Branch Nest Four Descriptions Old Capital Trifles

Author: Xia Renhu / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1998-12-01
Features: The people are accustomed to seeing official ceremonies and often speak politely, engaging in polite interactions, often reaching a middle ground, but their flaw is hypocrisy. The customs are vigorous, unyielding, brave in pursuing justice, valuing reputation and knowing shame, but their flaw is ruthlessness. Generally, their nature is close to being straightforward, often seen among the elders of old families, who, when interacting with their disciples and those who have recently entered the family, show respect in speech but are direct in words, appear stern but are emotionally close, and do not lose the norms of the people until the later generations gradually decline. Women, when meeting guests, are not only the Manchu and Han families, but even the upper class also does so. When disciples visit their teachers, they naturally see the teacher's wife, and when relatives arrive, they see the family members. When I first came to the north, I visited a distant relative, and the women of the family gathered, such as aunts, uncles, grandmothers, sisters, whom I had never known before. However, a chorus of greetings filled the air, extending from myself to the family members in the south. In reality, my family members had no idea of this relative. They also did not know who was in my family, but they imagined and asked about everyone, saying that it was not so they would not be considered close. I once saw a comedy where strangers, upon meeting, suddenly called out, "Zhao." The other replied, "I am not Zhao." "Then Qian," "I don't have Qian." "If so, then Uncle San." "I don't have brothers." There was also a first meeting where the people were extremely close, asking about their elders' well-being, from family members to chickens and dogs, and finally asking, "What is your surname?" Perhaps this is where the custom originated? In social circles, there is also a lot of hypocrisy. I once met someone at a banquet who claimed to be a lifelong friend. He tried his best to be polite, insisting on a drink the next day. Then he said, "I have a duty in the inner court tomorrow, what about the day after?" As he was apologizing, he had already called for a pen and paper to discuss the location and food, bustling around. When the banquet was about to end, he suddenly clapped his knee and said, "I have a family memorial tomorrow, what should I do?" Another guest tried to explain, "We will meet often, why rush?" I disliked the disturbance and also apologized, "This month, I have worldly affairs, and I will visit when I have time." But I never met him again. My friend said, "His invitation to drink was for face. You should have politely declined, which is also for face. You didn't firmly refuse, so he had to find a way to back down." In noble families, culture prevails over sentiment. The new wife asks for well-being and serves food, but only stands by. Concubines are the same. When asked to sit, they are given low tables, and younger brothers kneel in front, while older brothers only slightly guide their hands. The etiquette between husband and wife is also very high. I once heard that when the Pǔ Zhònglù celebrated his wife's birthday, he respectfully prepared a hat and robe, and the servants carried the gifts first. When they reached the wife, they loudly announced, "The lord is here to celebrate the birthday, the lady is coming out to welcome." They exchanged greetings and thanks, sat solemnly, offered tea, chatted, and then left. On the's birthday, the wife's etiquette was the same. This was also the case during festivals. They are close to servants and distant from relatives, observing holidays without sincerity, which is a common problem among old families. They enjoy associating with officials and like to imitate official customs, which is a common problem among commoners. As for their love of heroism and justice, they are quick to help others as if it were their own affairs, yet they are among the humblest in society. Is this perhaps the legacy of ancient Yan and Zhao? They love to travel, and women are especially fond of it. In the first month, there are the so-called Six Ministries Lanterns, the Changdian, the Huoshen Temple, and the Baiyun Temple, and they must go there on time. In early spring, they go to the suburbs to "view the green." In June, there are the South Top near Nanxun Gate and the Central Top near Yongding Gate, each with their own gatherings. There are flags, spears, yangge dances, and flower drum performances. The performers are mostly young people, and the spectators come from afar, sweating side by side. Generally, there are gatherings every season and monthly gatherings. At the gatherings, stalls are set up, and scholars and women gather, which can be called a love of wandering, or a scene of peace and prosperity. Laziness is also inevitable. The Shuntianfu Zhi mentions that in some households, windows face the street, and the kang (bed) is under the window. Merchants selling food pass by at the right time, and the food is passed in through the window. Women in these households not only do not manage the household, but often stay on the kang all day. Today, when passing through the winding alleys in the city, this custom still exists. The calls of street vendors selling ready-to-eat food