Traditional Culture Encyclopedia - Lucky day inquiry - What are the interesting things from the Western Zhou Dynasty to the Ming and Qing Dynasties?

What are the interesting things from the Western Zhou Dynasty to the Ming and Qing Dynasties?

China's wedding customs have existed since the primitive society, but that time was in the barbaric era, and there was no standardized wedding process. In the era of the Yellow Emperor, there was no obvious distinction between the same surname and the same family, and consanguineous marriages were everywhere. Women are often sisters who marry a husband, and there is no difference between them. In Zhuan Xu's time, the status of men and women began to divide, and when women saw men, they had to bow to stand by and watch. Men are superior to women, probably from then on. Therefore, since ancient times, women have no right to freedom, and marriage is also in the hands of men. However, the marriage system really became popular in the Zhou Dynasty, because the Duke of Zhou assisted in the administration of state affairs and formulated rituals and music, and the aristocratic class paid more and more attention to etiquette and customs. Therefore, today's marriage customs have been popular since the Zhou Dynasty.

Guanli

Western Zhou Dynasty: Crown Wedding According to the statement in Book of Rites Quli, "Twenty crowns for men and fifteen for women." Noble men attended the coronation ceremony at the age of 20, put on their dresses and hats, and the elders took over. After this process is completed, it shows that it has reached adulthood. Noble women 15 years old attended the ceremony, put on gorgeous dresses, inserted hairpins, and then took over. After the ceremony is completed, it also indicates adulthood. Can men get married after attending the coronation ceremony, and women can also attend the ceremony?

According to "Shi Mei, the official of Li Zhou", "Men marry at thirty, and women marry at twenty." This is the official age of the Zhou Dynasty, that is to say, men can only get married at the age of 30 and women can only get married at the age of 20. Does this subvert our imagination? 30-year-old is an older youth now, not to mention in ancient times. I believe that few people can wait until they are 30. Many people get married after being crowned. However, in ancient times, you couldn't get married if you wanted to. First of all, you need to hire a glib matchmaker. What should I do to find a matchmaker? Must be proposing to the woman's family! To tell the truth, in ancient times, all the people who could complete this process were nobles, so men generally didn't worry about not getting a wife.

There is also a cloud in the Book of Rites Quli: "Don't punish the doctor, don't salute Shu Ren." The ancient criminal law had little binding force on the scholar-bureaucrat class, and the ceremony did not involve Shu Ren (a civilian outside the capital, who was responsible for farming and paying taxes), and the wedding during marriage was only observed by the aristocratic class. Etiquette is regarded as a symbol of civilization, and without etiquette, it is regarded as a barbarian. Therefore, "courtesy is no less than Shu Ren", aristocratic men are superior, and they must abide by the etiquette, otherwise they are no different from barbarians.

In the Western Zhou Dynasty, if a man wants to get married, he must complete that set of wedding customs, which is the so-called "six rites". Before getting married, the parents of the man's family should first find a matchmaker and bring a gift (a "goose", which is actually the present goose) to the woman's family to propose marriage. This is called "accepting talents". At this time, the woman's family should pay attention to "the life of parents and the words of the matchmaker." If the woman's father agrees to the marriage, the matchmaker asks her name. This is called "asking names". The woman's father told the matchmaker about her daughter's birthday, and the matchmaker took the horoscope to the ancestral temple for divination, if divination was auspicious. The matchmaker came to the door with a small gift and went to the woman's house to report the good news, saying that the two had good personalities and could get married. This is Najib. Next, the man's family took ten coins, silks and skins (now called bride price, different dynasties are different) to the woman's house to send a bride price, named "Zheng Na". The marriage time agreed by the two families is called the "invitation period". On the wedding day, the man gets married, wears a dress, takes a black car and goes to the woman's house to pick up the bride. This is called "kissing". Finally, in the ancestral temple, the marriage was almost finished. Since the Western Zhou Dynasty, this kind of etiquette has existed throughout the ages, and now many places get married, which is also the process.

