The incense was getting to Jinshi's nose.
"Isn't the scent a bit strong?"
Jinshi said to
Suiren
while partaking of his evening meal.
"It couldn't be my imagination, could it? I lived in the western capital for so long that I'd grown accustomed to conserving incense."
"Is that so?"
Jinshi picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks. It was a dish made with generous amounts of tender pork, seasoned with refreshing condiments to cut through the richness. There was also stir-fried eel and
soft-shelled turtle
soup and so on — the selection seemed more elaborate than usual, with many nourishing, restorative dishes.
"Tonight's dinner is rather heavy overall."
"It couldn't be my imagination, could it? It's because I spent so long in the western capital. Please eat heartily."
"Ho ho ho ho," Suiren laughed.
Something was definitely off, Jinshi thought.
He glanced at the guard in the room.
"Wasn't it Bashen's turn today?"
"Bashen had some gathering of the Ma clan, so I sent him home."
What was even stranger was the bath.
"What were those flower petals floating in the bath about?"
"They were quite nice, weren't they? I also drew a medicinal bath to improve blood circulation and metabolism."
Even Jinshi could figure out what was going on when things went this far.
After all, he himself had once done much the same thing in the Rear Palace on the Emperor's behalf. If Suiren was scheming like this in Jinshi's own residence, it meant someone was coming today.
"Suiren, could it be—"
"Maomao is visiting today. It's been a while, hasn't it? She's sent word several times, hasn't she?"
Certainly Jinshi had sent letters on many occasions. They were nothing more than updates on his recent happenings. He never once commanded her to come to the palace. He merely conveyed that he wanted to meet and talk. Always gently, writing that it would be fine whenever her work was settled.
"No, wait a moment. Maomao is just coming to visit, right?"
"The last time we met was when she disembarked from the ship, wasn't it? After the voyage from the western capital, everyone's been busy since the return. She sent word that she's finally able to catch her breath."
"No, granted that Maomao is coming, but this atmosphere..."
Jinshi looked around the bedroom. Incense had been burned more heavily than usual, and out-of-season rose petals were scattered across fresh new bedding. The canopy curtains featured a cutwork pattern of flowers. Vases and beeswax candles had been arranged throughout the room, their flickering light combining with the sweet fragrance to create a dreamy atmosphere.
Jinshi hurriedly extinguished the incense and candles, then threw open the windows to air the room out. He swept the petals that had scattered across the bed into the wastebasket and cleared away the vases.
"Hah... hah..."
"Oh dear."
"Don't 'oh dear' me! What is this room?!"
Before, Maomao had once tried to entertain Jinshi at the pleasure district. This felt similar to how things had unfolded back then.
"Atmosphere is important for these things, you know. After all, Young Master, you and Maomao have mutual feelings for each other."
"M-mutual..."
Jinshi panicked, his eyes darting about as he tried to feign composure, but the corners of his mouth kept turning up.
"It's been quite a long time, truly. This old woman worried so many times over it. The treasure of our kingdom, said to be a relic of an immortal come to the mortal world, who has charmed everyone regardless of age or sex — and for that young master to finally act his age like a normal child!"
"Well, no, it's not exactly like that..."
It wasn't that he had been hiding things with Maomao from Suiren, but he hadn't reported them either. During the sea voyage, there had been many other people around, so there was hardly any time for the two of them to be alone.
That was why he'd thought no one had noticed.
"An old woman's intuition is never wrong, you know."
Jinshi genuinely found the old woman terrifying as she narrowed her eyes and chuckled.
Jinshi scratched his head with a grimace.
"No, but still, the other person is Maomao."
"Maomao is already past twenty. Even if she's an unmarried girl, she has knowledge of the world. She can't possibly not understand the meaning of receiving a letter outside of work and coming to a man's room."
Suiren declared with a warm smile.
"No, but even so, this room is—"
"I just thought a little openness might be nice."
