The difference between the titles of old man and father-in-law

Laogong is the name for the elderly, and Laozhangren is the name for the wife’s father.

Since ancient times, people have called the wife's father and mother-in-law "father-in-law", "mother-in-law", "father-in-law", "mother-in-law" or "Taishan" or "Taishui", that is, the wife's father.

"father-in-law" originally generally refers to an old man. "The Analects of Confucius · Wei Zi 18 - Father-in-law with a load of oats": "After Zilu came here, he met his father-in-law and held an oatmeal with his staff. Zilu asked, "Have you met the master?" The father-in-law said, "The four bodies are not diligent, and the grains are not separated." , who is the Master!

Origin Legend

Emperor Ming of the Tang Dynasty went to Mount Tai to hold a grand ceremony. Afterwards, as usual, he excepted Taiwei and Situ. Except for Sikong Sangong, all the accompanying officials were promoted to one level and granted a general amnesty to show the emperor's favor. Zheng Yi was originally a ninth-rank minor official. Due to the role of his father-in-law, he was promoted to four ranks, suddenly moved to the fifth rank, and given the official uniform of Dahong. , arrogant, mighty, and not very prominent.

Others had already seen it and were angry. This matter reached the ears of Emperor Ming of Tang Dynasty, and the emperor immediately summoned Zhang to speak. When the emperor asked him what was going on, Zhang said he was silent. At this time, a man named Huang Banzhuo excused him with a pun: This is the power of Mount Tai.

This incident became a joke inside and outside the court. From then on, people named the towering stone peak next to the altar "Zhangren Peak". Because Mount Tai was also called "Dongyue", so since the Tang Dynasty, "Mount Tai" "", "father-in-law" has become a special term for the wife's father, and "father-in-law" has also evolved from the original meaning of generally referring to the elderly to "father-in-law" and has been followed.