For eunuchs, serving the imperial consorts during bathing is hardly a joyous task.
The emperor’s harem consists of thousands of beautiful consorts, thus requiring a considerable number of servants. Not only is a large staff needed, but the work within the palace is also far from easy. Therefore, the court sought to recruit strong men to handle the heavier tasks.
However, to prevent men from entering the harem and causing inappropriate situations, the court devised a system of recruiting eunuchs. Eunuchs are men who have undergone castration with the purpose of serving in the palace.
After becoming eunuchs, they are able to perform tasks that require male strength, including serving the consorts. Even tasks like standing by while the consorts bathe require the presence of eunuchs. What seems like a simple job is, in fact, a severe trial for the eunuchs.
Eunuchs are recruited to the palace to perform strenuous tasks requiring strength. (Image: Sohu).
Sun Yaoting, the last eunuch of imperial China, explained this predicament. According to Sun Yaoting, there are several reasons why eunuchs dread serving consorts during bathing.
First, it is an incredibly arduous task. The consorts often bathed late at night, usually at least an hour after dinner. Their bathing process was also quite complicated.
In ancient times, without electricity or natural gas, eunuchs had to take turns carrying water to fill the tub. They needed to alternate between hot and cold water to achieve the right temperature. After that, they had to prepare the necessary items for the consorts. Other eunuchs had to monitor the water temperature closely. Each consort required the attention of four eunuchs for their bathing needs.
Throughout the bathing process, eunuchs had to continuously add water to ensure it remained warm. Moreover, if they accidentally adjusted the water temperature incorrectly, they would face severe punishment. Additionally, many consorts demanded aromatic substances in the bath to entice the emperor. If the eunuchs failed to prepare these in time, they risked punishment as well.
For eunuchs, serving the consorts during bathing is akin to enduring torture. (Image: Sohu).
Historical records indicate that Empress Dowager Cixi was one of the most demanding when it came to bathing. She required a bath every day, and the palace maids and eunuchs had to prepare for it at least four hours in advance. Each bathing session required 100 towels, arranged in four stacks of 25 each. Each towel had to be washed and used differently.
The empress also utilized two different bathtubs: one for her upper body and another for her lower body. Empress Dowager Cixi even requested a swivel chair. While bathing, she could lie on the chair to allow the palace maids and eunuchs to massage her body.
Second, bathing the consorts is a form of mental torture. According to Sun Yaoting, he endured great humiliation while serving Empress Wanrong – the last empress of the Qing Dynasty. Each time the empress bathed, eunuchs and palace maids had to kneel on the ground and could not raise their heads while massaging her.
