Buzz
While everyone knows that fish-based dishes are beneficial for health, palace maids avoid them; what's the reason behind this?
Many believe palace maids lead comfortable lives serving the emperor and concubines, but they actually abide by strict rules. Upon entering the palace, they must learn palace etiquette and regulations. Any mistakes result in punishment, ranging from beatings to loss of life.
During the Qing dynasty, palace maids were chosen based on clear backgrounds, typically from families of officials.
Life within the palace for palace maids is incredibly dull; they have limited freedom and restricted activities. Their daily tasks involve attending to their masters, serving from fetching water to attending to them through the night.
Palace maids often share small rooms, with everything being quite basic. Those attending to the empress or high-ranking concubines may be assigned a small room adjacent to their master's for convenience.
The duties of palace maids are far from easy. Every word spoken or action taken must be extremely careful to avoid punishment from their masters. Each day, they must appear poised, calm, with steady and deliberate steps, avoiding any frivolous behavior. Even when faced with adversity or illness, they are not allowed to show a grim expression. They must always maintain a cheerful demeanor, avoiding angering their masters.
In particular, palace maids must pay close attention to their own diet.
According to palace regulations, servants are not allowed to have any unusual odors on their bodies. If they consume strong-smelling foods like fish, it may leave an unpleasant odor. Therefore, no matter how much they crave it, palace maids dare not pick up a bite.
Palace servants know that if their masters detect any fishy odor on them, they will be accused of disrespect and punished. When being punished, palace maids are not allowed to cry out. They must endure the pain silently to avoid harsher punishment.
However, some palace maids, unable to resist, still indulge in fish dishes. After eating, they will mask the fishy smell using fragrances or perfumed oils.
From this, it can be seen that being a palace maid is not an easy position. Despite being within the palace, serving the emperor and concubines, they are not granted freedom, living their own lives. Even when it comes to enjoying dishes made from fish, palace maids cannot freely indulge in eating and drinking.
