｡⁠*ﾟ⁠+The Apothecary's Diaries｡⁠*ﾟ⁠+

4. THE RED LIGHT DISTRICT / LUOMEN'S CLINIC
Where Luomen lives after being expelled. It's the poor area outside the palace. Maomao goes there to get rare medicines and deliver babies. There she meets all the old prostitutes and their apprentice doctors.

5. THE SHI CLAN - The final part of the story
The main villain. They live in a fortress in the north. They want to stage a coup against the Emperor using new firearms and poisons. Loulan is his daughter and has to pretend to be stupid. In the end, there's a war, explosions, Maomao is kidnapped, Jinshi saves her, and it's revealed that Jinshi is the secret son of Ah-Duo and the previous Emperor.

In a sentence: Maomao goes from being a brothel apothecary to solving crimes in the harem while everyone wants to kill each other between clans and Jinshi tries to make her fall in love with him and she just wants to try new poisons.

1. THE VERDIGRIS BROTHEL - Where Maomao was born
Maomao is the daughter of a high-ranking courtesan, Fengxian, who contracted syphilis and was ruined. The Old Woman, the brothel owner, raised Maomao but gave her to Luomen to educate her. Maomao grows up learning about poisons, medicine, and how men lie. There, she learns not to fall in love and to charge for everything. The brothel is poor and in debt, and for this reason, she is sold to the palace twice. It is her royal home; she returns whenever she can.

2. THE OUTER PALACE - Where the men are
This is where the officials, soldiers, and eunuchs work. The offices of Jinshi, Gaoshun, Basen, Lihaku, and Lakan are all located here. It's all politics and clans fighting for power. This is where assassination attempts, poisons smuggled inside, and the Shi Clan's conspiracies originate. Maomao hates this place because it's boring and full of shouting old people.

3. THE INNER PALACE - Where 80% of the story takes place
A giant harem with 2,000 women locked away, accessible only to the Emperor. Only four concubines—Gyokuyou, Lihua, Lishu, and Loulan—are considered superior. They all despise each other and poison one another with makeup, food, and incense. Maomao enters as a low-ranking servant and eventually becomes Jinshi's "poison detective." Every week brings a new case: a ghost dancing on the wall, a baby crying incessantly, a concubine falling strangely ill. It's all poison in disguise.

Inside there are 4 palaces:

• Jade (Gyokuyou): Where Maomao lives, the most peaceful and cute.
• Cristal (Lihua): The sickest, there is always someone intoxicated.
• Diamond (Lishu): Full of bullying, Lishu is harassed by her maids.
• Garnet (Loulan): The rarest, with dead insects and extravagant clothing.

34. Rikuson: Lakan's assistant. Beautiful as a woman, everyone mistakes him for a man. Lakan adopted him because he's the only one who can decipher his terrible handwriting. He's calm, patient, and the only one who isn't afraid of Lakan. Maomao uses him to spy on people.

35. Lingli: Gyokuyou's daughter. A baby who almost died from lead dust. Now she's healthy and super spoiled. She's the most beloved princess in the palace.

36. Imperial Prince: Male son of Gyokuyou and the Emperor. He is the heir to the throne. He is still a baby, but they want to kill Gyokuyou because of him.

37. Kyou-u: An 8-year-old boy from the Shi Clan, Shishou's adopted son. He is deaf in one ear. Loulan/Shisui loves him very much and protects him from the coup.

38. Meishou, Youka, etc.: The other courtesans of Verdigris. There are 10 more girls, each with a skill - singing, dancing, playing music. They all love Maomao like a younger sister.

39. The 4 old doctors of the palace: Colleagues of Doctor Quack. They are all charlatans who bought their positions. Only Kounen and Luomen truly know their stuff.

40. Ukyou and the Gaoshun guards: 5 guards who are always with Basen. They are the muscular ones who carry everything and never speak.

41. Lahan's family: The merchants of the La clan. They are rich, greedy, and terrified of Lakan.

42. Shin, Yao, En'en: Maomao's apprentices at the clinic. Three young girls who want to be doctors, something forbidden for women. Maomao teaches them in secret.

43. The Elder Empress Dowager: The grandmother of the current Emperor. She hardly ever goes out, is always ill and praying.

