China. Concubines

Speaking of concubines in Old China, one should carry out some lexical and semantic analysis of the subject. In Russian, the concept of "concubine" means something like a kept mistress, while the Roman "koncubin" leads us to the concept of the current civil marriage, in which an unmarried woman of low class lives with a single man, and the children born to her from such a union, have no rights to the father's inheritance. In turn, the concubin could at any time go to another and this was not considered an act of adultery.
This is how it was in China. A man married "qi", the so-called "main wife". The determining factor was that the family usually chose the spouse, and this was reinforced by strict ceremonial. Love, as usual, was not particularly there, because often a man saw his bride for the first time only at a wedding. Divorce (with the exception of the wife's infidelity) was not practiced, so if the eldest wife could not give birth to an heir, or for some other reason did not satisfy her husband, he could take one or more "younger" wives. For them, there was the term "tse" (in translated literature it is most often found as "concubine"). Their life directly depended on the location of the owner of the house, since for the most part no one cared about their fate. The concubine-tse had no right to take part in family rituals, her relatives were not allowed to enter her husband's house, even her own children called her "aunt". There was only one mother and mistress - "Dima" in the house, and her main function was to take care of the prosperity of the family, and therefore she had the right to push around the lower household members - concubines and servants "yahuan" (with whom, by the way, the owner could also have connections of a different nature). However, when talking with her husband, often she could call herself "tse" - as if lowering her status in the eyes of the head of the family.

At the court of the emperor, the situation was similar. The first lady in the country was the official wife of the emperor - the empress "huang-hou" ("behind the emperor"). An intermediate position between wives and concubines was occupied by "fei-tzu". Their authority was lower than that of the Empress, but significantly higher than that of all other women in the palace. They were followed by "pin" - maids of honor, "bi" - palace maids, "nu" - slaves and "ji" - prostitutes who came from the ancient class of "lenyu" (singer-dancers-musicians). There were usually several fairy concubines, and they enjoyed special attention from the emperor. Each of them received an additional nickname "precious concubine", "beautiful concubine", "virtuous concubine" and so on. "Feizi" is also a term for a prince's wife. Feizi were often of noble birth and their sons were entitled to the throne on an equal footing with the sons of the empress, if any. If the empress had no sons, fei-tzu, the mother of the heir to the throne could in the future receive the high status of "huang-taihou" - "mother of the emperor" (but only after the death of the empress huang-hou). Although some emperors did not have consort-empresses.

Throughout history China some changes were made to the marriage law, but for the most part insignificant. This family structure lasted until the establishment of the Communist Party, however, to this day, some wealthy Chinese have a "junior wife" in the city, where they often stay for work or business.

Before the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty in 221 B.C. conquered several feudal states and founded the Celestial Empire, the origins of Chinese civilization were scattered over several fragmented kingdoms ...
The Lord of the Universe (such was one of the titles of the Son of Heaven - the Chinese emperor) ruled over a territory that stretched from Korea to Burma and Tibet. However, regardless of whether he had the title of king or emperor, the life of the court was full of magnificent extravagances. Which could only be afforded by absolute rulers, who expected loyalty and complete obedience from their subjects.
Regardless of whether this or that dynasty reigned for a long time or not, whether the court followed the teachings of Confucius, Lao Tzu or Buddha, whether the rulers were generous people or tyrants, men or women, the sex life of the owner of the throne was of paramount importance. Successive dynasties took for granted the fact that following the principles of yin-yang is an integral part of the overall Universal Harmony. The sexual union of a man and a woman is like the union of Heaven and Earth. And the emperor and his wives were considered the highest manifestation of such a union.

The emperor thus became in the eyes of the people a symbol of potency, and it was believed that he had a superhuman supply of qi, that is, the Life Force. To replenish this supply of qi, a constant influx of female yin energy was required. And for this purpose, the ruler kept with him numerous wives and concubines. So, according to the legends, the Yellow Emperor had three thousand concubines and made a Royal Conjunction with one thousand two hundred of them throughout his life.
Given the enormous social and religious significance attached to sexual intercourse, and the opinion that the harmony of the life of the whole society directly depends on the satisfaction of the sexual needs of the ruler, it is not surprising that this side of court life was not limited to the imperial bedchamber. In many of his palaces, the emperor and his courtiers staged orgies and sexual carnivals while indulging in all sorts of whims. All this was usually explained by the fact that they thus contribute to the overall harmony of yin-yang created by society.
As a graphic illustration of court customs in feudal states that existed a thousand years before the formation of the empire, one can cite the life of Zhou Xin (1154-1122 BC), a king from the Yin dynasty.
The thinker and philosopher Sima Qian in his "Historical Notes" says that the king "had the physique of a bull, while possessing the flexibility of a tiger." Zhou Xin kept himself in shape with constant exercises and duels, which included single combat with wild animals in an arena specially built for this purpose, as well as fights simultaneously with several of his best warriors. He also perfectly mastered the techniques of Chinese and a number of other martial arts. With his bare hands, he smashed stones and boards into pieces.
His exploits were not limited to combat duels. In his palace he kept one queen, three chief wives, nine wives of the second rank, twenty-seven wives of the third rank, and eighty-one concubines. The palace staff also consisted of three thousand girls to participate in holidays, feasts and other entertainments, where they could demonstrate their virtues and skills. He gathered the courtiers around the same arena in which he arranged fights and surprised them with his sexual exploits. One of the feats was that he walked around the arena in the arms of a naked woman, straddling his aroused cock. In one hand, at the same time, he held a fried veal leg, in the other - a two-liter bronze goblet with wine, and, washing down the meat with wine, forced the woman, who wrapped her legs around his waist and uttered voluptuous moans, to move up and down his indefatigable penis, thus leading to indescribable delight of the audience.

However, after a few years, Zhou Xin's potency began to weaken and, not believing that he could be subjected to health disorders that occur in mere mortals, he accused his court physician of giving him the wrong advice.
At one time, the healer convinced the ruler to live according to the ancient commandment of the Yellow Emperor, the essence of which was to "copulate every night with ten different women without spending your Dragon Seed (sperm)". Zhou Xin also considered this advice the reason that his wives had only daughters, but no sons. The doctor was beheaded. All women, except for official wives, were returned to their families, and the king founded a new harem for himself.
Zhou Xin instructed special court ladies (tongguan) to keep records of their royal connections to confirm the legitimacy of children. Subsequently, the maintenance of such records was entrusted to the palace eunuchs, and for the first time the position of tongguan was officially introduced precisely at the court of Zhou Xin. The duties of the tongguan also included the organization of sexual contacts of the ruler and the selection of girls for every night. In the royal bedroom, a special chair was installed, sitting in which, tongguan watched what was happening, making sure that the Royal Connection really took place. To register the Royal Connections, special red brushes were used. In later times, a special genre of erotic literature appeared - "Stories written with a red brush."
Tunguan also enforced strict adherence to individual "visiting schedules." The wives of the king, who occupied a higher position, were allowed to be in his company as long as he himself wished, and the concubines had to leave the royal bedroom before dawn. Palace girls, whose position was considered the lowest, were sent away immediately after the Royal Union. Those who managed to give special pleasure to their master received a silver ring as a gift, and if conception occurred at the same time, then women received a gold one instead of a silver one. However, not a single woman received a golden ring from Zhou Xin for the birth of a son or daughter. And he continued to fight furiously in the arena with wild animals and warriors, to the delight of his courtiers.
At this time, his harem was replenished with new girls, among whom was Taji. "More beautiful than a peony and a lotus" - so the Lord of the Universe called her. She was so charming and had a special gift that she managed to save the king from impotence. According to surviving records, her behavior during her wedding night with Zhou Xin was bold and unbridled. He didn't even believe she was a virgin. Only after the tongguan raised a lamp above them and the emperor saw blood on his organ and on a silk sheet, he was convinced of her innocence. Taji instantly became Zhou Xin's favorite and was elevated to the rank of official wife. Because of her, he began to ignore his other wives and concubines.
Her influence on the king and the ability to bring great joy to the ruler caused her to be considered a "fox woman" (the so-called nymphomaniacs and those who were possessed by evil spirits). It is difficult to say how right those who called Taji, Zhou Xin's beloved wife, were right in that she was a nymphomaniac. However, her needs have increased so much that even her formidable husband could not afford. The potency of the master, which she once restored, again became a source of concern for him. But, before he began to look for those responsible for this, Taji persuaded him to significantly invest in new entertainment.
In addition to the unprecedented scale of the orgies organized at the court, she took an active part in the creation of the "wine lake" and "meat forest". The lake, which had a diameter of several hundred meters, was filled with expensive wine, and pieces of roasted meat were strung on each branch of the nearby forest. The purpose of this garden of abundance was to restore to the orgies their pagan simplicity. In the midst of this abundance, where it was enough to reach out to a tree or scoop up wine from a lake to quench thirst and hunger, the emperor and his wife, surrounded by three thousand naked warriors from the palace guards and the same number of palace girls, spent days and nights in enjoyment.
For the people of China, such folly meant a constant increase in taxes and feudal rent. Outraged by the new exactions, the people of Zhou Xin rebelled against him. But soon the rebellion was easily suppressed, and its leaders were captured, sentenced to torture and beheaded.
Taji showed her ingenuity here too, inventing torture, which was often used by emperors in subsequent times. The victim was placed in a metal cylinder three meters long, coated with fat on the outside. The cylinder was then hung horizontally over a deep pit in which a blazing fire burned. As the cylinder heated up, the victim had the choice of roasting inside the cylinder or jumping out of it into the flames of the fire. Usually the latter was chosen.
In the notes on the life of Zhou Xin, compositions of stimulants are given, which were often used by the king-lover.
1. "Three-day bliss."
Soy, bovine penis, fresh ginseng root and dried human placenta.
2. "Heavenly Thunder".
The tongues of a hundred peacocks seasoned with hot peppers from the Eastern Provinces and the sperm of puberty boys.
3. "Lion on the hunt."
Slow-cooked bear paws seasoned with crushed rhinoceros horn and distilled urine (gender not specified).
But Zhou Xin was not destined to enjoy his garden of pleasures, or pleasures with Taji, or regular doses of "three days of bliss" for long. At the age of thirty-two, he was deposed and beheaded...
The luxurious lifestyle of the kings of antiquity, however, cannot be compared with that of some of the ambitious emperors of later times, among whom there were individuals of extraordinary talent.
One such ruler was Emperor Yandi (581-618 AD) of the Sui Dynasty. To take the throne he had to kill his father and brothers; and he strengthened his own rights to the empire, destroying most of his close relatives. However, as soon as his power became absolute, he directed his frantic energy in a more constructive direction.

