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The Apothecary Diaries

The Apothecary Diaries

That's unbelievable!

This story is a work of fiction. The names of all of the characters, organizations, and so on are imaginary. It also bears no connection to any specific real-life events.

That you'd take care of a high-ranking concubine that's not Lady Gyokuyou!

You say that, but...

Something's there.

The pavilion's bath has... Um...

A ghost!

Why don't you try and consult Master Jinshi?

Who wouldn't be interested after hearing that?

Maomao.

Here we go, just as I expected.

Did you summon me?

Episode 38: The Dancing Ghost

Yikes. The joy of getting the ox bezoar made me forget,

but I learned a huge secret about him during that hunting trip.

All of the men in the rear palace, except for the emperor, are eunuchs.

But Master Jinshi was not.

He has a somewhat sizable frog.

So, what is your desire today?

I've heard that a ghost appears in a certain concubine's room.

Oh, no. That must be terrifying.

Which concubine is it? I must visit to send my well wishes.

Lady Gyokuyou, you mustn't go outside in that state.

I'll send someone in my stead, then.

Let's see...

Hongniang, why don't you go, and take Maomao with you?

Concubine Gyokuyou, this is a secret affair,

so please allow me to decline your visitation.

Instead, can I have her "returned" to me again?

I can certainly "lend" her to you.

This exchange again...

No, I'd like her "returned"...

This "Maomao."

You won't be able to ask her anything when she gets back.

I'll make sure her lips are sealed.

With that, I'll take my leave.

What happened between you two during the hunting trip?

It's all the frog's fault.

The frog?

Maybe the ox bezoar wasn't worth the secret I have to carry to my grave.

We've been awaiting your arrival.

How much does Master Gaoshun know?

Or, could it be that Master Gaoshun isn't a eunuch, either?

There's no point in thinking about this.

Greetings, Concubine Lishu.

Master Jinshi!

Could you show us to the bath that has the ghost?

Oh... Yes...

Can they be more obvious?

It's concerning that they have that attitude towards a high-ranking concubine...

This way.

The first room is the changing room, and the bath is beyond.

Lady Lishu said she saw a strange human figure from the window of this warehouse.

What kind of human figure did you see?

W-Well...

Are you still going on about that?

You must be mistaken.

Lady Lishu always wants to get everyone's attention in that way.

Making such a big deal out of nothing...

I believe the head lady-in-waiting's job is to keep that kind of behavior in check.

Perhaps you don't know that, since you were merely a taster.

My apologies...

Judging from the way she's talking,

that arrogant-sounding woman must be the former head lady-in-waiting.

I'm sure she's upset her role was taken from her by a taster

and can't stop complaining about it on a daily basis.

Hmm?

That hair stick...

Don't you agree?

Perhaps.

However, it is still my job to listen to the concubines.

Could you let me go about my work?

Y-Yes...

Hmm. My throat's a bit parched...

I'll bring tea, immediately!

I will!

No, I will!

So. Concubine Lishu, can you fill me in on the details?

Y-Yes...

I see. He sent them off to make sure Concubine Lishu could speak freely.

That night, it was after I finished bathing as always.

I prefer lower temperatures,

but the ladies-in-waiting always make my bath very hot.

So, it became a habit of mine to take a bath a little later, after the water cooled down.

I noticed this a little earlier,

but it seems like the ladies-in-waiting don't think very positively about me.

I always take baths alone, starting from back in my days at the nunnery.

Kanan... I mean, my head lady-in-waiting, helps me with my clothes.

While I was wiping myself down, it felt warm, so I opened the drapes.

Then...

Even though all of the windows were closed, the curtains were billowing.

And a white face was dancing and laughing!

Staring at me...!

Is it possible that someone else was there?

Kanan was the only one nearby. She saw the ghost, too!

I approached it, trying to find out what it was,

but it had disappeared,

and the curtain stopped moving, like nothing happened.

All of the windows connected to the outside were closed,

so no wind could have gone through.

But the curtains were moving.

It's not unreasonable to think it was a ghost and get scared.

