A Survival Guide to the Qing Harem

Chapter 7 From now on, you will share a man with many women (2)
On the morning of the salute, the festival, record, and treasure cases were placed early in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, and the emperor's law books were displayed outside the hall. Shaole, Danbi Dale is arranged in the Taihe Gate.Not to mention the big red silk with the words "Double Happiness" hanging everywhere, it is full of joy.

Let's look at the Compassionate Palace again, the empress dowager must be happy when her son marries a daughter-in-law, even if she is not the daughter-in-law she is satisfied with, she must look happy, no, the empress dowager's Yijia has been waiting at the palace gate outside.

From the Taihe Gate to the Meridian Gate, what is on display is today's protagonist, the empress's ceremonial vehicle.The Dragon Pavilion is placed under the middle steps of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, and the books, treasures, and seals that will soon belong to the queen are placed on several cases in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

In addition to these important halls and roads, the Forbidden City is full of lanterns and festoons, red carpet pavement, new couplets, and new door gods everywhere, revealing the grandeur of the emperor's wedding.

When the eunuchs shouted loudly, "The auspicious time has come...", the minister of the Ministry of Rites and the minister of the Ministry of Rites came to Qianqing Gate together, waiting for the well-dressed emperor to leave the palace by car.This son is going to marry a wife, of course he has to say goodbye in front of his mother first, so the mighty team first went to the Palace of Compassion and Peace to salute the Queen Mother, nothing more than saying some very polite words in our current language The translation is roughly: Thank you, old man, for giving birth to a king of a country like me. Now, the leader of my country is going to live with other women. Don’t worry, old man, I’ve grown up. Govern the country, and guarantee that you will have a grandson as soon as possible..."

After the empress dowager finished the ceremony, the emperor turned to the Hall of Supreme Harmony to check whether there were any problems with the gold books and gold treasures prepared for the empress (in fact, he didn’t dare to have any problems, but he still had to read them as usual) , and then sat on the throne of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

As soon as the emperor sat down firmly, the attendants next to him immediately passed their eyes. Immediately after the Meridian Gate, the sound of beating bells and drums was heard. The "Chapter of Qingping" was played, and the civil servant in charge of Luanyi took a long whip and began to whip on Danchi (that is, the wide open space in front of the steps), which was called "Singing the Whip".This sounding whip is also called "quiet whip". The whip is woven with yellow silk and waxed on the tip of the whip. The sound of whipping the ground is very loud. The purpose is to warn: "The emperor is coming soon. The ceremony or ceremony is about to begin, everyone is silent!"

After three magnificent whippings, the principal and deputy envoys came to the steps in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony and knelt down facing north to listen to the edict. The envoys, the envoys are responsible for carrying the imperial decree down the stairs, and behind them are the deacons holding the gold book, Jinbao followed down the stairs together, and finally came to the Dragon Pavilion, put these things down, and then the Luan Yiwei carried them out of the Taiyuan Pavilion. and door.

how?Drowsy?Are you yawning?It's not easy to be a queen, is it?Although these processes don’t require you to join in the fun, but at this time, you don’t have the opportunity to lie on the bed and wait for the sun to rise. The ceremony and music outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony are played so happily, you, just sit in front of the mirror and wait. ,What?Stiff neck?That's no way, look at the decorations on the head, and the stiff "swallowtail", it's not easy to move the cervical spine, so wait patiently for now.

Let's go back to see the situation on the side of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Luan Yiwei carried the Dragon Pavilion out of the Gate of Supreme Harmony. The emperor waved his hand, and the court ladies hurriedly served tea to the princes and ministers.What?Why is the emperor still in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, shouldn't he come to pick up the queen?
You are too naive, how could the emperor personally come to pick you up?This is inconsistent with the ancestral system. No matter what kind of precious daughter the emperor married, the emperor is still the biggest. Sending a magnificent "welcome team" can already fully demonstrate the mighty grace of the emperor. You will have to do this later Thank you, wait and see if you don't believe me!
After all the princes and ministers had finished drinking the cup of tea, the Zhonghe Shao band began to play music. This time it was "The Chapter of Xianping", and the sound of whipping came from the steps again. At this time, the emperor stood up and looked cool. He shook his dragon robe and went back to the palace.

