Suffering in every way, not as peaceful as we think

The life of the emperors in the Forbidden City was not as happy as we think. In ancient times, the emperor was considered the Son of Heaven, the head of a nation. Although the people of the whole country obeyed him, the emperor did not do whatever he pleased but had to follow strict rules left by his ancestors.

An emperor's day goes through many different tasks, the eunuchs will help them complete.

At 4 o'clock every morning, the eunuchs would stand in front of the emperor's room and shout loudly: " It's time to get up !". After these three shouts, the emperor would wake up. The first thing the emperors had to do after waking up was to bathe. After bathing, the emperor would eat a light meal like bird's nest with rock sugar. The eunuchs would help the emperor put on his royal robe and then escort him to the carriage to the court.

The Emperor holds court in the early morning. (Illustration: Sohu)

During this court session, the officials would discuss state affairs and report to the emperor. Afterwards, the Qing Emperor would sleep until around 6 o'clock, then go to the Southern Study Room to read.

At 8am, the Qing Dynasty Emperor would have his main breakfast with a more extensive menu. In autumn and summer, it was an hour earlier than usual.

The emperor's breakfast usually consisted of the following dishes: 9 hot dishes (braised chicken, steamed tofu, steamed bird's nest with shredded meat, roast chicken, wrapped meatballs, grilled venison, salted pork, royal chicken, plain soup); 4 types of pickles (Suzhou pickled cabbage, soy sauce cucumber, mixed vegetables, pickled cabbage); 3 main dishes (rice, steamed buns, steamed buns). After each main meal, there was also a snack.

After breakfast, the emperor would spend a few hours reading the memorials sent by his ministers and approving their instructions. The memorials would be sent to the Military Council. The ministers in the Military Council and the emperor would begin their discussions, similar to today's cabinet meetings.

The duration of the initiation is not specific, usually lasting a few hours is normal. During the initiation, the ruler and his subjects usually talk directly to each other, without hiding anything from each other.

After the ceremony, the emperor would have a thirty-course lunch. He would rest for about an hour after eating. After that, he would read books, practice calligraphy, paint, watch entertainment, confide in the empress dowager or concubines, or convene famous scholars to discuss knowledge.

The emperor's lunch was served with 30 dishes. (Illustration: Sohu)

At dinner, the menu was much the same as breakfast and lunch, but wine was served. When the emperor had had enough, the eunuch would say, "Stop." He was not allowed to drink any more.

The emperor was not allowed to sit down to eat with the empress or concubines, except the empress dowager. If he went to a concubine's palace, he could eat there.

Regarding the imperial court, the emperor would not directly go to the concubines' palaces but would only give them a portion of his meals. In the book "Ki Ju Zhu", it is recorded that on the sixth day of the seventh month of the thirty-eighth year of Qianlong: The emperor gave dinner to Shunfei, and that night, Emperor Qianlong welcomed Shunfei. To prepare for the imperial court, the concubines would bathe, undress, and wrap themselves in a red blanket.

When the Emperor was in bed, the chief eunuch of the Jingshi Chamber would wait outside to time the visit. This was to prevent the Emperor from becoming physically exhausted from his passion for wine and women. Usually, the visit would end after a stick of incense had burned out, which was about 30-40 minutes.

It can be seen that although the emperor had a luxurious life, he was not someone who could do whatever he wanted. The emperor not only had to live a life that followed strict rules, but was also restrained by those rules.

Quoc Thai (Source: Sohu)

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Source: https://vtc.vn/mot-ngay-cua-hoang-de-trung-quoc-kho-tram-be-khong-an-nhan-nhu-chung-ta-nghi-ar767070.html