44. The remaining mid- to low-ranking consorts: There are about 15 concubines who only appear for one case—one who poisons herself with carmine, another who fakes a pregnancy, another who is a kleptomaniac. They all serve to help Maomao solve a one-chapter mystery.

31. KOUNEN - The Old Doctor
Background: The oldest doctor in the outer palace, Luomen's colleague. He is over 70 years old and was the one who hid Luomen when he was castrated. He is the only one who knows that Luomen is the best and lets him operate in secret, signing the reports himself.

Personality: Calm, tired, always coughing. He's a good guy, unambitious, and just wants to retire. He's very fond of Maomao and calls her "granddaughter." He's the one who gets her rare medicines from abroad.

32. EN'EN - Luomen's Assistant
Background: A young doctor, one of the few women who studied medicine with Luomen in the red-light district. She is not a eunuch; she works as a nurse at Verdigris and assists in childbirth. She was the one who attended Fengxian when Maomao was born.

Personality: Serious, cold, and direct, very similar to Maomao but without the obsession with poisons. She doesn't get along well with men and yells at them if they do something wrong. She greatly respects Maomao and wants her to become a medical doctor someday.

33. CONSORTE FUYOU - The Phantom Dancer
Background: A mid-ranking concubine who became famous for attempting suicide by dancing on a wall years ago. Everyone believed she was a ghost. In reality, she only wanted to escape the palace because she missed home. Maomao solved her case by discovering she used a trick with fabrics.

Personality: Dreamy, romantic, always gazing at the moon. She doesn't want to be a concubine; she wants to return to her village and dance. She is one of the few who managed to leave the palace alive because the Emperor took pity on her and allowed her to go to a temple. Her story made Maomao understand that not everyone wants to be Empress.

29. LAHAN - Maomao's Adoptive Brother
Background: Lakan's adopted son and Maomao's adopted brother. Lakan adopted him from a poor family because he was a genius with numbers and money, almost like Lakan himself, but with money. He manages the entire La clan fortune and pays off Verdigris's debts. He met Maomao late in life and took to him immediately because he reminds him of Fengxian.

Personality: He seems like a miserly merchant, always with his abacus, charging interest and complaining that everyone spends too much. He's loud, acts tough, but he's a good guy. He's obsessed with getting Maomao to call him "big brother," but she ignores him. He's the only one who can control Lakan when he goes crazy because he controls his money.

30. KADA - The Master of Luomen
Background: A legendary physician who taught Luomen surgery. He was from the west, the region of Gyokuyou, and was the only one to bring body-opening techniques to the empire. He was exiled for performing forbidden autopsies. He died before the story begins, but Luomen and Maomao always speak of him.

Personality: He was eccentric, obsessive, and fearless, much like Maomao. He said that "to heal, one must understand death." Luomen was punished because of him, for following his teachings. Maomao admires him as if he were his grandfather.

26. CHUE - Loulan's Maid *

• History: *Loulan's personal maid and spy, the same age as Maomao. She comes from the Shi Clan and was trained from childhood to be an assistant and assassin using poisons. She is also Suirei's right-hand woman and the one who passes information to Loulan when Loulan is disguised as Shisui. She is a very skilled fighter.

• Personality: *She seems cheerful, clumsy, and a little crazy, always laughing and making bad jokes. In reality, she is extremely loyal to Loulan and would do anything for her, even kill. She is the only one who knows that Loulan is Shisui. She gets along well with Maomao because they are both weird about insects.

• 27. DOCTOR QUACK / THE QUACK DOCTOR *

• History: *The official doctor of the Inner Palace. He got in because he has a noble family, not because he is good. He is officially Luomen's boss, although Luomen knows 100 times more than he does. He's the one who misdiagnosed Lihua and almost killed her. Whenever there's a difficult case, he calls Maomao or Luomen.

• Personality: *Pompous, cowardly, shouts a lot, and knows nothing. He's terrified of Jinshi because Jinshi might fire him. He's the comic relief, always sweating and saying, "It's an unknown disease." Maomao hates him because he makes her job harder.

• 28. YINGHUA, GUIYUAN, AND AIREI - The Jade Palace 3 *

• Background: Gyokuyou's three ladies-in-waiting who live with Maomao. Yinghua is the youngest and the most gossipy, Guiyuan has long black hair and is serious, and Airei is the oldest and the one who cooks. The three were bought with Maomao and are like her roommates. Personality: Together, the three are like neighborhood sisters. Yinghua is loud and has a crush on Jinshi, Guiyuan is quiet and likes to read, and Airei is maternal and always worried because Maomao isn't eating. They're the only ones who know Maomao is a genius, but they cover for her when she gets into trouble. Without them, the Jade Palace would be incredibly boring.

