There were hundreds of men dressed as widows and good women in the Ming Dynasty.

This article contains the third issue of Seeking Roots in 2009. Author: Ceramic Art, original title: Ancient "Men Dressed as Women".

In China's ancient literature and legends, the legendary story of "women disguised as men" is well known: Hua Mulan joined the army instead of her father, Xie Xiaoe took revenge, wrote a poem and resigned, and Han's daughter and Li galloped on the battlefield and won the championship. Moreover, when we look back at the literature of past dynasties, we can also find many phenomena of "disguised as women". However, after comparing the two, it is found that in the story of "women disguised as men", most of the protagonists are women with simple motives and sincere behavior. However, in the case of "men disguised as women", except for the "male Dan" in the traditional Chinese opera performance, most of the people involved are despicable wretches with bad motives, grotesque behaviors and distorted psychology. We might as well compare some examples from the literature of past dynasties to investigate the different types of this phenomenon and the social, historical and cultural factors reflected behind it.

In the patriarchal society in ancient China, the behavior of women disguised as men is a challenge to the secular concept that men are superior to women, and it is a last resort. In the eyes of ordinary people, being a man is a kind of luck and pride. Among the "three great pleasures of life" mentioned by Tian Rui in the glorious period, being a man is the second greatest pleasure. Then, in the ancient society where men were the most important, a man had to give up his noble gender identity and dress up as a man and be a coquettish woman. If he has nothing to hide, or he is addicted to clothes, he must have ulterior motives.

Investigating the phenomenon of men disguised as women in ancient times can be roughly divided into the following categories.

& lt！ -Advertising space: picture-in-picture on the article page-> The first category belongs to the dirty activities in the court. In ancient times, some monarchs with corrupt style and weird psychology often loved men and had the addiction of "Longyang". Famous figures in literature include Yi Ya of Qi Huangong, You Shi of Jin Xiangong, Long Yangjun of Wei Hou in Warring States, Ji Ru of Emperor Gaozu, Hong Ru of Hui Di, Deng Tong of Wendi and Han Yan of Wudi. But these Toy Boy people are just good-looking and spoiled, and they are basically men's clothes; Dong Xian, when the Han Dynasty mourned the Emperor, shamelessly presented women's clothes. Hanshu? It is recorded in Fule Biography that Dong Xian is a saint, beautiful and complacent. He loves his appearance and loves him very much. When you go out, take a bus and enter the royal family. "The sage is also gentle and self-sufficient." Once Eddie and Dong Xian were sleeping, Dong Xian's body pressed Eddie's sleeve. After Eddie got up, he was afraid to wake Dong Xian who was sleeping, so he cut off his robe sleeve with a knife. Since then, "Broken Sleeves" has become synonymous with homosexuality in ancient times. According to Wang Jia's "Collection of Notes", Volume VI says: "It's still extravagant and flattering to lose the emperor. In love, the lucky minister competes with the demon and talks eloquently. Dong Xian flies like a cicada in the fog. When the emperor entered the banquet room, he ordered Yan Qing (today, according to Qi Zhiping's note: the Maoists called him "Sheng Qing", that is, near) to change his clothes to small sleeve lightly, without wearing extravagant clothes, and to turn around easily. Imperial secretaries all have broken sleeves. " Mr. Qian Zhongshu explained in the second volume of Guanzubian (Taiping GuangjiNo. 160) that Dong Xian was wearing "light clothes small sleeve": "Also known as women's clothes." Indeed, "the mist is lonely and floating like a cicada", but what about women's clothes?

