The eunuch of our country ancient time, call eunuch, temple the person again, point to the male official that has been emasculated for ministrant emperor and royal only, it is the screwy child that traditional and servile feudal society is contented and liege selfish desire and is born. Traceable of system of our country eunuch first period of the Qin Dynasty, experienced several chiliad history, till latter-day Xin Hai revolution overthrows Qingchao to dominate, establish the Republic of China, just made eunuch system complete walk into historical graveyard.
On the history, eunuch is in the position in palace for a time very low, be engaged in most humble work with onerous call boy. However, eunuch although low, having the advantage that someone else place does not have however, that is passed namely attend the life of royalty, gain the opportunity that is close to influence core, use its to undertake to the consequence of royalty and news dominant position influence is searched hire.
On physiology misshapen, bring about eunuch to often having stronger than the ordinary person influence desire. As historical process, eunuch group is ceaselessly in palace special status, in the political fight that participates in past dynasties of all previous face deeply, the eunuch on the history works politics phenomenal common occurance.
Stage photo of Ming Dynasty eunuch
Ming Dynasty period, the imperial court creates a stuff 2 factories reach 24 goverment office in feudal China, great strengthened the eunuch interpose to politics, the political place of eunuch reached peak in the later period in Ming Dynasty. For example apocalyptic year of big eunuch Wei Zhongxian between, the idle as a result of apocalyptic emperor politics, wei Zhongxian became the first person of the government and the public of power use up all one's resources for a time, caused huge politics queasy, accelerated the process with ruined Ming Dynasty.
Quiet day found a state at the beginning of, in Nuerhachi and emperor too extremely period, abide by full continent traditional, do not set eunuch in palace. Zu Shunzhi's emperor enters the life later advocate Central Plains, quiet day is absorbed on one hand admit culture of tradition of the Han nationality, also consider the life of convenient royalty on the other hand, acceded then the eunuch system of Ming Dynasty.
Nevertheless, quiet day is absorbed bright die lesson, because the eunuch system of this pair of Ming Dynasty is not,copy copy completely, undertake conditionally acceding however, remove the hidden trouble that causes eunuch dictatorship possibly as far as possible.
The first, it is the eunuch that falls to Ming Dynasty bequeath undertakes energetically dissolve is rectified. Qianlong emperor ever said in instruct aim, "The inspect inside bright generation comes more several people " , in suitable treat first year, dissolve comes only remnant more than 1000 people, the member that pass 100 old enlarge, to period of Qianlong at the height of power and splendour, eunuch gross also did not exceed 3000 people.
Stage photo of big eunuch Wei Zhongxian
The 2nd, it is the restriction that had the oldest rate to the influence of eunuch, prevent to reemerge the eunuch on the history takes advantageous position the circumstance of politics of arrogate to oneself. Arrange the grade that treats an emperor to set eunuch to cannot pass high 4 article, give orders to prohibit at the same time eunuch interpose government affairs, violate a ban person according to law cut definitely:
"Inside every department member blame act according to assign, must not arrogate to oneself gives emperor city. Besides office department, must not interfere be related. Must not attract alien. Must not pay the official outside the knot. Must not make younger brother brother's son kin, dark intersect knot. Must not the person name such as false brother brother's son is lubricious, buy buys Tian Wu, control feudal official consequently, faze kills people. Its are outer official, also must not with inside the official makes a written guarantee each other. If have the person that inside and outside makes a written guarantee, with Guan Jiaoju, achieve of courtyard ministry examine, division line correct is joined. Careful is solid along with all the others execute.Do not pass this ban, suitable treat him emperor and did not abide by strictly. Suitable treat year ever had appeared eunuch Wu Liang complementary dry politics incident, but because arrange those who treat an emperor to harbor, wu Liang complementary unexpectedly not be punished. To later ascend the throng of Kang Xi's emperor, ability is new and earnest this discipline.
Stage photo of Kang Xi's emperor
The 3rd, it is strict eunuch system, the standard chooses the flow of eunuch. According to normative practice, it is to become when palace needs compensatory new eunuch, issue decree by the emperor to civilian recruit, arrive in recruit after appropriate person selected, through the process of clean body and cultural rehabilitation, the arrangement in can carrying a note of the ancient Chinese five-tone scale handles affairs to relevant section.
At that time, still a few people are in without imperial court choose before, with respect to illicit self-purification body, the purpose gets palace is become directly the qualification of eunuch. And look from imperial court angle, the practice of body of civilian illicit self-purification, disturbed the order of palace choose eunuch, because this is right disciplinary action of this kind of behavior is especially stern. " exemple of old clear law " regulation, without body of self-purification of the illicit before imperial court choose person, need to be in with the death penalty, and applicable family member connects sit system:
"The person that dare have illicit self-purification body, the person that itself does it handles cut, the family sends remote v/arc be transported to a distant place for penal servitude, two Zuo and rest the home is not lifted head person accusatory. Have the examine of the frequentation when still wanting such as the old person in department, but the person that this waits, catch to send an official all right namely, be like or hold hidden from view," exemple of old clear law "
Although clear rule is right the punishment of illicit self-purification body is very heavy, nevertheless folk has a lot of innocent common people that do not know a way, raise the home to paper a mouth to earn bit of money more, still can give oneself descendants clean body under the counter, want to send Gong Li to become eunuch, made a way and do not know oneself.
