Why Qing Emperors Couldn't Sleep with Their Concubines|A Different Story

As everyone knows, ancient China was a polygamous society, especially for emperors who usually had dozens to tens of thousands of concubines. But could the emperor freely enjoy them whenever he wanted? The answer is no. Not even the emperor himself could decide how much time to spend with his concubines. Why is that? Hi everyone, this is a different story. Today, we reveal the bedtime rules of the Qing dynasty. The Secret Process of Sharing the Emperor's Bed In the Qing palace, have sex with emperor has a specific term, share the emperor's bed. Though it sounds simple, there is a whole complicated system behind it, as elaborate as a ceremony. Step 1. Flipping the Name Tags With so many concubines, the choice of who would share the emperor's bed was handled by a specific department, called the Imperial Bedchamber Office. Shortly after dinner every day, eunuchs from the Imperial Bedchamber Office carried a large silver tray holding more than 10 green name tags and knelt before the emperor, respectfully saying, Your Majesty, it is time to flip the name tags. The tags are thin bamboo slips, green on one end, with the names of the concubines written on them. Except for concubines who were sick or menstruating, all had to present their tags for the emperor to see and pick freely. If the emperor was in a bad mood, or busy with state affairs and wanted to rest, he would dismiss the eunuchs. But if in a good mood, he would pick a tag, flip it over, with the backside facing up, which meant he wanted that concubine to share his bed that night. Sometimes, the emperor hesitated in choosing among the many concubines, as it was really hard to decide. At such times, eunuchs standing nearby often gave hints, which could even influence the emperor's choice. This is why many concubines dared not easily offend the eunuchs in the Imperial Bedchamber Office. The tags the emperor picked usually represented the few concubines he favored most. Although it appeared that everyone was favored, in reality, only a handful were chosen. Step 2. Bathing and Dressing The chosen concubine would be notified by the eunuchs, and palace maids would begin to prepare. Some arranged the bathwater, some found clean clothes, others styled hair. Everyone had clear roles and worked in order. In the palace, maids prepared bathwater with flower petals sprinkled in the basin, so the concubines would smell pleasant, making the emperor happier. After bathing, dressing, and beautifying themselves, the concubines waited for the eunuchs from the Imperial Bedchamber Office to carry their sedan chairs and escort them to the emperor. After the emperor finished dinner and handled paperwork, around 8pm, the concubines were usually ready. At the appointed time, eunuchs came to receive the concubines and brought them to a small room near the emperor's bedchamber to undress. The eunuchs then wrapped the naked concubine fully in a large red silk quilt and carried her to the emperor's bedchamber. This method was said to prevent concubines from concealing knives or other weapons to assassinate the emperor. At this point, the emperor was already lying quietly on his bed. Following protocol, to show respect, the concubine carefully lifted the edge of the quilt at the emperor's feet, slowly crawled from his feet upward, and quietly slipped under the quilt, officially starting the night's company. Step 3. Strict Time Limit Outside the room, eunuchs from the Imperial Bedchamber Office kept time in hiding. They watched closely to ensure the emperor did not stay too long, to protect his health and prevent desire from overwhelming him. Usually, the time limit was about as long as an incense stick burned, roughly 20 to 30 minutes. When time was up, the eunuchs shouted, Time to leave! If the emperor was enjoying himself, he might ignore it and continue. But if the call came three times without response, it was considered a violation of palace rules. Then, the concubine had to crawl backward out of bed. Eunuchs wrapped her in the quilt and carried her away. Even if the emperor was reluctant, the rules had to be followed. For the concubines summoned to share the emperor's bed, they hurried in and hurried out, barely able to exchange a word, making it hard to develop feelings. If the concubines wanted to gain favor, they had to learn how to make themselves unforgettable in this limited time, so they wouldn't be forgotten and might have a chance to bear imperial heirs and live an honored life. Afterward, the eunuchs who accompanied the emperor would kneel and ask whether the emperor wanted this concubine to conceive. If the emperor said no, the chief eunuch would press a certain acupuncture point on her back, causing the semen to flow out. Of course, this method of contraception was not very effective. If the emperor said yes, the eunuchs would carefully record the date. If the concubine later became pregnant, this would serve as proof to guarantee the purity of the royal bloodline. Poor concubines, unable to decide whether to conceive or not. The record of the emperor's private affairs was called the Share the Emperor's Record and could only be seen by the emperor, the empress dowager, and the supervising eunuchs. After the emperor died, the record was burned, becoming a true palace secret. You might be wondering, why must the emperor abide by these seemingly unbelievable rules? In the Qing Dynasty, the emperor was not allowed to stay overnight with concubines, only with the empress. This was mainly for the emperor's safety. Do you remember the story we told about Jin Dynasty Emperor Sima Yan being suffocated by his own concubines? Qing Dynasty probably learned from that lesson. The Qing also took lessons from the Ming Dynasty. Many Ming emperors indulged in women too much, neglecting state affairs, producing many strange emperors. If you're interested, leave a comment and I can make a special video about those stories. Therefore, the Qing emperor and concubines had separate residences. The emperor was not allowed to share a room with concubines. Only the empress could stay overnight with the emperor. This rule also highlighted the empress's status as the legitimate wife and her dignity. At the same time, the Qing limited the time the emperor spent with concubines to prevent them from whispering flattering words that might influence politics or gain exclusive favor. Though the rules were strict, they helped the emperor restrain himself and avoid neglecting state affairs. That is why none of the Qing emperors were notorious tyrants. The Emperor's Resistance and Flexibility Although the rules were strict, some emperors felt constrained. They found ways to get around the rules. For example, when visiting other palaces, they did not have to strictly follow the rules of the Forbidden City. After all, these other palaces had lower rank and fewer formalities and rituals, so the etiquette was much easier. Moreover, in those palaces, emperors could meet beauties unavailable in the Forbidden City. Take Emperor Xianfeng, for example. He loved visiting the Old Summer Palace, where he indulged to his heart's content. To please him, eunuchs secretly brought many beautiful girls from the countryside batch after batch. Xianfeng became addicted to this, which might have been his way to rebel against the strict bedtime rules in the palace. Another example, Emperor Qianlong made six inspection tours to the south, which were officially for inspections, but were actually leisure trips. Along the way, he searched for beauties because outside the palace, he could temporarily avoid the strict bedchamber rules. The emperor was very happy about this. Because of this, there were many rumors at the time about Emperor Qianlong having illegitimate children in the south. Because the Qing allowed the emperor to stay overnight only with the empress, who was often a political marriage lacking affection, the emperor found the empress old and unattractive with no common interests. Young concubines excited him more, but he couldn't spend nights with them. So many emperors chose to sleep alone and avoided entering the empress's chamber, coldly ignoring her, which was a silent protest against the rules. But it left the empress lonely and isolated. To outsiders, emperors seemed to enjoy endless romance and pleasure every night. But in reality, even in the most private moments, they were bound by invisible systems. Every instance of sharing the emperor was not just about affection, but also a political and power struggle. Do you think these rules were really designed to protect the emperor? Or did they turn the emperor into a prisoner of the system? Please leave your thoughts in the comment section. See you in the next video.