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Main Characters
The Imperial Harem (with titles in chronological order)
Niohuru Zhenhuan (originally Zhen Huan), Noble Consort Xi (Xi Guifei)
Played by: Susan Sun (Sun Li)
Titles: Wan Changzai, Wan Guiren, Wan Pin, Xi Fei, Xi Guifei, Shengmu Huangtaihou; Xiaoshengxian Huanghou (posthumous)
Honorary Name (Magpie Bridge Brigade Translation): Sourire, later Lumière
The Emperor's favorite concubine throughout the series, nicknamed Huanhuan. Resembles the Emperor's late wife, the Chunyuan Empress (Chunyuan Huanghou). Mother of Princess Longyue and the twins Prince Hongyan (the Sixth Prince) and Princess Lingxi. Adopted mother of Hongli, the Fourth Prince and future Qianlong Emperor.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Shen Meizhuang. The two are childhood friends. Zhen Huan has a closer relationship with Meizhuang than with her sisters. Zhen Huan's heartbreaking reaction to the latter's death proves the intensity of their friendship.
- Hidden Disdain Reveal: As the Yongzheng Emperor is dying, she finally tells him that ever since he "killed" her, she has always hated him and felt disgusted whenever he touched her when coming back to the palace.
- Historical Domain Character: A fictionalized version of Noble Consort Xi, Empress Xiaoshengxian
. - Identical Stranger: If we are led to believe, she looks remarkably similar to the previous Empress, Chunyuan. It’s why she is always favored by the Emperor. When she discovers the reason for his constant affection, she loses all the love she had for him and leaves the palace after giving birth to Longyue, becoming a nun.
- It's Personal: When Yinzhen kills Prince Guo for the implication of him having an affair with Zhen Huan, this crosses her hard. Seeing how Lanyi is going to kill him, she immediately works with her to murder him for killing Guo Wang.
- Mama Bear: Towards her children. While she is sadden that Longyue won't acknowledge her as her biological mother at first, she still loves and cares about her. They get better over the timeskips. After the Emperor's best spy takes Hongyan's blood for the Emperor to check if he really is his son and Lanyi finds them and keeps them safe, Zhen Huan bows to her in gratitude for keeping her and Prince Guo's children safe.
- Meaningful Rename: The Emperor creates a new identity for her by changing her name from Zhen Huan (with Zhen being her surname, and Huan her given name) to Niohuru Zhenhuan (with Niohuru being her surname, and Zhenhuan her given name). This change is made as part of the preparations for her return to palace life. It basically elevates her from being a member of the subjugated ethnicity (the Han Chinese) to a member of the ruling ethnicity (the Manchus). Moreover, the Niohuru clan is a particularly important clan even among the Manchus. On a more personal level, the rename also symbolises that the original naive Zhen Huan has been replaced by a scheming, powerful Niohuru Zhenhuan.
- Named by the Adaptation: Empress Xiaoshengxian's personal name was not recorded in history.
- One True Love: She wanted this with someone she loved and she thought she could find true love with Yinzhen. Unforunately, he only sees her as a replacement to his deceased Chunyuan and doesn't genuinely love her which loses her love for him. Her true love at the very end is Prince Guo who reciprocates her feelings.
- Star-Crossed Lovers: Zhen Huan wanted to be with Guo Wang for the rest of her life but circumstances leading to his supposed death and wanting to rescue her family were why she returns to the harem and gain power back.
- Teen Genius: Arguably a case of this. She is only seventeen when she becomes a concubine and one of the reasons the Emperor favours her so much is because of her familiarity with history, politics, and literature. She easily resolves a political quagmire involving the tenth prince, Yun'e, and a censorate that has been plaguing the Emperor and other major officials. Prior to her stint at the Ganye Temple, she is a book-smart and hence Innocent Prodigy. She advocates for mercy even towards dangerous political enemies.
- Took a Level in Badass: Oh, big time. After returning to the palace under the guise of Niohuru Zhenhuan, she plans attacks and counterattacks to people wanting to ruin her. She is not the Zhen Huan who first appeared in the palace.
