Seeing the preview for the next episode gave me chills. On Xiaohongshu, a cnetz translated a part from the Mangunrok where the King, after hearing the Ming envoy demand Yeon Ji-young as a tribute woman, got angry and PUNCHED THE ENVOY IN THE FACE lol
Iirc, honestly speaking, Dae Jang Geum’s rise in the drama was pretty much impossible in real life. Back then,…
I mean you are right—the show's foundation was legit. The historical setup of the drama IS on point. the women court chefs absolutely were the ones running the daily kitchen for the royal family. Since they lived in the palace 24/7, they could handle all the meals and snacks, while the male chefs were mostly brought in for big outdoor banquets and feasts.
That system is the only reason Jang-geum's story had a sliver of plausibility. Becoming a court lady was the one backdoor for women to have a skilled, official career. So the hierarchy, the training, and the cooking contests? All grounded in reality.
But irl, her actual rise was still impossible, she entered as a low-ranking court lady—which was possible—but her origin as the daughter of commoners and disgraced officials meant she hit a "bloodline barrier" she could never break. The palace was a political snake pit; someone with no powerful family backing them would’ve been crushed by factions long before getting near the king.
I have a question. WHy do they say things like "how can we let a woman cook for the king?' or "a woman…
Iirc, honestly speaking, Dae Jang Geum’s rise in the drama was pretty much impossible in real life. Back then, the whole system was stacked against women. High-ranking jobs were strictly for men, skills were passed down from father to son, and your family background usually decided your fate. Not to mention all the rigid rules designed to keep women in their place. I don't remember much about the plot of dae jang geum, but aside from the fact that she had crazy talent and big-brain creativity, she also got the backing of not only the court ladies, but also the king, his support basically overrode all the usual barriers—class, gender, you name it.
could some one help I'm confused on what the chaehong is/who. Think it's stolen women to please the king, but…
So, "Chaehongsa" refers to those special teams—like Im Songjae—that the king dispatched to forcibly conscript beautiful women from all over the country and bring them to his palace. In the drama and also irl, he's also using it as a way to get political revenge.
That system is the only reason Jang-geum's story had a sliver of plausibility. Becoming a court lady was the one backdoor for women to have a skilled, official career. So the hierarchy, the training, and the cooking contests? All grounded in reality.
But irl, her actual rise was still impossible, she entered as a low-ranking court lady—which was possible—but her origin as the daughter of commoners and disgraced officials meant she hit a "bloodline barrier" she could never break. The palace was a political snake pit; someone with no powerful family backing them would’ve been crushed by factions long before getting near the king.