Feelings are in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, that is, listening to the noble royal rituals and music, reading the imperial decree bestowing gold books and treasures, and then whipping the innocent open space a few times, and it's over?
Ouch, aunt, don't dare to underestimate these procedures, let alone this Hall of Supreme Harmony.Our Hall of Supreme Harmony, commonly known as the Hall of Golden Luan, is located in a prominent position on the north-south axis of the Forbidden City. Its majestic architecture, high-end shapes, and exquisite techniques make me not complain here. The key is that grand ceremonies are held here. Places, such as the emperor's big wedding, the appointment of a queen, the general expedition, the Longevity Festival, the New Year's Day, etc., and it has become a habitual thing since the Ming Dynasty, no matter how unbelievable you are, Accept it too.Besides, isn't it only your empress who can enjoy such a noble and unique ceremony?
It is said that after the ceremony in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the long procession of welcoming the bride is heading towards you.Hurry up, order the servants to check carefully again, are all the things in your queen's natal mansion ready?

First of all, are the festival case, book case and treasure case in the middle of the inner hall all set up?Is the direction right?The festival case is in the center, and the left and right are the book case and the treasure case!
Furthermore, is the incense table ready before the festival?Are you ready for the queen's worship before the incense case?Are the maids of honor on the left and right of your seat ready?Are you ready to stand on the south side where the female officer's record is read?

Well, everything is ready, it seems that the envoy's footsteps have been heard!Take a deep breath, don't be nervous, there is still father entertaining outside.The old man had already led the family's men, dressed in neat court clothes, kneeling outside the gate and waiting.After the envoys arrived and finished their salutes, the family went to the outer hall and stood on the east side facing west.

When the envoys entered, the queen's "float car", that is, the wedding sedan chair, was parked on the middle steps, and the queen's Luanjia was behind it.At this time, when the emissary spoke, he was probably talking about destiny, dragon and phoenix, and so on.The speaker is solemn and solemn, and the righteousness is strict, while the listener is full of fear and sincerity.After the envoy finished speaking, my lord father would lead the whole family of men to kneel down three times and kowtow nine times, then leave the occasion and leave the stage to you.

Afterwards, the envoys bestowed festivals, gold books, and gold treasures to the eunuchs respectively, and they carried them to your room. At this time, it is time for you to appear on the stage, and see how dazzling and noble the double bun you are wearing; How festive, and how lofty!Remember, you must remain calm at this time, neither smiling with joy nor overwhelmed with nervousness, you are the mother of the country, the mother of the country!You must show the majesty of the mother of the country, walk out slowly, stand on the right side of the inner door, hold your head up and chest out, and breathe evenly...

You are good, you can still stand at this time, but your mother, three aunts, six wives, sisters, nieces and so on can't do it. They have already followed behind you, kneeling together, just waiting to listen to the imperial edict.

At this time, the eunuchs and eunuchs put the gold book and treasure in their hands on the case that has been prepared, and you have to move to the place of worship, kneel down, and listen to the envoy read out the book and treasure. After reading it, this golden book and gold treasure will officially become the "magic weapon" of your empress.Of course, Depot never forgets to thank you. You have to go northward with six bows, three knees, and three kowtows.After the ceremony, the canonization ceremony is completed.Of course, the gold books and treasures brought here cannot be placed in your mother's house, but must be held in the Dragon Pavilion and enter the palace with you.

Well, this time is a real farewell, you are about to enter the palace on the queen's phoenix, and although it is said that the palace rules and regulations allow parents to visit the palace, such opportunities are very rare, Basically, it is very difficult to see your parents and relatives again.Is your nose a little sore?But you are the queen now, and today is a good day for your wedding, so you must hold back your sadness and pretend to be calm.

