Jiaofang 椒房 [room of spices]

The original Chinese text is jiaofang 椒房 [room of spices]. It can be translated as “Consort’s Chamber.” Originally, it referred to the palace where imperial consorts resided. The name derives from the practice of plastering the walls with a mixture of pepper and clay, symbolizing warmth, fragrance, and fertility. Over time, it also became a term used to refer to imperial consorts themselves. Here the term refers to the empress.