What a bother.
He furrowed his willow-leaf brows in worry, arms crossed.
If only the sex were different, a kingdom-toppler, they said he'd become — Jinshi, but if the person himself had the inclination, gender meant nothing at all.
Today as well, one mid-ranking consort and two lower-ranking consorts from the rear palace, plus one military official and one civil official from the court, had all made advances toward him. The military official had even given him snacks laced with a stamina tonic, so today Jinshi returned to his private quarters in the palace without taking the night shift. This was self-defense, not slacking off.
He casually scrawled names on the scroll sitting on his desk.
The names of the consorts who had approached him today. Just because the Emperor wasn't visiting, to try and lure another man into her chambers — outrageous.
It wasn't an official report, but going forward, a ruling would surely be passed.
How many of those caged birds even realized that his beauty served as a touchstone for the ladies-in-waiting?
A consort's rank was selected based on her parents' lineage, beauty, and intelligence. Compared to lineage and beauty, intelligence was the hardest to gauge. She had to possess the education befitting a future Empress, and furthermore maintain proper standards of chastity.
My spiteful Emperor decided to use Jinshi as one of the selection criteria.
Gyokuyou Consort, and Rifa Consort — it was Jinshi who had recommended them both. Gyokuyou was thoughtful and humble; Rifa, though emotional in temperament, possessed the bearing to stand above all others.
Both were loyal to the Emperor, and not a trace of improper feelings could be found in either of them.
Rifa had reached the point of utter infatuation.
My lord was nonetheless cruel.
He had her gather consorts convenient for the country, make them bear children, and discard them the moment they proved unable.
From now on, favor would continue to lean toward Gyokuyou.
The last time he had visited the ghostly, emaciated Rifa was when the Crown Prince had died.
Besides Rifa, there were many other consorts who had become unnecessary. They would be sent back to their families when the time was right, and bestowed upon someone else.
He drew a single document from the stack.
Her rank was Junior Fourth Rank, equivalent to a mid-level consort. Her name was Fuyou.
That was what it said.
This was a consort who had been designated to be bestowed upon a military officer as recognition of meritorious service in repelling foreign tribes the other day.
"Well then, will things go smoothly?"
If matters proceeded according to the plan in his head, there should be no problem.
For that, the cooperation of the surly pharmacist might play a part.
It was not as though no one existed who did not see him as an object of desire, but being looked at as though he were a caterpillar was entirely new.
She probably thought she had hidden it well, but the faint contempt surfacing in her expression could not be concealed.
He couldn't help the laughter that welled up — a smile like sweet dew falling from heaven, tinged with just a touch of spite.
He had no masochistic tendencies to speak of, but it was strangely entertaining. A new...
A Toy She felt as though she had obtained a new plaything.
"I wonder what will become of all this."
Jinshi set the documents atop the inkstone and decided to go to sleep.
He secured the latch firmly, in case a visitor came during the night.
· · · The word "cure-all" exists, but no truly universal medicine actually does.
There was a time when Maomao felt nothing but contempt for her father's words.
She wanted to create a medicine that worked on any illness, for any person. To that end, she had inflicted wounds that made others turn away, developing new remedies in the process — but a truly universal medicine was nowhere near completion.
It was terribly vexing, but the proposal Jinshi had brought was more than enough to kindle Maomao's interest.
Ever since entering the rear palace, she had been able to make nothing more than sweet tea. Medicinal herbs grew in surprising abundance throughout the palace grounds, yet without tools and unable to perform anything suspicious in the communal quarters, she had simply borne with it.
Having her own small room was perhaps the thing she was most grateful for.
She would set out to gather ingredients, but as cover she carried a laundry basket on her back.
Thanks to Hongniang's arrangements, Maomao would henceforth serve as the laundry girl.
Feigning that she had come to deliver laundry, she entered the infirmary she had been told about beforehand. Inside were the same flustered doctor from that encounter and the eunuch who regularly attended to Jinshi, both present.
The physician touched his thin, loach-like mustache as he sized Maomao up with appraising eyes.
It was as though he was saying, "Why is this little wretch intruding upon my domain?"
( Don't stare at the ugly girl so much) Compared to the physician, the eunuch guided Maomao with more courteous movements, as though he were accustomed to attending to others.
When she was led into a room walled on three sides by medicine shelves, Maomao wore the brightest smile she had shown since arriving at the rear palace. Her cheeks flushed red, her eyes glistened, and her usually flat lips traced a gentle arc.
The eunuch looked at Maomao with a startled expression, but she couldn't have cared less.
She scanned the labels on the drawers, and the moment she spotted a rare medicine, she broke into strange, dance-like movements. Joy overflowed from her, impossible to contain within her head.
"Is she under some kind of spell, or what?"
She had been going on like that for the better part of an hour.
Before she knew it, Jinshi had appeared and was watching Maomao with strange, curious eyes.
Starting from one end, she gathered usable materials from the drawers in order. She wrapped each in medicinal paper and labeled them with a brush. At a time when wood slips were still used as books, using paper so freely was the height of luxury.
The loach-mustached physician kept peering in to see who they were, so the eunuch shut the door. The eunuch's name was Gaoshun, apparently.
Whenever she needed something from the higher drawers, Gaoshun retrieved it for her. As for his superior — the man did nothing at all. If he wasn't going to do anything, he could at least go somewhere, Maomao thought behind her blank expression.
Near the top of the drawers, Maomao spotted a name she recognized and leaned forward eagerly.
When Gaoshun handed it to her, she made an indescribable face.
Some kind of seeds rested in her palm.
"This alone won't be enough."
"Then we simply need to procure more."
The handsome man who had done nothing but flash pointless smiles around said it so casually.
"It comes from the south, even farther west of the western lands."
"If you look for trade goods, you should be able to find some."
Jinshi pinched a single seed between his fingers.
Almond— —shaped, it gave off a peculiar fragrance.
"What's this called?"
When the young man asked, Maomao answered.
"
It's a cacao tree.
"
she said.