In the ancient court, there were not only many harem concubines, but also men's concubines, and their lives were ruined. Even empresses and princesses are deeply influenced by the wind of * * *, and all kinds of scandals are well documented. As we all know, Princess Yin Shan in Liu and Song Dynasties had 30 people as her "face", and Wu Zetian also had a harem. According to Volume II of Miscellanies of Xijing, during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Zhao, because he had no children, opened a room in the palace in the name of praying for blessings, and no idle people were allowed to enter. She secretly used a frivolous teenager in Z car with curtains and women's clothes to enter the secret room of the harem to commit adultery with Zhao. Every day, a dozen young men put on women's clothes and become rich. They took turns to replace, without rest. However, in the end, Zhao still failed to give birth to the prince. According to the Book of Jin? According to Biography of Empresses, Jia Nanfeng, the queen of Emperor Jinhui, was short and ugly, cruel, jealous and dissolute. She often sends old ladies-in-waiting out to look for young men, puts them in the palace with curtains and commits adultery with them. Most of these people were later executed, and only one Luoyang beadle who was particularly fond of the empress dowager could live intact. It's just that when these men enter the palace, they often put them in boxes. Whether to wear women's clothes to hide people's eyes and ears is not clear in the Book of Jin. Take Zhao and Jin Dynasties as examples to decide elder brother, which should be the case.

King Hailing of Jin Dynasty is a famous dissolute king in history. He often takes his deputy's wife and daughter as concubines. His concubine Ding Ge is Wu Dai's wife, our special envoy, and he takes her away by force. Later, Wang Yue from Hailing became more and more popular, and Ding Ge was once again given a cold shoulder, so Ding Ge, unwilling to be lonely, secretly led his old lover Yan Gai into the palace. First, she deceived the palace master with obscene clothes in a big bamboo box, and then stole the beggar into the palace, made him wear women's clothes, pretended to be a maid-in-waiting, and went out at dusk every day for more than ten days. In the end, he was defeated because of the accusation, and Ding Ge and the beggar were killed. This is the golden history? One of the harem scandals recorded in The Biography of Empresses.

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The second category belongs to folk fraud, that is, young men pretend to be * * *, and enter and leave people's boudoir under the guise of teaching women workers, taking the opportunity to defraud good women. There are many such cases recorded in the historical materials of the Ming Dynasty, which may be related to the social customs at that time. For example, Volume 8 of Xie Zhao J's Five Miscellanies records: "During the Chenghua period of the State Dynasty, Sang (Yu Zhong), a native of Shizhou, Taiyuan Prefecture, studied as a female worker and pretended to be a widow in forty-five counties such as Pingyang, Zhending, Shunde and Jinan. Where there is a good woman, that is, in the name of teaching female workers, she secretly seduces a play and commits adultery with her. Don't follow, is to spray * * *, read a spell, let them motionless. If they do this for several nights in a row, they must move to other places, so that they will not be defeated for a long time, and they will run away when they hear men's voices. If it has been more than ten years, there are hundreds of prostitutes. " Later, Sang (Yuzhong) was exposed, and he was captured and sent to the official. He gave up a dozen companions, all taught by the same master. In the end, this criminal gang with scattered crimes and strong mobility was all brought to justice, but the deception reflected in this case was amazing, unheard of and rare in later generations. On the one hand, it reflects the serious hidden dangers of social security in the Ming Dynasty, on the other hand, it also reflects the luxury of the people in the Ming Dynasty. Later, Feng Menglong rewrote this case into the entry part in his novel Brothers and Sisters of Liu Xiaoguan, which shows that this is a very sensational and far-reaching social news in the Ming Dynasty.

In the seventh volume of Miscellanies in the Garden written by Lu Rong, there are similar situations to the case of Sang (Yuzhong). At that time, there were many kinds of cheating on marriage: some people exchanged ugly women for beauty, some eloped with men's property in the name of marriage, and some people were unfaithful to women and bound their feet with powder. This is realistic. When you passed the door, you took it by surprise and ran away. Among them, "seizing men's property" is still a fraud phenomenon. "Beating children" in the Ming Dynasty is called "standing pigeons" today, but brides are all female liars (some are forced by traffickers). As for the situation of cheating marriage by pretending to be a woman, it basically doesn't exist today.

