Abstract:
“Being bareheaded, barefoot and prostrate to apologize” and “being bareheaded, barefoot and making a long kowtow to express an apology” are both complete etiquettes for ministers to apologize to the emperor. They can be abbreviated as bareheaded apology, barefoot apology, bare headed and barefoot apology, prostrate apology, bareheaded and prostrate apology, etc.“Being bareheaded, barefoot and making a quick kowtow to express an apology” are complete etiquettes for expressing apologies among ministers. They can also be abbreviated as bareheaded apology, bareheaded apology with a quick kowtow, apology with a quick kowtow, apology with a kowtow. As there is only difference in the duration of one’s forehead touching the ground among making a quick kowtow, being prostrate and making a long kowtow, these etiquettes will not be further distinguished. The quick kowtow can also be used by a minster to apologize to the emperor.“Taking off hairpins and earrings and making a quick kowtow barefoot” are the complete etiquettes for a princess to apologize to the emperor. They can be abbreviated as hairpin removing apology, hairpin/earring removing apology with a kowtow, and so on. These apologetic etiquettes were widely applied in the upper class of the Western Han Dynasty, and played a proper role in mitigating the disputes between the ministers and the emperor, and among the ministers.
