In the complicated world of antiquity, was the status of women really insignificant? In fact, the solemn robe of law clothed the wife with inviolable armor, and her position was indestructible, and could not be shaken by random succession.
In the Tang and Song dynasties, for example, it was stipulated in the legal code that a maidservant who was accepted as a lifelong partner could only be promoted to concubine after two years, while a concubine obtained by a guest girl or other sources took a year and a half. Thus, although some concubines can win the extreme favor of their male hostess, their social status cannot surpass that of the main wife, and a parallel state is maintained between the two, on the contrary, the more favored the concubine, the higher the social status of the concubine may rise.
Looking at other characters besides wives and concubines, there was also a group of women called Tongyu girls in ancient times, most of whom were cronies and maids of the main wife. Although their status is slightly inferior to that of concubines, because they are by the side of the main mother, in fact, at the actual social level, they are often more noble than those concubines who have been treated coldly. Together, all of this paints a picture of the status of one man and many women in the ancient family.
First of all, let's talk about the mode of getting along between wives and concubines. Often, the relationship between wives and concubines is either harmonious or full of contradictions. If the concubine did not compete with the main wife for power and profit, or even obediently recognized her subordinate status, the family would be able to live in harmony. On the other hand, if a concubine dares to confront his wife, they will often suffer from it. In the traditional concept of the ancients, no matter how favored the concubines were, their social status was always lower than that of the main mother, and the wife also had the right to punish the concubine, and the corresponding legal provisions would also provide the necessary protection for this. For example, as seen in the Song Dynasty, if the wife beats a concubine, the legal punishment is two levels less than that of an ordinary person. In other words, in order to have a peaceful life in ancient times, the concubine not only had to please the man, but also skillfully please the hostess.
Next, let's observe the relationship between the wife and the intercourse. Because the girls are the servants of the wife, it is natural that they should obey the wife unconditionally. In daily life, the maids are mainly responsible for serving the main wife, and they may also assist the main wife to serve the male host at certain times. When the housewife is unwell, the girl who has sex may even directly replace the wife and perform the private affairs between the husband and wife.
As for the concubine and the concubine, the relationship between the concubine and the girl in the room is mainly shown as the interaction within the concubine's room. Because their social status is more or less equal, their interactions may take the form of harmony or strife. Sometimes the relationship is strained in order to compete for favor, and they are in a state of deceit all the time, but if they fall in love with each other, they can get along.
In short, the ancient family system reflected to a certain extent the enviable state of polygamy, and on the other hand, only the nobles of society could have many concubines, which virtually made it difficult for ordinary people to find a spouse. From this point of view, modern monogamy seems to be more reasonable and in line with the spirit of contemporary society.