Huang E had long received the news that Wang Yuan had returned to Beijing. He was restless early in the morning and had to wait patiently like a mistress.
"Madam, the master is back!" Xia Chan quickly ran over to report.
Huang E immediately tidied up his clothes and led Xia Chan out to greet him. Some servants with official duties, including Zhou Chong, also had to follow him to welcome his master home.
Everyone stood guard at the gate and soon saw Yuan Da riding a horse, followed by a carriage.
Yuan Da rushed over quickly, dismounted and reported: "Madam, the second brother has been summoned by your Majesty, and we have been ordered to return home first."
"oh."
Huang E was a little disappointed, pointed at the carriage and asked: "Where is it?"
Yuan Da whispered: "Madam, that was the concubine that the second brother took in the Western Regions. At that time, he wanted to win over a wealthy businessman from the Western Regions and ask him to spread rumors and organize craftsmen for the army, so the second brother took the daughter of the wealthy businessman as a concubine.
"
Huang E was stunned for a moment, then forced out a smile: "Please come into the house quickly. Xia Chan, please arrange a place for Mrs. Ru to live."
"Yes!" Xia Chan reluctantly went to make arrangements.
Huang E actually felt a little uncomfortable. She could accept Song Linger, but it was difficult for her to accept a strange woman.
Officials in the Ming Dynasty, especially Beijing officials, were not as full of wives and concubines as in movies and TV dramas.
Many officials in the capital only have their first wife for life, such as Huang E's father, who didn't even ask for his wife's maid.
Let’s talk about the cabinet minister Jin Gui. Jin Gui’s father was over fifty and had no children. His mother took the initiative to take a concubine for his father and secretly brought her into the room. Jin Gui’s father decisively refused, saying that I was already old, so why bother anymore?
Little girl? Send this concubine directly back to her parents' home. Then she continues to live with her old wife. She gave birth to Jin Gui when she was over fifty.
When officials took concubines, they usually took concubines as concubines, or they took concubines to obtain heirs.
In addition, they usually serve as officials outside their official wives and live lonely all year round, so they find local women to serve them. In fact, many local officials do not dare to take concubines directly, and often use the excuse of recruiting maids to avoid having to give birth to concubines.
People give up their excuses.
At least, this was the case in the Zhengde Dynasty. The officialdom had not been completely corrupted, and officials in the capital who had too many concubines were easily criticized.
Even the romantic and talented Yang Shen, who was almost fifty years old, did not respect his old age and even took two concubines. When he was young, he had political pursuits and did not take any concubines. Anyway, if he felt itchy, he could go to a brothel.
Historically, Huang E and Yang Shen had been separated for many years. When they heard the news that Yang Shen had taken a concubine, they both expressed their dissatisfaction in their sanqu: "I'd like to express my dissatisfaction to that Qiao who has failed me three times. He didn't even miss me in bed all night long!"
Yang Shen's father, Yang Tinghe, also had only one concubine.
The ones who really unscrupulously take concubines are the nobles, military generals, wealthy businessmen, powerful officials and second-generation officials, as well as those local officials who have no pursuit! The clan does not dare to mess around, because the clan government is watching, but they can raise singers and concubines.
maid.
No matter how unhappy he was, Huang E couldn't express it. Instead, he smiled and directed his servants to greet Mrs. Ru.
But...
Huang E returned to the house through the main entrance, and asked his servants to lead the carriage and take Xiangxiang to the side entrance.
This is in compliance with the etiquette, it is just a concubine's room, how can you go straight to the main entrance?
Yuan Da stood at the side door, curled his lips with a smile, and said to Xiangxiang: "Mrs. Xiang, you are already home."
Xiangxiang opened the car curtain, got out of the car with Qiyun, and then followed Yuan Da into the house.
After walking for a long time, Xiangxiang completely lost her sense of direction and said in surprise: "My home is so big, bigger than Sutan's castle!"
