Me and Empress Dowager Cixi

Chapter 42 The Craftsman in the Palace (3)
After the upper, heel and sole are all done, you can integrate these three things together.The heel and sole are nailed together first, and then the upper is glued to the sole, so that a complete pair of phoenix shoes is formed.After the phoenix shoes are finished, the last process that needs to be done is to add decorations to it, that is, to place jewelry and other accessories on the upper.Pearls, gems, jadeite, agate and other valuables can all be found on the queen mother's phoenix shoes.Of all jewels, Her Majesty's favorite ornament was pearls.Every time pearls were mentioned, the queen mother would say that they were suitable for shoes, as long as they were pearls, regardless of their size, the queen mother always liked them very much.Almost none of the Queen Mother's phoenix shoes were without pearls.Smaller pearls are strung together with silk thread, coiled up like lace, while those larger pearls can be inlaid individually on the upper.So many pearls are connected by a thin silk thread, it looks easy to fall apart, but I have been in the palace for so many years, I have never heard of anyone picking up the pearls that fell from the Queen Mother's shoes, and I have never heard of the Queen Mother's shoes The pearls on it were broken.

Please don't be surprised, in fact, as long as you think about the girl who sewed these phoenix shoes and the owner of these shoes, it is not difficult to understand why the beads never fall off.Speaking of this, everyone must have understood the reason why those pearls could not fall.There are at least four to five hundred pairs of shoes stored in the shoe warehouse, and the number is still increasing. Based on this calculation, the Empress Dowager only wears each pair of shoes once or twice, no more than two days at most.It doesn't matter even if the Empress Dowager wears a pair of shoes for two days. The Empress Dowager is quiet by nature, she rarely walks, and hardly does any strenuous exercise. How could the shoes on her feet be damaged for such a person who can walk very lightly!For the reasons mentioned above, the pearls on the Empress Dowager's shoes never fell off.If the pearls on the queen mother's shoes were easy to slip off, the eunuchs and maids in the palace could open a pearl shop by picking pearls.I don't mean to be exaggerating when I say this. There are pearls on every pair of Empress Dowager's shoes. There are as many as three or four hundred pearls, and there are as many as thirty or forty pearls. On average, there are seven to eighty pearls on each pair of phoenix shoes. pearl.If one-tenth of the pearls are shed from each pair of shoes, this is a considerable amount.It's a pity that the pearls on the Empress Dowager's phoenix shoes did not fall off so easily, and they never even fell off.

After reading this, some people may wonder, where do these pearls in the palace come from?Generally speaking, most of these pearls were brought up as tribute by local governments, officials of all sizes in the capital, and North Korea and other dependent countries.Pearls are more durable, unless you hit them with a hammer, they will never break.If a certain pair of phoenix shoes is dismantled because it has lasted too long, the pearls on it can also be recovered and used on the next pair of phoenix shoes.The reason why I say abandoned phoenix shoes is because they have lasted too long, and the reason for being discarded is that they have been left unused for a long time, not that they are too old or weak.

It is not an easy task to nail pearls on the phoenix shoes. Generally speaking, there are two methods: one is to use the method I mentioned above, first string the pearls with silk thread, and then nail the silk thread to the phoenix shoes. The second is to directly nail pearls on the phoenix shoes, and arrange different patterns with pearls.Compared with the two methods, the pearls nailed by the latter method are not only difficult to fall off, but also appear very quiet and elegant.

I remember when I first entered the palace, I happened to meet someone giving new shoes to the Queen Mother, and the pearls on them were inlaid one by one.When I saw this pair of shoes, I couldn't help showing envy in my eyes.The Queen Mother's eyes are so sharp, she immediately sensed the thoughts in my heart, and she has the habit of giving away things, so she immediately sent someone to choose two pairs of shoes with similar styles from the shoe store and gave them to me.Since then, I have never dared to show envy when I saw the Queen Mother's new shoes, for fear that the Queen Mother would reward me with them.Even so, there are more than 20 pairs of phoenix shoes given to me by the Queen Mother, and I still have three pairs in my hand. Every time I take them out to look at them, they can bring back memories of my old life.

At this point, the things about phoenix shoes are almost described, and the last thing to add is the relationship between phoenix shoes and seasons and seasons.For ordinary people, the shoes worn in summer and winter are not the same, let alone Lafayette!Therefore, the distinction between cotton shoes, clip shoes and gauze shoes is also indispensable.The clothes and shoes worn by the Queen Mother change with the seasons, and the flowers embroidered on the clothes and shoes are also different in different seasons. There are very strict rules.Needless to say, even in the cold winter, the Queen Mother would not wear those bulky cotton shoes.In winter, she just needs to add a layer of silk wool to her shoes, and sometimes she nails a circle of fur around the top of the shoe. Of course, most of this circle of fur is obtained from ermines and sables.