He began with the fact that he decided to build the greatest of the palaces on earth, gathering for this purpose two million workers of his empire. Outside, the palace was adorned with the finest marble in a wide variety of hues, while inside it was finished and furnished "with a prodigality that has become a heavy burden even for the rich treasury of the most prosperous empire in the universe." Yandi Palace was located in a walled park of one hundred and twenty square kilometers, in the center of which an artificial lake about three kilometers wide was built. On the shores of the lake, sixteen palaces were erected for concubines and palace women. According to historians, it was from the boat trips under the moon, originating from the steps of these palaces, that Yandi's tendency to make love on boats, swaying on the waves born by a slight breath of a breeze, appeared.
Yandy also decided to outwit the laws of nature with their constant change of seasons. To do this, he hired a whole army of gardeners who were supposed to replace the falling yellow leaves and wilted flower petals with their exact copies made of satin and thin paper, and lotuses were supposed to decorate the lake in summer and winter.

During Yandi's walks in the park, he was accompanied by a thousand palace girls. And since he was prone to sudden attacks of sexual desire, pavilions were built in the park, surrounded by a low fence, at an insignificant distance from each other. When he, in the company of the girls he had chosen, retired to one of the pavilions in order to indulge in love pleasures, the rest gathered around, sang and played the emperor's favorite melodies. One of the paintings reflecting this period of time captures the moment when Yandi, in the company of three women, enjoys the Royal Conjunction in one of these pavilions. He stands near a high bed, on which lies a naked girl, whose legs are lifted and spread apart by two others, standing on either side of the emperor. Only one hand of each of them is occupied with this. With the other hand, the girls raise the emperor's bright robes and guide his Jade Stem to the Realm of Pleasure...
When the palace was completed, Yandi mobilized two million more workers in addition to the already existing two million and sent them to build the Grand Canal, which was to connect the waterways from north to south. The channel was 750 km long, 6 m deep and 18 m wide. Trees were planted along the banks of the canal and forty travel palaces of Shingun were built for the stops of the emperor during water travels. The construction of the Grand Canal not only made it possible to travel from north to south, but also required the creation of an appropriate fleet.
Yandy again took up the matter, sparing neither money nor manpower. And when the fleet was finally built and began cruising the canal, it numbered almost two thousand junks. The most magnificent among them were ten "dragon" junks, especially the imperial one. Each of them, 90 meters long and 15 meters high, had four decks, which housed 120 cabins, decorated with jade and gold decorations. The floor and walls were decorated with tiger, bear and leopard skins, which further emphasized the luxury of the interior decoration.
The "dragon" junks housed a thousand wives and concubines, musicians and artists, as well as part of the imperial treasury. They were followed by five hundred "second class" junks with palace girls, servants and food supplies. At the end of this line of ships followed a thousand junks of the "third category", which traveled the ministers of the court, Buddhist and Taoist monks, foreign ambassadors, scholars, eunuchs and military leaders.
Historians of that era have left colorful descriptions of such journeys. The books tell about the two-month journey of the imperial armada along the canal. The picture of fleet towing, which was used when there was no favorable wind and current, is impressively described. Eighty thousand servants in exquisite silk robes formed a wall of brilliant colors on both sides of the canal, and the silk ropes that radiated in all directions from the junks looked like a sparkling cobweb. Willows, planted along the banks at a short distance from each other, created a pleasant shade; the air was filled with a delicate fragrance of perfume emanating from concubines and palace girls. It seemed that the whole fleet was saturated with incense ... With a light breeze, the inhabitants of the villages, located at a distance of up to ten kilometers from the canal, knew that Emperor Yandi was now sailing along it with his wives, concubines and retinue.
The indefatigable emperor, making love with great pleasure on the light waves of the Grand Canal, decided to experience similar sensations on land. To begin with, he built a circular track about a kilometer in circumference, which had a wavy surface. Therefore, a wagon with people enjoying intimacy passing over this surface, swaying, gave them even more pleasure. A more refined variation on the "love on wheels" theme was the construction of the "seven wondrous chariots". They could be attributed to the wonders of the world, rather due to their loud name. These chariots looked more like coffins than wagons. In each of these chariots lay a concubine, waiting for the emperor to grace her with his attention. Rising early in the morning, Yandi's favorite entertainment was to go for a ride in the "wonderful chariot", have a good breakfast on the go, and then get sexual pleasure in the company of his concubines. Throughout the day, he reclined with each of the girls he had chosen, and his masculine strength was so great that he returned to the palace only at sunset.
He showed the greatest ingenuity when creating an erotic palace called "Labyrinth". In notes about the palace, the historian calls it a sweet dream, from which one does not want to wake up. Perhaps the palaces built in the Ottoman and Mughal empires were more magnificent, and the exploits of their rulers were more cruel and bloodthirsty; however, the Chinese emperors remained unsurpassed in the variety of sensual pleasures.
The palace was a labyrinth of corridors and rooms, each wall covered with polished bronze mirrors. Movement around the palace required touch rather than sight, as the reflections in the mirrors were very weak. There were no windows in the palace, and hidden lanterns were placed to create an even, subdued illumination. The interior was simple: mats and couches on which the most beautiful women of the imperial harem reclined, and fountains with wine instead of water located in the corners of the rooms. The sounds of soft and light music played by groups of naked girls rang through the palace.
Yandy considered visiting the "Labyrinth" palace, where the air was filled with the aroma of delicate incense, the ultimate test of his potency. In the palace, he was met by especially trusted eunuchs, who freed him from ordinary clothes and put on him the skin of a leopard. To the accompaniment of musical instruments and the singing of the concubines, who in unison wished him many years of life, the emperor, first of all, aroused the "draconian spirit" in himself, enjoying wine from his four-liter golden bowl, and then sending the eunuchs away - went directly to the purpose of his visit. Being a strong and temperamental man, the "Royal Leopard" spent two weeks in the palace before he allowed the days-long "heavenly night" to finally give way to dawn...
Ten years after the construction of the "Labyrinth", the reign of Emperor Yandi came to an end. Once, when the palace girls were helping him to dress, he looked at himself in the mirror. "What a wonderful head I have," he said thoughtfully. - "And what a strong neck. I wonder who is destined to separate my head from my neck?" His forebodings turned out to be prophetic. Rebels attacked his palace. Their leader did not cut off the head of the emperor, but strangled him with his own hands...

