What do you mean by three wives and six concubines?

The meaning of "three wives and six concubines" should be "polygamy". In ancient times, it mostly referred to three wives and six concubines. The main purpose is to carry on the family line.

China was an absolute class society and patriarchal society in ancient times, and the marriage of children was decided by parents. Perhaps in order to fundamentally put an end to free love between young men and women, especially between different classes, legal provisions should strictly stipulate the division of wives and concubines.

"Book of Rites": "Runners are concubines, parents are cheap", "Good quality and low price don't get married". In other words, if the young children's free love is blocked and they meet and elope, the woman is not qualified to be a wife, and both families only think that she is just a concubine.

The origin of "madam"

The highest-level "wife" is "engagement", that is, according to the formal wedding procedure, people are sent to the other party's home to propose marriage (the other party is often a noble family), and then they are sent to send a dowry after obtaining the consent, and then the auspicious day for the wedding is determined. Finally, the woman sent someone to escort the bride, and the man sent someone to meet her, which was very grand. It was "eight big sedan chairs were carried in." Because my mother comes from a famous family, she is often the daughter of a monarch and a doctor, so the son she gave birth to is the "eldest son" of this family. Whether the mother is born in a famous family determines the status of the mother, and then determines the status of the son, not the IQ of the son, thus avoiding infighting. It is called "standing by length rather than virtue, standing by value rather than length".

The origin of "that"

"That" is another way to marry a wife. Generally speaking, after conquering an enemy country, the large family of princes or ministers of the enemy country became prisoners and married their own daughters or daughters-in-law, which is called "Na". It doesn't sound so respectful, and there is no big sedan chair. For example, da ji and Li Ji are concubines.

The origin of "you"

"I" means lucky. Generally speaking, after a family member commits a crime, the man becomes a slave, and his wife and daughter become maids, working in a big official's house. When I was working, my body collapsed due to labor, and the curve was exposed or the spring leaked out, which suddenly aroused my master's interest in reading in class, so I jumped down and stripped off her clothes and got high once, just like Ximen Qing raped Chun Mei. Of course, a gentle person may not ride on it on the spot, but may slowly enjoy it in the room, just like Jia She gave a carrot and took a mandarin duck. This woman's name is Yan Ren, and her status is the lowest. Being a wife is indecent, just like taking a nanny as a girlfriend.

The origin of concubines

During the period of clan society, the country had a "marriage system", which only clan leaders were qualified to implement. That is, when a daughter gets married, the Yue family must be accompanied by a niece with the same surname. Sisters or slaves married in the past naturally belong to concubines, and it goes without saying that sisters and concubines are higher than slaves. Later, the "concubine" officially appeared. Concubine in the family, although undertaking the obligation of bearing children, cannot enjoy the treatment of "wife". Why? The initial reason is simple-the wife's family background is higher than that of the concubine. Concubines generally come from humble families, even gifts from the defeated side.

Therefore, the wife is "married" and the concubine is "accepted". The property given to the Yues by their wives when they get married is called "dowry", while the property given when they take their concubines is called "buying money for concubines".

Gu Liang Biography: "Don't be my wife". In other words, concubines are not qualified to be wives, and men who have concubines and no wives are still unmarried "bachelors". When the first wife dies, even if her husband has a room full of concubines, he is a widower without a wife. He should find another good family to hire the first wife.

The identity of a concubine is a foregone conclusion, and it has become an iron law in the Tang and Song Dynasties. "I am a bitch", "I know how to buy and sell" and "I am the wife of a guest girl for one and a half years" in A Brief Introduction to the Law of the Tang Dynasty.

If I was promoted to be a wife, it would be a violation of the criminal law. Once things happen, the couple will be sentenced to one and a half years in prison together, or they will divorce. Under such a law, a woman who has become a concubine is no longer a person, and it is common for her husband or first wife to abuse concubines.

Hui Yuan: "If I take it, I can meet a gentleman but not a husband and wife." It turns out that concubines are only for the handover of men and women. They can only call their husbands brothers, but they are not qualified to call them husband and wife.

Book of Rites: "A concubine buyer has the same property as her base." The same is to sleep with my husband and give birth to children for him, and my concubine's identity is just a bought item.