When a Six-Year-Old Lost an Empire - February 12, 1912

On February 12, 1912, six-year-old Puyi signed away 2,133 years of imperial rule except he didn't actually give up his title, his palace, or his millions in annual payments. This compromise settlement kept the ghost of monarchy alive in republican China, enabling Yuan Shikai's failed imperial restoration, making Puyi a perfect tool for Japanese occupation, and contributing to decades of instability. This episode explores why revolutionaries chose negotiation over execution, what happens when you preserve old systems symbolically while stripping their power, and the tragic life of a child emperor who became everyone's pawn.