- Took a Level in Cynic: At first, an idealistic, good, and naive girl, she undergoes several events that results her change such as realizing the reason why the Emperor favors her so much, seeing the schemes and plots in the palace, and witnessing the deaths of the people she loved causes her to change into a fierce woman who would steep to doing what her rivals are doing. That said, she still does have a heart but she has to bury it to survive in the palace.
- Woman Scorned: She finally has enough of the Emperor, as he kills Prince Guo for having an implied affair with her, that she willingly plans with Lanyi to kill the Emperor.
- Would Hurt a Child: For one, she injures herself on purpose to frame Yixiu while pregnant losing the child. However, the child was never going to be born because Zhen Huan was still weak from birthing the twins. She does feel genuinely bad she did this to her unborn child and prays at the shrine.
Ulanara Yixiu, Empress (Huanghou)
Played by: Ada Choi (Cai Shaofen)
Titles: Ce Fujin, Di Fujin (before Episode 1); Huanghou; Xiaojingxian Huanghou (posthumous)
The Emperor's second wife and the younger half-sister of the Chunyuan Empress. She is also his maternal cousin, being the niece of the Empress Dowager Renshou. She married the Emperor when he was still a prince and became his secondary concubine (Ce Fujin). He promised to elevate her to the position of wife (Di Fujin) if she could bear a son. However, when Yixiu was pregnant, he fell in love with her elder half-sister Wanwan and married her instead. After her sister's death, Yixiu was promoted to wife and later became Empress, with the support of her aunt and mother-in-law. Yixiu was the mother to the First Prince who died before he was three years old.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: While outwardly presenting herself as the benevolent mother of the nation, behind the scenes she is one of the most ruthless characters in the Harem.
- Historical Domain Character: A fictionalized version of Lady Ulanara, Empress Xiaojingxian.
- Named by the Adaptation: Empress Xiaojingxian's personal name was not recorded.
- Would Hurt a Child: Anyone who works with the Empress is guaranteed to not have children because she kills them. She's killed a countless amount of children starting with killing her sister's child including herself to guarantee herself the role of the Empress Dowager so no one can overthrow her. Plus, she eventually tries to poison Hongli so Hongshi can succeed. Luckily, he survives but only because his nanny ate his food.
Nian Shilan, Consort Hua (Hua Fei)
Played by: Jiang Xin
Titles: Huafei, Hua Guifei, Huafei (demoted), Nian Daying (demoted), Dunsu Guifei (posthumous), Dunsu Huang Guifei (posthumous)
Honorary Name (Magpie Bridge Brigade Translation): Fleur
A senior concubine of the Emperor and younger sister of the general Nian Gengyao; the most powerful concubine at the beginning of the series. She had a miscarriage a few years before the series begins and has not been able to get pregnant since then, despite enjoying the most favor from the Emperor.
- Alas, Poor Villain: Yes, she was a bitch who didn't hesitate to kill others who would take the Emperor's attention but finding out that her husband was the sole reason why she couldn't bear children all because of her clan and losing all her family members could lead to some sympathy for her.
- Driven to Suicide: After losing her status and power, she discovers that her gifted incense was laced to prevent her from having kids. She has a breakdown, crying at the Emperor for what he did to her, and throws herself at the wall to split her head open.
- Historical Domain Character: A fictionalized version of Imperial Noble Consort Dunsu.
- Historical Villain Upgrade: The real Lady Nian seems to have earned her title "Dunsu" (Dun means "gentle") by being a kind and soft tempered woman. In the series, the title is ironic, given how arrogant, cruel, and outright villainous she can be.
- Murder the Hypotenuse: Or, in her case, murder the hypotenuses. She is a deeply jealous woman who seeks to monopolise the Emperor's attention.
- Named by the Adaptation: Imperial Noble Consort Dunsu's personal name was not recorded.
- Wouldn't Hurt a Child: Less of a moral issue, more of something she could understand considering she lost her child from miscarriage and sincerely didn't want to cause Zhen Huan's miscarriage. Still, she wanted a child to take care of.
