I believe that everyone has studied history and knows that the historical Qing Dynasty was a hierarchical dynasty established by the Manchus. Even if everyone does not understand it thoroughly, they will more or less have seen the culture and cultural relics of the Qing Dynasty in TV series and movies, or newspapers and novels.
Among the many cultural relics of the Qing Dynasty, there is a type of cultural relic that has repeatedly appeared in front of the world, that is, the yellow horse coat.
There are many yellow coats in the world, and they abound in various film and television dramas. Whether the ministers are facing up and down, when they travel on weekdays, they often choose a yellow horse coat to wear as a coat.
This raises the question of why this yellow horse coat, which symbolizes royal authority, is so popular, and what does owning and wearing such a yellow horse coat symbolize.
Wearing a yellow horse coat, can it really mean that this person's status is surprisingly high, and he can even be exempted from punishment and death?
Get back to the roots
The horse coat is one of the very representative clothing in traditional Chinese culture, which not only reflects the elegant culture in taste, but also shows the important position of yellow in history.
Horse coats first appeared during the Tang Dynasty, but the color was not so important, and some officials would wear yellow horse coats to prove their identity. Since yellow was considered a symbol of imperial power, it also made the yellow horse coat one of the favorite clothing of Tang officials.
After the Tang Dynasty, the horse coat became more popular, and it was not only widely used among imperial court officials, but also gradually became part of folk clothing, becoming one of the important elements representing traditional Chinese culture.
During the Song Dynasty, the status of the yellow horse coat was further improved, and the emperors during this period not only used the yellow horse coat as ceremonial clothing, but also often wore the yellow horse coat to the palaces of courtiers to show the emperor's authority.
Ordinary people regard the yellow horse coat as one of the important clothing worn at weddings, and the yellow horse coat has gradually become a clothing that represents auspicious and beautiful meaning.
During the Yuan Dynasty, the status of the yellow horse coat continued to rise, and it became one of the official clothing of Yuan officials.
The yellow horse coat of this period was more colorful, in addition to the yellow horse coat popular in Beijing and Nanjing, there were other forms and styles of yellow horse coat.
During the Qing Dynasty, the status of the yellow horsecoat continued to rise. The reason is that the Qing Dynasty was founded by the Manchu Aixin Jue Luo, which is a people on horseback. They will very much need such light and simple clothes during the march to facilitate their movement. Therefore, horse coats were very popular among the Manchus.
After the Qing army entered the customs, the status of the yellow horse coat was greatly improved, and it was given the meaning of a representative of imperial power and had supreme glory.
It became one of the ceremonial costumes often worn by Qing emperors. At the same time, the yellow horse coat also became the iconic clothing of the Qing royal family, which lasted until the end of the Qing Dynasty.
During the Qing Dynasty, yellow horse coats were widely used not only in the imperial court, but also in traditional Chinese opera, painting, novels and other art forms.
In the people, there is another theory about the origin of the yellow horse coat in the Qing Dynasty: legend has it that an official named Chen Tingjing caused a sensation during this period because he wore the yellow horse coat at a political event.
Chen Tingjing was a prestigious official in the early Qing Dynasty, who was awarded the rank of scholar twice, became a civil official, and began working in the local area after entering the officialdom.
One day he moved to the capital to work, and by chance, he saw some other officials on the street dressed in beautiful blue or red, or black, and asked the shopkeeper why they didn't wear yellow.
The shopkeeper told Mr. Chen that yellow was a color forbidden to officials because it was taken as a privilege color to imply the emperor.
Chen disagreed, arguing that officials should be free to choose the color they wanted, so he decided to make a yellow horse coat to wear to express his disagreement with the rule.
His actions caused a lot of buzz at the time, with many people talking about it, some supporting his approach, believing that officials should have their own choice, while others thought his approach was inappropriate and would break the rules.
Over time, however, the yellow coat gradually became a symbolic garment, and it was used to express individuality and political attitudes. Many began to imitate Chen Tingjing's behavior, wearing yellow horse coats to express dissatisfaction with the emperor and the traditional rules of officialdom.
In short, the "yellow horse coat" incident steadily occupied a special position with its anti-traditional and expressive stance, becoming a classic image of Chinese history and influencing the development of Chinese politics, culture and society.
