WRITTEN BY HYUGA NATSU
THIS STORY IS A FICTION AND ALL NAMES OF FIGURES AND ORGANIZATIONS ARE FICTITIOUS.
MOREOVER, THE STORY HAS NO RELATION TO REAL-LIFE INCIDENTS AND EVENTS.
Rumors tend to spread rapidly.
The further and wider they spread, the more they deviate from the truth.
At times, rumors cease to remain mere rumors…
Legends and myths
may be somewhat similar in that regard.
I'm leaving.
Take care.
An overgrown peach orchard to the north of the rear palace.
Nearby is an old shrine-like building.
And a pond.
It is said that in the past,
another people once lived in this area,
and the remaining structures, outer walls,
and underground waterways are still in use today.
-Whoa. -Guess who?
Shisui.
Correct! Was it my voice that gave it away?
This friendliness…
As expected of Xiaolan’s chatting buddy.
Maomao, what are you doing here?
What about you, Shisui? Why are you here?
Me? I just have a little errand to run.
-Snacking? -No, but…
Look at this!
Isn't it cute?
Normally, this would be considered harassment,
so it’s better not to do it.
Eh? Why? It’s so cute!
This place really is amazing, isn’t it?
There are many insects here that I've only seen in picture books.
This is the first time I've seen this bug too!
Huh, is that so?
This land has been trading for a long time.
This bug probably came mixed in with goods from abroad
and it successfully reproduced.
-Will this turn into a butterfly? -Nope, they're moths.
Since they're nocturnal, they're not flying right now,
but they are beautiful moths!
I wonder if they were around when the old lady danced?
Maomao, you should come see it at night too.
It glimmers softly under the moonlight…
It feels like you’ve wandered into paradise.
That’s a bit of an exaggeration…
Glimmering in the moonlight…
Do these moths mate right after they hatch?
Probably. Once they become adults, they can’t eat food,
so they die pretty quickly, I heard.
Hey, can you tell the difference between male and female moths?
I think I can, roughly…
Shisui!
I need your help with something.
This might… just work!
Is it something bad?
A few days later,
a banquet was held to welcome the envoys.
It took place in the northern garden where the "Moon Spirit"
appeared 50 years ago.
Normally, men are forbidden in the palace,
but as a special exception, male officials were granted entry.
Even senior-ranking consorts participated in the event.
Attendees enjoyed the banquet from inside their carriages.
This was also a gesture to avoid treating the foreign envoys
as mere spectacles…
Blue eyes and golden hair…
Such beauties.
We can't deceive them with bad actors.
Moreover, raising their curtain all the way up
to allow the Emperor to see their faces
shows just how much confidence they have.
Above all, while the demure beauty sitting in the back is striking,
the ones in the front
are full of confidence, knowing that they are more beautiful than anyone else.
There’s no doubt that these two foreign beauties
are stunning enough to rival the senior-ranking consorts.
The performances and music are flashier than usual.
It must be tailored to suit the envoys.
But…
they look rather bored themselves.
Are they trying to say it’s disappointing?
Even so, they really do look alike…
I heard they’re cousins who share the same grandfather, but they look like twins.
If it’s those two, the "mirror story"
that Lord Gaoshun mentioned might actually be possible.
Good day. Even though this is such a rare banquet,
it’s such a shame we’re seated so far apart.
I would much prefer to talk a little closer.
I heard the Emperor’s younger brother is absent today.
I was really hoping to meet him.
Ugh, scary. Truly scary…
The true purpose of the special envoys
is to gain the favor of
the Emperor and his brother,
securing marriage ties with them.
Probably for political reasons.
If it pleases you…
Ayla,
you should head back soon. It's a rare performance,
and you ought to enjoy it properly.
My apologies.
Hongniang!
Somehow they managed.
I was so nervous.
The two beauties may not be interested
in the most beautiful woman
that their grandfather saw.
"There's no one more beautiful in the world than ourselves."
That's how they take pride in themselves.
At this rate, the reason they gave mirrors to the four consorts
might have been a form of provocation.
