pharmacist monologue

The Emperor is a man in his thirties, thin but well-built, with an expressive face. He has short black hair and a neatly trimmed beard, which emphasizes his imperial status. In the light novel and anime, he has pink eyes, while in the original novel, his eye color is described as black. He usually maintains a calm expression, but sometimes a faint smile appears on his face. On his head, he wears a headdress - a fujin (a scarf made of a single strip of fabric) or ushamao with a gold decoration and two "wings." For clothing, he prefers a black yuanlingpao robe with a gold dragon pattern, a black belt with an image of a dragon, and a white robe underneath. The sleeves of the robe are long and flowing, and the hem is loose. Personality
The emperor's primary goal is to be nothing like his father, the former ruler, who was unstable and prone to manipulation. Unlike him, the current emperor strives for peaceful rule, not out of cowardice, but because he is willing to listen to the advice of those he trusts. As a ruler, he values ​​peace, prosperity, and stability above all else. While he is not above seeking loopholes to avoid violence, he is also willing to resort to harsh measures if necessary to maintain order and his authority. The emperor is reserved and rarely displays true emotion in public, as this could create problems at court. However, among his closest associates, he becomes more relaxed and readily jokes, often to the chagrin of Zhenshi. He displays pragmatism in his dealings with his concubines, prioritizing their political usefulness over personal affection, which sometimes leads his subordinates to view him as cruel. At the same time, he is not without compassion and empathy. For example, he protected Lisha, a girl brought in as a concubine for his father. The emperor not only intervened to prevent her father from having an affair with the young girl, but also brought Lisha back as his concubine in a purely symbolic role, protecting her from being used in political games.

Appearance
Loulan is a fair-skinned young woman with long black hair and deep golden (bright yellow) eyes. In the anime, her hair is depicted as a deep plum, while in the manga, it's deep purple. As a high-ranking concubine, she often wore extravagant and exotic outfits and jewelry brought from various countries and styles. Heavy makeup obscured the details of her face, making it difficult for others to discern her true features. She was accompanied by numerous maids who helped maintain this enigmatic image.
At first glance, Loulan appears aloof, cold, and indifferent. She rarely speaks, shows no interest in what's going on around her, and keeps to herself even among the other concubines.
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However, this mask is merely a consequence of her domineering mother, Shenmei, who tried to mold her into an obedient puppet. In reality, Loulan is a strong-willed, insightful, and freedom-loving person. She genuinely cares for her family (her father and sister) and the children of the Shi clan. She has a deep passion for entomology (the study of insects). As Shisui's servant, she often caught insects, played with them, and sketched them in her diary. Her knowledge of this field was so profound that she was able to predict a locust plague. Loulan didn't simply hide her true nature—she used disguise as a tool. To move freely around the palace, pursue her hobbies, and get close to Maomao and Xiaolan, she disguised herself as a servant. Heavy makeup and changing outfits helped her achieve this. When she realized the Shi clan was doomed, Loulan took action to save as many of its members as possible. She ultimately took drastic measures: setting fire to a gunpowder depot during a rebellion to distract enemies, scarring a rival's face to protect her sister, and then, after her staged death, fleeing west to the country of Tamamo.

Age: 35 years.
Height: about 170 cm.
Hair and eye color: dark purple.
Appearance: Ado has an "ethereal" and androgynous beauty that makes her resemble a very handsome young man. She bears a striking resemblance to her biological son, Renshi, including similar facial features and build. Because of this resemblance, Ado sometimes poses as Renshi's alter ego under the guise of "Imperial Brother."
Dress Code: Ado typically avoids flashy dresses and prefers hunting attire. Boyish Personality: Ado has always dreamed of breaking free from the Imperial Palace and traveling the world as a merchant. Her childhood dream was to become a court official, an illegal position for women of the Li clan. Confident and Caring: Ado is a self-assured woman with strong maternal instincts, especially toward younger women. Intellect and Practicality: Ado is highly intelligent and practical, but her emotional intelligence is somewhat lacking. Charisma: Possessing outstanding beauty and personality, Ado has a natural charm capable of captivating the hearts of many, especially women. Her court ladies were extremely devoted to her, especially her chief lady-in-waiting, Fengming, and were willing to die for her. Relationship with the Emperor. Ado had been the emperor's concubine since childhood, bearing the title of "Pure Concubine" of the Pomegranate Palace. She became a concubine only because the emperor wished to remain close to her. After the tragic loss of a child during her first childbirth, which left her unable to bear any more children, Ado remained close to the emperor as an advisor, but ultimately chose to leave the palace and retreat south for a life of seclusion.

