Afraid to get married, she chooses to remain alone for the rest of her life.

During the feudal era in China, the emperor and his concubines in the imperial harem needed many servants. Among them, eunuchs and palace maids were chosen specifically to serve their masters in matters of food, rest, clothing, and more. Palace maids generally held the lowest status in the harem.

Palace maids were recruited to serve the emperor and his concubines exclusively. (Illustrative image: Sohu)

The plight of "insignificant insects"

Most palace maids were selected from commoners. They came from respectable families. In addition, some palace maids whose families had committed crimes were forced into these roles, performing menial tasks. Furthermore, some palace maids were gifted by local officials or smaller states. They were very beautiful and skilled in dancing, singing, playing musical instruments, embroidery, and other crafts.

When palace maids entered the palace, they had to endure the instruction and discipline of the management group. They were trained in everything from walking, styling their hair, and applying makeup to eating and sleeping. Every action was subject to very strict regulations. If they committed even a minor offense, the palace maids could be punished by the emperor and concubines with beatings, kneeling, or even execution.

Besides serving the masters, newly arrived palace maids also had to serve and be managed by the older palace maids. All the daily personal tasks of the older palace maids, such as washing their faces, combing their hair, washing their feet, bathing, etc., were handled by the new palace maids.

If a palace maid does not commit any major mistakes during her service, she can leave the palace by the age of 25. However, leaving the palace does not mean liberation; on the contrary, a greater "storm" awaits her outside.

Besides performing strenuous tasks, many palace maids with talents in embroidery, music, and singing were also recruited into the palace. (Illustrative image: Sohu)

Difficulty adapting to a new life.

In his autobiography, *My First Half of Life*, Puyi, the last emperor of the Chinese feudal dynasty, wrote that palace maids, after being expelled from the palace, dared not marry. They mostly lived the rest of their lives in misery and poverty, rarely returning to civilian life and reintegrating into society.

The reason is that in ancient times, the imperial court usually selected palace maids as young girls aged 13-14, but they were not allowed to leave the palace until they were 25. At that time, this age was considered past the age for marriage, as people in the past often married and had children at 15. Therefore, after leaving the palace, these maids found it difficult to find a single man; they only had two choices: become someone's concubine or remain unmarried.

The second reason is that their health was severely affected. After years of working in the palace, the disrupted daily routines caused the health of the palace maids to deteriorate significantly. Furthermore, during their work, they inevitably made mistakes and suffered severe flogging punishments that left lasting physical scars. Many palace maids even lost their ability to bear children due to these cruel punishments. This was also one of the reasons why they found it difficult to marry. Ancient Chinese people placed great importance on continuing the family line; no man would accept marrying a woman who could not bear children.

Due to strenuous work and irregular schedules, the health of palace maids was severely affected upon leaving the palace. (Illustrative image: Sohu)

Some palace maids had to become prostitutes in brothels to make ends meet. Most palace maids, after leaving the palace, lived lonely lives. It was not uncommon for former palace maids to be looked down upon and despised by outsiders. Therefore, successfully reintegrating into society was very difficult.

Even older palace maids who had no home to return to were forced to wander in exile, living a life of hardship and homelessness until the end of their days.

Another reason is that living in the secluded palace, palace maids become accustomed to strict rules and being controlled by others, lacking the ability to choose or decide their own destiny. Over time, this leaves many limitations in their personalities, making it difficult for them to integrate into ordinary life outside the Forbidden City. There were also cases where concubines proactively sought suitable husbands for their palace maids before they left the palace. However, these cases were very rare.

In ancient times, palace maids were considered the most unfortunate group in the imperial harem. Whether living under the command of others or returning to their families, they were unable to reintegrate into society and had to endure a life of loneliness and homelessness until the end.

Quoc Thai (Source: Sohu)

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Source: https://vtc.vn/phan-doi-cung-nu-sau-khi-xuat-cung-khong-dam-lay-chong-chiu-co-doc-ca-doi-ar765330.html