「皇上翻牌子」制度詳解

What the hell is "Your Majesty"?

「the emperor" is an honorific title used to address the ancient emperors of China, which was prevalent mainly during the Ming and Qing dynasties. In addition to the emperor himself, subjects, concubines, empress dowagers, etc. would address him as "皇上".
Meaning and usage of "Your Majesty":

Honorific title:: Huangshang is the honorific title given to the emperor by his subjects, showing their respect for him.

Scope:: Huang Shang was mainly used in the Ming and Qing dynasties, but less so in other dynasties.
Usage:: Your Majesty is used not only in person, but also in written form, such as in a zhengzuo (奏摺).
Emperor's own name:: The emperor called himself "I" or "me" in ordinary times, and "I" in written language such as zhengshu.

Definition and origin of "The Emperor's Flip

If you like to watch court dramas, you must be no stranger to the scene of "turning over the cards for bedtime": the eunuch kneels down with a silver tray to present the green headboard, and the emperor turns it over with a single hand and decides which consort will accompany him this evening. This seemingly arbitrary action, but behind the hidden tight palace rules and power calculations. How did this system of bedding work? What are the secrets of the emperor's pleasure and what are the absurdities of the concubines? Let's find out from the historical books and palace archives.

The "emperor's turn" was an important part of the harem management system during the Ming and Qing dynasties, meaning that the emperor decided on the sleeper by choosing the "green headboard" with the name of the consort written on it. This system was formalized in the Qing Dynasty to regulate the order of the harem and to ensure that the process of the emperor's pleasure was open and orderly.

Glossary of Terms

Green HeadsThe name of the consort is written on the body of the card, which is made of wood and painted green at the top (hence the name "Green Head"). It was made by the Ministry of the Interior and presented daily by the eunuchs.
turn over a card: The emperor turns the tablet over with his hand and the back of the tablet is facing upwards to indicate that he has chosen the consort.

Historical Background

A similar system existed during the Ming Dynasty, but it was further systematized during the Qing Dynasty and became a formal rule in the Palace Rules and Regulations.
According to the National Palace History, this system was designed to avoidharemShe is also a competitor for favors, and at the same time strengthens the control of the imperial power over the harem.

Flip Flop Operation Process

Origin and Operation of the License Flip System

Qing Dynastyministry of respectThe "Emperor's Boudoir" can be called the head of the organization, its function is actually the same as the "report the name of the flower" in the restaurant. Every day after the emperor's dinner, the eunuch in charge of the sandalwood tray, on which there are dozens of ivory green headboards, each card is engraved with the name of the consort in vermilion. The emperor does not watch people only turn over the cards, this is to eliminate the harem interference in politics - the Ming Dynasty Wanli Emperor pampered Zheng Guifei triggered the "national capital of the controversy" of the lesson, so that the Qing court strictly prohibit the emperor's exclusive pampering.

The lady consort who has her card turned over shall immediately "purify her body with incense" bycourt eunuchWrapped in a brocade blanket, the naked body carried into the dragon bed. This rule originated from the bloody lesson: Ming Jiajing years, the palace maid Yang Jinying nearly strangled the emperor with a rope, so the Qing court required the consort to enter the bed naked, and even hairpins are not allowed to wear, to prevent assassination can be said to be watertight. The eunuchs burned incense outside the door to count the time to sleep, and when the incense was gone, they shouted "it's time", and if the emperor did not, the chief steward could even break down the door and enter - this system is not so much a boudoir pleasure as a sophisticated security exercise.

The absurdity of sleeping with a woman.

The "Sheep Carriage" is a typical example of how the emperor Sima Yan, the founder of the Jin Dynasty, tried to indulge his lust for sex. This founding king of Wu after the destruction of Sun Hao's harem of 5,000, even invented the "sheep car to choose consorts": salt water sprinkled to attract sheep licking, sheep stationed in which the palace, the consorts will be visited there. In order to compete for favors, the palace staff all stick bamboo leaves in the door and sprinkle salt juice on the ground, making it a fantastic drama with animal and human co-stars.

Emperor Yang was even more perverted. His invention of the "cart of whims", in which young girls were held captive with a mechanism that prevented them from struggling, was criticized as "staining the royal tent with the blood of a girl" in The Chronicles of the Sui Dynasty. As for Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty's "Butterfly Luck Law" and Emperor Chengdi of the Han Dynasty's "Night Shu Lotus", they are all hard evidence of the objectification of women as playthings. Behind these "creations" is the complete distortion of human nature under the totalitarian system.

