The Secret of Sexual Intercourse of the Ancient Emperor in Selecting Concubines 3: Sheep Cart Hoping for Lucky Daughter

"The sheep-drawn carriage hopes for good fortune"It is one of the most famous stories in history about selecting imperial concubines, and it comes from the book.Book of Jin, Biographies of Empresses and Consorts (Part 1)",andEmperor Wu of Jin, Sima YanClosely related to (236-290 AD). It was a famous method used by Emperor Wu of Jin, Sima Yan, to select his concubines.

With tens of thousands of concubines in his harem, choosing a concubine to spend the night with became a major challenge. To solve this problem, he invented the "sheep-drawn carriage" method: the emperor would ride in a carriage pulled by sheep, letting the sheep roam freely throughout the palace. The emperor would spend the night in front of whichever concubine's palace the carriage stopped at. To attract the carriage, the concubines devised various methods, such as placing bamboo branches or sprinkling salt water in front of their doors, as sheep are attracted to the taste of salt water and would thus stay. This story later evolved into the idiom "sheep-drawn carriage," used to describe the desire to gain the attention or favor of others. This method not only showcased Sima Yan's capricious nature and the fierce competition within the harem but also reflected the helplessness and ingenuity of life in the harem at that time.

The characteristics of this method are as follows:

• randomnessThe sheep's movements are unpredictable, seemingly fair, but in reality, the concubines use various ingenious methods to attract the sheep, such as:
• Bamboo leaf salt juice to lure sheepSprinkle salt water or insert bamboo leaves in front of the door, because sheep like to eat salty food and tender bamboo.
• Seduction: Use music or aroma to attract sheep to stay.
• political maneuveringThe concubines secretly competed with each other, even bribing the sheep herders.court eunuchThis allows for the concealment of human manipulation behind the "randomness" facade.

This method reflects the fierce competition for favor in the imperial harem and became the source of the later story of "selecting concubines by sheep-drawn carriage".

Further reading:

• Ancient Emperors' Secret Techniques for Selecting Concubines and Their Sexual Intercourse 1
• Ancient Emperors' Secret Techniques for Selecting Concubines and Their Sexual Intercourse 2
• Ancient Emperors' Secret Techniques for Selecting Concubines and Their Sexual Intercourse (Part 3)
• Ancient Emperors' Secret Techniques for Selecting Concubines and Their Sexual Intercourse (Part 4)
• Ancient Emperors' Secret Techniques for Selecting Concubines and Their Sexual Intercourse (5)