Madame Xia
Madame Xia, Guiying’s etiquette teacher, is the sharp, unrelenting voice of the societal judgment that plagues the young princess. Hired by the Empress to “appease your grandmother,” she takes her role as shaper of the future empress with a brutal, manipulative fervor. She is a master of backhanded compliments and corrosive criticism, cloaking her disdain in phrases like “I fervently recommend” and “I express my concern for your well-being.” Her critiques are intensely personal and focused on Guiying’s perceived flaws: her “scruffy” writing, her “unfashionable” kung fu attire, her weight, and her lack of a “flirtatious demeanor.” She explicitly links these to Guiying’s failure in the “marriage market,” coldly informing her that she looks like a “simple peasant” and that her “added weight does you no favors.” Madame Xia’s actions are driven by a vision of herself as a future matchmaker, orchestrating a brilliant marriage for Guiying, and she sees the princess’s authentic self as an obstacle to this goal. Her relentless comments are like “sharp blades piercing [Guiying’s] heart,” systematically dismantling her self-esteem and making her feel inherently inadequate. She is the embodiment of the internalized criticism that Guiying must overcome to forge her own identity.
