When tracing the extravagant life of ancient times, we often hear the depiction of "using wine as a pool and hanging meat as a forest". However, under the high degree of centralized control, the luxury of the upper class is far beyond what people can imagine today. This article will take us on a journey into the ancient ways of luxury, and unearth the extravagant trajectories of the rulers who hovered between power and pleasure. Their extravagant and erosive lifestyles are jaw-dropping, and it is difficult to imagine the social scene of the time. For example, what kind of absurd setting is the so-called "meat plate"? Let's find out.
The origin of the extravagant life of the powerful
Since ancient times, power and wealth have gone hand in hand. In China's feudal society, the supremacy of imperial power, the absolute monarchy, and the ruling class, by virtue of its special status, enjoyed supreme power and great wealth. This laid the groundwork for their extravagant and erosive life.
Dating back to the Western Jin Dynasty, Sima Yan, the founding emperor of the Sima Dynasty, had already lived a luxurious and extraordinary life. As the supreme ruler of the dynasty, Sima Yan was surrounded by countless beauties and beauties, and there were 3,000 beauties in the harem. Whenever night falls, Sima Yan will choose a favorite concubine to be lucky. In order to facilitate the choice, he specially ordered someone to prepare a sheep cart, and every time he arrived at the palace concubine, he would let the sheep cart stop where it was, and he would pamper which beauty. This practice of "sheep cart and luck" not only demonstrates the emperor's supreme power, but also reflects his persistent pursuit of beauty.
Sima Yan's extravagant style was soon imitated by his assistant minister Wang Jixue. Wang Jiben was Sima Zhao's son-in-law and had a prominent position. He not only purchased land in the prime area of Luoyang as a shooting range, but also paved a valuable bluestone avenue, which attracted the attention of countless people. At a grand banquet, when Sima Yan asked Wang Ji about the luxury of the banquet, Wang Ji triumphantly replied, "Drink dolphins with human milk." This practice of feeding pigs with human milk is staggering, and it is really extravagant to the extreme.
The absurdity of extravagant life
Although Sima Yan and Wang Ji's extravagant lives are already staggering, their practices are only the tip of the iceberg of the luxurious life of the powerful. In this era of supremacy of power, some ruling classes have pushed extravagance to unprecedented heights.
Among them, Wang Ji's "meat plate" setting is undoubtedly the most absurd one. According to historical records, at a grand banquet, Wang Ji had a whim and ordered the maidservants around him to sit in front of the guests and become their "meat plates". These maidservants are not only dressed in luxurious costumes, but also serve delicacies to the guests as if they were walking works of art.
This practice of using people as objects caused quite a stir at the time. Some government and opposition literati expressed deep dissatisfaction with this, believing that it was a great insult to human nature. However, Wang Ji turned a blind eye to this, believing that this practice not only showed his unique taste, but also showed his boundless wealth and supreme power.
In fact, Wang Ji's pursuit of a luxurious life goes far beyond that. It is said that he once arranged a "fairyland on earth" in the palace, in which the clouds and springs are stacked with emeralds, the birds are singing and the flowers are fragrant, and the beauties are like clouds. Whenever he feels tired, he heads to this "wonderland on earth", where he can indulge in fine wine and live a carefree life.
What's more, Wang Ji also ordered someone to arrange a "hell on earth" in the palace. This hell is eerie and terrifying. It is said that Wang Ji would occasionally go here in order to keep himself in awe and not be completely carried away by power and wealth.
Coincidentally, there was a similar extravagant scene in the Tang Dynasty. Yang Guozhong, the prime minister at that time, pushed the extravagant life to a new height. With his close relationship with his sister in the palace, Yang Guozhong can do whatever he wants and live an unrestrained life.
The other side of the extravagant life of the powerful
In the extravagant life of the ancient rulers, in addition to those staggering absurdities, there are also some seemingly luxurious things that actually hide deeper distortions and helplessness.
Take Yang Guozhong, the prime minister of the Tang Dynasty, for example, who relied on his intimate relationship with his sister in the palace to be extremely luxurious in terms of nightlife. Although there was a curfew at the time, it was relaxed for the elite. Under the protection of this system, Yang Guozhong's nightlife can be described as unrestrained.
According to historical records, Yang Guozhong once used his palms as a plate at a grand banquet, and put delicacies in it, which were presented by the maidservants one by one. This practice of "turning hands into plates" caused quite a stir at the time, and was regarded as a kind of provocation and show off by the elite class to the common people.
What's more, Yang Guozhong also ordered the maidservants in the palace to shuttle around the banquet, becoming a kind of ingenious "meat screen". These maidservants not only serve the guests with delicious food and wine, but also add spice to the banquet with their own appearance. It can be said that Yang Guozhong has pushed the extravagant life to a new level.
However, behind these seemingly absurd extravagances, there is a deeper power distortion and vanity. As the real power holder of the dynasty, Yang Guozhong needed to demonstrate his privileged position and supreme power in this way. He hopes to make the guests more admired by him, so as to strengthen his position between the government and the opposition.
It can be said that in ancient feudal societies, power and vanity were often intertwined. The ruling class needs to assert its special identity through an extravagant lifestyle, and this manifestation will further intensify its thirst for power and obsession. This distorted relationship makes the extravagant life of the powerful more and more absurd, and finally degenerates into a kind of vanity and power show.
Reflections and Enlightenment on Ancient Extravagant Life
Looking back at the extravagant and corrupt lifestyles of the ancient rulers, we can't help but ponder the hidden problems.
First of all, this extremely extravagant lifestyle reflects the problem of abuse of power. Under the rule of feudal autocracy, the imperial power was supreme and the ruling class had supreme power. However, it is this unlimited expansion of power that leads to their unbridled pursuit of beauty and wealth, and eventually degenerates into a life of luxury and erosion.
Taking Wang Ji's "meat plate" setting as an example, using people as utensils is a great insult to human nature. And Yang Guozhong's "hands are plates" and "meat screens" are even more completely objectified human nature, and beauty is regarded as a tool to show off power. This kind of behavior is undoubtedly an abuse of power and a complete trampling on the bottom line of morality.
Secondly, behind the extravagant life of these rulers, it also reflects the extreme waste of social resources. For example, Wang Ji's purchase of land in Luoyang as a shooting range and the paving of bluestone avenues were a waste of a large amount of social resources, and his practice of "drinking dolphins from human milk" was a waste of human resources. This kind of behavior is nothing less than a kind of irony and insult to the broad masses of the people.
Moreover, the extravagant life of the ancient rulers also reflects the distorted picture of the society at that time. In that era of supremacy of power, beauty was often just a vassal of power, a tool for rulers to show off their vanity. As Yang Guozhong's "meat screen" setting shows, the beauty is just to add spice and become an embellishment for the game of thrones.
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This distortion not only deprives people of the essence of the pursuit of extravagance, but also exacerbates the thirst for power of the ruling class. They need to assert their privileged position through extravagance, and this display further deepens their attachment to power. Such a vicious circle eventually led the whole society into a whirlpool of absurdity.