In all court dramas, the special group of eunuchs is inseparable.
As a product of feudal dynasties, they have witnessed the rise and fall of successive dynasties, and some even participated in stirring up the situation.
However, people can't help but ask, there are so many eunuchs in the palace, is there no one who is not completely purified?
It was not until 1991 that the answer to this question was found in "The Palace Maid's Conversation".
Eunuchs
In Chinese history, eunuchs have appeared for a long time, and there are records that there have been traces of eunuch life in the royal palace of the Shang Dynasty.
And some eunuchs even relied on their relationship with the emperor to ascend to the sky in one step, and even brought disaster to the country and the people.
There are countless rumors about "fake eunuchs".
Some people have found in historical materials that Zhao Gao, a eunuch of the Qin Dynasty, once had a daughter.
It was speculated that he was most likely not castrated.
But it was quickly overthrown, after all, eunuchs have had the habit of recognizing their relatives since ancient times.
They will choose some palace maids and eunuchs in the palace and consider them their goddaughters or godsons, so that someone can provide for their old age in the future.
However, in the same dynasty as him, there were indeed cases of men pretending to be eunuchs and sneaking into the palace.
It was when Qin Shi Huang was still young, and although he had ascended the throne, the power of the court was still in the hands of Lü Buwei and the Empress Dowager.
Zhao Ji was widowed early, and she held a lot of power, of course she would find a way to choose a lover for herself.
There happened to be a "different from ordinary people" under Lü Buwei's door-Chang Yu.
So he recommended it to the Empress Dowager Zhao and asked her to pretend to have been tortured by the palace.
Since then, Chang Yu has been favored all the way, and was even named the Marquis of Changxin.
In fact, Empress Dowager Zhao raised a male pet, which was not a big deal in the Qin Dynasty, where the people were open.
But because she doted on Chang Yu too much, she also tried to help him rebel and support herself and Chang Yu's children to ascend the throne.
In the end, Chang Yu could only end up with a broken car.
Later, the purification process of eunuchs became more and more strict in successive dynasties.
Basically, they start with children and enter the palace directly after purification.
But there are always people who take advantage of the loopholes, especially when the emperor is young and the widow is in power.
It is said that after Wu Zetian became emperor, he recruited many male pets into the palace, but he did not use the identity of a eunuch, but used the identity of a monk.
By the time of the Qing Dynasty, the eunuch system was even more stringent.
However, there are still rumors in the wild history that the Empress Dowager Cixi had an unclear relationship with a handsome eunuch.
He often went in and out of Cixi's palace to attend to her daily life.
It is said that when Emperor Xianfeng was alive, Cixi had a close relationship with this eunuch.
After Tongzhi ascended the throne, he was even more furious when he heard about it.
But he couldn't directly blame his own mother, so he could only secretly investigate and finally execute the eunuch to prevent future troubles.
However, in the end, it was confirmed that the eunuch had indeed undergone a cleansing body and had no organs left.
All kinds of rumors about eunuchs have been going on.
In 1991, scholars from Peking University published a book entitled "Records of the Conversations of Palace Maids".
In the book, from the perspective of the palace maid He Rong'er, it shows us the untold stories in the Qing court.
Strict eunuch cleansing process
It is said that during the Qing Dynasty, there were two eunuch families in the capital, which were able to steadily transport nearly 40 eunuchs to the palace every year.
And they also have the inheritance of the cleansing technique, the craftsmanship is exquisite.
One of them is known for its "small knife flow", and has a special purse knife with a fast and accurate technique.
The other is famous for the "Yellow Dragon Knife Method", which uses the ancient scimitar that has been passed down for many years at home to accurately complete the purification.
Because of their superb skills, these two even have official ranks, and most people in the capital dare not provoke them.
It was not completely canceled until after the invasion of China by the Eight-Nation Alliance.
But no matter how skilled you are, there is always a certain danger associated with purification.
The operation should prepare a month's worth of food in advance, usually 30 catties of millet, because you can only eat some liquid food after the operation.
It is also necessary to prepare some window paper, sesame rods and other items that will be used during the operation to clean up the filth that will appear.
Also pick a lukewarm day to avoid inflammation, usually in late spring and early summer.
You should not eat anything for the whole day before the procedure.
At the beginning of the operation, a boiled egg is stuffed into the mouth of the cleaner to prevent him from screaming.
Then use pig bitter gall to stop bleeding and reduce swelling.
Finally, the wound is cauterized with spices and drugs to avoid infection.
After the cleansing, the little eunuch must stay in bed for at least a month before he can work normally.
But even if you have been cleaned, you still have to check every once in a while after entering the palace.
Rong'er introduced in "The Records of the Palace Maids" that there is a department dedicated to managing these eunuchs in the palace, which is called the Internal Affairs Office.
They would regularly check the eunuch's body, and once they found that someone was pretending to be a eunuch or not completely purifying, it was a big crime that would not save their lives.
And at that time, those who entered the palace wanted to earn money for their families and have one more way to support themselves.
Who would dare to risk their lives to cheat?
Therefore, there will be basically no "fake eunuchs" in the later court.
As for the "treasures" that were cut off by these people, they would be wrapped in red cloth by the purifying master and then kept from decay with medicine.
They are hung high and preserved, meaning "step by step".
The whole operation cost about five taels of silver, but most of the people who chose to be eunuchs at that time were poor and couldn't survive.
Therefore, the money will be owed first, and then redeemed together with their "treasures" when the eunuchs are prosperous.
Because ancient times have always paid attention to the return of fallen leaves, if the body is incomplete when entering the soil, it will not be accepted by the ancestors.
So there is no need to worry that someone will not come back to redeem their "treasure".
And the cleansing master can take advantage of this opportunity to make a lot of money.
Later, a special ritual even evolved into a special ritual called "Ransom Lan".
Revert to one 's origin
The people who can carry out the "ransom" ceremony are basically already high-powered eunuchs.
So they didn't do it themselves, but handed it over to their godson who recognized it first.
The first thing to do is to find a local figure with a strong face, such as a patriarch or other steward.
Ask them to take the gifts and visit the home of the master who was purifying the body back then.
These masters are capable people who can observe words and feelings, and they know how big this pomp is after a few exchanges.
Then the price will be asked according to the status and wealth of the person who came.
After waiting for decades, the opportunity to "slaughter pigs" is at this time, and of course they have to make a lot of money.
When the official time is set, it will be as grand as marrying a daughter.
Blowing and blowing all the way, I came to the house of the purification master.
Firecrackers and gongs and drums are also set off at the door.
The eunuch's godson was about to come out with a red tray at this time, on which a huge amount of silver taels was stacked.
The cleanser pleases the "baby" from the beam and puts it on the tray.
The convoy immediately rushed to the location of the ancestral tomb of the great eunuch, who had been waiting here for a long time.
In the end, the great eunuch would cry in front of his parents' graves, shouting:
"My son can finally return home and recognize his ancestors!"
It wasn't until there was no sound in his throat that the whole ceremony was over.
This is the "pomp" and "face" that the great eunuch has endured for decades and has endured humiliation for decades.
Or can it be said to be another form of "returning home"?
epilogue
Eunuchs are a tragic product of feudal society and have existed in China for nearly two thousand years.
Fortunately, with the progress of society, this system has been completely eliminated.
In the long river of history, the lives and traces of countless eunuchs have been gradually submerged.
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