Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 681 Marriage Autonomy

March in the new calendar belongs to the Queen.

From the Silkworm Festival and the Fashion Festival at the beginning of the month, to the Virgin Mary Festival and the Music Festival in the middle of the month, to the Qianqiu Festival at the end of the month...

It can be said that the queen is very busy this month. She needs to participate in various activities in person or send female officials to participate.

Especially for Queen Zhou, her son was named Crown Prince this year, and because of her father Zhou Kui's affairs, she needed to show the outside world that her and the Crown Prince's positions were stable.

Not only did she organize these ceremonies, she also took the initiative to find things to do to show the emperor's favor for her.

The matter of selecting ladies was raised under such circumstances, showing that she was a virtuous queen and the master of the harem, who could control the entry and exit of people.

Zhu Youjian had some understanding of her thoughts, and he also knew that the queen did this to please him so as not to punish Zhou Kui too severely.

In addition, he needed to appease the hereditary officials, so he accepted her kindness and prepared to select ladies from the garrisons.

In order to show his respect for the hereditary officials of the guards, Zhu Youjian specifically requested:
"This selection is a minor one. Only concubines with official titles will be selected, not ordinary palace maids."

"Women from the guard posts who have reached the age of marriage but are unmarried can apply on their own initiative. If they are selected, they can stay in the palace. If they are not selected, they will be sent back so as not to delay their marriage."

"It must be made clear to the public that the selection of ladies is not mandatory and there is no need to participate. Only those who actively sign up will be included in the selection."

"The families of the selected girls will be granted special favors, and their parents will be granted hereditary titles and imperial decrees, and they can also be transferred to the Jinwu Guard."

It can be said that this is real grace, bringing them into the ranks of in-laws.

Empress Zhou knew that the emperor was trying to appease the hereditary officials of the garrison, so she wrote it down. Then she thought of the candidate she had prepared, who was only thirteen years old, and asked the emperor:
"Only selecting women who have reached the age of marriage, aren't they too old?"

"Many women who have reached the age of marriage are already married or have engagements."

"I think we should still set the age of ladies between thirteen and sixteen, as before."

Zhu Youjian frowned slightly and said:
"Thirteen is too young. What can you do if you are chosen to enter the palace?"

"Those selected this time will be given titles, and the minimum age will be set at fifteen, which is the age of marriage."

"For those below this age, I have already ordered the revision of the criminal law to treat them as young girls."

"It's impossible that the criminal law is established and the palace actively violates it?"

This was a regulation made when the red-light district was established. The age limit for young girls was raised from twelve to fifteen. Girls under fifteen who had not reached the age of marriage were considered young girls.

Regardless of the circumstances, whoring with a young girl is considered rape and is punishable by hanging.

This age regulation is actually the same as that of later generations. Fifteen years old in the Ming Dynasty is equivalent to fourteen years old in later generations.

After Zhu Youjian revised the law, he would of course take the lead in implementing it. He had no interest in those young women.

Therefore, he insisted on raising the age for selecting ladies from thirteen to sixteen years old to fifteen to eighteen years old.

This age made Queen Zhou frown.

Although most women in the countryside get married at this age, there are cases of getting married at a younger age, and many families will make marriage contracts in advance.

According to the Ming Dynasty Code, it is illegal to marry by pointing at the belly and cutting the collar of the shirt. Marriage between men and women has its own time, usually starting at the age of thirteen.

Therefore, the minimum age for selecting ladies in the palace was set at 13 years old, to avoid setting the age too high, as many women would already be married or engaged.

Now that the emperor has raised the minimum age for selecting ladies to fifteen, the age for discussing marriage should be raised as well.

In order to be able to choose a lady who is lady enough in the future, Queen Zhou said:
"People usually start discussing marriage at the age of thirteen. Your Majesty has raised the age of marriage for ladies to fifteen, so the age of marriage should also be raised to fifteen."

"Otherwise, when the palace maids are selecting ladies, they might choose women who are already engaged."

"During the Zhenguan period of the Former Tang Dynasty, Empress Zhangsun chose the daughter of Zheng Renji, but because she was engaged to Lu, she had to return it."

"If something like this happened in the Ming Dynasty, how would the royal family maintain its dignity?"

This incident was recorded in "Zhenguan Zhengyao", and Zhu Youjian had learned about it during the daily lectures on the imperial lectures.

When he heard Queen Zhou mention this, he smiled and said:
"The queen is eager to learn, and I am grateful for your advice."

"Raising the marriage age from 13 to 15 is indeed more appropriate."

"According to statistics from the Maternal and Child Health Hospital, if a pregnant woman is too young or too old, the probability of a difficult birth will increase."

"Eighteen to thirty-six years old is the most suitable for childbearing."

"Based on the minimum age of 18, the marriageable age should not be less than 17."

"It's not too late to start discussing marriage at the age of fifteen."

