Imperial Power and Medicine: Ingot and Its Equipment Made by Qing Palace during Yongzheng Period

Abstract This study aims to explore the Qing court’s emphasis on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) culture and technology, as well as the role of ingots as a carrier of imperial medical culture. By systematically sorting out the types, quantities, and shapes of medicinal ingots recorded in Huo Ji Dang (活计档 Archives of Imperial Workshops) during the 13-year Yongzheng reign, and by combining these records with existing ingot-related molds, physical specimens, and other collections in the Palace Museum, this research finds that: the Yongzheng Emperor incorporated ingots into the production list of the Imperial Workshop and established standardized preparation procedures, making them a technical practice for displaying imperial power; the fixed system of rewarding ingots during the Dragon Boat Festival turned ingots into a product of Manchu-Han cultural integration and formed a custom; the evolution of ingot equipment was dynamically related to military activities in the mid-Qing dynasty, confirming its function in court politics; and the integration of the preparation and packaging process of ingots into the power operation system, and transforming TCM-related knowledge and technology into means of exercising power, constructed a materialized path for imperial power to regulate the bureaucratic system and social order. The conclusion reveals the inherent logic of the Qing court: establishing authoritative identity through material culture.