Maomao
A former pleasure-district apothecary. After a stint in the rear palace and then the royal court, she now finds herself an assistant to the medical office. Her current number one interest is Kada’s Book. She despises her biological father, Lakan, but lately her distaste for Hulan has been through the roof. Twenty-one years old.
Jinshi
A young man as lovely as a celestial nymph, Jinshi is supposedly the Emperor’s younger brother. He spent time in the rear palace masquerading as a eunuch; thinking of it now makes him so embarrassed that if a hole were available, he would crawl into it. Real name: Ka Zuigetsu. Twenty-two years old.
Basen
Gaoshun’s son; Jinshi’s attendant; duck aficionado. He and his sister Maamei are laying plans to get him married to former high consort Lishu. Twenty-two years old.
Chue
Wife of Gaoshun’s son Baryou. A lady-in-waiting who seems to show up at the most unexpected times. She’s good with people, though, so she gets along with her in-laws. Hates Hulan. Twenty-three years old.
Lahan’s Brother
Older brother of Lakan’s adopted son Lahan. He doesn’t appear in this volume.
Lakan
Maomao’s biological father and Luomen’s nephew. A freak with a monocle. He and the Emperor seem to have quite a history.
Suiren
Jinshi’s lady-in-waiting, former wet nurse, and grandmother.
Empress Gyokuyou
The Emperor’s legal wife. An exotic beauty with red hair and green eyes. She’s the mother of the Crown Prince, but because of her looks, many feel she’s not fit for her office. Twenty-three years old.
Hongniang
Empress Gyokuyou’s chief lady-in-waiting. So good at her job that the Empress is reluctant to let her go.
The Three Young Ladies Who Serve Empress Gyokuyou
Yinghua, Guiyuan, and Ailan by name. Former attendants of the Jade Pavilion who have always been kind to Maomao. They haven’t changed much in the interim.
Yo
A newly recruited assistant in the medical office who has smallpox scars.
Changsha
A newly recruited assistant in the medical office. Lives in the same dorm as Maomao.
Tianyu
A young physician. A dangerous character who especially likes performing autopsies. A descendant of Kada.
Hulan
Gyokuen’s grandson; Empress Gyokuyou’s nephew. A member of the Gyoku clan, he’ll stop at nothing to get what he wants, including killing his older brother. Currently serves as Jinshi’s aide.
Maamei
Basen’s older sister. Most formidable of the three Ma siblings.
Baryou
Basen’s older brother; Chue’s husband. Physically weak, he spends most of his time hidden behind a curtain.
Dr. Liu
An upper physician. He and Luomen go way back. He imparts stern instruction to Maomao and her friends.
Luomen
Maomao’s adoptive father; a eunuch. He now serves as a physician to the court and rear palace. He goes way back with Dr. Liu.
Dr. Li
A middle physician. He went to the western capital with Maomao and the others, and the stuff he went through there really beefed him up.
The Emperor
Supposedly Jinshi’s older brother. His facial hair may be prodigious, but it doesn’t solve the many worries he has on Jinshi’s account.
Gaoshun
The Emperor’s milk brother; father of the three Ma siblings. He’s hen-pecked and long-suffering, but he knows a side of the Emperor that few people see.
Ah-Duo
A former high consort, and Jinshi’s real mother—she switched him with the Imperial younger brother when he was an infant. She’s currently living out her life in a secluded villa.
Suirei
A survivor of the Shi clan; granddaughter of the former Emperor. Currently hidden in Ah-Duo’s villa.