Morris tribune., 1880-10-28
A CHINESE EMPEROR's LIFE
Curious Domestic Arrangements Of the Royal
Family.

Curious Domestic Arrangements Of the Royal
Family.
The Hong Kong Daily Press gives the
following account of the education of the
sons of the Chinese emperors, and of
some of the domestic arrangements ofthe
royal family:
"The sons of the Manchu emperors
(hwang-tsz) undergo from their tender
est youth a system OF the strictest educa-
ton. Rising at about o'clock Ia the
morning, they first take their lesson IN
Chinese literature, under the superirtend-
ence 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 aud receives from tbe latter
curtesy (ta cn'ien) which is then re-
turned in the same form. The tutor
takes the seat of honor, and when the
lesson is learned the pupil brings up his
book, deposits 1t before his teacher and
returns TO his seat to repeat the
task by heart. 1t the lesson is not
learned the tutor requests eunuch
in attendance to bring the ferule
(chling. PAM and makes show of ad-
ministering correction. But each impen-
al pupil is accompanied by eight fellow
students (pwan-tubl, kno Gn in the Man
chu language as ha-ha-chu, who study In
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 fcrule v,cariously,
but when the imperial pupil acquits him.
self well, they are, on the other hand,
commended or rewarded.
A recalcitrant and obst mate prince ia
as last resort, actually himself fogged,
though probably only nomlnally by the
teacher, or taken before the emperor who
directs eunuch to pinch his cheeks (ch'
ih pa jou). The late emperor T'ung chih
was frequently tweaked in this way by
| order of the empresses. The Chinese les
son occupies two hours; after this comes
the Manchu and Mongol lessons in COM
position, given by the teachers who en-
| joy the less honorable title of se-fu. and
who are obliged to meet their pupils az
the door and make the first obeisance.
Then come lessons in various spoken Ian
| guages, Manchu, Mongol, Tangat and in
courses of instruction in foot and horse
archery (ma-pu-chieD), athletics, fencing,
putting tns stone, &C., (kung- tau-shin),
under the guidance of class of instruct
ors called anita. The whole of the young
princes day is taken up with mental or
| physical exercises, and they retire to rest
at very early hour. At suitable inter-
walls their meals are weighed out for
them, and on no account are they allow.
ed to indulge in the pleasures of the ia
BILE. At the age of fifteen they must mar
ry. The emperor sleeps with eight hand
maids (ch' ang-tsaD sitting upon his bed,
and sixteen otheIs( (ta-ying) underneath
the bed, all of them girls from the i'm
perial household (nei-wu-fu). Their
junction is to keep watch over his maj
esty, and they are not allowed to sneeze,
| cough, spit or utter any sound. The
movements of the emperor on awaking
in the morning are signalized by clap
| ping of hands on the part of the eunuch
on guard. Once year-New Years day
the emperor and empress preside at a
grand banquet, the empress sitting on
the emperor's left hand. This is the
only occasion during the year on which
emperor can see his wives together and
compare their respective merits. The
empress presents articles of food (k'e-
shlh) to the eunuchs, who receive it from
her majesty on their knees, and the en-
peror performs the same politeness to the
women. The emperor is spoken of and
to as hwangchang-'majesty-by all but
members OF the inner banners, who use
the term 'chu-tsz'-'dominus' The en-
peror, empress and eoncubines are all
called by the eunuchs 'fo-ye,' or 'chu- tsz,'
i. e., 'Buddha,' or 'dominus,' and the I'M
perial princes 'ye'-the latter term equiv
alent to sire They are spoken of as
'ako.' The three inner gates of the i'm
perlal apartments are never entered even
by eunuchs, and of men only eunuchs are
allowed to pass the fifth gate, which is
watched by corps of imperial guards
| (shi-wei), who are authorized to strike
the shlns OF even the highest officer who
may approach without giving the word.
If an inmate of the female department
wishes to purchase anything or to COM
municate with the outer world, she sends
a handmade to sound the plate (tien), or
the clapper pang-stz) with which the
harem is provided, on which the head
eunuch approaches to inquire who is in
want of assistance. Having learned who
calls, he dispatches the under eunuch
specially attached to this department,
who addresses the handmaid and takes
her orders, either verbally or on slip of
paper. The cabinet ministers (chun-chi)
rise every morning at 2, present them
selves at court at A. NJ, and are then
received in audience. Their meals are
served up gratis from the emperor's pam
try, and the whole day is spent at the
palace until P. NJ. on of day s. and till
6P. NJ. on days when there is military
business to discuss. Thus the only time
they can call their own is from, say, 5
P. NJ. to A. NJ. If indisposed, of course,
they may obtain leave of absence, which
must frequently be a great boon. The
chun- chi never return the calls of any
but the most distinguished provincial
officers, and even then this is dore on the
way from the palace.