The content of this article comes from the Internet, if it is inconsistent with the actual situation or there is infringement, please contact to delete.
During the Qing Dynasty, the criteria for the emperor's selection of concubines had a unique system. Like ordinary people, the first consideration is appearance. But at the same time, there are two important conditions to be met. First of all, women must be from Qi people, and women of Han and other ethnic minorities have no chance. Secondly, the status of the door is also crucial. The hierarchy of the Qing dynasty was very strict, and unlike the Ming dynasty, empresses and concubines were almost all from prestigious families. This means not only a beautiful look, but also a noble background of origin.
The harem beauties of the Qing Dynasty were not always outstanding in terms of appearance. The Qing Dynasty stipulated that every year a banner woman between the ages of 13 and 16, healthy and without a disability, must be selected to participate in the selection, and women who did not participate in the draft were absolutely not allowed to marry, and violators would be severely punished. Behind this system was the Qing Dynasty's strict control of the harem and the pursuit of blood purity.
An example is the Guangxu Emperor's empress Longyu, who, although not outstanding in appearance, was made empress because she was the niece of Empress Dowager Cixi and was from the Yehenara clan. And the Guangxu Emperor's favorite concubine Zhen was not only beautiful in appearance, but also from a prominent background, her father was an attendant and her uncle was a general in Guangzhou, which met the double standard of the Qing Dynasty's selection of concubines.
Although there were many beautiful women among the bannermen, the emperors of the Qing Dynasty were not willing to use appearance as the only criterion for the draft. For example, the Qianlong Emperor once made it clear that he canonized empress not only because of her appearance, and that falling out of favor was not because of her declining appearance. As a result, most of the concubines of the Qing Dynasty were mediocre, and sometimes even somewhat inconsistent with modern aesthetic standards. The last emperor Puyi's empress Wan Rong, although outstanding in appearance, was also selected according to this criterion. Wan Rong is not only beautiful in appearance, but also a top student, proficient in Qinqi calligraphy and painting, and can also speak English, Manchu and Chinese.
After passing the identity and door checks, the showgirls have to go through another test: the selection, which includes a special check. On the day of the selection, the girls of the Eight Flags Show are required to wear flag costumes, and fashion is absolutely prohibited. In the evening, they would be pulled by mule cart to Shenwu Gate and then walk to wait outside Shunzhen Gate. The eunuchs would guide them in shifts, with five people per shift. Then, the ladies in the palace would undergo a special examination, that is, check their armpits for odor, so as not to smoke the emperor.
Most of the women are young, and some are even children. Only after passing this level of inspection can the show girls enter the imperial garden or the body yuan hall the next day, and stand in a row of three or four people for the emperor or empress dowager to choose from. The chosen woman is left behind, while the unselected woman is brushed. After being selected, after being canonized, their road to choosing a concubine was completed.
In general, the Qing Dynasty concubine selection system focused on both family and appearance, and also had extremely high requirements for identity and bloodline. While maintaining the majesty of the Qing emperor and the honorable status of the harem, this system also brought many beautiful lives of the harem. It is a complex and unique historical phenomenon that reflects the hierarchical and aesthetic concepts of the society of the time.
The above content and materials are derived from the Internet, and the author of this article does not intend to target or allude to any real country, political system, organization, race, individual. The above does not mean that the author of this article endorses the laws, rules, opinions, behaviors in the article and is responsible for the authenticity of the relevant information. The author of this article is not responsible for any issues arising above or related to any of the above, nor does it assume any direct or indirect legal liability.