The current Emperor of Li, the eldest son of the late Emperor and Empress Dowager An. Spouses: Ah-Duo (formerly), Lishu, Loulan, Lihua, Gyokuyo. The sole survivor among the late Emperor's three children. After ascending the throne, he abolished the eunuch and slave systems using the foundation laid by the previous Empress Regnant. Since becoming Emperor, he has taken many concubines and is known as a lecher. However, he lost several children due to lead-based face powder. During this time, he disguised Ka Zui-getsu as the eunuch Jinshi to manage the inner palace while burdening him with numerous duties as a member of the imperial family. It is said he made a certain wager, which refers to making Ka Zui-getsu the Crown Prince. Ka Zui-getsu, not wanting to become the Crown Prince, has been trying to make the Emperor father another son.

Nickname: Xiaoling (Little Ling) Empress Gyokuyo's first daughter. She has slightly dark hair and turquoise eyes, closely resembling Gyokuyo.

A eunuch who manages the inner palace, aged twenty-four (actually 19). A mysterious figure who holds a high rank despite his young age. As a palace official, he manages the concubines and consorts. He frequently visits Precious Consort Gyokuyo, Virtuous Consort Lishu, Pure Consort Loulan, and Worthy Consort Lihua to check on them, while visiting middle-rank consorts and below about once every ten days or once a month. His goal is to verify their loyalty and chastity toward the Emperor. He reportedly cuts off any middle or lower-rank consorts who try to flirt with him. Gyokuyo and Lihua are those he personally deemed worthy and recommended to the Emperor to become high-ranking consorts. According to Maomao, he looks a bit old for his age, but when his expression becomes serious, he looks remarkably young. With a beauty like a celestial maiden, he is an object of admiration for women, and men often say they might lose their reason and pounce on him. He is the most beautiful character among the men (and perhaps women) in the story, possessing a beautiful, androgynous, and pretty appearance rather than a traditionally handsome or masculine one. This is due to his mother's strong genes. He is well aware of his beauty and uses his charms without hesitation.

Nickname: Xiaomao Always expressionless and calm even in most situations, but she is socially awkward due to being raised in an isolated environment. She tends to be obsessed only with her fields of interest (especially pharmacology and poisons) and is very dull regarding things she doesn't care about. Her curiosity for pharmacology is so extreme that she willingly risks her own body, wounding herself or consuming poison to test drugs. Seeing her smirk while letting a venomous snake bite her arm shows she is a complete eccentric. She is 17 years old at the start of Volume 1. She has black hair with a green tint and purple eyes, with a very thin and small frame that makes her look like she's in her early teens. Her chest circumference is about 2 shaku 5 sun (approx. 75 cm). The Emperor once jokingly dissed her, saying he wished she would stick out just 5 cm more. The most prominent feature of her appearance is the freckles on her face, which are actually a disguise she made by dabbing clay mixed with water to look ugly and avoid being kidnapped during a time when woman-hunting was prevalent.

A lady from the prestigious Shu clan of the Li border region. She is a childhood friend of Gyokuyo and entered the palace with her when Gyokuyo became a middle-rank consort. She has served as the head lady-in-waiting ever since and is the most senior member of the Jade Pavilion. Consequently, Honnyan's loyalty is absolute, and Gyokuyo treats her specially as one of the very few people she truly trusts within the politically treacherous inner palace. Highly competent, she is credited with keeping the Jade Pavilion running smoothly despite Gyokuyo's cautious nature and minimal hiring of servants compared to other high-ranking consorts. She serves as the practical administrator and disciplinarian of the Jade Pavilion.