Lishu

Overview

Lishu, known as the Virtuous Consort, is one of the four high-ranking consorts in The Apothecary Diaries, residing in the Diamond Palace. A direct descendant of the prominent Rabbit Clan, she is the youngest of the top four consorts at fourteen years of old by traditional counting. Due to her youth, she lacks an understanding of court customs and political intrigue, making her vulnerable to mistreatment by her own ladies-in-waiting. Despite her constant misfortunes, she retains a pure and earnest nature.

Appearance

Lishu is a fair-skinned young girl characterized by curled chestnut hair with blunt bangs and purple eyes. Her long hair is styled into hair buns adorned with floral ornaments and jewelry. She has a noticeably petite, slender, and undeveloped physical frame. Her traditional Chinese attire typically consists of white Hanfu styled with frills, a sash, earrings, and long sleeves in a Chinese Lolita aesthetic, though she was once tricked by her servants into wearing a dark pink dress to a court garden party.

Personality

Lishu is inherently shy, gentle, and easily frightened, often shrinking back like a small animal when intimidated. Although she occasionally attempts to act with dignity, her lack of confidence and age difference compared to the older, more composed consorts cause her efforts to fail. Having grown up with little support, she is utterly incapable of deceit, wearing her genuine emotions openly on her face. She is extremely naive regarding romantic or adult matters, reacting with overwhelming embarrassment and tears when exposed to such topics.

Abilities

Lishu possesses no martial or political capabilities, lacking both the cunning needed for court intrigue and deep knowledge of rear palace etiquette. Her physical resilience is notably weak; she suffers from digestive intolerance to milk and holds a severe psychological trauma toward honey stemming from infant botulism. Additionally, she experiences distinct allergic reactions to certain foods, rendering her physically vulnerable in the rear palace environment.

Background

Born into the main branch of the noble Rabbit Clan, Lishu suffered cold treatment from her father following her mother's death. At nine years old, she was forced into a political marriage with the previous Emperor. Following his death shortly thereafter, she became a young widow sent to a convent. Before her father could force her into another arranged marriage to an elderly lord, the current Emperor and Consort Ah-Duo—who were close childhood friends of her late mother—rescued her by bringing her back into the inner palace as the Virtuous Consort. However, her nominal position without night duties led to ongoing hardship and sabotage by treacherous servants.

Relationships

Lishu deeply adores Consort Ah-Duo as a mother figure, and Ah-Duo treats her like her own daughter due to her past friendship with Lishu's late mother. The current Emperor acts as a protective guardian rather than a husband, having known her since childhood. She develops genuine romantic feelings for Basen, the son of Gaoshun, after he repeatedly rescues her from dangerous situations, an affection that Basen reciprocates warmly. Though initially haughty toward Maomao, Lishu grows to rely on and trust her after Maomao repeatedly saves her life and warns her of food sensitivities.

Trivia

Lishu belongs to the direct lineage of the Rabbit Clan, one of the prestigious families named after the twelve zodiac signs. Despite having been married to two successive emperors, it is explicitly confirmed in the story by Maomao that she remains a maiden. Her extreme embarrassment during Maomao's private lecture on intimacy—where she tearfully banged her head against a pillar while repeatedly rejecting the teachings—is one of her most famous comedic moments.