Emperor Yongzheng and the Barber

 

Emperor Yongzheng and the Barber

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There is an old saying in Beijing: "If you shave your head, you will be hot", and there is another saying: "If you push your head in the first month, your uncle will die." Agudengba told Fangshidi and Azhuo that these two sentences had been circulated in the capital for at least two hundred years. Nowadays, it is very rare to see a shaver on the street. Even if there are barbers on the street, it is rare to see a shaver with a "hot head". However, before New Year's Eve, hair salons or hair salons are always overcrowded. I wonder if it is because of the old saying that I am worried about the fate of "uncle".

Why did Agudengba get involved in the matter of having his head shaved and picked up? In fact, he still focused on the theme of their chat, which was about "shaving your hair and changing clothes".

Agudenba said:

During the Qing Dynasty, shaving or not shaving was a matter of life and death. In the early years of the Republic of China, there was a book "Old Customs of the Banner Tribe" that clearly recorded: By the time of the Qing Dynasty, people were ordered to let down their braids and shave off all sides, leaving only the top part of the braids, which was called "Shaving the outer areas and leaving the central plains." , those who disobey the order are beheaded, which is called "leaving the hair but not the head".

Surprisingly, even the Qing emperor could not have imagined that the policy of "shaving your hair and changing clothes" would spur China's emerging service industry, and this would lead to the rise of "hot-headed" shavers. At that time, barbers were not ordinary civilians. They wore official clothes, ate royal food, and earned salaries.

At that time, shaving your head or not was not a personal matter, it related to your attitude towards the Qing Dynasty. One of the important responsibilities of the barber was to determine whether you were obedient or "unruly" by shaving or not.

Agudengba laughed and told the story of the barber:

In the early Qing Dynasty, some barbers set up stalls, while others carried a pole around the streets. One end of the pole is a long square stool, with three drawers installed under the stool, where all shaving appliances are placed: scarves, shaving supplies, etc.; the other end is a long circular cage in which a small stove is placed, and a copper basin is placed on top of the stove. Keep your shampoo water warm.

The front and back parts of the shaver's head are painted red to show respect. There is also a small flagpole on the shaving pole, and a dragon flag is hung on the flagpole. The cowhide knife cloth is said to have the meaning of respecting the emperor's imperial edict.

The barber holds a "calling head" as a market signal. The so-called "calling head" is a flat iron that looks like tweezers, about 30 centimeters long. The barber uses a thin iron rod to pass through the flat iron to make a "buzzing" sound. When people hear this unique sound, they know that the barber is coming.

The founder of the hair-shaving industry is said to be Taoist Luo from Baiyun Temple. At that time, Emperor Yongzheng was very particular about his haircut. He required various grooming methods such as "loose braid", "tight braid", "pot ring" and so on, which took a lot of effort.

One day, Yong Zheng felt a pain in his head when he was letting the eunuch braid his hair. Yongzheng was suspicious by nature and believed that the shaved brat had evil intentions. In a rage, he chopped off the heads of several shaved eunuchs one after another. In fact, it's not that the eunuchs were careless, but that Emperor Yongzheng had a sore on his head. If the razor touched the sore, would it not cause pus and blood?

A Taoist named Luo from Baiyunguan learned about this matter. Taoist Luo, whose ancestral home is in Hunan, loves to study. When shaving and cutting people's heads, he figured out massage techniques such as pinching, holding, pounding, and pressing. He also made particularly convenient razors, face razors, ear removal, eye cleaning and other utensils. He also invented tools such as brushes, combs, grates, and ear scoops for combing braids.

Taoist Luo sympathized with the little eunuch who had encountered an accident, so he taught the eunuchs in the palace the head shaving tools he invented, as well as massage techniques such as "eye punching", ear picking, and "putting to sleep". The so-called "eye massage" refers to eye massage. The barber holds a four-inch long needle with a bead-shaped tip and gently rolls the beads on the eyelids; a metal ear scoop and an ear velvet are used to gently twist the beads in the ears. It will bring people bursts of pleasure; and "putting to sleep" involves using your hands to massage the acupuncture points from the top of the head to the waist one by one by pinching, pinching, beating, clenching, and kneading. The barber should apply force evenly and in a quick rhythm.

