Secrets of Yuqing Palace

Soon it was the day for little Prince Hongxi to have his third bath.

Wanyu was recuperating in the room, and the baby was taken to the front yard.

Wanyu, lying on the bed, was a mother for the first time. She always felt uneasy because her child was not by her side.

I always feel like there is a baby crying in my ears, and my heart is always heavy.

Xia He looked at her anxious master and comforted him softly.

"Master, don't worry. The Crown Prince and our wife are in the front yard."

"Little Prince Feng Sheng'e, nothing will happen to him."

"Besides, Nanny Sun is always by the young prince's side, and since we are in front of everyone, nothing will go wrong."

Wanyu nodded, but still worriedly asked, "I wonder if Fengsheng will catch a cold?"

Xia He smiled and said, "Master is just too concerned and too worried about our little prince."

"It's July now, and it's hot outside. You won't get cold, little prince."

The main hall of Yuqing Palace in the front yard was bustling with activity at this time.

Since he is the first grandson of the royal family and the eldest son of the prince, the title of eldest grandson of the emperor is well-deserved.

The Empress Dowager, the Emperor, high-ranking concubines in the palace, as well as clan members and wives, all personally attended the third day bathing ceremony for the eldest grandson of the legitimate emperor.

Even Emperor Kangxi directly announced that the name of the eldest grandson of the emperor would be Prince Hongxi.

It means clear and distinct. Some people think it is similar to "xi", meaning fair, and it is even homophonic with the emperor's reign title. It is indeed a good word.

On this good day, Yinreng once again attracted a wave of hatred.

Yinreng also added a little fuel to the fire.

He stood beside the emperor and said with a proud and complacent smile.

"Khan Ama has always said that Hongxi is blessed. Your son and the Crown Princess think that Khan Ama's words are true."

"Khan Ama said Hongxi is blessed, so Hongxi must be a blessed person!"

"So, I and the Crown Princess gave Hongxi a nickname."

Kangxi asked with great interest, "Oh?"

"What nickname did Baocheng give my little Hongxi?"

Yinreng chuckled.

"Khan Ama and Khan Mafa have always advocated the unity of Manchus and Han people."

"This son and I are also, in another sense, one family, Manchu and Han."

"So after discussing with the Crown Princess, I decided to give Hongxi a Manchu nickname, 'Feng Sheng'e', which means a blessed person."

"What does Khan Amma think?"

Yinzhen looked at the loving father and filial son in front of him and felt it was glaring.

He just couldn't stand seeing Yinreng's smug look.

[Bah! Shameless! Flatterer!]

After hearing what Yinreng said, Kangxi felt that his Baocheng was "inheriting his father's aspirations" and that the father and son were of the same lineage.

He laughed happily and said with great satisfaction.

"Not bad!"

"Baocheng and the Crown Princess have a plan."

"My little Hongxi was born into the royal family, is the crown prince's eldest son, and my eldest grandson. He was also born after I won a battle. Isn't he a blessed man?"

No matter what everyone present thought in their hearts, they all agreed with the words of the royal father and son.

Praise Prince Hongxi as a blessed man, and it is excellent that the prince has a nickname!

Concubine Nara is still under house arrest and cannot come out, so she doesn’t know that the emperor gave the little prince a name on his third birthday. Otherwise, who knows what trouble she might cause.

But the ones who hated him the most were the eldest prince Yinzhen and his wife!

Because none of the four little princesses they gave birth to had a name given by the emperor.

Even the rewards given to the four little princesses combined were not as much as the rewards given to the young prince Hongxi alone.

Even though the eldest wife is pregnant again and her face is as pale as paper, she cannot get a gentle look from the emperor.

The eldest wife, Irgen Jueluo, touched her six-month belly.

Looking at her husband with resentment in his eyes, she recalled her mother-in-law who spoke harshly to her in the Yanxi Palace, and then thought of her four daughters in the mansion and the advice given by the imperial physician.

Irgen Jueluo felt both miserable and jealous of his second brother's wife.

【This time it must be a prince! 】

........

The purpose of the third-day bath is to wash away the impurities brought by the baby from the previous life, to ward off disasters and misfortunes, to pray for good fortune and blessings, and to ensure a safe and auspicious life in this life.

