In 1993, Sun Yaoting, China's last eunuch, returned to the Forbidden City.
Sun Yaoting was interviewed by several media outlets, and Sun Yaoting recalled the years he spent in the palace. In the face of reporters' questions, he shared his experience with deep feelings, especially the unforgettable strict discipline in the palace.
Sun Yaoting mentioned that life in the palace was extremely difficult for them eunuchs. Not only were eunuchs required to perform heavy and boring work, but they also had to be treated very poorly. Their lives are bound by strict rules and regulations, and every day is very difficult.
The daily responsibilities of the eunuchs, which included round-the-clock care for the concubines in the palace. This meant that the eunuchs had to be ready to deal with any situation at all times, without the slightest negligence.
If someone is caught dozing off or resting while on duty, severe punishment awaits him.
To help him stay awake, Sun Yaoting revealed that he and many other eunuchs would put cang's ears in their shoes, why is that?
"Forced" to be a eunuch
Sun Yaoting was born in 1902 in a poor family in Tianjin, the second oldest in the family.
Sun Yiuting's father farmed the land in a private school in the village, while his mother was responsible for preparing meals for the teachers and students. This hard work barely sustains the basic needs of the family of six, who struggles to make ends meet despite living in poverty.
Sun Yaoting was given an unexpected learning opportunity. Since his parents served in a private school, he had the opportunity to sit in on classes without formally. For Sun Yaoting, who was born in poverty, this became the only way for him to receive an education, and learning to read and write for free became a rare benefit for him.
Unfortunately, when Sun was 9 years old, Mr. Grandio, who was in charge of teaching him, was arrested for breaking the law. This not only caused Sun Yaoting to lose the opportunity to continue his studies, but also his family lost their only source of income.
In Sun Yaoting's hometown, there is a returned fellow who has attracted widespread attention and envy. He was richly dressed and brought back the wealth accumulated from the palace.
His name is Xiao De Zhang. Xiao Dezhang came from a poor background, entered the palace in his early years, and became a eunuch. He not only won the favor of the Empress Dowager Cixi, but also served the Empress Dowager Longyu and became a celebrity in the palace.
Seeing this, Sun Yaoting's parents said that although they were both from poor backgrounds, Xiao Dezhang's fate was very different from theirs, so they came up with the idea of making Sun Yaoting a eunuch.
Sun Yaoting knew very little about his parents' decision, he was still just a child, and he didn't have much idea about his future career. However, Sun's parents have decided that they want to bring about a sea change in the family through this path.
In order to enter the palace, Sun Yaoting needs to go through a "cleansing", which is an extremely dangerous and technically complex and expensive operation.
They decided to do it by Sun's father, which was extremely risky, almost gambling with Sun Yaoting's life.
Sun Yaoting lost his physical characteristics as a man in excruciating pain. After the operation, Sun Yaoting experienced a long period of coma, only to wake up a few days later, and was lucky to save his life.
In 1912, the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty, Puyi, issued an edict of abdication, officially ending the Qing Dynasty and establishing the Republic of China.
After Sun Yaoting fully recovered, in 1916, Sun Yaoting was selected to enter the mansion of Baylor Zaitao, officially starting his career as a eunuch.
Enter the palace as you wish
Beyler Zaitao gave Sun Yaoting the name "Shun Shou", and his initial work was very basic and hard, mainly including sweeping the floor, sprinkling water, lighting a fire, and handling manure.
Sun Yaoting was quickly recognized by his superiors for his intelligence and diligence, and gradually switched to some lighter tasks, such as handing tea and pouring water.
Sun Yaoting became acquainted with a senior eunuch named Xin Hengru. Under the recommendation of Xin Hengru, Sun Yaoting was given a valuable opportunity to enter the Forbidden City and begin to serve in the palace.
After entering the court, Sun Yaoting was assigned to the command of Ren Dexiang, the vice-governor and consul of Jiutang. Ren Dexiang was a senior eunuch with a prominent position and influence in the palace, while Sun Yaoting began his apprenticeship as an apprentice, responsible for assisting Ren Dexiang in various matters.
As a new eunuch, Sun Yaoting knew that he should lower his profile.
Ren was impressed by Sun's ability and diligence, and often praised Sun's performance in front of others. Sun Yaoting was not only diligent, but also literate and able to handle complex paperwork, which made him gradually stand out in the palace.
At that time, Empress Wanrong was in urgent need of manpower, and with the recommendation of Emperor Duankang's concubine, Sun Yaoting finally got a prominent position and came to serve Empress Wanrong.
With his diligence and ability to observe people's hearts, Sun Yaoting quickly became the right-hand man beside the queen Wanrong. He is involved in almost all of Wanrong's daily affairs, from diet to daily life, Sun Yaoting is involved.
Although Wanrong was relatively gentle to people, serving the queen was not an easy task, and the attendants had to strictly abide by court etiquette.