Hair: flowing dark blue, with bangs combed to the left side.
Eyes: dark purple.
Physique: Luxurious, she is considered one of the Emperor's favorite wives in this regard.
Clothing: She often wears extravagant outfits and jewelry that highlight her mature beauty. Her color is ultramarine, and she typically wears blue and purple clothing.
Character
Outwardly, Lihua gives the impression of being a serious, domineering, and even arrogant person who at first glance appears materialistic and snobbish.
In fact, she's not arrogant. Her pride stems not from a sense of superiority, but from a need to show strength and assert her authority.
Lihua is fair and impartial. She genuinely cares for those who help her, thanks them for their care, and ensures their efforts are properly rewarded.
She's capable of changing her mind when she receives new information. For example, while initially hostile to Maomao, she quickly changed her stance after she saved her life when Lihua was poisoned.
Lihua is kind to her ladies-in-waiting, who in turn are loyal and protective of her.
She forgives those who have no malicious intent, as in the case of the maid of honor who accidentally applied poisonous powder to her. Lihua realized the maid had no ill intentions and did not punish her.
Lihua is emotional and prone to bouts of insecurity, especially after the loss of her first son.
She is intelligent, politically savvy, and kind, but also more emotional than her rival, Gyokuyo.
Lihua deeply admired the emperor's character. After the tragedy involving the poisonous powder, Lihua became more gentle and grateful. Her attitude toward Maomao changed from distrust to deep respect. She later gave birth to a healthy son and strengthened her position among the concubines.

Lishu has deep violet eyes and long brown hair, which she wore half-up. In the light novel, her hair is black. Despite many predicting her beauty, she remained a teenager throughout her time in the Inner Courtyard. As a virtuous consort, Lishu typically wore white dresses adorned with pretty frills, befitting her youth. After being "exiled" to Red Plum Village, she changed to a more practical outfit, suitable for outdoor work.
Lishu has an honest and straightforward nature. She can be compared to a spoiled princess who sometimes acted without due caution. Deep down, she is a kindhearted girl, but she simply lacked worldly wisdom due to her isolated life. Having been sent to the palace at a very young age, she felt insecure and often blindly followed the advice of others. This made her a target for bullying by her own ladies-in-waiting, who bossed her around under the guise of helping her. Maomao noted that they manipulated her, convincing her that everyone else was her enemy and that Lishu could only trust them. In the Inner Court, Lishu had virtually no allies, with the exception of her eldest consort, Ah-Duo. Ah-Duo had taken on a maternal role towards Lishu after the loss of her own child, so Lishu became very attached to her and was devastated when she was forced to leave. After leaving the palace, Lishu felt freer and was finally able to develop her own interests. Basen noticed that she was noticeably happier and could talk at length and passionately about her passion—animals. Due to her young age and secluded life, Lishu did not fulfill the actual duties expected of a concubine. She was deeply embarrassed when Maomao conducted a sex education lesson, using knowledge from the Red Light District to help the high consorts "act" in their roles.

