The relationship between Lin Shu and Concubine Chen was more complicated than that of direct relatives. In the novel, Concubine Chen was Mei Changsu's cousin and had some relationship with Mei Changsu's mother, Mei Sanniang. However, Concubine Chen was not described as Mei Changsu's relative or lover in the novel. Instead, she appeared as an important villain. In the later stages of the novel, the relationship between Consort Chen and Emperor Liang gradually became complicated, and she was also one of the important characters who caused Mei Changsu to lose his memory.