From then on, Emperor Yongzheng had unprecedented enjoyment when getting a haircut, and his head sores healed quickly.

Emperor Yongzheng named Taoist Luo's set of hairdressing tools "the little deacon accompanying Chao Luanjia". Later, Taoist Luo passed away and was buried in Baiyun Temple, which is now Luogong Pagoda. Emperor Yongzheng gave Taoist Luo a special title: "Tian Dan Shou Yi Zhenren".

Since then, the barber industry has called Taoist Luo "Luo Zu". The ancestor worshiped in the barber shop in the early years was this Taoist Luo.

In the early days, barbers had to understand the rules of "three no-shaving" and "three no-sings" when they debuted. In the early Qing Dynasty, there were three types of people who were not included in the hair-shaving order and were called the "Three Not-Shaves", namely women, monks and beggars. "Three no-messages" means that when you use the "calling head" method by tapping, you don't chirp when you pass a temple, for fear of disturbing the ghosts and gods in the temple; you don't chirp when you cross a bridge, for fear of scaring the dragon kings all over the world; you don't chirp when you pass a barbering shed, for fear of disturbing your fellow travelers. Business means "doing things right and not making any noise".

Interestingly, the apprentices of barbers must first memorize the "Instructions for Cleaning Hair", which is said to be the ancestral teachings of barbers. The skills learned are regarded as "mantles passed down from masters". If you only know how to perform skills but do not know the "Instructions for Hair Cleansing", you will be ridiculed by your peers as "you have teachers but no ancestors", and you will be ostracized by your peers.

The story of the barber that Agudenba told Fangdi and Azhuo opened their eyes.

Agudengba satirically and mockingly sang a song called "Head-Shaving Song" from old Beijing:

 

The Manchu and Qing Dynasties issued an order to shave their hair and change their clothes.

Han people were forced to keep their hair in long braids.

From then on, the barber became an official of the imperial court.

Wear official clothes, take your salary and eat royal food.

As a result, shaven men started running around the streets.

The barber's errand shocked the world.

Whether to shave your head or not is not a private matter.

It's about whether you are loyal to the emperor or not.

 

The barber's barber has a long square stool,

There are three small drawers installed under the stool.

Place shaving supplies separately;

On the other end of the pick is a long round cage.

Place a small stove and copper basin,

Used to keep shampoo cold and hot.

The front and back of the pick are painted bright red.

There is also a small flagpole on the top of the pick.

The Manchu and Qing dragon flags hang on the flagpole.

The sword, knife and cloth have the meaning of respecting the imperial edict.

 

The barber holds a "head caller" in his hand.

It's a flat iron that looks like tweezers.

A thin iron rod passes through the flat iron,

Makes a unique "buzzing" sound,

Men, women, and children will know that the barber has arrived.

 

The founder of the hair shaving industry is Taoist Luo.

He made razors and razors,

He also invented ear scoops and eye cleaners.

Brushes, combs and grates are used for combing braids.

When shaving your head, you need to pinch, hold, beat and press.

 

Don't underestimate this street barber.

He actually dared to cut off Yongzheng's hair and shave his face.

He massaged the emperor's eyes and picked out his ears,

Massage the acupuncture points from the top of the head to the waist with both hands.

Knead, pinch, thump, and knead evenly and brightly.

He cured Emperor Yongzheng’s head sores,

The emperor gave him a set of hairdressing tools,

He was given the name: Little Deacon accompanying Chao Luan.

After his death, Taoist Luo was buried in Baiyun Temple.

Yongzheng's title: Tiandanshouyi Zhenren.

From then on, the barber industry called him Luo Zu.

He is the ancestor worshiped by the barber shop.