24. LIHAKU - The Soldier

Background: A military guard at the outer palace, from a humble family, not a noble clan. He is large, muscular, with a scar on his face. He met Maomao when she healed his wound and fell madly in love with Pairin after seeing her once at the Verdigris. He asked Maomao to help him win her over, and Maomao uses him as a source of information from the outside.

Personality: He resembles a large, dim-witted, and loyal dog. He is very kind, honest, and incapable of lying. He is strong but politically inept, which is why all the nobles underestimate him. He is obsessed with Pairin and saves all his money to buy her and marry her. Maomao treats him like a useful, dim-witted little brother.

25. ANSHI - The Current Empress
Background: Mother of the current Emperor and wife of the previous Emperor. She entered the palace at the age of 10 as a concubine to the aging Emperor. She was a victim of his abuse, but survived. When Ah-Duo abdicated the throne, Anshi assumed the position. She raised Jinshi as her own son to protect him.

Personality: Calm, elegant, and long-suffering. She is not ambitious; she only wants her son, the Emperor, to be well and for Jinshi not to be killed for being the heir. She is a sad woman who has lived her entire life in seclusion. She is fond of Maomao because he reminds her of Luomen, the doctor who tried to save her when she was a child.

22. SHENMEI - Loulan's Mother *

• Background: *Shishou's official wife and Loulan's mother. She comes from a fallen royal family that was humiliated by the Empress Dowager years ago. As a child, she was a servant in the palace and was treated very badly, which is why she harbored resentment. She wants her grandson to become Emperor to get revenge on the entire palace. She is the one who forces Loulan to act strangely and Suirei to make poisons.

• Personality: *Beautiful but completely insane and cruel. She is narcissistic, loves being looked at, and hates aging. She treats her servants like garbage and her daughters even worse. She is one of the most dangerous villains because she doesn't care about killing anyone, even her own children, if they are not useful to her. Maomao is genuinely afraid of him.

• 23. KOUEN / THE PREVIOUS EMPEROR *

• History: *Father of the current Emperor and ex-husband of Ah-Duo and Empress Anshi. He was a womanizing and cruel Emperor who kept a harem of over 100 women and had a predilection for very young girls, like Lishu. Many babies died in the palace due to his intrigues. He was the one who unjustly ordered Luomen's castration.

• Personality: He doesn't appear alive in the story, as he is already dead, but everyone remembers him as a lustful, capricious old man with zero empathy. He didn't love his children and only wanted women. Thanks to him, the palace now has the rule that there are only 4 senior consorts, to prevent so many deaths.

20. JOKA - The Courtesan of the Go
Background: The third Princess of Verdigris. She is the youngest and most intelligent of the three, a direct heir to Fengxian in the games of Go and chess. She was Lakan's rival as a child and almost defeated her. She is the one who takes care of the books and accounts of the brothel because she is perfectly literate.

Personality: Cold, quiet, always with a book or a Go board. She seems indifferent to everything but observes everything. She's the most similar to Maomao in personality, which is why they get along well. She doesn't like men and prefers to be alone studying. She's the one who gives Maomao strange herbs when she returns.

21. SHISHOU - Chief of the Shi Clan
Background: Father of Loulan and Suirei, husband of Shenmei, and leader of the Shi Clan, the most powerful military clan in the empire. He was prime minister and right-hand man to the previous Emperor. He is the man planning the coup against the current Emperor using new weapons and poisons. He is Suirei's adoptive father, though he does not acknowledge her as his daughter.

Personality: Calculating, ambitious, and extremely dangerous. He never shouts, always speaks softly, and smiles. He's a textbook politician, knowing when to betray and when to be loyal. He doesn't love his daughters; he sees them as pawns. Lakan hates him because he's the only one who can outsmart him.

18. THE EMPEROR
Background: The current Emperor, 35 years old, father of Lingli and the Imperial Prince. Son of the current Empress and the previous Emperor. He ascended the throne very young after many of his brothers died due to harem intrigues. For this reason, he prefers to have few concubines and wants his children to live.

