What is the rank of the eunuchs of the Qing Palace?Su Peisheng, Li Dequan, and Li Yu are in the second rank
Eunuchs, also known as eunuchs, were the most common profession in the ancient imperial court, and since they were official positions, there would be division of labor and rank.
Taking the Qing Dynasty as an example, we have watched a lot of TV series about the Qing Palace, such as "The Legend of Zhen Huan", "The Legend of Ruyi", etc., in which eunuchs play an extremely important role.
The main eunuchs Su Peisheng, Li Dequan and Li Yu were able to command all the eunuchs in the palace and say nothing in front of the emperor.
Here, many people will think that the chief eunuch is the eunuch with the highest status, but in fact the status of these three people is not the highest at all.
At the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, the number of eunuchs was small.
The Qing Dynasty was one of the few regimes in Chinese history established by ethnic minorities, so they did not have the concept of eunuchs in the first place.
According to historical records, Nurhachi once ordered all the royal children of Baylor to send male slaves to be castrated, and then gave their parents a certain amount of compensation to prevent slaves and maids from fornicating with the women of the palace and replace the royal blood.
However, due to the backward medical technology at that time, many people often died of wound infection or excessive blood loss after castration, so the number of eunuchs in the early Qing Dynasty was not large, and few men would be willing to become eunuchs.
After Emperor Shunzhi entered the customs, he began to emulate the eunuch system of the Ming Dynasty and set up thirteen yamen to divide the eunuchs in the palace into different departments.
Due to the different positions, the job titles are also different. At that time, there was an inner eunuch in the palace named Wu Liangfu, and Emperor Shunzhi liked him very much. Under the leadership of Wu Liangfu, the Thirteen Yamen soon became the most powerful force in the palace, even influencing the old dynasty and setting off a wind of corruption.
Kangxi knows it well"Thirteen yamen"So after he ascended the throne, he first killed Wu Liangfu and was established"Honorable Hospitals", replaced"Thirteen yamen"。
According to the "Qing Historical Manuscript", Kangxi arranged the four eunuchs in Ronglu Courtyard and served as the chief and deputy leaders respectively. The four eunuchs were responsible for the main affairs of the four palaces, and thus began the division of eunuch ranks.
The division of the eunuch class.
After Yongzheng ascended the throne, the eunuch system was revised and improved many times, and finally the status and rank of eunuchs were clarified.
Yongzheng divided the harem eunuchs into 7 categories: chief eunuch, chief eunuch, deputy chief eunuch, chief eunuch.
The chief eunuch is also known as the chief eunuch of ceremonies, and the three eunuchs belong to the same four grades. He was the highest-ranking eunuch and was responsible for supervising all the eunuchs in the palace.
In the TV series, the Shoshu of the Ministry of Rites is often confused with the head of the Internal Affairs Office, so much so that many people believe that the two positions are actually the same.
However, this is not true, because in the Qing Dynasty, the head of the internal affairs office was a very important official position, which could never be held by a eunuch, and was almost always held by the son of a powerful minister or the son of a king.
There are two squires in the Ministry of Rites. Su Peisheng, Li Dequan, Li Yu and other eunuchs who have served the emperor since childhood"Squire", but"Squire""Squire"That's it"Squire""Squire"。""Waiter""Waiting"。
Auxiliary"refers to the eunuchs in charge of the palace of the Queen Mother and the Queen Mother, such as Xiaoyunzi and Jiang Fuhai. Generally speaking, the rank of the chief eunuch is five grades, and the rank of the auxiliary eunuch is slightly lower, which is six grades.
Deacon eunuchs: that is, the chief eunuchs of the seven palaces, and the eunuchs in important places such as the Taihe Hall and the South Palace can also be called deacon eunuchs.
The eunuchs of the concubines were the main eunuchs of the eight products of the harem. In the Qing Dynasty, only concubines above the queen concubine could be called the head of the palace and were respected as the queen mother.
Eunuchs are standard for all queens, and every palace has a eunuch. Even the chief eunuch of the Imperial Garden and the designer's office, which we often see on TV, is an eight-rank eunuch.
The chief eunuch, that is, the little eunuch seen in the TV series, has no grade and a very low status, and is the eunuch with the largest number of people and the highest frequency in the palace.
Compared to ordinary eunuchs, the eunuchs in charge of cleaning were in a more difficult situation. Their job is to sweep the floor and carry things, and what they do in the palace is dirty and tiring work, and they are the lowest-ranking eunuchs in the palace.
Petty eunuchs are usually given to senior eunuchs"Apprentice"If these little eunuchs perform well, they can be promoted to the chief eunuch, and then gradually promoted.
Eunuchs were sent to be castrated from an early age, and boys who wanted to become eunuchs usually came from poor families. After they enter the palace, the palace will give their family a large sum of money, which is enough for them to live.
And becoming a little eunuch, although it is undignified, but at least you don't have to worry about eating and drinking as before, you still have a monthly salary, and if you can't eat enough during this period, you can still eat the next day, which is much better, so in the last years of the Qing Dynasty, the number of eunuchs will gradually increase.
How are the ranks of the Qing palace eunuchs distributed?Su Peisheng, Li Dequan and Li Yu are not the highest grades.