"After a girl reaches the age of 15, she should be allowed to marry."

I plan to let the people who formulate etiquette and laws set the age for marriage.

In addition to prohibiting arranged marriages, marriages made before the age of fifteen or before the age of fifteen are not recognized by law.

In the future, the Household Registration Office will also issue marriage certificates as a legally binding document to facilitate matters such as transferring household registration after marriage.

In order to ensure the implementation of this policy, Zhu Youjian looked at Queen Zhou and said:

"Suddenly raising the marriage age may lead to controversy."

"I think I can use the Queen's name to give women all over the world the right to decide their own marriages—"

"Only when a girl reaches the age of fifteen, she is considered an adult and has full capacity for conduct."

"This way she can decide whether to get married and sign the marriage certificate."

"Previously, marriage certificates that were privately set by the elders and not approved by them were considered to be against the woman's will and were not valid."

"This way, women will know exactly whether they are engaged or not."

"When the palace selects ladies, they are asked to fill in their own names, whether they are married, etc."

"The possibility of errors will also be greatly reduced."

This is a good way to avoid selecting women who are already engaged when selecting ladies in the palace.

But Queen Zhou frowned and said:
"Is it against etiquette and law for women to decide their own marriage?"

"They say that marriages are decided by parents and matchmakers, but where does the autonomy of marriage come from?"

Zhu Youjian said with a smile:

"The ji ji (a girl's wedding) and the guan (a man's cap) represent adulthood and full capacity for conduct."

"From now on, in addition to the parents' orders and the matchmaker's words, the phrase 'my consent' must be added to complete the marriage."

"Just like in previous blind dates, the woman has the first choice, but the man's consent is also required."

"After the person agrees, the process will be carried out according to the parents' orders and the matchmaker's words."

Queen Zhou, who had arranged blind dates for palace maids before, nodded at this process and thought it was indeed suitable.

But she still worried:
“Will the public accept it?”

"It's more troublesome to get married this way than before."

"Does the marriage not go ahead if the children don't agree?" Zhu Youjian laughed and said:

"Why get married if I don't agree?"

"Look at how popular the dramas like Romance of the Western Chamber are, and you'll know what the people want."

"You, in the name of the Queen, give women all over the world the right to decide their own marriages and the power to veto."

"When women all over the world find out, they will definitely be grateful to you."

Queen Zhou had also watched these dramas. Although the contents were absurd, many people loved them.

Therefore, marriage autonomy is indeed what some women want. They feel that they can use their own name to show their favor to women all over the world.

Of course, the more important thing is to raise the age of marriage and make sure that the marriage contract made before a girl reaches the age of 15 is invalid. This is to avoid the situation where most women of marriageable age in the folk are already engaged after the minimum age of selecting ladies is raised to 15.
-
This grace, along with the news of the queen's pregnancy, was announced.

Also announced was the decision on how to deal with Zhou Kui.

The father of the queen and the grandfather of the prince were granted the title of Earl of Jiading according to the convention. However, it was clearly stated that it was for life, and if there was no fief, it would not be passed down.

The residence and farmland of the Earl of Jiading were also granted in the Zhuolu District, the territory of the Crown Prince. The area of ​​the residence was 300 mu, which was in line with the status of an Earl, and the farmland was 1,000 mu, which was equivalent to the hereditary commander.

Zhou Kui was ordered to live in Zhuolu District and was not allowed to leave the country without permission.

Zhu Youjian planned to use the Eastern Palace officials serving in Zhuolu District to keep an eye on this person.

They even gave Zhou Kui's father the title of mountain god, and arranged a house and farm nearby, so that Zhou Kui could serve as a priest in the name of serving the ancestors and live a pure and simple life in the mountains.

How could Zhou Kui, who was used to a life of debauchery in the capital, be willing to go to the mountains and forests of Zhuolu District?

Helplessly, the emperor issued an order. Fearing that he would cause trouble again and affect the prince, the officials of the Eastern Palace, led by Chen Renxi, ordered the soldiers of the Yulin Guard to help him move.

From then on, soldiers were assigned to Zhou Kui's side to keep an eye on him and not allow him to leave Zhuolu District.

Empress Zhou was generally satisfied with this arrangement. However, she was a little reluctant to see her mother being relocated to Zhuolu District. She finally asked the emperor for permission to keep the house that the Zhou family was granted in the capital.

Except for Zhou Kui, other members of the Zhou family can still live here, especially the queen's mother.

This incident made Zhou Kui very angry, and he scolded his daughter for not being close to him.

However, he had already been moved to Zhuolu District, so no matter how loud the scolding was, it would not reach the ears of people in the capital.

The soldiers guarding him turned a deaf ear to this matter. There was even an old Hanlin who worked in the Eastern Palace, who taught him how to be a priest by taking Confucian classics and teaching materials from the City God Department.

If they did not learn well, they would be hit on the palms with the ruler given by the emperor, just like children.

