On this day, 117 years ago, December 2, 1908 (November 9, 1908 in the lunar calendar), the last emperor Puyi ascended the throne. Pu Yi sat on the throne of Qianqing Palace. In October of the 34th year of Guangxu (1908), Guangxu and Cixi fell seriously ill one after another. Cixi was still obsessed with controlling the government even when she was dying. She suddenly decided to make Pu Yi his heir, and issued a "Yi Edict" on October 20 to summon Pu Yi to the palace. The result was a farce of Puyi's Crying Hall. On the third day after Pu Yi's descendants disturbed the temple, Cixi died. After Cixi's death, an official national funeral was held. The news spread, and many wealthy China gathered in the singing garden (commonly known as a brothel) to celebrate openly. Two weeks later, on December 2, Puyi ascended the throne. The Ascension Ceremony integrated religion and secularism: musicians, eunuchs and priests gathered in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, and Puyi was placed on the tall and large throne. On December 2, the weather was extremely cold, and Puyi was shocked and cold, and he trembled all over. Guards, ministers and civil and military officials lined up and came to him one by one to swear loyalty. Wang Ma was the only person who could control him. Only by being with her could Puyi feel at ease, but she was not allowed to attend the ceremony that day. The edict required Prince Chun Zaipan, who was both father and regent, to accompany Puyi to participate in this lengthy, horrific ceremony that would be inexplicable to any 3-year-old child. "I felt sluggish and boring," Puyi wrote."Coupled with the extremely cold weather that day, when they carried me to the Hall of Supreme Harmony and placed me on the tall and large throne, it exceeded my patience. My father knelt under the throne and held me with both hands to prevent me from moving, but I struggled and cried: 'I won't suffer this.' I want to go home.' My father was so anxious that he was sweating. The civil and military officials knelt and kowtowed endlessly, and my cries became louder and louder. My father had to coax me and say,'Don't cry, it's almost over. 'He said this to comfort me, but it left a bleak impression on the civil and military officials, who regarded it as an ominous sign." On December 2, Puyi, the son of Prince Chun Zaifeng, who was only three years old, became the emperor and was known as Xuantong. His father served as the regent and represented the Qing Dynasty. This is a portrait painted by the court for his father and son. Pu Yi (right) and Pu Jie in Chun Mansion