"Way too transparent! At least close it a little more—"
Jinshi sat on the edge of the bed and pushed his bangs aside. The embarrassment was gradually giving way to a different kind of feeling altogether. No, no—he reached for the water that had been placed beside the bed and took a drink.
"Oh, don't drink tha—"
"Blegh!"
What was supposed to be water had a strange taste.
"Hey, Suiren. What did you put in this?"
It wasn't toxic, but it was clearly connected to the dinner he'd just had.
"Oh my, I only put in a tiny bit. You could tell? It's not poison, you know."
"Of course I can tell. And Maomao could identify it by smell alone."
Suiren reluctantly retrieved the pitcher.
"Hah…"
Jinshi tried to calm his pounding heart with a deep breath.
Why was a man well past twenty, long since come of age, getting so flustered? Plenty of other women had snuck into his bedchamber before.
A voluptuous body pressed against his, slick crimson lips drawing closer. The cloying scent of perfume had nearly made him nauseous. He'd watched from the sidelines as they shrieked and were dragged away by guards by the hair, and he'd thought he knew everything there was to know about women.
A frog in a well—that's what they called this.
"A frog…"
The unpleasant word suddenly came to mind. He caught himself instinctively glancing downward and realized he was being poisoned after all.
"Calm down, calm down."
Should he chant a sutra? Or do some training?
His mind was spinning with such thoughts when a visitor arrived.
"Yes, yes. Maomao, it's been a while. Come on up."
"Yes, Lady Suiren."
He heard a languid, unmotivated voice.
Jinshi straightened his collar and headed to the sitting room as though nothing had happened.
Maomao looked exactly as always—half-asleep, seemingly. She was holding a large cloth bundle in her arms.
"It's been a while."
"Yes. Lord Jinshi."
"Would you like something to drink?"
Normally, Suirei would serve tea. But today was different. What was poured into a beautiful glass vessel was a mellow distilled liquor.
Alcohol
content was high, and even when Jinshi wanted a drink, Suirei wouldn't let him because it would interfere with the next day's work. Yet here it was, being poured to the brim.
"Ohhh, ohhh!"
Maomao's eyes sparkled as they were captivated by the fragrant amber liquid. Drool was overflowing—it was obvious just how badly she wanted to drink.
But Jinshi couldn't have her forgetting about him entirely, so he deliberately placed some snacks in front of Maomao.
"It's not good for you to drink on an empty stomach."
Walnuts, peanuts, and pine nuts had been lightly toasted and sprinkled with salt. Figs and longan
dried fruits
were also served alongside, but Maomao was enjoying only the liquor.
"How's work?"
"On the first day, a corpse turned up in the eccentric strategist's room, and I had to go perform an autopsy."
Right off the bat, things had apparently started with something absurd.
"Did the strategist do it?"
Jinshi asked, just to confirm.
"That old man wouldn't dirty his own hands. Physically speaking. And besides, it was a completely separate grudge."
"Physically speaking"—he probably meant that Raohan lacked the arm strength for it. Indeed, Jinshi recalled Raohan's lack of physical stamina. Despite his drive to act, he had no endurance at all. He then looked at Maomao. Terrifying mental fortitude but no physical stamina. She was usually unmotivated, yet her capacity for action was extraordinary.
Father and daughter really were alike, Jinshi thought once more. At the same time, he was terrified of whether Raohan knew that Maomao was currently in his palace.
Maomao was drinking her liquor with pleasure. Suirei also prepared sake for Jinshi, but unlike Maomao's, his was diluted with water. Jinshi was no weak drinker, but he couldn't keep up with Maomao. If he gulped down straight distilled liquor like that, he'd lose consciousness.
"And how about you, Lord Jinshi?"
"Nothing's changed for me. I've finished reporting to His Majesty, but my position is essentially the same as before. As always, only trivial matters land on my desk. That said, I'm not as busy as I was in the western capital."
"You're still young, Lord Jinshi, and you're alive simply because you have more energy than you know what to do with. Normally, you'd die from overwork."
Maomao smacked her lips with a satisfied "Mmm" as she savored the wine.