In the bedroom of flutists

You, sir, are surrounded.

Many in the harem

Beautiful concubines and wives.

Wang Li(1032-1059)

May night 1688 covered the Purple Forbidden City. Life in Yangxindian Palace, the private quarters of Emperor Xuanye, also subsided. The eunuchs dressed the Bogdokhan for bed, opened the wide bed, parted the curtains and dimmed the light in the large floor hexagonal lantern. Bowing to the lord at the waist and backing away, they disappeared through the door. The monarch was left alone, but sleep did not come to him. Something got in the way. Something else had settled in his brain earlier, but Xuanye could not remember what. Today, all day long, he either dictated, or ruled, or discussed with the dignitaries the instructions to the ambassadors. Those went to negotiate with the Russians on the Amur - the Black Dragon River. Since 1652 military operations have been going on here intermittently. Remembered! In the afternoon, on the list of the embassy, ​​he came across the name of the Manchu official Ayushi! Familiar surname! But where did he meet her? Xuanye automatically turned his head to a small table in the corner of the bedroom. There, in a large "dragon" casket, divided into sections, there were rows of jade tokens-tablets with the names and surnames of his concubines. Yes, of course! It is here, on one of the tablets, the name Ayushi is engraved! This is the daughter of that official from the Chamber of Tributary Countries (Lifanyuan). Bogdokhan found her token. Here she is, Ayushi! Originally from the Blue Banner. "Precious person" (guiren), i.e. has the fifth, lowest rank of concubine. Xuanye did not “make happy” her, he never even saw her after the “palace viewing”. I wonder what she's like in the love bed? Bogdokhan struck the table gong and silently handed the tablet to the eunuch who entered. He vanished out the door with a bow. So this concubine will be here soon! Xuanye chuckled: he knew to the smallest detail what was about to happen outside the walls of his bedroom. Here is his "neighbour" eunuch handing over the "precious tag" to the chief manager of the Chamber of Important Affairs, and he passes it on to his subordinate, the strong man eunuch.

Further, everything went according to a strictly routine order. The guarantor would find the right woman and show her a sign with the words: “An order for such and such a concubine!” She knelt down and with a bow accepted the sign of royal favor. The maids took her to the bedroom, stripped her naked and smeared her with incense. She remained undressed so that she could not take a dagger or knife with her: they tried to kill one of the emperors with the hands of a concubine. Then the eunuch-messenger was invited into the bedroom. He wrapped the beauty in a special blanket of heron fluff - a bird that knew how to catch snakes and therefore symbolized protection from all deceit. After that, a hefty eunuch put the concubine on his shoulders and carried her to the palace, where the Son of Heaven was already waiting for her in his bedchamber. The eunuch took off the cloak from the woman and retired, and she immediately slipped under the covers to the August Lord. While this couple indulged in pleasures, the general manager of the Chamber of Important Affairs and the eunuch were in the next room.

According to the rules of the Qing court, the Son of Heaven could not leave a concubine with him for a long time, and even more so until the morning. When the due date expired, the chief manager loudly said: “The time has come!” If the Bogdokhan did not respond, the reminder was repeated a second, and a little later, a third time. Then the monarch was bound to respond. The two who were waiting entered the bedroom. The chief manager with a special registration book in his hands knelt down and respectfully asked the Son of Heaven: “Shall I leave it or not?” It was about the precious "dragon seed". Having heard the command “Leave”, the official made an entry in the registration book: “In such and such a month, such and such a date, at such and such an hour, the emperor made such and such a concubine happy.” This record served as an excuse in the event of her pregnancy, proof of the highest origin of the child. If the Son of Heaven was dissatisfied or was in a bad mood, the order followed: “Do not leave!” After that, the odalisque's stomach was pressed in a special way, and all the "dragon seed" came out. These rules were strictly observed in the winter palaces of the Forbidden City. As for the summer residences, there the Bogdokhan could afford to violate the regulations established at the dawn of the Qing Dynasty.

If the concubines were brought to the emperor's bedroom, then he came to his wife himself and for a time that was not limited by anything. nevertheless, each such visit was recorded in a special ledger. Upon the exit of the Bogdokhan from the bedchamber, the kneeling eunuch official respectfully waited for an answer about whether the intercourse had taken place or not. If not, then the August Lord casually threw: “Go away!”, And the corresponding column in the book remained empty. In the case of an affirmative answer or a nod from the Son of Heaven, an entry appeared here: “On such and such a date, such and such a month, such and such a year, at such and such an hour, the sovereign made the empress happy.” If the Bogdokhan passed silently, the chief manager, on his knees, humbly inquired what he should write down.

As we can see, the Lord of the Celestial Empire and the ruler of the Qing Empire, before whom everyone trembled, himself turned out to be a prisoner of harsh etiquette. All sorts of conditions determined the sphere of love entertainment of the Son of Heaven. At the very beginning of the emergence of the Manchu dynasty, khans Nurkhatsi and Abahai established the rules of "restriction of debauchery" for future rulers. Moreover, the Chamber of Important Affairs was called upon to “regulate” the pleasures of the Son of Heaven, the staff of which was recruited exclusively from eunuchs of the highest category. That is why they had free access to the harem, and to the battalion commanders adjacent to the bedroom of the Son of Heaven, and to the chambers next to the bedchamber of the empress.

If in Europe the monarch had only one wife (queen, queen, empress), then in China there could be two or three - one "main" and two "secondary". Apartments in the "middle" part of the Forbidden City were considered the most prestigious. Therefore, the main "resident" lived in the "center" of the palace complex and was called the "Empress of the Middle Palace" (Zhungun) and "Mother of the State" (Gomu). The “eastern quarter” was inhabited by the second wife of the Bogdokhan, the “Empress of the Eastern Chamber” (Dungun). And finally, the third wife, or the “empress of the Western Palace” (Sigun), lowered the chambers in the western, least significant part of the Forbidden City. Together with the dowager empress, four empresses were at times in the palace quarter of Beijing. Sometimes the mother of the Bogdokhan lived outside the Forbidden City - in one of the summer country residences. For the bride of the Son of Heaven, special halls were erected, where she, along with her whole family, was waiting for the wedding ceremony.

According to the Qing Dynasty, the young empress had to give the heir to the throne within five years. If she was said to be childless, the Son of Heaven got himself a second wife. The new empress was elected from concubines of the first or second rank, which was often given to those who had already given birth to a son to the emperor. Nevertheless, Yaenee's second wife had to yield in everything to the first, who remained the main wife of the Bogdokhan. After the death of the Ten Thousand-Year-Old Lord, his wives were not allowed to remarry or return to their families of origin. Since in Qing China yellow meant that a person or thing belonged to the family or palace of the Bogdo Khan, the empresses wore light yellow, and the concubines wore dark yellow robes.

How was the Bogdokhan's harem created? The Young Son of Heaven could recruit concubines for himself only upon reaching adulthood, i.e. at seventeen or eighteen years old, and only after the expiration of the prescribed period of mourning for the deceased emperor. Moreover, he had no right to use the harem of his late father.

But here the formalities were observed, and the "palace bride" was announced, where all "beautiful girls from noble Manchu families" should have arrived. And here the difficulties began. Firstly, Manchurian girls were not distinguished by the charm of features, harmony and education, losing in all these respects to Chinese women, especially to the "southern fairies" - beauties from Suzhou and Hangzhou. And secondly, the Manchus were reluctant to give their daughters to the imperial harem.