The third category can be regarded as the wind of ancient men. In some periods of China's history, a group of men dressed in women's clothes appeared in the society, which was actually a reflection of their abnormal living conditions or morbid aesthetic psychology, such as Xunzi? Non-phase chapter pointed out that "today's secular chaos, the song of the hometown of children, is a beautiful night, strange clothes and women's ornaments, bloody state, meaning women." Although this enchanting dress was once sought after by women, it was eventually despised by the public and sanctioned by criminal law. In addition, the ancient monarch preferred sons to daughters, saving more and advocating Excellence gradually spread to the people in later generations. According to the well-thought-out article "Prohibition of Male Prostitution" in the Song Dynasty, "When Wendong Capital (Author: This refers to the Northern Song Dynasty) flourished, rogue men also used it as a place to feed and clothe. Politics and politics, the first legislation to arrest this person, this person is a prostitute, staff 100, reward (suspected "punishment") 50 yuan. This wind is especially popular in Wu customs, and its nest is outside the new door. They are all beautifully dressed and good at pointing. They are like women, begging for food ... When the government files a lawsuit against men, they will be called to investigate. Nothing is more corrupt than this. " Although this immoral phenomenon has been criticized by public opinion since ancient times or banned by the government, it has been banned until the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In the literature and novels at that time, characters such as Tsing Yi and Kidnapper often appeared. Although they may not wear women's clothes, this is not only the pernicious habit of ancient men, but also the reflection of the decadent feudal world in the last days.

Similar to the above situation, there are men's and women's clothes in Wei and Jin Dynasties. At that time, aristocratic men often pursued a feminine beauty. They not only wear makeup and sachets, but also take care of themselves. Some people also like to wear women's clothes. Today, it is called "transvestite", which is a sexual psychological obstacle, but it was regarded as fashion by some people in Wei and Jin Dynasties. For example, the words "Jade Man", "Jade Mountain" and "Jade Tree in the Wind" are often used in Shi Shuo Xin Yu to describe the beauty of men. And Yanhe, a famous celebrity. He is "beautiful and elegant, with a white face". On weekdays, "it always turns white" (The History of the Three Kingdoms quotes Wei Lue), and it is also "good for women" (Song Shu? The ambition of the five elements "). This morbid and deformed beauty of weakness naturally reflects a trend of the times lacking masculinity.

The fourth category belongs to the "male Dan" art in China opera performance. In the history of China's traditional operas, most of the early actors were men, such as You Meng and You Fang in the pre-Qin period, a hundred schools of thought contended in the Han Dynasty, Huang Zanchu and Zhang Yehu in the Tang Dynasty. But in the Tang Dynasty, both the court and the people were popular with musical dramas and military dramas. At this time, there are men and women actors who can dress up as women. However, due to psychological factors, there are still many criticisms about the performance of actors pretending to be women. For example, in Ci Singing, Han Yu first praised the graceful singing of the actress, and then ridiculed the singing of the actor: "Straight men are everywhere, and there are female voices in their throats. Your heart is * * *? Are you a daughter? " What is criticized here is obviously the performance of actors pretending to be women. During the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, a number of outstanding Kundan appeared on the stage of traditional Chinese opera, but the art of male Dan also made great progress. In the Qing Dynasty, actors gradually occupied the mainstream of Danxing. A Qing and Li Dou recorded a large number of male Dan actors in "The Painting of Yangzhou", and their performing arts reached a higher level. The same book volume 9 also said: "Yangzhou Flower Drum, pretending to be a king and a fisherman, are all men." Later, it developed into the stage of modern drama, and there were many male performances in both Kunqu Opera Club and Flower Theatre. Especially through the efforts of several generations of Peking Opera artists, the actor performance has gradually sublimated into an elegant "male Dan" art, and many famous actresses have come forth in large numbers, adding luster to the national quintessence and spreading stories. It should be noted that the women's dress performance of male singers in past dynasties belongs to a stage art, which is absolutely different from other types of men's dress. Moreover, Dan's women's clothing is limited to stage or art photos, and it is still male clothing in daily life.

