Guide to traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty

After every ten or twenty chapters, you can talk nonsense and treat it as a small history class.

In the late Northern Song Dynasty, "Brother" was already used to refer to brothers, but the word "Brother" was rarely used.

That is, the second child calls the eldest brother "big brother".

However, the eldest brother does not call the second eldest brother "second brother", but "second brother". For the convenience of writing, this book will use the term "second brother".

In the Tang Dynasty, "brother" could be used to refer to fathers, brothers, or even juniors. For example, Xuanzong called his father "fourth brother" and his eldest son "eldest brother". It can also be used to refer to yourself. When Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty was talking to his son, he once called himself "brother."

The "Laosheng" in the previous article is not a typo. It is also the self-proclaimed name of an older person, and its usage is similar to "Laoshen".

Speaking of "xiangsi", they were called "shushou" in the Five Dynasties and the early Song Dynasty, and "xiangshushou" in the middle of the Northern Song Dynasty. They were documents that specifically cooperated with Li Zheng to collect taxes. There is one in almost every village. They do not receive wages and have no establishment.

After the Li Zheng and the head of household (similar to the Baojia chief) were abolished, the "township clerk" was renamed as the "township secretary" and became the secretary-general of the county government. His main job was to assist the chief clerk in collecting taxes. The power gradually expanded, and when the chief registrar was absent, he could arrange work for the chief registrar. It is also the "township secretary" who has the final say as to what class of households a common person's family is classified into.

However, although the "township secretary" has great power, it has never been formally established and is somewhat similar to senior external personnel.

"Asi" was renamed "Dianshi" in the middle of the Huizong Dynasty, but before Jingkang, it was used mixedly. In the Southern Song Dynasty, it was mainly called "Dianshi".

I used the word "big wedding" incorrectly and have changed it.