According to the “Records of the Grand Historian”, the first thing the emperor does each day upon waking is to “wash the dragon’s mouth”. At first glance, many may wonder what this entails. However, it is quite intriguing that the palace maids often compete with each other, even bribing the managers, just to serve the emperor in this task. So, what does “washing the dragon’s mouth” actually mean?
The True Meaning of “Washing the Dragon’s Mouth”
In feudal times, it was believed that the emperor was the “Son of Heaven”, and thus, every part of his body corresponded to the parts of the legendary dragon. Here, “dragon’s mouth” refers to the emperor’s mouth, meaning that when the palace maids mentioned “washing the dragon’s mouth”, they understood it to mean rinsing the emperor’s mouth. In reality, each morning, the emperor required someone to assist with his oral hygiene.
Each morning, the first thing the emperor does is “wash the dragon’s mouth”. (Photo: Baidu)
The Process of “Washing the Dragon’s Mouth”
In ancient times, toothpaste and toothbrushes did not exist. Therefore, people used water to cleanse their mouths. Typically, they would use plain water or saltwater for rinsing. The emperors, however, opted for high-quality teas to carry out this task.
Each morning, the eunuchs or palace maids had to rise early to fetch spring water. They would then boil the water, clean the tools used for “washing the dragon’s mouth,” and begin brewing tea.
The tea needed to be brewed multiple times to fill a pot and bring it to the emperor’s palace. When the emperor awoke, the eunuchs and palace maids assigned to “wash the dragon’s mouth” would enter with the tea. They would present the cup of tea for the emperor to sip and rinse his mouth.
The emperor hardly needed to do anything; he just had to open his mouth while someone served him directly. The significance of this practice was to maintain the emperor’s dignity, allowing him to fully concentrate on state affairs.
Why Palace Maids Compete to “Wash the Dragon’s Mouth”
Reason One
The type of tea used for “washing the dragon’s mouth” must be of the highest quality. Even after being steeped twice, the tea leaves could still be dried and sold for a good price outside the palace. For the palace maids, this was undoubtedly an advantage that everyone desired. Thus, they competed for the opportunity to serve the emperor in rinsing his mouth.
The tea used by the emperor is of premium quality, and if dried, it can still be sold for money. (Photo: Baidu).
Moreover, the tea leaves used for the emperor’s mouth rinsing would typically be steeped only once. The palace maids would keep these used leaves for further processing. They would dry the used tea leaves in the sun, as the quality degradation was minimal, allowing them to still earn a decent amount of money.
Reason Two
While the profit from processing and selling tea residue is a significant lure for the palace maids, there is another important reason. The palace maids all hope to catch the emperor’s eye through the act of “washing the dragon’s mouth”. This way, they could easily “rise to fame”, achieving promotions to noble status, and if luck permits, become the emperor’s favored concubine.
If fortunate, the palace maid serving “washing the dragon’s mouth” for the emperor may catch his eye and change her fate. (Photo: Baidu).
This would not only grant them a life of luxury without worrying about food and clothing, but their families would also receive generous treatment as a result.
This represented a rare opportunity in the lives of palace maids. Such a golden opportunity is certainly not one anyone would want to miss. They would go to great lengths to ensure they could serve the emperor in “washing the dragon’s mouth”.
This opportunity was not entirely out of reach. The act of assisting the emperor with his mouth rinsing took place every day. Palace maids who frequently interacted closely with the emperor would have a rare shot at changing their lives if they were fortunate enough to be favored.
“Washing the dragon’s mouth” may seem like a menial task to us today. However, for the palace maids, this chore was seen as a hopeful endeavor. Who would willingly let go of such a rare opportunity?
