In the movies, we often see that after the concubines are favored by the emperor, they are carefully led back to the palace. Why is that?
Even after being favored by the emperor, the concubines still need someone to lead them back to the palace. Is it because they have received the emperor’s great favor?
Why is it necessary for concubines to be accompanied back to the palace after being favored by the emperor?
In fact, no. The rest time of the concubines is always strict, even if they are chosen by the emperor, there will be a designated time, not to burden the emperor too much.
In reality, in ancient China, the class distinction was very clear. The concubines in the palace at that time had to be accompanied by lower-ranked people to show their status.
They let the attendants lead them like that when they go out, but they don’t do that in normal circumstances. It’s all to show the difference in etiquette and status. As a noble concubine in the palace, even walking would have someone to serve them.
This may be due to the custom of foot binding
Secondly, in feudal China, noblewomen had to bind their feet, which made it very inconvenient for them to walk and prone to falls. Therefore, whenever the concubines go out, there will be someone accompanying them to help them move around.
Furthermore, because their feet were small and bound, they couldn’t do heavy work or walk much. These noble concubines were predestined not to leave the Forbidden City for their entire lives. Every time they leave the palace, they would have eunuchs or palace maids accompanying them for convenience.
Ancient Chinese people considered small feet to be beautiful. This aesthetic belief made many concubines reluctant to walk to preserve their small feet.
Moreover, once they entered the palace, they couldn’t freely move around like in the common world. When they go out, these concubines will have entourage following them. The palace maids and eunuchs will assist and support them to show their noble status.
And their position in the palace
Another point worth mentioning is that the shoes of ancient Chinese concubines were different from modern shoes. Nowadays, even with high heels, their design is still convenient for girls to stand and walk without assistance.
During the Qing Dynasty, the shoes of the concubines were lotus shoes, with the heel in the middle. These shoes were extremely difficult to maintain balance with, and they could stumble or even trip while walking. Therefore, when wearing lotus shoes, concubines always had someone accompanying them to help them maintain balance.
In addition to these main reasons, some documents also explain why concubines in the palace always had someone accompanying them wherever they go. One significant reason is that the palace is different from the outside. There are many formalities to demonstrate the nobility and differentiate royalty from commoners.
The rules of conduct in the palace will not be complete without proper manners when moving. The concubines need someone to accompany them, which will exude elegance and femininity.
The beautiful concubines move gently, always relying on someone to support them, which will make the emperor feel pity for them. It is because of the emperor’s preference for weak beauty that women in the palace have such ceremonial ways of moving around.
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Why does a concubine need to be led back to the palace after being favored by the emperor?
This was the rule in the ancient harem. Once they were favored by the emperor, the concubines were escorted back to the palace to rest.
