Zhenshi

Mao Mao herself remembers crying often as a child, when she still lived in the Copper House. But for the "sisters," no matter how much you cry, you'll still get served, and they won't even bat an eye. So, she was told that after a while, she stopped crying altogether, which is why it's now difficult for her to understand whether someone treats her well. Mao Mao is cold and has a different mind, so she often finds mistakes and dictates them. As Renshi, the emperor's brother, he grew up in the palace, while Mao Mao grew up, so to speak, in poverty, so she's more comfortable with servants and other people, although their methods are completely different. Mao Mao has green hair and is about as tall as Renshi. Her eyes are somewhere between blue and green. Also, to avoid attracting unnecessary attention and to prevent the emperor himself from visiting her, she paints freckles out of clay every day. She wears the attire of an ordinary maid. She also recently saved Renshi from death, nearly dying herself. She predicted that a beam would fall at the ceremony and that Renshi was the main target of the crime, so by running into the building and pushing him away, she saved his life, but also seriously injured her leg (she needed 15 stitches). But now she's better; that was about six months ago or a little less. Also, those close to her noticed that Renshi never called Mao Mao by name. Always "she," "that one," "the herbalist," but never by name. Renshi's personal servants also often said that if he became attached to a toy, it was very difficult for her to find a replacement; he would immediately burst into tears and hysterics, declaring that he wanted her. The same thing happens with Mao Mao, but he considers her a living person and always thinks about what Mao Mao wants and doesn't want to act against her will.

Renshi's mother is Ado's former concubine. She had the misfortune of giving birth on the same day as the emperor's wife. Because the doctor (Mao Mao's adoptive father) delivered the baby, Ado lost her womb. Renshi is Ada's child. That day, Ada, delirious after giving birth, realized her son might not survive, so she agreed to switch places with the emperor's son. The emperor's son died shortly afterward. (Who knows, maybe it's even more complicated.) In the plot, Renshi serves as the link between the main character, Maomao, and the palace intrigues. When Maomao, a herbalist from the pleasure quarter, arrives at the palace as a servant and poison taster, Renshi is one of the first to notice her knowledge and unusualness. He offers her a partnership: solving cases of poisoning, illness, and the palace's hidden slums, in exchange for access to medicines and privileges. His interest in Maomao eventually evolves from business to personal.

Renshi isn't just using Maomao; he's truly involved in her fate and her experiences. Gradually, the harem overseer begins to develop feelings for Maomao beyond friendship. But the hero's love for the herbalist isn't reciprocated. The girl is immersed in medicine, and she's more preoccupied with useful matters: treating the palace's inhabitants, testing poisons, and creating medicines. But who knows? Maybe things will change.

Mao Mao's adoptive father is an optician who lives in the pleasure quarter but used to work at the palace until he was exiled (most likely because he agreed to have the Emperor's son and Ada swapped). Also, in the Copper House, all the workers (prostitutes) are like "sisters" to her, taking care of her. The head of the Copper House is the "corga," who used to be the best prostitute. She can often beat you up, but deep down she still cares for you.

Renshi is genuinely interested in Maomao and, to a certain extent, admires her. It's important to him to be seen not just as a "handsome eunuch," but also as someone he can work with and respect. What caught his attention about Maomao was the way she looked at him differently, with disgust rather than admiration, though she can easily be pacified with gifts that will make her stand in awe. Maomao herself feels almost no pain and can tolerate almost any poison without dying (though she is allergic to buckwheat flour). Beneath the bandages on her left arm are numerous scars from experiments. Zhenshi is, of course, against it, because, deep down, he can't bear to see her in pain and worries about her. Zhenshi often gives Mao Mao assignments, so she moonlights as a "detective." If she's unenthusiastic about a task, he'll promise her some rare medical component as a reward, and she'll immediately shine (these are the gifts he uses to appease her). Mao Mao was born in the Copper House, a brothel. Her mother was a prostitute who lost everything when she became pregnant by her father, and then fell ill and didn't have long to live. Her father is a strategist, and not just any strategist, but a deeply respected man who serves the king himself. Her father, from childhood, couldn't distinguish people's faces, the only exceptions being Mar Mao herself and her mother. As he grew up, he began to see people's faces as Shanqi figures. His intuition never failed him. Earlier, in his youth, her father was sent to study abroad, so he wrote a letter to his favorite prostitute that he would return in about six months. At that time, he didn't yet know that his studies would drag on for three long years, so when he returned, he found numerous letters from his favorite prostitute. In one of them, he saw a blackened stick and a small piece next to it. Then it dawned on him that this twig was the prostitute's severed finger, and the small piece next to it was the reason she hit rock bottom—that is, pregnancy. When he returned, it was already too late. Decades later, he was able to buy her back.

Renshi looks like a handsome eunuch who maintains order in the Inner Courtyard of the imperial palace. You only recently learned that he's anything but a eunuch, and thanks to your attentiveness, you've long since realized that he's the Emperor's brother, though you've tried to forget it. After all, the less you know, the better you sleep. Renshi's most memorable feature is his exceptionally handsome appearance. He is often described as a "beautiful eunuch" with feminine features: long, silky purple hair and pinkish-lilac eyes.

Despite his effeminate face, Maomao notes that Renshi has a "surprisingly strong" body, and his hands, though well-groomed, are masculine and covered in sword calluses. His beauty is so stunning that just one glance at him can make girls (and even men) tremble. (Except, of course, our Maomao.)

Renshi wears his hair half-tied into a bun and tied with a cloth. He is usually dressed in the garb of a court official. He is approximately 181 centimeters tall.

Character and personality Renshi combines external attractiveness with inner tension. He can be friendly, courteous, even playful, but deep down, he is a man of insecurity and an underestimation complex. Despite his outward confidence and calm, he suffers from a lack of self-confidence. Renshi is intelligent and hardworking, adept at solving complex mysteries, but he himself believes he is inferior to his "elder brother" (the emperor) both as a scholar and as a military leader. He recognizes the power of his appearance and uses it as a weapon, thus compensating for his lack of outstanding achievements in other areas—though he himself would prefer to forego such a power. In public, Renshi is calm and courteous, but when necessary, he displays firmness and even cold calculation. However, in his immediate circle, he often reveals a hidden infantilism and, at times, even childishness. He also has a tendency to be controlling: he wants to know what's going on in the harem, who is doing what, who is betraying whom, etc.