The legend about the imperial gift of the yellow horse coat
According to legend, during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, an official surnamed Cao often disrespected the people and subordinates because of his arrogance, and never listened to their opinions, whether or not they were conducive to his management. As a result, his subordinates left one after another, and Cao Guan's work came to a standstill.
When he was at a loss, a simple old man found Cao Guan. He told Cao that as a local administrator, it is absolutely impossible to be inconsiderate of the people's feelings if he only obeys his own wishes. The reason why he has no one around him now is because he once went his own way.
Deeply touched by the old man's words, Cao changed his approach, actively participated in people's livelihood activities, listened to the voices of the people, and re-established good relations with his subordinates.
In recognition of his reform and efforts, the Manchu dynasty jointly recommended Cao Guan for promotion, and as a result, the Guangxu Emperor issued an edict to make him a seven-rank official, and he was awarded a yellow horse coat. Although this position was one level lower than before, for Cao Guan, he realized his pursuit of being an official and understood the truth of being an official.
This story tells us that the way to be an official is not only to be a high-ranking official and be generous, but more importantly, to understand the people's feelings, listen to the people's opinions, govern according to the law, according to the rules, and according to the people, in order to win the support and trust of the people.
However, when it comes to the legend of the yellow horse coat, it is necessary to mention the various stories between the big corrupt official and the yellow horse coat.
An important minister during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, Helong was an official in a yellow horse coat with enormous power and wealth. According to legend, he amassed a lot of wealth during the Qing Dynasty through ingenious means and became the richest man at that time.
A story that has survived to this day is that Hejun deceived the emperor by giving a yellow horse coat with a dragon pattern as a gift to the emperor. It is said that the dragon pattern on this yellow coat is very realistic and looks like a real dragon.
After receiving this gift, the emperor was amazed and directly treasured it, not finding that it was just an ordinary yellow horse coat. As a result, Hejun established a high prestige in front of the emperor and became the emperor's right-hand man.
However, when the emperor sent people to search Hekan's home, he found that he had collected tons of gold and silver jewelry and a large number of calligraphy, paintings, ceramics and other works of art, and was sentenced to death along with Hekan. Since then, the legend of the yellow horse coat has ended in a tragic way.
In addition, Wakan also had conflicts with the people because he wore a yellow horse coat, because at that time, the yellow horse coat was regarded as a ceremonial dress worn by officials, and if ordinary people also wore such clothing, it was considered a crime. However, Hejun wore the yellow horse coat to the people, making it difficult for the people to accept, causing a certain degree of social disgust and resentment.
In general, the story between Helong and the yellow horse coat left a profound influence during the Qing Dynasty. They embody the highly bureaucratic characteristics of the Qing Dynasty, and also reflect the reality of the extremely unfair distribution of wealth in society at that time.
And between the Qing emperor and the yellow horse coat, there are also many stories.
The Qianlong Emperor was the fourth emperor of the Qing Dynasty, he had a high ruling ability and cultural literacy, and also loved to travel and investigate, so he was known as "traveling far in civilization".
However, under his rule, there were also many problems, one of which was related to the yellow horse coat. The yellow horse coat was a special ceremonial dress during the Qing Dynasty, usually only the emperor or high-ranking officials were eligible to wear it.
During the reign of the Qianlong Emperor, many yellow horse coats were sold by corrupt officials, and ended up in the hands of some unscrupulous businessmen, whose yellow horse coats were used to make clothes for sale, which caused the emperor's dissatisfaction.
The Qianlong Emperor issued a series of decrees strictly prohibiting the private purchase and sale of yellow horse coats and forbidding ordinary people to wear such clothing. However, these decrees still could not completely eliminate the trade of yellow horse coats, so the emperor himself went out and began an operation to explore and suppress such traders.
Disguised as an ordinary person, he sneaked into the market with some entourage, searching and visiting.
In the market, he chatted with a seller and asked about details such as the price of the yellow coat, and the seller discovered the identity of the emperor.
However, the emperor did not reveal his identity, but decided to investigate their trading behavior through the influence network of these traders. The emperor then ordered the closure of hundreds of shops and counted the yellow coats in the hands of merchants one by one.
