Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't 妃子 mean consort, and 嫔妃 concubine? Or does 妃子 include both, with a separate term for consort? What even is the difference between a consort and a concubine? Is it, frankly put, consort = wed and bed, concubine = just bed?
Concubines aren't wives pretty much. Inferior The three chinese ranking was Empress Consorts Concubines
Ah, i figured since they're mostly used as cattle that it's for the additional children, but i forgot that the children also have a certain standing on the position their mother had. The three chinese ranking was Empress - waifu - main bloodline inheritor Consorts - backup inheritors 'second aunt' , 'third aunt' Concubines - breeding tools / slaves. 'maids' 'servants' not even seen as family by main line. Makes it a bit more understandable when the supposed 'main wife' has to become a 'concubine' that she'd be opposed.
Consorts had standing in society while concubines didn't. Often times consorts were allowed to interact with people of standing while concubines were only able to interact among themselves and the eunuchs. There is also the standing of any children. Children of consorts were considered as higher standing than those of concubines.
Not sure if they actually still get a ceremony , but they are considered secondary wives i guess. So wed and bed, half-wed and bed and then there's unwed and stable, lol. I think various things would also depend on status, like the main wife might be chosen for someone but he loves the consort and treats her better. If the main wife can't have children or only daughters the consort might become the main wife (if she has considerate background?). Whereas It's unlikely for a concubine to get treated well, she's pretty much a maid onahole.
You should have some basic knowledge about the hierarchy in the Imperial Chinese Harem System. The official prime spouse (嫡妻) of the reigning Emperor is called 后, which is equivalent to Queen in English. Sometimes it's called 皇后, which literally means the Emperor's Queen. 后 is the highest title in the harem hierarchy, in charge of all the consorts. Below 后 are many other consorts, often called the concubines in English. Some have a noble title and others don't. The concubines who had a noble title were called 妃 or 嬪. The systems are different in different time and dynasties. For example, in 西漢 (Western Han), after 元帝, the noble concubine hierarchy is: 昭仪 > 倢伃 > 娙娥 > 傛华 > 美人 > 八子 > 充依 > 七子 > 良人 > 长使 > 少使 > 五官 > 顺常 > 无涓. Notice that the concubines were at the same time officials that took charge of the affairs in the Emperor's Palace. In 唐 (Tang), the noble concubine hierarchy has changed a lot: The First Class concubines after 后 was the four 夫人：貴妃, 淑妃, 德妃, 賢妃 After that was the Second Class, the nine 嬪：昭儀, 昭容, 昭媛, 修儀, 修容, 修媛, 充儀, 充容, 充媛. In 明 (Ming), the First Class was the 妃: 貴妃 > 賢妃, 淑妃, 莊妃, 敬妃, 惠妃, 順妃, 康妃, 寧妃. The Second Class changed to nine 嬪：德嬪, 賢嬪, 莊嬪, 麗嬪, 惠嬪, 安嬪, 和嬪, 僖嬪, 康嬪. The concubines started to separate from the affairs officials that managed the affair in the Palace. The titles were equivalent to the noble titles in male aristocrat system, and the female affairs officials who actually ran the service system of the Palace were other people who didn't have noble titles. So normally a 妃 is prior to a 嬪. 妃子 and 嬪妃 are the general terms to address the emperor's noble concubines. 后妃 is the term to address all of the emperor's consorts who have a noble title. But the official prime spouse of the 太子 (crown prince, the chosen successor of the reigning emperor) is also called 妃, or more specially 太子妃. And 太子妃 is not a part of 妃子.