Unlike the majority of working people, the vast majority of those so-called masters in the palace do not have to get up early to make a living. But what we don't know is that there was an old rule in the Qing dynasty that no matter if you were the master of the palace, or a lackey, you had to get up early.
The Qing Dynasty emphasized order, and there was a difference between the inferior and the superior. Consort before entering the palace in accordance with their respective family background points, in addition to the birth, age, death, it is difficult to have the opportunity to promote. So there is no for the position to fight to the death, head to head. Moreover, most of them came from prestigious families, and were well educated since they were young, so they knew by heart the Three Obediences and Four Virtues and the Virtues of a Consort, so their quality would not be too bad. In addition, they were not immersed in daily rivalry. According to records, the concubines of the Qing Dynasty had a strict work schedule. Every morning, they woke up between five and seven o'clock to ask the Empress Dowager for good morning.
Breakfast from seven to nine-thirty in the morning. Eleven a.m. to 2:30 p.m. is for lunch breaks and evening meals. And 5pm to 9pm is the time for the lower concubines to ask the Empress Dowager, the Empress for good night. Basically, it could be said that their only formal job was to ask for good morning and good night. Other than that it was a free-for-all time. The Emperor was often busy with political affairs, and there was little opportunity for them to see the concubines other than to attend to their bedchambers. They didn't need to read or write, so there was no place to spend their boring time. They have to do nails every day, skate the dog, maintain the skin. After all, the flower blossomed a hundred days red, in the high walls of the palace, the success or failure of the father and brother of the mother's family is also closely related to the consorts. So take care of yourself in order to look beautiful and still win the favor of the Holy Spirit, so that you can be invincible in the harem.
This harem of concubines is not like the interpretation of the drama that the hook and the corner, and I cheat, relatively harmonious. But in spite of this, their fate is also like a duckweed. Ancient medical equipment is not complete, even if you are a concubine, childbirth also have to walk around the ghost gate. Many women in the harem died in childbirth. Second is the burial system, no child consort and courtesans in the death of the emperor is to accompany the burial, even if not accompanied by burial will be confined to lose their freedom. Finally, the honor and disgrace of the family and they are closely related to the former dynasty and the harem are connected to the same root, and sometimes the consort will be implicated by the mother's family in the holy grace is not in.
In short, the real history of the consort's life is not as horrible as the palace drama, but it is monotonous.