What a strange layout, though.

At the Crystal Pavilion and the Jade Pavilion, the baths are a separate building,

and come with a space to relax after bathing.

Why would anyone build a warehouse next to the bath?

Was that room always a warehouse?

Oh, no, not always...

Why is it a warehouse now?

Well...

I think it's faster if we just show you.

Ah, I see.

That's a lot of mold.

The Jade Pavilion workers would have figured out the cause

and done something to prevent the mold, but...

I wouldn't expect that from the ladies-in-waiting here.

They just turned it into a warehouse to hide it.

I wonder if the foundation's rotten, too.

Is this building older than the others?

No, it's actually newer.

It was built when Lady Lishu joined the rear palace.

This bad, in just a few years?

Concubine Lishu said this curtain was moving.

Please let me see the bath house.

Found it.

This hole must connect to the waterways of the rear palace.

Lady Lishu.

The day you saw the ghost. Did you unplug the bathtub by mistake?

I did. How did you know?

I knew it.

Closed windows, moving curtains, unplugged bathtub...

If my deduction is correct, the true nature of the dancing ghost is...

Master Gaoshun, can you help me move this cabinet?

Yes.

This is very bad.

Yes, it's quite rotten.

The floor is warped and has gaps.

In that case...

Can you check if the waterways pass under here?

I'll bring the Diamond Pavilion's blueprint immediately.

Here you are.

Thank you.

As I thought, the waterway passes under the floor.

When hot water passes under here, the vapor makes the floor and walls rot easily.

Then, the vapor came up through this gap, causing a wind and moving the curtains.

W-What was that round face I saw, then?!

That must be it.

Um, that's...

That copper mirror is precious to me. Can you be careful with it?

Understood. How long has this been here?

I used to use it often.

But right now, we have that mirror that the special envoy gave us, so...

The special envoys' mirror is made of glass,

making it much clearer than the copper mirror.

Naturally they'd use that one, and tuck this one away.

But still...

You must be cleaning this every day.

Yes, it's an heirloom from my late mother.

It looks like an ordinary copper mirror, but...

Lady Lishu, why don't we put it to use?

Please.

To use?

I think it'd be easier to see under good lighting.

If you point it this way, it might come out better.

I see. This is how it appears.

What's going on?!

It's called a "magic mirror." I've never seen one in person, though.

A magic mirror?

It's a very special mirror that can reflect light and turn it into an image or text.

I hear it's built by applying bumps into the mirror face.

I've heard from my adopted father that it takes quite a bit of skill to create.

The well-polished mirror projects a face under the moonlight.

The hot vapor creates a wind that moves the curtain.

This "ghost" was created from multiple coincidences converging.

This face... It resembles my dead mother, I think.

Did she get angry because I stopped using this mirror?

Did she come out to scold me?

It's just a coincidence.

I heard she loved to dance.

When she gave birth to me, it ruined her health.

She was no longer able to dance, and died soon after.

Maybe that's why she was dancing like this, as a ghost.

Ghosts don't—

At her age, she deserves a more relaxed life.

Perhaps she dealt with the loneliness of being in the rear palace

by taking care of her mother's heirloom every day.

I don't really understand what it feels like to think fondly of a mother.

But for Concubine Lishu, she must have been important enough to warrant sentiment.

Excuse me. We've prepared tea outside.

Goodness, Lady Lishu, why are you crying?

Don't you think that's embarrassing?

At a quick glance, she might sound like a strict but caring lady-in-waiting.

But her true nature is seeping out from time to time.

It's too late to pretend now.

Oh, you still had that mirror?

You already have the mirror from the special envoys, so you don't need this one.

Why don't you gift it to one of your subordinates?

Give it...

What was that?

Give it back! Give it back!

W-What is this?!

You're embarrassing yourself in front of the guests!

That item is precious to Concubine Lishu.

I find it may be improper to take it from her without asking.

Did she gift you this, as well?

Even if it was a gift, for you, a regular lady-in-waiting,

to wear an item engraved with the crest of a high-ranking concubine...

