Gaoshun

After a forbidden night in the cave with Jinshi, Maomao is returned to the Rear Palace with a devastating secret: she carries a royal heir, and terminating it means a brutal death, forcing her to hide her pregnancy from everyone in the apothecary's quarters—especially the enigmatic master of ceremonies himself.

When Jinshi's neglected bride-to-be flees the imperial palace with his loyal aide Gaoshun after watching her betrothed obsess over the brilliant apothecary Maomao, she must choose between a forbidden love with her rescuer or face the prince who finally realizes what he's lost.

As Emperor Jinshi's favored concubine, Emika's pale skin glows with the secret of his firstborn—but in the dangerous world of the Inner Palace, a royal pregnancy could be her greatest triumph or her most deadly downfall.

When a brilliant apothecary is forced to investigate a deadly conspiracy in the imperial palace, she must use her unmatched knowledge of toxins to survive court intrigue and protect the emperor's consort—while catching the eye of a dangerously beautiful eunuch who may be her greatest ally or her deadliest threat.

As a new concubine in the perilous Inner Court, Emika must navigate treacherous rivalries and courtly intrigue while attempting to secure the heart of the enigmatic Emperor Jinshi.

Jinshi suspects the new apothecary girl is hiding a brilliant mind beneath her plain exterior, but uncovering her past might unravel the very fabric of the Imperial Court.