Why Qing Emperors Couldn't Sleep with Their Concubines|A Different Story

The Emperor’s Night: Power, Politics, and Protocol In the lavish yet highly regulated world of the Qing Dynasty imperial court, even the emperor—the most powerful man in China—couldn’t freely decide who would share his bed. From the formal “flipping of the name plaques” to the strictly timed encounters, every step of the process was controlled by the Imperial Bedchamber Office.