Deep Palace past events

For the next half month, everyone lived in the Punishment Department and learned court etiquette and palace rules and laws from three old eunuchs.How to kneel, how to kowtow, how to answer... Although these red tapes are boring, every child learns them very seriously, because they know that whether they learn these things well or not is not only related to their future after entering the palace, but also to their future. life.

One of the old eunuchs surnamed Luo said very solemnly before starting the training: "There are many rules in the palace, everyone should study them carefully. , the most serious thing is to lose your head."

During the study period, new eunuchs were sent in every day.Every time a batch of new eunuchs arrives, the old eunuch Luo will explain and demonstrate these contents to the new eunuchs:

"...Don't look at this kneeling. In fact, there is something particular about kneeling. You can't mess around. Everyone pay attention to my movements: I kneel on the left leg first, then the right leg. After kneeling, the hem of the clothes and robes cannot be folded under the legs.

"Also, when the master is asking a question, when can you look up at the master, and where to look after raising your head, there are rules, you can't look randomly..."

While explaining, he repeatedly demonstrated to everyone.

Although the new eunuchs who had studied a few days earlier had already learned these basic etiquette rules, every time the old eunuch gave a lecture to the newcomers, they would still consciously stand aside and study them seriously.

Yang Fan was very restless for the first day or two, and wanted to escape at night, but every night, the front and rear courtyard doors would be locked, and the courtyard wall was more than four feet high. have to go up.

Yang Fan saw that there was no way to get away for a while, so he had to endure and comfort himself: "There must be a way for the car to reach the mountain. As long as Mr. An doesn't reveal the secret that I am a fake eunuch to others right away, I will not be able to think of a way for a while. Hurry up, after I become a eunuch, there will always be a chance that my master will send me out of the palace to handle errands, and it will not be too late to escape at that time!"

He thought again: "Now I feel distressed and uneasy, maybe it will be very interesting to think about it after I get out of it in the future! Anyway, I finally broke into the strict and mysterious palace, and being able to live in the palace for a while may not be considered a blessing in disguise. .”

After thinking about it this way, my mood suddenly became much brighter.He was originally a very curious young man. After realizing that things were not as scary and hopeless as he had imagined, his fear was greatly reduced and his curiosity arose.So, together with everyone, I carefully studied the court etiquette and rules.

After half a month, the Ministry of Internal Affairs finally sent an old eunuch surnamed Li to escort them into the palace.

After exchanging greetings with everyone, this Eunuch Li said seriously, "Everyone has learned a lot of manners and manners from Eunuch Luo during this time. However, the study of more than ten days alone is not enough. Don't underestimate it." Yes, in fact, serving the master is also a science, combing hair, serving tea, pouring water, setting meals, saying hello, passing things, sending messages, replying, etc., in every seemingly ordinary little thing, there are actually things that can be learned Of course, these things cannot be mastered in a short period of time, and more depends on your own experience and pondering in the future. Today I will take everyone into the palace formally."

Although everyone had been looking forward to this day for a long time, but when they heard that they were really going to enter the palace today, they were mixed with joy and fear, and their moods were a little complicated.

After Eunuch Li finished speaking, he led everyone out of the Punishment Division.Follow a long straight alley towards the palace.

Although the palace recruited 200 new eunuchs this time, these [-] new eunuchs did not enter the palace in one day, but in batches.Yang Fan and the others are the first batch, a total of [-] people.

Under the leadership of Eunuch Li, everyone left the Punishment Department, and after about two sticks of incense, they arrived at the Meridian Gate. Everyone entered through a small door next to the Meridian Gate, and followed Eunuch Li step by step, like walking in a maze. Quiet double eaves, deep pavilions, alleys and alleys walk around.

Along the way, I saw thousands of eaves in the palace, brilliant literature, towering pavilions, exquisite corners, winding corridors, and uneven mansions, and I couldn't help but sigh.After several twists and turns, they finally arrived at a small square in front of a main hall.

After Eunuch Li stopped, he asked everyone to kneel down and wait for the master's choice.