"Have you had dinner?"
"No, I didn't feel like cooking for just myself, so I haven't eaten."
"There's leftovers from dinner — would you like some?"
Suiren had been eager and cooked a large spread. She must have prepared enough for Maomao's share as well.
"I wouldn't mind eating, but..."
Maomao seemed to be hesitating over something. It was rare for her, of all people, to show any reluctance.
"Is there some reason?"
"A reason, you could say..."
Maomao lowered her lashes.
"I, too, have made various preparations."
Jinshi set down his wine cup.
Maomao looked no different from usual, but her skin seemed to have a nicer quality to it. The slight tan she'd picked up in the western capital had settled down. She wasn't wearing her usual fake freckles; instead, a very natural dusting of powder had been applied.
The scent from the room's incense had faded it somewhat, but Maomao gave off a faint whiff of fragrant oil. Her hair was slightly damp as well, so she must have come here after finishing her bath.
Maomao drained her wine cup.
"Would you mind if I rinsed my mouth?"
"Sure."
Ordinarily, Maomao would still be emptying the wine bottle and demanding a refill, so this was unusual.
"Come now, Lord Jinshi — let's head to the inner chambers."
"Ah... yes."
What was this? Was he dreaming? Jinshi wondered to himself.
"Lord Jinshi, you seem awfully stiff, don't you?"
"Not at all."
Maomao appeared as composed as ever, but there was a faintly bashful expression on her face.
"Maomao — may I just confirm one thing?"
Jinshi swallowed. He felt he needed to make things clear here once and for all.
"Just so we're on the same page — you understand what it means to enter my bedchamber here?"
"Yes."
"This isn't about nursing me through an illness or treating a wound."
"I came prepared with that in mind, so I've made all the necessary arrangements."
Maomao showed him the luggage she had brought.
Jinshi's face grew hotter than it had ever been before. He wanted to remain as composed as possible, to appear cool and collected no matter what, so he turned his back to Maomao.
At some point, Suirei had vanished. Not a single bodyguard who couldn't — or wouldn't — read the room remained.
"Have you bathed?"
"I have. If you wish, I can bathe once more, but—"
"No, that's fine."
He already knew she had taken a bath.
Jinshi pressed his hand against his chest, trying to muffle a pulse so loud it seemed like anyone could hear it.
If anything, he was the one who wanted a bath more than Maomao. He had showered, but whether from the alcohol or something else, he was breaking into a sweat.
But he couldn't exactly go wash his body now — not at this point. He headed toward the bedchamber in the back.
The suffocating scent of incense had been aired out. There were no garish flower petals on the bed, no water laced with strange potions.
So then — what came next?
He couldn't wait for his heartbeat to settle any longer. His face was still flushed, but there was no point worrying about that now.
Jinshi slowly lifted Maomao into his arms. She had gained some weight since before, but she was still light. The scent of camellia oil lingered in her hair.
"Is this alright?"
"I told you I came prepared, didn't I?"
Stop making me repeat myself, Maomao said, averting her eyes.
It wasn't just Jinshi who was nervous — Maomao was too. Realizing he wasn't alone in this gave Jinshi a measure of composure.
"What sort of preparations did you make?"
Jinshi asked Maomao.
"I skipped breakfast and dinner."
An unexpected answer came back.
"Why? Were you experimenting and forgot to eat?"
"I've been fasting from water for half a day. I thought I should skip the sake too, but it was so delicious I had one cup."
"Water too?"
Jinshi couldn't think of any reason why she would need to fast from water.
"Normally, you should stop eating three days in advance and fasting from water for one day is required, but I apologize."
"No, what are you talking about?"
"It's the proper etiquette when purchasing first-of-the-season produce from the marketplace for you. I couldn't afford any blunders."
"……No, it's not like I bought anything or anything like that."
Jinshi's face twitched.
"I'm not sure if I can do everything well."
Maomao's eyes were dead serious. He had forgotten that she possessed that sort of artisan's spirit — whatever she set out to do, she would give it her absolute best.
