When it comes to eunuchs, everyone must be familiar with them. No matter what dynasty as the theme of the costume drama, there are eunuchs appear. It can be said that the eunuch system and system are entirely derivatives and vassals of the imperial system. In the earliest days, when Qin Shi Huang founded the emperor system, the men who served as eunuchs were not all men after purification, but during the Qin and Han dynasties, there were frequent chaos in the fornication between eunuchs and palace women, and the emperor was annoyed by wearing green hats, so he ordered that all eunuchs must be purified.
From that period onwards, the eunuchs around the emperor were all eunuchs.
How can a man voluntarily abandon himself as a symbol of being a man? In the age of imperial supremacy, of course, the answer was there. But since the eunuchs have been purified, why does the phenomenon of eunuchs taking wives occur? In ancient China, there were basically 3 situations in which eunuchs took wives.
The first: political marriage between eunuch families
This has to go back to the question just now, why in ancient times, there were men who were willing to enter the palace as eunuchs? In fact, the reason is very easy to understand, that is, to "get the moon first near the water tower", since he entered the palace as a eunuch, he is the emperor's person, rounding up and getting one step closer to the noble social status and endless wealth
Although since the Sui and Tang dynasties, eunuchs have been completely unable to "wear green hats" for the emperor, the phenomenon of eunuchs being good at government has once again become very rampant. Since the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, great eunuchs with great power have emerged in an endless stream, and even more can directly replace the emperor to give orders, which can be said to be an unavoidable "turnaround" in the feudal system of ancient society.
Compared to being able to call the wind and rain in the imperial court, what is the point of losing half a life? This is probably what most eunuchs had in mind at that time. However, entering the palace as a eunuch is only the first step, after all, the depth of the water in the deep palace is true, many forces collude with each other and are hostile to each other, if they cannot stand firm, they can easily be buried in the tide of forces from all sides.
Therefore, some families that also have eunuchs in the family will "join hands" by marrying their daughters to each other, and since this marriage is married, the two families can also be regarded as a faction among the forces of the palace. This is one of the main ways for eunuchs to "gain a firm foothold", and the emperor usually has no opinion on the eunuchs after purification to marry their wives, and if they want to marry, they will marry, anyway, your identity is there, and whoever you marry is the same.
The second type: the marriage of eunuchs to the daughters of powerful courtiers
In addition to those who were also eunuch families, in dynasties where eunuchs were rampant, there were also many generals and ministers who gave their daughters to the grand eunuchs.
Why, the reason is actually the same, who does not value the great power of the red people around the emperor? For example, the famous grand eunuch Li Fuguo, the emperor of the dynasty even personally found a show for him. This is the most obvious manifestation of the greater the power, the greater the possibility.
Eunuchs who marry the daughters of powerful ministers are mostly the "upside down" side, and sometimes because the power in the hands of eunuchs is too large, it is inevitable that some powerful ministers will want to seduce the eunuch forces, and if they want to seduce the eunuchs with huge power, they naturally only have to sacrifice their own daughters.
For eunuchs, it is also a beautiful thing to be able to marry the daughters of large families. After all, when they were in the imperial court, eunuchs needed to serve the emperor. But when the eunuch returned to his home, he also needed a woman to serve him. Now that this marriage has been completed, there is no need to worry about the happiness of the second half of life.
The third type: the daughter of the people marries the eunuch
The last common case of eunuch marriage is when a woman voluntarily requests to marry a eunuch. It is also under the premise that eunuchs are good at government and hold great power, but the difference is that the people's daughters are usually forced - because the family is poor, it is really in a miserable situation of eating and eating, and only by marrying a eunuch who holds power can she share some of the pressure for the family.
In ancient times, although many ordinary families were poor, only beautiful daughters could bring the possibility of turning over in the family. Therefore, in order to make a living, many families had to dress up their daughters and ask a matchmaker to introduce them to the great eunuch of the dynasty.
You know, although eunuchs are eunuchs, eunuchs who hold power have many people who want to tie their hands no matter what the hard conditions. And if the daughter of an ordinary person's family is favored by the great eunuch of the dynasty, it is a matter of too late to be happy. Once the daughter is married, the family at least does not have to worry about food and clothing.
Speaking of which, the emergence of eunuch marriage in ancient times, in addition to being a manifestation of a deformed political marriage under imperial rule, is also the end of the inferior status and materialization of ancient women. It doesn't matter to the eunuch, but the woman who is married to the eunuch can only spend the rest of her life in helplessness and pain.