The craftsmen who work for the Empress Dowager live behind Longevity Hill, which is the area opposite Kunming Lake.Anyone who has been there will have some impressions.In the shade of green trees, there are dozens of palace courtyards, large and small, and each palace courtyard is home to craftsmen of a certain craft, and different types of work will never be mixed.Although they are very close to each other, each palace courtyard is an independent portal, just like an independent workshop outside the palace.In a way, this part of the Summer Palace is like a small industrial area.360 days a year, from morning to night, almost all technicians are busy like bees, but their work is not the same as that of industrial workers outside.

These handicraft workshops are very different from the outside in terms of management mode and products.The handicrafts in the palace, whether it is silk or phoenix shoes, do not need a large number, only one or two outstanding pieces.Furthermore, the craftsmen gathered in the palace are all highly skilled, and their level is obviously better than that of their counterparts outside.The palace never allows a novice to participate in the production process. After a novice comes to the palace, the first thing to do is to immerse himself in learning. When the skills have accumulated to a certain level, he can participate in working with others.Ordinary technicians are so skilled, let alone those leaders.It is not easy for a mechanic to become a leader. It takes many years of outstanding performance. Only in this way can he be promoted and eventually become the leader's assistant.After becoming the leader's assistant, the next step is to quietly wait for the leader to exit. When the royal family judges that a leader is too old to continue to serve, the leader's assistant will have the opportunity to be promoted to the leader.It is precisely because of the existence of this selection system that the level of royal technicians will remain at the forefront of China for many years, and will not fall easily.The spirit of the technicians is in the same line. Although these people are rarely related by blood, they will naturally become like a family after living in the same place for a long time.Therefore, when the previous generation of craftsmen passed on their skills to the next generation, it was quite a bit like passing on from father to son.

The expenses in the palace are very large, which is definitely beyond the imagination of ordinary people.Since I entered the palace, I have seen someone bring new phoenix shoes or clothes almost every day. Naturally, the expenses for such a life will not be small.As far as I know, the number of phoenix shoes sent over every day ranges from two to three pairs to as many as five or six pairs. If this is accumulated month by month, the number is naturally astonishingly large.At the same time, the silver spent to make these shoes is also a large amount.If only the shoes were like this, it would be fine. In addition, there are also large palace robes and embroidered clothes. I think the Queen Mother must not know how many pairs of shoes and how many sets of clothes she has.Ordinary wealthy people can make a new set of clothes every month, which is considered a luxury, but Lafayette's clothes are calculated on a daily basis, and sometimes there are more than one piece per day.

Unlike those who made phoenix shoes, those who made clothes for the Queen Mother were some eunuchs. I still haven't figured out whether these people entered the palace first or learned to sew first.In any case, their existing technology is far superior to the artisans outside the palace.The lives of these eunuchs are not more comfortable than those of the female workers, and they are relatively poorer. Not only that, but they also have less freedom when working.Of course these eunuchs did their best to make clothes for the queen mother, but no matter how much effort they put in, as long as the queen mother didn't like it, they had to modify it immediately, otherwise it would lead to disaster.Unlike making phoenix shoes, after the clothes are drawn, they must be submitted to Lafayette for inspection. Only with the approval of Lafayette can the clothes be made.From this point of view, it is less wasteful than making phoenix shoes. After all, it has been approved by the queen mother, and the clothes made will stay on the owner for a while.Unlike phoenix shoes, once Lafayette despises them, they are immediately thrown into the shoe warehouse and become useless garbage.If large-scale palace robes and embroidered clothes were made casually like phoenix shoes, I think the silver in the Qing treasury would be consumed faster.