Shen Meizhuang, Consort Hui (Hui Fei)
Played by: Lan Xi
Titles: Shen Guiren, Hui Guiren, Shen Daying (demoted), Hui Guiren (restored), Huipin, Huifei; Hui Guifei (posthumous)
Honorary Name (Magpie Bridge Brigade Translation): Vertu
Best friend of Zhen Huan since childhood who is also a concubine of the Emperor. Initially a favorite of the Emperor, she later becomes disillusioned with him, and prefers to spend her time with Zhen Huan, the Dowager Empress, and Wen Shichu. Mother of Princess Jinghe.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Though mellow and sweet, she enacts her revenge on the Emperor from beyond the grave, exploiting one of his most upsetting childhood memories.
- Silk Hiding Steel: A prim and proper lady who rebels against patriarchy in her own way.
An Lingrong, Consort Li (Li Fei)
Played by: Tao Xinran
Titles: An Daying, An Changzai, An Guiren, An Pin, Li Fei
A concubine of the Emperor who is initially befriended by Zhen Huan and Shen Meizhuang when they first enter the Imperial Harem but later becomes a follower of the Empress. As the daughter of the provincial official An Bihuai, she comes from a lower background than the other concubines, a source of deep insecurity.
- Meaningful Rename: A variation. She is granted the title of Li Fei, but the character used means oriole. In other words, she becomes the Oriole Consort. Zhen Huan deliberately suggests the title to the Emperor in order to humiliate Lingrong by emphasising her lowly status. Lingrong eventually confronts the Emperor for treating her as a pet.
The Aisin Gioro (Aixin Jueluo) Imperial Clan
Aisin Gioro Yinzhen, Yongzheng Emperor
Played by: Chen Jianbin
The current Emperor who ascended the throne at 45 years old. After his father the Kangxi Emperor's death, Yinzhen (the 4th Prince) and eight of his brothers were embroiled in a bitter struggle for the throne. With the help of Nian Gengyao and Longkodo, Yinzhen won and became the Yongzheng Emperor. He placed his brother Yunti (the 14th Prince) under house arrest and soon after imprisoned his half-brothers Yunsi (the 8th Prince) and Yuntang (the 9th Prince). Though these brothers are never on-screen, they're always on the Emperor's mind, and he becomes increasingly paranoid that his remaining brothers, officials, sons, and even those in the Harem are plotting against him, leading him to imprison or kill many of them over the course of the series. Similarly, the Emperor’s late wife, Original Empress Chun (Chunyuan Huanghou), passed away before the beginning of the series but her memory motivates many of her grieving husband’s actions.
- Berserk Button: Seeing anyone who uses Chunyuan's items and being reminded of the fights between his brothers for the imperial ascension.
- Dirty Old Man: It's normal for the Emperor to pick several young brides to be his concubines and bear imperial heirs but this trope hits hard especially where he is attracted to Zhen Huan's younger sister, Yurao, simply because she resembles his late wife Chunyuan and wants to marry her too. It doesn't help he tried to hold her hand and give her his jewelry to seduce her. Luckily, she and her sister devise a plan where she gets married to his younger brother, Yunxi, who she likes, as quickly as possible and convince him to give her up. It works.
- Domestic Abuse: He doesn't have any hesitation to slap his concubines and subject them to punishments he sees fitting.
- Historical Domain Character: A fictionalized version of the Yongzheng Emperor.
- Kick the Dog: When Guo Wang's funeral is arranged, the Emperor decreed that anyone in the funeral cannot cry too loud in the funeral. People trying to stop Guo Wang's son from crying to loud is just sad.
- Old Man Marrying a Child: Most of his concubines are probably way younger than him. Plus, what seriously could have happened if he forced Zhen Huan's sister Yurao, who is barely in the legal age to marry (except not in that time), to marry him simply because she resembles Chunyuan.
- One True Love: To the deceased Empress Chunyuan, Yixiu's half sister. He fell in love with her at first sight and decided to make her his first wife instead of Yixiu who he promised. In the beginning of the series, he still deeply misses her and doesn't seem genuinely interested in his concubines. It's to the point he sees Zhen Huan as resembling her a lot, leading her to be immensely favored and her sister Yurao as well. To Zhen Huan's horror and sadness, he only sees them as replacements to his deceased wife. Whether or not she reciprocated his feelings Yinzhen has mourned her even until his death where he begs Zhen Huan to act out a precious memory he had with his deceased wife. Zhen Huan refuses.
