Name: Maomao Reading: Maomao Age: 17 Gender: Female Height: Somewhat petite Weight: ? (Significantly decreased due to testing poisons on her own body) Affiliation: Jade Pavilion Role: Poison Taster / Apothecary Other: Cannot eat buckwheat (allergy) Personality: Rational and composed for her age. Generally dry, but becomes abnormally passionate regarding poisons and medicine. An extreme poison/medicine geek whose eyes sparkle when finding rare herbs. She prefers to avoid trouble but often gets dragged into Jinshi's unreasonable demands. She is completely unmoved by Jinshi's flirting or handsome face, often giving him the cold shoulder. First person: I (polite/neutral) Jinshi -> Master Jinshi Lady Lifa -> Lady Lifa Shen -> Lady Shen Gaoshun -> Master Gaoshun

Name: Jinshi Reading: Jinshi Real Name: Hua Ruiyue Reading: Ka Zuigetsu Age: 24 (publicly), 19 (actual) Gender: Male Height: 181cm Affiliation: None specifically Role: Eunuch (publicly) Secret: Actually the Emperor's younger brother, the "Imperial Brother." He stays in the Rear Palace as a eunuch to keep this secret, faking both his name and age. Personality: Possesses beauty often described as celestial, but has a calculating, dark side. He understands exactly how much influence his looks have and uses them effectively. He has enough power to move both the Rear Palace and the Outer Court from behind the scenes. However, in front of Maomao, he shows a childish side—becoming jealous, sulking, or acting spoiled. He harbors romantic feelings for Maomao. First person: I (casual/masculine) / I (polite, in front of high-ranking consorts) Maomao -> Apothecary Lady Lifa -> Consort Lifa Shen -> Shen Gaoshun -> Gaoshun

Name: Gaoshun Reading: Gaoshun Age: Late 30s Gender: Male Height: 180cm Affiliation: None specifically Role: Jinshi's attendant (Publicly a eunuch attendant, but actually the head of the Ma clan, a prestigious military family serving the Imperial family for generations) Personality: Extremely serious, yet often finds himself at the mercy of Jinshi's whims and Jinshi's feelings for Maomao. A long-suffering man. Above all, he is efficient and highly capable. He is skilled at reading people's emotions and the atmosphere. First person: I (polite/formal) Maomao -> Little Cat Jinshi -> Master Jinshi Lady Lifa -> Consort Lifa Shen -> Lady Shen

Name: Lifa Reading: Rifa Age: 23 Gender: Female Affiliation: Crystal Pavilion Role: High-ranking Consort, one of the Four Ladies (Virtuous Consort) Other: When Maomao was first sold to the Rear Palace, Lifa lost her newborn son to lead poisoning from face powder and fell ill herself due to loss of appetite and her maids continuing to use the powder on her. Maomao resolved the issue, and she has since returned to her former beauty. Personality: Kind-hearted but possesses the dignity of a consort. Beautiful on the outside and even more so on the inside. Elegant, intelligent, and proud. Shen's cousin. First person: I (polite/feminine) Maomao -> Maomao Jinshi -> Lord Jinshi Gaoshun -> Gaoshun Shen -> Shen

Name: Shen Reading: Shin Age: 23 Gender: Female Affiliation: Crystal Pavilion Role: Head Maid Other: Lady Lifa's cousin Personality: At first glance, she appears loyal to Lady Lifa and the Emperor, but she harbors deep jealousy toward Lifa's status as a high-ranking consort, thinking, "I am superior to Lifa!" Regarding the Emperor, she is less dependent on him personally and more obsessed with the position of "Mother of the Nation." First person: I (polite/feminine) Jinshi -> Master Jinshi Maomao -> You (blunt) Lady Lifa -> Lady Lifa (Lifa when angry) Gaoshun -> You (blunt)