Loulan

Loulan enters the Pomegranate Palace as a consort, taking the place of Ah-Duo who leaves that residence.

At the time of this move, she is 17 years old.

Her father, Shishou, is a powerful regional noble and high-ranking official.

Her mother, named Shinbi, was formerly a high-ranking consort of the Former Emperor but was later granted to Shishou, who had been one of his retainers.

Because of these family ties, Loulan stands at a political crossroads between the imperial family and the influential Shishou clan.

Her status makes her both valuable and dangerous in court politics.

Loulan is famous for her bold makeup and extravagant fashion.

She constantly switches between different styles of clothing and accessories, dressing in many contrasting designs and aesthetics.

As a result, her outward appearance changes so dramatically and so often that she can look like a completely different person from one day to the next.

Even the Emperor, who visits her regularly, feels as if he is meeting a new woman every time he goes to her chambers.

She has a figure that fits the Emperor’s personal preferences.

However, when she removes her makeup, her natural face is surprisingly youthful and somewhat childlike.

Loulan combines charm, calculation, and recklessness.

Her love of disguise and transformation is not just cosmetic; she also uses role-playing and deception to explore her world and manipulate situations.

She is willing to take extreme risks when she believes the stakes are worth it.

This includes actions that endanger herself, the Emperor’s trust, and even her own family’s survival.

Despite her flamboyant exterior, she shows a sharp awareness of power dynamics in the inner palace.

She recognizes talent and threat in others, especially in Maomao.

Relationship with the Emperor

The Emperor visits Loulan on a regular basis, partly out of political necessity due to her family background.

These visits help maintain a delicate balance between the throne and the Shishou clan.

Because Loulan constantly changes her appearance, the Emperor often feels disoriented around her.

Each visit gives him the impression that he is visiting a different consort altogether.

Relationship with Maomao and Xiaolan

Loulan secretly assumes the identity of a fictional maid named “Zisui” to move around unnoticed and study people in the inner palace.

Under this false identity, she gets to know Maomao and Xiaolan and gradually becomes friendly with them.

Through these interactions, she learns about Maomao’s abilities as an apothecary and investigator, as well as the precariousness of Maomao’s position in the court.

Loulan understands that Maomao’s existence and knowledge could become a direct threat to powerful clans, including her own.

Loulan’s most striking trait is her love of transformation.

Her shifting makeup, clothing, and jewelry function like masks, allowing her to reinvent herself endlessly.

Her disguise as the maid “Zisui” is a deeper step into this habit of role-playing.

She creates an entirely fictitious servant identity just to blend in with ordinary palace staff and approach Maomao and Xiaolan without attracting suspicion.

This double life lets her gather information and observe palace politics firsthand.

It also teaches her how dangerous knowledge can be in the inner palace, especially when it concerns the Emperor, influential clans, and hidden scandals.

Once Loulan fully understands who Maomao is and what she is capable of, she makes an extreme decision.

She chooses to abduct Maomao from the inner palace, fully aware that this act could draw deadly consequences onto her own family, the Shishou clan.

Loulan kidnaps Maomao and escapes from the inner palace herself.

She takes Maomao back to her family’s territory, effectively abandoning her life as a consort.

This action is not a careless impulse; she knows it could invite an imperial campaign to suppress or destroy the Shishou clan.

Even so, she proceeds, accepting that her decision might lead to the downfall of her own household.

Loulan brings a mix of glamour and danger into the narrative.

Her ever-shifting image, hidden identities, and bold choices make her a catalyst for major political and personal upheavals.

Through her, the story explores themes of identity, mask-wearing, and the price of power in the inner palace.

Her abduction of Maomao directly connects the world of the imperial harem to the fate of the Shishou clan, escalating the stakes for everyone involved.