What is the use of the "golden melon seeds" that the ancient emperors rewarded, and why the concubines will have abnormal expressions after receiving them
Golden melon seeds are crushed gold made of gold that looks like melon seeds.
Of course, some broken gold, they are not the shape of melon seeds, is a small piece of irregular gold, generally this small size, easy to carry small pieces of gold, can be called golden melon seeds.
We all know that gold is the most valuable in any historical period, and one gram is a few hundred yuan. In ancient times, the purchasing power of gold was greater.
The weight of a golden melon seed is almost between 20 grams and 30 grams, there is no fixed shape, although small, twenty or thirty grams of small things, but this small thing of less than one or two is of great value, at that time, there are one or two gold can be said to be not only the family wealth, but also a symbol of status, because you have money and it is not easy to buy this golden melon seed, the things in the palace.
To tell the truth, no matter who got the golden melon seeds given by the emperor, it was enough to show off for a lifetime. It is not an exaggeration to describe it as the green smoke from the ancestral tomb.
Ancient smelting technology is still not very mature, the production of smelting golden melon seeds mold is also difficult, the original golden melon seeds are broken gold, not the technical requirements of high handicrafts, so do not demand the consistency of shape, the same weight, to do the shape can be, after all, the value lies in its texture is valuable gold.
Of course, in addition to this symbol of honor and favor, the golden melon seed also has a very important role, that is, as a hard currency, the gold itself has a strong economic value, the emperor sits in the world, eats and wears no private money, his golden melon seeds are used to reward, highlighting the emperor's grace, but others can't do it.
The foreign minister led Feng Lu to support the family, got a reward of a few golden melon seeds, and the family bottom was suddenly thick; although the harem concubines ate and lived in the palace, they also received monthly money to live according to the grade, and there were not many places where money was needed in the palace.
Concubines with strong maternal power, of course, do not have to worry about these costs, but those concubines whose maternal power is not strong, the grade is not high, and they are not too favored are very miserable, there is no foreign aid, the status is low, the supply of food and clothing is poor, it is very difficult to rely on that little bit of silver to maintain life, and it is difficult to even pay the money of the people under the New Year's Festival, and it has become the master who is not wanted to see the next person around him, not to mention the money that wants to give gifts to the people around the emperor to compete for favors, and there is no way to pave the way for themselves without money, so it can be seen that money is also crucial to the concubines in the palace. In this case, the emperor rewarded a golden melon seed, which is equivalent to a low-level concubine for one month more, which concubine can't be happy to close her mouth?
It is worth mentioning that because in the Qing Dynasty, the golden melon seed is the emperor's royal object, the people prohibit casting, even if the emperor rewards the ministers and concubines, it can not be circulated in the market, buying and selling royal rewards is simply contempt for imperial power, is a great disrespect, so this golden melon seed is not only can not be seen and can not be used, what is the use?
In fact, who can get the reward of golden melon seeds, which one is the lord who is short of money and has no rice to cook? They do not need the golden melon seeds to play the function of general equivalents, the concubines in the palace can naturally use the golden melon seeds to give gifts and rewards, as a stepping stone to open up their own life doors, and for the foreign ministers, the symbolic significance of the golden melon seeds is more important, the imperial grace is vast, the golden melon seeds are completely like the Sword of Shangfang, the yellow coat, is the treasure of the shining lintel and the town house.