The Last Emperor - I always thought I hated it here but now I am afraid to leave

Puyi was born in the Forbidden City of China during the Qing dynasty, one of the most fascinating periods in Chinese history. He was chosen by Dowager Cixi to be the next emperor at the age of 2, after the previous emperor died on the same day. From that moment on, Puyi became the most powerful man in China, despite his young age and inability to care for himself. Eunuchs and maids served him, but he couldn't trust any of them. Almost everyone in the castle had to obey his orders, so he became increasingly arrogant at a young age.

During a visit from his mother and brother, Pujie, Puyi learned that he was no longer emperor. Puyi did not believe what Pujie said, so Pujie showed him what the outside looked like. Puyi came to realize that he was just an emperor within the walls, but a nobody outside, a realization that marked a turning point in his life. The realization prompted him to learn more about the world beyond his palace.

Johnston from Scotland was then hired to tutor Puyi, and with his help, Puyi broadened his horizons with Western knowledge and technology. He began to live more like Westerners, adopting the name Henry and wearing glasses, something that no previous emperor had done before. His family arranged marriages for him with Wanrong and Wenxiu, whom he reluctantly accepted but eventually got along with.

Due to the Beijing Coup, Puyi and his family were forced to leave the Forbidden City in 1924. This marked the beginning of a new chapter in Puyi's life. He lived lavishly and had a close relationship with the Japanese. In 1934, Manchukuo was established, and Puyi was crowned emperor of the nation. Though being the emperor, he had no real power. He was just another puppet ruler controlled by the Japanese, with no say on any matter in reality.

Wanrong died of opium addiction, and Wenxiu left Puyi to pursue her own life. After the Japanese surrendered, Puyi was captured by the Soviets and later sent back to China as a war criminal. In prison, he was forced to undergo a re-education program and confess to betraying the Chinese people.

Puyi's life was incredibly dramatic and tragic, going from being the Son of Heaven to a prisoner. He had thought of reforming the Forbidden City, but it was so corrupt that there was nothing else he could do. Although the Chinese government did not fulfill its promises to him, it was still wrong for him to betray his people. It was even more inhumane to kill his own kind of people. If he was not appointed to be the emperor at a very young age, he would have lived differently. He was just a child and should not take up such huge responsibility when he was still innocent. The Chinese imperial system was unable to withstand the challenges of the modern world and eventually replaced by a republic government.