Miss Zhao: The Loyal Concubine and Quiet Mentor in Lady Tan's Circle of Women

Overview

Miss Zhao is the concubine of Tan Yunxian’s father, introduced in the earliest chapters of Lady Tan’s Circle of Women. After Respectful Lady—Yunxian’s mother—dies from a foot infection, Miss Zhao steps into the role of caretaker and informal teacher. Though she never becomes the official wife, she forms a quiet, enduring bond with Yunxian that lasts decades. Her character embodies the precarious position of concubines in fifteenth-century China while also demonstrating how loyalty, emotional intelligence, and adaptability can create a meaningful life within rigid hierarchies. Miss Zhao serves as a bridge between Yunxian’s grieving childhood and her emergence as a doctor, offering practical lessons, emotional support, and unflinching honesty.

Plot Role

Miss Zhao’s plot role can be divided into three phases: caretaker during the journey to Wuxi, surrogate mother during Yunxian’s adolescent years, and trusted companion during Yunxian’s adulthood. After Respectful Lady’s death, Miss Zhao manages the household’s travel arrangements, bribing guards and nursing the seasick Yunxian on the voyage to the Grandparents’ home. She resumes Yunxian’s education, teaching her to read and recite poetry, and later provides wedding advice. When Yunxian is summoned to the Forbidden City, Miss Zhao accompanies her, offering counsel about navigating palace intrigue and jealousy toward Meiling. Even after Yunxian is married and living in the Garden of Fragrant Delights, Miss Zhao remains a confidante and occasional visitor, her own life circumscribed by the father’s new wife but never severed from Yunxian’s.

Motivations and Traits

Miss Zhao’s primary motivation is survival and advancement, but she pursues these not through cruelty but through competence and loyalty. She wants to become the wife after Respectful Lady dies—a longing she cannot fully hide when asked—yet she never undermines Yunxian. Instead, she proves her worth by caring for Yunxian and her brother Yifeng. Her traits include:

Pragmatic intelligence – She knows when to bribe guards, when to speak softly, and when to rebuke. During the boat journey, she negotiates with bodyguards to allow the children fresh air.
Emotional perceptiveness – She recognizes Yunxian’s grief and gives her space to process, then gently resumes lessons as a form of honoring Respectful Lady.
Candor laced with kindness – On Yunxian’s wedding day, she warns about the jealousy of sisters-in-law and admits that beauty fades, but offers reassurance that Yifeng loves Yunxian.
Self-awareness – She accepts her diminished status after the father returns with a new Respectful Lady. She does not rage or plot; she adapts.
Loyalty without sycophancy – She rebukes Yunxian for jealousy toward Meiling, reminding her of class differences and the value of friendship. This honesty strengthens their bond.

Interpretation: Miss Zhao’s loyalty may stem from both genuine affection and a strategic understanding that her own security depends on the goodwill of Yunxian and Yifeng. Yet her actions consistently exceed self-interest; she risks the father’s displeasure by allowing the children freedoms he might not approve.

Chronological Arc

Miss Zhao’s arc is one of gradual fading from the story’s center, yet she remains a moral touchstone.

Early chapters (Chapters 2-3): After Respectful Lady’s death, Miss Zhao takes charge of the household’s move to Wuxi. She soothes Yunxian’s seasickness, teaches her on the river, and becomes her first substitute mother.
Arrival at the Mansion of Golden Light (Chapters 4-5): Miss Zhao is taunted by other concubines who remind her of her origins as a Thin Horse from Yangzhou. She endures these humiliations quietly, focusing on caring for Yifeng and Yunxian. Yunxian observes the gossip and feels sympathy, strengthening their bond.
Father’s return and remarriage (Chapter 6): The father comes home as a jinshi official, bringing a new wife—a second Respectful Lady. Miss Zhao’s hand tightens around Yunxian’s as she realizes her hope of becoming wife is crushed. She is ignored during the introduction.
Yunxian’s wedding day (Chapter 7): Miss Zhao visits Yunxian privately, warning her about the Yang household dynamics and expressing uncertainty about whether she will be allowed to visit after marriage. She concedes her own future is uncertain.
Inner chambers and the Forbidden City (Chapters 12-13): By the time Yunxian is summoned to the palace, Miss Zhao is no longer the beauty she once was, but she has gained “quiet loveliness.” She accompanies Yunxian to Beijing, advising her on letters to Maoren and confronting her about envy toward Meiling. In the palace, she remains silent but present, offering solidarity through touch.
Later years: After the smallpox outbreak and the resolution of Doctor Wong’s crimes, Miss Zhao’s role is less explicit. She is part of Yunxian’s “circle of good” that nurses her back to health (Chapter 9). The final chapters focus on Yunxian’s full embrace of medicine; Miss Zhao is not mentioned again, implying she lives out her days quietly within the Tan household.

