Monogamy was also practiced most of the time in ancient China, the status of the wife in the family was very high, and the other women around a man were generally concubines, in order to facilitate management, the ancient wives and concubines were divided into 12 levels.
Wife. The main wife is also known as the main room, the wife, the original match, the main house, and the wife. According to tradition, the wife and the husband come from the same level of family, and the husband marries the wife into the family through formal means (including coal talks, dowry, and formal marriage ceremonies), so the status of the wife is equal to that of the husband, and she also has the right to decide the affairs of the family. If the main wife dies, the husband can remarry, and the remarried one is called a "stepfamily".
Flat wife. A flat wife is the wife that a man marries when he does business with a foreign country, and the law positions a flat wife as a concubine. On the surface, the status of the flat wife and the main wife is equal, and the flat wife does not need to bow to the main wife, but in fact, the flat wife still has to listen to the main wife at home, and the main wife is respected.
Concubine. Generally, the wife's sister or cousin can enter the man's family tree even if she has not given birth to children. Because the side room is also married by the Ming media, after the death of the main wife, the side room can also become the main room.
Auxiliary chamber. Generally for the cousins of the main wife, the status of the side room is not as good as the side room, only the side room that has given birth to a child has the opportunity to enter the genealogy of the man's family, and the dowry specifications of the side room when remarrying into the door are much smaller than the side room, and you can't even go through the door when you enter the door.
Partial chamber. The cousins who are not related by blood are also born to enter the man's family tree, and there are regulations on the accessories on the top of the head when they marry in the partial room, they can't take the red sedan chair, they have to go to the side door, etc.
Concubine. It has nothing to do with the main wife, and it is generally married by the family to the man for inheritance, and the status is not high, but you can eat with the main wife, and only when you give birth to a son can you enter the man's genealogy.
Companion room. Most of them are housekeepers or maids who come to marry, because most of the companions are the henchmen of the main wife, so their status is higher than that of ordinary slaves, but they do not have the right to eat at the table.
Concubine. was originally a maid of the master's family, but she was accepted as a concubine by a man, and her status was underground, so she had to serve not only the male host, but also the wife, the side room, etc., without any freedom.
Concubines. Non-free people, the slaves and maids of the master's family, are accepted as concubines by men, have no status, are generally bought and sold, and even their own life and death are decided by the master's family at will.
Through-room. has the lowest status, and can't even become a concubine, she can only be called a roommate. Not only are they required to perform the work of ordinary servants during the day, but they are also not allowed to rest at night, and they are required to serve the male and female masters and go to bed. If the wife is pregnant, the sex will also be used as a tool for the male owner to vent his desires. Even if a child is born, Tongfang will not have any status, and the child of Tongfang will generally be recognized in the name of the main wife.
Outer chambers. The man took another concubine outside from the field. Because there is no legal marriage formalities, the outer chamber is usually not recognized and there is no right of inheritance.
Grandmother. Pure Xiaosan, known as fornication in ancient times, has no legitimacy and can be directly ***