In general, the conquerors of China were extremely careful about their women - the basis of the gene pool of a small nation. Unlike Chinese women, they were forbidden to mutilate themselves by bandaging their feet. Girls were allowed to sit in the presence of elders and even take a place of honor among them. In Manchu families, there was no Chinese rule that forbade boys and girls over seven years old to meet. Fathers and grandfathers loved their daughters and granddaughters very much, and therefore they often spoiled them. The prisoners of the palace had a hard life. For many of them, brought up in happy and caring families, being in the imperial harem became a real torture. And since the concubines did not always share the bed of the sovereign, they were often threatened with the fate of old maids. So why ruin their youth and future by confinement in a beautiful but bleak cage? That's why some parents tried to avoid registering their daughters in "watching registers", while others tried to make them unsightly. Such girls were brought to the palace unwashed, unkempt, in dirty clothes. They also resorted to all sorts of other tricks - they pretended to be sick, stuttering and lameness. If only they did not include their favorite child in the lists! Just leave it alone! However, the officials of the Palace Administration had experience in this regard, and it was difficult to conduct them. It happened that the girls were hidden from the eunuchs prowling around the city or hastily married off.

The selection of concubines for the imperial harem took place in several stages and was a complex procedure. All the daughters of the Manchu officials of the first four, i.e., became candidates. the highest, ranks out of nine. Only girls from fourteen to twenty years old were taken into account. The palace administration compiled the most complete lists, and the Manchu princes and dignitaries made a strict selection based on them. The new lists included only those girls whose eight hieroglyphs, indicating the date of birth, promised a favorable future. These "lucky ones" passed under the care of the Palace Administration. Here they were taught the necessary ceremonies and manners, and six months later they appeared at the "palace bride": girls from wealthy families - in their own formal clothes, those in need - in expensive dresses given to them.

In the morning on the appointed day, the beauties gathered in the Forbidden City, at the gates of the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, where the “bride-in-law” was held in one of the halls. In some cases, the sovereign actively participated in this procedure, in others he gave everything to the discretion of his mother, remaining only a silent witness to what was happening. It all looked like this: past the Bogdokhan and the Dowager Empress sitting on the thrones, the “competitors” were slowly moving in the established order. At the end of the procession, they lined up in a row, and the rulers, after conferring, pronounced their sentence. Through eunuchs, the winners were given curved jade wands with a head resembling a tree mushroom or a cloud. The first wand was offered to the one who was designated as the wife of the Bogdokhan. She was named empress. The rest of the owners of the wands became the concubines of the Son of Heaven. They were divided into five categories, according to which one of the five harem ranks was awarded. The “lucky ones” made “three knees, nine bows of the earth” in front of the thrones. Those who were unlucky were given silk robes on behalf of the Empress Dowager.

After the ceremony, the selected beauties were allowed to go home for two months. They had to finally say goodbye to their relatives, and at the same time acquire clothes worthy of imperial concubines. At the end of the term, porters delivered a yellow palanquin to the gates of the house, which was accompanied by officials of the Palace Administration, eunuchs, courtiers, maids and a platoon of horse guards of the Yellow Banner. And then came the ordeal: parting with the family. Tears, hugs, prayers began here. The eunuchs seated the “darling of fortune” in a palanquin, and the cortege solemnly followed to the Forbidden City. Most often, the beauty got there forever.

So the first batch of odalisques arrived in the harem of the Bogdokhan - sometimes up to thirty people. Three years later - another one, then another ... Time passed, and the seraglio grew to the maximum "permissible" size, i.e. up to 280 slaves. Girls from rich or wealthy families at first suffered severely in the palace. Delicious food and expensive clothes were familiar to them from childhood, but after cheerful and joyful days spent in the circle of numerous brothers and sisters, court life seemed incredibly dreary. Some cried from morning to evening. For the poorer one, beautiful outfits, rich rooms, gourmet dishes, sweets, fruits, flowers, decorations and the services of “one’s own servants” at first drowned out the longing for her home.

The sovereign's odalisques were divided into five ranks. Above all stood the "imperial precious concubines" (huang guifei). Then came the “precious concubines” (guifei), just concubines (fei) and concubines (bin). Fifth - the lowest rank was called "precious person" (guiren). Below the concubines were the maids of honor (dain, changzai), and the base of the harem pyramid was made up of numerous servants - shinyu. A Chinese woman could not rise above the level of a maid.

Knowing the habits of the inhabitants of the harem, emperors have long settled their spouses and concubines separately from each other. Each empress, as already mentioned, had her own palace in the Forbidden City. It was a separate quarter with pavilions, living quarters, gardens, grottoes, pavilions, flower beds and ponds. According to the "palace in miniature" they tried to provide all the concubines. Each of these "worlds" was surrounded by a wall with gates, and he himself had a special poetic name - "It's always spring here", "Shadow of plane trees", "Park of joy and light", etc.

The lot of the concubine, naturally, consisted in waiting for a call to the Son of Heaven. And before him, or in the intervals between "dates", the prisoners of the harem could enjoy idleness, clothes, entertainment, food, reading, exercises in calligraphy and poetry. In a word, they lived in an atmosphere of complete abundance. Nevertheless, the Palace Administration monthly gave each of them a certain amount, the amount of which depended on the rank of the beauty and the favor of the August Lord towards her. So, a concubine of the second rank (guifei) was annually paid about 150 lyans (about 400 US dollars) - at that time a very significant amount. It was believed that this silver was given to odalisques to satisfy their whims, eccentricities and whims. In fact, the money went mainly to pay for the most valuable goods in a harem, namely secret information and secret services.

The fact is that not only the harem, but the entire palace complex was an arena of all kinds of intrigues, denunciations and rumors. It was a world of intrigues, slander, gossip, provocations and mutual intrigue. Low passions were seething here. Envy, vanity, revenge, resentment and malice ruled the ball here. Empresses and concubines saw in their companions, first of all, rivals, each of whom considered the other at least a “werewolf fox”, but, in our opinion, a witch. To combat them, appropriate information was required. But she was not enough! News and gossip were supplied by those who could move freely between all these "Parks of Joy and Light", i.e. eunuchs, maids and maids of honor. It was they who were able to fulfill the delicate, or even simply “criminally punishable” order of their mistress. But each concubine had a whole staff of maids and eunuchs, the number of which increased sharply if she fell into a particularly privileged position. And for all the "special" services, the beauty paid not only with official silver and gifts, but also with patronage, indulgences and promotion of her minions in the service. Under the Manchus, concubines were strictly forbidden to interfere in state affairs. They were not allowed to patronize dignitaries and officials, pestering the emperor with requests of this kind. Everything was done so that the harem did not become an arena of political intrigues.

So, the Bogdokhan was literally surrounded by a sea of ​​young and pretty girls. But if the Manchurian odalisques did not differ in special attractiveness, then it was difficult to look away from the beautiful, slender, graceful and charming Chinese women. As he wrote in the II century. BC. Sima Xiangru:

Oh incomparable beauty

exquisite maidens of the palace! ..

They have charm, sweetness in them!

I like powder and antimony -

black eyebrows...

Slender, and stately, and thin camp, -

So pretty features

grace is so simple!

(Translated by A. Adalis)

It used to be like that. Summer. The emperor is carried in a palanquin or sedan chair on park. He sees a beautiful maid of honor or maid and wants to "make her happy." At this sign, the porters and eunuchs silently leave, so as not to interfere with the August Lord. He retires for a while with his chosen one and, having received her love, again calls on his retinue and continues his walk. If the girl liked, she could be taken to the sovereign's bedroom. It happened that such calls were repeated. Under these conditions, the Bogdokhan simply did not have time to “make happy” all his odalisques, but even in this case they were obliged to preserve their virginity.

A different fate awaited the imperial concubines. Some remained prisoners of the Forbidden City until their death. Others were expelled from the palace - for childlessness, for obstinacy, for the loss of youth and beauty. Another odalisque, never having received a call to the bedroom of the Son of Heaven, forgotten by everyone, quietly lived out her life in one of the remote corners of the Forbidden City. For some, staying in the imperial harem became unbearable, and they laid hands on themselves. But if the empress or the concubine decided to take poison, according to the Qing laws, the death penalty awaited all her relatives. Knowing this, the unfortunate woman could only starve herself to death. Sometimes the Bogdokhan or his wives dealt with the unwanted like this: rebels or quiet victims of intrigues were “granted” the right to throw themselves into the well or swallow the thinnest golden plate sent “from above”, blocking their breath.

