In the feudal dynasty, the highest and most important position in the court was the position of the Emperor, and all activities related to the king were highly valued. Among these activities, the role of concubines played an important role in maintaining the royal lineage.
In the Qing dynasty, concubines had to abide by the rule of silence and were not allowed to speak during the process of concubinage. The reason may be related to personal hygiene and mutual respect, as well as honoring the noble position of the Emperor and the royal family.
Why were Qing dynasty concubines not allowed to make any noise during intimacies?
In modern times, many people still believe that women who become the wives of powerful men will live in wealth and enjoy a luxurious life.
However, the reality is that the concubines in ancient China’s imperial harem had to abide by many strict rules and regulations, including in their married life. There is even a story that these concubines were not allowed to make any noise during the process of being favored.
In addition to the regulations on concubinage, the concubines in the Qing court had to abide by an unwritten “law of silence” of the Emperor, which meant they were not allowed to make any noise during the process of being favored. This rule was considered a “natural rule” that everyone understood, although it was not stipulated in any official documents of the Qing court.
The reason for this peculiar rule is believed to be the control from the Jing Su palace in the Emperor’s concubinage, which caused complete lack of privacy in the king’s marital relationship. The Jing Su eunuchs would always be stationed outside the concubinage chambers, both to remind the king of time and to fulfill unexpected requests from the ruler. This made the process of concubinage uncomfortable and unnatural for the Emperor.
In fact, the Emperor could not favor a concubine for more than half an hour, equivalent to 30 minutes, and the concubines still had to endure strict conditions, making their fate not as glamorous as people imagined. On the outside, they appeared radiant and splendid, but in reality, they had to experience bitter and suffering emotions that not everyone understood.
That is also the reason why ancient Chinese scholars often spread the saying: “Those born in normal families have the simple joys of ordinary life, those born in noble families face difficulties that are little known in noble life.”
Why were the concubines not allowed to wear clothes during concubinage?
In order to be favored and have the opportunity to be favored in the Chinese court, concubines had to go through stages of hardship. The first stage was to go through the “turning the board” to be chosen for concubinage, and the final decision depended on the king’s goodwill. Some lucky concubines would be favored multiple times, while others may have to wait for years or even decades before being summoned.
When assigned for concubinage, concubines would go through a process of cleanliness and undress before being brought into the king’s chambers. However, during this process, they had to follow many peculiar rules, such as crawling from the corner of the bed to expose their feet, not sleeping with the king, and leaving the concubinage chambers after being favored.
The reason for these regulations is to protect the Emperor from hidden dangers and prevent evil plots from concubines and palace maids. This became even more necessary in the unstable political context of Ming-Qing China.
Why did eunuchs in the past get married even though they couldn’t have children?
There is a common misconception that eunuchs never get married, but the reality is that most of them do. The truth behind it is quite heartbreaking.
Silence rule forces Qing dynasty concubines to keep quiet during intimate activities
During the Qing Dynasty, imperial consorts were expected to maintain silence and refrain from making any noise while being attended to by the emperor.
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Unspoken rules that forced Qing dynasty concubines to stay silent while being inspected by the emperor
When in the presence of the emperor, all concubines must maintain silence. This is a mandatory rule, and no one is allowed to disobey.
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.