The secret code to avoiding menstruation

Each dynasty had its own way of dealing with the moonlight affairs of its concubines. Han Dynasty consorts wore a gold ring on the right hand ("History - Sycophancy Biography" contains "to gold ring but the moon"), the Tang Dynasty, then submitted to the Secret Zao said "red tide invasion of the account"; Yuan Palace popular tie red tapered arm, the Qing Dynasty consort was changed to hang a red lamp in the palace door. These cryptic sayings were not only about superstition - the ancients regarded menstrual blood as "dirty" - but also because the Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine claimed that "when the menstruation occurs, the yang qi is injured", and the imperial physicians were afraid that the emperor's dragon body would be damaged.

However, the brutal truth is revealed in the Hanwu Tales: Mrs. Hook Yee drank arsenic to stop her menstruation, and eventually died of poison. Li Yu's favorite concubine, E Huang, was forced to sleep with his wife, which led to a bloodbath. It is clear that women's physiological autonomy was a luxury under the crushing power of the Emperor.

The Power Game Behind Sleeping

The system of flopping is in fact an arena of tug-of-war between the former dynasty and the harem. In order to prevent relatives from becoming powerful, the Kangxi dynasty stipulated that the consort must return to the palace immediately after sleeping; the Yongzheng dynasty set up the "Tongshi eunuch" to record the time of the visit to prevent the confusion of the dragon's seed; the Qianlong dynasty has even evolved into the subtle rule of "leaving the mother with the son". Those seemingly colorful green cards, in fact, is the political balance of the chips - Cixi first entered the palace, in order to turn the cards even bribed the eunuchs in the silver plate under the pad heater, so that his name card floating above the cards.

The process of turning over a license plate is rigorous and involves the collaboration of a number of departments, the main steps of which are as follows:

Front Preparation

List Submission: Before the evening meal each day, the eunuchs of the Worshipful House compiled a list of the concubines who were available for bedtime on that day, excluding those who were menstruating, sick, or under punishment.
Presentation of TrayThe green head plate was placed in a silver tray and served by the eunuch on his knees to the table when the emperor was having his meal.

Emperor's Choice

If the emperor has no intention to visit, he will say "go"; if he does, he will flip the sign.
Special circumstances:
- queens: Often it is not necessary to include a sign, and the emperor may summon it directly.
- Special FestivalsFor example, on New Year's Eve and the Emperor's birthday, a person may be appointed according to the ancestral system.

Neighborhood Procedures

Notification of consortThe eunuchs of the Ceremonial House notify the chosen one, and the consort has to take a bath and be carried into the bedchamber by the eunuchs wrapped in a quilt (in the Qing Dynasty, in order to prevent assassins, the consort was not allowed to walk on her own).
Time ControlThe eunuchs were on guard outside the window, reminding the emperor to "take care of his labor" and bowing down when it was too late.

Institutional Causes and Political Implications

This system was not only about the private life of the emperor, but also implied multiple political and social objectives:

Harem Balance

Avoidance of exclusive pampering: Through institutionalized distribution of opportunities for pleasure, to prevent a single consort or a relative from growing in power.
Influence of position: The sign of a high-ranking consort (e.g. Lady Consort) may be placed in a conspicuous position, while those of a lower rank will have to rely on their luck.

Royalty Display

The flip flop symbolized the emperor's absolute dominance over the harem, and even became a political weathervane. For example, Kangxi used to turn down the daughters of powerful ministers in order to check and balance the previous dynasty.

health management

The eunuchs recorded the date of each visit as a basis for the pregnancy of the concubines and to prevent the emperor from overdoing it.Indulgence.

Cultural Influence and Subsequent Evolution

Adaptation of a movie or television drama

For example, "The Legend of Harem Zhen Huan" dramatizes the flip-flop and strengthens the "competition for favors", but historically, emperors mostly followed the ancestral system, and seldom revealed their personal preferences in public.

Institutional Repeal

In the late Qing Dynasty (e.g., the Guangxu Dynasty), this system was gradually formalized due to the decline of the emperor's power.Pu Yi, personal name of the last Qing emperor (reigned as child 1909-1911)It disappeared completely after the abdication.

Modern Interpretation

In contemporary internet culture, 'flipping' has been playfully referred to as 'choosing the lucky ones', as in the case of live streamers who draw viewers to interact with them, reflecting the alienation of institutional vocabulary.

Extended Knowledge

Related Artifacts: In the Imperial Palace in Beijing, there is an actual green headboard from the Guangxu period, made of cedar wood and about 10 centimeters long.
Western ComparisonThe lack of a strict system similar to that in China highlights the uniqueness of the Qing dynasty's harem management, although "mistress politics" was common in European palaces.

Although the system has disappeared, the power and cultural logic it reflected are still an important window on imperial China.

postscript

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