- Pet the Dog:
- Despite wanting Yurao, Zhen Huan's little sister, as one of his wives because of her appearance is similar to Chunyuan, her persuasion of wanting to marry Lord Shen works. Considering he could've forced her to become his wife, this is pretty nice of him.
- Zig-zagged. When he accidentally causes the miscarriage of Lingrong's child, he genuinely blames himself for doing something like that instead of blaming Lingrong causing him to be a bit depressed. The zig-zag part comes in when he finds out the crimes she's done which at first he tries to be lenient and demote her. However, when it's revealed she causes Zhen Huan's miscarriage and killed others, he makes her undergo permanent house arrest with the punishment of killing her close servants, selling the others, and having someone slap her daily, leading this to be subverted. It's harsh but considering she led Meizhuang's death, others dying because of her, and Zhen Huan's miscarriage, she got deserving karma.
Empress Dowager Renshou, Lady Uya (Renshou Taihou)
Played by: Leanne Liu (Liu Xuehua)
Birth mother of the current Emperor, who was raised by the previous Empress, Xiaoyiren. She is also the mother of Prince Yunti (the 14th Prince), who she raised herself. He has been placed under house arrest by the Emperor. She is the aunt of the current Empress (more accurately a removed cousin) and protects her to maintain the power of her clan.
- Hate Sink: Her actions of always protecting Yixiu because she's from her clan yet never stopping her from committing crimes cements this. Her only redeeming traits is being nice to Meizhuang, who she genuinely likes.
- Historical Domain Character: A fictionalized version of Empress Dowager Renshou, Empress Xiaogongren.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Subverted. At the end of her life, she regrets defending Yixiu’s actions just to keep an Ula-Nala woman as the empress, but she still writes a letter before her death telling the emperor that he must never depose Yixiu as empress no matter what.
- Named by the Adaptation: Empress Dowager Renshou's personal name was not recorded.
Aisin Gioro Yunli, Prince Guo (Guo Junwang)
Played by: Ethan Li (Li Dongxue)
17th son of the late Emperor and younger half-brother of the current Emperor. He did not participate in his brothers' battle for the throne and won the current Emperor's favor. He portrays himself as a loafer who prefers books and music over politics. This keeps him safe from the suspicions of the Emperor for most of the series. He inherited the flute "Eternal Promise" from his father. It is the companion to the zither "Endless Longing" which was originally owned by Yunli's mother and is later gifted to Zhen Huan by the Emperor.
- Fatal Flaw: His love for Zhen Huan leads to his death. Because his letters always consisted of asking how she was doing and the Emperor was suspicious of them, he made them take the poison water but only one of them was poisoned and if Zhen Huan wasn't the person who came out, Prince Guo would have been killed.
- Historical Domain Character: A fictionalized version of Aisin Gioro Yunli.
- Nice Guy: Alongside Yunxi, he is one of the most genuine nicest people that it's not wonder the Emperor can jollily talk to him. This trait also made Zhen Huan fall in love with him too.
- One True Love: With Zhen Huan who reciprocates his feelings. Even after being forced to marry other women who eventually gives birth to his child, his mind is alone devoted to Zhen Huan.
Other Main Characters
Wen Shichu
Played by: Zhang Xiaolong
An imperial doctor whose family is friends with the Zhen clan. He loves Zhen Huan, but she does not return his feelings, seeing him instead as her brother. Even though his love is unrequited, he swears to protect her within the palace, along with her best friend Meizhuang.
Huanbi (renamed Niohuru Yuyin)
Played by: Lan Yingying
Titles: Ce Fujin; Di Fujin (posthumous)
Magpie Bridge Brigade Translation Name: Jade
One of Zhen Huan's childhood maids who is secretly her paternal half-sister. Her mother's family offended the Emperor and Zhen Huan's father was unable to marry her, so Huanbi instead had to become her half-sister's servant. She comes to the palace with her sister as her dowry maid.
- Historical Domain Character: A fictionalized version of Imperial Princess Consort Guoyi of the Niohuru clan.
- Named by the Adaptation: Lady Niohuru's personal name was not recorded.
