Dream of the Red Chamber Whispers - What Was Cao Xueqin Really Saying

Author: Yu Jun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-10-01
Features: The Price of Yuan Chun's Prosperity The Jia family's status is prominent and prosperous, ranking first among the "Four Great Families." This is partly due to the contributions of the founding ministers Ning and Rong, but it is also closely related to the status of Jia Yuanchun as an imperial concubine. Especially as the ancestral blessings of the Jia family gradually decline, the role of the imperial concubine becomes increasingly important. In a private monarchy society, relatives and in-laws of the emperor naturally receive boundless imperial favor. Historically, the rise to power of powerful external relatives often stems from this. Therefore, for the Jia family, which has gone through four generations, although the legacy of the ancestors is significant, it is, to be honest, Jia Yuanchun, the imperial concubine, who is the greatest contributor to maintaining and supporting the family's wealth and glory. Concubines have always been looked down upon by society. In the Jia family, Zhao Yiniang is the concubine of Jia Zheng, and even her own biological daughter looks down on her. The common saying "A son does not his mother's appearance" loses its truth in the character of Jia Tanchun. However, nothing is absolute, and although concubines in general may be looked down upon and even considered lowly, once they become the concubine of the emperor, not only do no one dare to look down on them, but they are also seen as the highest honor and symbol of wealth. As a result, some people are so eager to become the concubine of the emperor that they cannot achieve it and resort to abnormal means. Emperor Ling of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Liu Hong, had an imperial concubine named He who entered the palace as a concubine. She was originally the daughter of a butcher from Nanyang. It is said that she was exceptionally beautiful, but mere beauty alone did not guarantee her entry into the palace. According to the regulations of the Han Dynasty, every August was the time when the emperor selected beautiful women. Following the rules, a selection committee composed of senior government officials (Zhongdai), assistants to the palace administrator (Yi Ting Cheng), and physiognomists would search among virtuous maiden girls aged thirteen to twenty for those with beautiful appearances and dignified figures, who were also approved by the physiognomists, and then send them to the palace. After a second selection, the most outstandingly beautiful women were presented to the emperor. According to the Fengsu Tong, He's family spent a lot of money to get their daughter into the palace by bribing the head of the selection committee. As for sleeping with the emperor, it required even more cunning methods. The Biography of He Jin states that because the eunuch Guo Sheng, who served in the sleeping quarters, was also from Nanyang, He's family went to great lengths to use their hometown connections to ensure their daughter became the emperor's concubine. Of course, after becoming a concubine, whether she could receive the emperor's favor, or even exclusive favor, depended entirely on the skills of He's daughter in winning the emperor's affection. He's daughter indeed stood out among the concubines, not only rising in status but eventually becoming the empress after giving birth to an imperial prince, Liu Bian. Private power and culture possess an almost magical charm. When a concubine becomes the emperor's concubine, she is no longer considered lowly but becomes the highest and most respected. Because Jia Yuanchun brought glory to the Jia family as the emperor's concubine, the Xue family, one of the "Four Great Families," also regarded the emperor's recruitment of imperial consorts and female officials as a rare and grand favor. Upon hearing the news, Grandmother Xue mobilized the entire family, taking her daughter Baoyu, who was fair and graceful, to the capital for selection. At its core, it is simply about having the emperor take her