Held in the Lonely Castle – Characters, Place Names & Rankings
Table of Contents
Updated until: Chapter 1 Part 5 – In Progress
Characters
Main Characters
梁怀吉 Liang Huaiji (LHJ): ML of the series. A eunuch.
- 怀(huái) means “to harbour or cherish” and 吉(jí) means “auspicious or lucky.”
- Originally called 梁元亨 Liang Yuan Heng but was given a new name by Zhang Maoze since explaining his name would lead him to break the taboo of calling the reigning Emperor by name. Chp 1 Part 1, The Forbidden Palace Gates, explains the origin behind LHJ’s birth name.
- Became a eunuch when he was 8 years old.
兖国公主 Princess Yan Guo, Huirou: FL of the series. Daughter of Emperor Renzong.
- 兖(yǎn) means “to establish” and 国(guó) means “country or nation.”
- Other titles: 福康公主 Princess Fukang
Royalty
Emperor (皇帝)
- 宋仁宗 Emperor Renzhong
- Also referred to as 今上, 官家
Empress (皇后)
- 皇后, 曹氏 Empress Cao
Consorts (妃)
Imperial Concubines (嫔)
- 苗昭容 Zhaorong Miao
- Birth Mother of Huirou (MC)
Jieyu (婕妤)
- 俞婕妤 Jieyu Yu
- Seems to be on good terms with Zhaorong Miao
Beautiful Ladies (美人)
- 张美人 Beautiful Lady Zhang
- Birth Mother of 幼悟 Youwu (Her 8th daughter)
- Dharma name: 保慈崇祐大师 Master of Protection, Kindness, Honour and Blessings
- Birth Mother of 幼悟 Youwu (Her 8th daughter)
Talented Ladies (才人)
Eunuchs (By Rank)
两省都都知 – Dual Department Head Chamberlain
都都知 – Superior Omniscent Chamberlain
都知 – Omniscent Chamberlain
- 张惟吉 Zhang Weiji: Omniscient Chamberlain of the Interior Department (内内侍省 都知)
副都知 – Assistant Omniscent Chamberlain
- 任守忠 Ren Shouzhong: A high-ranking eunuch. Invited to teach by Liang Quanyi.
- *Guessing his rank
押班 – Custodial Team Member
内东头供奉官 – Head Servitor of the Eastern Interior
- 张茂则 Zhang Maoze: Supervisor Official for the Inner Eastern Gate. Invited to teach by Liang Quanyi. Saved LHJ’s life and bestowed him with a new name.
- Courtesy name: Pingfu
- *Guessing his rank
内西头供奉官 – Head Servitor of the Western Interior
内侍殿头 – Building Manager
- 梁全一 Liang Quanyi: LHJ’s teacher for court etiquette and palace regulations. A kindly eunuch who treats him well.
内侍高品 – First-Class Eunuch
内侍高班 – Senior Eunuch
内侍黄门 – Junior Eunuch
- 张承照 Zhang Chengzhao: LHJ’s peer from the Hanlin Classical Institute. His ‘senior’ in the palace despite being two years younger.
内侍小黄门 – Apprentice Eunuch
- Where MC and Zhang Chengzhao started off in c1 pt 2
Other Officials
崔白 Cui Bai: An Apprentice Painter in the Fine Arts Institute. He teaches LHJ to paint.
- Courtesy name: Zixi
Place Names
This post is quickly turning into my catch-call list for all the different departments within the palace, not just those that appear in Held in the Lonely Castle.
东京 The East Capital: The capital city of this novel. This refers to modern-day Kaifeng City in the Henan Province of China. Here is a map of it’s location during the Song Dynasty.
皇城 The Imperial City: The inner part of Beijing with the Imperial Palace at its centre. This area mainly consists of institutions and facilities serving the court and the offices of the court such as the Hanlin Academy.
Palace Gates
西华门 Xi Hua Gate or the West Glorious Gate: The western outer gate of the Forbidden City.
右掖门 Right Side Gate
右长庆门 Right Gate of Eternal Celebration
右嘉肃门 Right Gate of Fine Reverence
右银台门 Right Silver Terrace Gate
皇仪门 The Gate of Imperial Rites
垂拱门 The Gate of Imparting Respect
Departments Within the Palace
See Chp 1 Pt 2 for an explanation of each office’s function 🙂
中书省 The Central Secretariat – See Ancient Ranks and Titles
尚书省 The Department of State Affiairs – See Ancient Ranks and Titles
- 尚书内省 – The Department of Internal Affairs – A department composed of female officials (女官) that were charged with the administrative aspects of managing the Imperial Harem. They wore uniforms like their male official counterparts but could also become concubines in the Imperial Harem if he took a fancy to them. Example: The drama Legend of Lu Zhen (陆贞传奇).
