WEBVTT

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The Apothecary Diaries

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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.

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Next!

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What's this? What's wrong with your leg?

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Lady Loulan.

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I see.

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Episode 37: The Baths

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Sigh!

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What's wrong, Xiaolan?

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Where do I go to find a good job?

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A job?

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Yep. My term of service here
is over in six months.

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If I was from a rich family,
I could expect offers for marriage.

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But that's not the case for me.

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Maomao, do you have any connections?

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Connections, huh?

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When I first met her,
Xiaolan was just a gossipy girl.

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But now, as one of the first students
at the new school, she studies hard.

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I'd hope she'd find a good place to work
after she leaves the rear palace.

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Well, there is a place I could
introduce you to, but...

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There is?!

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Technically yeah, but...

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At the Verdigris House
in the pleasure district,

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young, pretty, sociable girls
are always welcome.

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Xiaolan looks rather young,
but has a good face.

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More importantly,
she's honest and easy to train.

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The old lady would easily hire her.

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That said, becoming a courtesan
isn't a suggestion I'd make lightly.

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I would say my connections should be
the last, final, desperate choice...

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What? How come?

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Someone else with connections...

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No. If I introduce Xiaolan to Master Jinshi,

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I might get her mixed up
in whatever trouble he's in.

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What's up?

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Whoa!

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Hey, Shisui!

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Do you know any good
workplaces looking to hire?

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What's this about?

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My term's almost up, so I'm looking for work.

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You have connections or anything?

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I guess, yeah, in a way.

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Really?!

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Well, more like I know
where to <i>make</i> connections.

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The baths?

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It's pretty empty at this hour.

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The giant baths, which use a lot of hot water,
are a luxury unique to the rear palace.

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Over a thousand people can enter at once.

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The huge baths can fit
several hundreds of people.

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Each high-ranking concubine has their
own exclusive bath in their pavilions.

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This building contains small room-sized
baths for the mid-ranking concubines,

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and the huge baths for the servant girls.

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I got used to using the bath
at the Verdigris House, but...

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Normal citizens usually just wipe
themselves down with water.

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Being able to use a proper bath
as a servant is really nice.

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Oh, Shisui...

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Ah! Hot! Hot!

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Of course it's hot
at this hour, it's too early.

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It cools down gradually to
the right temperature later.

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Yeah, I usually come
a bit later, so I didn't know.

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What is it, Maomao?

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Nothing, just that your clothes
make you look... smaller.

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Where exactly are you looking?

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Just a habit of mine.

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Come on, Shisui. You have to wash up
before going into the tub.

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Maomao, can I use that too?

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Here you go.

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What is that?

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Hair cleaning soap I found in the clinic.

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You want to try it too, Xiaolan?

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Yeah.

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Whoa! It stings my eyes!

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Keep your eyes closed.

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She's like a dog.

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It's not very hot over here.

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I think I'll just wipe down with water.

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Really? It feels good.

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Xiaolan grew up in the countryside,
so she's not used to bathing in hot water,

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so the regular water feels better, I guess.

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So, Shisui, what about those connections?

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Oh, right!

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This way!

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Whoa!

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W-Wait! This area's for the concubines.

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Are you sure we should be here?

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Don't worry! We can go in,
and the connections are this way!

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Ah, I see.

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Excuse me!

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Oh, are you new?

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Yes, pleasure to serve you!

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Here's the scented oil.

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Lay it on me a bit thick, would you?

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Understood.

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Come on, you two.

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Huh?

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Xiaolan, here.

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Alright, excuse me.

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A little to the right.

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I guess this concubine
doesn't get visits from the emperor.

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If she did, she'd be more cautious,

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and wouldn't let some
unknown servant girl touch her.

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Growing up with my big sisters
in the pleasure district

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made me care too much about small details.

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I'm back.

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What is that?

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Some thread.

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What's it for?

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I can pull out hairs, like this.

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Do you want to give it a try?

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Does it hurt much?

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It does, but not as bad as a dull razor.

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Finishing up with scented oil.

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Hmm. I guess I'll see how this goes.

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When are you coming next?

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What's a good time?

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Maybe the day after tomorrow?

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I see. We use this to get close to
concubines we usually don't connect with.