Did it not occur to you how deeply inappropriate that would be?

Master Jinshi must have known that Concubine Lishu's ladies-in-waiting

were mistreating her.

He didn't say as much openly,

since it would reflect poorly on Concubine Lishu as well.

But now that he has physical evidence, he can make his point freely.

I kindly ask that you refrain from behaving in ways that contradict your status.

Yikes. That's scary.

Isn't that him?

So handsome!

Coming to gawk at the new guy again, huh?

Yes, yes, I know, Maomao.

Maomao

Little lady, are you looking for a drug that can be used as an anesthetic again?

Yes.

There's no point anymore, since they're not going to make any more eunuchs.

Coming to think of it, how do eunuchs enter the rear palace?

By receiving surgery, of course.

No, I mean, how do they prove that they're a eunuch?

Ah. Well, there used to be a document that you could show.

But there were a lot of fraudulent ones.

So, now there's a physical exam.

They grab you, then?

Can you be less direct, little lady?

In order to prevent fraud,

they're examined by three officers from different divisions.

If there's nothing there, they're allowed in.

Is that for just the first time only?

It's actually done every time we enter and exit.

Unless they're a eunuch,

the only men who can enter the rear palace are the emperor and his kin.

Which makes Master Jinshi...

Nah, that can't be.

Speaking of eunuchs, have you heard about the newcomers?

Oh yeah, Xiaolan and Shisui were talking about them.

I've heard the rumors, like that there's about thirty of them.

Yes! They're all young and good-looking, so everyone's a bit excited!

The other day, they all got swarmed

by the low-ranking concubines when they were preparing the baths.

And you went all the way out there to watch?

When will you tell her?

At the right time.

Your attitude is far too obvious, it seems unnatural.

Xiaomao was looking at you like you were a dead worm.

Shut up. I know.

You need to make up your mind fast, or else there will be trouble.

You want her on our side right away.

Our strategist will interfere, though.

Please fight poison with poison.

Grand Commandant Kan Lakan.

He took over as head of his family through force,

from his father and half-brother.

He is now someone even the emperor himself respects.

Even though he's a grand commandant, he doesn't belong to any specific group,

wandering between people at will.

Many tried to subdue him before he caused trouble,

but they all were beat back, with more than a few light burns to pay for it.

Nobody knows what goes on in his head.

The unspoken rule in the castle is, "Don't interact with him unless necessary."

But in order to bring Maomao into our camp, he needs to be dealt with as well.

I want to tell her the truth.

I want her to know why I'm in my current position and why I'm hiding my true self.

But when she learns the truth, how will she react?

More business for the rear palace. That's a lot.

About half is regarding Concubine Loulan.

She has too many servants, her dress is too flashy

and ruins the atmosphere of the rear palace, and so on.

So, the same as always.

This one is new.

A court lady is trying to flirt with the new eunuchs.

Well, that was to be expected.

Yes. They handle a lot of the physical labor.

We plan to transfer them out to other divisions based on their skills,

but they are all former slaves from a different land.

We need to be very careful.

Yes. I should probably take a look, even if as just a formality.

Yes.

How troublesome.

You don't have a choice.

The ones we're looking for are wearing the white belts.

They're skinny, and seem somewhat afraid.

Former slaves, even after being freed,

have a hard time living life as a normal civilian.

Assigning them to the rear palace is, in a way, a good decision.

And that must be the one from the rumors.

Is something wrong with his left arm?

He was heavily abused, causing the left side of his body to go numb.

He doesn't want to show his skin, since he has scars all over.

I see.

He really is popular, though.

Yes. Apparently, he's very intelligent,

and is quite thoughtful toward the women.

What is it?

Are you really one to talk?

How are the newcomers?

Master Jinshi.

They might need some help still,

but we promise we'll find work more suited to their skills.

Of course.

What are you doing?!

That ice was for a high-ranking concubine!

Damn it... I'm finished!

I—

I'm sorry...

Next Time

Next time: "Ice."

Episode 39: Ice