On a cold October night in 1542 AD, fifteen court ladies joined forces to accomplish a historic feat that not only rewrote the record, but also pushed their fate to an irreversible predicament.
This is the world-famous "Renyin Palace Change" incident, a group of girls who silently serve the emperor on weekdays, suddenly decided to strangle the emperor. Why should they take the risk and decide to embark on this road of no return?The reason is that the power of the eunuchs spread during the Ming Dynasty, and the lives of the palace ladies were gloomy. Although they improved during the Qing Dynasty, their status was always in a weak position compared to that of eunuchs, and they could not escape their tragic fate.
As early as the Zhou Dynasty, the profession of palace maid already existed. The records of the Zhou Li, Tianguan, and Gongren show that the Zhou Dynasty had established a system of female officials who were specifically responsible for the daily affairs of the monarch.
With the passage of time, the palace maid system gradually developed and matured in the Ming and Qing dynasties. In the Ming Dynasty, the main way to choose palace maids was through apportionment. The emperor issued an edict asking the provincial officials to apportion the number of palace maids to each county. Recruitment requirements include being between the ages of thirteen and fourteen, good looks, moderate stature, good physical fitness, and good speech.
When the counties received this notice, they pushed the task to the civilian population, and there were some heartbreaking scenes. The Ming Dynasty palace maids did not have a definite length of service, and once they entered the palace, it was difficult to reunite with their families.
During the Zhu Yuanzhang period, it was stipulated that the service time of the palace maid was five to six years, and they could return to their parents after that. However, by the time of Zhu Di, this provision was further extended. However, by the middle and late Ming Dynasty, there was no clear criterion for the selection and departure of palace maids, and it completely depended on the mood of the emperor and empress, and a unified norm was lost.
As a result, court ladies in the Ming Dynasty entered the court from the age of thirteen or fourteen, and some even waited until they were around fifty years old to gain freedom, spending most of their lives in the court.
With the rise of the Qing Dynasty, the selection method of palace maids has changed, and it is no longer through apportionment to the people, but by the three banners of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The Qing Dynasty's internal affairs bannermen enjoyed privileges and had a fortune from birth, which also doomed them to fulfill certain obligations. The girls of each banner also have to take on the responsibility of choosing the maids of the court.
The selection conditions for alternative court maids were similar to those in the Ming Dynasty, and girls who met the criteria were selected to enter the court, known as "errands", and the term of service was set at three years, of course, this time was only an agreement.
Some families are reluctant to send their daughters to the court by paying bribes to the officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, or by falsely declaring their disabilities so as not to be chosen.
However, some poor families are willing to send their daughters to the court, on the one hand, to reduce the burden on the family, and on the other hand, they hope that their daughters will be able to marry into prestigious families through this experience. However, the reality often does not match expectations.
There is also a category of families who want their daughters to enter the court, and if they are lucky enough to be favored by the emperor, this will also help to improve their social status. Just like Jia Yuanchun and Xue Baochai in "Dream of Red Mansions", their entry into the palace also has the purpose of family glory.
Newly elected palace maids first need to undergo training, learn Xi court etiquette, and only after the assessment will they be assigned to different jobs.
The rules of the Qing court were very cumbersome, and they could not easily talk to each other at work, and they could not spread gossip among the palace maids. No matter what the situation, always smile and smile toothlessly. Even if you have just been punished, you must try to put a smile on your face.
When greeting the peace, keep the body straight and prostrate steadily. When standing or walking, the body must not sway from side to side. When sleeping, you can't stretch your limbs, you can only lie on your side, bend your knees, put one hand on your body, and stretch the other hand flat. It is said that this sleeping position was to avoid colliding with the so-called "temple gods", as the Qing Dynasty people believed that each main hall had a guardian god.
To treat the master, the palace maid must call herself a "slave", respond to the master's command to respond to the "hum", and after conveying the task, she must humbly retreat and leave. Under normal circumstances, court ladies were not allowed to trespass into other palaces at will, unless they were sent to convey affairs.