The fifth situation, as a cover of military action, is a strategy to disguise as a woman to paralyze the enemy. For example, Old Tang Book? The Biography of Shimei records that when Shimei rebelled against Tang Gaozu, Wang Bodang was loyal to Shimei. "At that time, there were dozens of swords, dressed in women's clothes and wearing black hats (a hat with curtains around it, also known as a" curtain hat ",which can cover the face against the wind, and women in the Northern Dynasties and the Tang Dynasty often wore it when they went out). Hide the knife under the skirt and cheat into Taolin county government. After a while, the change of clothes is outstanding because according to the county. " Another example is "Old Tang Book"? Biography of Chou He records that in the late Sui War, Hanwang Yang Liang transferred troops to revolt, and Chou He was ordered to defend Zhou Pu (now Yongji, Shanxi) at that time. Yang Liang knew Qiu's kindness and won the hearts of the people. He could only outsmart Zhou Pu, so he put all his soldiers in the shackles of women's clothes and power, and unexpectedly attacked the city and occupied Zhou Pu. Because women have always been alienated from fighting and killing, they are not easy to attract the attention of the enemy, and often have the effect of surprise attack, so they are repeatedly used by Wang Bodang, Yang Liang and others.

In addition, there were some examples of men disguised as women in ancient times, either to avoid disaster or because of humiliation. In short, it is mostly passive behavior and has to be done. For example, Old Tang Book? In Li Zhongchuan, the eldest son of Emperor Gaozong was originally appointed as the Crown Prince. Later, due to the favor of Wu Zetian, Jong Li was abolished as the King of Liang, and Li Hong, the son of Wuhou, was created as the Prince. "I grew up in loyalty, and I was often afraid that I would feel insecure or take women's clothes privately to prevent assassins." Although he was cautious and worried, he could not escape the fate of exile and death.

Since ancient times, men and women have their own uniforms and cannot be confused with each other. If a handsome man dresses like a woman and behaves like a daughter, it will arouse everyone's contempt and even be regarded as a "shemale" and an ominous sign. Like Uncle Song? When it comes to making peace, it is good for women. The Five Elements of Zhiyi quoted Fu Xuan as saying: "This service is also evil." Women who wear men's clothes and women who wear men's clothes are also condemned: "The last play (after Xia Jie, good clothes and men's clothes) is the crown of men, and the world is ruined; Yanhe's clothes were taken away by a woman, and all his family members died. It is also embarrassing. " It is based on this concept that the ancients often used women's clothes to ridicule and humiliate cowardly men. For example, according to the Book of Jin? According to Xuandi Ji, when Sima Yi and Zhuge Liang confronted each other in Wuzhangyuan, Zhuge Liang wanted to make a quick decision, but Sima Yi was ordered to wait and see. Zhuge Liang challenged many times, but Sima Yi refused to go to war. Zhuge Liang ordered people to send women's clothes to Sima Yi to humiliate his cowardice. If Emperor Wei hadn't ordered Zhuge Liang not to fight, his stimulus would have been successful. In Beiqishu? Yuan Shaozhuan also recorded the atrocities committed by Wen Qi, Xuan Di and Levin in destroying the imperial clan of Wei Dynasty. Yuan Shao, a descendant of Wei, resigned because of his meekness. Gao Yang shaved his beard, put on makeup, put on women's clothes, followed him and said, "This is my concubine." Humiliate and ridicule Yuan Shao as a woman. It is sad that a conquered vassal was made a living by a tyrant of the new dynasty and his personal dignity was trampled on by others.

Generally speaking, the ancients mostly gave each other women's clothes or let each other wear women's clothes to show their humiliation. But there are also pranksters, dressed in women's clothes, pretending to tease others. For example, the third volume of Quotations from the Tang Dynasty recorded such a farce: in the fourth year of the late Tang Dynasty (877), the adopted son's text was tried and tested, and he was worried about the vicissitudes of the world. When the first person held a celebration, he wore gold ornaments, women's clothes, covered his head with a towel and sat in a small sedan chair, leading a group of ladies-in-waiting dressed like himself to the southeast of Chang 'an. When the new Jinshi were on a boat trip, they suddenly saw many beautiful women wandering under the Liu Yin on the shore, so they moved the boat to the shore and paid attention to teasing. Just as Fang was in high spirits, Wen Ding ordered people to lift the curtain of the sedan chair, and lifted her skirt to reveal her furry calf. After reading it, everyone covered their faces with sleeves and felt very disappointed. They quickly turned their bows around. This is really like a hilarious comedy sketch. Through it, it reflects the world and human feelings in the late Tang Dynasty.

Editor in Charge: Guo Wei

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