are the same. Pan Wuyuan spent most of his life on stone inscriptions. I once saw a collection of famous people's letters in Wang Liansheng's home. Wang obtained a bronze vessel, Pan borrowed it but did not return it, and the teacher and disciple argued fiercely, which was also a fine story among the famous. Bo You was the grandson of the first general of Changle, and the son of the Furen Zheng (Virtuous Duke) Heng (Wang Xianqian). His sister became the Zhen (Treasure) Fei (Empress) in the palace. When the general was stationed in Guangzhou, he greatly promoted culture. At that time, Pan Wuyuan's father served as the prefect of Guangzhou, and Pan Wuyuan and Bo You formed a close bond in literature. Pan played a significant role in Bo You's promotion to the position of Shi Zhe (Academician). It was said that Pan often taught the Zhen Fei to read, but this is not accurate. The Zhi brothers were both talented and liked to associate with famous scholars. They also lived in the imperial family and were friends with the literary scholars of the time who emphasized social connections. When the Zhen Fei was confined to the Yong (Eternal) courtyard, Bo You was exiled, and the famous scholars scattered, and the people of the time wrote a poem: "Today, the clear stream is full of sorrow, Bo You to Uliyasutai." and so on. The famous scholars scattered, and the court changed. Among the clear stream scholars who had a good reputation and liked to discuss military strategy, there was Wu Qingqing in the south and Zhang Youqiao in the north. Zhang Youqiao discussed military affairs as if he were turning threads on his palm. Wu Qingqing claimed to be skilled in archery, with a 100% accuracy rate, which was proven to be true. Some who practiced archery with him said that he placed a telescope on his bow. Both of them advocated using military strategy to enhance national prestige. Wu Qingqing was humiliated in Yuguan in the north, and Zhang Youqiao was defeated in Minjiao in the south. Some argued that their use of military strategy was not suitable for their respective regions. After Wu and Zhang discussed military strategy and were frustrated, the clear stream scholars then used their expertise to attract others and waste their days. Their skills were roughly divided into five categories: the Three Transmissions and the Three Rites, inscriptions and steles, textual research and bibliographies, classical studies and geography, and poetry, calligraphy, and painting. Later, when Pan Wuyuan and others emerged, they once again took an interest in military affairs. At that time, the gatherings of famous scholars and wine and poetry were often in the form of Shizhong (poetry and bell-ringing). Bo You and his brother Zhonglu were both skilled in it. At that time, the Zhen Fei was still favored, and I once saw a pair of couplets by Zhonglu titled "Composing Poems on the Cypress of Li Yanian," which read: "Tragically, the siblings enjoy new favor, but can they endure the cold of wind and frost?" I praised its natural elegance but privately wondered if it was inauspicious. Soon after, the Fei was demoted, and Bo You and his brothers were exiled. Among the clear stream scholars, Li Yueman was the most erudite and also proud. He inscribed the doors of his residence with: "Ten thousand volumes of books in the Baoyan Temple Street, a thousand years of promotion as a Ministry Staff." Inside the doors, there were dozens of bamboos, shading the windows. He was often ill and took medicine. When visitors passed by his home, they only heard the sound of reciting poetry and groaning intertwined. People jokingly compared him to Lin Daiyu. Pan Wenqin Bo Ying respected him and often asked him to write for him. He was also often given gifts during festivals, feeling pity for his poverty and fearing his curses. In the capital, the common term for horse feed is "nourishing." Pan, during festivals, would often tell his servants, "Quickly take the Lord to nourish, otherwise he will be restless." Although it was a joke, it also showed the kindness of the great elders toward talent. In the early years of the Guangxu Emperor, the Manchu officials who were highly regarded were Ronglu, Duanfang, and Natao, all of whom had power in the ministries and were known as the "red people" of the time. There was a couplet that went: "The six ministries and the three departments have big ambitions but small minds, Natao is the old fourth; the nine cities and the five brothels have red and green, Shuanghong and Erui are the crowd's charm." All of this referred to their fame. The three halls in the palace—Taihe, Zhonghe, and Baohé—followed the Ming Dynasty's old system. Taihe was the main hall, and in recent times, only the Guangxu Emperor attended the enthronement, wedding, and the Xuantong Emperor's accession. On the steps of the Danchi (imperial platform), there were crystal-grade stones, and officials stood in order according to their ranks, so no one dared to look up. The Zhonghe hall was only used for grand sacrifices, plowing the sacred fields, displaying agricultural tools, and the emperor's arrival. I once participated in the plowing ceremony during the Guangxu era and went to handle the affairs. The Baohé hall was used for the imperial examinations, re-examinations, palace exams, grand exams, and the appointment of officials, as well as banquets for foreign vassals. To sit in the main hall was