Chapter 25 Lecture 51

"Princess", "Ci Hai" explained: "The title of the emperor's daughter." Why is the emperor's daughter called princess?According to legend, when the daughter of the emperor in ancient times got married, the emperor did not preside over the marriage, but the three princesses, or the princes with the same surname, so they were called princesses.Later, throughout the dynasties, the emperor's daughter was called a princess. Ming system: The emperor's aunt is called the eldest princess, the sister is called the eldest princess, and the daughter is called the princess. They are all awarded a gold book and two thousand stones of Lumi.The princess's husband-in-law is called the prince's son-in-law, commonly known as "son-in-law".The husband-in-law of the princess of the Qing Dynasty was called the forehead son-in-law.According to the concubine in the Qing Dynasty, the queen's daughter was Princess Gulun, and the concubine's daughter was Princess Heshuo, with exceptions.

Princess Kejing, the sixth daughter of Emperor Kangxi, and Princess Xiao, the tenth daughter of Emperor Qianlong, were not descended from the direct line, but they were Princess Gulun.Why is this?One is political needs.Manchu-Mongolian marriages in the early Qing Dynasty, if the political status of the Mongolian forehead was to be improved, the rank of the princess should be raised first.The second is to reflect the intimate relationship between the emperor and the princess or the princess' biological mother.The third daughter of Emperor Kangxi was born to the Rong Concubine Ma Jia, and she was named Princess Heshuo at the beginning. Because she served the sick emperor's father, "the princess greeted the sick emperor with food, and did not stop in the morning and evening. For more than forty days, she did not slack off." The emperor recovered from his illness Later Jin named her Princess Gulun.The longest-lived princess of the Ming Dynasty is the fourteenth daughter of Zhu Yuanzhang who died at the age of 83 (Volume 3 of "Wanli Yehuobian"), and the shortest-lived princess of the Qing Dynasty is the eighteenth daughter of Emperor Kangxi.

There are too many important events in the life of a princess.This lecture takes the birth, treatment and marriage of the princess as an example to see the rich life enjoyed by golden branches and jade leaves. Birth custom in the Qing Palace, before and after the birth of the princess, one is to dig a happy pit (buried the placenta), and the Qin Tianjian chooses a place in the house or in the courtyard, and the eunuch digs the pit on an auspicious day. The meaning of giving birth to a child) and the eight treasures of gold and silver.The second is to prepare clothes, such as clothes for children, bedding, wooden troughs, wooden bowls, small wooden knives, Yiyi stones, large steaming knives, etc.The third is to choose milk nurses, that is, to choose wet nurses and nanny.The fourth is to open the mouth of fortune. After the child is born, use the "Fu Shou Dan" to open the mouth, looking forward to a lifetime of good fortune and longevity.The fifth is to do washing three. On the third day after the child is born, the emperor wears auspicious clothes and tells the news in Fengxian Hall.The sixth is to upgrade the cradle. On the ninth day after the princess is born, the cradle is pasted with blessing characters, happy songs are recited, and the cradle is promoted.The seventh is to celebrate the full moon, cut the hair of the fetus, and name it.The emperor of the Ming Dynasty wore ordinary clothes and entered the palace of the Qing Dynasty. The empress led the concubines who gave birth to the emperor's daughter and saluted at court.The nanny carried the princess to the hall, conferred the title on the empress, the emperor descended, held the right hand of the queen, proclaimed the name, and conferred the babysitter. (Volume 49 of "Da Ming Hui Dian") The eighth is to pass Bailu (hundred days), have a small banquet, and wish a hundred years old.Ninth is one full year old, all the dignitaries and princesses in the palace will be rewarded.The tenth is to enter the genealogy. The year, month, day, and hour of the birth of the prince and princess, and the name and surname of the birth mother are registered in time by the palace supervisor, and they are recorded in the "Jade Document" by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Treatment The princess enjoys special treatment and has no worries about food and clothing for life.Before marriage, 3 sticks of suet wax for one or two five cents per day, one stick of white wax for one or two five cents, one stick of suet wax, 5 catties of red bamboo charcoal, and 25 catties of black charcoal.Princess Gulun had 15 eunuchs, and Princess Heshuo had 13 eunuchs, as well as several wet nurses, nannies, and maids of honor.After marriage, the princess living in Beijing in the Qing Dynasty received a salary of 400 taels for Princess Gulun, 300 taels for her forehead, 300 taels for Princess Heshuo, and 250 taels for her forehead. ("Guangxu Dynasty Daqing Huidian Cases" Volume 248) The princess garden is 360 mu.

