Who is the most expensive prostitute in ancient brothels?

There is no doubt that "celebrity dinners" are one of the most hotly debated topics in society today, and the "dinner price popularity list" has become an important measure to test the popularity of beautiful celebrities.

In fact, such "celebrity dinners" in the entertainment industry are not new. Similar deformed dinners for the purpose of showing off wealth and entertainment have existed since ancient times. It’s just that the appearance fees for “celebrity dinners” nowadays are staggering. This made even the most beautiful and famous prostitutes in ancient brothels unable to compare with her. Not to mention the average-looking prostitutes in brothels. So, how much was the value of a brothel singer in ancient times?

According to "Jin Ping Mei", when Ximen Qing first arrived at Lichunyuan, he gave five taels of silver. Chapter 20 reads: "Zhu Shinian said: 'What Ying Erge said is true. You (Xi Men Qing) pay twenty silver coins to keep him (Li Guijie) every month, rain or shine. If you don't go, he will be free.'"

In the 49th chapter, it says: "The next morning, Censor Cai gave Dong Jiao'er one tael of silver, wrapped it in a large red paper, and showed it to Ximen Qing in the back. Ximen Qing said with a smile: 'As a civil servant, how can he give you a lot of money? This is a very good fortune.' He gave him five more cents each and sent him out through the back door."

According to estimates in the book "History of Chinese Currency", the purchasing power of one tael of silver in the late Ming Dynasty was approximately equivalent to 500 yuan in 2009. At that time, Ximen Qing's expenses in the brothel, excluding the purchase of gifts, were about 2,500 yuan for a meeting fee and 10,000 yuan for a monthly subscription.

Zhang Yingyu, a scholar during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, said in his "Prank Classic" that there was a famous prostitute who was worse than a beggar. She "had a very high value, did not associate with vulgar people, but only with wealthy and handsome men. Every night's stay cost six or seven taels of silver." Six or seven taels of silver is equivalent to 3,500 yuan today. In other words, the overnight stay fee for this famous prostitute in the brothel was only 3,500 yuan. So, how much is the appearance fee for a famous prostitute in a brothel?

Take Chen Yuanyuan, one of the most famous “Eight Beauties of Qinhuai” in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, as an example. Chen Yuanyuan was the most beautiful and famous prostitute in ancient times. Her beauty changed the course of Chinese history. It can be said that her beauty was unparalleled.

According to relevant historical records, Chen Yuanyuan "was born Chen Yuan, a girl from an old family in Taiyuan. She was good at poetry and painting, and played the zither. She was abducted during a riot and became a singing girl at Yufeng. After she established herself in the music industry, she became famous. All the guests who bought her smiles and songs called her Yuanji. She was very expensive, and she had to pay five gold coins to serve her at a banquet, and the same was true for a song she sang. Princes and young men flocked to her, and her house was filled with carriages and horses. Even poets and writers wrote poems to Yuanji, and it was hard to count them... Tian Wan, the father-in-law of the emperor, bought her for a thousand gold coins."

According to the current market value, one tael of gold is worth approximately 15,000 yuan, and five taels of gold are worth 75,000 yuan. Chen Yuanyuan's appearance fee for the dinner should be 75,000 yuan, and the price for singing a song at the dinner is also the same. Her buyout price should be RMB 15 million.

Of course, the person who bought out Chen Yuanyuan was the father-in-law of the emperor, Tian Wan. He was the father-in-law of Emperor Chongzhen and a wealthy man in the capital. His spending was undoubtedly very generous. Dong Xiaowan, one of the "Eight Beauties of Qinhuai", was not worth such a high price.

According to "Yingmei'an Yiyu" written by Dong Xiaowan's husband Mao Xiang, the redemption silver for 19-year-old Dong Xiaowan was 3,000 taels. If we follow the calculations in the book "History of Chinese Currency", one tael of silver in the late Ming Dynasty was approximately equivalent to 500 yuan in 2009, then the money for Dong Xiaowan's redemption should be 1.5 million yuan.

From this, it can be seen that if the person who bought her was of different status and wealth, the value of her would be very different, and there might even be a huge difference in value between Chen Yuanyuan and Dong Xiaowan.

According to "Banqiao Miscellaneous Notes", Yao Beiruo of Jiaxing used a twelve-story ship to Qinhuai to recruit more than a hundred well-known local people who were taking the exam from all over the country. Each ship invited four famous prostitutes to serve wine, a opera theater, and lights and music. It was a grand event at the time. At first, Jiaxing Chen Yuruo spent a fortune to order a flower arrangement, and was praised by people in Jiangnan.

The guests in the song include Zhang Mao playing the official flute, Zhang Kui playing the official Xiao, Guan Wuguan playing the pipes, Wu Zhangfu playing the strings, Qian Zhongwen playing the ten-part drum, Ding Jizhi, Zhang Yanzhu, Shen Yuanfu, Wang Gongyuan, Zhu Weizhang performing in operas, and Liu Jingting telling stories. Some of them were gathered at the homes of the two Lis, and some at Meilou. Each gathering would cost hundreds of gold coins. This was also a place where money was spent.

It is not difficult to see that the wealthy people in Jiangnan in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties would always invite famous prostitutes to every dinner party, and it was common to spend hundreds or even thousands of gold. It can be said that he spends money like water. This is undoubtedly a true and vivid portrayal of the abnormal and extravagant consumption at that time.

Chen Yuanyuan profile:

Chen Yuanyuan, whose original surname was Xing, was given name Yuan and courtesy name Wanfen. A famous prostitute in Suzhou in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. The most widely circulated rumor among the people is the entanglement between Chen Yuanyuan, Wu Sangui and Li Zicheng. "A Rage for Beauty" tells this rumor.

Chen Yuanyuan's mother died early, so she took her uncle's surname Chen. She was good at singing and dancing, and was the most beautiful and talented woman of her time. She was known as one of the "Eight Beauties of Jiangnan". During the reign of Chongzhen, Zhou Kui, a relative of the emperor, wanted to find a beautiful woman for the emperor to relieve his worries. Later, Tian Wan presented Chen Yuanyuan to Chongzhen. At that time, wars were frequent and Chongzhen had no time to relax and enjoy himself.

Chen Yuanyuan returned to the Tian Mansion and was later taken as a concubine by Wu Sangui. According to legend, after Li Zicheng captured Beijing, his subordinate Liu Zongmin abducted Chen Yuanyuan, and Wu Sangui then led the Qing army into the country. The poet Wu Meicun composed "Yuanyuan Qu" for her: "The six armies all wailed in white, and he was so angry that he threw his crown on the ground for her."

It is said that after Wu Sangui's death, Chen Yuanyuan fled with Wu's descendants and old subordinates to Majiazhai in the mountains of Guizhou, hiding their identities and escaping the Qing government's pursuit. She even became good friends with Liu Rushi.