Everyone knelt on the ground and waited uneasily for a while, then suddenly they heard the jingle of ring pendants, and a group of people came towards them.A few more courageous new eunuchs couldn't help but secretly raised their eyes to look around, and saw a luxurious and graceful middle-aged woman in her forties, surrounded by a group of court ladies in colorful clothes, walking slowly along a corridor on the left side of the hall. Come on.

Although the children were curious, they all guessed that the identity of the other party must be very valuable, so they hurriedly lowered their heads without waiting for them to approach.

This group of people arrived at the front and back of the crowd and did not speak for a while.There was silence, and then I heard the woman say to Eunuch Li: "Well, these children seem to understand the rules, yes, show me the sign."

Eunuch Li said flatteringly: "Thank you, Empress! This servant also thinks that these children are not bad."

Although the children vaguely guessed that the other party might be the queen, they were all surprised and apprehensive after confirming their conjecture.

Some ambitious new eunuchs were even more nervous and looking forward to it, and secretly prayed in their hearts: "Please bless the Bodhisattva, let the empress choose me! Keep me with the emperor or the empress!"

The queen took a sign with everyone's names handed over by Eunuch Li, and randomly selected a few names that she thought were pleasing to the eye.

Every time a name was called, the man immediately raised his head and answered.

But after calling the names of the five new eunuchs, the queen was not very satisfied, so Suoxing stopped calling the names, took the sign and walked into the eunuchs, watching everyone as they walked.

After she walked in front of Wei Zhi, she stopped suddenly and asked, "My child, what's your name?"

Seeing her asking himself, Wei Zhi immediately blushed nervously and shyly, raised his head and replied in a trembling voice, "Respond...to the empress's words, my...slave's name is Wei Zhi."

Seeing that he looked and looked like a little girl, the queen smiled slightly and said to Eunuch Li: "I want this child."

Eunuch Li smiled flatteringly: "It's a great blessing for the Queen to want him!" Then he said to Wei Zhi: "Hurry up and thank the Queen!"

Wei Zhi gasped, kowtowed in panic, and said, "Thank you Empress Empress!"

The Queen nodded, and then moved on.After choosing for a long time, seventeen new eunuchs who were pleasing to the eye were selected.Then he said to Eunuch Li: "Okay, the rest will be handed over to Manager Yang and assigned to various places." After giving the order, he took the maids and left.

After the queen was discharged from the hospital, Eunuch Li said: "The people who were named by the queen just now will stay, and the rest will follow me to see the chief manager and wait for distribution."

Although Wei Zhi was excited about his good luck, seeing that his good friend Peng Xiaowan was not selected, he felt a sense of loss and loneliness in his heart.When seeing everyone leaving, he and Peng Xiaowan looked at each other, although they didn't dare to talk, but there was a bit of farewell in each other's eyes.But Yang Fan, Zhang Xiaomao and the others were just as friendly with him, so everyone just smiled silently at him to congratulate him.

After the inspections were completed, the officials of the two divisions submitted the names of all the new eunuchs to the Minister in charge of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. After Yang Fan and others arrived, the Ministry of Internal Affairs assigned them according to their respective ages and appearances:

Those who are young and good-looking are sent to the Office of the Ouchi Palace Superintendent, and the palace supervisor (that is, the chief eunuch) assigns work.These eunuchs are also the so-called "inner court new eunuchs".

And some middle-aged people are assigned to various palaces or various altars, temples, and mausoleums as errands, which are the so-called "peripheral eunuchs".

And those who are older and poor-looking are left as servants in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, that is, "servant eunuchs."

Yang Fan, Peng Xiaowan, Zhang Xiaomao, and Gao Zhaohui have similar conditions in terms of age and appearance, so they are all lucky enough to become "new eunuchs in the inner court", but the places they are finally allocated are different:

Peng Xiaowan and Gao Zhaohui were respectively assigned to the Cooking Fire Office (specially in charge of charcoal) and the Imperial Dining Room (specially in charge of delicacy, dishes and offerings of various palaces, etc.), while Yang Fan and Zhang Xiaomao They are assigned to the cleaning office (specialized in sweeping and cleaning).