In late Imperial China, being chosen to spend the night with the emperor was a big deal for a concubine. It wasn’t just about sharing time with the most powerful man in the empire; it also meant a full day of pampering. The lucky concubine would be treated like royalty, enjoying fancy baths, luxurious perfumes, and all sorts of comforts. But when night came, the mood shifted from spa day to something more unusual.
Before meeting the emperor, the concubine had to be stripped of all her clothes and wrapped tightly in a silk blanket, like a fancy dumpling. Then, attendants would carry her to the emperor's bedchamber, where she’d be unwrapped like a precious gift. As strange as this might sound, it wasn’t about the emperor’s preferences—it was actually a security measure!
This practice started after a sneaky assassination attempt. A concubine had once hidden weapons in her clothes and tried to k!ll the emperor during an intimate moment. To prevent such surprises, they made sure concubines had no place to hide anything dangerous. So, this ritual of wrapping them up in silk became the new norm, all in the name of safety... and a little bit of theatrics.
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