Personality: He rarely appears, but when he does, he's imposing, tall, and serious. He's not cruel like his father; he's quite fair and loves Gyokuyou very much. He's traumatized by his father's wives because he witnessed them killing each other. He has great respect for Ah-Duo because she raised him. He likes Maomao because she saved his children, but he's intimidated by how direct she is.

19. PAIRIN - The Ballroom Courtesan
Background: One of the Three Princesses of Verdigris, along with Meimei and Joka. She mentored Maomao in seduction and dance, though Maomao never wanted to learn. She is the most sensual and bustiest courtesan in the brothel, always catering to military clients. She taught Maomao how to dance while concealing poison in her sleeves.

Personality: Super flirty, loud, laughs loudly, and likes to tease Maomao by telling her she'll never get married. On the outside, she seems just ditzy and busty, but she's very shrewd in business and is the one who brings in the most money for Verdigris. She loves Maomao very much and treats her like a little sister who needs to be married off.

16. THE OLD LADY / GRANNY - Owner of the Verdigris
Background: Owner of the Verdigris brothel where Maomao grew up. She bought Fengxian as a child and made her a courtesan. She is a ruthless businesswoman who manages over 30 courtesans. Although she appears cruel because she collects debts and punishes, she actually saved many girls from starving to death by buying them and giving them shelter.

Personality: Cold, calculating, she only talks about money. Always with her pipe. She doesn't show affection, but deep down she loves her girls like daughters. She treats Maomao like a granddaughter, but sold her to the palace twice because she needed money. Her catchphrase is "everything has a price." She's the one who gave her the name Maomao, which means "kitten."

17. SUIREI - The Mysterious Lady
Background: Lishu's lady-in-waiting, but she is actually Loulan's half-sister and the illegitimate daughter of the Shi Clan. Her mother was also from the Shi Clan and is deceased. She has extensive knowledge of medicine and poisons, almost on par with Maomao, because her clan produces poisons for the military. She attempted to revive one of Lihua's deceased children using a drug that mimics death.

Personality: Calm, polite, always with a gentle smile, but inside she harbors a deep resentment and wants revenge on the Emperor and the Shi Clan for how they treated her mother. She is one of the few who can deceive Maomao because she knows how to conceal what she knows. She isn't evil for the sake of being evil; it's just that she grew up unloved.

13. BASEN / BARYAN - The Son of Gaoshun
Background: Son of Gaoshun and Jinshi's personal guard. He is young, 20 years old, and although officially also a eunuch, he is not entirely so, like his father. He was trained from childhood to protect Jinshi with his life. He is the one who accompanies Maomao when he has to go to dangerous places.

Personality: Serious, awkward with women, and with zero sense of humor. He's very strong in a fight, almost the best in the palace after Lakan. He gets nervous when Maomao talks about poisons and thinks everyone wants to kill Jinshi, and he's right. He has a secret crush on Maomao, but Jinshi gives him the evil eye if he gets too close. He's the group's watchdog. 14. MEIMEI - The Brothel Sister
Background: A high-ranking courtesan at Verdigris and Fengxian's roommate, she was like an older sister to Maomao when she was a baby. She is one of the three current Princesses of the brothel, along with Pairin and Joka. She was unable to buy Fengxian's freedom in time and feels guilty about it. She taught Maomao how to read, how to apply makeup, and how to treat wealthy men.

Personality: Sweet, mature, and very maternal. She's the most emotionally stable of all the women in the brothel. She's not as proud as Fengxian; she's more practical and realistic. She loves Maomao very much, and whenever Maomao returns to the red-light district, she welcomes her with food and does her laundry. She's the one who keeps the brothel afloat when La Vieja gets hard.

15. HONGNIANG - The Chief of the Jade Palace
Background: Gyokuyou's chief lady-in-waiting and head of all the maids at the Jade Palace. She has served Gyokuyou for over 10 years, ever since Gyokuyou entered the harem. She was the one who bought Maomao when she saw her at the maid auction because she seemed intelligent and not a crybaby.

Personality: Serious, strict, with a loud voice. She seems like a grumpy old lady who'll scold you for everything, but she's excellent at her job and fiercely protective of her girls. She's the only one who can challenge Gyokuyo.