The fate of the palace servants was sometimes difficult, mostly young and lovely Chinese women, who were specially sent from Suzhou and Hangzhou, who have long been famous for their beauties - slender, bright and alluring. Nevertheless, a certain number of old servants remained in the palace - experienced, reliable and devoted to their mistresses. In total, the emperor's harem consisted of about two thousand servants, ready to fulfill any desire of the Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Lord. Some became maids, maids, messengers of the empress and concubines. Others did various jobs: they grew silkworms, dyed silk, sewed clothes, shoes and hats, made perfumes and various cosmetics, cleaned living quarters and beat off two-hour guards with gongs.

Those who did not fall into the number of confidantes, favorites, close and confidants of their mistresses, turned out to be, in fact, under the rule of eunuchs. Other eunuchs did not lose their attraction to women, which often took painful, perverted forms. Such castrati pursued the girls, knocked them to the ground, rubbed against them, bit and scratched. And sometimes, taking out the insult for their physical inferiority on defenseless victims, they beat them, wounded them with knives, whipped them. The scars that remained after that on the body caused particular bitterness among the unfortunate - that was the seal of shame. When such servants lost their youth and freshness, they were fired and sent home. But here, "in the wild", they poked fingers into the scars, and potential suitors turned away from the girls. Who will take a “plucked flower” as his wife, especially with a scar? The fate of these ill-fated creatures set off the reverse, unsightly side of court life, its underside. Behind the front facade were hidden tears and anguish, insults and beatings, arbitrariness and violence, human tragedies and suicides, invisible to the world. However, the subjects of the Qing Empire and the ambassadors of the "tributary" countries were supposed to see only the power and luxury, grandeur and high morality of the August Lord - the lord of the Celestial Empire and the supreme ruler of the whole world:

Hairstyles, and elegant dresses,

And precious stones in the braid,

And golden patterns on silks,

And a competition in splendor and beauty.

Li Qingzhao (1081-1145)

(Translated by M. Basmanov)

Throughout the ages, the Chinese have believed that a woman transmits the life force "qi" to a man - this is a fundamental concept of the Chinese picture of the world. Therefore, it is no coincidence that Emperor Xuanzong, who at the age of 60 fell under the spell of the charming young concubine of his son Yang Guifei, kept about 40,000 women in his palaces. And even such an orthodox communist as Mao Zedong, chairman of the Central Committee of the CPC, firmly believed in this Taoist dogma and had a harem - with the full understanding of the masses.

The author, well-known sinologist Viktor Nikolaevich Usov, in this original study tells the story of the life of wives and concubines of the Celestial Empire from ancient times to the beginning of the 20th century, when the last emperor Pu Yi ruled. The book contains a lot of interesting information about the structure of the imperial harem.

Viktor Usov
IN THE HAREM OF THE SON OF HEAVEN
Wives and concubines of the Middle Kingdom

Secrets of Chinese harems

All Chinese women, whether they were empresses or servants, were essentially concubines. Since ancient times, one of the main signs of the power and might of the Son of Heaven in China has been a large harem. It was intended to demonstrate and realize male potency, the possession of which was a mandatory quality of the ruler from the point of view of the cult of the "sacred king".

"The emperor's intimate life was also subject to the strictest guidelines stemming from natural-philosophical erotological theories and reduced to maintaining balance in the partner's body. yanna(male. - W. W.) and other(female. - W. W.) energies, writes M. Kravtsova. - It was believed that the predominance yin above yang leads to the depletion of male sexual potency, premature aging, disease and death. At the level of the sociocosmic universe, this caused various natural collisions related to water: heavy rains, floods, premature frosts, and military conflicts.

The status of each inhabitant of the harem was determined by the degree of activity of her energy. yin. The highest degree of activity other Empress was endowed with energy. However, her energy was not unlimited. Therefore, the Son of Heaven could have intimate contact with her no more than once a month, thereby, as it was believed, providing the opportunity to become pregnant and give birth to smart and strong offspring from the emperor. Other women of the harem had the right to have intimate contacts with the Son of Heaven more often, and, according to the author of the book "Palace Women Eunuchs" Wang Yaping, the lower the rank of the concubine, the more often she could do this, and earlier than the concubine of a higher rank . As a result, the actual rulers of the harem were, as a rule, concubines of lower ranks, who had constant access to the emperor's chambers.

Eunuchs served as an indispensable attribute of the harem in the East. However, in China, the use of eunuchs was the exclusive right of the ruling dynasty, that is, the emperor and princes from the imperial family. The rich commoners of China, unlike Turkey and other countries of the East, were forbidden under pain of death to have eunuchs in their homes and estates. Therefore, the term "harem" is fully applicable here only to the imperial and princely courtyard chambers with wives and concubines.

We know that the direct duties of the eunuchs were to protect the women of the harem from contact with strange men. However, from stories "Zuozhuan"("Commentary by Mr. Zuo") it follows that in the early period of Chinese history, eunuchs clearly did not cope with these direct duties. According to the Russian historian L. Vasiliev, "perhaps the reason was that the strict rules of harem life had not yet been established, were not sufficiently institutionalized" in comparison with the future, and eunuchs were more often used to carry out assignments not related to the protection of the harem. That is why married women from among the nobility, and even more so widows, had considerable freedom in behavior in those years and often abused this.

L. Vasiliev notes that the women of the harem (especially those involved in politics) in the Chunqiu period, unlike later times, felt quite free and sometimes acted very actively. Their activity was manifested not only in weaving intrigues and an active struggle for real power in order to transfer the throne to their sons, but also in the possession of lovers. This "applied not only to widows, whose connections with high-ranking courtiers are recorded in the sources and sometimes played a decisive role in politics, but also to married ladies. people who knew each other well.

The Ming Dynasty Imperial Palace in the Forbidden City (Gugong)

It is known that later attempts were repeatedly made to limit the activities of the wives and concubines of the Son of Heaven, especially interference in the affairs of the administration of the Celestial Empire. Thus, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, wrote in his "Testaments of the Ancestor": "...Never allow the masterful power of the inhabitant of the main court (that is, the empress. - W. W.), one of the secondary wives and concubines ... For each nightly visit by them to the chambers of the sovereign, the order is established. In the event that wives appear who make unfounded speeches, then when it is revealed that what was said is harmful, they should be given a suggestion. There should be no jealous women in the imperial palace."

How many women should a man have?

It is known that any wealthy man in the Near and Middle East could have several wives - this was a sign of his well-being. In order to afford such a luxury, he had only to provide each wife with her own house, or at least a separate floor, or at least her own special hearth.

Summer Imperial Palace - the summer residence of the emperors of the Qing Dynasty on the outskirts of Beijing

Homer called polygamy an Eastern custom. The Greek kings and heroes had only one wife each, but Priam, the king of Asia Minor Troy, had many wives, although his main wife Hecuba did not feel slighted:

I had fifty sons during the invasion of Rati of the Achaean,
Their nineteen from the mother was one;
Others were born by other kind wives in the halls.

(Translated by N. Gnedich)

King Solomon (10th century BC) was said to have had from three hundred to a thousand wives from different countries, among them was an Egyptian princess, taken, however, only for political reasons. When this king entered into an alliance with any neighboring country, he took the daughter of the corresponding king as his wife. Each of the queens had her own house. As follows from historical materials, such a house differed significantly from the "classical" eastern harem, the type of which developed only later in Persia.

Islam limited the number of wives: a man could have no more than four. "Your wives are a field for you, go to your field whenever you wish, and prepare for yourselves," the Koran says. Although the prophet Mohammed himself did not comply with these restrictions - he had nine wives. And how was it in the Celestial Empire?

According to legend, the son of the progenitor of Chinese civilization, the Yellow Lord, had one official wife and three concubines. The presence of four wives in the ruler of Ancient China was (as in the countries of the Islamic world) the norm of palace life. As the Russian sinologist V. Malyavin notes, the four wives of the emperor symbolized, according to the court scribes, the four cardinal points and the four seasons, and together with the Son of Heaven they made up the sacred number five: five elements, five colors, five taste sensations, etc. "From this point of view, - notes V. Malyavin, - the imperial harem was a prototype of the universe. According to a later and more extravagant explanation, the imperial family should resemble a tea set, where several cups accompany one teapot." However, according to the Chinese historian Wang Yaping, the wise King Shun had only three wives, and three times three form nine - the peak of male power jan.