- Green-Eyed Monster: She resents the fact that Yunli married Jingxian, and complains to Zhen Huan that… Yunli treats Jingxian well and the servants like her. Zhen Huan’s face shows the clear annoyance on her face that Huanbi still isn’t satisfied.
Recurring Characters
The Imperial Harem
Imperial Consorts (Fei)
A group of the highest ranks, limited to seven persons, including one Imperial Noble Consort (Huangguifei), two Noble Consorts (Guifei), and four consorts with other titles.
Qi Yuebin, Consort Duan (Duanfei)
Played by: Li Yijuan
Titles: Duanfei, Duan Huangguifei (skipped a rank), Huangguitaifei
Honorary Name (Magpie Bridge Brigade Translation): Honnête
A senior concubine of the Emperor who joined his harem around the same time as the Empress. She suffers from very poor health due to the actions of Consort Hua. Foster mother of Princess Wenyi.
- Historical Domain Character: Loosly based on Imperial Noble Consort Chunque.
- Named by the Adaptation: Imperial Noble Consort Chunque's personal name was not recorded.
Feng Ruozhao, Consort Jing (Jingfei)
Played by: Yang Ziyan
Titles: Jingpin, Jingfei, Jing Guifei, Guitaifei
Honorary Name (Magpie Bridge Brigade Translation): Estime
A senior concubine of the Emperor who joined his harem at the same time as Consort Hua. She becomes an ally of Zhen Huan. Foster mother of Princess Longyue.
- Mama Bear: To Longyue. She grows to love Zhen Huan's child like her own biological child and never seeks to use her for political benefits and will do anything to keep her daughter safe. It reaches to the point where she tries to not allow Zhen Huan to reclaim Longyue because she is one of the reasons she could stand being in the palace.
Li Wanting, Consort Qi (Qifei)
Played by: Zhang Yameng
Honorary Name (Magpie Bridge Brigade Translation): Astuce
A senior concubine of the Emperor who is the mother of the 3rd Prince and a longtime follower of the Empress. She is protective of her son and hopes he will become the next Emperor.
- Historical Domain Character: A fictionalized version of Consort Qi.
- Named by the Adaptation: Consort Qi's personal name was not recorded.
Imperial Concubines (Pin)
The next highest rank after the Imperial Consorts, limited to six persons.
Lü Yingfeng, Concubine Xin (Xinpin)
Played by: Wan Meixi
Titles: Xin Changzai, Xin Guiren, Xinpin, Xin Taipin/Xin Taifei
Honorary Name (Magpie Bridge Brigade Translation): Joie
A senior concubine of the Emperor who remains in the lower ranks despite her many years in the Imperial Harem. She is a quiet woman who prefers not to engage in the conflicts within the Harem. She is counted among the mothers of the Emperor's children, although her princess is never named or seen on screen, unlike Cao Guiren's much beloved daughter Wenyi. This is likely because Xinpin does not want to use her daughter to compete for favor, allowing her instead to be raised safely in the Imperial nursery.
Cao Qinmo, Concubine Xiang (Xiangpin, Cao Shi)
Played by: Chen Sisi
Titles: Cao Guiren, Xiangpin
Honorary Name (Magpie Bridge Brigade Translation): Aide
A clever but cruel concubine who follows Consort Hua. She is the biological mother of Princess Wenyi and is willing to do anything to protect her daughter's future, including manipulating and betraying her own allies.
Fei Yunyan, Concubine Li (Lipin)
Played by: Li Jiaxuan
Titles:: Li Pin
Honorary Name (Magpie Bridge Brigade Translation): Beauté
A senior concubine of the Emperor who follows Consort Hua.
- The Ophelia: In Episode 11, she is scared literally out of her mind and spends the rest of her screen time being one of these.
Ye Lanyi, Concubine Ning (Ningpin, Ye Shi)
Played by: Re Yizha
Titles: Ning Daying, Ning Guiren (skipped a rank), Ningpin
A horse-trainer who is in love with the 17th Prince but is instead forced to join the Harem. She becomes a favorite concubine of the Emperor but resents him for taking away her freedom.
- Historical Domain Character: A fictionalized version of Consort Ning.