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This must be the "connection-making"
Shisui was talking about.

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Phew. Massages are hard work.

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We ended up getting a queue and everything!

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The court lady who used to do it left
because her term ended.

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I see. Shisui, you know a lot.

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That court lady became a favorite of
one of the mid-ranking concubines,

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and found work back with
that concubine's family.

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I see. I didn't think about that!

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Sometimes they give us things too, like
combs and necklaces they stopped using!

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Wow!

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Even if they're broken, they sell
well if the material is good.

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Shisui really never misses a good deal.

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A servant girl is allowed to use
the bath once in two days.

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Overstaying every time to give
massages to the other concubines...

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What would Lady Hongniang think?

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Okay! Time to find connections!

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Yeah!

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I see, massages at the baths?

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Yes, I'm accompanying an acquaintance of mine.

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I know. You won't allow it. I get it—

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Oh, it sounds like a good idea.
Right, Hongniang?

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Lady Gyokuyou!

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People drop their guards in those places,

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and sometimes tell interesting stories.

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Like palace rumors and such.

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Maomao, please let me know if you
hear anything interesting, okay?

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You heard her!

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Yeah, Lady Gyokuyou
is just as clever as Shisui.

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She's right, though.
I do hear a lot of stories here.

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Rumors of Lady Gyokuyou's pregnancy
are already pretty widespread.

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People are already talking about the sex
of the baby and when they're expected.

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Occasionally, people also speculate
Lady Lihua might also be expecting.

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But more often, I hear about...

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How perhaps Concubine Loulan
might be pregnant as well.

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I keep thinking, what if?

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You know how her outfits are always so unique?

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But recently she hasn't
been seen outside much,

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and when she is, I hear she's
often wearing relaxed clothes.

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It's been over six months
since Concubine Loulan arrived.

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As the daughter of Master Shishou,

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an important official
since the last emperor's reign,

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she became a high-ranking
concubine with huge fanfare.

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The emperor has to spend time with her.

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If that's the case, that's three of the four
high-ranking concubines pregnant.

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It's cause for both celebration and caution.

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Hey, go harder on the legs, please.

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Yes!

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Ah, that feels really good.

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When are you coming next?

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I'll be here on the day after tomorrow!

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And one more thing.

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The other rumor I hear often is...

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Oh, is he over there?

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I heard there's a new,
good-looking eunuch that joined.

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I wanna take a look at him!

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Where have I heard that before?

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I heard a rumor that there's
thirty new eunuchs.

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New?

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I thought they stopped performing
the surgery that makes them.

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They're former slaves.

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Slaves? I thought we didn't have
those in our country.

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I think they're from foreign races.

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I hear there are some countries
that castrate and enslave foreigners.

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So maybe they escaped or were
rescued from those places.

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If there's thirty of them, maybe there was
a large-scale raid or something.

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Hmm.

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Shisui seems like she only cares about
insects, but is actually quite smart.

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The new eunuchs are in charge of
putting hot water in the baths, right?

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I wonder if the rumored guy is there?

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Are you sure? He's a eunuch, right?

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But he's good-looking, right?

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I'm sure he's not as handsome
as Master Jinshi, though.

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What's wrong, Maomao?

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Nothing.

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Come to think of it, you're spending
a lot of time with Master Jinshi—

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On orders from the concubine!

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Maomao?

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Don't think about that.

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That was a frog. A frog!

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Hmm?

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Is that...

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What's Lady Lishu doing here?

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I feel like they're staring holes through me.

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We're on break. Won't you have some tea?

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I wanted to ask you...

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How did you end up serving the Jade Pavilion?

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How? Well...

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The Jade Pavilion was short-staffed, so I got
sent to serve as the taster. That's all.

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I've heard that already.

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What I really want to know is

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why is Gyokuyou, who rarely trusts
anyone, so comfortable with you?

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Dear sister.

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Oh.

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They used to be very close,
I guess. First-name level.

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In that case, it's natural
for them to be concerned

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by the suspicious servant so close by.

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I am merely a taster. If someone
attempts to poison Lady Gyokuyou,

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I will be the one to die first.

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That's my role, and there's no need
for you to mind me any further.

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I was told this already,
but you really are cut-and-dry.

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Um, thank you.

