ahhh love when there's a gap in the current fic/art landscape and you can be like Hello Everyone Have You Considered This? Right there with you about SQX's gender horror

No you're so right, harem intrigue plots have so much potential to be super homosocial. Everything hinges upon having the Emperor's favor but so much of the actual scrambling to get it happens among the women, their actions are as influenced by each other as they are by the Emperor.

I feel like people assume the same for single gender schools at all levels but what you mention about monasteries having hierarchy sounds suuuper intriguing.