Fengxian

Description \ Bio

Fengxian is a minor character in The Apothecary Diaries. She was a high-ranking courtesan at the Verdigris House, a senior sister to the Three Princesses, and the biological mother of Maomao. Fengxian was astonishingly beautiful in her prime. As a high-ranking courtesan, she wore makeup, styled her hair, and adorned herself with fine robes and ornate jewelry. Tragically, Fengxian's beauty would fade greatly. Following the unexpected departure of her beloved, she cut off her pinky and sent it to him as a testament of her love. His initial failure to redeem her forced her into street prostitution, which eventually leaded to her contracting syphilis. Untreated, the ravages of syphilis caused her to lose her mind and appearance: she became much thinner, her hair became long and unkempt, she lost her nose, and her skin became covered with rashes and gummas. Far from the finery she wore as a prized courtesan, in the late stages of syphilis she wore only pale robes. Fengxian was described as a stoic woman. Although her livelihood relied on the patrons she could attract, she acted much differently compared to other courtesans. Whereas her fellow courtesans would charm their patrons with smiles and sexual services, she carried herself with a cold, arrogant disposition and sold her art rather than her body; her behavior endeared her to fewer patrons than the other courtesans, but earned her the very fervent admiration of a few patrons who were willing to spend exorbitant amounts of money to spend time with her. While generally cool, Fengxian was not devoid of warmth and love. She was well-regarded by her juniors, especially Meimei. The person who drew the most love out of Fengxian was her most fervent patron, Lakan. Over the course of many years, she came to genuinely fall in love with him. To this end, she was willing to cast aside her status and reputation in order to be with him: they had sex, and when she discovered that she was pregnant with his daughter, she willingly carried the child to term and gave birth. Tragically, Fengxian changed for the worse following Lakan's sudden disappearance. Losing her status as a high-ranking courtesan due to her pregnancy, she was forced to become a streetwalker which, alongside the perceived sentiment of being abandoned by her beloved, drove her into mental instability. She physically and mentally abused the infant Maomao, whom she never acknowledged as her daughter. She even mutilated Maomao's finger along with her own in order to send a gruesome message to Lakan. Fengxian's lack of maternal love was such that Maomao later remarked that she had no memories of Fengxian ever being a mother to her. The late stages of syphilis reduced Fengxian to a child-like state. She was unable to recognize the people around her and care for herself, relying solely on members of the Verdigris House to take care of even her most basic needs. However, she still remembered her beloved arts from her time as a courtesan.