In recent years, TV dramas set in the Qing Dynasty have been deeply loved by the audience, especially those plots that depict the love-hate entanglement between harem concubines and concubines, which can always attract people's attention.
In these dramas, the common goal pursued by the concubines in the harem is to gain the favor of the emperor and thus get the opportunity to sleep. But there is one question that often puzzles: why are these concubines sent back to their respective dormitories after they go to bed, no matter how late, and what is the reason behind this?
For the concubine, it is undoubtedly a great opportunity to gain the emperor's favor. Each concubine hopes to impress on this precious moment in order to take her place in the fierce harem competition for favor.
There were many harem concubines in the Qing Dynasty, and in order to prevent the emperor from favoring a concubine and causing a battle in the harem, the court of the Qing Dynasty also formulated a series of systems. Among them, the dormitory system is one of the important systems.
In the Qing Dynasty, the way of sleeping was different from before. The emperor no longer went to the concubine's dormitory in person, but chose a partner by flipping the cards. Each sign represents a concubine, and the chosen chamberlain was bathed and cleansed, then wrapped in a quilt by the eunuch and sent to the emperor's bedchamber.
The chosen concubines were wrapped in quilts by the eunuchs and carried to the emperor's bedchamber. Before going to bed, the concubine had to bathe and put on beautiful clothes. After the bedtime, the concubine will be sent back to her own dormitory. In the process of sleeping, the emperor and the concubine cannot speak to each other.
After the bedtime, the concubines were usually sent back to the dormitory in the early hours of the morning, and there was a deliberate consideration behind this rule. First of all, out of concern for the emperor's health. The emperor had to deal with a lot of court affairs every day, and his evening rest was precious and limited. In order to ensure that the emperor could maintain sufficient energy and avoid excessive sexual intercourse affecting the next day's state affairs, this move can be described as a necessary and wise arrangement.
Secondly, from the perspective of political stability, the restriction of bedtime is also to prevent the emperor from indulging in a certain concubine, which will lead to instability and infighting in the harem. There are many examples in history of fierce harem battles and even affecting national politics due to favoring and bias. Therefore, by controlling the time and frequency of attendants, the relationship between the harem concubines can be balanced to a certain extent and the harmony and stability of the court can be maintained.
In addition, controlling the bedtime is also conducive to the emperor's overall management of the harem. In a harem system with strict rules and strict hierarchies, the status of concubines is often closely related to whether they can have princes.
If the emperor favors one concubine for a long time, it will not only cause jealousy and resentment among the other concubines, but may also lead to a power vacuum in the harem, which will lead to a larger fight.