Women's Power: The Political Role of Empress Xiao in The Legend of Xiao Chuo

Abstract

This research aims to analyze the political role of Empress Xiao in the drama series The Legend of Xiao Chuo, following Confucius’s Five Relationships conceptual framework, feminism, and the idea of power relations under a patriarchal structure. By employing qualitative research, these theoretical approaches are used to explore the power dynamics and status of women in the Chinese feudal society. The analysis focuses on both the husband–wife relationship and the ruler-subject relationship, highlighting the role of women in both private and public spheres. The findings reveal that, as a wife, Empress Xiao conducted herself in accordance with established norms without transgressing the boundaries of male authority. Yet, as empress and regent, she was able to transform this position into a basis of political legitimacy and play a role in shaping the direction of the state. Her exercise of power did not constitute a direct challenge to the patriarchal structure; rather, it involved negotiating and reinterpreting traditional norms within their existing framework. The study demonstrates that the Confucian Five Relationships function not only as mechanisms regulating women’s roles, but also as a “space of negotiation” that enables women to construct and sustain political authority under structural constraints. Accordingly, women’s roles in feudal society should be understood as a process of negotiation among tradition, power, and identity, rather than being explained solely through a one-dimensional framework of female subjugation.