The Extraordinary Life of The Last Emperor of China The Extraordinary Life of The Last Emperor of China Jia had contact with Li Shuxian, Puyi's widow, for nearly 30 years, and was the first person to collect Puyi's writings and record Li's recollections of her husband. He even wrote the epigraph on Puyi's casket. Jia also interviewed over 300 people who had associations with Puyi since the late Qing dynasty, thus making the book's authenticity irreplaceable. The book narrates Puyi's life from his entry into the Forbidden City at the age of three in 1908 to his death in 1967. It tries to avoid repeating the stories already mentioned
Emperor of China it was considered a crime to compare oneself to the emperor in any way. It was taboo to refer to the emperor by his or her given name, even for the emperor's own mother, who instead was to use "Huángdì" (皇帝), or simply "Ér" (兒/儿, "son", for male emperor). The emperor was never to be addressed as "you". Anyone who spoke to the emperor was to address him or her as "Bìxià" (陛下, the "Bottom of the Steps"), corresponding to "Your Imperial Majesty"; "Huáng Shàng" (皇上, lit. "Radiant Highness"); "Shèng Shàng" (聖上/圣上, "Holy Highness"); or "Tiānzǐ" (天子, "Son of Heaven").