What's more, at this time, the auspicious time for Shengyu has arrived.The female officials came forward and respectfully invited you to be promoted to Fengyu, and the brigade was about to march towards the emperor.The joyful drum team walked in the front, the chief and deputy envoys accompanied on horseback, followed by the Queen's Luanjia, Ceting and Baoting, and then Fengyu, (in today's words, it is the guard of honor, and the sedan chair. ) next to Fengyu, there are also people who "guard the chariot". The front is four wives, followed by seven wives on horseback, and there are eunuchs on the left and right to support your Fengyu.The last ones followed were the ministers and guards.When the welcoming team drove out, your father and brothers would kneel at the gate to see you off...

The team entered Daqing Gate, Tiananmen Square, and Meridian Gate. Luanjia will stop here, and your Fengyu will enter the Meridian Gate under the guidance of Jiufeng crank cover, and pass Taihe Gate, Middle Left Gate, Back Left Gate, etc. The Dragon Pavilion will also stop when it reaches the Qianqing Gate.At this time, the tasks of the civil servants who have been ordered to work have been completed, and the envoys, internal ministers, and guards have all retreated. There is another group of people waiting for you here.

The first ones to greet you are the princes' Fujin. They will hand over a treasure bottle that symbolizes auspiciousness, and you have to reach out to catch it.Then, someone will help you step over the brazier that has been prepared in the Qianqing Palace. "Cross the brazier"?Does this habit sound familiar?That's right, there is this link in the marriages of many ethnic minorities, especially those who worship fire, and the Manchu people have always believed in shamanism, which is also a rule passed down from their ancestors. The evil spirit is gone.

After stepping over the brazier in the Qianqing Palace, you can move towards the bridal chamber—the Kunning Palace. At this time, the team is obviously reduced a lot. After all, it is not suitable for too many people to follow the matter of sending it to the bridal chamber.Just look at the Kunning Palace, take a closer look at what is on the threshold?

Take it easy, it's just a saddle.Crossing the brazier is a custom, and crossing a saddle is also a custom. "Saddle" and "an" are also a kind of good wishes for peace. Not only is there a saddle, but there are two apples under the saddle. This wish for peace is really strong. !

Pick up the bride, the floats will follow soon | Only queens are qualified to hold a wedding ([-])

After all the tossing and etiquette, the sweat from nervousness had soaked through the brand-new underwear, and the thick powder on the face made me feel breathless, not to mention the heavy phoenix crowns on the head, and the soles of the feet. Stepping on a pair of flowerpot-soled shoes that can't touch the bottom, you can't help feeling that it's not easy to marry, and it's even more difficult to be a queen and marry an emperor!

However, something more tense is about to happen. Dare I ask the empress, have you seen the emperor?Maybe he is your cousin, cousin, cousin, cousin, etc., who used to play together when you were a child, but is the memory of your childhood accurate?Or you have never met this man who has become your husband at all, and you suddenly meet in the bridal chamber, doesn't it feel a little weird?

While thinking about these things in his mind, he was assisted into the Kunning Palace and looked at the layout of the bridal chamber!The walls are all decorated with red lacquer and silver vermilion tung oil. The gold-plated gate is also red, with the double happiness characters plated with gold powder pasted on it. There is a red palace lantern in front of the door, which is also lined with the characters of happiness. There is a majestic "Shou" on the top of the door. The long couplets on both sides hang down to the ground.

On the aisle from the main entrance to Dongnuange, there is a wooden screen wall, which is also red, and affixed with the word "Hi" in gold, taking the Queen's good intention of "opening the door to see happiness".Bypassing the screen wall, you will truly enter the east of Dongnuange.

It is also dazzling red, coupled with nervousness, do you feel a little dizzy?Don't worry, first take a closer look at this veritable bridal chamber.The structure of the two open rooms is actually very simple. On the east wall is the husband's throne, and on the right hand side is a large jade ruyi handle, which is so auspicious and luxurious.The front eaves are connected to a kang, and it is a huge kang. On both sides of the kang are red sandalwood dragons and phoenixes, and on the kang table are some things like porcelain vases and treasure vases.

