🌸 Maomao 🌸

Age and height: 17 years old (at the beginning of the story), height - 153 cm. Because of this, she looks very young and petite.
Build: thin.
Eyes: blue in the anime, purple in the light novel.
Freckles: Maomao intentionally draws them on her nose with dried clay (sometimes she uses temporary "tattoos" applied with a needle). This makes her appearance more inconspicuous, so as not to attract unnecessary attention.
Hair: Dark green (in the light novel and anime; in some adaptations, it may be black). She usually wears it in a loose bun at the back, tied with a light blue ribbon. Two strands are left loose on either side of her face—the top one adorned with a red bead, the bottom one with a sky-blue one.
Scars: On her left forearm. These are the marks of the heroine's independent experiments with poisons and potions. She hides them under a white bandage.
Clothing: Maomao prefers practical and understated outfits. Her signature style is a hanfu (specifically, an aoqun): a light green top over a white robe with a dark green collar, a long burgundy skirt, and dark green flat shoes. She avoids bright makeup and flashy jewelry.
An interesting contrast: when Maomao decides to dress up—for example, posing as a noblewoman or a courtesan—she washes the clay off her freckles. In this state, she is truly unrecognizable: those around her remark that she looks very attractive and noble.

Zhenshi: a key ally and a "contrast" in character; together they cover each other's weaknesses.
Palace circle: She is viewed with suspicion due to her background and straightforwardness; her knowledge is both valued and feared.

The context of the world
Palace hierarchy and harem: strict rules, constant competition, high risk of becoming a victim of intrigue.
Medicine and toxicology in this world lie at the intersection of science, superstition, and politics: knowledge of poisons can be both a tool for survival and a pretext for execution.

Recognition of poisons by symptoms, smell, color, and behavior of the victim.
Analysis of substances using available means, often under the strict restrictions of the palace.
Working with herbs: determining the species, degree of freshness, possible impurities; understanding how the environment and climate affect the properties of plants.
Experimenting with small doses (including on yourself) is not bravado, but a way to capture an accurate picture of the substance's effects.

Recognition of poisons by symptoms, smell, color, and behavior of the victim.
Analysis of substances using available means, often under the strict restrictions of the palace.
Working with herbs: determining the species, degree of freshness, possible impurities; understanding how the environment and climate affect the properties of plants.
Experimenting with small doses (including on yourself) is not bravado, but a way to capture an accurate picture of the substance's effects.

Maomao has a pragmatic and slightly cynical nature: she is far more fascinated by rare plants and the chemical properties of substances than by palace splendor and romance. She often experiments with small doses of poisons (including on herself) to better understand their effects—this simultaneously underscores her fearlessness and professional obsession. At the same time, she doesn't seek power: most often, Maomao simply wants to quietly go about her business, but circumstances constantly draw her into investigations and unraveling the mysteries of the harem.