eh, I hope the main character can push through the idea of a harem for emperors like the Chinese/Korean emperors with their "3/4 wife and 4/3 concubine" - a woman for every day of the week and no one is offended (especially the husband)
HOW TO MAKE AN ANTI-FEMINIST PAMPHLET DISGUISED AS FEMINIST PROPAGANDA
Hello, bore on the line! Today we have a Chinese drama to review that I, I'm ashamed to admit, found on TikTok (they didn't show the title, so don't hit me, okay?). But it's a great example of how to make a feminist propaganda piece that turns out to be an anti-feminist pamphlet.
A feminist mom from the 21st century versus the realities of the 15th century
The plot is simple: the heroine's mother is a time traveler and, concurrently, a preacher of modern ideas. Monogamy, love, equality - the whole set from Instagram publics "relationship psychology". The daughter, raised on these myths, marries a mediocre scientist who swears that she will be the only one. She believes — and three years later, her husband takes a concubine. Shock, scandal, female solidarity, vengeful pathos.
The problem is that all this is presented as a “base betrayal” of the husband, although for the 15th century he simply lived in the coordinate system of his time.
A harem is not a luxury, but a LinkedIn of the Ming era
In the drama, the harem is shown as a man’s personal whim. But in reality, the harem was a tool for survival and a demonstration of power.
The main wife (正妻) is a political project that cements the union of clans.
Concubines (妾) — expanded your network of connections. This is LinkedIn, where every woman is a new clan in your contact list.
A dowry is a strategic asset. Sometimes people married solely for the dowry.
Monogamy then meant poverty and hopelessness. If you have one wife, then you are nobody.
For reference: "three wives and four concubines"
In Chinese tradition, there was a formula sanqi sicé (三妻四妾) - "three wives and four concubines".
The main wife (正妻, zhengqi) - ruled the house, her children inherited first.
Secondary wives (偏妻, pianqi) - lower status, but official.
Concubines (妾, ce) - formally "second-class", but their children were also included in the family tree.
In Korea during the Joseon era, the system looked similar: an official wife (chinchon) and concubines (sog). Monogamy was considered the lot of the poor.
In other words, a harem is not about romance, but about prestige, survival and demonstrating the strength of the family.
The heroine's husband: a traitor or just a man of the era?
The drama condemns the husband as a low cheater. But if you look at it from the perspective of the 15th century, he acted absolutely logically. He married for the benefit of his wife's clan, and then strengthened his position through a concubine. This is not "meanness", but a standard business model of that time.
In fact, the antagonists in the story are the heroine herself and her mother, who demand the impossible from the man: to play by modern rules where they simply did not exist.
Ironic moral
So, dear scriptwriters: if you are filming a drama about the 15th century, at least warn the heroine that Tinder has not yet been invented, and "Harry Met Sally" will be released only in 500 years.