The most conspicuous thing is the dragon and phoenix marriage bed. The bed curtain is made of bright red silk and satin, embroidered with a picture of a hundred sons of double happiness, which symbolizes the emperor's family's "children and grandchildren, many generations, good fortune and longevity", not to mention the bedding. Luxury has it all.There are only two different colors, the bright red symbolizing festiveness and the bright yellow symbolizing nobleness. The various patterns are also exquisitely embroidered. I don’t know how much effort the female workers of the Needlework Bureau spent. Of course, this craftsmanship is also impeccable, no wonder Some people say that women who have worked in the palace can support themselves even if they sell some embroidery after they go out, and even make a little money, because the embroidery skills are beyond the reach of ordinary people.

It seems to digress, let's get down to business, the wedding is very grand, the bridal chamber is very festive, the groom is strange, the bride is very nervous... the time for the wedding ceremony has come.

Not long after you sat down in the bridal chamber, the emperor also came to the Kunning Palace surrounded by princes. With the breath of a strange man, he walked towards you step by step. From under the hijab, you seemed to be able to see the dragon robe he was wearing. .Then, when he approached you, you could only hear the crackling of the beads on the end of the scale, and the red hijab in front of your eyes was lifted. From then on, you will become the wife of the man in front of you; So many women share this man!If you know how to strategize and grasp a man's heart, maybe you will see him more in the future; if you are capricious and suspicious, and have a violent temper, then it is likely that you really only have to be in public, or he is forced to It is only in desperation that we can meet once or twice.You can know it in your heart.

What?Do not care? "I don't have any feelings for him, not even the slightest feeling. What does it matter if I see him or not?"

Miss, you can't speak so willfully.Entering a wealthy family is as deep as the sea, not to mention that the Forbidden City is the largest wealthy family in the world, you are deeply trapped in it, and if you don't hold on to the person who can protect you the most, what choice can you make?Although you are now a queen and in charge of the sixth house, if you push the emperor into a hurry, he will still be able to withstand the pressure and destroy you!Even if he doesn't abolish you, he will treat you as if you don't exist, and your life will be very miserable.

No matter how uncomfortable you are, you have to adjust your mentality as quickly as possible. What's more, no matter how high your status is when you enter the palace, you are always serving the emperor. ?

Well, no matter how much you pretend to be calm, you still can't help being nervous, your palms are sweating... At this time, the emperor sat down next to you, and the female officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs came in one after another, and someone put a copper basin on the bed; Some people presented with round boxes filled with pastries for their children and grandchildren; others took mattresses and laid them on the ground in front of the bed;On this point, the Qing court especially followed the Han custom and sat on the ground, not knowing who made the rule.

At this time, you and your husband should get up and sit on the mattress, with your eyes facing each other, your wedding feast is right in front of you, first pick up the cups and have a drink!I was trembling and holding the wine glass, only to hear "Jiaozhu Song" sung in Manchu from outside, did my heart feel warm?Do you know who the singers are?Although their status is not high, they are all married couples of guards. They are happy as husband and wife. I hope you can have it from now on.

After singing and drinking, do you just cherish this moment of spring night?That's no good, I've been busy for a long time, and I must be hungry. Although there are some small dishes to accompany the wine in the banquet, the key lies in the wine. You must not have eaten anything with your chopsticks, right?Right now, from the perspective of keeping in good health, nothing is inappropriate to do. Be obedient and wait a little longer. When it gets dark, there will naturally be female officials and Fujin who will serve you and your wife to eat longevity noodles until the longevity noodles are down. Belly, this happy day is coming to an end, and the tasks of others have been completed. After withdrawing from Kunning Palace, you can finally spend the wedding night with your dearest husband.

(End of this chapter)