A Chinese ruler (not necessarily an emperor) must have one first wife, 3 wives of the first rank, 9 wives of the second rank, 27 wives of the third rank and 81 concubines. Odd numbers correspond to the forces of nature favorable for men and male potency (even numbers are favorable for women). So three means strong male potency, three times three, or nine, - super-strong potency, and so on. court women, nu-shi, were responsible for observing the schedule of visiting women by the Ruler in accordance with the days of the lunar calendar and the rank of women. He visited wives of lower ranks more often than wives of high ranks, and usually before meeting them. The first wife had sex with her husband only once a month, and his seed, ching, should not be exhausted by women of lower ranks. The ruler communicated with the concubines, locking up the ching to save the precious gift for the wives.

Taoist manuals imply a woman's obligatory orgasm so that a man, along with vaginal juices, can get yin needed for him yang. This is what the whole technique of sex is aimed at. Kisses, caresses with hands and mouth were recommended for warming up. The notion that the Chinese did not know kissing is completely wrong, they just did not kiss in public.Coition was recommended to begin when the woman is excited. But foreplay played a modest role in a woman's path to orgasm. The sexual act itself meant much more. It used a change in the type of shocks jade peak, a variety of positions and, most importantly, a delay in ejaculation, giving a margin of time to bring a woman to orgasm.
The physician of the 7th century Li Dong Xian, known as the Most Noble Dong Xian-tzu, devoted to the technique of pushes (frictions) of the "jade rod" 7 of the 16 chapters of his book. He describes 9 types of pushes:
1. To direct to the right and to the left, as if a brave warrior is trying to break through the ranks of enemies.
2. Move up and down like a wild horse kicking in a river.
3. Pull out and bring closer, like a flock of seagulls playing on the waves.
4. Quickly alternate deep thrusts and small, teasing blows, like a sparrow pecking at the remains of rice in a mortar.
5. Monotonously deliver deep and shallow blows, like a large stone sinking into the sea.
6. Approach slowly, like a snake crawling into a wintering hole.
7. Push quickly, like a frightened rat rushes into a hole.
8. Balance, then strike like an eagle grabbing an elusive hare.
9. Lift, then sink, like a big sailboat braves a storm.
"Most Noble Dong" described various types of shocks: deep, shallow, straight, oblique, fast, slow. Each description looks like a metaphor. The slow push is like "moving a carp playing with a hook"; fast - to "the flight of a flock of birds flying against the wind." Tao teachers attached particular importance to the alternation of shocks of different depths. All Taoists agreed that nine small shocks and one deep one is the best combination, originating in ancient times. After all, pure maiden Su-nu told about them Yellow Emperor:
"Emperor Huangdi: - And what is the method of nine small and one deep?
Su-nu: - It means just pushing 9 times shallow and 1 deep. Each hit must match your movement. Depth between lute string and black pearl(from 2.5 to 10 cm) is called shallow; between little stream and own chute(from 7.5 to 12.5 cm) deep. If pushed too lightly, the couple may not get the full enjoyment; if it's too deep, they can hurt themselves."
The total number of shocks is also important. Taoist literature often speaks of a thousand pushes to satisfy a woman. This may seem excessive, but in fact, this is a half-hour sexual intercourse (1800 seconds), and even in a slow rhythm. For a man who can lock ching, half an hour of sex is quite a feasible task. Considerable importance was also given to the postures of love. The manuals on "The Art of the Marriage Chambers" describe 4 basic and 26 variants of positions for approaching a man to a woman. The main postures are: 1. close union(man on top), 2. unicorn horn(woman on top), 3. tight attachment(man and woman lie on their side, face to face), 4. moon fish(man enters from behind). Variants of postures are named after animal movements:
1. Silkworms bind tightly- the woman hugs the man's neck and weaves her legs on his back.
2. Dragons are twisted into a loop- a man from above, with his left hand, bends the woman's legs to her chest; right enters jade stem in jade gate.
3. Pisces connect their eyes- a man lies on his side face to face with a woman, raising her leg with his hand.
4. loving swallows- men lies on a woman, hugging her neck, and she his waist.
5. United piebald kingfishers- a woman lies with her legs relaxed; a man sits on his knees with his leg crossed, like northern barbarians hu and holding her by the waist.
6. Tangled tangerine ducks- the woman lies on her side, bending her legs so that the man can enter from the back.
7. Butterflies tumbling in the air- a variant of the pose of a woman on top.
8. Rolling over flying mallards- the man lies, and the woman sits facing his feet.
9. Tilting pine tree- man on top a woman cross-legged, wraps them around a man; with their hands they hold each other by the waist.
10. Bamboo clinging to the altar- a man and a woman stand face to face, hugging and kissing.
11. Dance of two female phoenixes- a man and two women participate; one lies on her back, legs raised up, the other lies on her so that her yin was over yin first woman; a man sits with his legs stretched out and spread apart and jade rod militantly attacks the upper and lower yin.
12. Phoenix carries a chick- the pose is especially suitable for a large woman and a small man.
13. Soaring sea gulls- the man stands at the edge of the bed and, holding the woman's legs, enters her.
14. Galloping wild horses- man on top the woman's legs are on his shoulders.
15. galloping horse- the woman lies; a man on his haunches, with his left arm around her neck, and with his right he raises her legs.
16. The horse kicks- the woman lies, the man puts one of her legs on his shoulder, the other leg sways.
17. white tiger jump- the woman is on her knees, her face is on the bed; the man kneels behind and holds her by the waist with his hands.
18. Dark cicada clings to a branch- the woman lies on her stomach, stretching her legs; the man holds her shoulders and enters from behind.
19. Goat in front of a tree- the man sits with his legs stretched out and spread apart, the woman sits with his back turned, he holds her by the waist.
20. Yellow heron at the playground- a man sits on his knees with his leg crossed, like northern barbarians hu, and enters a woman sitting facing him, and the other behind him, pulls the first one by the skirts of her clothes, speeding up her movements.
21. Phoenix flutters in the red cave- the man is on top, the woman lies on her back and holds her legs raised up with her hands.
22. A huge bird reigns over the dark sea- the man holds the woman's legs on his forearms, hugging his waist with his arms.
23 Screaming monkey hugging a tree- a man sits with his legs stretched out; the woman sits on his lap, embracing the man with both arms; he supports her buttocks with one hand, her back with the other.
24. Cat and mouse share a burrow- a man lies on his back, legs relaxed, a woman lies on him; his jade pillar penetrates deep into it.
25. Donkey in the last jump- a woman stands on all fours, arching up; a man holding his waist enters from behind
26. dog in early autumn- a man and a woman on all fours are buttocks to each other; man enters jade pillar in jade gate.
From the listed positions, "Dog in early autumn"seems physically impossible, and "very entertaining", according to the Most Noble Dong, "Dance of two female phoenixes" and "Yellow heron at the site" required the participation of a man and two women, which was not a problem in old China with its harems and prostitution. At the end of intercourse, a female orgasm must necessarily come. The conversation continues between yellow emperor and pure maiden:
"...Huangdi: How does a man observe a woman's satisfaction?
Su-nu: There are five signs, five desires and ten directions. A man should observe these signs and react accordingly. The five signs are:
1. Her face turns red, her ears are hot. This means that thoughts of lovemaking have taken over her mind. At this point, the man should moderately initiate intercourse in a teasing manner, insert very shallowly, and wait, watching for further reactions.
2. Her nose is sweaty and her nipples are swollen. This means that the fire of her passion has risen somewhat. jade peak can go deep own gutter(12.5 cm), but not deeper. ...
3. When her voice goes down and dry and hoarse sounds come out of her throat, it means that passion has intensified. Her eyes are closed, her tongue sticks out, she breathes quickly and noticeably. At this time the male jade stem can freely enter and exit. Gradually the ecstasy approaches.
4. Her red ball richly lubricated and the fire of passion is close to the top, and each push causes the lubricant to flow out. His jade peak touches easily valleys of water chestnut teeth(5 cm). Now he can use one push left, one right, one slow and one fast, or something similar, depending on the desire.
5. When her golden lotuses rises as if she wants to hug a man with them, her fire and passion have reached the top. She wraps her legs around his waist and holds his arms around his shoulder and back. The tongue remains protruding. Here a man can enter the valley deep vault. Such deep thrusts allow her to achieve ecstasy with her whole body.
Another adviser to the inquisitive yellow emperor - maiden witch, advises him to choose women according to the seasons:
