后妃的荷包：溫惠皇貴太妃及其太監們的營生

Imperial Consorts' Purse: The Financial Management of Dowager Imperial Noble Consort Wenhui and Her Eunuchs

傳統社會家族財產是由家族男性分配與繼承，家族女性是附屬角色，很少機會看到她們的財產配置情況。婦女的財產是由男性長輩贈與嫁妝或依附子孫方式取得。近年來出版的《清宮內務府奏銷檔》及《清宮內務府奏案》記載宮廷后妃晉升時，皇帝賞賜金寶、金冊，並且按照后妃等級給予「宮分」，包含：年例銀、綢緞、布疋、金線、紗、棉花、皮張、衣著及各種日用花銷。溫惠皇貴太妃（1683-1768）活了86歲，在宮廷生活超過60年以上。她的宮分超過十萬兩銀，約略為富裕官員家庭收入。從檔案中看到皇帝賞賜物品如綢緞、毛皮具有時效性，后妃及公主們紛紛將綢緞、布疋、皮張等變價，將儲值功能的資產轉變為生息的房產。她們生財有道，增添生活趣味之處，也讓侍從人員一同沾光。本文分五節：一是概述皇貴太妃的生平與日常生活；二是以后妃的金冊寶、儀仗及冠服為例，闡明后妃的階級制度；三是探討后妃的宮分，包括銀兩及膳食分例；四討論后妃的經濟活動，后妃除宮分外，尚有其他收入來應付日常開銷。這些額外收入來自人參、綢緞及皮毛變價，其中一部分投資房地產；五是討論太監編制、組織及太監變價物品。太監收入微薄，其累積家產必然來自溫惠皇貴太妃的賞賜或者由庫房中偷出變價，從他們的家產也可以看出乾隆時期北京最賺錢的行業屬藥材鋪、錢鋪及典當鋪等。

In traditional patriarchal societies, family properties are distributed amongst and succeeded by male family members. Female members are dependents and acquire assets through dowry, depending on descendants, or receiving gifts from elderly male members. According to recently published Records of the Qing Palace's Internal Affairs Office, when imperial consorts were promoted, the Emperor would bestow them gold ingots, gold edicts, and, according to their ranks, a share of court property (gongfen), including annual salary in silver, silk, textiles, gold threads, yarns, cotton, leather, clothing and other daily goods. Dowager Imperial Noble Consort Wenhui lived to the age of eighty- six and spent more than sixty years in the court. Her share of court property was more than 100,000 taels of silver, an income similar to that of a rich government official. Some bestowed items, such as silk and fur, were perishables so the imperial consorts and princesses would sell silk, textiles and leather, originally goods as saving, for interest- generating estates. Their financial management added excitements to their lives and benefitted their servants. This article consists of five sections. The first section gives an overview of the Noble Consort's life and daily activities. In the second section I will use imperial consorts' gold ingots and edicts, crowns, clothing, and ceremonial weapons to illustrate the ranking system of the imperial consorts. The third section will discuss the imperial consorts' share of court property, including silver and food items. The fourth section will investigate the imperial consorts' financial activities. The consorts had other streams of income, including the sales of ginseng, silk, and fur. Some also invested in estates. The fifth section will focus on eunuch's organization and the items they sold. The eunuchs received meagre salaries, so their accumulated wealth must have had come from the bestowment of the Noble Consort Wenhuei, or from selling goods stolen from the imperial vault. From their properties one can tell the most profitable businesses during the Qianlong reign in Beijing were pharmacies, banks, and pawn shops.