For violators, court maids may be punished, including corporal punishment, punishment of kneeling, punishment for chores, etc., and in severe cases, they may even be crowned with great disrespect and sentenced to death. In the Qing Dynasty, palace maids who made mistakes could be punished with corporal punishment, but they were never allowed to hit their faces, let alone kill people. Take the concubine of Emperor Qianlong as an example, because she killed a palace maid, she was demoted to a concubine, and she was also fined 100 taels of silver as the funeral expenses of the deceased.
Although the concubine was re-enshrined soon afterward, the precepts and rules of the Qing court were at least strictly enforced.
After Xi learning these court rules, the newly elected ladies would be observed and inspected for a period of time, and then formally assigned to their respective jobs, thus beginning their life at the court.
At the end of the Ming Dynasty, the poet Chen Yi created a series of poems called "Words of the Apocalypse Palace", one of which reflected the life of the palace maid:
The six palaces are deeply locked and delicate, and most of them are resentful. The lamp shadow lion dragon entertains the eternal night, and the king has no time to accompany the slender waist.
Through this poem, we learn that the court ladies of the Ming Dynasty were numerous, their work was heavy, and their youth disappeared in the resentment of the court. In their resentment against the king, they also longed for the king's love.
So how many palace maids served the emperors in the Ming and Qing dynasties?According to the records of the Ming Dynasty Xie Zhaoqian's "Five Miscellaneous Warriors", in the era of Emperor Tang and Ming, the three palaces of Chang'an, Da Ming and Xingqing, and the two palaces of the eastern capital of Da Nei and Shangyang, the total number of palace maids was 40,000. This also provides a basis for Cao Xueqin's accusation of "dirty Tang stinky men" in "Dream of Red Mansions".
Compared with the Tang Dynasty, the number of palace maids around the emperor in the Ming and Qing dynasties decreased. The Ming Dynasty did not have a specific regulation, while the Qing Dynasty stipulated that the number of people was less than three hundred, but the actual number may be exceeded. According to the records of "The System of the Qing Dynasty's Harem", the number of palace maids at all levels is different, from the queen mother, the queen, the imperial concubine to Chang Zai, etc., there are different numbers of palace maids.
Historical records show that there were about 9,000 palace maids at the end of the Ming Dynasty, about 3,000 at the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, and then reduced to more than 1,900 in the Guangxu period.
For these palace maids, what is their specific work content?We can understand this by referring to the work of the palace maids around the Empress Dowager Cixi.
Chuxiu Palace is Cixi's dormitory, the palace ladies perform their duties, the division of labor is clear, the most significant feature is the implementation of professional assembly operations.
As soon as Cixi woke up every day, the palace ladies began their busy daily work. The maid who is in charge of making the bed makes the bed in an orderly manner, and the task of lighting incense or the smoker is also done by the maid who is in charge of it.
If Cixi needed to go to the toilet, the maid in charge of the toilet immediately went to work. Cixi paid attention to grooming, washing her face and combing her hair became a top priority, and the palace maid in charge of washing needed to prepare hot water in advance.
After washing, the palace maid who is responsible for wiping the table will wipe the table anew, and the wiping work is also subdivided into different subdivisions, including wiping the glass and wiping the floor tiles, etc., each performing its own duties.
After using a simple snack, Cixi began to go to the Palace of Nourishing Hearts to work. If there are documents, recitals, or matters that need to be communicated, the palace ladies in charge of delivering them start to get busy.
After Cixi finished her office, when the eunuchs waited outside the palace gate, the aunts in charge of management who received the news would convey the message to the palace maids. The ladies of the palace immediately entered the working state after receiving the news.
After Cixi returned to Chuxiu Palace, she first needed to change her clothes, and the palace maid who was in charge of clothes quickly came over. In Chuxiu Palace, there are palace maids who are responsible for the clothes of the four seasons, and there are also palace maids who are responsible for the shoes and socks of the four seasons.
