Guangzong in a bloody food box, which scared him so much that he fainted on the spot. The courtesan could be killed not only by the consort's jealousy, but also by the emperor's whim. According to the Tang Yulin, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty got a courtesan who was offered to him and favored her so much that he rewarded her for a few days. One day, Emperor Xuanzong suddenly said, "Emperor Xuanzong has only one concubine, Yang Guifei, and the world has not yet been pacified, so how can I dare to forget it?" So he called the courtesan and said, "I should not keep you." The left and right busy persuade that this girl can be released. Emperor Xuanzong said: "I will think about it, can give a cup of hemlock." This poor courtesan was so poisoned.
Thousands of courtesans in the court over the years. They were selected into the palace, they lost the freedom of the body, clothing and food is thin, simple residence, the body of the lowly service, weekdays, but not parents can not see, is sick, but also can not get the normal treatment, and more will not be cared for. In this intolerable loneliness, the courtesans and the same lonely eunuchs to take care of each other, mutual comfort, should be completely possible. And in most cases, the courtesans and eunuchs will not be blamed by the consort's interaction, and will even be encouraged. The reason for this phenomenon is that, on the one hand, the palace ladies were in fact potential concubines, who might be promoted once they were honored by the emperor, thus allowing them to interact closely with eunuchs reduced their own threat accordingly; on the other hand, whether the consort could be honored by the emperor depended to a large extent on the eunuchs who were in charge of her duties. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the eunuchs of the honoring room were usually responsible for the emperor's sex life. Whenever the emperor finished dinner, the eunuchs on duty would bring a silver tray to the emperor with the concubines' "green headboards" for the emperor to choose the concubines to sleep with that night. In this process, the eunuchs may exert influence on the emperor, such as "a concubine has been in poor health", "a concubine has been glowing" and so on, are disguised as suggestions. Under the premise of the emperor's indecision, these suggestions often play a decisive role. Therefore, the concubines not only do not want to offend the eunuchs, but also sometimes on the contrary, will flatter the eunuchs. Let the palace maid around them to maintain a relationship with the eunuchs with status, is undoubtedly one of the options available.
Eunuchs have no wives and courtesans have no husbands, and the two thus form a temporary companion to comfort the loneliness of the palace, a relationship known as the "pair of food". The food was first seen in the Han Dynasty, from the name itself to analyze, may be eunuchs, courtesans in the meal together, does not contain the meaning of **** bed. Sui, Tang and Five Dynasties period of the "Palace Lyrics" in the cloud: no wonder the palace boasts of food, still clothing more than half of the scholar. This roughly reflects the phenomenon of food in the palace at this time. Until the Ming Dynasty, eunuchs and courtesans because of mutual comfort and food for the situation has been quite common, and even a courtesan into the palace for a long time and no food, will be teased by the companions of the "abandoned". Once the eunuchs and courtesans love each other, there are enthusiastic and willing to be a matchmaker for the matchmaking. The reason for this is that the low-level eunuchs in the palace could not afford to take wives and concubines, and the courtesans seldom had the opportunity to be honored by the emperor, the eunuchs and courtesans have only themselves to seek solace, the so-called "in the palace, the complaint of the open boredom, to quench their thirst, out of this next idea.
The partnership between eunuchs and courtesans in the Ming Dynasty was also known as the "Vegetable Household". Analyzed from historical data, there should be a difference between the dish household and the pair of food. Eating can be between eunuchs, courtesans, can also be between the same sex, and most of the temporary; and can be called "dish" of the courtesans and eunuchs, more *** with life, as husband and wife, with considerable stability. In the early years of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang on eunuchs and courtesans between this behavior abhorrent and strictly prohibited, on the eunuchs to marry and start a family is more brutal punishment of skinning. But since the Yongle and later, the eunuchs status rose, this ban went up in smoke, the history of: "the palace childless, each choose the inner supervisor as a couple, said dish household. Its property is like a family, love each other as a couple. Both and concubines below, but also quite a, although the son of heaven is not prohibited, to its eunuchs, not the suspicion." ① roughly similar historical information is also found in the wild history. According to the Wanli Youshouzhi, initially, eunuchs and courtesans had more contact with each other, and gradually developed feelings for each other. Based on this, eunuchs often took the initiative to buy food, clothing, jewelry and daily necessities for the courtesans in order to express their admiration. If the eunuchs were attracted to the courtesans, they could form a partnership, which was called a "vegetable household". Naihou was openly allowed in the Ming Palace, even the Emperor and Empress sometimes asked eunuchs, "Who are you Naihou for?" The eunuchs only answered truthfully.
Eunuchs and courtesans became "vegetable households", sing along with the return, like husband and wife. Eunuchs to the beloved courtesan is certainly at the mercy of the drive, the courtesan will also love eunuchs, do not let him do too much work, but to support other eunuchs to do. Some low status, ugly and older eunuchs in the palace know that it is impossible to be seen by the eunuchs, they are willing to do the dishes of the servants, for which the cooking, carrying, washing, the palace paid them a certain amount of silver each month. In this case, some good cooking eunuchs will become the object of pursuit, the pay is also more, the most January can earn four or five silver. These eunuchs dressed in dusty and greasy clothes, carrying baskets, in and out of the palace, to buy the required sundries.