The ancient and mysterious Forbidden City once carried the royal glory of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and also hid countless court secrets. Eunuchs, as indispensable beings in this forbidden city, assume diverse and hidden roles. Their lives, responsibilities and destinies unfold in the depths of the Forbidden City.
In the pre-Qin period, eunuchs had already appeared, and their figures ran through ancient books such as "The Book of Rites", "The Book of Songs" and "Zhou Li". Since the establishment of the Qin dynasty, the eunuch system has been accompanied by the change of feudal dynasties, and its evolution reached its peak in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Although powerful eunuchs such as Liu Jin and Wei Zhongxian in the Ming Dynasty and Li Lianying in the Qing Dynasty were well known, more eunuchs served the emperor's concubines in obscurity in the palace and played a silent role.
According to historical records, during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, there were more than 3,000 eunuchs in the Forbidden City. Their duties were clearly divided, and the clever and sensible eunuchs were often able to obtain good jobs, such as serving the concubines and living for relatively easy tasks. Some eunuchs who were well-versed in literature and ink were arranged to organize files, while eunuchs who had only physical strength were sent to work hard in the kitchen. In addition, there were eunuchs who acted as "monitors" of the court, closely observing everything inside.
In the Forbidden City, eunuchs were under the exclusive management of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the chief eunuch was its leader. Holding this position is an invaluable opportunity for most eunuchs. However, under the pressure of managing thousands of eunuchs and scheming everywhere, even if the body is not tired, the heart is also oppressed. Therefore, many eunuchs dream of becoming "idle eunuchs".
In the court dramas of the Qing Dynasty, many people may have heard of "substitute monks", but they are still a little surprised by it. A substitute monk is actually a person who is a monk in place of the emperor. The Qing emperor believed in Buddhism, but he would not become a monk himself, so he needed to find a person who had the same birthday as the emperor, or even looked similar, to become a monk in place of the emperor, known as a "substitute monk". Originally, the substitute monk was not necessarily a eunuch, but later, for the sake of convenience, the substitute monk was directly selected from among the eunuchs. For example, the stand-in of the last emperor Pu Yi was the eunuch Sun Hu, who only needed to knock on the wooden fish and recite the scriptures, and lived a carefree life.
Perhaps the more leisurely eunuch is the "Cheng Enbo" eunuch. They can do nothing for more than a decade, and even then, no one dares to blame. Their job was to keep track of the time and place of the Emperor's reward for his concubines each night, as well as the details of what happened. The eunuchs who recorded these were actually "benevolent", and the heavy task depended on the frequency of the emperor's concubines. However, some people think that this job is not an idle job.
Before the reign of Emperor Guangxu, the work of the eunuchs of "Cheng Enbo" was not idle. However, when Emperor Guangxu ascended the throne, the situation changed. According to historical records, Emperor Guangxu married Empress Longyu at the age of 18, but only had a cave room once on the wedding day. After that, he never went to the palace of Empress Longyu. Even if Concubine Zhen later entered the palace and became a concubine, the two only lived together for ten years, and then were beaten into the cold palace by the Empress Dowager Cixi until they were thrown into the well. During this period, the Guangxu Emperor did not touch any of his concubines again until his death. For ten years, the eunuchs did not need to keep track of anything, indicating that their work lacked tasks.
No matter what type of eunuch they are, no matter what duties they undertake, their fate is tragic. Even if you get beauty or idleness in the palace, you are destined to be the same as other eunuchs, and you will be driven out of the palace when you are old and weak, and you will die alone.
Through these court secrets, the role and life of the eunuchs in the Forbidden City can be glimpsed. They take on important tasks in obscurity, but in the end they draw the trajectory of their lives with a tragic ending.
References:
The Past of Eunuchs Author: Zhang Jianfeng, Publisher: Chinese Publishing House.
Wen Xiucai, editor-in-chief of Wenlan Hairun Studio, this article is written by: Special historical writer: Liu Lijiang.
Eunuchs, this ancient and mysterious being, have always been a high-profile role in history. The content presented in the article is thought-provoking. The eunuchs in the Forbidden City were not only part of the court, but also witnesses of historical evolution and changes in the social system.
First of all, the article shows the diversity of the eunuch group by describing the division of labor and roles of eunuchs in the court. Some eunuchs are clever and sensible, and can get easy tasks;Some are well-versed in literature and ink, and are assigned to handle important archives;Some eunuchs were only engaged in manual labor. Behind this division of labor was a reflection of the hierarchy and power structure within the court.
In addition, the article reveals the diversity of eunuch identities. From substitute monks to "benevolent monks", different types of eunuchs have very different responsibilities. They were either relaxed and idle, or busy with records, and some were even given the task of becoming monks in place of the emperor. This diversity also reflected the differences between the different levels within the court and the need for the role of eunuchs.
However, the article also hints at the tragic nature of the eunuch identity. Regardless of their duties, the end of the fate is similar. In old age and decrepitude, they were expelled from the court and spent the rest of their lives alone. This tragic end is deeply regrettable and echoes the injustice and suffering suffered by eunuchs as a group throughout history.
In commenting on this topic, we cannot ignore the reflection on the eunuch system itself. As a historical system, eunuchs carry many characteristics and problems of past societies behind them. They are the products of the feudal system, and their status and roles within the system are deeply constrained by the system, but they are also the products of the collision of power and culture in the historical process.
In modern society, we can draw many lessons from the history of the eunuch community. The abolition of the eunuch system not only represents social progress, but also reminds us of the abuse of power and social hierarchy. We should delve into the enlightenment brought by these historical phenomena and think about how to build a more equal and just system and values in the current society.
Overall, the essay presents the complexities of this particular group in history by portraying the diversity and tragic fate of eunuchs within the court. Eunuchs are not only a part of the ancient court, but also a witness to the evolution of history, and the diversity of their identities and tragic fate are worthy of our in-depth reflection and reflection.
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