Elder Princess
Dominating the Harem by Bearing Children
- Original Name:
- 长公主 (zhǎng gōng zhǔ)
- Gender:
- Feminine
- Kind:
- Title
- Scope:
- Novel-specific
- Status:
- Active
- Source:
- AI
- Occurrences:
- 157
- Chapters:
- 23
- Context Up To:
- Ch. 50
- Wiki Model:
- GPT-6.1 Terra
- Updated:
Biodata
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Elder Princess (长公主) |
| Alias(es) | Eldest Princess, Grand Princess, Princess Royal |
| Affiliation | Great Yue imperial family |
| Occupation/Role | Imperial title held by princesses of the ruling family |
| First Appearance | Chapter 1, in reference to Yue Shu 1 |
Status and privileges
- Precedence: Elder Princess Yue Shu outranks Hua Meng even after Hua receives the title Consort Jing 31.
- Fief and standing: When Yue Shu married, the late emperor granted her a fief and a status equal to a prince of the first rank. Hua Meng expected her daughter to receive at least the rank of county princess, but Emperor Jing'an made Wei Ningyan a commandery lady 25.
- Phoenix Tail Token: The late emperor gave Yue Shu a token upon her marriage that protects her from execution. Emperor Jing'an also worries that she could use it to summon secret guards. Apart from the token passed down to each emperor, hers is the only one identified 27 30.
Known titleholders
Yue Shu
Yue Shu is Emperor Jing'an's elder half-sister and the daughter of the late emperor's favored noble consort. Her mother took Jing'an from his birth mother to raise, and both Yue Shu and the noble consort mistreated the future emperor and empress dowager. Yue Shu later used her husband's family connections to make difficulties for Jing'an at court 8 9 26.
Before Jing'an's birth, the late emperor had considered naming Yue Shu crown princess. Jing'an believes that losing this prospect contributed to her hostility toward him 16.
Huiying
Grand Elder Princess Huiying was Emperor Jing'an's aunt and the late emperor's elder sister. She protected Jing'an and the empress dowager and helped secure his succession. Three years before the events described in Chapter 42, she died in a mountain torrent alongside her husband and youngest legitimate son 42.
Yue Shu's story
Hua Meng's broken engagement
Zhang Jinghong's family sought to end his engagement to Hua Meng so he could marry Yue Shu's daughter, Wei Ningyan. Hua Meng agreed only after demanding public notices that placed responsibility for the breakup on the Zhang family. She entered the palace on the day of Zhang Jinghong and Ningyan's wedding 1 2 4.
At an audience with the empress dowager, Yue Shu directed veiled accusations at Hua Meng. Hua Meng responded by alluding to Ningyan's illicit relationship, leaving Yue Shu unwilling to continue the exchange 8.
Schemes against the emperor and Hua Meng
Jing'an suspected that Cen Yongning, head of the Imperial Medical Academy, was Yue Shu's man and sought other physicians. Yue Shu later asked Cen whether he had arranged to drug Hua Meng's prescription and ordered him to win over physician Jiang Xin or eliminate him 13 22 23.
Yue Shu announced Ningyan's pregnancy before the empress dowager and taunted her about having no grandson. The empress dowager collapsed, and Jing'an ordered Yue Shu and Ningyan to kneel until she woke. Yue Shu objected on account of Ningyan's pregnancy; moments later, physicians confirmed that Hua Meng was also pregnant 25 26 27.
Jing'an and Lin Ming planned a gradual campaign against Yue Shu's family and its court allies. After Hua Meng requested etiquette instruction for Ningyan, the empress dowager sent nannies to the Wei residence and the Zhang family; humiliated, Yue Shu vowed retaliation 30 31.
Ningyan's miscarriage
After Ningyan miscarried at a suburban estate, Yue Shu comforted her while directing her anger toward Hua Meng. Jing'an suspected Yue Shu of spreading related rumors and of involvement in a palace assassination attempt, but the investigation remained open 39 40.
Relationships
- Emperor Jing'an — Yue Shu's younger half-brother and political adversary; Huiying's nephew, whom she protected and helped place on the throne 8 26 42.
- Empress Dowager — Jing'an's mother; Yue Shu and her mother oppressed her for years. Huiying, by contrast, supported her 8 42.
- Wei Ningyan — Yue Shu's daughter and Zhang Jinghong's wife. Yue Shu sought a title for her and publicly defended her during the confrontation after the empress dowager's collapse 9 27.
- Hua Meng — Yue Shu's adversary following Zhang Jinghong's broken engagement and marriage to Ningyan 8 30.
- Cen Yongning — Head of the Imperial Medical Academy and Yue Shu's associate in the plot concerning Hua Meng's medicine 22 23.
- Liang Xijun — Huiying's granddaughter, later brought into the palace as Commandery Princess Shouning under Consort Wan's care 42.