What did the ancient emperors call marriage? Where is your highness?
As early as the Zhou Dynasty, the Book of Rites identified six kinds of etiquette from marriage negotiation to marriage completion, namely: accepting gifts, the man's family invited the matchmaker to propose marriage to the woman's family, and the woman's family promised to propose marriage after the marriage negotiation, and the man's family prepared gifts to propose marriage; Ask the name, the man's family asks the matchmaker to ask the woman's name and date of birth, so as to measure whether the marriage between men and women is appropriate; After Najib had a good omen in the man's house, he prepared a gift to inform the woman's house and decided to get married. Zheng Na, the man's family is a dowry for the woman's family; The date of invitation, the man chooses the wedding date, prepares gifts and informs the woman's family to get permission; Welcome, the groom goes to the woman's house to get married. In order to prevent consorts from interfering in politics, Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, made a rule for future generations: choose unmarried girls aged 13 to 16 as concubines and queens. An emperor who was married before he ascended the throne will not complete the wedding ceremony after he ascended the throne, but only hold the ceremony of conferring the queen. When you are not married when you are enthroned, you need to hold a "big wedding" to be a queen and a concubine. But the sixth emperor of the Ming Dynasty did not abide by the rules set by Zhu Yuanzhang. After careful consideration, Zhang Taihou decided to take the eldest daughter of Qian Yunming, Minister of Industry and Information Technology, as the queen. The officials of does and imperial academy couldn't resist their thighs, so they agreed. Subsequently, the Hanlin Academy was responsible for drafting documents, the Ritual Department was responsible for making treasures, and prepared various supplies together with the Ritual Department and the Neifu Department. Qin began to calculate auspicious days, so as to "implement the Six Rites". On the day when Nacai and the name were asked, Zhu Qizhen appeared in the main hall of Gan Qing Palace dressed up. The proclamation officer stood on the east unit, holding the imperial edict in his hand, loudly announced the imperial edict, appointed the chief and deputy envoys, and went to Qian Shangshu's house to accept Cai and ask his name. In the music, the two angels, led by the guard of honor and the drum band, rushed to Qianfu with honors and letters in their hands. At this point, all the staff of Qianfu have been waiting at the gate. After accepting the gift, they will submit a "form" with their daughter's name, resume, date of birth and other contents to the angel, and hold a banquet for the angel. After the angel led the team back to the Forbidden City, he gave the "Festival" and "Table" to the eunuch in Li Si prison, and the task was successfully completed. Eunuchs in Li Si Prison guarded festivals and dining tables, and went to Qinggong to reply to the "imperial edict". Zhu Qizhen "reported" the situation of collecting and asking names to the princes and ministers. When it is time to pay tribute to Naji, the palace will still hold corresponding ceremonies, send angels to celebrate the festival, and go to Qian Shangshu's house with gifts and related documents. The emperor's reward is not only for Miss Qian, Qian Shangshu and her family, but also for courtiers and servants. After the efforts of Najib and Zheng Na, the marriage was finally finalized. Even if anything happens to the emperor before he enters the bridal chamber, the "queen" can only crush her teeth and swallow it into her stomach. In the folk, as long as the wedding day arrives, the wedding will still be held. Bride and unmarried sister-in-law, or worship heaven and earth with rooster; After that, either live alone or sleep with a wooden dummy. After the first five ceremonies, the highlight was kissing. Ordinary people usually take the groom and the wedding team to meet the bride at his father-in-law's house. When the emperor arrived, because of his supreme position, he sent a minister with children and women as a representative to meet the bride. The palace has been decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations. Firecrackers and red gilded double happiness candles are found in all major palaces. Royal Avenue is carpeted with red carpet. Before the wedding procession, the guard of honor and the drum band, with the wedding messenger in the middle, followed by the wedding officer, eunuch and escort, went out of the meridian gate, accompanied by the queen's ceremony, carrying a lot of gifts, and went straight to Qianfu. Qian Shangshu led the whole family, old and young, kneeling at the gate to meet the wedding procession. The wedding messenger announced loudly. Miss Qian, dressed in the queen's clothes, rockhopper and robe, knelt down to accept the golden books and treasures. When Ji arrived, a group of people returned to the Forbidden City, and the queen was sent to the Palace of Kunning to worship heaven and earth as a gift. The emperor's wedding was officially completed. In the Qing Dynasty, Kunning Palace was no longer the queen's bedroom, but only the "bridal chamber" of Dongnuange. A grand wedding is similar to a wedding in the Ming Dynasty. The Draft of the History of the Qing Dynasty said that Zai Chun, the Emperor of Tongzhi, got married and "received, received, issued books, welcomed and obeyed". The wedding procedures of Emperor Zai Tian of Guangxu are: receiving gifts, giving gifts, welcoming gifts, tying the knot, celebrating gifts and giving banquets. Among these ceremonies, the conferring ceremony and the welcoming ceremony are the most solemn. On the day when the Qing Dynasty canonized the queen, the whole country put on festive costumes and decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations. The imperial palace should be paved with a red carpet, and the door gods and couplets will be completely new; Red lights should be hung at the palace gate and the temple gate of the meridian gate; Colored silk should be hung in the Double Happiness Gate, Hall of Supreme Harmony, Gan Qing Palace and Kunning Palace. On the day before the ceremony, the emperor sent officials to offer sacrifices to heaven, earth and ancestral temple respectively. On the day of the ceremony, there were festival cases, calligraphy cases and treasure cases in the hall of supreme harmony, and the emperor displayed a thin brine outside the hall. The emperor first went to Cining Palace to salute the Queen Mother, then went to the Hall of Supreme Harmony to study and see treasures, and then acceded to the throne. The ambassador and deputy ambassador took the wedding procession to the Queen's residence. This is basically the same as the ceremony of the Ming Dynasty. Your Majesty's wedding is similar, but smaller in scale and time.