An audience with the Son of Heaven could be a minefield of ritual, ceremony, and etiquette for China’s court officials
As the 15th century Emperor Yingzong chaired yet another long, meticulous daily meeting with his officials, a commotion broke out in their ranks. Zeng Xuan (曾瑄), an official from the Ministry of Justice, was looking embarrassed: He had wet himself.
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Sun Jiahui is a freelance writer and former editor at The World of Chinese. She writes about Chinese language, society and culture, and is especially passionate about sharing stories of China's ancient past with a wider audience. She has been writing for TWOC for over six years, and pens the Choice Chengyu column.