The selection of the person to perform the third-day ritual for Hongxi was given great importance.

Therefore, the "midwife" chosen for Hongxi was not a midwife.

Instead, it was Prince An's wife, Hesheli, who had a high status, a son and a daughter, many descendants, and was a blood relative of the crown prince.

An important part of the third day bath is "adding the basin". A copper basin is filled with bath water made from locust branches and mugwort leaves. Friends and relatives who come to congratulate put the small gifts they have prepared, such as copper coins, gold, silver, jade, etc., into the basin.

Prince An's wife used the prepared stick to stir the water a few times, muttering auspicious words that symbolized the birth of many sons:

"One stir, two stir, three stirs, and the elder brother runs with the younger brother."

"Seventy, eighty, crooked, naughty, they're all here!"

After the stirring is completed, the baby can be bathed. If the child cries when he catches a cold or gets wet, it is not taboo but considered auspicious and is called "ringing basin".

The louder the child cries, the healthier the child is.

So when the Empress Dowager and Emperor Kangxi heard the little prince's clear and loud cries, their eyes and faces were filled with joy and relief.

The person who is washing the body recites the blessing words while washing:

"Wash your hair first, and you will become a king; wash your waist later, and each generation will rise higher than the last."

"Wash your face and wrinkles, may your good fortune continue, and may the Qing Dynasty prosper forever."

Then, light a moxa ball, use ginger slices as a support, and place it on the baby's forehead to symbolically roast it.

Then she combed the baby's hair and dressed him up, saying, "Comb the hair three times, comb it twice, and you'll wear a red hat when you grow up. Draw eyebrows on the left and tie the temples on the right, and you'll find a wife and live a happy life. Brush your teeth and rinse your mouth, so you won't embarrass yourself when you talk to others."

Roll an egg on the baby's face and say, "Roll the egg on the baby's face. The face is like egg skin and willow red like white. It is truly a lover."

After washing, the child was tied up and hit three times with a scallion, saying, "One hit means clever, two hits mean witty, and three hits mean clear-headed." ("Cong" and "Cong" are homophones.)

Then he had someone throw the onions on the roof. (I wish the little prince will be extremely smart in the future)

He then picked up the weight and gestured a few times, saying, "Although the weight is small, it can bear a thousand pounds." (He wished that the little prince would have a promising future and hold an important position when he grew up.)

He picked up the padlock and gestured three times, saying, "Grow up now. Head, feet, hands, tight." (Wishing the little prince to grow up to be steady and prudent.)

Then put the baby on the tea tray and tuck the gold and silver ingots prepared in advance into the baby's body.

He said, "I have gold on my left and silver on my right. If I can't spend it all, I'll give it to my servants." (I wish the little prince great fortune, wealth, and a long life when he grows up.)

Finally, he put a small mirror on the baby's bottom and said, "Use the magic mirror to look at your bottom. It will be clean if you poop during the day."

The most interesting thing is to sift a few paper pomegranate flowers into the baking basket.

She said, "Gardenias, jasmines, roses, tuberoses, and smallpox are sparsely distributed..." (I wish the little prince will not get smallpox or will get less smallpox, and will grow up healthy and free of disease.)

Everyone couldn't stop laughing when they heard little Prince Hongxi crying loudly.

Especially the first time I saw those little brothers who became uncles.

At first, I was a little worried about my nephew.

After listening to the explanation from the older brothers, he was so happy that he couldn't even see his teeth or eyes.

When Wanyu was waiting anxiously, her mother Fucha finally came back with her little baby.

Looking at Fengsheng's big, bright eyes that looked like they had been washed by water, Wanyu's heart softened. She couldn't help but kiss the little guy's fair and tender face twice before stopping.

I saw that my daughter gave birth to the baby safely and my grandson is now healthy.

Fucha was finally able to leave the palace and return home with peace of mind.

I will wait until the next time my grandson is one month old to attend his full-month ceremony.

(I've done my best to research this, so it might not be comprehensive. Just for fun. But there were quite a few celebrations for the birth of a child in ancient times.)