Shenmei

Shenmei (神美シェンメイ?) was the lady of the Shi Clan's main branch and the main wife of the Northern Capital overseer Shishou. Due to her actions, she was a main antagonist of The Apothecary Diaries. A high-ranked consort of the Former Emperor, she was extremely beautiful, but lost her beauty to old age. She was a vengeful woman who was jealous of those more beautiful than her, including the Former Emperor and Jinshi. Twenty years ago, she was betrothed to Shishou; however, she was later brought to the Former Emperor's Imperial Harem as a high-ranking consort so that the Empress Regnant could keep an eye on the Shi Clan through her. Suirei's mother worked under her, but after being impregnated by the Former Emperor, Shenmei abandoned her. As a result of Shishou's meritorious behavior in helping the Empress Regnant cut off the slave trade, she was bestowed back to her original fiance Shishou; however, since Shishou already had a wife and daughter, she killed Suirei's mother and violently abused Suirei. She later gave birth to Loulan. She plotted to ruin the country for making a fool of her, and chased out the members of the Shi Clan who stood against her, but her plans were foiled by Shishou and Loulan, who pretended to go along with her plans and allowed her to ruin herself by garnering the most foolish of followers. During the Rii's army attack on the Northern Capital, she attempted to shoot Loulan and Jinshi after learning of Loulan's deception by taking Loulan's hand cannon; however, the cannon was defective and hit Shenmei with its shrapnel instead, causing her to die from blood loss.