Since there was always too much food at palace meals, once the emperor withdrew the remainder was shared among the concubines and eunuchs. The Ch'ien-lung Emperor's custom of using a special set of spoons and chopsticks to keep the food clean for them was the forerunner of the concept of separate serving spoons and chopsticks.
原來在宮廷中，皇帝的飯菜一向多得吃不完，撤下後宮女、太監會分食，高宗便以二副匙箸來保持飯菜清潔，成為「公筷母匙」觀念的先驅。