Noble men in the Western Zhou Dynasty may get married later, but they can marry multiple wives, but they can't marry women with the same surname. There are also differences when men and women get married. The first wife of the emperor is called "the queen", the first wife of the vassal is called "madam", the first wife of the doctor is called "madam", the first wife of the cremation is called "woman" and the first wife is called "wife". The status of the first wife is equal to that of men, while the status of ordinary wives cannot exceed that of the first wife. Most of the concubines in the Western Zhou Dynasty were bought and their status was humble, so they were called "Hunren". Noble men in the Western Zhou Dynasty often married nephews (brothers' daughters) and sisters (sisters) to a husband. My sister is the first wife, and my sister is the youngest wife. She belongs to ordinary wives and has a higher status than concubines. So in ancient times, in order to be the first wife, women desperately wanted to be the first woman in a man's life.

Heshi

Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period: Political Marriage During the Spring and Autumn Period, the status of vassal states gradually rose, and the strength of some vassal states exceeded that of Zhou Tian. Especially after Zheng Zhuanggong shot King Huan of Zhou in the shoulder, the prestige of King Huan of Zhou disappeared. Therefore, in the Spring and Autumn Period, the princes began to compete with the Zhou Emperor, and the Spring and Autumn Period also entered an era of ritual collapse and bad music.

During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, aristocratic women have become a marriage tool, and women often have no personal freedom, which has become commonplace in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. There is an idiom called "the goodness of Qin and Jin", which I believe many people have heard of. Jin Wengong went into exile in 19 when there was civil strife in the state of Jin. In the state of Qin, Qin Mugong married all his five daughters to Jin Wengong, one of whom was the daughter-in-law of his nephew Jin Huigong, named "Wilbur". After all, Huaiyin is his son's daughter-in-law. Jin Wengong began to feel embarrassed to explain, so he declined. If Jin Wengong doesn't accept it, it is estimated that he won't be able to get help from Qin. Finally, under the persuasion of his entourage, he married the State of Qin and accepted five women from the State of Qin (except Wenbo, the other four were Qin women and belonged to his concubine).

Judging from the idiom "Qin Jin's kindness", Jin Wengong's wife was actually sent by Qin Mugong. Although Huaiyin is his son's wife, in order to be a monarch, she can't consider so much. So Huaiyin became a marriage tool and was given to Jin Wengong. In fact, such examples abound in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. During the period of Zheng Zhuanggong, Duke Xi of Qi wanted to marry his daughter to the prince, but he refused twice. The prince suddenly said that Zheng is a small country and can't stand the toss. In fact, this is a modest statement. He probably heard that Qi Xigong's daughter "Wenjiang" was having an affair with her brother, so he refused twice. Later, Qi Xianggong had an affair with his sister Wen Jiang and killed her husband Lu Huangong. It seems that the prince suddenly refused to get married.

Actually, there is a detail about Lu Huangong's murder. In other words, Lu Huangong is going to Qi, and his wife Wen Jiang wants to go with him. However, Dr. Shen Hao objected. He said: women have houses and men have homes. I can visit my parents once a year when they are here. Now that my parents are gone, there is no need to go back to avoid suspicion. Lu Huangong wouldn't listen. He was killed.

During the Spring and Autumn Period, it was inappropriate for a son to marry his stepmother and a father to marry his daughter-in-law. There was a woman named "The Last Month Of Summer" in the history of the Spring and Autumn Period. Her life is full of legends, which can be described as "killing three husbands, one gentleman and one son, killing two ministers in one country". She has been married so many times by herself, but it was in the Spring and Autumn Period. It can be seen that the marriage in the Spring and Autumn Period has not paid attention to etiquette. As long as a woman is beautiful, everything is put aside.

Sima Xiangru and Zhuo Wenjun.

Han dynasty: after Qin Shihuang unified the six countries, the nobles of the six countries were completely civilian, and wedding etiquette was no longer a private product of the nobles. After the demise of the Qin Dynasty, the marriage etiquette system gradually became civilian. Judging from the fact that Liu Bang and Lv Zhi got married, it seems that they can get married without a matchmaker. Lv Zhi's father took refuge in Pei County from Qi, but he took a fancy to Liu Bang, who had nothing. You know, Liu Bang belongs to the civilian class. Lv Gong thought that Liu Bang would be rich or expensive in the future, so he betrothed his daughter to Liu Bang.

