朱元璋之所以鼓励嫖娼正如他推崇的元朝饮食文化中那般丰富多彩希望通过这种方式来调剂宫廷生活的单调与压抑
朱元璋在洪武初年将都城迁至金陵，并在秦淮河畔设立了众多妓院，称之为大院。他亲笔题写了一副对联，旨在鼓励官员和商贾到此处消遣娱乐。他的这副对联是：佳山佳水更有佳人佳事，添千秋佳话。世间多痴男痴女，痴心痴梦，更有几辈子痴情与意。
朱元璋的意图是在吸引那些富有的商贾们来到这些妓院，以增加国家税收。但他未曾料到，这些商人们并不轻易上当，而是朝廷中的文武官员却如同被蛊惑的小虫一般，一日三餐都是前往青楼寻欢作乐。在那时，一时间形成了“百官争嫖”的壮观景象，这无疑打乱了朱元璋的计划，他不仅没能从中获得税收，还损失了国家财政。此外，由于这些官员把大量时间花在嫖娼上，他们忽略了政治上的责任，这让勤勉的朱元璋深感愤怒。
为了解决这一问题，朱皇帝下令罚杖六十 anyone found guilty of frequenting brothels, and even reduced the rank of those who facilitated such activities. However, this decree had little effect on the officials' behavior.
In desperation, Zhu Yuanzhang decided to shut down the state-run brothels in an effort to curb these indulgent practices. But like a weed that refuses to be eradicated, prostitution continued to flourish in Nanjing until the end of the Ming dynasty. It was as if Zhu Yuanzhang's efforts had inadvertently nurtured a culture that would eventually contribute to his empire's downfall.
The story of Qinhuai River and its courtesans is more than just a tale about prostitution; it represents a cultural phenomenon that has left an indelible mark on Chinese history. The eight beauties who lived along Qinhuai River were not ordinary women; they were talented individuals with unique personalities and intelligence.
Despite their profession, they managed to transcend their social status by cultivating artistic talents and wisdom under the influence of scholars and literati. They played important roles in shaping societal attitudes towards love, morality, and politics during their time.
It is worth noting that these women lived in a society dominated by men where they faced significant challenges due to gender inequality. Yet despite being marginalized based on their occupation alone, many people today still view them through tainted lenses without considering their inherent value as human beings or acknowledging their contributions to society.
In reality however these ladies are far more authentic true-to-life characters compared with those hiding behind pretentious moral facades! For instance take for example Liu Shi (柳如是), she married into wealth but when faced with war she requested her husband money Qian Yizhi (钱谦益) join her in death rather than abandon her - he refused citing cold water while holding onto her tightly - this woman's spirit should command respect regardless what role she plays!
It is high time we reevaluate our perception towards these women from history who have been unfairly judged based solely on one aspect of life rather than taking into account all aspects which made them unique individuals worthy of admiration not pity or scorn!