A married princess is called a married princess.The princess's marriage is the same as that of the folk, and it is also a "six rituals", that is, accepting the color (proposing marriage), asking the name (birthday), Najib (engagement), accepting the levy (betrothal gift), telling the date (wedding date), and marrying (the big gift).Here we introduce the four etiquettes of choosing a son-in-law, getting married, getting married and returning home. In the early Ming Dynasty, son-in-laws were often selected as "heroes for the founding of the country, because of their heart and soul", and in the later period, they often chose the children of common people who were talented and beautiful. For example, Princess Rongchang, the eldest daughter of Emperor Wanli, chose Yang Chunyuan, the No.In operas and novels, there are stories about choosing a son-in-law among the champions, such as Huangmei Opera "The Female Consort".Clearly select the Mongolian forehead, transfer from the Lifan Academy to foreign vassals, consult with the sons of the princes and princes of the Zasak Banner, find out the history of the three generations, their official titles, birth dates, surnames, and concubines, make a book and report to the government, and first write the yellow list, Please introduce me.

Get married at the Meridian Gate, and enter the 19th ceremony (eight horses, one camel), that is Nacai.On the wedding day, wear python clothes on the forehead, go to the east steps of Qianqing Gate, and kneel in the north.The Minister of Assistance announced: "A certain princess chooses a certain forehead." He accepted the order, thanked him, and withdrew. (Volume 89 of "Manuscripts of Qing History · Li Zhi") The next day, Yan Xiang was offered, and the son-in-law led the people in the clan to pay a visit to the Empress Dowager's Palace. After the ceremony, they gathered in the Palace of Baohe.The emperor was ascended to the seat, and the forehead and the son-in-law waited three times and nine times.Royal banquet, withdraw the banquet, thank you, kneel down and worship three times.Go outside the inner right door, kneel three times and bow nine times, and retreat.On that day, the family members of the forehead went to the Empress Dowager and the Queen's Palace, and had a feast like a ceremony.The day before the wedding, the inner government official led the Luan Yi school to send the dowry to the forehead of the concubine's mansion, and the inner management and the orderly women went to lay the dowry.

On the wedding day, ninety-nine gifts were prepared by the concubines of the Qing Dynasty, mainly including twenty-nine horses (eighteen), twenty-nine each of saddles and armor, thirty-nine idle horses, ninety banquets, ninety-nine sheep, and fifty-nine wines. (罇), Yan Xiang is like the original ceremony.When the auspicious time came, the princess would go to the empress dowager, the empress and the concubines in auspicious clothes to salute, and then the inner school would carry them out of the harem, lined up with ceremonial guards, and lead the torch to the inner left gate.The son-in-law rides the chariot to the inner left door to lower the chariot, the son-in-law lifts the curtain, and the princess lifts the sedan chair.The son-in-law worships again, and goes out first to return on horseback.The Princess Lu book was issued after the ceremonial ceremony, and Fujin, his wife, and his wife accompanied him to the second son-in-law.The son-in-law waits at the door first, the princess sedan chair arrives, the prince-in-law lifts the curtain, the princess lowers the sedan chair, and pays homage to the ancestral hall together, and then arrives at the dormitory.See my uncle (in-laws) tomorrow, the princess bows four times, and my uncle answers two bows. "The son-in-law pays two salutes to the princess, and the princess accepts it." (Volume 192 of "History of Ming An Pan Biography")

Nine days after returning home to get married, return to the palace to thank you.When the princess enters the palace to salute, the consort salutes outside the Cining Gate, the Qianqing Gate, and the Inner Right Gate, and cannot enter the harem.