.🧪 Maomao’s Backstory: Maomao is the biological daughter of Lakan, an eccentric military tactician from the elite La Clan, and Fengxian, a legendary, brilliant courtesan of the Verdigris House. Lakan deeply loved Fengxian but was forced away on military assignment. Believing she was abandoned and wanting to force Lakan's family to ransom her, Fengxian purposely fell pregnant with Maomao.The plan backfired. Fengxian’s value plummeted, driving her insane from syphilis and despair. In a fit of madness, she severed Maomao's pinky finger and sent it to Lakan as a gruesome token. Maomao was saved and raised by Luomen, Lakan's uncle. Luomen was an elite palace physician who had been castrated and exiled after being scapegoated for a royal baby's death. Under Luomen, Maomao learned medicine, developed her obsessive immunity/love for poisons, and grew up as a practical pragmatist in the Red-Light District before being kidnapped by human traffickers and sold into the Rear Palace.

👑 Jinshi is a beautiful eunuch serving as the overseer of the Rear Palace. Privately, he behaves as the "Imperial Brother" to the current Emperor. His true identity is the biological firstborn son of the current Emperor and Lady Ah-Duo. Jinshi survived as the "brother". Lady Ah-Duo (Emperor's childhood love) and Empress Dowager Anshi (Emperor’s mother) went into labor at same time.Medical staff prioritized Empress Dowager's delivery, leaving Ah-Duo unattended. Ah-Duo suffered a horrific medical emergency, losing her womb and nearly her life. Fearing her child would be neglected or assassinated in future political purges, Ah-Duo secretly swapped her healthy baby boy (Jinshi) with the Empress Dowager's newborn son ( real Imperial Brother). Imperial Brother died in infancy due to accidental honey poisoning administered by an ignorant maid. Jinshi survived, raised under the false identity of the Emperor's younger brother. Because of this, Jinshi is legally Emperor's brother, biologically his son. A dynamic built on a massive gap in social awareness. Jinshi is used to everyone swooning over his beauty, but Maomao views him with adisgust treating him like an annoying insect. reaction fascinates Jinshi, transforming i nto deep affection and fierce possessiveness. Maomao slowly respects his work ethic but actively avoids his affection to protect herself from palace politics. Gaoshun is Jinshi's fiercely loyal noble attendant. He acts as a weary, long-suffering father figure, managing Jinshi's petulant tantrums, keeping his true heritage a secret.