In the process, the emperor was also recording the information of these sellers in great detail, in order to completely eliminate all those involved in the yellow coat trade in this market. In the end, the emperor succeeded in mastering the crimes of these merchants and brought them to justice one by one.
Although this story may seem simple, the meaning is profound.
It not only shows the wisdom and determination of the Qianlong Emperor, but also tells us that a successful ruler should have clear goals and strong ability to effectively manage politically, culturally and economically, so as to maintain the authority and prosperity of the country.
All of the above stories highlight the lofty status and mystery of the yellow horse coat during the Qing Dynasty. It seems to have become a symbol of the Qing Dynasty, through this symbol, we seem to be able to see the words and deeds of the people of the Qing Dynasty.
The significance of the yellow horse coat during the Qing Dynasty
So what exactly does the yellow coat do? Can He really spare the recipient from punishment and death?
The Qing dynasty was the last dynasty of Chinese feudal society, and its political and social system was very special. During this period, the ruler took a series of measures to consolidate his power, one of the important of which was the yellow horse coat.
The royal yellow coat is a gift with a very special meaning, it not only has the symbolic meaning of honor, but also has certain rights and exemptions. In other words, his symbolic significance has long been much greater than his actual meaning.
For officials, the royal gift of yellow horse coats is an extremely high honor. The imperial yellow horse coat was regarded as a very high honor in the Qing Dynasty, because only those who had made outstanding contributions to the country were given this robe.
It is made in a very particular way, embroidered with gold or silver wire dragon patterns on satin, and the edges are also decorated with gold or silver wire. Yellow itself has a very special symbolic meaning in the Qing Dynasty and is the exclusive color of the royal family.
Therefore, the imperial yellow horse coat not only represents the emperor's appreciation, but also a very noble gift, and the person wearing it can enjoy high prestige and status in society.
In addition, the symbolism of the yellow horse coat is very important. The imperial yellow horse coat is not only a piece of clothing, it symbolizes the emperor's appreciation and commendation for the recipient, and also represents the honor of the country.
In the Qing Dynasty, it was considered a very formal gift, representing the respect and importance that the emperor attached to the recipient, and was taken very seriously by officials.
Those who wear the yellow horse coat can have a higher status and authority, and some important matters also need to be decided by the recipient of the imperial yellow horse coat.
In addition to representing noble status, the royal yellow coat can sometimes represent some specific rights. Under the political system of the Qing Dynasty, the status of officials was important, and their promotions and promotions were usually very complex, involving the exchange of various interests.
For officials who have received the yellow coat, it can give them more voice and influence in the officialdom and enjoy some special treatment.
People who wear the yellow coat can have a very high reputation and authority in society, and can play a very positive role in promotion and promotion.
The royal yellow coat can also bring a certain exemption. During the Qing Dynasty, officials had a very heavy workload, sometimes with a lot of responsibility, and if they made mistakes in their work, they could be severely punished.
But if they are recipients of the royal yellow coat, then they can use this honor to relieve themselves of their responsibilities and even avoid punishment.
So, back to the original question, can people wearing imperial yellow horse coats really be exempt from punishment and death?
Although wearing a yellow vest has the special function of honor, right and exemption, it does not serve as an excuse to avoid responsibility or commit criminal acts. Under the judicial system of the Qing Dynasty, the judicial organs were very strict and fair, and whoever committed the crime must receive corresponding punishment in accordance with the regulations.
People who wear the imperial yellow horse coat are no exception, if they break the law must bear the corresponding legal responsibility, in history, Nian Xinyao, Hejun and others have obtained yellow horse coats, but in the end it is difficult to escape death.
If they could not maintain the stability of the Qing government and guarantee the safety of the people, then they would lose their honor and status and be punished more severely.
No matter from which angle you look at it, it is a very important gift, with profound symbolic significance and practical role.
As a very high honor, it can bring a very high reputation and status, and also represents the emperor and the country's commendation. Its rights and immunity also allow officials to better use their talents in the official arena and better serve the country.
But even so, having a yellow coat does not mean that you can avoid punishment and death. After all, the yellow coat is a reward for meritorious work, not a talisman for those who endanger society.
Today, the yellow horse coat has become one of the representative traditional Chinese clothing, which represents the profound heritage and long history of Chinese traditional culture. It also carries the immortal wisdom and crystallization hidden in Chinese history.