Why Hasn't Maomao Been Rewarded with a Higher Status?
I've been thinking about this for a while, and I just can’t wrap my head around it. Since Maomao entered the Inner Palace, she has:
- Saved the princess
- Saved Consort Lihua (and even taught her things that made both her and the emperor blush 👀)
- Saved the Imperial Prince (without knowing its Jinshi)
- Solved the Emperor’s shrine predicament
- Prevented a major embarrassment with the Moon Princess fiasco
And that’s just a short list of everything she’s done. Despite all these accomplishments, she’s still just a lady-in-waiting, essentially a slave within the confines of the Inner Palace.
Wouldn’t anyone else in her position be rewarded with a better station, or at least given enough gold to escape? What’s keeping her stuck in this position? Is this normal in the world that's portrayed in the manga?
Spoilers are welcome :)