Yee-lan, the Consort Tsuen (Jessica Hsuan) was the new wife of Emperor Do-kwong (Sunny Chan)'s elder brother. However, Do-kwong's brother was missing after a battle and his body was never found. Empress Dowager Kung-chee (Gigi Wong) was devastated that she lost her beloved son and saw Yee-lan, as an ominous woman and wanted her dead. Because Do-kwong was already in love with Yee-lan, since he was young, he chose to save her by making Yee-lan, as his new concubine, which angered his wife, Empress Hao-sun (Myolie Wu). Partnering up with Empress Dowager, the two vowed to eradicate Yee-lan, using many different schemes to harm her. As Yee-lan, wanted to protect herself, she did not hesitate to battle the Empress to the end. During their battle, Yee-lan, accidentally discovered a major plot happening in the royal harem. Who is behind this big plot? Who will be the winner in this intense battle in the royal harem?
Emperor Daoguang's favourite consort and childhood crush. She was once married to Daoguang's Emperor's older brother Mian-yi; however, he went missing after he went to control a rebellion in Northwest China a few months after their marriage. Yee-lan is forced to become a human sacrifice for Min-yi's funeral ceremony by the orders of Empress Dowager Gongci, who sees Yee-lan as unfortunate and cursed. Do-kwong saves Yee-lan from her death and announces that he will take her hand in marriage. Although Yee-lan agrees to become his consort, she still holds the belief that Mian-yi is alive and escapes palace grounds to search for him. Yee-lan eventually falls in love with Emperor Daoguang, who honours her as an individual and his wife. Yee-lan goes through many palace schemes and hardships. Eventually, she leads a duplicitous lifestyle. She plotsand kills Choi-lam and eventually causes an unmendable rift with the Emperor.
Emperor Daoguang's first empress consort and Yee-lan's main rival. Her coronation as Empress is disrupted by Do-kwong when he goes to save Yee-lan from burial. Jealous of Do-kwong's favouritism to Yee-lan, and a fear of losing her title as Empress, Yuen-yuen attempts to strip Yee-lan from power by dispatching a spy to Yee-lan's palace chamber. Yuen-yuen becomes desperate to conceive a son and is later deposed of her title as Empress after Emperor Daoguang discovers her illicit affair with Mianxin.
The benevolent Qing Dynasty Emperor who naturally became the successor of his father after the death of his older brother, Mianyi. He had a crush on Yee-lan since youth, but because Yee-lan and Mianyi were in love, he decided to forgo his pursuits. Daoguang interrupts Yuen-yuen's coronation as Empress to save Yee-lan from her burial and later takes her in as his consort, much to the dismay of Yuen-yuen and Empress Dowager Gongci. He is extremely close to his brothers and muses that if Mian-
yi hadn't died, he would have been crowned instead.
Do-kwong's younger half-brother. Min-yan extremely respects his older brother and purposefully presents himself in a much harsher and militaristic image to highlight Do-kwong's more sincere and benevolent side. Min-yan was Yuen-yuen's lover before she married Do-kwong. Though he still harbours feelings for her, Min-yan is disgusted by Yuen-yuen's calculating and cunning schemes for power. After suffering a miscarriage, Yuen-yuen seduces Min-yan and he sires a son with her. Swayed by Kung-chee and Yuen-yuen, Min-yan develops a growing dissent towards Do-kwong's rule and ultimately decides to overthrow him.
Do-kwong's stepmother and Min-yan's mother. Although Do-kwong is not her biological son, he is the most filial. Kung-chee believes Yee-lan is creating tension between her and Do-kwong, and finds her power in court to be weakening. She later convinces Min-yan to start a coup to overthrow Do-kwong.
The maiden Yuen-yuen sends to spy on Yee-lan. Choi-lam later betrays Yuen-yuen to serve Yee-lan, but is unhappy with her ambiguous relationship with her two masters. She later wins Do-kwong's favour and becomes Consort Ching (靜妃).
