The Book of the Later Han records: “The imperial line at the Eastern Capital was repeatedly cut off, power fell into the hands of women, four emperors were installed from outside the court, and six empresses ruled from behind the curtain.”
In an era when women had no palace intrigues to fight, only political battles, Yuan Jia transmigrated into the past and declared boldly, “I shall wear the gold seal and purple ribbon!”
Yuan Jia's first boss was Empress Dowager Dou, the stern mother of the Northern Xiongnu and the woman who pioneered rule by the Six Dowagers. Unfortunately, Empress Dowager Dou was devoted to running the state like a family business, with nepotism rampant. Unable to take it any longer, Yuan Jia switched jobs.
For her second boss, Yuan Jia chose her own student, Emperor He of Han, who seemed to have stepped out of a Young Kangxi script. But he favored men over women and paid them unequally for equal work, so Yuan Jia switched jobs again.
After two bad experiences, Yuan Jia finally found her ideal boss: Empress Deng Sui, hailed as the greatest of empresses, and also the wife of her former boss and daughter-in-law of the one before that.
“What can I do? The Han dynasty is the only company listed on the stock market.” Yuan Jia sighed, then picked up her brush and wrote one familiar name after another in the employee register: Ban Chao, Ban Zhao, Cai Lun, Zhang Heng, Xu Shen...
Theme: You only win if you're willing to fight for it
