Bone-Returning Seed (Part 5)
Before I could speak, Wei Ji said, "I have only recently arrived in the Southwest and am still learning about the local customs. Chief Luo, I wonder if this 'returning the bone seed' marriage custom is prevalent in Nan Guang?"
Luo Chongdao said, “Prefect Wei, ‘returning the bone line’ is an old custom in Nan Guang and is not prevalent. Although Nan Guang is small and weak and submitted to the Song Dynasty late, it has always been deeply influenced by Han culture. We Liao people are not likely to do things like forced marriage.”
"Luo Zhong!" Dong La jumped up from his seat. "Who taught you to talk like that! What do you mean?!"
Luo Zhong also stood up and said, "Dong La, I, Luo Zhong, have always been straightforward in my words and deeds. 'Returning the bone seed' is the rule of you Mahu barbarians. The Nan Guang Liao people have long stopped doing this!"
Dong La strode forward, standing no more than three feet away from Luo Chong: "Fine! Since you Nan Guang Liao barbarians do not respect the customs of us Ma Hu people, then from now on, kinship between the two places will be severed, and intermarriage between the people will no longer be permitted!"
Luo Zhong, not to be outdone, took small steps forward, almost touching Dong La's face: "We're all family, even if we break bones, we're still connected by tendons! Do you think that the seven tribes and twenty-eight clans of Mahu can be decided by just one person, Dong La, with a single mouth?"
Song Ninghai hurriedly stood up and walked quickly to the two men who were on the verge of exchanging blows: "My two chieftains, please calm down. The three Yi tribes of Bodao are one body; Mahu and Hunan are interdependent. Harmony is the most important thing, harmony is the most important thing."
Wei Ji walked towards the three men and pulled Luo Zhong back with his hand: "Prefect Song is quite right. Please calm down and have some tea. Listening to both sides will lead to clarity, while believing only one side will lead to darkness. Shall we listen to the opinions of the other chieftains?"
“That’s right, that’s right!” Song Ninghai tugged at Dong La’s sleeve and whispered, “Chief Dong, since we’re already here, let’s do as the host does.”
Dong La grunted and returned to his seat.
An older chieftain standing beside him stepped forward and said, “My lords and leaders, the mountains of Mahu are high and the roads are dangerous, making travel, trade, and marriage difficult.”
“The northern Jiaozhou has always been a settlement of Han people; to the southwest are the Wupi barbarians; the only tribes with similar languages and customs are the Nan Guang and Shimen Fan in the southeast and the Xuhen tribe in the northwest.”
"But in recent years, the Shimen Fan and Xuhen tribes have successively submitted to Dali. The girls and boys of Mahu can't get married or marry into the area. They have to adhere to the 'returning the bloodline' principle, which is something we can't do. Are we supposed to just stand by and watch our clansmen living in the mountains become extinct?"
The people of Mahutou unanimously agreed: "Chief Abu is right!"
"We are doing this for the sake of our fellow villagers in Dongli."
"That makes sense! In... how did the Han people say it again?"
"Sacrifice the individual for the greater good."
"Yes, yes, yes! The big picture, the big picture comes first!"
What a grand scheme of cannibalism! Looking at my fellow humans across from me, the sorrow that welled up in my heart far outweighed my anger.
“What Chief Abu said is indeed the current situation in our Xunzhou,” Song Ninghai said, standing up. “As the prefect, I also have a responsibility.”
"However, I have some good news to tell you all. Last month, when I went to the government office on official business, the governor of Rongzhou said that the imperial court has ordered that the military farms be implemented in the tributary states on the southwestern border before the end of the year. At that time, I hope that all the leaders will persuade their relatives in the mountains to come down from the mountains to farm more."
"With men farming and women weaving, and living together in one place, the problem of transportation will naturally be solved. Will intermarriage be far behind?"
Before Song Ninghai could finish speaking, a chieftain from Mahu suddenly jumped up and retorted aggressively, "As the saying goes, 'Those who live near mountains live off the mountains, and those who live near water live off the water.'"
“If we Dong people go down the mountain to cultivate the land, wouldn’t we have to pay rent? Besides, the Dong people have been making a living by hunting and gathering herbs all year round, and they don’t know how to farm or weave!”
"Making us go down the mountain to farm? Isn't this just a way of ripping us off? Lord Song, what kind of good news is this?!"
Song Ninghai looked embarrassed: "No one is born knowing how to farm and weave. If you don't know how, you can learn."
"You make it sound so easy! You're just trying to trick us into coming down the mountain and working for you Han people!" Several young leaders from Mahu rushed forward, surrounding Song Ninghai, and shouted in unison, "We won't learn! We won't fall for it!"
Song Ninghai looked helpless and waved his hand, saying, "Fine, fine, I won't learn then."
"Since all seven clans are here today, Prefect Song, you must guarantee that you will never force the Dong people to come down from the mountain!"
"Even bribery and enticement won't work!"