At that time, Liu Bang was 15 years older than Lv Zhi. If it's free love, I believe Lv Hou definitely despises Liu Bang. Therefore, in the marriage of the Western Han Dynasty, the father has the final say, and who the daughter will marry depends on the father's words. In addition, marriage was earlier in Han Dynasty. Men usually get married at the age of fifteen or sixteen, and women can get married at the age of thirteen or fourteen. Lv Hou was actually older than Liu Bang when she married him. Lv Hou's son Liu Ying was born in 2 10 BC, and Lv Zhi was 3 1 year old. It's hard to say whether Lv Hou is getting married for the second time. However, the second marriage in Han Dynasty was actually normal. Liu Bang's other wife, Ji Bo (Wendi's mother), turned out to be Bao's wife. Wei Bao was destroyed by Han Xin, and Ji Bo became the concubine of Liu Bang. Although Ji Bo made her debut as a woman in Fortress Besieged, it did not affect her son to become an emperor. It can be seen that women in the Han dynasty, whether you marry or not, are no longer excluded.

For example, I believe many people have heard the stories of Sima Xiangru and Zhuo Wenjun. Zhuo Wenjun's father is Zhuo Wangsun, a giant in Shu County (Chengdu). She/Kloc-got married at the age of 0/6, and her husband died a few years later. Zhuo Wenjun had to go back to her family and live a widowed life.

Sima Xiangru was a guest of Liu Wu, Liang Xiaowang, and returned to Chengdu after Liang Xiaowang's death. Although Sima Xiangru was born in a poor family at that time, he was famous and brilliant, so Wang Ji, the county magistrate of Lin Qiong, his hometown, made friends with him.

On one occasion, Zhuo Wangsun invited local guests, including Lin Qiong county magistrate Wang Ji. Wang Ji went to Zhuo Wangsun's house, also called Sima Xiangru, mainly to continue the show. Sima Xiangru began to pretend to be ill and refused to go. Magistrate Wang Ji had to personally invite Zhuo's family to dinner, which showed that the magistrate had given enough face and had to bite the bullet and go to dinner.

At the banquet, the county magistrate asked Sima Xiangru to play the piano, but in fact, he asked Sima Xiangru to perform a program for himself. You see how good my friend is, which can also set off the taste of the county magistrate, right? Sima Xiangru didn't refuse, so she played a song "Phoenix Begging for Phoenix". It happened that Zhuo Wenjun, the daughter of Zhuo Wangsun, liked listening to music. Zhuo Wenjun just wanted to listen to music at first, but out of curiosity, he peeked out from the wing. It turned out to be a handsome boy playing the piano. Zhuo Wenjun didn't want to listen to the piano at that time, and he was already attracted by Sima Xiangru's handsome appearance. Most of them sigh in front of the maid. It's a pity that such a handsome guy doesn't belong to me. I don't deserve him.

"The speaker is unintentional, and the listener is interested!" The servant girl probably told Sima Xiangru what Zhuo Wenjun said about Sima Xiangru. Sima Xiangru probably heard of Zhuo Wenjun's beauty, and he sent a message to Zhuo Wenjun. Zhuo Wenjun knew that his parents wouldn't agree, so he made an appointment through a servant girl and they eloped in the evening. It can be seen that there is nothing to pay attention to in the Han Dynasty. I don't care whether you are married or not, as long as you like it and don't care what others say.

During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, many women were regarded as virgins after their husbands died and never married. If the son becomes a high official, he will set up a chastity memorial archway. In the Han dynasty, there was no such taboo on marriage, nor did they listen to "parents' orders and matchmakers' words." As long as you have the right eyes, whether your parents agree or not, you will elope.

After Zhuo Wenjun eloped with Sima Xiangru, he was faced with cooking without rice because the Sima Xiangru family was too poor. Love can't be eaten, can it? But Zhuo Wenjun didn't abandon him. Fortunately, I am the daughter of a rich man, so I have something to do with it, so I turned to my brother and started selling wine. I feel ashamed that my father-in-law knew about it. After all, I am rich. Although the daughter is unfilial and secretly elopes with others, she is still her own daughter. Under the persuasion of my family, I finally realized it. It is said that hundreds of domestic slaves and millions of money were given to them for nothing. With money, Zhuo Wenjun and Sima Xiangru returned to Chengdu, bought a farmhouse, became rich, and lived a rich life from then on.

Their love for stories is like fairy tales. Whether in ancient times or in modern times, it is estimated that people dream of marrying the daughter of a rich man and then stepping onto the peak of their lives. Of course, the ideal is to have it. What if it comes true?

