In 1921, China's last emperor, Puyi, was just 15 years old when he became fascinated with the idea of owning a telephone. Although he had lost his throne years earlier, he was still living inside Beijing's Forbidden City, surrounded by palace officials, servants, and strict imperial traditions.
When Puyi learned that his father already had a telephone at home, he demanded one for himself. However, his advisors strongly opposed the idea. They argued that allowing ordinary people to speak directly with a former emperor would violate centuries of royal customs. They also feared that having direct contact with the outside world would make him harder to control.
Puyi refused to accept their objections. He pointed out that the palace already contained other foreign inventions, including electric lights, clocks, and pianos. After several arguments, his father finally agreed, and a telephone was installed in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
But instead of using his new telephone for important matters, Puyi discovered something much more entertaining. Armed with a telephone directory, he began calling people around Beijing simply to amuse himself.
According to his autobiography, he called a famous opera performer and an acrobat, hanging up before revealing his identity. He also contacted a restaurant and ordered a meal to be delivered to a fake address.
One of his most memorable calls was to the Chinese scholar Hu Shih. Puyi asked the scholar to guess who was calling before revealing that he was the former emperor. He then casually invited Hu Shih to visit him at the palace. Surprisingly, the scholar accepted and eventually came to meet him.
For a teenager who had spent nearly his entire life behind palace walls, the telephone offered an exciting connection to the outside world. His advisors had feared that the invention would give him too much independence, but one of the first things he did with his newfound freedom was make prank calls.
#drthehistories
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