Product Code Database
Wang Lianshou (; 1887 — 3 February 1946) was a Chinese court lady. She was the imperial wet nurse of Puyi, the last Emperor of China and final ruler of the Qing dynasty. Wang played a prominent role in the nurture of Puyi. Puyi long regarded Wang Lianshou as his mother because of her dedication to him.
During the time she was feeding Puyi, they established a very tight bond. It has been said that she was a guiding light on the road of Puyi's life. She was the only person from the Northern Mansion allowed to go with Puyi. Puyi did not see his biological mother, Princess Consort Chun, for seven years. He developed a special bond with Wang and credited her as the only person who could control him; once, Puyi decided to "reward" a eunuch for a well done puppet show by having a cake baked for him with iron filings in it, saying, "I want to see what he looks like when he eats it". With much difficulty, Wang talked Puyi out of this plan.Behr 1987 p.74
When Puyi was weaned at the age of nine, the dowagers decided that she was useless, so they threw her out without telling Puyi. After she left the palace, Puyi lost his temper and didn't listen to anyone. He kept asking the eunuchs and court ladies to find his wet nurse. Puyi especially hated Empress Dowager Longyu for expelling Wang from the Forbidden City. After Puyi married, he would occasionally bring Wang to the Forbidden City to visit him. After Puyi became the emperor of Manchukuo, he sought her out and brought her back to live in the palace.
In her autobiography, Hiro Saga provided an account surrounding Wang's death, mentioning how she, her daughter Husheng, Wanrong, Wang, and many others of the imperial household were captured by communist troops, transferred to the Public Security Bureau of Tonghua, and caught in the midst of the Tonghua incident. It was then that Wang was hit in the right wrist by a shell that flew into the building and bled out, as there was nothing around to stop the bleeding with.
|
|