Nevertheless, quiet day is right " exemple of old clear law " in the execution of this regulation, also not be very strict, this is a kind of policy of benevolence actually. Although,Qianlong emperor ever explained in instruct aim somebody illicit self-purification body, but the account that does not handle cut at will commonly: "All along the Ministry of Punishments in feudal China is mensurable, every has person of illicit self-purification body to make, all asks draft behead to await. Because read aloud the person such as this to make, in the main because of deficient be caused by, be in order to add favour release, hair in hot river v. Hair in hot river v..
This action of clear the court of a feudal ruler, it is formerly make allowances for civilian sufferings. The common people with if not very poor family, won't let a descendants be become into palace easily eunuch, if made a way because of ignorance, can the show mercy outside the law, illicit self-purification body person send v of make imperial palace for short stays away from the capital of past heat river, lest these this beggarly already family suffers the anguish that the family broke up again.
Stage photo of big eunuch Li Lianying
If body of civilian illicit self-purification seems the word that seldom counts an exemple now, so emperor now and then the bestow favours outside the law, discharge the capital crime of these people, excusable also. The problem is phenomenon of body of self-purification of common people illicit many, if by the bestow favours outside imperial law, this regulation can become undoubtedly " corpse clause " , also can affect " exemple of old clear law " authority and earnest sex, accordingly, be necessary to undertake to original article revisory, to the processing of similar incident flow forms a standard, lest appears every time this kind of incident, should hand in by imperial holograph decide, reduced administrative efficiency.
Qianlong 50 years (1785) , qianlong is away for the summer holidays to hot river make imperial palace for short stays away from the capital, chat with a small eunuch accidentally, became fitly edit afresh the chance of this system.
This has favour and Qianlong emperor to say the small eunuch of the word, the name is called Wang Cheng, it is An Su of straight be subordinate to's person. In Home Wang Cheng beggarly, its parents does not know clear rule provision again, when because this is in,he does not arrive 11 years old, it is him with respect to privately clean body, report for duty Ya of the county that install respectful wants to send him to be become into palace eunuch.
Qianlong emperor stage photo
After Wang Cheng is sent prefectural Ya, of place petty official with illicit self-purification body it is capital crime as menace, think extortionate king becomes parental brushstroke. Home Wang Cheng is honest as a result too poor, a minute of money is taken do not come out, bribe of all alone pettying official won'ts do, locked up Wang Cheng father and son rise. To later Qianlong issues aim bestow favours, father and son 2 talents are released, let Wang Cheng heat up v of river make imperial palace for short stays away from the capital.
Most let Qianlong emperor care, also not be the miserable destiny of family of this small eunuch actually, however of v/arc corvee of these local grass-roots unit blackmail behavior. Him Qianlong calculated brushstroke Zhang, an ordinary common people is become into palace personally completely eunuch, the imperial court admires silver to its only 49, and it is after v before rising director eunuch, salary of every months also does not pass 19. Before if be in,eunuch enters palace, blackmail by layer upon layer exploit, who can still send him home child to be become into palace after that eunuch?
Quiet day eunuch
Qianlong contacts the circumstance that the eunuch in palace is in short supply at that time, think the exploit of basic level official is blackmailed, it is to bring about appear the reason of this kind of circumstance, because this was in those who blackmail Wang Cheng father and son to petty official again, give orders to prohibit this kind blackmails behavior, otherwise from severe punishment.
In addition, since just the eunuch in palace is in short supply, and carry out strictly " exemple of old clear law " afore-mentioned clauses not actual, qianlong emperor decides abolish this already malapropos regulation. Evermore, body of civilian illicit self-purification person, violate quiet day law no longer, can report for duty to internal affairs government office by oneself, via palace v is being entered after the examination is eligible. This also put an end to certain opportunist to be the appearance that coerce and has extortionary with criminal law at the same time.
Of course, the person of body of self-purification of this kind of illicit, if want to be become into palace truly eunuch, still need to satisfy a fundamental requirement, that is family circumstances poor and body home is blameless. Because of,be really poor institute approach, must the person of proper motion castrate, just allow palace v.
And still have additionally one kind of case, that is folk often somebody made a way by order circularly the arrest of a criminal at large, also can choose illicit self-purification body, the purpose changes his appearance in interfuse palace, in order to escape penalty. To this kind of person, applicable and original law, want a blame to add first-class, from heavy punishment.
Reference material:
" annals of · of draft of Qing Dynasty history 96 "
" clear memoir arranges the memoir that control government "
" memoir of face of clear memoir Qianlong "
" exemple of old clear law " wait
