Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1880-02-13
A Chinese Enperor's Life.


. The sons o. the Manchu emperor (hwan-
gtsz) undergo from their tenderest youth
a system of the strictest education. Rising
at about three o'clock in the morning,
they first take their lesson in Chinese lite
nature, under the superintendent of the
only tutor who has the title of shih-fu or
master The tutor rises from his chair
as soon as the imperial pupils enter and
receives from the latter a courtesy (ta-ch-
'ien) which is then ret armed in the same
form. The tutor takes the seat of honor.
and when the lesson is learned the pupil
brings up his book, deposits it before his
teacher and returns to his seat to repeat
Ythe task by heart. IF the lesson is not
learned the tutor requests eunuch in at
tendance to bring the ferule (ch'ing pam
and makes show of administering cor
rection. But each imperial pupil is accom-
panied by eight fellow students (pWan-tuDl
known in the Manchu language as ha-ha-
chu, who study the same books as their
young master. When it becomes necessary
to admonish the latter more seriously the
ha-ha-chu are beaten with the ferule vica-
-rlously but when the imperial pupil &C
quits himself well they are, on the other
hand, commended or rewarded. A recall
citrant and obstinate prince is as the last
resort actually himself fogged, though
probably only nominally, by the teacher.
or taken before the emperor, who directs a
eunuch to pinch his cheeks (ch'lh pa jou),
The late Emperor Tung-chib was frequent
ly tweaked in this way by order Of the en-
presses. M 81
The Chinese lesson occupies two hours ;
after this come the Manchu and Mongol
lessons in composition, given by the teach
ers who enjoy the less honorable title of
se-fu, and who are obliged to meet their
pupils at the door and make the first obei-
sance Then come lessons in various spo-
ken languages, Manchu, Mongol, Tangat
and in local Chinese dialects. After these
come courses of instruction in foot and
horse archery (ma-pu-chien), athletics, fen
cling, putting the stone, etc., (kung-tau-
shih), under the guidance of class Of in
young princes day is taken up with men
tai or physical exercises, and they retire to
rest at a very early hour. At suitable in
tervals their meals are weighed out for
them, and on no account are they allowed
to indulge in the pleasures Of the table,
At the age of fifteen they must marry.
The emperor sleeps with eight hand
maids (ch'ang-tsai) sitting upon his bed
and sixteen others TIA yipg) underneath
the bed, all of them young girls from the
imperial household (nei-wu-fu). Their
function is to keep watch over his majes-
ty, and they are not allowed to sneeze,
cough, spit or utter any sound. The move.
ments of the emperor after awaking in
the morning are slgnalized by clapp1ng
lof hands on the part Of the eunach on
guard. Once year-on New Years Day
THE emperor and empress preside at q
lgrand banquet, the empress sitting on the
left hand. This is the only oc-
caslon during the year on which the en-
llperor can see his wives together and COM
Epare their respective merits. The empress
present articles of food (ke'e-shih) to the
eunuchs, who receive it from her majesty
on their knees, and the emperor performs
the same politeness to the women. The
emperor is spoken Of and to as hwangen-
ang- Majesty by all but members of
the inner banners, who use the term ''chu-
'dominus.' The emperor, empress
and concubines are all called by the eu-
nuchs "fo-ye" or ''ohu-tsz, that is
''Buddha'' or '.dominus,'' and the i'm
perial princes ''ye"-the latter term equiva-
lent to s'slre.'' They are sometimes
spoken Of as "ako.''
The cabinet ministers (chun-chi) rise
every morning at 2, present themselves at
court at A. NJ. and are then received in
audience. Their meals are served up
gratis from the emperor's pantry and the
whole day is spent at the palace until
T. M. on ''off'' days and till P. M. on
days when there is military business to
discuss. Thus the only time they can
call their own is from, say P. NJ. to 2
A. NJ. If indisposed, of course they may
obtain leave Of absence, which must fire.
quently be great booL. The chunchl
never return the calls of any but the most
distinguished provincial officers and even
then this is zone on the way from the
palace.