三宫六院

三宮六院

sāngōngliùyuàn

idiom

Meanings

Huángdì zuòyōng sāngōngliùyuàn.

The emperor had his three palaces and six courts at his disposal.

Sāngōngliùyuàn qīshí'èr fēi shì mínjiān de shuōfǎ.

"Three palaces, six courts, seventy-two consorts" is a folk expression.

culture

A stock phrase for imperial polygamy rather than an exact count. It often appears in the extended form 三宫六院七十二妃 in drama and fiction.

三 sān

宫 gōng

六 liù

院 yuàn