After the restoration, Puyi sat on the throne of the Qianqing Palace and accepted the support of the veterans.

The Revolution of 1911 overthrew the rule of the Qing Dynasty and established a republic, thus ending the feudal autocratic monarchy of more than 2,000 years.

However, the feudal forces were not willing to fail. In the early years of the Republic of China, following the failure of Yuan Shikai's "Hongxian Imperial System", the restoration of the Qing Dynasty occurred on July 1, 1917. Since this restoration was created by the feudal warlord Zhang Xun, it is known in history as the "Restoration of Zhang Xun."

Zhang Xun was originally the governor of Jiangnan in the Qing Dynasty, and commanded the Jiangfang Battalion stationed in Nanjing. After the outbreak of the Revolution of 1911, the revolutionary army attacked Nanjing. Zhang Xun resisted stubbornly. After the defeat, he led a rout of troops to defend Xuzhou and Yanzhou, and continued to be enemies of the revolution. After the founding of the Republic of China, he and his team stubbornly kept their hair in braids, expressing their loyalty to the Qing court. People called this strange warlord "Braid Commander", and his team was called "Braid Army". In 1913, Zhang Xun was promoted to the Yangtze River patrol by Yuan Shikai for his "merit" in suppressing the "Second Revolution" initiated by Sun Yat-sen. From then on, he supported Xuzhou and became a powerful local warlord. In 1916, Yuan Shikai, the head of the Beiyang warlord, failed to proclaim himself emperor, and Li Yuanhong became the president. Real power was in the hands of Premier Duan Qirui. Soon, Li Yuanhong and Duan Qirui had a conflict over the so-called "war" issue. Duan Qirui advocated a declaration of war against Germany, while Li Yuanhong and the National Assembly firmly opposed it. Zhang Xun opposed the declaration of war against Germany because Germany supported his idea of restoration, but at the same time despised Li Yuanhong. Therefore, Li and Duan competed to win over Zhang Xun, but Zhang Xun had other plans. He disguised himself as a mediator between Li and Duan in an attempt to reap the benefits while piecing together his strength and actively preparing for the restoration. In late May 1917, when Li and Duan were at odds over the dissolution of the National Assembly, Duan Qirui planned to overthrow Li Yuanhong by force and dissolve the National Assembly. Li Yuanhong got the news and first ordered Duan Qirui to be removed as the Premier of the State Council. Zhang Xun took the opportunity to put forward the proposition that "restoration is inevitable" and led the "Braid Army" north on June 7. Li Yuanhong was forced to order the dissolution of the National Assembly. On the 14th, Zhang Xun arrived in Beijing.

After a period of intense planning, Zhang Xun infiltrated the Qing Palace on June 30 and decided to launch the restoration that night. At 1 am on July 1, 1917, Zhang Xun donned a blue gauze robe, yellow vest, and red-topped flower hillhouse. He led more than 50 people from Liu Tingchen, Kang Youwei, Chen Yi, Shen Zengzhi, Wang Shizhen, the Red Dynasty Sect and several braid army commanders into the palace by car.

At about 3 o'clock, the deposed Emperor Pu Yi summoned Zhang Xun in Yangxin Hall. Zhang led the people, and Pu Yi bowed three times and kowtowed nine times. Then Zhang petitioned for restoration and said: "Empress Dowager Longyu could not bear to let the people suffer for the sake of honor, so she issued an edict to establish a republic. Who knew that it would make the people miserable. The republic is not in line with our national conditions. Only when the emperor is restored can the people be saved. Pu Yi said: "I am too young, talented and virtuous to take on such a great responsibility. "Zhang said: " The world knows that the emperor is wise and wise. In the past, the holy ancestor emperor also ascended the throne at the beginning of his life. "12-year-old Pu Yi said: " In that case, I will reluctantly endure it. On the same day, Puyi issued an "imperial edict to ascend the throne", stating that "the republic has disintegrated and remedies have been exhausted." He announced that he would personally visit the government and take back power. He announced nine policy goals and issued eight "orders" in a row to confer official titles on a large scale and restore the old Qing Dynasty system. The important elements who participated in the restoration were all appointed with important positions such as Shangshu, Pavilion Cheng, and Assistant Minister. Kang Youwei was appointed as deputy president of the Bide Court, Zhang Xun was appointed as Minister of Government Affairs and Minister of State Affairs, and was granted the title of the new loyal and brave king. Zhang Xun also sent a telegram to all provinces, announcing that he had "petitioned the emperor to restore the throne" and asked all provinces to "abide by the new moon and fly the dragon flag" immediately.

After the news of the restoration came out, it was immediately opposed by the people of the whole country. Sun Yat-sen issued the "Declaration of Rebellion" in Shanghai. Duan Qirui, with the support of Japanese imperialism, formed a Rebellion Army. The defensive "Braid Army" collapsed at the touch of a button, and Zhang Xun fled to the Dutch Embassy under the protection of the Germans. The restoration scandal was only staged for 12 days, and it ended with the scorn of 10,000 people.

Qing Dynasty dragon flag hangs on the streets of Beijing