And just like that, half a month flew by.
The cold was beginning to fade, and one could feel the first stirrings of spring. While hanging the futons to air, Maomao was nearly succumbing to the pleasant warmth of the sunlight, but she shook her head — no, no — and threw herself back into her work.
As expected, days filled with purpose passed quickly. Those two months she had spent in Jinshi's wing had felt tediously long by comparison.
She still harbored a lingering attachment to the medicine shelves in the clinic that she was occasionally allowed to visit, but that shouldn't be a problem going forward — she could have quack doctors carry out renovations to the rear palace clinic.
As for the archives,
Gaoshun
if asked, would surely find something suitable.
If she could leave the rear palace whenever she pleased, that would be even better, but that was a luxury. As long as she remained in the rear palace, she couldn't just casually wander outside.
Consort Gyokuyou's pregnancy had become more certain.
Her monthly bleeding had stopped, and the lethargy persisted. Her body temperature also seemed slightly elevated, and her trips to the bathroom had increased in frequency.
Princess Lingli,
for some reason, would press her face against Consort Gyokuyou's belly and smile — perhaps she had already sensed something was there.
(Can you tell?)
Waving goodbye to Consort Gyokuyou's belly, Maomao made her way to the nap room together with Hongniang.
Children truly were mysterious.
Now toddling about on her own, the princess wore the red
shoes
bestowed by the emperor, which kept the ladies-in-waiting running about in a fluster. Her expressions had grown richer too; when offered a soft bun, she would smile sweetly in return. Perhaps it was a woman's instinct, for the ladies of the Emerald Palace, even those without children of their own, were raising the princess with doting affection.
Occasionally Hongniang would say something like "Maybe it's about time for me too," but the other ladies-in-waiting, Maomao included, had no idea how to respond. She seemed to be in a hurry, but the head attendant — someone with such a strong sense of duty — could never pull off something like a marriage resignation. Even if such a match were proposed, everyone would surely try to force Hongniang to stay.
It was precisely because of her that the Emerald Palace could function with so few people.
Being too capable was its own kind of trouble.
When Maomao had nothing in particular to do, she had taken to keeping the princess company. It was more efficient for someone who barely did anything besides poison testing to look after the child than for the other hardworking ladies-in-waiting to do it.
Today as well, Maomao was playing with Princess Lingli.
Building blocks.
The princess would assemble the blocks and then knock them all down, over and over. The blocks were made from specially commissioned lightweight wood.
Since she also seemed interested in illustrated books, Maomao had Gaoshun procure some for her, copied the illustrations, and wrote the names underneath to show the princess. She was only two years old, but Maomao had heard that early familiarization could help children learn faster, so she gave it a try—only to have Hongniang confiscate everything.
"Draw normal flowers."
She was told, and pointed toward the flowers in the garden.
Apparently, no matter how pretty they were, poisonous mushrooms and the like were out of the question.
Days passed like this.
Then, when the strikingly handsome eunuch reappeared for the first time in a while, he brought trouble as his calling card.
"A blue
rose—
is that what you mean?"
Maomao said, eyeing the eunuch, who looked somewhat haggard.
"Yes, everyone's taken an interest in it."
Jinshi nodded with a troubled look. Whenever he made this expression, the ladies-in-waiting would swoon over how even his worried face was gorgeous. And right now, three pairs of eyes were peeking through the crack in the door, but let's just ignore that. As for Hongniang, whose eyes had narrowed to inverted triangles—she was deftly pulling two ears with her right hand and one with her left—but let's just ignore that too.
We'll also keep quiet about how Gaoshun had admired her "impressively nimble technique."
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
"The plan is to go admire that flower."
For some reason, he had ended up being the one searching for it.
(This is going to be such a hassle.)
"And you're asking me to find it?"
"Do you happen to know anything about it?"
"I'm an apothecary."
"I just sort of figured you might know."
How utterly helpless, said Jinshi.
"Well, you're not wrong."
Gyokuyou, who had been lounging comfortably on the sofa, chimed in to pile on. Beside her, the princess was nibbling away at
Fruit Water
...was drinking.
She didn't know who it was or where they were from, but apparently someone had suggested that the concubine Gyokuyou's ladies-in-waiting might know something about it. And so the matter had landed on Jinshi's doorstep.
(He couldn't possibly be some back-alley doctor, could he?)
It wasn't entirely out of the question.
That affable man had a bad habit of overestimating others. This was going to be a colossal pain.
It wasn't as though she knew nothing about roses. From the petals, one could obtain
essential oils
that were said to have skin-rejuvenating effects, and the courtesans used to order them in. She had even distilled the strongly scented wild rose petals on occasion, boiling them down to earn a little pocket money.
"They say it used to bloom inside the palace,"
Jinshi said, arms folded.
From the doorway, Hongniang—having finished scolding the trio of girls—entered carrying freshly prepared tea.
"It must be hallucinations."
(Ugh, my shin itches.)
Maomao wondered if there might be bugs around at this time of year.
Taking advantage of the table hiding her lower body, she scratched her shin with her toes.
"It was one person who brought it up, but apparently multiple witnesses have come forward."
Jinshi said, his expression unreadable.
"Is...
opium...
making the rounds?"
"If something like that were circulating, the whole country would fall apart!"
Her manner of speaking had changed before she could stop herself. Concubine Gyokuyou and Hongniang exchanged wide-eyed looks. Gaoshun furrowed his brow and cleared his throat with a quiet cough.
Jinshi's expression darkened for an instant, but the next moment he flashed his heavenly smile, fixing Maomao with a gaze full of beseeching melancholy.
As always, Maomao found that radiant face utterly unbearable.
Gyokuyou watched on with an amused expression. Maomao did not find it amusing in the slightest.
"So it's impossible?"
(*Stop leaning toward me.*)
Having him inch any closer would be nothing but irritating.
She let out a sigh.
"What would you have me do?"
"I want it for next month's garden party."
It was to be a spring garden party.
Had it really been that long since the last one?
While Maomao was getting lost in wistful reflection, something caught her attention.
(*Hm? Next month?*)
"Jinshi, did you know?"
Maomao spoke this time while scratching her opposite foot. She couldn't very well leave bug bites on a princess's skin, so she needed to make some insect repellent ointment.
"Know what?"
Jinshi tilted his head.
So he really didn't know after all.
Blue roses were out of the question, but that was beside the point — the issue preceded any discussion of color.
"Roses won't bloom for at least another two months, you know."
"......"
His silence spoke volumes about his ignorance.
(*Just as I thought.*)
Something about this felt off.
It was as though he were deliberately dumping an impossible demand on her to watch her squirm.
"I'll do what I can, but consider this me lodging my objection."
"May I ask you one thing?"
Jinshi's shoulders slumped as he looked her way.
"Could this have been a proposal put to you by a certain strategist?"
Going by the way things had unfolded, that was probably the case.
(No wonder it's been itching this whole time)
She must have vaguely sensed that kind of atmosphere all along. Maomao's body had apparently been showing signs of rejection toward that man — the one whose name she didn't even want to hear.
"Ah. Rakan—"
Jinshi quickly clamped a hand over his mouth.
Consort Gyokuyou and
Hongniang
tilted their heads in puzzlement.
Needless to say, it was about
that
man.
(It can't be helped)
If that was the case, she bore some responsibility too.
"I can't say for sure, but I'll do what I can."
"Is that alright?"
"Yes. On that note, there are a few things I'll need, as well as a place—"
Being stuck just dodging it was infuriating in its own right.
Since she was going to end up doing it anyway, she'd have liked to crack that smug monocle right open.