Finally, talk about the wedding. According to Tongdian, times have been difficult since the Eastern Han and Wei Dynasties. When I met Liang Ji, I was eager to get married. I covered my daughter's head with gauze, which my husband made. Because of the worship of menstruation, it became a wedding, and the six gifts were abolished. " Since the Eastern Han Dynasty, women have reached the age and are eager to get married. As long as they meet a good day, they cover their faces with headscarves, and the husband and wife get married and worship their uncles and aunts, so the wedding has become, and the so-called "six rites" have been abolished. Therefore, the wedding of ordinary people in the Han Dynasty was so simple that no bride price was required.

Portraits of women in Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties

Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties: Marriage is like buying and selling! During the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, the Central Plains was devastated. Since the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the war has never stopped, the people have been displaced, and the people can hardly live a good life. Therefore, it's unfortunate that there are so many people, let alone a happy marriage. In order to change their status, many people pin their hopes on marriage and make up their minds.

According to "Northern History", "Cui Julun's aunt refused to subordinate her sister to the inferior race, and often compared her father and ancestors when she got married. Therefore, it is a great honor for a cold-hearted person to be proud of marrying a noble woman, that is, a woman whose husband's family is guilty and not an official. "

The aunt of Cui Julun, the minister of the Northern Dynasties, refused servilly to serve the Xianbei people with her sister. When she got married, Cui Julun advised her that the other party's family background is very prominent and their status is very high. They are all big officials and can marry their sister. Therefore, in the Northern and Southern Dynasties, ordinary people with humble status were proud of marrying a noble family. Even if her husband marries a woman who has lost her official position, it is a great honor for her poor child.

Yan's family instructions in the Southern and Northern Dynasties even revealed the views of ordinary people's families on marriage: "Marriage is simple, and Hou Cheng's rules are perfect. In modern marriage, there are women who sell money and women who buy silk lose money. Compared with their parents and grandparents, they care about each other, with more responsibilities and less responsibilities. "

This probably means that marriage should be appropriate, and ancestor Hou Jing (Han Yan, the ninth ancestor of Yan Zhitui) has made this rule. In modern marriage, the woman's parents marry her daughter out to collect money, just like selling it. The man's parents married a daughter-in-law, which was bought with money and silk. When choosing a spouse for a child, one side compares the other's power and position, and the other side haggles over each other's gifts. When you get married, you have to bargain, which is no different from doing business.

Yan Zhitui simply exposed the morbid marriage in the society at that time. So the Northern and Southern Dynasties talked about comparison and buying and selling marriage. Noble women want to marry powerful men, and children from poor families want to marry women from noble families. No matter the children of nobles or poor families, they all want to climb the dragon and attach themselves to the phoenix. As a result of this marriage, the son-in-law recruited by the woman is obscene and despicable, while the daughter-in-law married by the man is fierce and fierce. In fact, both sides have miscalculated. Therefore, during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, not only the country was in chaos, but also the marriage was in chaos.

In addition to marriage competition, there are many contradictions in this period. For example, rich people in the family can marry many wives, but the family fights constantly. Some old sons are still very young, and when I die, my brother can still marry his stepmother. Parents who marry women will also teach them to be jealous, so my concubine turned over and framed my wife as a concubine, and the illegitimate child reduced my brother to a servant. Even princesses don't obey the rules, and the princess (the sister of deposed emperor Liu) is the best example. Therefore, the marriage of Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties really cannot bear to elaborate.

Wu Zetian

Tang Dynasty: In the legendary "Biography of Campus Guests" of Tang Dynasty, there is a story that Li Jing, a famous Tang Dynasty star, once took refuge in Su Yang, the powerful minister of Sui Dynasty, and her dancer Hongfu fell in love with Li Jing at first sight. I was followed by Li Jing when I left, went there late at night, made a bold confession, and eloped with Li Jing. From this story, we can see that it should be rare for a famous star to elope with a dancer in ancient times! However, as we all know, women in the Tang Dynasty had a high status and a high degree of openness. But when Wu Zetian was not in power, the status of women was not high.

