Life and service under the Qing dynasty

Zaize was born in the Aisin Gioro clan as a descendant of Yunxu (允禑), the 15th son of the Kangxi Emperor. His father, Yicheng (奕棖), held the title of a second class fuguo jiangjun. Yixun (奕詢; 1849–1871), the fourth son of Mianyu (綿愉; 1814–1865), had no male heir to succeed him, hence he adopted Zaize as his son, belonged to the Plain Yellow Banner

In 1877, Zaize inherited his adoptive father's title as a feng'en fuguo gong. In 1894, he married Jingrong (靜榮) of the Yehenara clan. Jingrong was the eldest daughter of Guixiang (桂祥), a younger brother of Empress Dowager Cixi. Jingrong's younger sister, Jingfen, married the Guangxu Emperor. After his marriage, Zaize was promoted from feng'en fuguo gong to feng'en zhenguo gong.

In 1901, Zaize was appointed as the dutong (都統; commander) of the Plain Blue Banner of the Eight Banners. In 1905, Zaize, Xu Shichang, Duanfang, Dai Hongci (戴鴻慈) and Shaoying (紹英) were commissioned by the Qing government to visit Europe, Japan and the United States to learn more about their political systems. Before leaving China, he was injured in an assassination attempt by Wu Yue (吳樾), a revolutionary, at the Beijing railway station, hence his trip was delayed. When he returned to China a year later, he wrote a memorial to the imperial court, proposing that they follow in the footsteps of Japan and Germany by converting the Qing Empire into a constitutional monarchy. In 1907, he was appointed as the shangshu (尚書; Secretary) of the Ministry of Finance (度支部). A year later, he was made an acting beizi even though nominally he remained as a feng'en zhenguo gong.

Zaize served as Minister in Charge of Naval Affairs (籌辦海軍事務大臣) in 1909. A year later, he was reassigned to be Minister in Charge of Drafting Constitutional Law (纂擬憲法大臣). In 1911, he was appointed to the newly established Imperial Cabinet headed by its first Prime Minister, Prince Qing. He served as Minister of Finance (度支部大臣) and Minister of Salt Policy (鹽政大臣) in the Imperial Cabinet. However, he was not on good terms with Prince Qing. He also actively urged the Qing government to execute the general Yuan Shikai.

Life after the Qing dynasty

Zaize resigned from his ministerial appointments when the Xinhai Revolution broke out in October 1911. Even after the revolution overthrew the Qing dynasty and established the Republic of China, Zaize still secretly plotted with some former nobles and others to restore the monarchy. In 1917, he supported the general Zhang Xun, who tried to put Puyi, the Last Emperor who abdicated in 1912, back on the throne.

In July 1928, the warlord Sun Dianying looted the Eastern Mausoleum, where the tomb of Empress Dowager Cixi was located. Zaize, acting on behalf of the former Qing dynasty nobles, visited the empress dowager's tomb and tried to restore it. He died in poverty and misery in Beijing in June 1929.

Zaize's former residence, the Ze Gong Fu (澤公府; "Residence of Lord (Zai)Ze"), is located at 89 Di'anmen East Street in Beijing.

生平

清光緒三年（1877年）為輔國公。二十年（1894年）成婚，晉鎮國公。二十七年（1901年）任滿洲正藍旗副都統。三十一年（1905年）載澤與徐世昌、端方、戴鴻慈、紹英被派為出使各國考察政治大臣，離開北京時被吳樾炸傷，延期赴日本、歐美。次年回國，上《奏請宣布立憲密摺》，將日本憲政擺在列國之首，奏請仿日德例，改行君主立憲政體，其中提出立憲的三大利：一是皇位永固，二是外患漸輕，三是內亂可弭。著有《考察政治日記》。三十三年（1907年）任度支部尚書，次年加貝子頭銜。宣統元年（1909年）任籌辦海軍事務大臣。次年任纂擬憲法大臣。三年（1911年）任皇族內閣度支部大臣兼鹽政大臣，與慶親王奕劻不和，力持殺袁世凱。

辛亥革命爆發袁複出後，去職，暗地積極參與宗社黨維護清專制的活動。民國六年（1917年），曾擁護張勳複闢。

1928年7月孫殿英盜掘慈禧太后陵墓之後，載澤代表清皇室到清東陵將慈禧太后遺體重新安葬。

1929年6月在北京窮困落魄，鬱鬱而終。

載澤故居號稱「澤公府」，在北京地安門東大街89號，現臨街部分開設巴國布衣酒樓。

家世

載澤是康熙帝第十五子愉恪郡王允禑之五世孫，因嘉慶帝第五子惠親王綿愉之第四子奕詢無子，奉旨過繼為嗣，襲輔國公，進鎮國公，加貝子銜。娶慈禧太后二弟桂祥長女為妻。桂祥的次女靜芬是光緒帝的皇后，宣統帝的養母隆裕太后。