According to the “Records of the Conversations of Palace Maidens” and “The Old Buddha’s Family Is Not Prosperous,” the emperor of the Qing Dynasty did not have much time to relax during the Lunar New Year. On the last day of the old year, the emperor would temporarily set aside his work to meet with the princes and grandchildren.
Afterwards, the emperor would host a banquet for foreign envoys and court officials at the Bao Hoa Palace. This banquet would feature delicious food and various musical performances and acrobatics to add to the festive atmosphere. Then, the emperor would attend a feast with the imperial princes, empress, and concubines.
What are the regulations for Tang-pampering during the Lunar New Year?
Regarding Tang-pampering, on New Year’s Eve, the first and second night of the new year, the emperor must sleep in the same bed as the empress. This is considered a special privilege for the ruler of the empire.
In many historical records, Emperor Guangxu had to marry Empress Longyu according to the arrangement of Empress Dowager Cixi, although he was not willing. But during the three nights mentioned above, the emperor had to stay with her.
Starting from the third day of the Lunar New Year, the emperor could choose to flip the cards of other concubines based on his mood. However, even during the times of the Chu, Han dynasties, and even the Qing Dynasty, even if the emperors did not want to, they were guaranteed to have someone sleep with them every day.
The number of people allowed to serve the emperor was limited to the consorts who had been bestowed titles and palace maids. It was very rare for precedents of the emperor arbitrarily favoring unidentified or obscure beauties without a clear background and purity. Because Tang-pampering directly related to the bloodline of the royal family and the honor of the emperor.
After the cards were flipped, the eunuch would inform the chosen consort. The consort would then bathe and not wear clothes, but instead wrap herself in a thick red blanket, which the eunuch would carry to the emperor’s palace. The purpose of the consorts not wearing clothes during Tang-pampering was primarily to ensure the emperor’s safety, as history recorded several cases of empresses and palace maids assassinating the emperor.
Even when lying on the bed, the consorts had to follow peculiar rules. They had to crawl onto the bed and crawl into the blanket because standing with their back turned to the emperor would be considered disrespectful. After the intimate session, they had to crawl backwards out of the bed and wrap themselves in the blanket before being escorted back to their respective chambers to rest.
During the entire Tang-pampering period, the consorts were not allowed to make any sound. This was an unspoken rule that everyone understood. After finishing Tang-pampering, the consort had to immediately leave the palace. In the palace, only the empress had the right to stay with the emperor throughout the night.
The Tang-pampering hours of the emperor were clearly regulated by the Imperial Household Bureau. The emperor and the consorts were only allowed to Tang-pamper for about half an hour. When the time was up, the eunuch standing outside would remind them. This regulation was to prevent the emperor from being too indulgent in pleasure and forgetting his duties, which could adversely affect his health.
Hope to be “chosen cards,” but not really happy
The harem of the Qing Dynasty also had its own strict rules that the consorts had to follow, one of which was the regulations regarding Tang-pampering: The consorts had to undress and wrap themselves tightly in a blanket before waiting for the eunuch to escort them to the emperor’s palace. This was not a way to impress the emperor or showcase the beauty of the palace ladies as some people mistakenly thought.
In this dynasty, the hierarchical system of the harem was strictly enforced, and the practice of “choosing cards” for Tang-pampering was also applied. The names of the empresses and consorts would be engraved on wooden cards, and then the emperor would choose a card. The chosen consort would then serve the emperor for the night.
However, many beauties found ways to “escape” and tried every reason to delay Tang-pampering. Because even in terms of choosing the intimate moment with the emperor, they were not allowed to decide for themselves, let alone express their true feelings.
Furthermore, the emperor was not allowed to Tang-pamper the same consort for consecutive nights. The main reason was that the imperial harem could not afford to have childbirth activities affecting politics. Additionally, favoring one consort would only lead to jealousy and rivalry among the other consorts, creating turmoil in the harem.
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