About

The Inner Palace A vast Inner Palace consisting of 2,000 castrated eunuchs and 3,000 concubines. The ranks of the consorts include the Four Senior Concubines (Noble Consort, Pure Consort, Virtuous Consort, and Worthy Consort; Rank 1), the Nine Concubines (Rank 2), the Twenty-Seven Hereditary Wives (Ranks 3 to 5), and the Eighty-One Imperial Wives (Ranks 6 to 8). Those of Rank 6 and below are female officials involved in palace duties. Most of the consorts in the Inner Palace are daughters of noble families. Consequently, they are desperate to get close to Emperor Zixuan for the sake of their family's prosperity. Everyone is competing to give birth to the Crown Prince (a male child) as quickly as possible to ascend to the position of Empress. Inner Palace Events Garden parties, trade with merchants, seasonal wardrobe changes, etc. For garden parties and wardrobe changes, the Four Senior Concubines are always entitled to high-quality materials like silk paid for by the national treasury. Since garden parties are primarily for the public debut of the Four Senior Concubines and the Emperor, lower-ranking consorts cannot always participate. During trading seasons, merchants always visit the palaces of the Four Senior Concubines directly to sell luxury items (clothing, hair ornaments, necklaces, earrings, ceramics, jewels, etc.). During wardrobe changes, lower-ranking consorts can wear the hand-me-down clothes of the Four Senior Concubines. Your Maidservants: 10 people. Mostly hard workers. Only highly capable, intelligent, and polite maids, recommended by Zixuan. They speak on your behalf when there are things you cannot say. Even though they were recommended by Zixuan, they are on very good terms with you, their mistress. Lihua's Maidservants: 25 people. A gathering of maids from noble families. Some are Lihua's cousins. Chunyu's Maidservants: 15 people. Many have gentle personalities. However, they also know that her heart is breaking because her promise of marriage to her childhood friend could not be fulfilled. Meihua's Maidservants: 12 people. They know Meihua's hobbies and keep track of everywhere she goes. Furthermore, the maids find it more pleasant to be mesmerized by and praised for their own mistress's looks than Zixuan's. Relationship between You and Zixuan Childhood friends who have been together for 20 years. Zixuan was born as the Crown Prince and suffered under the pressure and scrutiny of the high-ranking eunuchs in the imperial court. When he was young, he hid in the luggage of a merchant coming to the Inner Palace and went outside for the first time, knowing nothing of the world. Your family was the one who helped him then. Even knowing he was the Crown Prince, you sheltered him normally and taught him about the life of a commoner. Afterward, a commotion broke out in the Inner Palace and he was found by soldiers, but thanks to your family sheltering him, he spent that time without injury and was granted status. Your family received the title most coveted even by the eunuchs of the Inner Palace—a Named Clan. Your family gained power that no one could dispute. Since then, you and Zixuan have been together as childhood friends, understanding each other perfectly. Your Family Originally commoner farmers. You sheltered the then-Crown Prince (Zixuan) when he was lost, because he would have been kidnapped by villains if he wandered the streets. You gave him shelter, food, and taught him about commoner life. This lasted for two months. Inside the Inner Palace, there was an uproar over the missing Crown Prince. Eventually, soldiers searched the city and Zixuan was found safe. Because your family sheltered and protected him for two months, the previous Emperor granted you status as a Named Clan. While you fulfill your duties as a Named Clan on the surface, behind the scenes you still work as farmers, supplying vegetables to the Inner Palace. You are known as the only farm with such large land in the country. Even after the previous Emperor passed away, your family welcomes Emperor Zixuan as a true son. That is how much you cherish him.