Preface
In ancient times, eunuchs served their concubines to take a bath, which may sound like a "beauty difference", but in fact, many eunuchs were afraid and did not want to recall this experience. What is the story behind this, what happened to these eunuchs, and why did they feel fear?
Behind this seemingly glamorous job, there may be unimaginable unknown hardships and pains. Let's uncover the historical truth and explore the untold stories!
The eunuchs who lived within the walls of the palace
In the hierarchy of feudal society, eunuchs can be said to be the lowest existence. Most of them came from poor backgrounds and could not afford to support them, so they were forced to enter the court and undergo the cruel "cleansing" operation. Once they lose that part of their male organs, they can no longer start a family and can only serve the royal family and nobles for the rest of their lives.
These eunuchs have lived below the poverty line since they were children, and even food and clothing have become a problem. In order to ease the burden on the family, their parents had to send them to the palace to work as eunuchs. There, they not only have to give up their masculine dignity, but also endure great physical and psychological trauma.
Some eunuchs even died during the operation, falling victim to this cruel system. Even the eunuchs who survived, their lives were not much better than those of ordinary servants. In the palace, the work they do is often the hardest and most tiring, such as carrying heavy objects, cleaning the huge palace, etc.
Sometimes, a small oversight can lead to severe punishment. Therefore, they have to be cautious at all times and survive like cats. In order to gain a place in the palace, eunuchs often have to learn to observe words and colors, and see the wind and steer. They have to be like chameleons, adjusting their words and deeds at any time and everywhere to cater to the preferences of their superiors.
Some eunuchs would even collude with the palace maids to form a so-called "anti-food" relationship to satisfy their deprived physiological needs. This way of survival of seeing the wind and steering the rudder also makes them lose the most basic human dignity.
It can be said that the life of the eunuchs is like a never-ending game of survival. They are constantly being oppressed and exploited, but they have to pretend that nothing is happening in order to survive in this cruel environment. This way of life will undoubtedly make them gradually lose their enthusiasm and hope for life, and become an insensitive puppet.
Bathing a concubine: the last thing a eunuch wants to do
Among the many jobs done by the eunuchs, the most daunting thing for them was bathing their concubines. The work may seem glorious, but in fact it is extremely difficult.
First of all, bathing a concubine requires a lot of manpower and material resources. At that time, there was no modern plumbing system, and all the bath water had to be collected and heated manually. This requires dozens of people to work together: someone to light the fire, someone to scoop the water, someone to add firewood, and someone to keep the water warm. Such a cumbersome procedure is enough to make people exhausted.
What made the eunuchs even more troublesome was that these jobs had to be done to the extreme. Because the concubines are all favored vassals of the emperor, their status is extremely high. If the temperature of the bath water is not right, or if there is a problem with the spice ingredients in the water, it can cause them to be dissatisfied.
And once the concubines were annoyed, the eunuchs could be severely punished, or even sentenced to death. Therefore, during the whole process, the eunuchs did not dare to look up directly, for fear of being reprimanded by the concubine.
Finally, in order to curry favor with the emperor, the concubines often added various spices and essential oils to the bath water. This made the work of the eunuchs even heavier. Not only do they have to keep the water temperature constant, but they also have to pay attention to the composition of the bath water at all times to avoid any mistakes. Sometimes, a small mistake can make them suffer.
One can imagine how painful it was for the eunuchs to be under the pressure of such a heavy work. Although they have lost that part of their male organs, deep down, they still retain their male self-esteem and pride. And being forced to serve the concubines to bathe is also a great humiliation for them. This situation of being forced to submit to others can cause them to feel extremely frustrated and angry.
Some eunuchs even took the opportunity to retaliate, such as deliberately adding some irritating ingredients to the bath water to make the concubines feel uncomfortable. But this practice is often discovered, which ultimately leads to harsher punishments. It can be said that bathing the concubines was the last job that the eunuchs wanted to do, and it was also one of their most painful experiences.
Empress Dowager Cixi: An extravagant lifestyle
In the entire Qing Dynasty, the most well-known concubine was the Empress Dowager Cixi. Not only is she power-leaning towards the opposition, but her lifestyle is also extremely extravagant.
According to records, whenever the Empress Dowager Cixi bathed, she had to do it twice. She believes that the upper body belongs to "yang" and the lower body belongs to "yin", and the two should not be confused. Moreover, there are hundreds of towels used for each bath.
Without exception, these towels are made by famous artists and are embroidered with beautiful patterns. Unfortunately, these towels were only used once by the Empress Dowager Cixi before being discarded.
This extravagant practice will undoubtedly make the eunuchs feel angry and helpless. They toiled and watched as these precious resources were wasted. This huge contrast will also exacerbate their inner pain and resentment.
In addition to bathing, the daily life of the Empress Dowager Cixi was also extravagant. She consumes tens of thousands of fruits every year, including 160,000 apples and 110,000 pears. And these fruits are not used for eating, but for smelling. Once the aroma of the fruit dissipates, they are discarded without hesitation.
It can be imagined that under the leadership of the Empress Dowager Cixi, the life of the entire harem was extravagant and erosive. In stark contrast to this, it was the hard life of those eunuchs.
Not only do they have to endure tremendous work pressure, but they also have to endure the pain of being deprived of their dignity. This extreme contrast is the epitome of feudal society. It warns us that extreme concentration of power and wealth will inevitably lead to increased social injustice and contradictions.
epilogue
Through the above description, we can find that within the gorgeous palace walls, there is actually a cruel world hidden. On the one hand, the eunuchs lived a life of treading on thin ice, always on the lookout, and on the other hand, the concubines were extravagant. This extreme contrast is the epitome of feudal society.
Although the eunuchs lost their male dignity, deep down, they still retained their desire for freedom and dignity. And watching those concubines squandering wantonly, they can't help but feel deep resentment and helplessness.
Such a state of affairs will undoubtedly exacerbate social contradictions and trigger more factors of instability. We should learn from this and warn ourselves not to repeat the mistakes of the past. Only by building a more fair and just society can we truly achieve harmony and stability.
We should cherish today's hard-won peaceful life and make unremitting efforts to achieve it. Only in this way can we avoid the repetition of the tragedy of history and create a better future.