I thought so too!! It was quite offensive to make his soldier and guard go through the same examinations as his concubines, sound ridiculous too.
Remember what he said earlier though after Aino mentioned she had no cycle and was infertile? The emperor talked about sword fighting with her daily, going through war with her, holding her hands that were so calloused. He also thought about when she’d meet someone. I think he had the doctor check her because he feels guilty for taking her into battle rather than leaving her at her village. He feels guilty that she may not be able to have children. That’s how I saw it anyway.
I can understand where your coming from. Like I get that he can feel guilty but that still was not the appropriate time. As I mentioned it was an exam that is only for concubines not just anyone can ask for the doctor to check them. There is a specific purpose for him to examine the girls that day, and it was to see if they were appropiate to sleep with him.
I also mentioned that if he really wanted to get her checked up he should have sent her a doctor at another time. Or found an excuse to get all the soldiers checked. He could have even gotten the doctor to check on her when he is getting is a check up. Like he just casually calls the doctor and she expects him to be checked but oh no it's actually her. I personally feel like there were way to many other options than the out of place one he took.
If I was in her shoes I would have felt humiliated and offended since they would be like next concubine, next concubine, ok now it's the soldiers turn. Like her infertility is her business ( she seems annoyed to know the king knew and was annoyed that she had to do the exam) but now the other doctor and a few other soldiers know about it. Not to mention anyone else that realized she was being checked on would question why the only female soldiers was getting a check up when only the concubines should do. They won't think it because he is being nice but because she is a potential concubine. So I just think he should have avoided the misunderstanding and understood the place and time more.
Once again I get where you and he might be coming from but that wasn't the right time to do that. It isn't practical for her reputation, based on the purpose of that check up, or even realistic. And thats what makes the decision creepy, rude, and selfish since anyone in the book that would have seen that would have interpreted it in a different manner than him being helpful and guilty.
I agree it should have been done separately. I also agree at how humiliating it was. She’s a figure of authority. A commander of the 2nd regiment, and that doctor says all that in front of one of the concubines she is in charge of guarding. Honestly, that is what pissed me off more than anything.
Am I the only one that thinks that the emperor being admit that miss Paulina get a concubine examination is creepy and greedy?
Like those test are, as they said, to see if a concubine is fertile and healthy enough to have an heir. Bad fertility or not a virgin means they can't enter the harem. Like there is a particular group of people who get that exam, not everyone can can just go oh test me to. yet here is the king asking for his solder to have that exam? I know he loves her but that just seems offensive on his part. It's like his way of trying to fix her health to hopefully get her into the harem as well.
If he was worried for her health he would have gotten a doctor at another time. In a way even she didn't like the idea and only said ok since she wanted to get her hemorrhoids checked.