Since ancient times, Chinese emperors have always stood on the top of thousands of people and been admired by the world. In front of him, thousands of ministers knelt in the temple, and behind them, the concubines of the six courts waited in front. Therefore, holding the power of life and death and sitting around beautiful women have become the standard of ancient emperors. However, companionship is never a simple matter.
Ministers who were sentenced to death for speaking inappropriately were everywhere, and there were countless concubines who were sent to the cold palace for disobeying the emperor. Once you enter the Cold Palace, it means that you will only be able to spend the rest of your life like grass in the future.
The real situation of the Cold Palace
According to historical records, the Cold Palace is not a fixed place, and all the places that are bored and grounded by the emperor are collectively called the Cold Palace. Historically, there was also another possibility, when the emperor ordered that the palace where the concubines were imprisoned should be set up as a cold palace. But whether it is true or not is not yet conclusive. Either way, the location of the Cold Palace is remote and desolate, a small and dark room.
The wasted concubines who lived in the Cold Palace were undoubtedly imprisoned in their freedom, and meals, face washes, and potty buckets were all entered and exited through a small window. Every day, they eat the same food as the next person, and sometimes, even leftovers and cold soup. At the same time, the cold palace is dark and damp all year round. In the difficult situation of bathing, they are crawling with lice and have a foul smell.
Compared with the harsh environment, the hardest thing for them is the endless waiting in the long years.
In the cold palace, they could only talk to themselves, and the glory and wealth of the past and the pleasure of the past were all gone at this moment. Every late night, the eerie cold palace makes them feel even more lonely and desperate. Without material support, without others as companions, without emotional support, a long night can really drive a person crazy.
The reason why eunuchs scrambled to serve
Generally speaking, after those concubines who have fallen out of favor are beaten into the cold palace, no one will associate with them again. But serving the waste concubine in the Cold Palace was a true beauty for the eunuchs.
First, the waste concubines who served in the cold palace were relatively idle. Before entering the Cold Palace, these concubines had been favored by the emperor, and naturally had some gold and silver jewelry and property on their bodies. In order to improve living conditions, they will also give some benefits to the supervising eunuchs. In order to help their daughters and keep them safe, the families outside the palace would also dot the eunuchs up and down and ask for a favor.
In addition, the cold palace is inaccessible and deserted all year round, even if you want to clean it, you can't start. Therefore, working as an errand boy in the cold palace is nothing more than taking spare money to live a leisurely life.
Second, it is still possible for a concubine with a prominent family to leave the cold palace. In general, concubines who occupy the position of concubines either have heirs under their knees or are the daughters of powerful officials and nobles. It is also common to have the support of the family behind it, plus the words of the former dynasty, and regain the favor. Of course, this is also on the basis that the concubine did not make too much mistake. Otherwise, the entire family will be implicated.
At this time, the concubine usually reached a good cooperative relationship with the eunuch. Once they walk out of the cold palace, these eunuchs who used to serve can also be rewarded and promoted, and they can soar to the top, just around the corner.
Third, take the opportunity to take revenge on the concubines who once oppressed themselves. There were not a few concubines who were overwhelmed at the time of pampering, and most of them were obedient in temperament and did not treat eunuchs as human beings. When the mood is not good, it is even more all kinds of scolding and verbal humiliation. Therefore, when they were beaten into the cold palace, the eunuchs who had been oppressed in the past would retaliate against them in turn. As a commoner, it is useless for them to ask for help, and they can only be bullied.
Corroboration of historical events
In history, the Guangxu Emperor's favorite concubine, Zhenfei, was also beaten into the cold palace by Empress Dowager Cixi.
Zhenfei grew up in Guangzhou and came into contact with many advanced Western ideas. After entering the palace, he dared to openly confront the feudal etiquette and religion, against the wishes of Empress Dowager Cixi. At the same time, Princess Zhen's favor caused Empress Dowager Cixi's niece Empress Longyu to fall out of favor for a long time. Coupled with Zhenfei's support for the Penghu Reform Law and suggestions that the Guangxu Emperor hold power in his own hands, Cixi was extremely disgusted with Zhenfei.
However, history has mixed praises and criticisms of Zhenfei, some people say that she has a grudge with Cixi for betraying her official position, and some people say that she has a vendetta against Cixi because she supports the restoration and reform of the law. The specific truth is unknown to us. However, Zhenfei's acceptance of the favor did greatly displeasure Empress Dowager Cixi.
After the failure of the Wushu Reformation, Princess Zhen was again given a scepter by Empress Dowager Cixi, that is, to remove her clothes and torture the flesh. Subsequently, Princess Zhen was imprisoned in the North Three Houses, the Cold Palace.
After Princess Zhen was beaten into the cold palace, the main entrance was sealed and locked, completely losing her freedom. Princess Jane lived in a small dark house enclosed on all sides with only a small window. Meals and toilets are accessible through this small window.
Like the wasted concubines of various dynasties, the meals that Zhenfei ate every day were all the lowest food, sometimes smelly and moldy food. Cixi's dislike of Concubine Zhen was already a well-known thing in the palace, and Princess Zhen was trapped in the Cold Palace, and those eunuch palace ladies naturally understood how to please the Empress. Therefore, in terms of eating and wearing, they are even more harsh.
In addition, Empress Dowager Cixi ordered the eunuchs to allow Concubine Zhen to go to the toilet only once a day.
That is to say, Zhenfei needed to eat less and drink less to meet Cixi's requirements. The food in the Cold Palace can only be barely fed, and it is difficult to continue to survive after repeated reductions. Moreover, Cixi ordered that eunuch palace ladies were not allowed to talk to Concubine Zhen.
In addition, on the first or fifteenth day of the first lunar month, or on a very grand festival, Empress Dowager Cixi would send eunuchs to humiliate Concubine Zhen at lunchtime. Princess Zhen not only had to kneel for training, but afterwards she also had to bow her head and thank her, thanking her.
Whether physically or psychologically, Zhenfei was subjected to a more brutal double torture. In other words, I was afraid that I had already been insane and crazy, but Zhenfei still stubbornly survived. Until the end, he was thrown into a well by Empress Dowager Cixi and died.
Those concubines who were deposed by the emperor and sent to the cold palace could still buy eunuchs and live in peace. However, Guangxu was banned, Empress Dowager Cixi held the power alone, and no palace eunuch dared to secretly help Princess Zhen, and her situation was more difficult than others.
In history, there were countless concubines who were sent to the Cold Palace, such as Lady Jiqi, the favorite of Han Gaozu, Chen Ajiao, the first empress of Emperor Wu of Han, and Xiao Shufei, who was favored by Emperor Gaozong of Tang. The first half of their lives are infinitely beautiful, but the second half of their lives are miserable and snubbed, and they have nothing to rely on.
epilogue
In the deep palace with its floors stacked on top of each other, everyone is eager for profit, and the misery of being in the cold palace is only the tip of the royal iceberg. The moment they decided to enter the palace, their own lives were no longer in their own hands. Or the emperor, or the empress, or even the most humble eunuch. If you take a wrong step, you are likely to fall from the top of the clouds to the bottom, and there is even no possibility of survival.