Well, it’s fine. My job is
to show those two the Moon Spirit.
It seems like the banquet is about to end. How's it going?
I've done everything… I could.
Well, that’s the kind of reaction I’d expect.
Shall we go?
The music seemed to have been made more extravagant
to suit us,
but the dance wasn’t anything special, was it, Aylin?
Even the so-called four consorts remained hidden behind the screens.
Regarding the Moon Spirit our grandfather saw, how impressive could it really be?
Ayla, this isn’t the place to talk about that.
We can talk in my room afterwards.
We might hear from the Emperor himself any moment now.
This guy!
Fifty years ago,
the scene the envoy's grandfather saw
could have been something like this.
Diana.
I wasn’t confident about the pronunciation,
but it seems to have gotten across.
The name of the Moon Goddess
from the West.
It seems to have gone well.
Yes, I think it turned out as I expected.
If you remove the black cloth in the dark,
it seems as though he suddenly appears.
Above all, the key is those moths.
In the painting of the old lady,
the light that shines
is of an adult moth.
The old lady said that they were bothering her.
On the day of the event,
there were people who played a prank on my outfit.
They rubbed insect corpses onto it.
Among insects, some emit a scent
to attract the opposite sex.
The males, attracted to the smell,
gathered around the old lady.
They looked like moon spirits dancing in the light.
What a coincidence…
I need to thank Shisui and Xiaolan for their help.
But it was difficult to show that view only to the envoys.
I had already instructed the coachman not to look this way.
Lord Gaoshun and his men were on standby nearby,
ready to jump into action if anything was to happen.
That is not something to be shown to everyone.
A beauty…
so captivating that he could topple a kingdom.
Hey!
I did what you said and you just leave me stranded?
Thank you, Lord Jinshi.
For swimming across the pond with that heavy outfit on.
So did it go well?
Yes, I believe I fulfilled
the envoy's request to the utmost.
Well, I did my job!
My hair's still wet!
Why don't you do it yourself?
Then, fine.
Oh, Maomao.
I'm going to the new school!
Oh, it opened without any issues.
I'm going to be a first-year student!
I'm off then.
Do your best.
I'm so bored.
There isn't much work to do back at the Jade Pavilion either…
The quack doctor's place is…
probably swamped with the perfume incident.
That perfume incident
isn't completely over.
Even if each individual amount is small,
it can become a poison depending on the combination.
Who in the world would arrange for such a thing to be brought in?
I'm investigating, but
each Pavilion purchased a large amount of perfume.
The attendants of the Jade Pavilion did too.
I had anything poisonous disposed of, but…
For example, is there any possibility that the envoys
could have arranged this?
I wonder. Perhaps their aim was to
infiltrate the ranks of the consorts.
But their pride must be so shattered,
it's not worth their time.
There are four high-ranking consorts in the palace.
Considering their families' power,
the most important one would be Consort Loulan.
Her father, Shishou,
was a favored minister who was highly-regarded by the previous emperor.
The current emperor visits him regularly,
but his enthusiasm doesn't seem very high.
The next highest-ranking consort is Consort Lihua,
but due to being a relative of the emperor,
she isn't the ambitious type.
She fell ill after losing her crown prince,
but she has regained the emperor's favor.
On the other hand,
the family of Consort Lishu who has risen in rank in recent generations,
is so ambitious, having offered their young daughter to the previous emperor.
Unfortunately, the emperor prefers fuller-bodied women,
and even after Consort Ah-Duo left,
she hasn't become his consort.
On the other hand, the emperor favors Consort Gyokuyou the most.
In addition to having their daughter, Princess Lingli,
she is pregnant with the emperor's child again.
Her homeland, the western country,
seems to be prosperous from trade,
but the land is barren
and it's not exactly prosperous.
Consort Gyokuyou has twice been the victim of
an attempted assassination by poison in the past.
The incident at the garden party last year was
carried out by the head attendant of Consort Ah-Duo,
who acted on her own to target Consort Lishu.
But the reason wasn't for power,
it was a very human motive.
But before that,
who poisoned Consort Gyokuyou when she was pregnant with Princess Lingli?
