Chapter 7 7. The normal consumption of officials

"Wealthy" refers to a person who is rich. According to the prices in the Song Dynasty, if you have a savings of 10,000, you can be considered as a middle-class person. You can live comfortably in the capital, but you cannot enjoy luxury.Officials, like ordinary people, also eat and drink, and their main consumption is manifested in entertaining guests, drinking and prostitutes, buying and selling people, and giving gifts. In the third year of Song Taizong Chunhua (992), Bai Zhen, the governor of Raozhou, borrowed 500 Wen from a new colleague to entertain guests for dinner.500 wen for a meal is a lot, and the Song Dynasty officially stipulated that 770 wen is consistent, almost consistent consumption, which shows that eating is very rich.The new colleague is the young Ding Wei.According to Su Shi's records during the reign of Shenzong, officials Zhang Huaimin and Zhang Changyan played chess together, and the loser invited them to dinner, which also cost 500 Wen.It can be seen that a small gathering among officials and scholar-bureaucrats usually costs about 10,000 yuan, which is enough to feed a family of five with rice for a month.To say it was extravagant, when Huizong Emperor Cai Jing invited his colleagues to dinner, a single dish of steamed buns with crab roe cost "more than 1,300 yuan", and the meal cost at least tens of thousands of guan. The "rich" Zhu'er will be eaten naked.

Eating is a normal consumption, similar to pocket money, and buying and selling people is a large expenditure.In the Song Dynasty, it was reasonable and legal to resell people, have mistresses, find mistresses, and prostitutes.Emperor Huizong of Song Dynasty always wore a green dress and a small cap to take advantage of the dark moon and high wind to kill people and go out to prostitutes at night, let alone scholar-bureaucrats! "Shaw's Wenjianlu" records that when Wang Anshi was in Beijing as a magistrate, his wife Wu bought him a concubine!When Wang Anshi saw the concubine, he asked, who are you?The concubine said that she was bought by the wife to serve you, my lord.If it were someone else, he would definitely give in. Wang Anshi's desire for beauty, money, and power is very light, and he is really indifferent to fame and fortune.Wang Anshi asked again, who is your daughter?The concubine narrated the whole story. Her husband was a certain general. Because the rice was escorted, the boat capsized and sank. The loss should be compensated by the escorting military officer.The general went bankrupt and the compensation was not enough, so he had no choice but to sell his wife.Wang Anshi asked again, how much did Madam spend to buy you?The concubine replied nine hundred thousand.Wang Anshi found her husband and returned the goods, which made the couple reunite.Nine hundred thousand is nine hundred guan.

In the mid-Song Dynasty, the price of buying a maid was about a hundred guan. "Qingsuo Shihua" records that Han Qi guards Zhending, and a scholar Peng Zhifang came to apply for a job, but Han Qi ignored him.Peng Zhifang jumped into the courtyard of their house and slept under the wall for the night. The next day the servant reported, but Han Qi still disappeared, and he uttered a poem: "Clean and cultivate diligently, don't send crazy branches out of the wall." Peng Zhifang was ashamed, and immediately told her Poetry: "If the master is also pity for high integrity, don't give a gift for a crazy branch." Han Qi's eyes lit up, this young man has a lot of literary talents.Said that he didn't see her anymore, out of face, Han Qi bought a maid for a hundred guan as a gift.

Whether it is eating or reselling people, it is a normal expense. The main consumption of officials in the Song Dynasty was entertainment.Usually it's the kind of big deal, which makes people dumbfounded.Prostitution in the Song Dynasty was not prostitution in the general sense today.The prostitutes in the Song Dynasty, such as famous courtesans, singing and dancing prostitutes, camp prostitutes, actors, playing wild (local prostitutes), etc., were similar to courtesans, singing and dancing performances and sex workers.The culture of the Song Dynasty was extremely developed, and the general quality of prostitutes was also the highest in history.