11. XIAOLAN - The Commoner Friend
Background: A servant at the Inner Palace, from a very poor peasant family. She entered at the same time as Maomao but is illiterate. She is one of the lowest-ranking servants, those who clean latrines and courtyards. She became friends with Maomao because Maomao taught her to read a little and to stop letting herself be trampled on.

Personality: Cheerful, gossipy, loud, and fiercely loyal. She's Maomao's only true friend among the maids. She's not particularly clever when it comes to mysteries, but she knows all the palace gossip, and that's invaluable. She dreams of her contract ending so she can open a food stall outside. When Maomao has to leave the palace, she's the one who cries the most.

12. FENGXIAN - Maomao's Mother
Background: She was one of the Three Princesses of the Verdigris brothel, the most famous courtesan for her intelligence and for beating Lakan at Go. She became pregnant by Lakan, and unable to work, her debt grew. She contracted syphilis, and her nose began to droop, which is why she ceased to be a high-ranking courtesan. She lived in hiding, raising Maomao for a few months until Luomen took her in. Now she lives locked away in Verdigris, very ill and sometimes mentally unstable.

Personality: She used to be proud, cunning, and cold—the typical high-ranking courtesan who couldn't be bought by anyone. Now she's fragile, sometimes lucid, sometimes lost. She loves Maomao very much but has never been able to tell him properly. Lakan loves her obsessively, and she's the only person he sees with his true face.

9. LISHU - The Virtuous Consort
Background: The youngest of the four senior consorts, she is only 14 years old. She entered the harem at age 9 as a concubine of the previous Emperor, who was an old man. When he died, she was legally obligated to remain, and now she is a concubine of the current Emperor, who is like her stepson. Her family uses her as a political pawn, and no one truly likes her in the palace. She nearly died from an allergic reaction to the fish her ladies-in-waiting deliberately gave her.

Personality: She seems like a spoiled, whiny, and timid little girl. And she is, because she is a little girl. She's very insecure, thinks everyone hates her, and has an inferiority complex because she's not busty or as pretty as Gyokuyou or Lihua. She's not bad, she's just a scared teenager who misses home. Maomao pities her and protects her like a little sister.

10. LOULAN / SHISUI - The Noble Consort
Background: Daughter of the Shi Clan, the most powerful and dangerous military clan in the empire. Her mother is Shenmei, an ambitious woman who wants to place her grandson on the throne. Loulan entered as a Noble Consort, the highest of the four ranks. To avoid being killed, she pretends to be foolish and eccentric, disguising herself as a low-ranking servant named Shisui so she can go out into the courtyard. This is how she meets Maomao and befriends her without Maomao knowing her true identity.

Personality: She has a dual personality. As Loulan, she's cold, strange, always wearing odd clothes, and has a blank smile. As Shisui, she's fun-loving, curious, and loves insects and plants, just like Maomao. She's actually very intelligent and trapped: she knows her family is planning a coup and she'll be used. She doesn't want to be Empress; she just wants to be free and collect bugs.

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7. LIHUA - The Chaste Consort
Background: A high-ranking consort of the Crystal Palace. She was the Emperor's other favorite, along with Gyokuyou. Her family is military. She had a son at the same time as Gyokuyou, but her son died from lead powder used as makeup, which Maomao discovered. She almost died as well. After that, she was deeply depressed and filled with guilt.

Personality: At first, she appears proud, cold, and envious of Gyokuyou. After the baby incident, she becomes more humble and grateful to Maomao. She is a very beautiful but traditional woman who places great importance on appearances and being a good wife. She is not evil; she is simply a victim of the pressure to produce an heir. She is one of the few concubines who does not want to kill anyone.

8. AH-DUO - The Empress Dowager / Jinshi's Mother
Background: She was the first consort of the previous Emperor and his best friend since childhood, as she would dress as a boy to play with him. She was a pure Empress and bore him a son, but her son died, and she was unable to have more children due to Luomen's malpractice in her youth—for which Luomen was exiled. To avoid execution and to protect Jinshi, she abdicated the Empressship and became the administrator of the Inner Palace. She is Jinshi's biological mother, but passed him off as the current Empress's son to save him.

Personality: Tall, elegant, androgynous in appearance, she always wears clothing that seems both masculine and feminine. She is the most respected woman in the palace. Cold, direct, blunt, and politically astute, she fears no one, not even the Emperor. She loves Jinshi dearly but treats him harshly because she knows that if he is lenient, he will be killed. She is the only one who can put Jinshi in his place and the only one who truly understands the weight of being the heir.