"A woman with a high entrance, shifted forward, is more suitable for intercourse in winter. A man can be above her as soon as they lie down in bed, covering his back with an embroidered blanket. He can enjoy without getting off, comfortably for himself, but since she will be warmed by his warmth, then she will not be dissatisfied.In summer, a woman with a low-lying entrance is preferable.She can sit on a cool marble slab in the shade of bamboo, lying on her side, and a man can sit behind her.Her gate has an ideal position for posture , called Build a fire behind the mountain. The woman for all four seasons is the one whose entrance is in the middle, having carefully studied the positions, she will be good in love in spring, summer, autumn and winter.
The Taoist "Arts of the Bridal Chamber" are designed to give men longevity and even immortality, an example of which is yellow emperor, ascended to heaven after the 1200th woman. But there are references that women can achieve the same. So Queen Mother of the West personality similar to yellow emperor, repeated his feat of immortality, absorbing the seed from countless youths unfamiliar with the art of locking ching. A woman can greatly "strengthen her blood" (achieve health and longevity) by receiving semen from young men, but without falling into an orgasm herself. Taoist sages believed that in sex there is a war of the sexes, where the one who brings the partner to orgasm wins, but he himself retains his liquid. Out of fear that women will start beating men with their own weapons, The Art of the Bridal Chamber is generally silent on female sex techniques.
From the very beginning, the Taoist teachings implied that life and health -it's harmony yin and yang, and diseases arise when harmony is disturbed. Death marks the destruction of the connection of these substances and the release of their energies. The human ratio yin and yang changes throughout life, and those living in it three worms contribute to sickness and decrepitude. You can get rid of them if you follow the advice of health and longevity received in due time. yellow emperor: - "copulate with a large number of young women, allowing only one ejaculation."
To maintain health, the Immortal Liu Jing recommended having sex with girls who have not yet given birth:
"You should take a young woman with developed but not yet formed breasts. She should have smooth hair, small and calm eyes, shiny skin and a euphonious voice; her bones and joints should be thin and not protruding, her pubis and armpits should not be hair, but if there is, it should be thin... Best to deal with inexperienced. A man should always sleep with young girls: thanks to this, his skin will become soft, like a girl's. But his partners should not be too young either : it is best if they are between 15 and 18 years old. In any case, not more than thirty. If she has already given birth, then intercourse for a man will be a waste of time. "
Most Noble Dong Xuanzi , the luminary of medicine of the 7th century, the author of the treatise "The Art of the Marriage Chambers", held similar views on the age of women, while noting the importance of orientation and time of intercourse:
"Harmony in the battle between yin and yang can be achieved when a man is twice as old as a woman. If a woman is twice as old as a man, he will suffer during intercourse. Next, we list the most favorable conditions for copulation. In spring, head should lie to the east, in summer - to the south, in autumn - to the west, in winter - to the north. Odd numbers of the calendar are preferable, the morning hours are especially beneficial. Even days, especially after noon, can be harmful."
The Taoists believed that sex in the right positions cured certain diseases, while the wrong ones caused them. To improve blood circulation they recommended that the woman lie on her side, bend one leg at the knee, and stretch the other. The man enters from behind, leaning on his hands, and makes six times nine pushes. It must be repeated 6 times a day for 20 days. Blood circulation improves and the woman gets rid of frigidity. Restorative- the woman lies on her back, her legs to her stomach, and the man abruptly pounces on her and makes nine times nine pushes. Repeat 9 times a day for 9 days. The course strengthens the bones and relieves the woman of the smell from the vagina. Against constipation- the man lies on his back, and the woman, leaning on her hands, sits on top of him. They start moving. When a woman reaches orgasm, you should stop. Repeat 9 times a day for 10 days.
The Chinese were extremely worried about the problem of impotence. I was also interested in the mystery of male impotence Yellow Emperor. The mystery of the transition from the formidable jade rod to a flaccid process occupied monks, scholars and poets. Below are poems on the theme written by a 17th-century author:
"What kind of mushroom has risen from the black moss here?
That Jade Stem rose to its full height.
His tender flesh trembles impatiently,
Hot blood often pulsates in the veins.
There will be a meeting with a girl of thirteen years
Or with a young boy - he is ready for battle.
But this fruit lives a short life,
Every time withering like a flower.
A modest skinny shrimp curl up in the grass
And he will remain miserable, motionless and quiet.
To strengthen male power, the Chinese ate tiger meat, shark fins and swallow nests, used potions and powders containing ginseng, algae, pine needles, deer antlers and rhinoceros horn, urine and semen of humans and animals, excrement of predators. One of the best means was considered "bald chicken powder." This powder was taken by Prince Chen Jingda after he was seventy years old. Thanks to the powder, he became the father of three sons, and his wife even got ulcers in the vagina from too frequent sex, and she threw the powder into the yard. There he was eaten by a rooster, after which he immediately jumped on a chicken. For several days he did not get off her and all this time he pecked at the top of her head until she was completely bald. The composition of the powder is known: three fan(1.1 g) saline cistanche (Cistanche salsa), three fan Chinese magnolia vine (Schisandra chinensis), three feng seeds of Japanese dodder (Cuscuta japonica), three fan thin-leaved (Polygala tenuifolia), four fan(1.5 g) Monnier Root Seeds (Cnidium Monnieri). Crush the substances, sift, mix and take every day on an empty stomach with a tablespoon of wine.
The Chinese were inferior to the northern barbarians, especially the "raw barbarians" (whites) in the size of male dignity. Perhaps this is the origin of a kind of inferiority complex and the desire to increase the "jade stem" by any means. Fearing that the "stalk" would dry out during the heat, the peasants of Guangdong Province in the 14th century wore bags of water in their pants and soaked their property in them. To lengthen the "stem" they used a variety of means - from savage, such as implanting pieces of an excited dog's penis into a dissected "jade stem", to Taoist stretching exercises. Medicines were also used, and not only to increase the "stem", but also to narrow the "jade gates". Means for women are striking in their ease of manufacture. It is necessary to take sulfur - 4 fans and the source of thin-leaved - 2 fans. Grind and place in a bag of taffeta into the "jade gate". Another remedy is even better - sulfur 2 fan; cattail flowers narrowed (Typha angustata) - 2 fan. Throw three pinches into one sheng of boiling water. Wash the jade gates with this infusion. In 20 days they will become like a girl's.
For a long time, Confucianism and Taoism did not intersect on the issue of sex. Confucians did not invade the Taoist possessions ("the art of the bed", feng shui, astrology, manual martial arts), limiting themselves to the doctrine of government and relations in society and the family. Confucius (551-479 BC) considered the attraction of the flesh as a natural property of people. He wrote: "Food, drink and sexual intimacy of man and woman form the basis of human desires." He pointed out the importance of sex in the family and considered it an obligatory duty of the husband:
"Neglect of wives and concubines is a violation of the harmony of Heaven, earth and man. Until the age of fifty, a husband must visit the pleasure pavilion of his wives once every three days, his concubines once every five days, and go to other maids at his discretion. The main wife may be in the bedroom during the intercourse of the husband with the concubine, whom after that she has the right to send back, she herself can stay with her husband until the end of the night. This shows respect for the position that the wife occupies.
In family life, Confucius placed a woman unconditionally lower than a man, but he called for sincere and harmonious family relationships. Over time, the Confucians adopted the Taoist ideas about the health benefits of sex, but avoided the mystical extremes of the doctrine. So they didn't believe that yellow emperor ascended to heaven because he had a harem of 1200 women. For a thousand and a half years, Confucianism and Taoism coexisted peacefully, and Confucianism's restrictions on sex were limited only to the prohibition of ancient rituals with group sex and the requirement of virginity for brides who marry.
At the end of the 1st millennium of the new era, Confucianism underwent a reformation and turned to the primary sources - Confucius and his students. For the family and society, the problems of ethics and morality were put at the forefront. Neo-Confucians condemned the upper strata of society for their passion for sex, which undermined their health and made them incapable of state activity. The persecution of Taoism began, as a result of which it turned into a secret teaching, and Taoist sex manuals disappeared in China and survived only in Japan. The division of the sexes in everyday life and in society has intensified, it has become indecent to enter the female half of the house without warning, touch the hand of a strange woman and expose your body. The ongoing changes were also influenced by Buddhism, which spread in China from the first centuries of the new era. Buddhism introduced into the Chinese consciousness the concept of sin and sinful sexual behavior, Hell for sinners and the virtues of sexual abstinence. Male and female Buddhist monasteries appeared, where monks and nuns lived in asceticism.
