The BRUTAL Life of a Concubine in Imperial China | History For Sleep

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Ever wondered what it was really like to be a concubine in Imperial China? Spoiler: it wasn’t all silk robes and poetic moonlit evenings. In this sleep-friendly deep dive, you’ll step into the embroidered slippers of a palace concubine — chosen, trained, ranked, and slowly erased.

From the ruthless selection process to the weaponized womb politics, from the silent war zones of the Inner Court to the terrifying power of the Dowager Empress, this video explores the harsh, quiet reality of harem life behind the Forbidden City’s beautiful walls. You’ll learn about the hierarchy, the surveillance, the poison-laced etiquette — all narrated in calm, darkly dry tones to lull you into a state of informed despair.

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