How did the "trial marriage system" come about? On the eve of the horse's wedding, will the princess really send the palace maid to the bed?
The origin and evolution of the ancient royal trial marriage system
In a feudal society where imperial power is supreme, the princess's marriage can be described as the coexistence of honor and shackles. In order to safeguard the royal blood and political interests, the Qing Dynasty emperor not only had strict criteria for the selection of horses, but also set up a special "trial marriage system" to ensure that the princess's lifelong events were foolproof.
This unique tradition of trial marriage can actually be traced back to the Ming Dynasty. In order to prevent his relatives from interfering in politics, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty at that time did not allow the princess to marry the prince minister, but chose from among the common people. However, the unscrupulous people who coveted power and wealth even dared to pretend to be a concubine to marry a princess, which disgraced the court. This antecedent made the later Qing emperors more cautious, so they formulated a stricter "trial marriage system".
Under this system, the Qing court not only required the horses to be of good character, talent and learning, but also arranged a "trial marriage" to test their physique and temperament. The trial marriage Gege underwent rigorous training, and the night before the wedding, he accompanied the princess's dowry to the palace of the concubine, and performed a "cave house" with him to test his masculinity and emotional performance. Only through this "trial marriage" can the horse officially become a son-in-law.
This practice of sacrificing the honor of the low-level palace maid in exchange for the well-being of the princess is undoubtedly a double exploitation of women. On the one hand, princesses, as political pawns, have no right to choose their own marriage; On the other hand, although Gege was also born in a noble family, he had to become the object of fornication with the horse, and suffered from the spurning of public opinion and the humiliation of the master. This can be described as a concentrated embodiment of the hierarchical system and gender discrimination in feudal society.
However, even princesses in high positions often find it difficult to enjoy happiness in their married life with their colts. Due to the constraints of various etiquette systems, the princess and the colt actually rarely have the opportunity to be alone, and the relationship is difficult to manage. What's more, in order to fill the emptiness, some concubines even chose to include the "trial marriage grid" as a concubine, which is undoubtedly a great insult to the authority of the princess.
Although the "trial marriage system" of the Qing Dynasty was based on the consideration of safeguarding the reputation and political interests of the imperial family, the feudal ideology and gender discrimination behind it were incompatible with modern civilization. We should abandon this practice at the expense of the disadvantaged groups, and truly achieve equality between men and women, so that everyone can choose their own marriage partner and have a happy family life.
The fate of the princess and the colt
However, even after many selections and trials, the married life between the princess and the colt was still rarely happy. The shackles of feudal etiquette and religion make it difficult for them to have few opportunities to be alone, and it is difficult to truly establish deep feelings.
What's more, some unethical concubines, in order to fill the emptiness and loneliness, actually included the former "trial marriage" as a concubine, which is undoubtedly a great insult and humiliation to the princess. However, in that era of male superiority and inferiority, even if the princess was insulted by this, she could only swallow her anger and could not raise any objection to her husband's behavior.
It can be said that the princess's marriage, from the beginning, was not for her personal happiness, but to meet the political needs of the royal family. Even after rigorous selection and testing, it is difficult for the princess and the colt to be finally united to establish a close husband and wife friendship. Their marriage is more of a political marriage, full of shackles and sacrifices that cannot be escaped.
This practice at the expense of the disadvantaged is indeed to blame. We should reflect on this outdated feudal mentality and truly establish the concept of equality between men and women. Only when everyone can choose their own marriage partner and have a happy family life can society truly move towards progress and civilization.
Of course, for a special class like the royal family, political factors have always been at the forefront of marriage choices. But even so, the human dignity of each individual should be respected and given the autonomy they deserve. Only in this way can we truly realize social fairness and justice, so that everyone can bloom in love and freedom.