Zhou Kui felt that life was worse than death and was truly afraid of his son-in-law, the emperor.

Sometimes he even thought about establishing a fiefdom overseas, where he could be more free.

But when he thought of the dangers overseas, he couldn't make up his mind.

Staying in the empty 300-acre mansion, learning how to be a priest every day.
-
The abolition of the hereditary titles for foreign relatives had been decided before, and the emperor's treatment of Zhou Kui did not cause any controversy.

However, giving women all over the world the right to decide their own marriage in the name of the queen caused a great disturbance.

Some people think that it is against etiquette and that women should not have autonomy in marriage.

After all, Mencius clearly wrote: "If one does not wait for the permission of his parents or the words of a matchmaker, but sneaks through a hole to peek at someone or climbs over a wall to follow him, then his parents and countrymen will despise him."

Parents' orders and matchmaker's words are the truth that has been passed down for thousands of years.

However, some people have proposed new explanations for this, such as Chen Zilong, who pointed out that before Mencius' words, there is also the sentence "A man is born to have a wife, and a woman is born to have a family."

If the children do not want to get married, then they naturally do not have to obey the orders of their parents or matchmakers. Only after the children agree can the wedding be held according to the orders of their parents or matchmakers.

Therefore, he supported the Queen's decision to give women across the country the right to decide on their own marriages, and even suggested that men should have the same right, and that personal wishes should come before the orders of their parents and the words of the matchmaker.

This sparked a debate in the newspapers. Most young scholars supported Chen Zilong, while most conservative scholars did not like this.

Some people also asked what to do if conflicts arise between children and parents over this issue, and which side should they listen to?
What should we do if a man and a woman meet in private and decide to get married without the permission of their parents or a matchmaker?
This matter even came to the attention of the imperial court, with an imperial censor requesting the emperor to revoke the grace he had previously bestowed on all women in the country.

Zhu Youjian was very angry about this, because he did not want to withdraw this order and give people the impression that he was hindering the freedom of marriage.

At the imperial lecture on April 12, he asked all the ministers to attend and let Liu Zongzhou explain the Book of Songs.

The first poem in the Book of Songs is "Guanju". After Liu Zongzhou recited this poem, Zhu Youjian asked his ministers:
"What is the meaning of the poem "Guanju"?"

“When Confucius put it at the top of the Book of Songs, was it a criticism or a compliment?”

Liu Zongzhou immediately replied:

"The Master said: 'The Guanju is joyful but not lascivious, and sad but not mournful.'"

"Zhu Zi believed that those who wrote these words and poems had the correct nature and harmonious tone of their characters."

"Of course it's a compliment!"

The ministers also spoke out, believing that Confucius was praising him by placing "Guanju" at the first place in the Book of Songs.

Zhu Youjian continued:

"So should the men and women in Guanju have the right to decide on their own marriage?"

"They act out of emotion and stop at propriety. Is there anything wrong with that?"

"Why is it that today, some people only talk about their parents' orders and matchmaker's words, but never mention their own wishes?"

After a round of questioning, the ministers were speechless, and then the emperor said:
"The Ming Dynasty's re-creation of rituals and music should be in line with the original meaning of the ancient sages."

"The wearing of a crown for men and the wearing of a hairpin for women both represent adulthood. From then on, they have full capacity for conduct and should have the right to decide on their own marriage."

"Only after they agree, can it be considered as the parents' order and the matchmaker's words."

"Do you agree with this process?"

Minister of Rites Cheng Ji ordered:

"Your Majesty, what you said is in line with the original meaning of the ancient sages, but if children insist on not listening to their parents' advice, what should we do?"

“How should we deal with parents who insist on not agreeing to their children’s wishes?”

Zhu Youjian said:

"Shun served his father. He accepted small sticks and ran away when he was beaten hard. This was not unfilial."

"Shun's father Gusou asked Shun to give his two wives to his younger brother. Should Emperor Shun have obeyed him?"

"In such an important matter as marriage, we should learn from the practices of Yao and Shun."

"Emperor Yao married his two daughters to Shun without consulting Shun's father. Emperor Shun married Yao's daughters without the permission of his parents. Would people today criticize Yao and Shun for this?"

"I think we can learn from the practices of Yao and Shun and use age as a dividing line. For example, when a child is under 25 years old, although personal wishes are important, children must obtain the permission of their parents before they can get married with their household registration books and register with the household registration agency to obtain a marriage certificate."

"But after the age of 25, if children still do not want to obey their parents' orders, they can go to the City God Temple and make a vow to Hou Tu Niangniang in the presence of a priest, and marry on their own initiative with the City God priest as the matchmaker, in compliance with the will of heaven and earth. As long as they have proof of identity and a certificate from the priest, they can register for marriage."

"This is in line with ancient meanings, just like Shun married Ehuang and Nvying without his parents' permission."

(End of this chapter)