Xanthium is a wild plant commonly found in northern farmland, and its fruit is slightly larger than soybeans, with a hard shell and covered with tiny thorns. The fruit of this plant, when placed in a shoe, continuously stimulates the soles of the feet, thus helping to keep the person awake.
Sun Yaoting will take advantage of this characteristic of Cang'er when facing the duty of guarding the palace for a long night, especially when he is tired and unable to resist sleepiness. Once he accidentally takes a nap and loses the strength of his legs, the soles of his feet will be heavily pressed on Cang'er, and those tiny thorns will immediately stimulate him to wake up.
This simple yet effective method helped Sun Yaoting survive many difficult vigils safely, allowing him to survive the strict rules of the court.
Re-enter the palace
Although Sun Yaoting served Empress Wanrong in the palace, he was not able to amass enough wealth. After leaving the palace, he returned to his hometown, and life became quite difficult.
Due to the damage caused to his body by years of court life, Sun Yaoting was unable to undertake the heavy physical labor common in the countryside. His daily life is mainly supported by doing light chores and scavenging.
Such a state of life did not receive the understanding and support of his family, and as time passed, Sun Yaoting gradually felt alienated and even disgusted by his family.
Sun Yaoting struggled through this situation for 8 years.
In 1932, history once again opened a new chapter for him. After leaving the Forbidden City, Pu Yi went through a series of changes, and finally established Manchukuo in the northeast and proclaimed himself emperor.
Pu Yi once again summoned Sun Yaoting back to his side and continued to be his eunuch.
When he finally left the palace, he found that he lacked the skills to earn a living, especially when it came to manual labor, and he could barely do any work.
In order to make ends meet, Sun Yaoting bought some properties in joint ventures with several former court eunuchs who were also in the same veins, and relied on rental houses to make ends meet.
As these houses have become dilapidated due to a chronic lack of maintenance, the number of tenants is gradually decreasing. Sun Yaoting had to find other sources of income, and he began picking up cinders on the streets, selling them for a small amount of money.
Sun Yaoting's old friends died one after another, leaving him alone to face life.
Still, he doesn't feel like his life is all unfortunate. Sun Yaoting is very grateful that he was able to live until the founding of New China and witnessed the reconstruction and rise of the country.
Spend your old age in peace
In 1949, the founding of the People's Republic of China ushered in a new era. With the Communist Party in power, the political environment and social structure in the country have undergone fundamental changes.
The state has adopted a policy of humanity and care for historical figures like Sun Yaoting. The government arranged a decent job for him with a salary of 35 yuan per month and received regular government subsidies.
In his later years, the state also arranged for special personnel to take care of him and ensure that his life was basically guaranteed. These measures have greatly improved Sun's quality of life, allowing him to feel dignity and tranquility at the end of his life.
Sun Yaoting said affectionately in an interview: "I want to thank the government and everyone for their support, without them, I would not be able to enjoy the life I have now. ”
His life experience was narrated by him and compiled into the book "The Last Eunuch", which records in detail his life and changes in the late Qing Dynasty, the Republic of China and New China from the perspective of a eunuch.
In 1993, Sun Yaoting was 91 years old, and his body had been eroded by time, but he still revisited the Forbidden City for the last time where he had worked for many years, and it was also the last time he returned to this place full of memories in his life.
In 1995, Sun Yaoting, who was 93 years old at the time, wrote with emotion: "The country is in good spirits, and the officials and the people are at peace", expressing his affirmation of national governance and social stability.
In his later years, Sun Yaoting was interviewed, and although his body was already very weak, he still tried to connect his memory with history. He recounted in detail his life in the palace and the changes he experienced during those years.
He hopes that these memories can leave a glimmer of testimony to history, so that future generations can understand the feudal era that has disappeared.
In 1996, Sun Yaoting passed away peacefully at the age of 94. Although he failed to realize the glorious dream of his youth, he was fortunate to experience the prosperity and tranquility of New China, which made him feel satisfied and have no regrets in his living life.
epilogue
Sun Yaoting, who was born in a poor family in 1902, was forced to enter the ranks of court eunuchs due to the dual influence of family and society.
After the reform and opening up, the relaxation of the social atmosphere allowed him to tell his story.
Sun Yaoting's death marked the end of China's last eunuch and symbolized the complete disappearance of an ancient profession and era. His life is both a personal account of the remnants of feudalism and a historical record of the details of that era. this
Resources:
1. The Living Eunuch Sun Yaoting's Journey to the Palace, Lan Jie, Forbidden City, 1993-08-29 Periodical
2. Jia Yinghua, The Biography of Sun Yaoting, The Last Eunuch, Beijing: People's Literature Publishing House, August 2004
3. Sun Yaoting: China's last eunuch 2019-06-21 China History Network