3. Gyokuyou - Pure Consort *
   In her early twenties, she's a redhead with jade-green eyes. She comes from the west, hence her appearance. She's the Emperor's favorite concubine, owner of the Jade Palace, and Maomao's boss. She seems sweet, cheerful, and a bit silly, but she's one of the most cunning in the palace. She knows how to survive because she avoids unnecessary fights.
   She loves Maomao dearly, treating her almost like a friend rather than a servant, and is the only one who allows her to be rude. She has a daughter, Princess Lingli, and then she has the prince of the empire, which makes her the number one candidate for Empress. Without her, Maomao would already be dead.

• 4. Lakan - The Army Strategist *
     Maomao's biological father. In his early forties, tall, with a monocle in one eye, always with a foxy expression. He's a military genius; he can predict an entire war by playing Go. His brain is so good that he has prosopagnosia—he doesn't recognize faces; everyone looks the same to him, except for Maomao and Fengxian, whom he does recognize because he loves them obsessively. Everyone is terrified of him because he's cruel, manipulative, and gets bored easily. He bought Fengxian when he found out she was pregnant, but he was too late, and she was already ill. Now he's obsessed with acknowledging Maomao as his daughter. Maomao hates and despises him.* 5. Luomen - The Apothecary / Adoptive Father
     Maomao's great-uncle, actually, but she calls him Dad. In his fifties, short, chubby, with a beard. He was the best surgeon in the empire, the only one who knew how to operate. He was unjustly blamed for a case involving a concubine, and as punishment, he was castrated and sent to the slums.
     He is everything Lakan is not: kind, patient, humble, and an incredible teacher. He taught Maomao everything about medicine and is the only person she truly respects. Now he works as a medical eunuch in the outer palace, and although he holds a low rank, all the doctors know he is the best.

1. Maomao
The protagonist. 17 years old, petite, freckled, with braids. Biological daughter of Lakan and the courtesan Fengxian, but raised by Luomen, the apothecary. She seems like an apathetic and sarcastic servant who just wants to be left alone.
She's actually an absolute genius in medicine, poisons, and deduction. She grew up testing poisons on herself, which is why she's practically immune and gets excited by rare poisons—you can see it on her face, she grins like a madwoman. She hates good-looking guys like Jinshi because she saw how the courtesans suffered because of them in the red-light district. She's brutally honest, can't lie with her face, and always has dark circles under her eyes. Her flaw is that she doesn't understand her own worth; she thinks she's a replaceable commoner.

2. Jinshi / Prince Ka
Twenty-four years old, the most handsome man in the empire. Tall, with long black hair and a perfect face. Officially, he is a high-ranking eunuch who manages the Inner Palace. In reality, he is the son of Empress Dowager Ah-Duo and the previous Emperor, making him an imperial prince and possible heir. He poses as a eunuch so he can be in the harem without breaking the law.
He's intelligent, politically astute, and adept at manipulation, but around Maomao, he becomes a foolish teenager. He's obsessed with her because she's the only one who doesn't fall at his feet. He loves to provoke her, and she calls him a cute little loser. Deep down, he carries a heavy burden of guilt because his position forces him to pretend, preventing him from living freely.

1. Inner Palace (the harem, where Maomao is):

• Emperor: The only man who can enter, owner of everything.
• Empress Dowager and Jinshi: She's the one who truly rules. Jinshi is the Administrator, officially a eunuch, but in reality, he's a prince and heir.
• The 4 Senior Consorts: The official wives, each with her own palace. Gyokuyou (the redhead, Maomao's boss), Lihua, Lishu (the 14-year-old girl), and Loulan. The future Empress will come from this group.
• Low-ranking consorts and servants: Forgotten nobles and bought commoners. Here is Maomao, who is a poison taster, the lowest rank but with access to those above.

2. Outer Palace (the government, all men):

• Officials and clan chiefs. The most important are Lakan (Maomao's father, a mad strategist) and Luomen (his adoptive father, the eunuch doctor).

3. Outside (red light district):

• The old woman who runs the brothel, the famous courtesans like Maomao's mother, and at the bottom of it all the commoners.

In short: the closer you are to the Emperor, the higher your rank. Maomao is at the bottom, but she's the only one who solves the problems of those at the top.