Let's have a good analysis of this problem.
According to the truth, harem concubines are also collected by outstanding people in the world. Is there something wrong with the aesthetics of the ancients? Of course not. As early as in the Book of Songs, Zhuang Jiang, a peerless beauty, was described with the words "a cicada's head flying with a moth's eyebrow". Cicada is a bug with a smooth forehead, which is also a necessary form of beauty.
As for the five senses, it is necessary to have "bright eyes and white teeth, beautiful nose" and "red lips and white teeth". As far as figure is concerned, many ancient beauties, such as Yang Guifei and Shi, are described as having flawless skin, and the ancients also paid special attention to slim figure. In Zhao Chuan of the Han Dynasty, the legendary woman was described as "long and slim, with elegant manners, which people called" ".
In addition, there are some sentences in Luo Shen Fu, such as "weak bones and strong tendons" and "if you cut off your shoulders, your waist is as good as plain", which shows the classic standard of beauty.
Interestingly, even in the Tang dynasty, which is often said today that "fat is beautiful", there is a sentence recorded in the history books. Tang Xuanzong personally selected concubines for the prince, "giving five people who are eager to choose slim and white women to the prince." This note shows that there is still a clear distinction between "fat and fat" in the Tang Dynasty.
Not appearance, then what is the reason? This is still the system of choosing concubines in the Qing Dynasty. As early as the period of Huang Taiji, the harem system of the Qing court was gradually improved, and most women entered through the "women's training" draft. However, this is not a beauty contest.
Female practitioners are basically selected from the Eight Banners, including Manchu Eight Banners, Mongolian Eight Banners and Han Eight Banners. They are elected every three years, presided over by the Ministry of the Interior. However, it is difficult for people outside the Eight Banners to participate in the draft, so the first step is to lock in the scope.
Of course, a show girl will naturally have outstanding looks, but looks are never the best criterion for a show girl to choose. What's important? The first is family background, and the second is character.
To give the simplest example, Yulong, the wife of Emperor Guangxu, did not comment on Yan value, but it was precisely because she was the niece of Empress Dowager Cixi that Cixi, who advocated intimacy, married Emperor Guangxu, and another confidante of Guangxu, whose father was assistant minister Chang Xu and his grandfather was former governor Yu Tai, had the opportunity to get to know Guangxu and even be loved.
The ancestors of the Qing royal family seemed to be particularly afraid that their descendants would delay political affairs because of debauchery, or spoil their concubines, so face value was no longer so important than character. In the history books of the Qing Dynasty, when it comes to the queen's concubines, the first thing is to describe her appearance, but the sentences such as benevolence, filial piety, "noble family background" and "Xiang Zhonghua valve" are enough to explain, but then again. Or the phenomenon that consorts intervene in politics has never happened. As for concubines, they can only be considered ordinary. Of course, ladies-in-waiting can't "take the lead in Gao Zhen's oppression", which is understandable.
Of course, there were also beautiful women in the Qing court, such as Zhen Fei mentioned earlier and the last queen "Wanrong", all of which are good examples.