The Last Imperial Consort Wenxiu Divorce Case against Puyi for Domestic Abuse

In August 1931, Wenxiu, the imperial consort of the abdicated Qing emperor Puyi, fled the family residence in Tianjin and filed for divorce at the Tianjin District Court, citing prolonged domestic abuse, mental cruelty, economic control, and abandonment. Supported by her sister and represented by attorneys Zhang Shizeng, Zhang Shijun, and Li Hongyue, Wenxiu became the first consort in Chinese history to sue an emperor for divorce. The court, led by Judge Zhang Wuben, faced the question of jurisdiction over a former monarch. Under intense public scrutiny, the case was settled out of court on October 22, 1931. The mediation resulted in a divorce agreement in which Wenxiu received 55,000 silver yuan as lifelong alimony, with the humiliating condition that she could never remarry, while Puyi was ordered to formally issue a repudiation statement. The case, known as the "Knife Consort Revolution," was resolved without a formal trial verdict.

The case was concluded through a court-mediated settlement rather than a trial judgment. On October 22, 1931, a divorce agreement was signed. Puyi and Wenxiu were declared legally separated. Wenxiu was granted 55,000 silver dollars as lifelong support, and she agreed not to remarry. Puyi was compelled to issue a statement of "repudiation of the consort," effectively acknowledging the divorce under court supervision.

The primary dispute was whether an imperial consort had the legal right to divorce the former emperor under republican civil law, challenging the feudal doctrine that a consort was perpetual imperial property. Additional focuses included whether Puyi's conduct met the legal definition of abuse and cruelty, and whether the court could assert jurisdiction over a sovereign figure who claimed immunity from ordinary judicial proceedings.

The case caused a nationwide sensation and was widely reported as a symbolic victory for women's liberation and the rule of law over imperial privilege. It severely embarrassed Puyi and the remnants of the Qing court, irrevocably tarnishing the sacred image of the emperor. The "Knife Consort Revolution" spurred public discourse on gender equality, marriage autonomy, and the abolition of concubinage, marking a pivotal moment in the dismantling of feudal family structures in modern China.