Speaking of Yuan Kewen, this famous figure in history, his birth background is quite legendary.
Back then, when his father Yuan Shikai was on the Korean Peninsula, his mother dreamed that a giant leopard broke into the dream.
This dream, in an era of superstition, was considered to be an extremely auspicious sign.
And Yuan Shikai, when he heard that his son was born with such an auspicious dream, he didn't say a word, and immediately asked his eldest wife to raise Yuan Kewen.
This eldest lady, except for Yuan Kewen, there are no other children around to enjoy her love.
It can be said that Yuan Kewen grew up being pampered since he was a child, spending money lavishly, and he also has a soft spot for beauty, which is simply a model of a teenager of that era.
Smart people never lack opportunities, Yuan Kewen has been smart since he was a child, and he looks good, and he soon won the love of his father Yuan Shikai.
When he grew up, he and Zhang Xueliang and others were equally famous, and called the "Four Great Princes", in that turbulent era, each of them was a famous figure, young and promising, and in his prime.
was favored by the Queen Mother
In 1907, during a meeting at the Summer Palace, the Empress Dowager Cixi of Lafayette saw such a young and handsome Yuan Kewen, and her heart moved, and she had the idea of keeping him by her side.
Do you think, at that time, the Empress Dowager Cixi was the number one person in the world, what did she want and couldn't get?
After saying this, Yuan Shikai was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat.
Faced with Cixi's sudden request, he hurriedly refused, almost as if reflexively.
The tension and anxiety in this can be imagined.
I have to say that Yuan Shikai's difference in thought may be to pave the way for Yuan Kewen's future romantic life.
Yuan Kewen's suave image, if he really stayed with the Empress Dowager Cixi, it would have rewritten the trajectory of his life.
But history is always full of accidents, and a lie by Yuan Shikai changed Yuan Kewen's fate in this way.
Yuan Shikai lied
On the day of the Summer Palace, Yuan Shikai's mood can be said to be both happy and worried.
On the one hand, Lafayette Cixi's appreciation of his son Yuan Kewen made his heart bloom; On the one hand, the Empress Dowager Cixi's sudden proposal made him feel a chill.
Empress Dowager Cixi's proposal sounded unbelievable.
She opened her mouth to ask Yuan Shikai if she was willing to leave Yuan Kewen to the Yehenala family, that is, the Empress Dowager Cixi actually wanted to include Yuan Kewen in her family and marry her niece.
Yuan Shikai, an old man who is well versed in the world, was also frightened and sweated coldly when facing the words of the Empress Dowager Cixi.
What to do?
You must know that in that era, the Empress Dowager Cixi was a figure with real power, and her words were enough to decide a person's fate.
But the son Yuan Kewen in front of Yuan Shikai is his beloved treasure, how can he send him into the imperial family, this is not only a matter of personal honor, but also the fate of the entire family in the future.
So, he had to fabricate a lie, saying that his son was already married, so that the Empress Dowager Cixi would retreat.
The Empress Dowager Cixi was naturally dissatisfied, and there was obvious disappointment and coldness in her voice.
She stared at Yuan Shikai with those old but sharp eyes, as if she wanted to see through the fear and weakness in his heart.
Yuan Shikai could only hold his breath in front of this empress, carefully waiting for her reaction.
But fortunately, the Empress Dowager Cixi did not chase after her, but just asked their father and son to retreat.
Yuan Shikai, who returned to the house, did not disappear that thrilling feeling.
He knew that the Empress Dowager Cixi was not an easy person to get along with, and her every word and decision was enough to affect the fate of many people.
And how can his own son be involved in this whirlpool of imperial power at will?
He decided that there could be no more hesitation and waiting, and that he had to set up a marriage for Yuan Kewen as soon as possible to let the dust settle.
Yuan Kewen's romantic life
Just as Yuan Shikai got rid of Cixi's proposal and returned to the house still in a cold sweat for this turmoil, his son Yuan Kewen's personal life had already opened a new chapter.
For Yuan Kewen, marriage is not only the beginning of a new life, but also another constraint.
After marrying Liu Meizhen, the sweetness of the two is just a short spring, which is slowly consumed by time.
Yuan Kewen has been accustomed to being pampered and sought after since he was a child, and the days after marriage obviously did not let him let go of his heart of greedy for the world of flowers.
Singing at night has become his norm, and the gentle countryside outside has a fatal attraction to him.
No matter how you look at it, Yuan Kewen's amorous life is a kind of profligacy.
For him, property seems to be just a passing moment, spending money like running water, and never stingy with what he likes.
This way of life certainly allows him to enjoy boundless happiness at the moment, but everyone knows that such days will not last long after all.
In the end, Yuan Kewen's later years fell into trouble.
His body was hollowed out by wine, and he ushered in the end of his life - at the age of 42, he died of illness, and the end of his life seemed extremely bleak.
The scenery used to be infinite, but in the end, there were only 20 oceans left in the whole body, and even the most basic funeral expenses became a problem.
Fortunately, Yuan Kewen made many friends in his life, and with the help of his friends, his funeral was held decently.
In those days, whether it was a former colleague in the officialdom or a woman in the Qinglou who had a romantic relationship with him, they all came to say goodbye to the suave Yuan Kewen before his death.
If you want to talk about Yuan Kewen's life, it is really wonderful.
It's a pity that he couldn't escape the shackles of an old saying in the end - drunk gold fans will eventually be exhausted, and he will spend the rest of his life with an empty name.
Bibliography:
CNKI: "Beijing Calligraphy in the Republic of China: Yuan Kewen"