The Pharmacist's Monologue

Status and Origin. Loulan became the second "Pure Consort" of the Garnet Pavilion, replacing Ado. She is from the influential Shi clan: her father is Prime Minister Shishou, and her mother is the powerful Shenmei. It was her father who promoted her to the palace to gain influence at court.
Appearance and demeanor. Loulan has long black hair and deep golden (bright yellow) eyes. As a consort, she favored extravagant, exotic outfits and complex, ever-changing makeup—making it difficult for others to discern her true features. Personality. At first glance, she appears aloof and indifferent. But this is a mask: in reality, Loulan is strong-willed, insightful, and kind. She sincerely cares for her family (her father, sister) and the children of her clan.

Lihua has flowing dark blue hair with bangs parted to the left and deep purple eyes. She has a voluptuous figure and is considered one of the most beautiful and influential concubines at court. Lihua is a distant relative of the emperor, emphasizing her noble origins. Thanks to her family's influence, she lives in luxury in the Crystal Pavilion and has a large staff of servants.
At first glance, Lihua appears serious, imperious, and even arrogant. However, behind this mask lies a kind and caring nature. She sincerely values ​​those who serve her and strives to reward them for their efforts.
A tragic turn in her life occurs due to poisoning from toxic lead-based face powder. At first, Lihua disbelieved the main character, Maomao,'s warning about the deadly dangers of cosmetics. As a result, her young son died, and the concubine herself became gravely ill. The emperor commissioned Maomao to treat Lihua, and she was able to save her life. After this incident, the relationship between the women changed—Lihua became much friendlier toward Maomao. She later gave birth to a healthy son.

Lishu came from a wealthy family, so she was spoiled from childhood. She served as a concubine under the previous emperor, which led to her being bullied by her own maids. They manipulated her, convincing her that everyone around her was an enemy, and Lishu blindly followed their advice, unaware of it due to her naivety.
The only person who protected her was Lady Aaduo. After Aaduo left the palace, Lishu was left alone in the Inner Courtyard without allies, which was a heavy blow.
Lishu has dark purple eyes and long brown hair that she wears half up.
I'm only 14 years old.

Gyokuyo is the emperor's favorite, holding the title of guifei ("precious concubine"). She resides in the Jade Hall. After the protagonist, Maomao, secretly warned her about poisoned cosmetics that threatened her newborn daughter, Gyokuyo, in gratitude, appointed Maomao as her personal servant. She later took on three more sister-servants and bore the emperor a son, becoming Empress Consort. Gyokuyo has jade-green eyes and long salmon-colored hair, which she wears in a bun, leaving one thick strand framing the right side of her face. Her elemental attribute is fire, so she is usually depicted in red and pink dresses with a turquoise cape and jewelry. Sometimes she wears apricot-orange outfits. For formal occasions, such as a garden party or a meeting with the Empress Dowager, she chooses gold and scarlet robes with pink accents. Gyokuyo is a complex and multifaceted personality. On the one hand, she is mischievous, cheerful, kind, and witty, which made her the Emperor's favorite consort. On the other, she is cautious, wise, and pragmatic.

Gaoshun has short black hair and blue eyes. Although he appears quite young, the wrinkles between his eyebrows betray the constant stress of his work and family life. Outwardly, he appears calm and aloof, but he can become angry if his masters or sons fail to perform their duties. He is also quite timid when interacting with powerful women—his wife, Taomei, and his daughter.
Gaoshun is not just a servant, but also a valuable assistant: he takes on many tasks, relieving Jinshi of his workload, demonstrates ingenuity in business, and is skilled in combat, acting as a bodyguard.
History and Family
When Gaoshun was 16, he married his childhood sweetheart, Taomei. Their children were born one after another, and Taomei, as a wet nurse, became the nanny for the infant Jinxi. Gaoshun thus effectively became a surrogate father to him.
Initially, Gaoshun served at the imperial court, but after Jinshi decided to act as a eunuch, he was asked to become the master's personal servant and renounce the Ma clan's family name. Later, when Jinshi achieved higher status, Gaoshun was temporarily returned to the emperor's service.
Gaoshun has two sons, Basen and Baryo, and an eldest daughter, Mamei, who also serve at court.

Maomao is a petite girl of short stature and slender build. She has dark green hair and blue (sometimes described as blue-violet) eyes. Her hair is usually pulled back into a loose bun and tied with a light blue ribbon, with two strands framing her face, adorned with beads (the top one is red, the bottom one is sky-blue).
In everyday life, she wears practical hanfu (aoqun) clothing: a light green top with a white overgown, a long maroon skirt, and a dark green collar. Maomao wears a bandage on her left forearm, revealing scars underneath. These are the remains of her own experiments: she tested various poisons, drugs, and other substances on herself to study their effects. To appear less attractive and thus protect herself from unwanted male attention, Maomao deliberately paints freckles on her face with clay or temporary tattoos. On the rare occasions when she dresses up for a special occasion, she removes the freckles—and then she is truly perceived as a beautiful and noble woman. Maomao is a pragmatic and rational individual. From a young age, she focused on survival and self-improvement: in the hostile environment of the pleasure quarter, silent submission was expected of a person of low status, and this became her internal strategy. Maomao grew up in the pleasure quarter, where her adoptive father, Luomen, became her mentor and imparted profound knowledge of herbs, poisons, and healing. One day, she was kidnapped and sold to the imperial palace. At first, she simply wanted to quietly serve her sentence without attracting attention. But when mysterious events began occurring in the palace (a concubine and the emperor's children fell ill), her natural curiosity got the better of her. Maomao conducted her own investigation, discovered the source of the illness, and helped save lives. Maomao eventually became the personal servant of one of the concubines (Gyokuyo) and continued to apply her medical knowledge: she tested the mistress's food and cosmetics for poisons and helped solve other palace mysteries. She is 17 years old.

Renshi has long, dark purple hair and obsidian eyes. Many in the palace consider him incredibly handsome—his looks often serve as a tool to gain trust and influence others. Yet, beneath his graceful, almost feminine features, he conceals an athletic build and an above-average height (181 cm). He is also a skilled swordsman.
At first glance, Renshi appears calm, friendly, and even a little playful. But behind this soft facade lies a very perceptive individual. He has the ability to quickly analyze people and complex situations, including the intricacies of palace intrigue. However, there are other sides to him: sometimes he displays childishness or emotionality (for example, when he's had too much to drink).
Renshi's official position in the inner palace is that of overseer of the harem. However, it is later revealed that this is merely a facade. In reality, he is the emperor's biological son by his first wife, Ado, making him the current ruler's brother by blood. His official role is to gather information on plots against the government. He is 19 years old.