to hold court. The five-day regular court was called sitting at the gate. The ceremony of sitting at the gate was originally held at Taihe Gate, but later moved to the Qianqing Gate. It was suspended during the Xianfeng era and was not held during the Tongzhi and Guangxu eras. There were two wooden boxes placed on either side of the Qianqing Gate, and they were never opened until the end of the Qing Dynasty. During the last days of the Qing Dynasty, the emperor did not hold court but only had audiences and summonals. Official departments submitted memorials at night, with one clerk carrying them to the Donghua Gate. After a short wait, the gate opened, and the clerk followed the memorial official into the Jiuqing hall, where the memorial box was handed to the clerk to record in a book. When the Qianqing gate opened, the clerk carried the memorial to the Zhongshu (Imperial Secretariat) to present it to the eunuchs for review. The time was usually after midnight. Only the clerk had a lantern placed on the stone railing, and when the lantern moved to the steps, it meant the matter was about to end. Soon, the clerk carried the memorial out and called for the next clerk, and everyone stood like geese waiting. The clerk called for a department to follow the decree, saying, "Understood"; or, "There is another decree," and the oral instructions were passed by hand without error. This was because they identified the mark on the memorial to distinguish it: a horizontal line meant "understood," and a vertical line meant "discuss." During the Guangxu era, it was moved to the Xiyuan Gate, and the officials waited outside under the eaves of the guardhouse. On Tiananmen, there used to be a golden phoenix, and all imperial decrees were tied to its beak and dropped down, as if the phoenix was carrying the book. Officials who received the imperial decree knelt under the Jinshui Bridge and listened to the announcement. The announcer read in Manchu at the gate, and the sound was like a cow bellowing in a pot. The Shouhuang Hall was used to display the portraits of the ancestors. A large plate of flat fruits was always placed in front of each portrait, and it was never removed. Sacrifices were made on the first and fifteenth days of the month, on all seasonal festivals, and on the anniversaries of the ancestors. Therefore, the emperor often went to the Shouhuang Hall in the morning. After visiting the hall, he went to the Ci Gong (Imperial Mother's Palace) to inquire about her well-being. The Yinyan (audience) system: external officials and newly appointed officials were led by the Lishu (Ministry of Personnel), while officials were led by their respective ministries. They first prepared green head tickets, called Shanpai (dining tickets), and wrote their names. They were then submitted to the Zhongshu (Imperial Secretariat). The Lishu arranged the lineup, with six or eight officials, led by two department officials, one day as the leading official and the other as the escorting official. During the Guangxu era, when having an audience, the emperor sat in front, and the empress sat behind, like offering a Buddha. The officials reported their names, simply stating their names and the province they came from, and their age. External officials and supervisors and officials who had completed their term of office had to have an audience after the Yinyan. This was called being "awakened." The Zhaojian (audience) system was held in a side hall or a warm room. The palace guards and attendants withdrew behind the curtains, and the officials entered and knelt. They first removed their hats, and those who had been awarded a flower feather must place the feather upward to show respect. The Nanshuang (Southern Study) system originated in the Kangxi era with the Tongcheng (Tongcheng) Zhang Wenduan (Zhang Xueqian). At that time, they wanted to find literary officials to discuss Confucian classics and history, and to provide advice to the emperor so that he could spend his time with them after the court session. They selected from the crowd and chose Zhang Xueqian, who was given a residence west of the Shuying (Pavilion of the Sea) and provided with high-ranking officials' food and drink. In addition to discussing Confucian classics and philosophy, they also discussed current political affairs, showing great respect to the scholars. Later, every dynasty selected from the literary officials, and the number gradually increased, but the favor and etiquette were reduced, and they were mainly used for writing calligraphy and paintings for the emperor or writing New Year's couplets, making them literary attendants. The Shangshu (Upper Study) was originally set up in the Aoge (Prince's Mansion), where the emperor's teachers were also selected from the literary officials. Their favor and etiquette were similar to the Nanshuang, and they were also eligible for all the privileges, such as eating meat and watching plays. The emperor's teachers were the most respected, and one was chosen from the Grand Secretaries, such as Li Gaoyang, Sun Shoushou, and Wang Changshu. Below the emperor, they were all respectfully called "teachers" and were not named. Upon their death, they were given posthumous titles of "Wen Zheng" (Virtuous and Rectified). In addition, two or four were selected from the Ci Lin (Academy of Literary Officials) to serve as reading and teaching. The emperor studied in which