Easily one of the most interesting characters in the Marco Polo series, Mei Lin symbolizes the struggles faced by women in Chinese society during the late Southern Song dynasty, be it with a deadlier set of skills. As we learned in class, it was not uncommon for women to end up in sex work during the Song dynasty due to there not being any chance for religious life, unlike in Europe where women could dedicate their lives to the Church and become nuns. There was also the fact that while men could only be married once, having concubines was just a regular part of life in Yuan China. Unforunately however, the character of Mei Lin seems to not have existed in history. While she may not have existed, her inclusion in the series provides an interesting take on the struggles faced by many women in this tumultuous period in Chinese history.