I chuckled to myself: the officials of these remote, controlled prefectures had neither money nor military power; their most useful function was being used as punching bags by these local powerful clans. If we're talking about coercion and bribery, then reversing the roles might be closer to the truth.
"I guarantee that the people of Dong are here voluntarily, and there was absolutely no coercion or inducement involved."
The chieftains dispersed with satisfaction, and Song Ninghai sat down sullenly, giving Wei Ji a look that said, "You figure it out yourself."
Wei Ji remained calm, picked up the book from the table, and stepped forward, saying, "Gentlemen, please listen to what I have to say."
“In recent days, I visited the Dong people of Nanguang and Mahu and learned about their marriage custom of ‘returning the bone seed’.”
"I have discovered that among the Dong people who have adopted this marriage custom, those living deep in the mountains are far more numerous than those living near the foot of the mountains. The difference is clearly closely related to the road conditions. The more difficult the travel, the less contact with the outside world. Over time, it is inevitable that relatives will intermarry."
He opened the book in his hand and continued, "I have also reviewed the records of the prefectural governments of Xun and Yue. In the past year alone, there were as many as 45 disputes caused by the custom of 'returning the bone seed' in marriage, which led to armed conflicts between maternal uncles and aunts and villages."
"Among them, six people died and two hundred and seventeen were injured. They were all citizens of the Great Song Dynasty, and even more so, they were all blood relatives of those present here."
"During this visit, I made another discovery: among the descendants of those who practiced 'returning the bone seed' marriage, 11 or 12 out of 10 were born with deformities or died young; even worse, in one villager family on the Great Cliff of Tiger Head Mountain, four generations of 'returning the bone seed' marriages resulted in many sickly and dying children, and the family line has become extinct."
"Fellow leaders, you bear the heavy responsibility of ensuring the continuation and propagation of your clan. You should know that the custom of 'returning the bloodline' in marriage has been a long-standing problem. If you want your clan to prosper, the only solution is to change your customs and traditions!"
Most of the tribal leaders could understand Mandarin, and those who didn't understand explained it to each other in their local dialect.
I observed the expressions of the people present; some were shocked, some were disdainful, and most were skeptical.
Suddenly, Abu stood up and stepped forward, offering a single fist salute to Weiji.
Wei Ji put down his book, clasped his hands, and said, "Chief Abu, please enlighten me."
Abu said, "Lord Wei, I admire someone as capable as you. However, is the harm of marriage between cousins really as serious as you say?"
"Thirty years ago, a boy from the Amu family in the Great Cliff overturned a copper vessel containing konjac sauce during a mountain god festival. We Dong people all thought that the Amu family had offended the gods, which is why they suffered this disaster."
Hmm, the one behind the rockery seems like it's time to bring it to the table...
Wei Ji said gently, "Chief Abu, please sit down and wait a moment. I have a friend who worked in the Imperial Medical Bureau for many years, and I have invited him here today to explain things to you in detail." As he spoke, he waved to Shi Yu, who was standing to the side, signaling him to go and invite Liu Yu over.
—Updated 8.27
The chieftains whispered among themselves: "Is the imperial physician a type of witch doctor?"
"Of course not! The imperial physicians are much more skilled! They are specifically for treating the emperor and high-ranking officials in the capital."
"What rank is he? Higher than Xiong Tu?"
“Much bigger! A man like Xiong Tu can only bully us southwestern barbarians. If he really went to the capital and met those high-ranking officials, he would be no different from you meeting him.”
"What's wrong with me seeing him? Is it any different from you seeing him?"
"You're shaking badly!"
"You're the one who's shaking the most!"
As the saying goes, "Clothes make the man, and a saddle makes the horse." The new clothes Liu Yu was wearing were made by Wang Yunhui. The aesthetics and craftsmanship of the master weaver from Huainan must be first-rate. With Liu Xingjian, who is good at cooking, preparing two meals a day, this life of having no worries about food and clothing and no burdens is very nourishing.
Therefore, when Liu Yu walked in with confident steps and smiled as he shook hands with everyone, the two tribal leaders stood up in unison and returned the greeting with a single fist salute, a gesture reserved for distinguished guests.
Wei Ji said, "Dr. Liu, this way please. What do you think about the marriage between the aunt and uncle? Tell us your thoughts."
Liu Yu stood at the table, facing everyone, and spoke eloquently: "Both paternal and maternal cousin marriages and paternal cousin marriages are considered middle cousin marriages."
"The Song Dynasty Criminal Code states: 'Parents, aunts, uncles, sisters, and cousins are not allowed to marry. Anyone who violates this rule shall be punished with one hundred strokes of the cane and the couple shall be divorced.' However, the history of cross-cousin marriage is long and has been protected by clan power. It has not disappeared in the folk of our dynasty. On the contrary, it has continued to exist because of the principle that 'the law does not punish the masses.'"
