Li Shi is a secondary consort of Yinzhen and the mother of his second son Hong Yun and a daughter, as well as the deceased Hong Pan. She is favoured by Yinzhen because of her submissive, clingy manner and her fertility. True to this, she is described as somewhat arrogant and foolish, often provoking the primary consort. She uses feigned illness or alarming news to draw Yinzhen’s attention even when he is in the main courtyard, repeatedly causing distress to Sifu. In the narrative, she is portrayed as a typical jealous concubine, but she also becomes more subdued when Yinzhen’s attitude begins to shift.