Noble Ladies (Guiren)
Mid-level rank with an unlimited number of persons, higher than the Female Attendant ranks of Lingering (Changzai) and Promise (Daying).
Guwalgiya Wenyuan, Noble Lady Qi (Qi Guiren, Guaerjia Shi)
Played by: Yixin Tang
Titles: Qi Guiren, Qipin, Qi Guiren (demoted)
Honorary Name (Magpie Bridge Brigade Translation): Délice
Daughter of the official Guwalgiya Emin, a loyal follower of the Empress in the Imperial Court.
Fuca Yixin, Noble Lady Fuca (Fuca Guiren)
Played by: Zhao Qin
Titles: Fuca Guiren
A concubine from the Manchu banners who entered the Imperial Harem the same time as Zhen Huan and her friends.
Fang Chunyi, Noble Lady Chun (Chun Guiren)
Played by: Tan Songyun
Titles: Chun Changzai, Chun Guiren
The youngest concubine in the Imperial Harem. One of Zhen Huan's few genuinely loyal friends.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: As soon as the episodes focus more on her after she moves in with Zhenhuan and begins forming a strong sisterly relationship with her, she is almost immediately drowned by Consort Hua’s eunuch after she’s caught spying on them (Cao tried warning her to run away by flicking some food into the pond, but she gasped thinking she was caught and Hua saw her).
Female Attendants (Changzai, Daying and Guanyu)
The lowest ranks of the harem, with an unlimited number of persons. Xia Dongchun (Xia Changzai)
Played by: Ying Er
Titles: Xia Changzai
Honorary Name (Magpie Bridge Brigade Translation): Summer
- Cruel and Unusual Death: Shilan (Hua) orders that she be beaten with the Scarlet Red. For those who don’t know, the Scarlet Red is when you’re strapped down and your legs are beaten with sticks that are 2 inches thick and 5 inches wide until there is a pool of blood under you. It’s implied that she died.
- Jerkass: There is no scene she appears in where she isn’t rude, dismissive, or outright hostile. For example, she tells Lingrong to stop singing while calling her a whore because it’s not something she should be doing while embroidering, and sarcastically asks if that singing will get the Emperor to call her at night.
Yu Ying'er (Yu Guanyu)
Played by: Cui Manli
Titles: Yu Guanyu, Yu Daying, Yu Guanyu (posthumously demoted to commoner)
Honorary Name (Magpie Bridge Brigade Translation): Melodic
A palace maid who is promoted to the harem by impersonating Zhen Huan in the Garden of Leaning Plums.
- Hate Sink: This is remotely nothing nice and good about this girl, taking advantage of Zhen Huan's quote to make herself a concubine to the Emperor.
- Jerkass: Pretty much Xia Dongchun but even more meaner and dumb. She doesn't hesistate to abuse the servants and particularly her first maid if they annoy her (which doesn't take long).
The Aisin Gioro Imperial Clan and Relatives of Imperial Consorts and Concubines
Yuan Yanran, Consort Dowager Shu (Shu Taifei)
Played by: Liu Yan
Honorary Name (Magpie Bridge Brigade Translation): Serene
Mother of Prince Guo and favorite concubine of the late Emperor. Became a nun at Ganlu Temple upon widowhood. Original owner of the zither "Endless Longing" which was later gifted to Zhen Huan by the Emperor.
Aisin Gioro Yun'e, Prince Dun (Dun Junwang)
Played by: Tian Xiping
10th Son of the late Emperor and Noble Consort Wenxi (Wenxi Guifei) of the Niohuru clan. Half-brother of the Emperor, Prince Guo, and Lord Shen. Nephew of the late Empress Xiaozhaoren, his father's second Empress. Aside from the imprisoned former Crown Prince, Yun'e has the most prestigious maternal family background among the late Emperor's sons, making him an important ally to the Emperor. He is a powerful, brash, and arrogant man who nevertheless has a soft spot for his wife, Lady Borjigin.
- Historical Domain Character: A fictionalized version of Aisin Gioro Yun'e.
Lady Borjigin
Played by: Meme Tian (Tian Pujun)
Beloved Primary Consort to Aisin Gioro Yun'e, Prince Dun. A well-mannered and politically astute woman.
