Is it true that after entering the palace, concubines lose their ability to bear children?
The Dream of Entering the Palace to Become the King’s Woman
In ancient times, the vast majority of young girls aspired to become consorts of the Emperor. As a result, many competed fiercely to gain entry to the palace. However, not everyone succeeded in turning their dreams into reality.
Nowadays, it is not uncommon to see images of young women in their twenties eagerly participating in beauty selections in historical films, often depicted as daughters of noble families. This is also why many girls do not have the opportunity to become the Emperor’s consorts.
Even after becoming a consort, not everyone can bring glory to their family; some may not even have the chance to meet the Emperor within the palace.
After becoming the Emperor’s consorts, these women hold a high status, yet their primary duty remains to bear children for the Emperor.
If they give birth to a prince, they may gain the Emperor’s favor; if fortunate, and the prince ascends to the throne, the status of that consort will rise dramatically.
Conversely, if they are unable to bear a prince, they may be neglected by the Emperor, leading a lonely life.
If they bear a child for the Emperor, the consort’s life will soar. (Image: illustration).
The Phenomenon of Many Concubines Unable to Bear Children
In reality, during the feudal society, many concubines were indeed unable to bear children, which was quite strange at the time. Could it be that after becoming the King’s woman, they lost their reproductive abilities? There are three main reasons that explain this phenomenon.
First, there is only one Emperor in the palace, but many consorts
For instance, during the Qing Dynasty, each evening after the Emperor dined, he would flip a token to decide which consort would serve him that night. Due to this “mechanism,” the concubines in the inner palace began to take action, bribing the eunuchs in the Palace of Reverence to place their tokens in prominent positions, increasing their chances of being selected. For those who refused to bribe, they might not even have a token, making it impossible to be chosen by the Emperor.
Without the opportunity for intimacy meant no chance of conception. Thus, these consorts could go their entire lives without bearing children, remaining virgins even until their death.
The second reason is that the Emperor himself may not want the concubines to become pregnant
In ancient times, many marriages were formed for the purpose of alliances and relationships. Daughters from minority ethnic groups entered the palace to become consorts of the Emperor.
Their backgrounds often did not inspire confidence in the Emperor, which is why he did not want them to conceive. He ordered the royal physicians to prescribe various contraceptives, leaving these concubines childless and lonely throughout their lives.
Additionally, some concubines were unable to bear children due to their own physical conditions
No matter how favored they were by the Emperor, they could not bear fruit and had to abandon their desires.
It can be seen that the concubines in the inner palace were unable to bear children due to both objective and subjective factors. Although their desires largely stemmed from the competition for favor and glory for their families, ultimately, they were the most pitiful, for by the end of their lives, they still could not experience the boundless happiness of having children, nor feel the warmth of family love.
In feudal society, becoming the woman of the Emperor was a tremendous honor. But behind that glory were the constraints of joy, suppressing the freedom and happiness of women.
Their lives revolved solely around the wish to conceive. When the Emperor was happy, they too were joyful. When the Emperor passed away, they might also lose their lives. Is this truly the happiness of marriage?
Living in today’s society, where men and women are equal, it is fortunate that women can pursue their desires, freely chase their dreams without the shackles of the past, and have more choices for their own happiness.