What did the Qing Dynasty worship room do? The eunuchs competed, and the concubines were afraid of them like tigers
In ancient China, especially in feudal society, self-cultivation, family harmony, governing the country, and leveling the world have always been regarded as the highest pursuit of individuals. The same is true of the emperor.
However, due to the special status of the emperor and the difficulty of state affairs, the Qing Dynasty set up a special name called"Eiro-in"All eunuchs have to go to Ronglu Yuan. But wouldn't the concubines be too scared?
Challenges faced by the Kangxi Emperor.
When Emperor Kangxi ascended the throne, he faced an unusual problem: managing the harem. As a new dynasty that has not yet stabilized the situation, Kangxi must establish authority and consolidate power. In order to consolidate his power, he must strive for perfection and carry out all-round conquest. The conquest required Kangxi to go abroad frequently and not be in the imperial court for a long time.
However, the emperor's long-term ignorance of the government highlighted the problems of the harem. There are three thousand beauties in Kangxi's harem, which is a huge wealth for a young man. If the emperor does not make proper arrangements when he leaves, it will inevitably lead to conflicts in the harem, which will affect political stability.
Kangxi thought about it carefully and finally found a way - to set up an internal affairs office and manage the harem in a reasonable and orderly manner, which not only did not delay the emperor's expedition, but also ensured the stability of the harem.
Invalides was established.
In order to ensure the proper management of the harem, Kangxi planned to set up a special agency in the palace - the Internal Affairs Office. The task of the Rongxi Palace was simple: before the emperor went to bed, from the multitude"Selected"of the concubines for the emperor to choose.
In particular, the name of each concubine was written on a wooden plaque by a eunuch, and then the emperor waved the wooden plaque before going to bed to select a part of it, and then the eunuch in charge of the wooden plaque handed the wooden plaque to the emperor to choose.
In this way, the emperor was confronted with an orderly choice every day, which did not cause much difficulty in the choice, and avoided favoring only some people and causing dissatisfaction with others.
The seemingly simple lottery cards actually helped the emperor eliminate the accident and favoritism of the harem, ensuring that every concubine had the opportunity to be favored by the emperor instead of being left out in the cold for a long time. So,"Rong Pet House"Emerged. A seemingly welfare-oriented court institution took root in the Qing court.
A calculating eunuch.
When the Ministry of Internal Affairs first began to function, the emperor was delighted. As long as the emperor follows the procedure, he can kiss different concubines every day to avoid long-term loneliness. The concubines of the harem did not complain about this, and treated them equally, because the emperor had the opportunity to please every concubine.
However, the good times did not last long, and the eunuchs of the harem gradually realized that this system also had great benefits. As candidates for the draw, they are able to get a promotion as a harem concubine. Skilled eunuchs soon discovered the great advantages.
Gradually, the eunuchs of the Ministry of Rites began to accept bribes from their concubines. Powerful concubines, carrying silver coins and other gifts, placed them in selected wooden plaques and begged the eunuchs' men to show mercy - to place more wooden plaques in front of the emperor.
The greedy eunuchs will surely be pleased. They realized that with a little utilization, they could use their concubines as a bridge to the emperor's favor and rely on this status for great benefits. Gradually, it became commonplace to accept ** bribes in the concubine's room. The eunuchs improved their waist status through a comfortable life.
The Emperor's Wrath.
Emperor Kangxi did not notice the change in the Jingshifang at first. However, when the emperor began to summon more concubines frequently, he became suspicious.
Emperor Kangxi sent someone to investigate, and soon found that the eunuchs in the worship room accepted bribes and manipulated the opportunity for the concubines to be selected into the harem.
Some excellent concubines from powerful families"It's on the list", almost every day is called into the harem to enjoy himself. On the contrary, those powerless concubines were almost left out in the cold, and the chances of being lucky selected were slim.
After reading this secret report, Emperor Kangxi was furious. He realized that these greedy eunuchs had completely distorted and undermined his original intention of establishing the Guozijian. His original intention was to treat his concubines fairly, but this became a special channel for powerful concubines to visit the emperor. This is contrary to his original intention of treating all concubines equally.
Emperor Kangxi immediately ordered the rectification of the ceremonial room, the removal of all eunuchs who accepted bribes, and the prohibition of all private transactions. Emperor Kangxi also said that if there is another ** case, it will be punished with election fraud and sentenced to heavy punishment.
The newly appointed eunuchs also understood the emperor's anger and did not dare to make it as public as before. They could only carry out some small actions more covertly, such as giving extravagant gifts to concubines in order to obtain more places to enter the palace. But in order not to anger the emperor again, they still seem to maintain a certain degree of integrity.
The concubines were powerless.
In this game of power, there is no one more powerless than the many concubines in the harem. Their identities are different. Some come from wealthy families, and some are just little girls. They also have different talents and ambitions.
Princesses of wealthy families often entered the court for political purposes. They realized that if the emperor favored them, they could help their family gain power. Therefore, they did not hesitate to bribe the eunuchs with a lot of money to ensure that they could meet the emperor every day"Enter the palace"。With the support of family funds, they are usually successful.
However, without any support, it was difficult for these women to fight for the opportunity to meet the emperor. They had no money and no financial means to buy eunuchs. They also don't have strong families to work for them. These women can only isolate themselves and silently accept the fate of being left out in the cold. Their only hope is luck, hoping to draw their cards one day. Unfortunately, the heavens did not favor them, and they were often left out in the cold.
Both of these women have their own minds, but their fate is not theirs. In the face of imperial power and wealth, they all seemed small and vain. But for the sake of the family, they can all continue to fight in this game.
Limitations of imperial power.
In fact, even the emperor was too passive in this game of power.
Kangxi wants justice, but the eunuch's greedy humanity makes him powerless. Kangxi wanted to restore the rules, but he was also aware of the limits of imperial power - it was difficult to control every eunuch all the time. There is no end to the power play, and even if he reorganizes his staff, it will be difficult to eliminate greed in human nature.
Kangxi also needed eunuchs, as he had to go on expeditions frequently. In order to avoid taking care of the harem on the battlefield, the emperor also needed eunuchs to stabilize the court and serve his concubines. Therefore, despite Kangxi's anger, he allowed some bribery to continue because he had no choice.
As a result, the ritual room operates in a battle between the open and the dark. The impotence of the emperor, the panic of the concubines, and the calculating of the eunuchs strike a delicate balance between the interaction of the three. This was the biggest failure of the Qing Dynasty's ban.
From a simple court institution to a commercial center of money and power, the Dongji Yamen reveals many of our problems.
It reveals the greed and weakness of human nature and exposes the limits of power. It reveals how small one's ideals and ambitions are in the face of the course of history. But it also shows the beauty in human nature, and some people still cherish the ideals of justice and fairness.
History isn't perfect, but there are always people trying to perfect it. We can't expect corrupt people and corrupt things to disappear overnight, but we can trust that every day ensures that the brighter side of humanity prevails.
The past was our mentor. Today will also pass. The possibilities are endless.