In the early Tang Dynasty, ordinary people were often proud of the intermarriage of aristocratic families and ashamed of the humble marriage. Therefore, intermarriage among famous families prevailed in the Tang Dynasty, and even the customs and habits of the Northern and Southern Dynasties were preserved. What are the bad habits caused by intermarriage in aristocratic families? In fact, it is to pull gangs and collude with local officials. Many people can rely on family ties to be officials.

In order to put an end to this phenomenon, Tang Gaozong once banned the custom of family marriage. However, the order cannot be banned. These people tend to keep a low profile to cover up. They didn't hold a luxurious wedding, but the woman just dressed up casually and went to her husband's house to be a daughter-in-law in a carriage. So, in order to escape the law, they even saved the wedding.

In addition to the intermarriage of aristocratic families, the gentry in Shandong (usually referring to the area east of Lushan Mountain) demanded a lot of bride price when they married their daughters, which was then called selling marriage. In addition to selling marriages, ghost marriages have already begun in the Tang Dynasty, and they are generally rich families. The man died young and did not get married. In order to get a wife, people pay a woman to hold a wedding, which is called "ghost marriage".

However, weddings in the Tang Dynasty are more exquisite than any previous dynasty. Since the Han, Wei and Jin Dynasties, the country has been depressed. Under the rule of Emperor Taizong, the Tang Dynasty gradually prospered, so people began to pay attention to weddings. According to Youyang Miscellaneous Language, the Tang Dynasty attached great importance to winning the prize, and nine kinds of items were given when winning the prize, namely "Jiahe (rice), Albizia Albizia (Ma Yinghua), Ejiao, Jiuzipu (Pucao), Zhu Wei, Shuangshi, cotton wool, Changmingsuo and dry paint."

What do these things mean? Jiahe has the meaning of "home is harmonious and everything is prosperous", acacia means "dispelling resentment and harmony, and family is happy", and adhesive paint means "inseparable". Cotton wool means "warmth and tenderness", and Pu Wei thinks that "the heart can bend and stretch". Longevity lock means "long life and wealth", and double stone means "unbreakable pair".

In addition to preparing the above nine items, the man filled the mortar basin with three liters of millet, covered the well with a mat, plugged the window with three kilograms of hemp, and put three arrows on the door. When the wife got on the bus, the son-in-law rode the car three times. You must cover your face before you get on the bus. When the wife comes in, all the uncles and aunts come out from the side door and then enter through the gate. After the introduction of the wife, the ancestors are worshipped first, then the husband and wife worship each other, and then they tie a knot in front of the mirror, which is called "mirror knot". In addition, there was a custom of making wedding rooms in the Tang Dynasty. If you get married in the twelfth lunar month, your wife is not allowed to see your aunt.

In the Tang dynasty, if this set of customs is completed, it is estimated that it will be prepared one year in advance. It's really tiring to think about it. Especially Jiahe, Albizia Albizia and Shuangshi, it is difficult to get married if you don't estimate it.

Romance of the West Chamber

Song dynasty: the song dynasty adhered to a principle, that is, "if you can solve problems with money, you must avoid using force." Therefore, in the Song Dynasty, Liao and Jin people in the north often paid annual money in exchange for peace and tranquility on the border. If the country is peaceful, it will vigorously develop the economy. Therefore, the Song Dynasty became the richest dynasty in the history of China. Because the country is not short of money, if it can be solved with money, it will not use force. However, as a result of being too rich, the Song Dynasty paid more attention to literature than martial arts. So I feel that the Song Dynasty was weaker than the northern regime in force.

Let's get down to business. The Song Dynasty was prosperous, but their marriage was quite abnormal. In Song Dynasty, it was popular to "refer to the belly for marriage". Some children are married to another family in their mother's belly. According to the present statement, this is "early marriage".

"Finger-belly marriage" has a great influence. If a man grows up to be a rogue or has a bad disease, as a woman's family, it is undoubtedly a disaster for women to agree unconditionally. Moreover, when men are promoted, they often go far away and remarry and have children. The woman was afraid to get married, and the man abandoned his marriage and went to court. The separation of wife and children was also common in the society at that time.

I guess some people will be curious. The two families "refer to the belly as marriage." What if there are boys or girls on both sides? In fact, this point has long been agreed. If you are of the same sex, you will be brothers and sisters when you grow up. If, when they grow up, the two families "get married" in the next generation. As a result, generation after generation, "finger-belly marriage" gradually prevailed and could not be cut off.

