Lihua

Lihua is a recurring character in the The Apothecary Diaries series. As one of the Emperor's favored High Consorts in the Rear Palace of the Imperial Palace of Country of Li, she was bestowed the Title of "Wise Consort" ("Worthy Consort" in Square Enix translation) by the Emperor and was given the Crystal Pavilion to live in. She is the mother of the Second Prince. Lihua has ruby red eyes and dark, flowing blue hair. With her voluptuous body, she is the Emperor's favorite consort when it comes to body type. As a high consort, she is often seen wearing very extravagant clothes with many decorations to bring out her mature beauty. Lihua's elemental motif among the High Consorts is water, and thus is generally seen in blue and purple attire. On the outside, Lihua has a serious and overpowering personality. However, on the inside, she is very humble and cares deeply for those who serve under her. This duality is what drew the Emperor to her compared to the other consorts, and she in turn admires the Emperor deeply. She is very similar to Gyokuyou in terms of capability and demeanor, being smart politically savvy as well as kind however she is shown to be more emotional and attached with bouts of insecurity especially after the loss of her son then the more level headed and pragmatic Gyokuyou. She is the emperor's 2nd favorite after Gyokuyou.