"Qing Suo Poetry Talk" records that Kou Zhun became rich and started his luxurious life, first treating guests, second lighting wax, and third prostitution.Treating guests is normal, but frequent treats are not normal.Kou Zhun entertained guests all night long and lit candles. Candles were luxury goods in the Song Dynasty, and kerosene lamps were usually used for lighting. The price of each candle ranged from 150 to 400 renminbi.When Kou Zhun treats guests, official prostitutes dance the sexy Zhezhi dance of the Western Regions, which is similar to a sexy dance. When they get excited, Kou Zhun "wraps their heads" for the official prostitutes. After the actors perform, the guests give rewards. silk fabrics.He had a concubine named Qian Tao who couldn't understand it, and wrote a poem to persuade him: "A Qing song and a bunch of silk, the beauty still thinks it's too light. I don't know if the weaver girl is under the cold window, she can weave it several times." The translation is If you say that a geisha dances and sings, you just give a bundle of ribbons, and they don't take it seriously at all.Silk fabrics are hard-won, please cherish the fruits of labor of women weaving workers.

It can be seen from Qian Tao's poem, "One Qing song, one bundle of silk", it is impossible to sing only one song for a meal, and Kou Zhun has to reward several silk silks after the whole banquet.At that time, a large piece of silk was worth six to seven guan, and a small one was 0660 Wen, which was close to two guan, enough to feed a family of five for half a year.Moreover, singing girls are "disrespectful", and they don't take it seriously. Obviously, there are many officials who are more generous than Kou Zhun.Kou Zhun laughed when he saw the poem, and replied: "What will happen to the general's fame and fame? I can't bear to be in a hurry. Why ask about everything in the world, and listen to pornographic songs in front of the bottle." This poem expresses the aspirations of being an official.

The person who made more generous shots was Chao Chongzhi in Huizong's time. Chao Chongzhi was born in a prominent family with a wealthy family background.After being admitted as a Jinshi, "the youth is luxurious and free", wandered all over the fireworks and willow alleys in the capital, and exchanged ideas and discussed life with Li Shishi, Cui Nianyue, and Zhao Yuannu, the three famous prostitutes in the capital at that time.Especially for Li Shishi, there was a record of "wrapping the head with tens of millions", and a reward of 10,000 guan was given at a time.There are many famous prostitutes in the Song Dynasty, namely Liu E, Zhen Jinlian, Xie Yuying, Qin Cao, Li Niannu, Chaoyun, Yuwen Rouniang, Yu Guiying, Su Xiaoqing, Yan Xijiao, Xie Suqiu, Li Shishi, Hua Xiangrong, Xin Yaoqin, Liang Hongyu, Tan Yige, Yan Rui.Because of the high quality of the oiran, the famous prostitutes were "controlled by everyone", and even the officials and the emperor competed openly and secretly.

For example, after Li Shishi was "contracted" by Emperor Huizong of Song Dynasty, officials and scholar-officials could only watch from afar.But there are also bold ones, such as Zhou Bangyan, a famous lyricist at the end of the Northern Song Dynasty.Once when Zhou Bangyan was flirting with Li Shishi, Huizong arrived by chance.Seeing that he couldn't hide, Zhou Bangyan hurriedly got under the bed.Huizong took out a new orange (orange) to Li Shishi, saying that it was a new tribute from Jiangnan.Zhou Bangyan, who was under the bed, was inspired to write the lyrics "Youth Tour".

A few days later, when Li Shishi was accompanying Song Huizong, he sang "Wu Yan wins the snow, and the slender hands break the new scorpion" by accident.Song Huizong asked who wrote it, and Li Shishi blurted out that it was Zhou Bangyan.Song Huizong was not stupid either. "Slender Hands Breaking the New Clay" describes Li Shishi peeling oranges, and Zhou Bangyan was in the room that day, otherwise, how could he describe it so meticulously and vividly?Song Huizong angrily called to Cai Jing, looking for trouble to drive his rival Zhou Bangyan out of the capital.In a few days, Song Huizong visited Li again and waited for a long time before seeing her back. It turned out that she was going to see Zhou Bangyan off.Huizong was displeased, and Li Shishi sang the words "Lanting King" to adjust the awkward atmosphere, and he broke down in tears when he sang to the sad point.Song Huizong wiped away tears for her, sighed, that's all, come back!Recall Zhou Bangyan back to Beijing, Ren Dasheng Le Lezheng (lyricist of the Royal Orchestra).