Why do concubines in power still follow the hidden rules with eunuchs?

If they want to have the opportunity to approach the emperor, receive favor and strengthen their position, concubines must always follow the "hidden rules" with the eunuchs in the palace, no matter how powerful they are.

In feudal China, the concept of favoring men over women caused women's status to be pushed too low compared to men. They are not allowed to go to school and are forced to follow many unfair regulations. Their only way to advance is to marry a rich and prestigious husband.

In feudal times, the emperor held supreme power. If a girl was lucky enough to become his favorite concubine, life would be considered a new chapter.

But a concubine's path to advancement is not that easy. In addition to relying on their parents' family (if any), they also have to compete with many other concubines. At that time, the appearance of "good" eunuchs will help these masters solve all problems.

Eunuchs, also known as eunuchs, refer to castrated men in China's feudal era. The Qing Dynasty reformed the cumbersome eunuch organization of the Ming Dynasty, reducing the more than 90,000 eunuchs in the final years of Ming Chongzhen to 9,000.

The eunuch's rank at this time was also extremely strict, managed by the "Respect Room". In the magnificent palace, the eunuch's duty is to serve the Emperor and his concubines. Some minor eunuchs also serve the concubines' personal maids.

The eunuch could not only approach the emperor but also easily travel back and forth in the forbidden palace, so he was considered an extremely effective factor. However, in order for these eunuchs to work for them, concubines must follow "hidden rules": Concubines from famous families use a lot of money to bribe, maids and concubines who are too poor must promise to promise to "share", sometimes some people even accept to "repay" to be able to advance.

After the "negotiation" is finished, the eunuch will reveal the emperor's hobbies, places he frequents, etc. for the concubines to devise a plan to approach and please the "son of heaven". Even when it comes to concubines and eunuchs, eunuchs can also help by deliberately placing the concubine's card in a prominent position or directly suggesting it to the emperor. Of course, if the concubine is favored, the eunuch will also be "fragrant" and will have more money.

Even after gaining a position in the palace, concubines were still forced to collude with eunuchs both to increase their power and to deal with other concubines in the palace. Even the Queen must always have a close eunuch and many henchmen to be able to control the harem.

It is known that the minor eunuchs in the palace must be inspected every three years, then every five years to see if there is any protruding flesh, this is a royal order. But if a noble concubine favors a certain young eunuch, she only needs to give the order "exempt" and this eunuch will be let go. This way, even if the eunuch's lower part has flesh protruding, it can still continue to grow.

In addition, there are some cases of bribery by many families who want their children to enter the palace to become eunuchs without having to go through the "purification" step. At the same time, these children can play with little princes and princesses. As long as they have a good relationship with the royal family, the palace does not dare to check too harshly. This is also the object that concubines and even palace maids choose.

A handsome eunuch is responsible for serving a noble concubine, meeting day and night and loving each other for a long time is not impossible. Besides, not all concubines receive the Emperor's favor. Some even enter the palace for many years and have never met their fiance, let alone had the opportunity to be concubine. Therefore, eunuchs are the safest choice for them to relieve their physiological needs.

Also due to the interconnection between the harem and the eunuchs, a situation was created: the eunuch took a concubine (got a wife). Japanese scholar Terao Yoshio wrote in the book "Eunuch's Tale" (rough translation) as follows: "Eunuchs marry women mainly to escape loneliness. They are looked down upon by people, so they are thirsty." longing to be soothed by the warmth of his wife. This is completely understandable."

Worth mentioning, most eunuchs' wives are female officials in the palace. Because life in the forbidden palace is separate from the outside world, only this woman can pair with the eunuch, so they can rely on each other.

The eunuch has lost the ability to be a man, not a woman, so his physiology is distorted, his heart has no refuge. Therefore, their personalities are very unusual. They cry and get angry for no reason just because of a small thing. When they see someone stronger than them, they will beg, bow their heads and submit, showing their inferiority and weakness.

Their unpredictable personality makes people not want to be around them. Because they are lonely and lost, the emptiness in their hearts makes them desire to be cared for and "get married" to relieve this loneliness.

Of course, the eunuch "getting married" here is only a formality and is implicitly understood in the palace, without any hidden rituals. The concubine understood the eunuch's suffering and appreciated the relationship between master and servant helping each other in times of trouble, so she turned a blind eye and even supported this.

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