奏請照定例辦理男婚女嫁合宜事(附件：諭旨一道圖理琛此奏議之不準行tulišen i ere wesimbuha be gisurefi yabubuhakū)
Yongzheng-era memorial

內閣侍讀學士兼禮部侍郎圖里琛恭敬地上奏說：我把瞭解到的一點情況，恭敬地寫出來，請求皇上明鑑。 皇上您勵精圖治，統御天下，治理國家時，推廣教化、整頓制度是非常重要的事情。古時候規定，男子三十歲娶妻，女子二十歲嫁人。但說到婚嫁這件事，它關係到百姓生活的開端和親屬關係的建立，只有把這個禮節端正了，各種事情才能理順，倫理關係才能圓滿。 按我愚笨的想法，人出生後，男子到了二十歲，就該娶妻；女子過了十六歲，就該嫁人。這類涉及倫理綱常的大事，如果處理不好，會讓人受困受苦。當年聖祖仁皇帝（康熙）廣施恩德，對八旗內喪葬婚嫁的人們，都賞賜了恩恤銀兩。這樣一來，普通百姓就能靠着這筆賞銀，從容地辦妥自己遇到的人生大事。 可是看現在的人，養育子女到談婚論嫁時，完全不考察孩子們的品行，也不看對方的家風，一味攀附權貴，把嫁妝和聘禮看得很重，追求表面排場和虛浮的體面，把貧富差距當成首要考量。有的因爲對方有拖累（比如有臥牀病人）而不願嫁娶，有的因爲家境困難而犯了難，以至於拖延時日，一月一年地耽誤下來，錯過了婚嫁的時機。結果男子到了老大年紀還娶不上媳婦，女子到了三十歲還找不到婆家，這種情況非常之多。 世事就是這樣：有的本來富裕，因爲嫁娶陪送而漸漸衰敗，最後陷入貧困；有的本來好好的一樁婚事，婚後卻性格不合、變成怨偶，這種情況也不少。各自都有所謂的命數道理，但卻完全忘記了人倫大道的根本。這樣被陋習浸染，破壞了規章制度，輪常之理的事情也就漸漸放縱下去，恐怕最終會發展到不可收拾的地步。 依我愚見，現在被這種壞風氣影響、拖延了年齡的超齡女子，不要再計較聘禮嫁妝了，各自根據實際情況，趕緊讓她們成親出嫁。從今以後，定下規矩：男子不超過二十歲，女子不超過十六歲，就要根據條件，找合適的人成婚。如果有不遵守法令、違反這個規定的，就治他父親或兄長的罪。把這個規矩定下來，永遠長久地遵行。這樣一來，陋習可以扭轉，人倫大道能夠圓滿，敗壞的制度也能得到整頓並走上正軌。 請求皇上，把我這份奏摺留在宮裏，不必下發。我把自己膚淺瞭解的一點事，恭敬地奏報了，可行還是不可行，請皇上明鑑。爲此恭敬上奏。 雍正十三年十一月初四日 （圖里琛的這個奏摺，經過討論，沒有被採納推行。）

