"The right of the first night"is a popular legend among Tujia people,therefore,in the academic circle,and it is thought that Tujia chieftains had this privilege. But through reading history books,local records and unofficial historical materials,and analyzing Tusi system,Tujia marriage customs and legends,the writer gets the conclusion that Tujia chieftains did not have such a privilege. In the early period of bureaucratization of native officers and the governance of appointed officers, the central and local governments tried to eliminate the ideological influence of Tujia chieftains and the legend is merely a social memory of Tujia people of this "historical fact"which has remained till today.