Welcome to Nirvana in Fire: We Have Nuanced Women
Part one can be found here
^This is Mu Nihuang, Princess of Yunnan, a vassal state of Da Liang. She lost her fiancé Lin Shu at just 15. She leads her country in war after her father’s death when she’s just 17 (as regent while her baby brother grows up but whatever). She commands an army of 100,000 who would follow her anywhere. She’s a lady and a warrior and a good friend and older sister to all who know her.
^This is Qin Banruo, Strategist to Prince Yu. She’s running a sizeable information network, and has many secretive plots to further her goals. Which are not necessarily Prince Yu’s goals but shhh! His Highness doesn’t need to know that right now, after all men are just silly creatures, aren’t they? She probably draws on her red eyeliner with a knife.
^This is Xia Dong. She’s an executive officer of the Intelligence Bureau that reports directly to the king. She’s one massively scary badass, 110% down to beat up and torture a guy for information. She’s trained the princes and officers in martial arts for years and commands great respect. Her husband’s a yeti, but she’s surprisingly okay with that.
^This is Grand Princes Liyang, sister of the Emporor. Her own mother orchestrated her assault and subsequent marriage to the Marquis of Ning, which is enough to make you want to go apesh*t on her behalf, even without everything else that happens. With insane amounts of dignity and grace and quiet inner strength she makes the best of her life, fighting for the literal lives of her children (and wins).
^This is Consort Jing, mother of Xiao Jingyan. She’s a talented doctor and a plotter maybe even more talented than Mei Changsu (I said what I said). She will bake her son cookies on one hand while keeping the Emporor’s mind right where she wants it with the other. She deserves an Oscar for the stuff she puts up with in the inner palace with a straight face.
^This is Miss Gong Yu. She’s well known as a Master Musician of Miaoyin Court, drawing crowds from all over to hear her play. But she’s also a spy for the Jiangzuo Alliance, gathering intel to help further their plans. She’s kind and thoughtful and steadily loyal - not asking for much in return, as in her own words “if (people she cares about) are well, that is enough”