The Imperial Transformation: Adopting Manchu Court Attire
The morning began with unusual excitement as we dressed carefully in our new Manchu court garments. Staring at my reflection, I barely recognized myself – the elaborate headdress, the embroidered robes, and the delicate accessories transformed us completely. Our eunuch attendants appeared delighted by our changed appearance, though some had doubted we would look appropriate in traditional dress.
When the Empress passed our quarters en route to the Empress Dowager’s palace, she stopped to wait for us, marking our first official appearance in full court regalia. The reaction at the reception hall proved overwhelming – crowds gathered to stare and comment endlessly, making us self-conscious. Most praised our new appearance, though the Guangxu Emperor offered a dissenting opinion: “I think your Parisian gowns were far more becoming.”
The Empress Dowager’s Favor: Gifts and Recognition
Empress Dowager Cixi’s reaction proved most significant. Initially bursting into laughter at our transformation, she soon declared us unrecognizable from our Western-dressed selves. Commanding us to admire ourselves in her full-length mirror, she proclaimed: “Now you truly look like my people.” This marked the beginning of special treatment – promises of more garments, jade hairpins for the approaching solar term, and eventual official titles during her seventieth birthday celebrations.
The jade hairpins carried particular significance. The one given to my mother had adorned three previous empresses, while my sister and I received matching pieces – one formerly worn by the Eastern Empress Dowager, the other by Cixi herself in her youth. Such gifts symbolized our acceptance into the imperial inner circle, though they also brought anxiety about proper reciprocation.
Cultural Immersion: Poetry and Palace Traditions
Moonlit boating excursions provided opportunities for cultural exchange. When Cixi inquired whether I missed France during one such evening, with eunuchs playing traditional instruments (including the moon-shaped yueqin), I expressed complete contentment serving her. This led to discussions about poetry – a revelation that surprised the Empress Dowager, who lamented most ladies-in-waiting showed little interest in scholarship.
My father’s warning about maintaining discretion proved prescient. While Cixi and the Empress appreciated my education, other palace women grew increasingly resentful, demonstrating the complex social dynamics within the Forbidden City.
The Dragon Boat Festival: Rituals and Revelations
The fifth lunar month brought the Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu Jie), a period of intense activity. The tradition of gift-giving revealed much about court politics – from the Empress’s handmade shoes and embroidered handkerchiefs to our imported French silks and perfumes. Cixi’s sharp memory for gifts (and their quality) dictated her reciprocal offerings, with disappointing presents receiving particular scrutiny.
The festival’s origins – commemorating Qu Yuan’s patriotic suicide – were enacted through theatrical performances. We wore tiger-head shoes and adornments (typically reserved for children) as protective charms, drawing amusement from visiting Manchu noblewomen. Traditional protective rituals included applying realgar wine to ears and nostrils, believed to ward off poisonous creatures during this “most toxic” time of year.
A Palace Birthday: Customs and Ceremony
My birthday on the tenth day brought its own rituals. Following protocol, I presented eight boxes of pastries to Cixi, receiving in return sandalwood bracelets, silk brocades, and longevity noodles – each item rich in symbolic meaning. The Empress gifted embroidered handkerchiefs and shoes, while fellow ladies-in-waiting offered various presents, making for a memorable celebration within the palace walls.
The Empress Dowager’s Wrath: A Day of Tension
The fifteenth day remains unforgettable for its tension. Cixi awoke with back pain, setting a irritable tone. A substitute hairdresser’s mistake (losing strands of her precious hair) provoked fury, with threats of severe punishment. Throughout the day, criticism fell on everyone – from chefs to ladies-in-waiting (our hairstyles suddenly deemed unacceptable).
The Empress’s suggestion that I distract Cixi with dice games led to a revealing private audience. In gentle tones contrasting her public anger, Cixi explained her harshness stemmed from needing to control palace staff: “I can make people hate me more than poison or love me like a mother.” This duality – the public disciplinarian versus private mentor – showed the complexity of serving China’s most powerful woman.
Reflections on Palace Life
These episodes reveal the Forbidden City’s intricate social fabric – the careful balance of gift-giving, the performative aspects of tradition, and the psychological demands of serving an absolute ruler. Through clothing changes, cultural exchanges, and emotional storms, we gained privileged insight into late-Qing court life, where every detail carried symbolic weight and personal relationships dictated daily survival. The experience, both exhilarating and exhausting, demonstrated how imperial power operated through ritual, reward, and occasional calculated wrath.