oom was
about twenty feet square, just ordinarily furnished in black wood
furniture with red cloth cushions and silk curtains hanging from the
three windows. We were not in this room more than five minutes when a
gorgeously dressed eunuch came and said: "Imperial Edict says to invite
Yu tai tai (Lady Yu) and young ladies to wait in the East side Palace."
On his saying this, the two eunuchs who were with us knelt down
and replied "Jur" (Yes). Whenever Her Majesty gives an order it is
considered an Imperial Edict or command and all servants are required to
kneel when any command is transmitted to them the same as they would if
in Her Majesty's presence, Then they told us to follow them and we went
through another left gate to another courtyard laid out exactly the same
as the former, except that the Ren Shou Dien (audience hall) is situated
on the north side and the other buildings were a little larger. The
eunuchs showed us into the east side building, which was beautifully
furnished with reddish blackwood exquisitely carved, the chairs
and tables covered with blue satin and the walls hung with the same
material. In different parts of the room were fourteen clocks of all
sizes and shapes. I know this, for I counted them.

In a little while two servant girls came and waited on us and told us
that Her Majesty was dressing and that we were to wait a little time.
This little time proved to be a matter of more than two hours and
a half, but as this is considered nothing in China, we did not get
impatient. From time to time eunuchs came and brought milk to drink and
about twenty or more dishes of various kinds of food which Her Majesty
sent. She also sent us each a gold ring with a large pearl in the
center. Later the chief eunuch, Li Lien Ying, came dressed in his
official clothes. He was of the second rank and wore a red button and
peacock feather and was the only eunuch that was ever allowed to wear
the peacock feather. He was a very ugly man, very old and his face was
full of wrinkles; but he had beautiful manners and said that Her Majesty
would receive us in a little while, and brought us each a jade ring
which she had sent us. We were very much surprised that she should give
us such beautiful presents before she had even seen us, and felt most
kindly disposed toward her for her generosity.

Soon after Li Lien Ying had gone, two court ladies, daughters of Prince
Ching, came in and asked the eunuchs who were attending us