Good Soil Makes a Good Crop: The Story of Saiunkoku and the myth of meritocracy

The Summer of Saiunkoku continues, this time in article form! Once upon a time, a poor little girl named Hong Shurei did not dream of marrying a prince. Instead, Shurei saw the struggles of the people around her and dreamed of becoming a civil servant—an impossible dream, for women were banned from public office. Yet when the …