世界繁華 都在目 立身雲端 何逍遙 有時 奏弦歌 春風但願 不停飄 全憑 一線牽 風伯扶住 向上飛 莫教雨師 來迎接 竹當身體 紙做衣 偶逢 春朋友 語道你高 我還低 Under the blue sky, an endless journey lies before me, even the Himalayas seems shorter from where I stand I can see the entire bustling world, yet standing atop the clouds, how can I be truly free and unfettered?