臣內閣侍讀學士兼禮部侍郎臣圖理琛謹奏，爲略有所知恭摺具陳，懇祈聖明鑒察事。聖主以極德臨御天下，爲治廣敷教化，端正典常，最爲緊要。古時，男子三十歲娶妻，女子二十歲嫁人，雖如此說，然婚姻之事，乃民生之始、結親聯姻之禮，既正之後，凡百事務始得整治，稟賦之理始獲全備。臣愚以爲，人子男生至二十歲，即應娶妻；女生過十六歲，即應嫁人。凡此等循理相聯之事，庶不致使人困苦。大行皇帝普施恩澤，於八旗之內，喪葬嫁娶等事，皆賞給恩銀。因此，平常人家，藉此賞銀便可從容完成所遇大事。今觀世人，生子結親，全不考察子女之心性行爲，不看人家之家風，一味攀高附貴，以嫁娶爲尚，追求表面虛華，以揀擇貧富爲要。或因有公婆之家，不願將女嫁與；或因生計艱難，致誤婚姻，拖延歲月，結親婚配錯過其時，以致男子老大仍不得妻，女子至三十歲仍不得婿者甚多。世事因富而嫁，漸至衰落貧困；因好而嫁，本性變惡者亦復不少。各人雖有命定之理，而人倫大道全然不講。如此浸染流俗，以致舊例敗壞，倫理事體漸次頹靡，恐至不可挽回。臣愚以爲，現今被惡俗所誤，過期耽延、年長之女，一概不計嫁粧，各視其等第，即行婚配。從今以後，男子不過二十歲，女子不過十六歲，即視其等，配與相當之人，著爲定例。若有違禁不遵定例者，將其父兄治罪，定爲條例，永遠長久遵行，則浸染之惡習可改，人倫大道得以全備，而敗壞之舊例亦得整治歸正，似乎可行。懇祈將臣此奏，暫停發出，留中與否？臣愚，略有所知，謹此具奏，可行與否，伏候聖主明鑒。爲此謹奏。雍正十三年十一月初四日，圖理琛此奏經議未行。

A memorial by Your Minister Tulišen, Junior Vice Minister of the Imperial Library and concurrently Vice Minister of Rites, respectfully submitted: I venture to set forth what little I know and humbly beg for imperial illumination. The Holy Lord, with supreme virtue, governs all under Heaven, and in governance the propagation of moral instruction and the rectification of permanent statutes is of the utmost importance. In ancient times, it was said that a man took a wife at thirty, and a woman married at twenty. However, the matter of marriage is the beginning of the people's livelihood and the rite of forming kinship; only when it is proper can all affairs be set right and the ordained principles be fully realized. I, your minister, in my ignorance, think that when a boy is born and reaches twenty, he should take a wife, and when a girl is born and passes sixteen, she should be given in marriage. Matters connected with such constant principles should not cause suffering to people. The late Emperor of great virtue bestowed grace and granted silver rewards for funerals and marriages within the Eight Banners. Thus common people could rely on this bounty to complete these great events. Looking at people today, when children are born and marriages are arranged, they do not examine the children's minds and conduct, nor consider the family customs. They only strive to associate with the noble and high-ranking, exalt giving and taking in marriage, pursue superficial splendor, and consider the distinction between rich and poor of primary importance. Some are unwilling to give their daughters to families with parents-in-law, while others, due to difficult livelihoods, delay month after month and year after year, missing the proper time for marriage. As a result, many men remain unmarried until they are old, and many women fail to find a husband until they reach thirty. In worldly affairs, those who marry because of wealth gradually fall into decline and poverty; those who marry because of apparent goodness may see their nature turn bad – such cases are not few. Although each has an ordained fate, the great way of human relations is entirely neglected. Thus, corrupted by drifting customs, the old statutes have been ruined, and matters of principle are gradually declining – I fear they may become irremediable. I, in my ignorance, think that now all those older girls who have been misled by bad customs and have passed the proper time should be married off promptly, without calculating the dowry, according to their respective stations. Henceforth, men should not exceed twenty and women should not exceed sixteen before they are married to suitable partners according to their stations, and this should be made a fixed regulation. If there are those who defy the prohibition and violate the set rules, their fathers and elder brothers should be punished, and this should be established as a regulation to be followed perpetually. Then the bad drifting customs can be corrected, the great way of human relations can be fulfilled, and the ruined old statutes can be rectified to become proper – this seems feasible. I humbly beg that this memorial of mine be temporarily withheld from circulation and kept within the palace. I, your minister, in my ignorance, have respectfully submitted what little I know. Whether it is feasible or not is for the Holy Lord's enlightened judgment. Respectfully submitted. The fourth day of the eleventh month of the thirteenth year of Yongzheng. This memorial by Tulišen was discussed but not implemented.