In the nearly 10,000 rooms of the Forbidden City, there is not a single toilet, which is surprising.
There is no toilet, how do tens of thousands of people solve the convenience? People can't let choke to death.
Of course, some powerful people, whether they are concubines or empresses, do not need to use these magical gadgets.
Point 1, why don't there be toilets in the Forbidden City?
I suddenly remembered a rumor that there were nearly 10,000 rooms in the Forbidden City, but it was not 10,000 rooms, but it was only a little less than 10,000 rooms.
The main reason is that in the thinking and cognition of the time, if there were 10,000 or more rooms, it was the place where the gods lived.
Although the Forbidden City is highly powerful, it is never, and the immortals dare not exceed their authority, so they simply build a house that is close to 10,000, but will never be less than 10,000.
Whether this matter is true or not, at least we know that there are many houses in the Forbidden City.
The number of houses is large, if no one lives, it will appear empty, the actual situation is not only inhabited, but even crowded.
For example, some concubines have a low status, and even need two concubines, or even 2 to 3 concubines to share a room, some palace eunuchs, that is naturally not a problem.
Unless some very powerful palace maid or eunuch with a strong background can enjoy a room or a small house alone, the other people are basically crowded, I don't know how many people are crowded together.
If we look at it according to this standard, then the population density of the Forbidden City is very large, and a place with a very large population density will inevitably have many toilets.
For example, the office staff on the first floor of our office building is only two or three hundred people, but even so, the toilets in the office building are densely packed in 4 rows.
Even so, office buildings to toilets are never enough.
First, if there are toilets in the Forbidden City, will it be considered filthy?
For the ladies and ladies in the Forbidden City, once the toilets are placed in various places in the Forbidden City, then the toilets will have a stinky smell, and it feels that this stinky smell is very indecent, at least for these high-ranking and noble ladies.
Imagine that in ancient times there was no very advanced drainage and exhaust system, and if this place was located with a toilet, then the toilet would stink no matter how it was taken care of.
When these ladies and ladies came to this place to play, they suddenly saw a large toilet, and the toilet was dirty, so it was estimated that these ladies and ladies were not interested in playing.
Not to mention that there are so many people in the Forbidden City, once there is a fixed toilet, then the maintenance of the toilet is a problem, and it is easy to have problems if it is well or badly.
Second, the toilets in the Forbidden City are indeed indecent.
We may wish to imagine what the Forbidden City is, and what kind of people live in the Forbidden City, can ordinary people stay in the Forbidden City?
Obviously, this is unlikely, unless it is a very status and status person, or a group of eunuchs or escorts, in addition to these two parts of the people, other people want to enter the Forbidden City, it is simply a fool's dream.
This also brings a direct result, in the Forbidden City, such a high-end atmosphere on the grade, but there are folk things, ordinary people use pits, in the Forbidden City lined up a lot, that is appropriate? Obviously inappropriate.
Third, the design of the Forbidden City is scarce.
From the very beginning of the design of the Forbidden City to the later evolution, the design of the Forbidden City is actually a small amount of land.
Why? Because some of the ladies or some of the palace ladies live in an extremely limited environment, the biggest advantage of doing so is that they can better communicate or communicate.
Of course, whether this exchange was friendly or not is unknown, after all, the fair fight is more terrible than we think.
But these are not important, what is important is that there are more and more people in the Forbidden City, if suddenly there are several rows of toilets, there is another open space next to the toilets, which occupies a large amount of area.
It is very unreasonable for the design of the Forbidden City, and it is not suitable for the Forbidden City to accommodate more people.
Point 2, what should I do if there is no toilet in the Forbidden City?
First, the solution for people of high status.
It should be noted that there are still some people in the Forbidden City who are royal people or some people who have a very high status and are holding on to the side without a toilet?
Obviously unrealistic, the correct solution is that there will be some small eunuchs, they will come up with some special toilet, and these toilets will be surrounded by petals and incense, the main purpose of which is also to remove the smell.
If you disable the Internet buzzword, it is that people should also be fragrant when they go to the toilet, and the cost of going to the toilet in this way is extremely high, and ordinary people can't afford to consume it.
Even some royal people or ladies go to the toilet once, the cost required can often reach a few silver, or even dozens of two hundred silver, then if you make a stomach a day, you don't know how much it costs.
Second, the solution for people of low status.
Those who have a high status will naturally have people of low status, these people, including but not limited to eunuchs and palace women.
What about the eunuchs and palace ladies going to the toilet? It is always impossible to find a place, and then sprinkle various petals on the grave in this place, and also let yourself go to the toilet when the incense is fragrant.
This is impossible, unless there are certain special people, such as some top eunuch or the eunuch who has the best relationship with the highest power.
For most people, they just go to find a barrel, which is mostly a temporary barrel.
To put it more bluntly, all the filth is excreted in the barrels, and then a special person will transport the barrels every day.
If we have watched some Qing Dynasty TV dramas, we can obviously find some palace women or eunuchs brushing toilets on the side.
Why do they brush toilets? It should be noted that these toilets are not the toilets we have seen every day, but a wooden barrel, and the reason why these barrels are cleaned or washed is actually that the main purpose of the barrel itself is relatively dirty.
So why are these barrels dirty? That's because these barrels are meant to deal with filth, so from this point of view, it seems easier for us to understand.
Why is there not a toilet in such a large place as the Forbidden City? In fact, to some extent, the lack of toilets is more in line with the enjoyment of the upper class during the feudal rule period, but these pains and difficulties are transferred to the lower classes.