Lihua (
Appearance[]
Lihua's Anime Design
Lihua has flowing dark-blue hair with bangs swept to the left side and dark magenta eyes. 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 extravagant clothes and decorations to bring out her mature beauty. Her elemental motif among the high consorts is water, and thus is generally seen in blue and purple attire.
Personality[]
On the outside, Lihua possesses a serious and overpowering personality. In reality, while she is proud, she isn't arrogant and cares deeply for those who assist her, thanking their care and ensuring their efforts are properly rewarded. This duality is what drew the Emperor to her compared to the other consorts, and she in turn admires his character and work policies deeply. She is very similar to Gyokuyou in terms of capability and demeanor, being smart and politically savvy as well as kind, but she is more emotional and attached with bouts of insecurity, especially after the loss of her first son. She is the Emperor's current second favorite consort after Gyokuyou.
Abilities[]
Influence: As one of the Emperor's favorite consorts, Lihua carries much influence within the inner and outer courts.
Background[]
A distant relative of the Emperor, Lihua was sent by her family to become a consort, alongside her paternal cousin Shin. Thanks to her prominent clan, Lihua amassed one of the largest courts of ladies-in-waiting among the consorts, with Shin becoming her head lady-in-waiting. Her staff was counted to be around thirty, including servant girls.[2] However, despite bearing him a son (who would serve as first in line for the throne), she was not promoted to the rank of Empress.
Both Lihua and her son were among those poisoned by a variety of lead-based face powder. She wrongly blamed her rival consort Gyakuyou for "cursing" her son and attacked her in a fit of agitation (despite Gyokuyou's daughter being another victim).[3] While Maomao recognized the cause and left an anonymous warning for Lihua, it was either ignored or missed by the consort and her son perished at only three months old. The face powder was banned from the Inner Court soon after, but one of Lihua's ladies-in-waiting foolishly hid some and continued to use it for her. As such, her condition worsened, eventually leaving her bedridden and on the brink of death.[4] However, she was saved by the intervention of Maomao, who had been enlisted by the Emperor to treat her and caught the lady-in-waiting responsible for keeping the makeup in the process. Over the next two months, Lihua was nursed back to health by Maomao, for which the girl earned the consort's deep gratitude and respect. Maomao also taught Lihua a way to regain the Emperor's interest, which she believed she had lost.[5]
Shin, being jealous of her cousin's status as a high consort, collected a box of perfumes to create a miscarriage-inducing drug and hid a fellow lady-in-waiting who got sick in the process in an old garden house. When confronted by Jinshi, Shin denied any involvement and blamed Maomao and the Quack Doctor, who found the box. Lihua then took charge of the investigation, leading to Shin admitting her involvement and true feelings toward Lihua. In response, Lihua slapped Shin, whom she dismissed from the Inner Court, and ensured that the innocent lady-in-waiting would receive proper care in a good clinic outside the Imperial Palace.[6] A few months later, Lihua bore the Emperor their second son, who is thankfully alive.
Trivia[]
- Her name, "Lihua," is Chinese for "pear blossom". Of the four consorts, she is the only one with a truly traditionally Chinese female name. Her traditional view on family, devotion to the Emperor, and overprotective tendency towards her children seem to reflect being in a position of a traditional feminine role.
- Lihua is one of Maomao's benefactors in the Inner Court.
- At the winter garden party, Lihua gave Maomao a hair stick as thanks.[7]
- When Maomao needed a space to grow roses in time for a garden party, she asked Lihua for permission to use her sauna building. Lihua agreed, and in return Maomao gave her one of the Emperor's favorite "spicy" books.[8]
References[]
- ↑ ANIME FREAKS (Abema TV) - アニメ「薬屋のひとりごと」声優・キャラクター一覧｜全キャスト96人を網羅 (in Japanese; in English: List of voice actors and characters for the anime "The Apothecary Diaries" | All 96 cast members
- ↑ Maomao and Maomao (season 2, episode 1)
- ↑ The Apothecary Diaries light novel: Volume 1, Chapter 2
- ↑ The Apothecary Diaries light novel: Volume 1, Chapter 12
- ↑ The Apothecary Diaries light novel: Volume 1, Chapter 13
- ↑ The Apothecary Diaries light novel: Volume 3, Chapter 11
- ↑ The Apothecary Diaries light novel: Volume 1, Chapter 18
- ↑ The Apothecary Diaries light novel: Volume 2, Chapter 18
External links[]
- Official anime S1 character webpage (in Japanese)
- Official anime S2 webpage (in Japanese)
Feilong • Fengming • Fengxian • Fuyou ☆ Gaoshun • Guen/Quack Doctor • Guiyuan • Gyokuen • Gyokujun • Gyoku-ou • Gyokuyou
Haku-u • Hongniang • Hulan ☆ Jazgul • Jin • Jinshi • Joka • Junjie ☆ Kanan • King of Shaoh • Koku-u • Kokuyou • Kounen
Lahan • Lahan's Older Brother • Lakan • Lakou • Dr. Li • Lihaku • Lihua • Lingli • Lishu • Dr. Liu • Lo-en • Loulan • Luomen
Maamei • Madam • Maomao • Maomao, the Cat • Meimei ☆ Onsou • Oracle ☆ Pairin ☆ Rikuson
Sanfan • Sazen • Seki-u • Shenlü • Shenmei • Shikyou • Shin • Shishou • Shisui • Shrine Maiden of Shaoh • Suirei • Suirei's Mother • Suiren • Sotei
Taihou • Taomei • Tianyu ☆ Ujun • Ukyou • Uryuu ☆ Xiaohong • Xiaolan ☆ Yakou • Yao • Yinghua • Yinxing • Yo • Dr. You ☆ Zulin
Crown Prince • Emperor • Empress Regnant • Former Emperor • Imperial Brother