hall, they were called "walking in the hall." During the Xuantong era, Western languages were also included, and a Westerner, Zhuang Kedun, was hired as a teacher, with a similar system to "walking in the hall," but with higher salaries. In the middle of spring, the emperor went to the Xiannongtan (Agricultural Worship Altar) to perform the plowing ceremony. The three kings represented the three dukes, and one hundred and nine officials represented the nine ministers. The emperor pushed four times, and the dukes and ministers pushed nine times. The emperor originally pushed three times, but in the Xianfeng era, it was increased to four to show respect for agriculture. The emperor wrote a poem and hung it in the Gengyidian (Changing Dress Hall), which became a custom. After the emperor finished plowing, he went to the Gengtai (Observation Platform) to watch the dukes and ministers push. He wore a robe over his clothes, made of yellow satin, similar to an outer robe, but slightly modified. For sacrifices, they fasted in advance, either for two or one day, depending on the size of the ceremony. The palace set up signs outside the palace gates, and the offices of provinces outside the capital placed them outside the ceremonial gates. From the emperor and empress down to the concubines, empresses, palace attendants, and palace officials, each was given a small ivory plaque with the word "fasting" inscribed on it, which was hung on the chest, and they called it a "fasting plaque." They made sacrifices on the first and fifteenth days of the month, on all seasonal festivals, and on the anniversaries of the ancestors, so the emperor often went to the Shouhuang Hall in the morning. After visiting the hall, he went to the Ci Gong (Imperial Mother's Palace) to inquire about her well-being. The Yinyan (audience) system: external officials and newly appointed officials were led by the Lishu (Ministry of Personnel), while officials were led by their respective ministries. They first prepared green head tickets, called Shanpai (dining tickets), and wrote their names. They were then submitted to the Zhongshu (Imperial Secretariat). The Lishu arranged the lineup, with six or eight officials, led by two department officials, one day as the leading official and the other as the escorting official. During the Guangxu era, when having an audience, the emperor sat in front, and the empress sat behind, like offering a Buddha. The officials reported their names, simply stating their names and the province they came from, and their age. External officials and supervisors and officials who had completed their term of office had to have an audience after the Yinyan. This was called being "awakened." The Zhaojian (audience) system was held in a side hall or a warm room. The palace guards and attendants withdrew behind the curtains, and the officials entered and knelt. They first removed their hats, and those who had been awarded a flower feather must place the feather upward to show respect. The Nanshuang (Southern Study) system originated in the Kangxi era with the Tongcheng (Tongcheng) Zhang Wenduan (Zhang Xueqian). At that time, they wanted to find literary officials to discuss Confucian classics and history, and to provide advice to the emperor so that he could spend his time with them after the court session. They selected from the crowd and chose Zhang Xueqian, who was given a residence west of the Shuying (Pavilion of the Sea) and provided with high-ranking officials' food and drink. In addition to discussing Confucian classics and philosophy, they also discussed current political affairs, showing great respect to the scholars. Later, every dynasty selected from the literary officials, and the number gradually increased, but the favor and etiquette were reduced, and they were mainly used for writing calligraphy and paintings for the emperor or writing New Year's couplets, making them literary attendants. The Shangshu (Upper Study) was originally set up in the Aoge (Prince's Mansion), where the emperor's teachers were also selected from the literary officials. Their favor and etiquette were similar to the Nanshuang, and they were also eligible for all the privileges, such as eating meat and watching plays. In the middle of spring, the emperor went to the Xiannongtan (Agricultural Worship Altar) to perform the plowing ceremony. The three kings represented the three dukes, and one hundred and nine officials represented the nine ministers. The emperor originally pushed three times, but in the Xianfeng era, it was increased to four to show respect for agriculture. The emperor wrote a poem and hung it in the Gengyidian (Changing Dress Hall), which became a custom. After the emperor finished plowing, he went to the Gengtai (Observation Platform) to watch the dukes and ministers push. He wore a robe over his clothes, made of yellow satin, similar to an outer robe, but slightly modified. For sacrifices, they fasted in advance, either for two or one day, depending on the size of the ceremony. The palace set up signs outside the palace gates, and the offices of provinces outside the capital placed them outside the ceremonial gates. From the emperor and empress down to the concubines, empresses, palace attendants, and palace officials, each was given a small ivory plaque with the word "fasting" inscribed on it, which was hung on the chest, and they called it a "fasting plaque."