Serving as the Last Regent Amidst the Final Collapse of the Monarchy

Prince Chun (Zaifeng), brother of the Guangxu Emperor and father of Puyi, served as Regent of the Qing Empire from 1908 to 1911. Tasked with preserving the monarchy, he oversaw late constitutional reforms but concentrated power within a "Royal Cabinet," alienating Han elites and constitutionalists. His centralizing policies, particularly the nationalization of railways, sparked intense resistance like the Sichuan Railway Protection Movement. Incapable of stemming the tide when the 1911 Wuchang Uprising erupted, Zaifeng resigned his regency, witnessing the end of over two centuries of Qing rule and the fall of imperial China.

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