Empress Dowager Cixi terrified the palace maids when she served her to sleep, exhausted to the point of death.

Empress Dowager Cixi was the most powerful woman in Chinese history. It is well known that Empress Dowager Cixi lived a lavish life. Even when the Qing Dynasty was in danger, she still leisurely held a lavish birthday party.

The extravagance and sophistication of Empress Dowager Cixi did not stop at parties and the gold and silver jewelry she wore, but was also reflected in the most basic living habits in life. In addition to her lavish lifestyle, she also had basic needs like any other normal person, including sleeping. The difference was that Empress Dowager Cixi would always require someone to be close by to take care of her personal needs.

In the book "Palace maids talk about wandering records" by author Kim Dich, published by the Imperial Palace Publishing House, it records the memories of Ha Vinh Nhi, one of the palace maids serving Tu Hi. Entering the palace at the age of 13 and having spent 8 years in Tru Tu Palace, the palace of Empress Dowager Tu Hi, Ha Vinh Nhi clearly understood all the habits and lifestyle of the Old Buddha family.

Every night, Tu Hi usually went to bed at 8-9 o'clock. This time was the working time of the night shift maids of Tru Tu palace.

At night, when it was time for the Empress Dowager to go to bed, all the servants and attendants who had no other duties would go out. The locking of the door had to be done very gently and preferably before Cixi fell asleep, because if the locking noise was too loud, it would disturb her, and the palace maid in charge would be in great danger.

Normally, every day, there were 5 palace maids to serve Tu Hi's sleep. At 9 pm, the candles were turned off, and 2 palace maids were arranged to stand in front of Tru Tu palace's door, with the task of preventing anyone from disturbing the Old Buddha's sleep.

Some people will ask why Empress Dowager Cixi did not order soldiers to stand guard at the door, but instead had weak palace maids. The reason is because the palace had a rule that no man, other than the Emperor and a few imperial physicians, was allowed to appear in the harem. This was a crime punishable by beheading.

A palace maid was on duty in Cixi's bedroom, specifically washing her master's feet and bathing her. This person was mostly a palace maid in charge, with the right to punish other palace maids if they made mistakes.

Outside the bedroom, there was a palace maid standing guard, listening to every movement inside.

A palace maid was in charge of standing outside Cixi's dressing room, responsible for dressing the old Buddha when she woke up, especially when she needed to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. In particular, this palace maid had to keep an eye on Cixi's bedroom, if the Empress Dowager made any movements, she could promptly coordinate with the palace maids inside to handle the situation.

These 5 palace maids are considered the "confidants" of Empress Dowager Cixi, along with the grand eunuch Li Lianying. Because to be trusted by her to take care of the "royal body" while sleeping is not easy and requires a process of building trust.

However, this group of palace maids also had a hard time, having to stay awake at night and listen to Cixi's breathing. If the Empress Dowager coughed at night, they had to bring water immediately. If there were any other abnormalities, they had to notify the imperial physician so that they could come and check immediately.

At 3-4 am, this group of palace maids began to prepare for Tu Hi's waking up routine, because the Qing Dynasty's morning court was usually at 6 am (some reports said it was 7 am).

First, she was helped to wash her face and dress. The imperial kitchen began to cook. By the time the Empress Dowager finished combing her hair and putting on her makeup, breakfast had to be served. Cixi's breakfast was usually white fungus and rock sugar soup, which was good for her health and skin, and was the Empress Dowager's favorite.

After breakfast, the old Buddha sometimes drinks tea and eats cakes, and sometimes walks in the garden to digest his food.

When Tu Hi got on the palanquin to go to the imperial edict, this group of palace maids could rest and change shifts with another group of palace maids.

The job of a night maid sounds easy but is tiring enough to the point of death, and also carries with it unimaginable dangers. Empress Dowager Cixi's night maids had to follow many rules:

One, do not make any noise. Cixi herself was an old person, very sensitive, and did not sleep deeply. Once she was awakened in the middle of the night, it was very difficult to fall back asleep. Therefore, the palace maids on duty at night had to be extremely careful in every action and gesture. The palace maids serving in the room often chose to hold their breath every time they got close to the Empress Dowager to monitor her breathing while she slept.

Second, when Empress Dowager Cixi was in deep sleep, the palace maids could close their eyes and rest in place, but they were not allowed to breathe heavily and were always mentally prepared to serve the Old Buddha.

Third, don't eat too much at night, otherwise it's easy to have a bowel movement, making noise and causing an unpleasant smell. If the Empress Dowager smells or hears it, this palace maid will definitely suffer many beatings. Also, don't go hungry because then her stomach will easily make noises and affect Tu Hi's sleep.

An Dehai: The handsome, favored eunuch who had his own child with Empress Dowager Cixi? Keng15:53:15 05/03/2024Among the subordinates beside Xu Xi, besides Li Lianying, An Dehai was the one who was most popular and close to this empress dowager. It is said that An Duc Hai was a eunuch who entered the palace to serve the Empress Dowager.