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Also, it seems you have
many friends on the outside,

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but please try to keep it under control.

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When a senior worker in this unfamiliar
pavilion keeps wandering off without us,

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we feel a bit lonely.

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Especially Seki-u, the youngest of us,
who's the same age as you.

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She's right. Lately, I've almost exclusively
been hanging out with Shisui and Xiaolan.

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The taster always wandering off
does seem a bit suspicious.

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In that case, would you like to
join me at the baths today?

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Huh? The baths?!

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That might be good. Seki-u, you should
hang out with others sometimes, too.

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Haku-u!

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Going to the baths is partly an assignment
from Lady Gyokuyou too, right?

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That's correct.

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Koku-u?!

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Just consider it part of your job, and go.

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W-What?!

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I see, so this is a friend of Maomao's?

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Is that so?

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W-Who are these people?!

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They're harmless. Mostly.

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Work shouldn't be too tough today.

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More girls are performing massages now!

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Is that so?

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Yeah. The combs and stuff getting
handed out got their attention, I think.

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I guess the previous worker
kept the gifts well hidden.

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Lady Seki-u? Aren't you going to get changed?

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I-I will!

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W-What?!

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No!

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U-Um...

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This is all I'm going to wear?

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Yeah. It's really hot inside, even with that!

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Don't be shy.

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Pretty impressive.

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What do you mean, impressive?!
It's better to be modest!

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She just made an enemy.

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How did you get by this long, being so shy?

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My sisters use this bathhouse,

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but I asked Lady Gyokuyou to allow me
to use the bath at the pavilion.

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The western region is a desert,
and we don't bathe in hot water often, so...

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Well, you're going to be too busy to be shy.

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Hair removal complete.
Lady Seki-u, the scented oils, please.

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Lady Seki-u, over here too!

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Y-Yes?!

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All you have to do is smear this all over.

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Smear?!

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Yes. Do it like she's a slice of chicken meat.

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It lowers their guard and makes them talkative.

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Got it...

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Okay, rubbing you down!

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Is that...

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Lady Lishu?

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I saw her the other day too, but...

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Wouldn't a high-ranking concubine
showing up here scare everyone else?

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Are you alright, Lady Lishu?

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Yes, Kanan.

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Yikes. I was wondering if they had
any good ladies-in-waiting over there,

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but I forgot the entire workforce
in that place is no good.

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I guess they're not scaring
anybody at that rate.

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Lady Lishu is fifteen years old.

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She's a high-ranking concubine, but the
emperor doesn't visit her in the bedroom.

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She's still a scared little princess.

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Please.

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Oh, thank you...

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Whoa!

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Looking at me like a monster again...

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I wish she'd get used to me by now.

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Hmm? Razor rashes...

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Um, Lady Lishu...

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Y-Yes!

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Would you like to try
a new hair removal technique?

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Huh?

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Um... Uh....

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Lady Lishu!

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Please lie down here.

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C-Concubine Lishu?! What is
a high-ranking concubine doing here?!

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Please relax.

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I'll be gentle.

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Good work.

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Thank you.

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Thank you for your patience.

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I applied some scented oils,
so your skin shouldn't get too irritated.

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I see...

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Is Lady Lishu unaccustomed
to this type of thing?

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Y-Yes, you could say that.

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At the Diamond Pavilion,
nobody cares much about... the details.

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Before that, she'd gone to a monastery.

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Oh, right.

20:33.630 --> 20:35.500
Lady Lishu was an infant

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when she first entered the rear palace
as part of a political scheme.

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After the late emperor passed away,
she entered a monastery.

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Then, she was made into a concubine again,
and came back to the rear palace.

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Now that I think about it,
it's a pretty cruel story.

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Perhaps it's for the best that the former
taster became head lady-in-waiting.

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Since you're here, would you like a pass too?

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N-N-No, thank you!

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Um, thank you.

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Would you like some cold juice,
as a token of gratitude?

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Yay!

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By the way, why are you
in the big bathhouse, Lady Lishu?

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I thought the Diamond Pavilion
had a bath of its own.

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Well...

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Something's there.

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

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A ghost!

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A ghost?

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Next Time

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Next time: "The Dancing Ghost."

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Episode 38: The Dancing Ghost