According to records, Kangxi, Yongzheng, Jiaqing, Daoguang and Xuantong were all short-sighted and wore glasses. But with a large number of glasses, exquisite workmanship, beautiful style, Yong is the well-deserved first place!
Qing Palace historical records record that Kangxi's eyesight became weak in his old age, and later he wore the crystal glasses offered by the governor of Liangguang, and felt good, so he gave it to his son Yin Chan, who had poor eyesight when he was young, and said that he had become "shrewd" only after wearing the glasses given by his father.
At the age of 45, Yin Chan embarked on the peak of his life and became the Yongzheng Emperor of the Qing Dynasty.
Yongzheng Emperor
In ancient times, reading books at night depended on oil lamps and candles, and the light was poor, Bai Juyi wrote a poem: "Scattering a thousand pieces of snow in the air, a heavy veil on a hazy object." Even if the sun is shining like looking at the fog, it is not spring that also sees flowers. Whenever he reads and writes and does not feel clear, he will pick up his glasses and put them on, and he will be clear in an instant. Yongzheng, who has poor eyesight, gets the most precious treasure after putting on his glasses. He began to work frantically with a brush, and Yongzheng became one of the emperors of the Qing Dynasty who liked glasses the most.
Yongzheng Emperor film and television image
The glasses worn by the Yongzheng Emperor were all specially made by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. According to the Qing Historical Archives , " The Archives of the Construction Office , Each Work done and Done a Job " , in the first year of Yongzheng ( 1723 ) , there was a holy will , " Twelve pairs of myopic glasses according to twelve hours, and then redo six pairs of glasses according to twelve hours." In the work of finding materials for glasses, the thirteenth master YunXiang often helped to search around. Yongzheng had two pairs of glasses from the time of the son to the time of the sea, a total of 24 pairs. Is it necessary to wear different glasses at different times, why there is such a division, we can't guess. It can only be said that the Yongzheng Emperor's love for glasses really reached an extraordinary level!
The Yongzheng Emperor placed these glasses everywhere, and everywhere they went, they were at their disposal. In ancient times, when glasses were scarce, glasses even became a small ornament that could be seen everywhere in Yongzheng, and there were special royal glasses on the Ruyi bed of Siyi Hall, the Great Hall of Jingzhong, the Great Hall of Qianqing Palace, and the Hall of Hongde, and even in his Luan palanquin, on the car when going out, etc. It turned out that Yongzheng had instructed the eunuch that as long as it was the place where he would arrive, there should be two pairs at each place.
The Forbidden City Yangxin Hall
Yongzheng not only liked glasses himself, but this personal hobby also slowly developed into a tool to maintain the relationship between monarchs and courtiers, and he also gave glasses to the ministers of the interior and exterior to show special feelings and special courtesy.
In the eleventh year of Yongzheng, Yongzheng gave a pair of glass glasses to Ji Zengjun, the governor of Jiangnan River, and said: "The pair of glasses used by Yongzheng is given to Qingqing, it is unknown whether it can be used for the eyes, if it is not right, it is not necessary to exempt it, just return it, and it will be issued separately." "(Send you a pair of glasses I use, I don't know if the degree is right, if it is not right, don't reluctantly accept it, rest assured and boldly return, I will pick another pair to send you.") ）
Portrait of Ji Zengjun
Ji Zengjun was afraid: "Just in line with the side of the minister's eyes, from now on, I am more aware of the spirit, and I should be especially diligent in handling things." In fact, even if he wears it inappropriately, he does not dare to say it. Yongzheng was quite satisfied, saying that this was a "mirror for personal use in the case". He was rewarded with his thirteenth brother Prince Yi, Yun Xiang, four pairs of tortoiseshell circle crystal glasses. The third brother, Prince Cheng, Yun Zhi, also had this treatment, but there were differences in quantity and grade. The glasses that the Manchukuo Sultan received from Yongzheng were "glass glasses with red-skinned gold mining five blessings and longevity covers." Yongzheng understands people's feelings and sophistication, and also gives corresponding rewards to low-level service personnel who help him do some really hard work. For example, Fang Xihua, who is specially responsible for writing seal characters for Yongzheng due to work needs, and Zheng Aigui, a personal bodyguard, have also received a pair of tea crystal glasses. Even the craftsmen who splashed the ash had the glasses that the Yongzheng Emperor had rewarded.
In the era when Yongzheng liked glasses, glasses were sent as a valuable gift. In the seventh year of Yongzheng, the Westerner Dai Jinxian presented Yongzheng with a pair of glasses. Although this time it is to his liking, but Dai Jinxian obviously does not understand the aesthetics of the Orientals, Yongzheng after looking at the glasses, a little unhappy, the message said: "Decorate according to the style of the belt (dai), and then sign the Western characters in the box, and the Westerners should write Chinese characters." "This foreigner has also entered the country, so why not follow the customs?"
The Shanghai Museum houses Qing Dynasty glasses
Although the Yongzheng Emperor's life was simple, but his taste was very elegant, all the items he used, as large as tables and chairs benches, as small as digging ear spoons were eager to personally design and produce, even the palace maid to make a mattress he also had to tell what cotton to use, as long as there was a little disagreement, he had to change and adjust. As far as glasses and glasses are concerned, the tools that were originally used by him in his daily life have become valuable collections, and the materials and production are top-notch. According to the Qing Palace's "Living Records", Yongzheng from the succession to the throne to his death, in the past 13 years, there are 250 pairs of special glasses registered, all of which he personally ordered to manufacture, the lenses are made of crystals, tea crystals, ink crystals, the frames are made of ivory and tortoiseshell, and the mirror legs are made of bones and copper.
Yongzheng liked glasses, and collected research even to the point of fanaticism. According to the "Living Record", Yongzheng took out more than a hundred pairs of glasses by the inner court at a time in the fourth year (1726). On September 8 of the same year, he handed over a hundred pairs of "external glasses" and made them into boxes. And the efficacy varies. For example: glasses worn on the car, copper hook crystal mirrors, Anbetsu crystal glasses, horn hook tea crystal glasses, horn hairpin crystal glasses, tortoiseshell circle tea glasses and so on. In addition, Yongzheng's requirements for spectacle covers are very high. Once, it was passed down as a "Shouzi Jin Box", and special instructions were given: "Engraving a shou peach on it" and "embroidering a pair of glasses for a happy encounter".
The Fuzhou Museum houses Qing Dynasty glasses
Yongzheng's love for glasses runs through his life, and two days before his death, he also asked for two crystal glasses, it can be said that like glasses, Yongzheng is absolutely serious.
References: "Offices, Each Work done to make a work file", "Qing Dynasty Court Glasses Research", "Yongzheng Emperor's Preference for Glasses", "Yongzheng Emperor's Preference for Glasses"