Whether Cixi wanted to drink tea or smoke shisha, all kinds of palace maids would quickly arrange it. Lighting hookah is a demanding "technical job".
The palace maid knelt on one leg, holding a hookah in her left hand and a paper coal in her right hand to light a cigarette. In the process of blowing and burning paper coal, you must not let the sparks fly or let the paper ashes fly around, otherwise you will be severely punished.
The so-called "paper coal" is a roll of paper specially used to light a hookah, and when one end is lit, the flame is blown out, and the smoke continues without extinguishing. When it's time to ignite something with an open flame, simply purse your lips and push the tip of your tongue out to blow an open flame.
Judging from the above-mentioned work of the palace maids in the Chu Xiu Palace, the professional level of the palace maids in the Qing Dynasty was quite high, and the treatment was also quite good, and family members were allowed to visit once a month on the second day of the new year.
However, the ladies of other palaces did not have such treatment. If you're lucky, you can only see your family once a year or twoAnd for those palace maids who are engaged in heavy physical labor, they can hardly see their relatives again after entering the palace.
It's lucky to meet a good master, but if you meet a king like Emperor Jiajing, the fate of the palace ladies is quite tragic. Emperor Jiajing was obsessed with immortal Taoism, and his reputation was in alchemy, and he was irritable and irritable due to taking pills for a long time.
The Records of Zhongzong of the Li Dynasty contains: "If there is a slight mistake, it will be added to the Xuchu, so that as many as 200 people will die";"Ming Palace Ci" also recorded: "Shizong is Bian, there are many people in the palace, and the palace people are afraid."
What's even more shocking is that in order to make alchemy, he did not hesitate to collect the menstrual blood of the palace maid as a medicine guide, and in order to ensure the purity of the menstrual blood, he even asked the girls to fast, and only allowed them to eat mulberry leaves and drink dew.
Under such a cruel king's rule, it is not surprising that the palace ladies struggled to resist. However, the "Renyin Palace Rebellion" was ultimately unsuccessful, and the palace maids and their families who participated in the palace rebellion were eventually executed.
There are also strict rules on dressing, with light colors in summer and dark colors in spring, autumn and winter. Makeup is not allowed in normal times, although there is a small monthly fee for fat powder, but only on the days of celebrations, such as New Year's Day or Cixi's "Long Birthday Day", the palace ladies can dress up a little.
The dietary conditions of the court ladies in the Qing Dynasty were relatively good. For breakfast, there are a variety of rice porridge, pancakes, spring rolls, and steamed dishes, while lunch consists of rice and meat, and for dinner, steamed dishes are the main dishes. For the palace maids on night duty, there is also a supper, which includes wontons and all kinds of dim sum.
However, palace maids generally have to avoid overeating, let alone eating foods with strong flavors. Burping in front of the emperor, or eating foods with strong flavors such as garlic and leeks is considered a great disrespect.
In such a palace life, the palace ladies experience monotonous and tedious work year after year, day after day, and may be punished at any time, so they are mentally and psychologically under a certain pressure.
In order to alleviate this psychological pressure and also meet emotional needs, the "anti-food" system arose in the court of the Ming Dynasty. Eating refers to the marriage of a "husband and wife" between the palace maids, and later even extended to the relationship between the palace maids and the eunuchs. In contrast, "vegetable household" is different from food, usually referring to the relationship between the palace maid and the eunuch as a "husband and wife", like a family, caring for each other, and the relationship is relatively stable. Feeding is often a temporary combination.
Although this phenomenon may seem deformed, it also reflects the inability of court ladies to be mentally and emotionally satisfied beyond their heavy work. Therefore, it has become a choice for them to relieve and release their inner anguish in this way.
In film and television dramas, we often see palace maids who are favored by the emperor, but what is their ending?