Relationships

With Yunxian: The central relationship. Miss Zhao acts as a de facto mother, teacher, and later friend. She never tries to replace Respectful Lady but honors her memory. Yunxian grows to love and respect her, defending her to the father.
With Yifeng: Miss Zhao is his birth mother, but he is taken as a ritual son by the new Respectful Lady. She dotes on him without expecting the title of mother. Her affection is unconditional.
With other concubines: She is targeted by White Jade, Green Jade, and Red Jade, who remind her of her Thin Horse past. She does not retaliate, suggesting either forbearance or powerlessness.
With the father: He cares for her enough to keep her, but not enough to elevate her. She longs for his recognition, but he ignores her when introducing the new wife. Their relationship is one of duty on his part and unrequited love or dependence on hers.
With the grandparents: Grandmother Ru treats Miss Zhao with measured respect, likely aware of her value to Yunxian.

Key Decisions and Consequences

Deciding to teach Yunxian on the boat journey – This decision re-establishes a routine of learning and helps Yunxian process grief. It cements Miss Zhao’s role as educator.
Choosing to accompany Yunxian to the Forbidden City – She leaves the uncertain safety of the Tan household to support Yunxian, accepting the risks of palace life. This decision deepens their bond and provides Yunxian with moral grounding.
Rebuking Yunxian’s jealousy over Meiling – She risks Yunxian’s anger to deliver a hard truth about class and friendship. The consequence is a strengthened friendship when Yunxian humbly accepts the lesson.

Interpretation: Miss Zhao’s decisions consistently prioritize the well-being of those she cares for over her own comfort. She sacrifices the chance of advancement by aligning with Yunxian during the father’s remarriage scene, where she could have tried to ingratiate herself with the new wife.

Themes and Symbolism

Female friendship and solidarity – Miss Zhao is the first person to model loyalty outside biological family for Yunxian. She demonstrates that bonds between women can transcend hierarchical labels (concubine, wife, daughter). See more on female friendship.
Sacrifice and resilience – Miss Zhao endures humiliation, loss of status, and the uncertainty of being a concubine. She never abandons her care for Yunxian and Yifeng. Her resilience is quiet rather than dramatic, a form of endurance that enables other women’s success.
Class and gender hierarchy – Her status as a former Thin Horse and concubine constrains her every action. She can be sold, ignored, or replaced. Yet she carves out agency through competence. This theme is detailed in class and gender hierarchy.
Women’s medicine and healing – Although not a doctor herself, Miss Zhao supports Yunxian’s medical education by continuing her lessons and accompanying her to the palace. She is part of the “circle of good” that heals Yunxian postpartum.

Symbolism: Miss Zhao’s gradual fading from physical beauty yet enduring presence mirrors the novel’s argument that a woman’s value outlasts her youth. She is a living example of the “selfless heart” Yunxian is taught to cultivate.

Questions and Answers

Why does Miss Zhao not become the wife after Respectful Lady dies?
The father chooses a new wife—a woman of higher status, probably from an official family—rather than elevating his concubine. This reflects Ming dynasty social norms where a concubine, especially one sold as a Thin Horse, could rarely become a legal wife, regardless of her merits.
How does Miss Zhao help Yunxian become a doctor?
She provides continuity of education during the critical period after the mother’s death, teaching reading and the classics on the journey to Wuxi. Later, she accompanies Yunxian to the Forbidden City, offering moral support that allows Yunxian to focus on treating Empress Zhang.
What happens to Miss Zhao after the father remarries?
She remains in the household but is demoted in practical terms. The new Respectful Lady displaces her. Miss Zhao’s position becomes precarious—she could be sold at any time—but she continues to care for Yifeng and stays in touch with Yunxian. The father later acknowledges her loyalty when Yunxian defends her.
Does Miss Zhao ever express resentment toward her fate?
She shows longing for elevation but rarely bitterness. When taunted by other concubines, she withdraws rather than retaliates. Her acceptance of her position is both survival and genuine character—she channels her energy into nurturing Yunxian and Yifeng rather than indulging envy.
Why does Miss Zhao scold Yunxian for being jealous of Meiling?
She sees that Yunxian’s jealousy, though natural, is both petty and dangerous to the friendship. She reminds Yunxian that Meiling started from a much lower station. Her bluntness reflects deep care: she wants Yunxian to be the better person and not lose a true friend. This moment teaches Yunxian self-reflection.

For further exploration, see the main book page and the ending explained.