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.
Next!
What’s with you? Are your legs injured?
Lady Loulan.
I see.
What’s wrong, Xiaolan?
Know any good job openings?
Job openings?
Yeah.
In six months, my service in the rear palace will be up.
A palace woman from a wealthy family might receive a marriage proposal,
but that’s not the case for me.
Maomao, got any connections?
Connections, huh?
Back when we first met, Xiaolan was always gossiping.
But now, as part of the first class at the learning hall,
she’s dedicated to her studies.
I hope she finds a good job after leaving the rear palace.
If I had to recommend somewhere…
You know a place?
Well, I guess I do, but…
The Verdigris House in the pleasure district
welcomes young, charming, and good-looking girls.
Xiaolan still looks a bit youthful, but her features aren’t bad.
More importantly, her honest personality makes her easy to train.
Any experienced madam would want her.
But working as a servant there isn’t something you can suggest lightly.
My connection is really a last resort. Only if there’s no other choice.
Eh? What’s that supposed to mean?
Do you have anyone else you can rely on?
No good. If I ask Lord Jinshi, Xiaolan might get caught up in some mess.
-What’s going on? -Oh!
Oh! Shisui!
Hey, do you know any good job openings?
Why do you ask?
My service is ending soon, so I'm looking for a job. Got any connections?
Well, I guess I could say I do.
Really?
Or rather, I could help you make one.
The bathhouse?
There aren’t many people here at this time.
Bathhouses that use plenty of water are exclusive to the wealthy.
This one is large enough to hold a thousand people at once,
with a main bath that can fit several hundred.
High-ranking consorts have private baths in their palaces.
This building has
small baths for mid-ranking consorts
and a large communal bath for the palace maids.
I used the bath at the Verdigris House as if it were normal,
but commoners usually just wipe themselves down with water.
Just being able to bathe at all is a privilege for palace maids.
Shisui!
Hot! Too hot!
Come on,
you know that early baths are always hot.
They gradually cool down to the perfect temperature.
I usually bathe later, so I didn’t know.
Oh…
What? Maomao?
Well…
I just noticed that you actually look slimmer in clothes.
Where are you looking?
It’s a habit.
Hey Shisui, that's not okay.
You have to wash yourself properly before getting in the bath.
Maomao, can I have some of that too?
Go ahead.
-What is that? -A medical office hair-washing agent.
Want to try it, Xiaolan?
Yeah!
Wah! It stings my eyes!
Close your eyes.
She’s like a puppy.
This area isn’t too hot.
I think I’ll just stick to wiping myself down with water.
Really? It feels nice.
Xiaolan grew up in a farming village, so she’s not used to soaking in hot water.
Wiping down probably feels better for her.
So, Shisui, about that connection you mentioned…
Right!
This way, this way.
No, we can’t! This area is for consorts only!
Can we really go in?
It’s fine!
We’re allowed, plus the connection I mentioned is just ahead.
I see now.
Excuse us.
Oh? A new girl?
Yes! Looking forward to working with you.
Here, this is fragrant oil.
Please apply more pressure.
Understood.
Here, you two help too.
Xiaolan, take this.
Alright, excuse me then.
A little more to the right.
This consort probably hasn’t been favored by the Emperor.
If she had, she’d be wary of letting an unfamiliar maid
touch her like this, in case of sabotage.
I’ve seen enough women at the pleasure district
to notice these things.
I’m back.
What’s that?
Thread.
What for?
You use it like this to remove hair, by catching it in the thread.
Would you like to try it?
Does it hurt?
It’s pretty painful, but better than a dull razor.
I’ll finish it by applying fragrant oil to smooth the skin.
I’ll see how it goes for now.
When will you be back?
When would you like?
Maybe the day after tomorrow?
I see. So this is how she gets close to consorts she wouldn’t normally meet.
This must be the "connection" Shisui was talking about.
Massaging is surprisingly tiring.
Yeah, a whole line formed after you started.
The maid who used to do it
finished her contract and left.
You sure know a lot, Shisui.
That maid was favored by one of the consorts
and now works for her family.
Oh! So that can happen too!
Sometimes,
they even give us things they don’t use anymore, like combs and necklaces.
Wow!
Even if it’s broken, if the material is good, it can fetch a high price.
Shisui sure is sharp.
But maids can only use the bathhouse every other day.
If we start hanging around longer just to massage consorts,
what will Hongniang say?
Alright! Time to find myself a connection!
Yeah!
Oh, massages in the bathhouse?
Yes, I was accompanying an acquaintance who works there.
Yeah, I know it’s not allowed. Understood.
But isn’t it fine, Hongniang?
Lady Gyokuyou!
In places like that, people relax
and unexpected conversations slip out.
Gossip from the palace, for example.
Maomao, if you hear any interesting stories, do share them with me.
You heard her!
As expected of Lady Gyokuyou…
She's just as sharp as Shisui.
True, there’s a lot of talk floating around here.
Rumors about Lady Gyokuyou’s pregnancy had already spread.
They were even
speculating about the baby's gender and the due date.
Lately, whispers about Lady Lihua being pregnant were also beginning to circulate,
but what caught my attention the most was
the rumor that Lady Loulan might be pregnant too.
I can’t help but wonder…
You know how she always wears those extravagant outfits?
But lately, she’s been going out much less.
And I heard she’s been wearing looser clothing more often.
It’s been over six months since Lady Loulan arrived.
As the daughter of the esteemed official Shishou,
she was granted the rank of a high consort with great fanfare.
The Emperor couldn’t exactly ignore her.
That would mean…
out of the four high consorts, three are now pregnant.
It’s something to celebrate, but at the same time, a bit ominous.
Hey.
-Press a little harder on my legs. -Yes!
That feels amazing!
When are you coming next?
The day after tomorrow!
