Shunü is a daughter born to a concubine rather than to the principal wife. In a household where rank decided everything, she had less standing than her half-sisters, fewer resources, and a marriage that often served the family's interests. It is the classic heroine of the zhaidou genre, who has to make her own place. Sheng Minglan, the heroine of The Story of Minglan, is a shunü.
Dramas
Where it comes up
Silk & Schemes
The Story of Minglan: the zhaidou drama the genre still measures itself against
A concubine's daughter learns to hide how clever she is, then builds a household of her own — the 73-episode Song-dynasty family drama that won a Golden Eagle and defined zhaidou (household-intrigue drama) on television.