门下省 The Chancellery – See Ancient Ranks and Titles
- 门下后省 The Inner Chancellery
枢密院 The Privy Council
国史院 The Institute of National History
皇城司 The Imperial Palace Department
- May have been known in other dynasties by:
- 内务府 Imperial Household Department
- 禁城司 Imperial Household Bureau
- 尚食局 The Imperial Kitchen: This is the department that deals with food in the imperial palace.
- 浣衣局 The Laundry Department: a common department to banish servants or even concubines who have lost favour; known for being a place of hard labour.
入内内侍省 Interior Department of Service
- Also known as 后省、北司 The Interior Department, the Northern Office
- Other translations: The Department of Inner Palace Affairs
Bureaus Under the Interior Department
- 御药院 The Imperial Pharmacy
- 内东门司 The Office of the Inner East Gate
- Other translations: The Inner Palace East Gate Bureau
- 合同凭由司 The Auditing Bureau (Full: The Imperial Requisition Verification and Auditing Bureau)
- 龙图、于昌、宝文阁
- 龙图阁 The Dragon Diagram Hall of the Imperial Archives
- 于昌阁 = 天章阁 Hall of Heavenly Manifestation
- 宝文阁 Pavillion of Treasured Classics of the Hanlin Institute.
内侍省 [Exterior] Department of Service [1]Lit. translations is just “The Department of Service” but that could be confusing so I added [Exterior] for clarification.
- Also known as 前省、南班 The Exterior Department, the Southern Office
Bureaus Under the Exterior Department
- 翰林院 (hànlín yuàn) Hanlin Imperial Academy
- 天文局/天文院 The Astronomy Institute
- 书艺局/书院 The Classical Institute
- 图画局/画院 The Fine Arts Institute
- 医官局/医院 The Medical Institute
- Other Units:
- 琴院 The Zither Institute
- 棋院 The Chess Institute
- 玉院 The Jade Institute
- 管勾往来国信所 State Credentials Verification Bureau
- 后苑 Imperial Grounds Division
- 造作所 The Imperial Workshop
- 军头引见司 The Military Reception Division
- This was an office unique to the Song Dynasty
- Originally two departments: 军头司 the Bureau of Junior Army Officers and 引见司 the Bureau of Military Reception
Palaces/Royal Residences
柔仪殿 Hall of Gentle Countenance/Rouyi Hall where the Empress lives.
垂拱殿 Hall of Imparting Respect
福宁殿 Hall of Tranquil Blessings
Eunuch Rankings
These are my own translations of the titles. There may be others out there.
Ranked highest to lowest
- 两省都都知 – Dual Department Head Chamberlain
- 都都知 – Superior Omniscent Chamberlain
- 都知 – Omniscent Chamberlain
- 副都知 – Assistant Omniscent Chamberlain
- 押班 – Custodial Team Member [2]Group responsible for detaining, escorting, guarding, and meting out punishment.
- 内东头供奉官 – Head Servitor of the Eastern Interior
- 内西头供奉官 – Head Servitor of the Western Interior
- 内侍殿头 – Building Manager
- 内侍高品 – First-Class Eunuch
- 内侍高班 – Senior Eunuch
- 内侍黄门 – Junior Eunuch
- 内侍小黄门 – Apprentice Eunuch
Forms of Address for Eunuchs in the Song Dynasty
These titles are explained in the author’s note in chp 1 pt 3.
- 内侍 – Eunuch
- 内臣 – Chamberlain
- 宦者 – Eunuch-Official
- 中官 – Half-Official
- 中贵人 – Half-Emminence (used by people outside the palace)
Scholar Rankings Within the Fine Arts Institute
Ranked highest to lowest from chp 1 pt 3.
- 供奉 – Imperial Servitor
- 祗侯 – Master Artisan
- 艺学 – Apprentice Artisan
- 待诏 – Scholar Awaiting Imperial Appointment (Seems to be a universal rank across institutes within Hanlin Academy.)
- 画学正 – Established Painter
- 画学生 – Apprentice Painter
Other:
- 勾当官 – Supervisor Official – It seems to be a title used by both scholars and eunuchs.
Sources:
- Baidu – 入内内侍省
- 中国历代职官别名大辞典(增订本)精 by 龚延明
- Imperial Treasures: Finance and Power in Song China by Robert M. Hartwell
- The emperor’s generals, a study of the Sanya commanders in the Northern Song (960-1126) by Li Yang
- Branches of Heaven: A History of the Imperial Clan of Sung China by John W. Chaffee
- Reviewed Work: The Hanlin Academy: Training Ground for The Ambitious, 1644-1850 by Adam Yuen-chung Lui; Reviewed by E-tu Zen Sun
Translator Notes
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