If Man Su'er knew about it underground, he would definitely be offended.
Huang E returned to the main room and waited for a long time. Yuan Da finally brought Xiangxiang's master and servant to see him.
Yuan Da whispered: "Mrs. Xiang, this is the general's wife. When we meet for the first time, you should kneel down and kowtow in greeting."
Xiangxiang glanced at Huang E secretly, and quickly kowtowed on the ground: "Kow...kow to see my lady!"
After being on the road for several months, Xiangxiang's accent is still weird, but her Chinese proficiency has improved a lot, and she no longer has any problems in daily communication.
Qiyun next to her also quickly knelt down.
Huang E had been holding back a lot of resentment, but when he saw Xiangxiang's cowardly look and the way she knelt down, most of her anger was gone: she was just a barbarian woman who didn't understand etiquette!
There is a standing posture, a sitting posture, and of course there is a kneeling posture.
The ritual of nine bows.
The first level is Jisou, where the forehead is pressed to the ground and cannot be raised immediately.
The second level is called Dunshou. When your forehead touches the ground, you can lift it up immediately.
At this moment, Xiangxiang's posture of kowtowing to Huang E is similar to that of bowing one's head, which is the ultimate gift. Only on important occasions, ministers worship the king, disciples worship the teacher, sons worship the father, and the ancestors of heaven and earth will be used. The concubine sees
You don't have to be like this when you are a real wife.
Even when monarchs and ministers meet each other on a daily basis, they don’t need to pay this courtesy!
When ministers in the Ming Dynasty saw the emperor, they only had to perform the third-level empty bow salute. Their heads should not hit the ground, but the back of their own hands. In the pre-Qin era, it was considered a courtesy for guests. In the Qing Dynasty, they had to bow their heads and touch their foreheads to the ground.
, sticking her butt out, sweeping the floor gracefully.
"Sister, please get up quickly, I can't afford such a big gift." Huang E was angry and funny,
Xiangxiang got up and asked stupidly: "Should I call you sister or madam?"
The weird accent made Huang E funnier the more he heard it: "Just call me sister."
If the wife calls the concubine sister, it means she is affectionate. If the concubine directly calls the wife sister, it means she is not older or younger. The relationship must be good to a certain extent.
Huang E took Xiangxiang to sit down and asked, "What do you call my sister?"
Xiangxiang replied: "My name is Abra, and the general gave me a Chinese name of Xiangxiang. This is my maid, Kuoli Kuoci, and her Chinese name is Qiyun."
Huang E lost her temper even more. The name "Xiangxiang" sounded like a maid at first glance. How could she be jealous about it? She asked again: "How old is my sister?"
"Huh?" Xiangxiang didn't understand.
Yuan Da said from the side: "Madam asked you how old you are."
Xiangxiang said quickly: "In three months, I will be fifteen years old."
Huang E asked Qiyun again: "What about you?"
Qiyun said: "I just turned nine years old."
Huang E sighed: "It's also difficult for you. You have to go to a foreign land at a young age. If you have any difficulties in the future, just come to me. We are all one family."
Xiangxiang relaxed a little and said, "Thank you, sister."
Huang E said to a maid: "Take them to their residence, and after they settle down, take them around the house."
The two foreign women left quickly, and Xia Chan pouted and said: "Madam, these are two vixens. One is more charming than the other. As a woman, I think they are good-looking. Look at their facial features, they are just like the ones in the drawings.
Their skin is as white as snow, be careful, I will be fascinated by them!"
Huang E smiled and said: "Second brother is not that tacky and won't just look at the skin."
"That's impossible to say." Xia Chan said worriedly.
Huang E comforted him and said, "Okay, don't deliberately make things difficult in the future, otherwise if word gets out, everyone will think I am a jealous woman."
Xia Chan sneered and said, "They are all ignorant of etiquette, but they don't know how to kneel down. We must teach them well, lest outsiders find out and say that we have no rules in our house."