And then,
there’s one more rumor that keeps popping up here.
Oh, I wonder if he's there.
I heard there’s a handsome new eunuch!
I really want to see him.
This sounds strangely familiar.
I heard a rumor that 30 new eunuchs
have joined recently.
New eunuchs?
But I thought they weren’t performing the procedure anymore.
They were slaves.
Slaves? But I thought slavery had been abolished in this country?
They were likely foreign slaves.
Some countries still castrate people and turn them into slaves.
Either they escaped, or they were rescued.
If there were 30 of them, that means
there must have been a large-scale military operation.
I see…
Shusui only ever seems interested in insects,
but she’s actually pretty smart.
The job of fetching bathwater
usually falls to the new eunuchs, right?
Is the rumored eunuch here?
But he’s a eunuch, you know?
But he’s good-looking, right?
Well, probably not as handsome as Lord Jinshi, though.
What’s wrong, Maomao?
Nothing…
Now that you mention it,
Maomao, you’re always with Lord Jinshi--
I run errands for the consorts.
Maomao?
Don’t think about it. That was just a frog. Yes, a frog!
Is that…?
Why is Lady Lishu here?
I feel like I'm being glared at.
You're on a break, aren't you? Why not have some?
I have a question.
How did you come to serve in the Jade Pavilion?
Well, if you ask how…
I became a poison taster due to staff shortage at Jade Pavilion.
I heard that already. What I want to know is
why the ever-suspicious
Gyokuyou trusts you.
Sister!
So she's close enough to call Lady Gyokuyou by her name.
In that case, it's natural to be wary of a suspicious palace woman.
I'm just a poison taster.
If someone tries to poison Lady Gyokuyou, I'll be the first to die.
If you see me as nothing more than that, it should put your mind at ease.
I’d heard about you, but you really are straightforward, aren’t you?
-Oh. Thank you. -And…
it seems you have quite a few friends outside the palace.
You might want to rein it in a little.
If a senior palace woman spends
all her time outside the rear palace, the newer ones will start feeling lonely,
don’t you think?
Especially our youngest, Seki-u,
she’s the same age as you.
That's true.
Lately, I've been hanging out mostly with Shisui and Xiaolan.
Excessive wandering by a poison taster can be suspicious.
In that case, why don’t we go to the bathhouse together today?
The bathhouse?
Sounds like a good idea.
Seki-u, it wouldn't hurt for you to spend time with people outside our circle.
But Sister Haku-u!
You're going because Lady Gyokuyou ordered it, right?
That’s right.
Sister Koku-u!
Just think of it as part of your duty.
What?!
Oh, wow.
So this is Maomao’s friend?
My, my!
Who are these people?
They're harmless. Probably.
Today shouldn’t be too bad.
More girls have joined in to do massages lately.
Oh?
Yeah. Some girls saw others getting combs as gifts and got interested.
So the ones who were doing it before were just good at keeping it under wraps.
Lady Seki-u, aren't you going to change?
Of course I am!
Huh?
What is this?!
No way!
Um…
Is this… all I’m supposed to wear?
Yup.
It’s hot inside anyway.
No need to be shy!
-Oh! -Oh…
You look just fine!
What do you mean, "fine"?
Modesty is more important!
Looks live we’ve got a defiant one.
If you're this embarrassed, how have you managed until now?
My sisters use this big bath, but…
I asked Lady Gyokuyou
if I could use the palace bath.
In the western regions, we don’t bathe as often because of the desert climate.
Well, you'll get over the embarrassment soon enough.
The hair removal is done. Please apply the scented oil, Lady Seki-u.
Lady Seki-u, over here too!
Yes!
You can rub it on, right?
Rub it on?
Yes, slather it on like you would with chicken.
It’ll help them relax and loosen their tongue.
Got it.
Alright, I will now begin the massage.
That’s…
Lady Lishu?
I saw her here last time too.
If a consort comes to this bathhouse,
won’t it make everyone uneasy?
Are you alright, Lady Lishu?
Yes, Kanan.
Oh boy…
I was thinking she should have more capable maids,
but then again, none of her maids are particularly competent to begin with.
Well, I guess
it means she won’t intimidate anyone.
Lady Lishu is only 15. Though she holds a high rank,
the Emperor doesn’t visit her chambers.
She’s still just a timid young princess.
-Take my hand. -Ah, thank you--
She's looking at me like I’m some kind of monster again.
I wish she’d get used to me already.
A razor burn?
Um, Lady Lishu.
Yes?
Would you like to try a new hair removal method?
Um…
Lady Lishu!
Alright, please lie down here.
Lady Lishu!
What is a high-ranking consort doing here?
Don’t worry.
I’ll be gentle.
You're all done.
Thank you.
All done.
I’ve applied the scented oil as well, so there shouldn’t be much irritation.
I see.
Is Lady Lishu not used to this kind of thing?
Well, not really.
In the Diamond Pavilion, um…
No one really cares about details.
And before that, she was a nun.
Oh, right.
Lady Lishu was married off
to the previous Emperor as a political pawn when she was just a child.
After he passed, she became a nun,
only to be reinstated as a consort and brought back to the rear palace.
Looking at it that way, she’s had a rather unfortunate life.
Maybe it’s a good thing her former poison taster ended up as her head maid.
Since we’re at it… How about you?
No thank you!
Um…
Thank you.
If you’d like,
I could offer you some chilled juice.
Yay!
Yum!
By the way, Lady Lishu, why did you come to the public bathhouse?
The Diamond Pavilion should have its own bath.
Well…
There’s…
There’s a ghost…
in that palace bathhouse!
A ghost?
NEXT EPISODE PREVIEW
The next episode is "The Dancing Ghost."
Subtitle translation by: Abhishek Chand Ramola public bathhouse?