Now I will describe the socks worn by the Queen Mother.Older women now know what kind of socks women wore at that time. Although the Queen Mother is the king of a country, there is nothing special about it.Compared with phoenix shoes, socks are small things after all, and no matter how sophisticated they are, they can't find any new tricks. Therefore, there is no special institution in charge of making socks in the imperial city, but the people who make phoenix shoes And do it for you.The socks at that time were very short, a bit like modern short socks.The queen mother has very high requirements for socks. She has to change a new pair of socks every day, and she is determined not to wear the socks she wears once.In her opinion, those socks are of no value at all, like a piece of thread.In fact, the Queen Mother's socks are not cheap, and it takes a lot of money and energy to make a pair of socks.The socks worn by the Empress Dowager are made of fine white soft silk, the workmanship is very exquisite, and the size is just right, it can be said that they are neither too big nor too small.The use of machines in modern society may not be so good, let alone the era of relying solely on hands!Like ordinary socks, there are always two seams on each pair of socks, which is considered for the convenience of the Queen Mother to put her feet in.The soft silk is quite smooth. Without these two joints, it would be impossible to form a tube, let alone wrap the feet.Although the queen mother also knew that these two seams were necessary, she always felt that it was not very beautiful and wanted to find a way to make up for this shortcoming.Later, those skilled craftsmen came up with a way, which is to embroider patterns on the two joints to cover up the gap skillfully.If you have to look carefully, you will find that it is the only pattern on the socks.The patterns that are often embroidered at the joints are not as endless as those on the phoenix shoes. Most of them are butterflies and bats.The queen mother's dressing method is no different from that of ordinary bannermen. The socks are three or four inches higher than the upper of the shoes, and they are tied to the legs with a ribbon, which can effectively prevent the socks from falling off.The trouser legs are then pulled down and tied to the sock, and then tied with a ribbon that is the same color as the trousers themselves and mostly cut from the same fabric.If the color is inconsistent, it will be very ugly if it accidentally leaks out.Looking at the way of piercing the trousers at that time from the current point of view, I think it is very naive, but at that time, people did it all the way, so there is nothing wrong with it.Besides, it is also beneficial to do so. Because of the double restraint on the legs, the socks will never be wrinkled, and the trousers will never be loosened, so Manchu women always look clean and crisp when they move.

Shoes and socks are necessities for the queen mother, and the female worker in charge of this matter must not be neglected.Although they are both girls and live in the palace, the status of these female workers and court ladies is completely different.The status of a court lady is not even as good as that of a eunuch. She has to participate in all dirty and rough work, and her daily work is to be busy serving people.In comparison, the lives of these female workers are much easier. Not only do they not need to run to serve others, but they also have special staff responsible for their daily life.Every morning and evening, a special eunuch will come to help them clean the house and clean up the garbage. The dishes for each meal are also quite rich, and the imperial dining room is responsible for supplying them.Their food is very good, and the average wealthy people outside the palace can't compare with it.When they eat, there are special staff to serve them soup; after eating, they don't need to wash the dishes by themselves.To some extent, these people have nothing to do except make shoes for the Queen Mother every day.

At the beginning, I was very surprised why the queen mother gave them such generous treatment, but later I figured it out, and suddenly felt sad for them.No matter from which point of view, the queen mother is a person who can only plan for herself. The superior living conditions of these female workers are just a necessary step for the queen mother to obtain good things.For these craftsmen who make phoenix shoes and socks, the most important thing is their fingers. If their fingers often deal with rough things, they will inevitably become rough. Good satin is fluffed, so the quality of work cannot be guaranteed at all.If it weren't for this consideration, the Queen Mother would definitely not treat them so favorably.

The queen mother would often sigh to me that good craftsmen are very rare, and it takes a long time and a lot of energy to cultivate a good craftsman.No matter how clever a girl is, and no matter how good her embroidery skills are before, if she wants to enter the palace to sew things for the queen mother, she must go through about three years of study, otherwise she will not be able to start.What the queen mother said is definitely not alarmist talk, only those who have seen the intricacies of those things with their own eyes will understand.In my opinion, to complete a very good work requires not only about three years of study, but also four or five years of actual practice. After all, many skills cannot be learned through dictation.

In the Summer Palace, there are many such craftsmen living like bees, but their goal is very simple, that is to win the occasional smile of the Empress Dowager.It can be said that the motivation of every artisan's hard work comes from the Queen Mother's accidental happiness.A random idea that the queen mother came up with was enough to keep these people busy for a long time.Although the queen mother gave them relatively good material living conditions, their spirits were not free. From this perspective, we can call these people prisoners.No matter what kind of work they are good at, the final mastery is not in their hands. Anything that the Queen Mother doesn't like can't be done, and the Queen Mother must never be seen.Although there is little freedom of movement and spirit, these male and female entertainers seem to be willing to live here for a long time and live in this large prison voluntarily.If the queen mother is in a happy mood one day and suddenly appreciates the things made by a certain craftsman, the craftsman will be very happy, and other people will also be motivated to work harder to make things better.The queen mother has always been very stingy when it comes to appreciating people, how could she appreciate a craftsman so easily?But it is precisely because of the small number of times that it is precious.

When chatting with the queen mother, she always told me about these things with great interest.There are always many ideas in the queen mother's head, either planning how to add new products, or planning to train new craftsmen.Not only that, most of what the Queen Mother said was very detailed and practical.Later, I often thought that if the Queen Mother could live to this day, she would definitely become a very outstanding management talent.The Queen Mother's memory has always been admired, and she can often remember many small details.Even if the person involved has forgotten some very small things, the Queen Mother will still remember them clearly.For this reason, if a large factory is to be established, the post of chief executive must be the Queen Mother.

(End of this chapter)