(AfroGamers.com) Diving right in, we will be looking at a web novel called The Job of an Imperial Concubine and how it has and, for others, can inspire an interest in Chinese history and Chinese storytelling.

Ranking Systems in the Imperial Palace

This goes back to Ancient China when emperors were permitted to take as many women to be their wives as they wanted – within the bounds of traditional rules and customs of course. The women who would enter the palace to wed the emperor were made to follow one of these traditional customs, which was the imperial concubine ranking system. This entailed them occupying a position that granted them a certain amount of comforts and power within the imperial palace. As simple as it sounds, there were factors that went into which rank a woman was placed in. To begin with, the emperor, their husband, was the one that ranked them and he did that by looking at how prominent a woman’s family background was, their ability to have children, and also whether they were talented enough to receive his favour – in other words, were they worth enough to receive his affection. Different Chinese dynasties had different ranking systems that were sometimes based on what the emperor at the time wanted.

Simplified, the ranking system consisted of the empress, the emperor’s main wife, consorts and concubines. In all these systems there would only ever be one empress. Other ranks could come and go, but she always remained. Nonetheless, the ranks of the imperial wives served different purposes but the predominant purpose was to maintain court dynamics. Which often spawned court and palace intrigue.

Is the Web novel any good?

To answer whether or not The Job of an Imperial Concubine is a good read: Yes, the web novel is a first-rate read. On the surface, it is well written, the characters are properly fleshed out and although it feels more slice of life, there is enough plot and drama to keep the reader wanting more. The protagonist of the web novel, Zhaung Laoyan, is the perfect definition of a go getter and a woman who strives to live comfortably and luxuriously – even if it means throwing her dignity away to make that happen.

Like a lot of Asian web novels out there, The Job of an Imperial Concubine is tagged as a transmigration story. Zhaung Laoyan, our female protagonist was an older woman working corporate as a PR manager before she passed away and found herself in the body of one of Emperor Feng Jin’s concubines in ancient China. The era can be described as a fictional version inspired by the real-world Han and Qing Dynasties. Throughout the coming chapters, Zhaung Laoyan is consistently bound by strict palace rules whilst being forced into the schemes of the emperor’s other wives. But what the story is unique in is its not so unique type of plot of how our female protagonist does not have a golden finger. What that means is, Zhaung Laoyan doesn’t have any special talent or skill that really distinguishes her from the other characters, besides being a transmigrator who is smart enough to survive the imperial palace’s treacherous schemes. In that way, she can be mistaken as a background character turned protagonist.

An interesting detail that makes the web novel a great read is how well Emperor Feng Jin doesn’t love any of his wives or at least is good at pretending he doesn’t love them. Anyone can find this type of character refreshing. Moreover, he constantly manipulates even the ones he cares just a little for, simply to maintain the systemic relationship the women of the harem are all meant to fit into. At any part of the novel, whenever you read from his perspective, there is an involuntary feeling of holding one’s breath because you never know what he is really up to. Just like when – SPOILER ALERT – he married a performer because he “liked her dancing”, only for him to later on let her be framed for a murder she didn’t commit. The reason for that? He was letting his other wives vent their anger and jealousy on her for being the ‘new, pretty’ wife in the harem.

Similar Chinese Short Dramas

There have actually been a couple Chinese dramas that follow the same or similar plot as The Job of an Imperial Concubine. Especially Chinese vertical short dramas – just like the ones you see on TikTok and YouTube. An example of this is the short drama called: Reborn, she was forced into palace for sister, won emperor’s heart, and became supreme empress and Modern Consort’s Guide to Rising in Rank, that you can both find and watch on YouTube.

Modern Consort’s Guide definitely differs from the web novel and the similarities lie in how the transmigrator concubine, strives to survive in the cutthroat palace environment by seducing the Emperor and rising to be his most favoured wife. Unlike the novel, however, the concubine blatantly says she wants to be the most powerful woman in the palace whereas Zhaung Laoyan just wants to relax and stay out of drama as much as she can – she just knows the only way to do that is to stay on the Emperor’s good side, always. Another obvious difference is how the web novel takes on a more serious tone but the short drama is more comedic with a couple of overly exaggerated scenes, like how the emperor “called for water” seventeen times during his first night with the female protagonist.

But then we have the Reborn…and became supreme empress short drama that matches the web novel’s tone the most – excluding the mandatory cringey and exaggerated scenes found in every Chinese vertical drama. The drama focusses on Shen Zhinian, the female protagonist, and how she gets revenge on her sister for murdering her in her past life by gaining the emperor’s favour and rising in rank in the harem. The whole drama shows how Shen Zhinian manipulates the emperor and makes sure the schemes of the other women in the harem go back to bite them. It is an interesting watch when you are someone who appreciates a character who, against all odds, uses their brains more than their brawn.

To sum it all up, The Job of an Imperial Concubine is a Chinese web novel that encapsulates the transmigration aspects of most Asian web novels but introduces realistic characters, in a realistic setting with realistic consequences. Those of us who consciously look out for good, bingeworthy reads set in historical eras can really value this one.

Staff Writer; Fadzai Nyamande

A South African who brings her love for fiction, manga, and storytelling into every piece she creates. Her writing is shaped by imagination, curiosity, and a true appreciation for the worlds stories can build.