Gao pragmatic was thinking about something while walking with Chen Ju.
The Ming Dynasty was not the Qing Dynasty, and there were no privileges such as traveling in the Forbidden City or riding horses in the Forbidden City. No matter how high-ranking ministers entered the palace, they had to walk honestly. Historically, Shen Li was already old and in poor health when he was a pavilion elder. He fell ill and fell a lot during court appearances, and was recorded as "poised by the world" in the history books. Of course, Gao Pragmatic was no exception, even from the time he entered the palace to the prince's residence. The road is far enough that we can only walk.
But as he walked, he noticed something was wrong and hurriedly asked: "Mr. Chen, this doesn't seem to be the direction to Ciqing Palace?"
"Ah, slave, you deserve to die. I forgot to tell you." Chen Ju explained: "Although Ciqing Palace is the prince's main palace, because the prince is young, the Holy Emperor took pity on him and ordered the prince to temporarily stay in Zhongcui Palace for the convenience of the imperial concubine. Go to visit care.”
Gao Jingshi breathed a sigh of relief and thought to himself: It's just that in those TV dramas, as long as you take the wrong route in the palace, something will happen, which makes me worried... But Long Qing is really good to his son.
But...it's really far to walk to Zhongcui Palace. Do I have to exercise like this every day in the future?
Gao pragmatic thought for a while, and it seemed that this was really the only way. It's strange that China's royal gardens and palaces have always been particular about scale, and they grew bigger and bigger. The same was true for the Forbidden City in the Ming Dynasty, so much so that it took a long time to walk from outside the palace to its center, and Zhongcui Palace was in the harem. The East Sixth Palace is even further away.
Of course this can be solved by setting off early, but for the ministers, especially Gao Wuchen's current body, walking such a long distance every day has become a chore.
It is estimated that it is for this reason that after the Qing Dynasty, riding horses or riding sedan chairs in the Forbidden City, also known as court horse appreciation, became a very noble courtesy for royal princes and important civil and military officials. It is definitely not arbitrarily fabricated by those who joke about history in later generations. Any governor can enter the palace on horseback or in a sedan chair. Although there are no clear regulations on who can be given a shoulder carriage or a horse in the Forbidden City, some rules can be seen from historical records.
Gao Pragmatic muttered in his heart: I don’t know when I will have enough influence to at least get these two privileges. Otherwise, I won’t say that my ministers are tired and panicked. At least this will be a waste of time for no reason and reduce the administrative level. Efficiency.
However, this matter may be difficult to handle. After all, Gao Pragmatic also knows that because of Zhu Yuanzhang, some of the regulations of the Ming Dynasty have always been nonsense. It can even be said that it is just for the sake of showing off, which is very annoying. On the contrary, the Qing Dynasty, which he had always disliked, although it treated the people simply, was much more humane in its attitude towards its ministers than the Ming Dynasty... Of course, there was a development process.
Let’s talk about riding in sedan chairs and riding horses in the Forbidden City. In the early Qing Dynasty, only a few princes of the nearby branch were allowed to enter the Forbidden City on horseback, and they could only enter the outer part of the city and dismount outside Jingyun Gate. Other ministers could only follow the old Ming Dynasty system and enter the court on foot.
"The king, Beile and Beizi all rode their horses into the Forbidden Gate and rode down at the Jingyun Gate. The ministers still made clear the rules." The left and right gates next to Donghua Gate, Xihua Gate and in front of the Meridian Gate Outside the door, there are stone tablets erected on each side, engraved in six languages: Manchu, Mongolian, Chinese, Tibetan, Uighur and Toth-Mongolian with the words "dismount here" and "officials and others will dismount here". The Dismounting Monument still existed until the time when Gao Pragmatic traveled in later generations, showing the customization and majesty of the palace.