Who could it have been?
If Lady Hongniang is right,
the culprit is the mid-ranking consort who died in the recent mushroom incident.
However, how did the mid-ranking consort
acquire knowledge of poison?
Suirei.
Her whereabouts are still unknown.
Why…? For what reason…?
What was her goal in targeting Lord Jinshi?
It's useless for a mere poison tester to think about this?
I think I'll do something to clear my head.
Cherry season is almost over…
Those are the attendants from the Crystal Pavilion.
Oh my!
They're making a big fuss over nothing.
She's the only attendant
in the Crystal Pavilion who doesn't wear any perfume.
I thought it was unusual in the fashion-conscious Crystal Palace,
but maybe there's at least one person…
I'm feeling a bit under the weather.
Don't get sick.
What if you pass it on to Lady Gyokuyou and the others?
I was being careful…
You have a slight fever.
Should I make you some herbal medicine for a cold?
Then, after you make the medicine,
could you take her to the clinic?
The clinic?
It's different from the medical office.
Anyway, Ailan knows about it.
-So, please take her there. -Understood.
I had no idea there was a place like this in the north of the palace.
Having a laundry nearby is
quite practical for frequent washing of clothes and bedding.
-Excuse me, I think I've caught a cold. -Huh?
It's rare to see a middle-aged palace woman.
You have a slight fever. Stick out your tongue.
It doesn't seem too bad.
You'll be fine as long as you don't overexert yourself for a few days.
What do you want to do?
I can't infect the consorts,
so could I please stay the night here just to be safe?
Come with me.
She's much more experienced than that quack doctor,
and she's very good at diagnosis.
I can't stand this smell.
It smells like alcohol.
It's a sign of cleanliness.
There are many windows, so it's well-ventilated.
Despite its simplicity, it's very clean.
I think it's the perfect place for recuperation.
Please use this room.
Thank you.
Maomao, tell them I'll be back tomorrow.
Understood.
Sick attendants
are isolated like this, huh?
You go back to work.
Don't think you can slack off just because you're accompanying her.
What is it?
Or are you going to fold all the laundry here?
Excuse me!
I knew I couldn't beat the older lady…
Nevertheless,
there are only older palace women here.
In the rear palace, when you get older,
you're almost forced to be replaced,
but in the clinic, experience and knowledge are necessary,
so they can probably stay longer…
Don't mumble to yourself as you walk. You'll trip.
Was I saying something?
Is there something you need?
No, I don't need anything, but
is it wrong to talk to someone I happen to meet?
-Where were you at? -The clinic.
I didn't know there was a place like that.
When you first entered the palace,
you were supposed to be shown everything, but I guess it was overlooked.
I probably wasn't listening at the time
because I had been sold and was so upset.
Every time I talk about this, I get kind of depressed.
I was surprised by how well-equipped it was.
Actually, shouldn't that place be the medical office?
If that were possible, it would be great.
What do you mean?
Because only men can be medical officers.
Minor injuries are one thing, but
only medical officers can handle serious injuries.
And of course, only medical officers can prepare medicine.
That's why there was no smell of medicine in the clinic.
I see.
What will happen to me?
Turn a blind eye to it.
There seems to be some complicated circumstances involved.
For the future,
we should find a different way to recruit medical officers.
So that one can become one without being a eunuch.
Eunuchs…
After the current emperor took the throne,
the surgery to become a eunuch was banned. So in the future,
it's clear that there will be a shortage of manpower.
Considering Lord Jinshi's age,
he probably had the surgery just before it was banned.
It's a pity. If he had waited a few more years…
What?
Oops, I said it out loud.
Lord Jinshi, you still have other work.
Understood.
And, apothecary,
make sure no one else knows that you're preparing medicine.
Understood.
If I made a growth potion, would I make a profit?
That's medicine, isn't it?
The maid I saw earlier smelled of medicine.
That maid…
She's secretly making medicine, isn't she?
NEXT EPISODE PREVIEW
The next episode is "Once Again, Crystal Pavilion." dicine.