- Historical Domain Character: A fictionalized version of Duchess of the Second Rank Lady Borjigit.
Aisin Gioro Yunxi, Lord Shen (Shen Beile)
Played by: Kang Fuzhen
21st Son of the late Emperor and Concubine Dowager Xi (Xi Taipin). Younger half-brother to the Emperor, Prince Guo, and Prince Dun. He did not participate in his brothers' battle for succession due to his young age at the time (barely 11 years).
- Historical Domain Character: A fictionalized version of Aisin Gioro Yunxi.
- Marry for Love: He and Yurao must be the luckiest couple to have a happy marriage together considering their siblings and other's forced marriages. Yinzhen grants it when Yurao convinces him to let her marry his brother.
- Nice Guy: Takes Yurao's blunt remarks with surprise instead of being offended.
Aisin Gioro Hongshi, 3rd Prince (San Ahge)
Played by: Wu Lipeng
The Emperor's third and eldest living son. He hopes to make his mother, Consort Qi, proud by becoming the next Emperor but is not well-liked by his father due to his lack of intelligence. He is later adopted by the Empress.
- Fatal Flaw: Having no awareness of the situation and being overall dumb. This leads him to make his father mad enough that he disowns him from the royal family and also leading to one of his father's concubines death who was genuinely innocent because he was infatuated with her which is an extremely dumb move to do.
- Historical Domain Character: A fictionalized version of Aisin Gioro Hongshi.
- I Have No Son!: He gets his father so mad of giving pity to his imprisoned brothers that the Emperor decides to make Hongshi not his son anymore by kicking him out of the imperial genealogy and becoming his 8th Uncle's son and revokes him of his royal honors since his 8th uncle is no longer part of the family. This leads to Yixiu having no support anymore because the 3rd Prince was her last stand.
Aisin Gioro Hongli, 4th Prince (Si Ahge)
Played by: Wang Wenjie
Fourth son of the current Emperor. He was born from a drunken one night stand with a maid, which enraged the former Emperor. Because of this, his father dislikes him and keeps him at the Summer Palace during his childhood. Hongli is inspired by his meeting with Zhen Huan and devotes himself to his studies, wanting to impress his father when he's finally allowed to meet him. Later, he becomes Zhen Huan's adopted son and proves himself to be a formidable contestant for the throne. All his hard work is paid off as he becomes the Qianlong Emperor.
- Historical Domain Character: A fictionalized version of the Qianlong Emperor.
- Xanatos Gambit: To take Hongshi out of the running, he tells him that they would be seen as better sons and their father being shown forgiving if he tells him to give leniency to their imprisoned uncles. Hongshi relays this to the Yongzheng Emperor which angers him enough that he adopts him out of the royal family and gives him to his 8th brother who is imprisoned.
Princess Wenyi (Wenyi Gongzhu)
Played by: Yao Wan Er
The daughter of the Emperor and Concubine Xiang. She is his favorite child for the first half of the series. Later, she is adopted by Consort Duan.
Princess Longyue (Longyue Gongzhu)
Played by: Yang Xin Yi
Eldest daughter of Zhen Huan and the Emperor. She is adopted by Consort Jing.
Lady Yun (Zhen Furen, Yun Shi)
Played by: Li Dan
Mother of Zhen Huan and wife of the official Zhen Yuandao.
Zhen Yurao
Played by: Xu Lu
Younger sister of Zhen Huan.
- Identical Stranger: Just like with Zhen Huan, she resembles Empress Chunyuan which doesn't spill well when the Emperor shows interest in her and wants her as his wife.
- Marry for Love: What she wants instead of being married off to someone she doesn't love. Considering she and her sister realize the Emperor wants to marry her, but is in love with his younger brother, Yunxi, Yurao is able to convince him to give her up and allow her to marry his brother.
- Nice Guy: Despite her blunt nature, she is without a doubt a nice girl. This is one of the reasons why Lord Shen falls in love with her.
- Xanatos Gambit: With the plans of her trying to marry Lord Shen, Yurao decides to confront the Emperor whether or not she can marry his brother. It takes a lot of guts to talk back to the Emperor but Yurao does that so she can marry someone she loves. She succeeds in managing to convince the Emperor to grant the marriage.