Official permission for ministers to enter the palace on horseback began during the Qianlong period. This was mainly due to the fact that ministers entering the palace at night would have difficulty walking in rainy and snowy weather. In addition, civil and military officials at home and abroad who have made great achievements or received special favors will also be granted the privilege of "riding horses in the Forbidden City". For example, during the Qianlong period, the general Yue Zhongqi was granted the "Forbidden City Horseback Riding" because of his efforts to pacify the "Two Jinchuan" chieftains. Zhaohui was granted the "Forbidden City Horseback Riding" for his military achievements in conquering the northwest. Retired civil servant Qian Chenqun went to Beijing to celebrate the birthday of the Empress Dowager in the 36th year of Qianlong's reign, and was specially ordered to ride a horse in the Forbidden City, which was regarded as an honor at the time. During the Jiaqing period, ministers over seventy were allowed to ride in a small sedan chair in the Forbidden City. From then on, the practice of riding a "shoulder carriage" in the Forbidden City began.
There is a record in "Xiaoting Xulu": It explains the general situation of "horse riding in the Forbidden City" during the Qianlong and Jiaqing periods: "During the Qianlong period, I asked all the ministers to wait for the leak. Whenever there was wind and snow, I walked several miles, which was very... Dianjian, because he allowed all the cabinet ministers to enter on horseback to show their honor and favor. During the Jiajing Festival, I specially ordered that all ministers who are over seventy years old will be given a shoulder carriage to enter the palace, especially Kuang Dian said. "
As for entering the palace by sedan chair, during the Qianlong period, there were already special cases where ministers entered the palace by sedan chair. Because some ministers were old and frail, it was actually difficult to ride a horse. For example, during the Qianlong period, Ertai and Zhang Tingyu, the great scholars of the Qianlong period, were "too old and unable to ride a horse". "Ride", "I am allowed to ride in a sedan chair in the Forbidden City". In the ninth year of Jiaqing, when Wang Jie, a great scholar, entered the palace, he was over eighty years old. He was specially allowed to enter the palace in a sedan chair and to enter the inner court on crutches, which was a very special "favor".
So from this point of view, in the early Qing Dynasty, riding a horse or a sedan chair to enter the palace was also a very high courtesy. Only senior ministers with high moral standards could enjoy this honor. In actual practice, not all ministers who received the privilege of riding horses in the Forbidden City actually rode horses. Some people used a small shoulder cart instead, with a chair tied to lifting poles on both sides, and two people carried it into the palace. Such modifications actually existed during the Qianlong period.
This is actually a necessary modification: firstly, considering that if the horses are not controlled well, they are afraid of colliding with the palace guard of honor; secondly, many of the ministers who were actually awarded the "Forbidden City Horseback Riding" are very old. , some people have difficulty riding a horse, and some people cannot ride a horse at all.
It is said that in the fifty-fifth year of Qianlong's reign, Emperor Qianlong issued an edict specifically for this purpose. Among the equestrian ministers in the Forbidden City, there were those who were old and foot-sick and found it difficult to mount a horse. The two of them walked in harmony." Such an edict was praised by later generations as "especially a great example of caring for the elderly and respecting the virtuous."
This kind of small shoulder carriage walking in the palace is similar to the emperor's "step carriage", but the chair is smaller and only carried by two people. It is consistent with the situation mentioned in the above material of "using two people to ride on small chairs". Such tools for walking in the palace are usually only carried on the waist, not on the shoulders.
After the Jiaqing period, the scope of riding horses and sedan chairs allowed in the Forbidden City was gradually relaxed. In the 10th year of Jiaqing's reign, the Forbidden City's equestrian ministers over the age of seventy were allowed to ride on small chairs carried by two people. In the twenty-fourth year, it was ordered that banner ministers over sixty years old and Han ministers over sixty years old and who had been rewarded with court horses could enter the court on shoulder carriages and dismount at the place where they should dismount. Older officials can also enter the inner city by sedan. Later, people even rode in warm sedan chairs in the Forbidden City. For example, during the Daoguang period, the seventy-seven-year-old bachelor Chang Ling, the eighty-year-old bachelor Cao Zhenyong, the eighty-six-year-old bachelor Fu Jun, etc. could all sit in warm sedan chairs in the Forbidden City to keep out the cold. This was also a courtesy to elderly ministers. special treatment.
Thinking of this, Gao Pingshi suddenly felt that he should find an opportunity to make a comment and see if there was any chance to win the privilege of entering the palace for the elderly civil servant.
Of course, Gao Pingshi's sudden idea was not just because he had nothing to do. He had his own considerations.