In addition to "referring to the belly for marriage", a financial matchmaking theory was also popular in the Song Dynasty. After all, in ancient times, everyone wanted to marry a rich family. However, when the matchmaker proposes marriage to the woman's house, he first goes to the woman's house with a generous gift. Then, exaggerate men's family background and economic strength. It is said that the other party's ancestors were big officials, and there are countless farmhouses at home. If you marry such a man, you must have food and clothing. Because my parents didn't investigate and understand, and they were obsessed with money, they agreed at once. After you promise, you can't go back on your word. If you break your word, you will be prosecuted, or you may go to jail. Therefore, after the woman married the man, she found that the other family was surrounded by walls. This kind of marriage leads to discord between husband and wife, which leads to many divorces. So there were few satisfactory marriages in Song Dynasty.

What was the scene when you got married in the Song Dynasty? In fact, it is very simple, not as particular as the Tang Dynasty. When getting married, the party who marries a woman will invite several musicians. On the wedding day, the man went to pick up the bride, and the woman set up a high chair at home, put the two chairs back together and put them on the saddle. The son-in-law sat on it and drank three glasses of wine. Toast the woman's house three times, and then let her down. If the other party does not set a high seat, it is considered impolite, which shows that he looks down on this son-in-law.

Ming dynasty

Ming and Qing Dynasties: Zhu Yuanzhang, the Ming emperor who valued chastity, was born in a civilian family and once took refuge in Guo Zixing, the leader of the Red Scarf Army at the end of Yuan Dynasty. Because Zhu Yuanzhang repeatedly made outstanding achievements, he was appreciated by Guo Zixing and later married his adopted daughter Ma Shi. Therefore, the marriage in the Ming Dynasty was decided by the father. Zhu Yuanzhang's marriage is actually very similar to Liu Bang's marriage. However, Zhu Yuanzhang was brave and played better than Liu Bang, so Guo Zixing married his adopted daughter. Zhu Yuanzhang, a potential stock, did not disappoint Guo Zixing, and eventually perished the Yuan Dynasty.

After the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, women's status was much higher than that of the previous dynasty, but women in the Ming and Qing Dynasties paid more attention to chastity. Zhang Mao, a writer in the Ming Dynasty, said in "Preface to Women's Poems on Martial Arts": "Keep chastity, don't lose your ambition, don't humiliate yourself, don't seize big festivals, and never return." In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, more attention was paid to women's chastity. Women regard chastity as important as life. In order not to disgrace their bodies, they should keep it even through fire and water. Therefore, in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, a woman whose husband died would not remarry. If he has never remarried in his life and his son has achieved fame, then he can ask the emperor to set up a "chastity memorial archway" for his mother.

Judging from the establishment of "chastity archway", there was no such thing as cohabitation before marriage in Ming and Qing Dynasties. If you have a "sexual" experience and spread it out, it is estimated that it is even difficult to get married. Of course, apart from being a concubine, if you are a first wife, it is impossible.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, marriage was very particular about the right match, the life of parents and the words of matchmakers! In the past, when we got married, it was "Six Rites". During the Ming Dynasty, only three items were reserved: collecting minerals, collecting coins and welcoming relatives. That is, the matchmaker brought the goose to the door to propose marriage, and when he agreed, he took the bride price to the door to greet the marriage. Although, saying "six rites" saves some links. But there are also names and dates, but they are not so particular. In previous dynasties, almost every link needed small gifts. Because the matchmaker can't go to the woman's house empty-handed. So in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, there were only a few gifts, but some unnecessary links were skipped.

At the wedding, men ride horses and women sit in sedan chairs. This custom did not gradually disappear until the founding of New China. Because there are such scenes in many TV dramas, I won't go into details. In a word, ancient marriages were slightly different in different dynasties, but they all followed the marriage customs of Zhou Li.

Now, if you get married through a matchmaker, you have to go through the matchmaker and get engaged with the consent of both parties. Engagement does not necessarily mean marriage, it is likely to be a buffer period. If it doesn't work out, you can dissolve the marriage. About half a year or a year, as the case may be. If you want to get married, the man puts forward eight characters to the woman, and then puts forward the date (reporting period) to get married at the agreed time. The man went to the woman's house to meet the bride, took her over, and finally married her, and the two sides became husband and wife. A great event in life has thus become.