When the barbarians first heard about the punishment of "one hundred strokes of the cane," they were all horrified; but when they heard that "the law does not punish the masses," they finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Liu Yu continued, “The Song Dynasty’s Criminal Code states: ‘Those who marry within the same surname shall each be sentenced to two years of penal servitude; those who marry within the five degrees of mourning shall be considered adulterers.’ This means that marriage between people of the same surname is prohibited, as is marriage within the five degrees of mourning. If one violates this rule, one will inevitably be investigated by the government.”
During the meal, someone interjected: "That's not surprising. Our clan rules also prohibit marriage between people with the same surname, and it's even more forbidden for cousins. Adultery is punishable by being burned at the stake, and the whole family will be expelled from the village."
Liu Yu looked around at everyone and slowly said, "Since ancient times, it has been said that 'people of the same surname should not marry, so that evil will not flourish' (Note 1).
"Have you ever considered that the prohibition of marriage within the five degrees of mourning is based on the paternal lineage? But upon closer examination, if a family has four brothers and sisters, all born to the same parents, there is no difference in the bloodline among them."
"In reality, whether it is the patriarchal system of the Central Plains or the clan rules of the barbarians, the children of two brothers are not allowed to marry because they are cousins with the same surname; but the children of two sisters who marry out take the surname of their husbands and form cousins with the children of their original family brothers and sisters.
"Among these, whether it is a maternal cousin or a paternal cousin, there are few restrictions according to clan rules and regulations. There is a saying: 'Cousins on the same paternal side are 500 years apart, while cousins are 3,000 miles apart.' The relationship between paternal and cousins is based on blood ties, but it is not merely based on blood ties."
One of the leaders asked, "Since consanguineous marriage is detrimental to the reproduction of the clan, why do many prominent Han Chinese families also like to marry within their own families? I see that they not only do not have difficulty having children, but on the contrary, they have many descendants and are very prosperous!"
Liu Yu replied, "That is indeed the case for the prominent families in the Central Plains. It is because consanguineous marriage can better ensure the stability of the family's power."
As the saying goes, "Don't let the good stuff go to outsiders," marriage within the family is also conducive to the accumulation of wealth. Wealth moves within the family and is not lost. In this cycle, the family's power and wealth can grow stronger.
"Most importantly, the men in aristocratic families who possess both status and wealth often have numerous wives and concubines, and their children are further divided into legitimate and illegitimate offspring. Although they are all related by blood, the blood ties between them have been diluted. Moreover, aristocratic families are deeply rooted, and even if a single lineage has no offspring, adoption is commonplace."
The heads of the various departments nodded in agreement: "What the imperial physician said makes a lot of sense."
"That seems to be true. The wealthy Zhang in our town married his cousin, but after all these years, he hasn't had a single child of his own. However, he took four concubines, and they had a whole bunch of children."
After seeing Liu Yu off, the chieftain of Youma Lake said to Asang Zihe, "Asang, your son is not in good health. If you marry a girl, there will be another mouth to feed. This marriage may not be a good deal for your family."
Asangzi stared at me with a sinister expression: "Asang's sister only has this one child. Asang, as her uncle, can't just stand by and watch her wander outside. This woman is a half-barbarian cursed by the mountain god. She is not qualified to be my niece's foster mother."
"Half-barbarian" is a derogatory term used by some brainless people to refer to the offspring of intermarriage between Han and non-Han people.
In Nanguang, it was common for Han and Liao people to live together. I hadn't heard that term for many years. I still remember when I was a child, some of my friends called me "half-barbarian," and without exception, I beat them until they cried. They would go home and complain to their parents, but whenever their parents brought them to the inn to demand an explanation, their parents would be beaten by my mother again.
Therefore, when Asangzi calls me that today, I don't feel humiliated or angry at all. I only feel that the person in front of me is as vulgar and ridiculous as a wild boar.
I said calmly, "Before her death, Asangzi entrusted her child to me. The madam of Yuqiong Courtyard, the doctor of Baohe Hall, and the neighbors in Ganquan Lane are all witnesses."
"So what?" Asangzi retorted sharply, "She didn't give birth to the child alone! She can't just give it to you like that! Who does her husband's family think they are? Did her husband's family even agree to it?!"
I underestimated Asang Zihe's shamelessness. During my brief encounter with Asang Zihe, she didn't mention her husband's family at all. After I brought Huai Xu back to the inn, she lost her voice for half a year.
The story of how the mother and daughter were driven out of their husband's family and ended up on the streets was actually pieced together from Huai Xu's hazy childhood memories, deeply affected by the loss of both her parents.
"If you ask me, it's still the husband's family that's the problem. If the husband's family had a few capable men, they wouldn't be so easily manipulated by the maternal uncle's family." The discussion about Asangzi being tied to her husband's family in Nanguang just now still echoed in my ears.
If what these chieftains say is true, then they are weak and easily bullied; if what Huai Xu says is true, then they are even more cruel and ruthless.
Whether it's the former or the latter, I can't imagine that such a family, under the heavy pressure of marriage customs, could stand on Huai Xu's side and speak out.
Just then, Wei Ji spoke up: "Invite the people from Asangzi Shufu's family up here."
Shi Yu replied, "Yes, sir."
Everyone present was astonished.
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