Xia Fengzhi's aunt who married Tongzhi Zhou, a fourth-rank Tongzhi official, as his stepmother. She came from a merchant family (the Qians) who operated a restaurant passed down through generations. She is ambitious and wants to bask in her niece's glory, constantly whispering in her husband's ear about Xia Fengzhi's phoenix fate. She is smug and provocative, particularly toward other women at the gathering. She is bewildered when Li Zhu shows interest in Hancui instead of Xia Fengzhi.
