Although we generally believe that eunuching is a very bad profession because it means that men have to give up their biological integrity and lose their ability to be men.
However, in ancient times, there were many men who were forced to accept this fate, because the royal family needed this special service, and becoming a eunuch was also the only way for them to improve their lives, rise to the rank and make a fortune.
In the court, even seemingly inconspicuous eunuchs were divided into different ranks, and their rights and status would vary depending on their position. The power of some eunuchs even terrified the emperor's concubines.
Among them, the Qing Dynasty's worship room was such an existence, they were sought after by many eunuchs, and the palace concubines were also afraid of them. So, what is the ability of the eunuchs in the worship room to make them so admired and sought after?
What are their specific responsibilities and rights? What does the existence and function of the Jingshifang mean to the emperor's harem? There are many beauties in the emperor's harem, and each of them is like a blooming flower, both beautiful and dazzling.
However, even though there are a large number of these harem beauties, they cannot be compared to the women of ordinary rich and noble families. Because, the emperor's harem is in charge of the empress, and she can only be responsible for some daily affairs, such as the empress's canonization ceremony, worship etiquette, and the cultivation of the emperor's heir, etc.
Behind these daily affairs, however, there are many other duties and rights, which are held by some special eunuchs. This is the meaning of the existence of the Jingshifang, they are responsible for the emperor's harem, and have a vital influence on the operation of the harem.
At the peak of the Qing Dynasty monarchs, the status of the emperor was unmatched. He had many concubines, and the fate of each of them was in his hands. In order to handle the affairs of these harems, the emperor needed a specialized agency to record and manage these concubines.
At the same time, the women selected for the harem usually had family backgrounds, and the emperor needed to treat them fairly in order for their families to serve his rule.
In the long course of history, a unique department came into being - the Worship Room. Subordinate to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the main responsibility of the Jingshifang is to manage the private affairs of the emperor, empress and concubines, especially those related to the succession of the emperor's heirs.
The royal family attaches great importance to the integrity of future generations, because the throne cannot fall into the hands of foreign surnames. In ancient times, technology was not developed and DNA paternity testing could not be carried out, so the existence of the Jingshifang was particularly important.
In addition to managing the emperor's private life, the Jingshi room also needs to carefully record the time of the emperor's intercourse with the empress or each concubine to ensure the purity of the emperor's heir. Every record must be meticulous and there is no room for negligence.
The Honouring Room, a department full of historical imprints, has witnessed the rise and fall of the royal family and carried the royal heritage.
When the concubines are happy, they will take out the records of the worship room and check them to confirm the royal lineage of the fetus. Every night, after the meal, the chief eunuch of the worship room would bring a large silver platter filled with emerald green plaques with the names of all the concubines written on it.
Which green card the emperor wins means which concubine can be selected to sleep.
The green head card, also known as the meal card, symbolizes the transfer of power after the emperor's meal. It carries the emperor's right to decide on the concubine's bed, and it also means the beginning of the concubine's preparation for the bed.
The safety of the emperor is always a primary concern, and even in the most intimate moments, it cannot be taken lightly. In order to ensure the safety of the emperor, the concubines had to undergo a physical examination by the eunuchs before entering the dragon bed to ensure that there was no threat.
In ancient imperial palaces, concubines would be stripped naked before going to bed, and then wrapped in quilts by the eunuchs in the worship room and carried to the emperor's dragon bed. During this process, the eunuch would observe the emperor's reaction with low eyebrows, and if the emperor was dissatisfied in any way, the eunuch would immediately carry the concubine out.
In "The Legend of Zhen Huan", we can see this scene. The concubine doesn't just need to be turned over to the green head to successfully serve the bed, she also needs to perform well, otherwise she may be carried back untouched at any time.
If the emperor is satisfied, the eunuch can quietly withdraw and close the door. But this is only part of the work of the worship room, and it is impossible for the concubine who was carried in to lie on the dragon bed like this.
For the sake of the emperor's well-being, and to prevent the emperor from overindulging in sexual affairs, the Jingshifang strictly enforces the emperor's work and rest time. In the emperor's sexual arrangement, the Jingshifang has an important right to speak and execute.
When the emperor's sexual affairs are not over, the eunuchs in the worship room will remind them at the right time. After completing sex, the eunuch would properly place the concubine back into her dormitory.
There is a folk saying that after the concubines in the palace have finished their bedding, they will be asked by the eunuchs in the respectful room about the emperor's feelings. If the emperor is not satisfied with this bedtime, the eunuchs in the Jingshifang will know the specific acupuncture points, so that the concubine cannot get pregnant in her body.
The respectful room was favored, but the concubines were deeply afraid, because the women in the palace wanted to be favored by the emperor, and the emperor was all they had in life. In the deep palace, not being favored by the emperor will become a shame for the family, and it will also suffer from the cynicism of other palace people.
Once he is favored by the emperor, he will not only bring glory to the family, but also improve his life in the deep palace. Therefore, the worship room undoubtedly became a place that made the harem concubines feel fearful.
Power tends to breed corruption, and the Honorable Chambers are no exception. In order to win the favor of the emperor, some women with strong financial resources did not hesitate to spend a lot of money to buy the eunuchs in the worship room, and put their green head cards in a conspicuous position.
There are many concubines in the harem, and if the green head card of the small concubine is misplaced by the eunuch in the worship room, you may miss the opportunity to sleep. And those concubines who buy eunuchs can often be preferred by the emperor when he chooses.
From another point of view, these harem women, with the assistance of the guards in the worship room, won the favor of the emperor, and their status in the palace was also improved. They are naturally grateful to the guards who helped them gain favor.
As a result, the Jingshifang became a sought-after position, and in addition to being able to obtain rich bribes, it also made the concubines of the various palaces awe-inspiring. The concubines wanted to buy them so that they could help them while they were sleeping.
The eunuchs in the palace were all scrambling to get the position, and the concubines were also afraid of them, and if they accidentally offended them, they might lose the opportunity to sleep.
Although not every concubine could have sufficient funds to bribe the eunuchs, this increased their fear even more for some concubines who were not in a good financial situation.
In addition to blaming the eunuchs for bullying, they can only feel frustrated and lost, which in turn accelerates aging. Therefore, although the rights of the Jingshifang seem to be small, in fact, they almost determine the opportunity for the harem concubines to be favored, which undoubtedly makes the harem concubines fearful.
The eunuchs were in great demand for green cards, and generous bribes were the key to their actions. Such a job can not only earn a good income, but also have a lofty status and a wide social circle, so the eunuchs have squeezed their heads in order to enter this fat gap.