Jinshi looked taken aback, then let out a breath. This time, she wasn't trying to dodge or slip away with some excuse. The fact that she was being upfront about it made him genuinely happy.
"Also, may I have some plain hot water?"
"Has your throat finally gone dry?"
"No."
Maomao opened a large cloth bundle. From inside, paper-wrapped packets of medicine came out, along with an assortment of unfamiliar items.
"What is all this?"
"A mixture of bittersweet nightshade roots, cosmea, balsam seeds, and so on."
They were all plants he recognized by name, but he also had memories of that particular combination.
"Aren't these the very plants you told me to be wary of in the rear palace?"
"Yes."
The rear palace was a place for bearing and raising the Emperor's children. Any factors that could hinder that had to be eliminated.
"Why did you bring something like that?"
"I had the contents properly verified. It's not as though I intend to slip it into your drink, so please rest assured — I'll be taking it myself."
Maomao's eyes were dead serious.
"There are also physical barrier methods, but their effectiveness is rather poor, and if Lord Jinshi finds them disagreeable, it would be better not to use them."
Maomao produced a cylindrical object carefully wrapped in paper.
"The material is made from cattle intestine, but there's also the question of whether it would suit Lord Jinshi..."
Gently, the item fashioned from cattle intestine was put away.
"So you're saying it's a contraceptive?"
"Yes."
"So that's what all the trouble with the preparations was about."
"I gathered everything I could get from the pleasure district."
The blood drained from Jinshi's face in an instant. His entire body went cold.
"Now that I've accepted your feelings, should we become intimate, that would be with my consent. But that consent needs clear boundaries. I have no intention of becoming an enemy of Consort Gyokuyou."
Jinshi bit down hard on his lip.
He had been swept up in the moment. Had he forgotten who he truly was?
To Maomao, he was simply Jinshi — but what was he called by everyone else?
The Emperor's full brother,
Kazezuki,
the Lord of the Moon.
The Crown Prince born to Consort Gyokuyou was still young. Within the court, there were still those who wouldn't rule out pushing Jinshi as the heir.
And if he fathered a child with a woman to whom he wasn't even married — what then?
What's more, if they discovered that the woman was Maomao, the daughter of Lakan —
This half-hidden, ambiguous relationship should not have been allowed to continue any further.
"I've also taken the lunar cycle into account — tonight is a relatively unlikely night for conception. And even if it fails, please don't worry. I know how to handle the procedure."
There was no falsehood in Maomao's words. If a child was conceived, she would certainly deal with it. There was no way she would conceal it and raise it in secret.
It was heartless, but when you considered the kind of tinder this could become, it was the only reasonable way to think.
Jinshi pulled Maomao into a tight embrace.
This wasn't the same kind of desire that had welled up just moments ago. He was overwhelmed with guilt, feeling as though he could grind his teeth to dust.
"I'm sorry for making you go through all this."
He rested his forehead on Maomao's shoulder. Maomao patted his back gently.
"Not at all."
Reluctantly, Jinshi released her.
He suppressed the ache of wanting to hold her longer and flopped down onto the bed.
"Your Excellency."
"You should head home for today. If you'd like, take dinner with you. It's gone cold, but you must be hungry."
"But—"
"Just go home. Make sure you drink plenty of water too. I can't have you collapsing on me."
Jinshi covered his face with both hands.
"Understood."
Maomao gathered her things and left the room.
"Then, if you'll excuse me…"
Maomao muttered something under her breath as she stepped out of the bedchamber.
"This is how it has to be. This is enough, for now."
He had to make his position clear. He couldn't remain forever in his role as the imperial prince. He needed to show both Empress Gyokuyou and Consort Rifa that he was not their enemy.
He had no choice but to relinquish his status as the Emperor's brother and abandon his place among the imperial family.
"What should I do?"
Jinshi agonized.
Because of this, he failed to catch the words Maomao had softly uttered as she took her leave.
"Even though I'd prepared for the possibility of no actual consummation…"
That was all his mind could hold.