Court Officials and Servants of the Imperial Harem
Zhen Yuandao
Played by: Shen Baoping
Father of Noble Consort Xi, Huanbi, and Yurao. He is a loyal and upstanding official who becomes a target of the families of Consort Hua and Noble Lady Qi due to their enmity with Zhen Huan.
Nian Gengyao
Played by: Sun Ning
Elder brother of Consort Hua who helped the Emperor gain his throne. A brilliant but corrupt general. He is commander-in-chief of the Qing armies in the northwest. Though the Emperor treats him very well and supports him publicly, he is secretly deeply suspicious of him.
- Historical Domain Character: A fictionalized version of Nian Gengyao.
Longkodo
Played by: Yi Zhang
Brother of the previous Emperor's third Empress Consort, Empress Xiaoyiren. He helped the current Emperor gain his throne but is a target of his suspicion. Childhood friend and first love of Empress Dowager Renshou.
- Historical Domain Character: A fictionalized version of Longkodo.
Zhang Tingyu
Played by: Wang Biao
A minister who is only loyal to the current Emperor.
- Historical Domain Character: A fictionalized version of Zhang Tingyu.
Palace of Eternal Longevity (Yongshou Gong)
Liuzhu
Played by: Zhan Jingyi
Magpie Bridge Brigade Translation Name: Vermilion
One of Zhen Huan's childhood maids.
Little Yunzi (Xiao Yunzi)
Played by: Luo Kang
Zhen Huan's head eunuch.
Cui Jinxi
Played by: Sun Qian
Zhen Huan's chief maidservant who is experienced in the affairs of the Imperial Harem. Former maidservant of both Consort Dowager Shu and the Original Empress Chun.
Palaces of the Emperor and the Empress Dowager
Su Peisheng
Played by: Li Tianzhu
The Emperor's personal eunuch since childhood.
- Marry for Love: He eventully marries Jinxi, who he falls in love with.
Fangruo
Played by: Yang Jing
Magpie Bridge Brigade Translation Name: Madam Orchid
Chief maidservant of the Emperor who instructed Zhen Huan and An Lingrong when they entered the Imperial Harem.
Sun Zhuxi
Played by: Tian Shumei
Magpie Bridge Brigade Translation Name: Madam Bamboo
Chief maidservant of the Empress Dowager.
Palace of Great Benevolence (Jingren Gong)
Jianqiu
Played by: Yang Kaichun
Magpie Bridge Brigade Translation Name: Autumn
Chief maidservant of the Empress.
Jiang Fuhai
Played by: Yang Liu
Head eunuch of the Empress.
Palace of the Queen Consort (Yikun Gong)
Songzhi
Played by: Liu Yitong
Chief maidservant of Nian Shilan.
Zhou Ninghai
Played by: Wang Hanbang
Head eunuch of Nian Shilan.
Other Palaces
Caiyue
Played by: Zhou Zihan
Magpie Bridge Brigade Translation Name: Lunar
Childhood maid and chief maidservant of Shen Meizhuang.
Baojuan
Played by: Liang Yixin
Magpie Bridge Brigade Translation Name: Coua
Chief maidservant of An Lingrong.
Other Recurring Characters
Jingbai
Played by: Zhao Qianzi
A hypocritical nun who tormented Zhen Huan during her exile at Ganlu Temple.
Moyan
Played by: Wang Lihan
A nun who showed kindness to Zhen Huan during her exile at Ganlu Temple.
Meng Jingxian
Played by: Yang Qi
Secondary consort of Prince Guo; married the prince at the same time as Huanbi.
- Historical Domain Character: A fictionalized version of Imperial Secondary Consort Guoyi of the Meng clan.
- Named by the Adaptation: Lady Meng's personal name was not recorded.
- Too Good for This Sinful Earth: Very unforunate, as Prince Guo was slowly warming up to her and she was a very polite and kind woman knowing her husband didn't really love her and didn't treat Huanbi bad. She dies by eating Hongyan's meal that was poisoned for him. At the very least, she manages to gives birth to a boy for Prince Guo and she apologizes the pregnancy came from her taking advantage of his drunk state. At the very least, Zhen Huan didn't want her to die.