In the palace, there are indeed palace maids who are favored by the emperor, such as Zhu Changluo of Mingguangzong is the result of Zhu Yijun's favor of Mingshenzong. However, neither Zhu Changluo nor his mother Wang could get rid of the oppression of court power in the end.
Zhu Changluo died only 29 days after ascending the throne, and his mother did not enjoy the treatment of "mother is more precious than son", and finally died tragically in the cold palace. Perhaps, if she lives the life of a palace maid in peace, she may be able to save a life.
However, the topic returned to Mingshenzong Zhu Yijun, who was also born to a palace maid, but ascended to the throne and made his mother Li the queen mother. Isn't this a complete metamorphosis?
This is true, but the reason why Zhu Yijun was able to become emperor was because he was the only son of Ming Muzong and had the support of Zhang Juzheng.
In the Qing Dynasty, there was also a palace maid who was favored by Daoguang and gave birth to a son before Daoguang ascended the throne, that is, Daoguang's eldest son Yiwei. Yiwei's mother, Nala, was thus awarded the title of Side Blessing.
However, the tragedy occurred after Yiwei was kicked to death by Daoguang, and Nala died five years later.
It can be seen that even if the palace maid is favored by the emperor, it cannot ensure a counterattack, and her life and death fate are still closely related to the general environment of the court.
Giving birth to a prince can't even save her life, and for an ordinary palace maid, the ending is even more bleak, first of all, they have to experience the torture of illness.
In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the palace clearly stipulated that if there was a disease below the palace concubines, the doctor was not allowed to enter the palace, and could only take medicine according to the symptoms. For the palace maid, even if she is sick, the situation is even more difficult.
According to the "History of the Ming Palace", palace maids who were sick or old and frail were often sent to Anle Hall, relying on their own vitality for a period of time, or waiting for death.
If a palace maid dies in the palace, she will be cremated in most cases, and only in some special circumstances, such as a palace maid who was favored by the emperor but did not have children, may be given a tomb.
Secondly, after the death of the emperor in the early Ming Dynasty, the funeral system gradually took shape, and concubines inevitably had to participate in it, and palace maids were also an indispensable part. According to historical records, forty palace maids were used during the reign of Taizu, sixteen were used during the reign of Chengzu, and ten were used during the reign of Xuanzong.
For those palace maids who were lucky enough to be released, the prospects are unlikely to improve. They may marry men in their fifties and sixties, or they may choose to marry eunuchs in name only, or they may even become nuns.
During the Qing Dynasty, the treatment of court maids was relatively better, and it was generally possible to be released from the court at the age of 25, however, at this age, it has become very difficult to remarry.
If they are lucky enough to get married, these palace maids may be able to live a normal life. However, there were also cases where some court ladies were reluctant to leave the court. Because they were old when they left the palace, their parents may no longer be alive, and they will be homeless once they leave the palace. In contrast, staying in the palace at least has a place to eat and live, and even if you continue to work as a servant in the palace, it is more secure than taking refuge with relatives and friends.
In addition, the ladies in the palace were often regarded as a kind of "reward" and were given to meritorious officials, princes or other clansmen. Before the prince gets married, the palace maid may be selected as the object of the trial marriage, and after the trial marriage is successful, she will be included in the prince's palace.
For the emperor who ascended the throne at a young age, there will also be eight trial marriage partners before the big wedding, also from among the palace ladies. After that, these eight palace maids will be awarded the titles of accountant, bed, emcee, and gatekeeper.
However, such a lucky thing can only happen to a very small number of palace maids. Most of the palace maids were unknown in the palace and silently endured the ravages of the times.
Overall, the palace maid is like a ghost wandering between hell and heaven. They were like spinning tops in life, assigned endless work, but after death they had nowhere to return, like lonely ghosts. Everyone has endless sorrows and pains in their hearts, but these pains cannot be vented, and all expectations can only be placed on the next life.