The Frost's Descent and the Reversed Woman: An Inquiry into the Ritual, Heavenly Way, and Moderation of Pre-Qin Marriage Regulations
This article deeply interprets the twelve characters, 'The Frost's Descent and the Reversed Woman, Ice Thaws and Killing Ceases, One Coitus in Ten Days,' tracing their origins in Pre-Qin classics like the *Rites of Zhou* and the *Book of Rites*. It analyzes the underlying principles concerning temporal restrictions on marriage, Yin-Yang philosophy, agricultural governance considerations, and sexual moderation, aiming to reconstruct the core of Pre-Qin ritualistic thought.
Chapter 17: Unresolved Questions and Further Thoughts
Section 1: Precision of "Frost's Descent"
"Frost's Descent" likely referred to the phenomenon of frost beginning, rather than the precisely defined solar term later formalized in the Han Dynasty.
Section 2: Precision of "Ice Thawing"
The exact date of ice thawing varied regionally; local phenology likely governed the termination date more than a fixed date from the central plain.
Section 3: Universality of "Once in Ten Days, an Embrace"
This frequency was likely a standard for specific groups (e.g., older scholar-officials), with younger men potentially having a slightly higher permissible frequency.
Section 4: Regional Variations
Due to climate differences (especially in southern states like Chu), the exact timing of the marriage window likely varied, substituting local phenological markers for the standard frost/ice benchmarks.
Section 5: Practical Execution Rate
While aristocratic marriages generally conformed, commoners likely followed the spirit of the law (marrying in the idle season) more loosely, as strict ritual adherence was often secondary to survival and local custom.
Section 6: The Status of Women
Although framed from a patriarchal perspective ("welcoming the woman"), the moderation standard implicitly protected women’s physical well-being by setting limits on the frequency of visits.