從先秦，經漢初，至東漢，中國的文化習慣於把女子訓練成為柔弱、貞靜的形象。到了魏晉，由於受曹操「唯才是用」的用人思想、輕禮崇玄及門第制度等因素的影響，使人們逐漸注重自我，重新思考人的價值與意義。在時代思潮往凸顯自我個性，爭取自我權益開展之際，世家大族的婦女也漸漸地自覺到禮法的不合理，加上門第可恃，因此，她們比較敢於表現自我意識。尤其是在門第制度的保護下，使得她們的社會地位隨著大幅提升。由於士族婦女的社會地位尚且必須仗著門第制度才能提升，出身於寒門的妾，及其它種種來源的妾、妓、婢，她們的社會地位的卑微就可想而知了。其中，李絡秀是唯一的例外，只有她看清楚問題的根源，並懂得解決問題的合理且可行的辦法，因此透過與士族連姻，完成提升自己及家族的社會地位的心願。

　　　　　From the pre-Chin (221 B.C.) era, through early Han (206 B.C.) and East Han (25-220) dynasties in ancient China, Chinese women had always been conditioned by Chinese culture to assume a weak, docile and chaste image. Later in the Wei-Jin (220-420) era, when the thinking of "employing people based on merit" of Cao Cao (a great Wei strategist), the importance of metaphysics over discipline rites, and the hereditary social caste system were prevalent, people in China gradually began to place greater emphasis on their selfhood and contemplating upon the value and meaning of human beings. As the zeitgeist evolved towards individuality and fighting for one's rights and interests, women in great noble clans became increasingly aware and critical of the absurdities of the traditional law and discipline rites; taking advantage of their elite background and the protection of the hereditary social caste, they were bold enough to assert self-expression, as a result upgrading their social status. Since even women in noble clans must depend on the caste to upgrade their social status, it is obvious that concubines of humble origins as well as concubines, courtesans, and maidservants of various origins had occupied only a petty and inferior status. Li Luo-xiu, however, is the only exception. She clearly saw her own predicament and was able to discover a reasonable and viable solution, which was to marry into an elite clan, thereby achieving her goals of upgrading the social status of both herself and her clan.