In ancient feudal China, the position of women was extremely low and life was difficult. Many people thought that entering the palace as a court lady was the best way to change their lives. However, reality is cruel and not as glamorous as in dreams. The life of a court lady in ancient times was extremely harsh, serving the emperor during the day and attending to the court officials at night.
Shattered dreams of a better life as a court lady
Women in the past believed that entering the palace as a court lady would help them have a better life. They believed that inside the palace, court ladies had light work and high salaries. Later on, when they became old, court ladies could request to leave the palace and return to a normal life.
In reality, the lives of court ladies living in the palace were incomparably difficult. Women who wanted to enter the palace as court ladies had to go through strict selection procedures. They were examined based on their appearance, physical condition, body odor, and many other factors before being chosen. Newly-entered court ladies were subjected to training and guidance in everything from walking, makeup, hairdressing, to eating and sleeping. All were strictly regulated. For example, during the Qing Dynasty, there was a rule that court ladies had to sleep in a slanted position with their legs bent and were required to regularly read “The Women’s Conduct” or “Women’s Teachings”. All this instruction came from experienced court ladies.
Inside the palace, court ladies not only had no freedom, but they also had to adhere to countless rules and regulations. If they made their masters unhappy, they would be scolded and beaten. Ultimately, court ladies were the lowest-ranking group in the palace. Their daily tasks were arduous, from early morning to late at night. Their important duty was to serve the emperor and the imperial consorts.
In addition to serving the kings and consorts, newly-entered court ladies also had to serve the elderly court ladies in all their daily personal tasks such as washing their faces, combing their hair, washing their feet, and bathing. Even at night, they couldn’t have a good night’s sleep. They had to attend to the court officials in order to maintain good relationships and avoid punishment.
They sought “real relationships” with court officials to fill the loneliness and coldness in the deep palace. The “real relationships” were simply just having meals together without sharing a bed.
Every day, court ladies had to attend to their masters and in the evening, serve the court officials. If they were lucky to marry a good husband, otherwise they would become a place to vent anger, dissatisfaction, and frustration for their husbands. Throughout Chinese history, the majority of court ladies who married court officials had tragic endings.
What happened to ancient court ladies after leaving the imperial capital?
According to the regulations of the Qing Dynasty, court ladies could request to leave the palace and return to their hometown to live like normal women, get married, and have children when they reached the age of 25. Below are the four main paths they could take.
– First, become a concubine
In feudal times, the best destination for a woman was to find a good man to get married to. Court ladies also desired the same. However, when leaving the palace, court ladies faced a major disadvantage, which was their age.
When leaving the palace, court ladies were already over 25 years old. Meanwhile, according to the feudal belief, girls over 18 who were not married or had children were considered “overripe”. Because of their advanced age, it was very difficult for court ladies to find a suitable husband after leaving the palace. Instead, many court ladies accepted becoming concubines for older men.
– Second, court ladies requested to become servants in wealthy and noble families
Having served in the palace for many years, court ladies were often knowledgeable about ceremonies and were skilled in many tasks. Furthermore, the salaries of servants in wealthy families were quite substantial. However, not all court ladies had the luck to become servants in these prestigious families.
– Third, become a nun and rely on Buddhism until the end of their lives
After leaving the palace, some court ladies chose not to return home because they had no house, land, or sufficient property. They chose to become nuns, chanting Buddhist scriptures, after experiencing the harsh life in the palace for many years. Most of these court ladies made this choice because they were old, their health declined, and they were unable to marry and have children anymore.
– Fourth, accidentally stranded in the brothel
Some court ladies, after leaving the palace, had little life experience due to many years of confinement. Therefore, they could be engaged in business or forced into brothels. Once they stepped into the brothel, it was very difficult for these court ladies to turn back. This is also the most pitiful tragedy for court ladies after leaving the magnificent imperial capital.