Hair color: pink, salmon.
Eyes: jade green.
Hairstyle: Long hair is pulled back into a bun, but one thick strand remains and frames the right side of the face.
Appearance: Her foreign origins lend Gyokuyo an exotic appeal. She is not as plump as some of her rivals in the imperial harem. Gyokuyo's 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 events (such as garden parties or meetings with the Dowager Empress), she chooses gold and scarlet outfits with pink accents and the same turquoise accessories.
Character
Mischievous and cheerful, but at the same time cautious and wise.
She is fair, attentive and caring towards her maids, who, in turn, are incredibly devoted to her.
Sometimes he shows a tendency to mischief, loves to gossip, constantly plays with children and teases the servants.
She is pragmatic and understands her role in life: she is an instrument that will help her family, her task is to marry a man of higher status and give birth to heirs, regardless of personal feelings.
She understands politics well and uses her position and influence with her close associates (especially Maomao) to obtain reliable information from the imperial palace and pass it on to her family to assist them in their commercial endeavors. At the same time, she understands that excessive ambition can lead to trouble, and limits her political actions to an "acceptable" level.
She has no romantic illusions about her marriage of convenience, since she knows that she must “share” her husband with his other spouses.
In a private conversation with Maomao, he admits that he envies Fuyu because she married her childhood friend and they have a marriage of mutual love with a man who is devoted to her with all his heart.
Does not feel envy or hostility towards other concubines.

Height: about 181 cm. Hair: long, dark purple. Part of her hair is often pulled back on top of her head with a white ribbon.
Eyes: Pink-lilac or obsidian (black), with distinctive highlights. Facial features: Delicate, combined with her appearance, create a rather feminine image. Build: Athletic, with physical endurance and swordsmanship skills.
Renshi's character combines external attractiveness with inner intensity. On the outside, he usually appears calm, friendly, and a little playful. He enjoys teasing the main character, Maomao, and observing her reactions. Insightful and intelligent, Renshi is adept at analyzing people, noticing small details, and understanding the intricacies of palace intrigue.
Insecurity and a feeling of underappreciation. He considers himself weaker than his "big brother" (the emperor) and worries that he's unable to reach the heights expected of him.
A penchant for control. He values ​​knowing what's going on around him, who's betraying whom, and how. At the same time, Renshi is genuinely interested in Maomao and, to a certain extent, admires her independent spirit and knowledge. It's important to him to be valued not only for his appearance, but also as a person he can work with and respect. Over time, his interest develops into a deep affection. True origin. In reality, Renshi is not a eunuch—he only fakes this status, taking special drugs to conceal his true identity and move freely in the women's quarters of the palace.
Name. His real birth name is Kazutsura. "Renshi" is a working alias he uses in his role as manager.
Age: In his "eunuch" persona, he appears to be 23–24 years old, but in reality, he's only 18.

Maomao is a short woman (around 153 cm tall) with a slender figure. Hair and Eyes. She has dark green hair and blue-violet (or light blue) eyes. Her hair is usually pulled back into a loose bun, tied with a light blue ribbon. Two strands frame her face and are decorated with beads—one red and one sky blue. Clothing. In everyday life, Maomao prefers practical, understated clothing—for example, a hanfu-style aoqun (a light green top with a white overgown, a long burgundy skirt, and dark green flat shoes). Freckles. Maomao intentionally paints freckles on her face using clay or temporary tattoos applied with a needle. This is done to look inconspicuous and not attract unnecessary attention, which stems from her past experiences living in the red light district. Scars on her arm. Maomao wears a bandage on her left forearm, concealing numerous scars—the results of independent experiments with poisons and potions. Pragmatism and rationality. Maomao is focused on survival and self-improvement. She is aware of her position as a person of no status and prefers to remain cautious, not revealing dangerous secrets. Sternness and unfriendliness. She reacts sharply when someone crosses her personal boundaries. She is not afraid to appear rude if the situation requires it. Perseverance and tenacity. She strives for knowledge in the field of medicine, is not afraid to take risks and conduct dangerous experiments, including on herself, to expand her knowledge of poisons and medicines. Intelligence and observation. She is able to quickly assess situations and develop logical chains of thought. Her intelligence and resourcefulness help her unravel palace intrigues. Attitude towards poisons and dangerous experiments. For Maomao, this is not only a scientific interest, but also a way to numb emotional pain through physical pain. She finds a kind of bliss in this, associated with thrills. Attitude to self-development. For her, self-improvement as a pharmacist is more important than the search for a romantic relationship or the desire to meet societal standards of beauty.