Taoism, persecuted by the Confucians, retreated to the monasteries created after the example of the Buddhist ones. Like the Buddhist monks, the Taoists became ascetics, however, peculiar - with a tense member, they were engaged in erotic meditation. Unity yang and yin Taoists searched in their body. Assuming that the pole yang- heart, and pole yin- genitals, they were looking for their unity in a mystical union. In accordance with the transformation of energies, the essence yang heart gives rise to a pure girl, and the essence yin the womb produces the divine boy. In order for a Taoist to achieve immortality, a girl and a boy must marry. The wedding should take place in a place located 3 cm below the navel - the matchmaker lives there, "Kind Woman Yellow" ; then the young settle in the "red chambers" of the heart; as a result of their union, an immortal embryo is born, which gradually grows and fills the mortal body.
At the end of the XII beginning of the XIII centuries. Neo-Kofucianism became the official ideology of China. Buddhism and, moreover, the disgraced Taoism, have become auxiliary religions for private life. The arrival of the Manchu Qing dynasty in the 17th century further strengthened the dominant position of the Neo-Kofucians. The personal life of the Chinese became more and more closed to outsiders, and Taoist works on sex were often destroyed. These persecutions did not lead to the triumph of asceticism in China, but they deprived sex of the religious significance that it had during the heyday of Taoism.
Neo-Confucians not in vain criticized the powerful of this world for promiscuity. Sex was the main occupation of the emperors, who served as a role model for the upper strata of society. Chinese emperors held numerous titles - Son of Heaven, Master of the Universe, Dragon. The latter title implies the emperor's draconic sexual powers. At birth, the dragon ruler received a supernatural amount of life force qi, which constantly had to be nourished by the female substance yin. The sex life of the Dragon was not fun, but a matter of state, and the most important. The emperors and their court treated it this way. You can list sexual exploits for a long time Dragons(as well as dragon), but to save space, let's dwell on some (only some!) Achievements of Emperor Sui Yang-di (7th century AD).
The famous emperor began by ordering the construction of the "Dragon Palace" - the greatest palace that history has known. The palace was built in a walled park spread over a hundred square kilometers, in the center of the park was an artificial lake five meters wide. whether(two and a half kilometers). Sixteen palaces for wives, concubines and servants stood on the shore (the emperor had 91 wives and 3000 concubines). During walks in the park on horseback or in a palanquin, Yang-di was accompanied by a thousand concubines. For sudden urges dragon passions at a distance of two whether small pavilions were lined up from each other. When Yangdi entered one of them in the company of selected girls, the rest of the attendants sang the Emperor's favorite songs.
With the completion of the construction of the Great Canal, Yang-di built a fleet of two thousand boats and set sail on it. The most beautiful were ten "dragon rooks". Each boat, ninety meters long and fifteen meters high, had four decks. One hundred and twenty cabins were lined with jade and decorated with gold. The furniture was covered with the skins of tigers, bears and leopards. A thousand wives and concubines, musicians and jesters were placed on the "dragon boats", and part of the imperial treasures were also carried here. Five hundred rooks of the second rank carried servants and provisions. A thousand rooks of the third rank closed the movement of the squadron. Ministers, military leaders, monks, foreign ambassadors, scientists, eunuchs sailed on them. Yang-di had a clear understanding of the criteria for the value of his subjects.
Traveling on water allowed Yang-di to appreciate the virtues of sex on a rocking boat. He decided to have something similar on land and ordered to build a 1.5 km long road around one of the palaces. The entire surface of the road consisted of bumps, and when a carriage rolled along it, then, thanks to shaking, lovers could copulate without moving. There were also seven "glorious chariots" - carts in the shape of coffins, each containing a concubine, ready to receive the emperor. Yang-di began his walk early in the morning and after breakfast in the royal carriage he moved to the first of the "glorious chariots". During the day he visited all the chariots and, according to legend, "usually returned to the palace after dark."
The highest embodiment of Yangdi's sexual fantasies was the palace Labyrinth, Mi low chi. The palace consisted of a labyrinth of corridors and passages, with walls covered with polished bronze mirrors. There were no windows, and hidden lamps emitted a steady, subdued color. There, naked beauties reclined on couches and there were fountains of wine. When the emperor appeared in the palace, the eunuchs freed him from his clothes and put on him the skin of a leopard. The emperor, to the accompaniment of gongs, bells, drums and the singing of naked palace girls, began his rounds Labyrinth. Having drunk wine from a four-liter golden mug and aroused dragon spirit, he went to water procedures. The emperor spent ten days in the palace, overcame a myriad of last limits(female orgasms) and briefly left the palace to accomplish other great affairs of state.
Water procedures in the imperial palaces meant not only initiation to the juices yin, but also real games on the water. And not only emperors. Often, some nobleman with concubines swam in a boat in a vast pool, and eunuchs on the shore drove a wave, swinging the boat to give the owner additional sensations. Were the rich and glorious chariots. A bumpy path was made in the garden and an ox or a donkey pulled a cart with a copulating pair. Sometimes, as can be seen in the old drawing, dogs were harnessed to the wagon, which, however, hardly affected the process. But back to the imperial court. According to the ceremonial, which was preserved until the beginning of the 20th century, the emperor, in addition to the wife-empress, could have one huang gui fei -"imperial precious mistress", two gui fey -"precious mistresses", four fairies -"mistresses", six binh -"cohabitants", and numerous "helpful ladies" of various ranks. Their Chinese names are flowery: the lowest-ranking concubines were guizhen,"precious people", and girls from the palace servants - "answering consent." To make the concubine happy, the emperor needed the permission of his wife, moreover, in writing, and with a seal. The concubine was stripped naked, smeared with incense, wrapped in a blanket of heron down, and the eunuch brought her straight to bed Dragon. After a decent time, the chief eunuch, who was on duty outside the door, shouted: "Has a great deed been accomplished?" Having received confirmation, the eunuchs entered, wrapped the concubine and carried it away. But before that, the chief eunuch, kneeling down, asked: "Leave or not?" If the answer was "no", then the eunuch pressed on the woman's stomach and squeezed out the "dragon seed". If the emperor said "leave", then the month, day and hour were recorded in the palace book when the Dragon made the concubine happy, in case she becomes pregnant (the Chinese count life from the moment of conception).
Despite the triumph of neo-Confucian morality, wealthy citizens enjoyed the joys of a sensual life. In addition to wives and concubines, prostitutes were at their service. Brothels - "green towers", appeared in China as early as the 7th century BC. Their foundation is associated with the official Guan Zhong, who made prostitution a source of income for the country. State "green towers" existed for almost 2 thousand years. They flourished especially during the Tang Dynasty (618 - 906), when emperors, scholars and poets sought the company of the best of the "fallen leaves". These courtesans not only sang, danced and played music, but were well educated, they themselves composed poems and songs, and one of them, Yu Xuanji (844 - 871), became an outstanding poetess. But most fallen leaves, also referred to as "quails", "partridges" or simply "hens", served the townspeople. They were divided into categories - from the kept women of wealthy merchants to "barracks girls" . At the lowest level were "sea whores", serving, in addition to the Chinese, foreign sailors and other "overseas devils."
However, not only "sea whores" worked near the water - in China, with its rivers, canals and sea bays, floating brothels called "flower boats" were common. The best of them were real floating palaces, with their own baths and restaurants, and the most modest were simple sampans, curtained along the sides with a sail. Regardless of the class of "flower boats", the client was always treated to tea, were polite to him, and a preliminary conversation about money was considered impolite. The services of prostitutes were used not only by young men studying the art of "cloud and rain", but by the fathers of families. Sex with prostitutes was considered not only pleasant, but useful - after all, "partridges" or "hens", as the prostitutes were called, acquired a powerful yin through their labors, strengthening the yang of a man. It was only in the 16th century that Chinese doctors realized that, in addition to yin, "hens" bring venereal diseases. Gradually, the state "green houses" are replaced by private ones, and with the advent of the Manchu Qing dynasty (XVII century), the state abandoned the management of prostitution.