The Apothecary Diaries
The caravan this time has more merchants and goods than before. This story is a work of fiction. The names of all of the characters, organizations, and so on are imaginary. It also bears no connection to any specific real-life events.
Apparently it's the advance party to the special envoy of a foreign nation.
As such, it's larger-scale and scheduled to stay longer.
How's the welcome banquet prep going?
A high-ranking officer in charge of receptions is working on it.
Good.
This is an important diplomatic partner. Keep up the good work.
Understood.
EpisodeCaravan It's starting to get more humid. I think it's time for a wardrobe change.
First, we'll organize our outfits.
Yinghua, Ailan, Maomao.
Yes.
Yes, Lady Hongniang.
Guiyuan, please tend to Princess Lingli.
Yes.
Some of the designs are out of style.
This one's still good.
Oh, this one was super popular for a while,
but you know how fads can be quick to go super stale?
What happens to the old outfits?
Some craftsmen rework them,
and they get handed out in the western region, Lady Gyokuyou's home region.
I see. In that case, I'll put in some insect-repellent herbs.
Yes, thank you.
Oh, by the way, a new lady-in-waiting is coming soon.
A new lady-in-waiting?
Now that Lady Gyokuyou is pregnant, we'll need more help.
There's another reason.
Another concubine joined with more than 50 ladies-in-waiting and servant girls.
Lady Gyokuyou needs a few more too, you know?
Concubine Loulan, I bet.
It makes sense. Lady Gyokuyou having only five ladies-in-waiting
despite being the emperor's favorite sends the wrong message.
The Crystal Pavilion for Lady Lihua has thirty, including servant girls.
The Garnet Pavilion has double that! That feels wrong, doesn't it?
Yinghua, don't talk like that. Lady Hongniang will scold you.
Come on!
Well then, we made some good progress.
Is it all right to have so few?
It's fine. We already ordered a few new ones, and...
And besides, the caravan will arrive soon!
Caravan?
Maomao wasn't here the last time it came by, was she?
This one's bigger than usual!
Entertainment's abundant in the pleasure district,
but scarce here in the rear palace,
so the shopping must be really exciting.
I'll make sure you get some time to check it out too, Maomao.
Lady Gyokuyou always gives us an allowance—
What's wrong?
Less chatting, more working!
I should be careful not to incur Hongniang's wrath!
Lady Gyokuyou, please stop joking around.
Did you summon me, Lady Lihua?
Shin, pass this out to everyone.
Shopping at the caravan? I'll have one of the ladies-in-waiting take care of it.
Yes, thank you.
L-Lady Shin, a message from the clinic.
A message from the clinic...?
The caravan stays for five days.
A bottom-tier servant like me
can't just cut in front of concubines and their ladies-in-waiting.
I'm jealous. I want new clothes and stuff, too!
We've got nowhere to wear it to.
I know, but still!
The rear palace really is a peculiar environment.
So many people, yet no shops.
No doctors except for quacks...
It seems like if disease broke out, it would spread uncontrollably,
but not really, because the sanitation level is top-notch.
An underground waterway carries out the waste
goes straight to the great river without going through the moat.
It's water working technology from the west,
cleverly applied by the empress.
As long as proper hygiene is maintained, diseases can be mostly prevented.
Those that still manage to contract severe illnesses are sent home, but...
Hey, Maomao.
Hmm?
I might get some time off on the last day.
It's not so bad to get asked out.
Did I spend too much?
No, you could have bought more.
The other houses have probably bought more.
True.
The ladies-in-waiting at the Crystal Pavilion probably go all out.
Concubine Lihua is actually pretty generous, too.
At the Diamond Pavilion,
the ladies-in-waiting probably flatter Concubine Lishu into buying things for them.
As for the Garnet Pavilion,
it goes without saying, seeing how flamboyant Concubine Loulan is.
Compared to them, Concubine Gyokuyou, whose items fit in one room, appears thrifty.
Caravan merchants will arrive tomorrow as well,
so let's put away what we got today.
Yes.
Huh?
Something wrong?
There are several sleeved robes and skirts whose belts go right under the chest.
Were these the only types of clothes available?
These were everywhere.
I heard they're in style right now.
Lady Gyokuyou's pregnancy isn't yet known to the outside.
Normally, they would bring in clothes that the customer likes.
In Lady Gyokuyou's case, it would be dresses with belts around the waist.
However, if her belly grew bigger, she would choose less restrictive outfits.
Did they bring these designs knowingly? If so...
I want to believe I'm overthinking this, but...
Tomorrow, you should ask if they have designs that have tight belts around the waist.
Yes, we should keep a variety of designs around.
Hongniang, have a word with the merchants for me.
Yes.
Seems like Lady Gyokuyou and Lady Hongniang got the message.
I guess it's all leftovers on the last day.
Wow, awesome! Awesome!
I did get some allowance from Lady Gyokuyou, but...
I'll take this.
Looks good on you.
Thanks, Maomao!
If I had a little sister of some kind, would she be this type of creature?
Are there stalls you want to check out, Maomao? I'll go with you!
In that case, I'd like to look around a bit.
Obviously no medicines here, but they do have teas and spices.
Also, there's another reason why I came on the last day.
Discounts.
I doubt they'd charge fair prices for goods
in a special environment like the rear palace.
But don't think you can gouge me that easily!
Jasmine tea.
I'll take this.
Huh?
How's the kitty?
Ah, she's from that one time...
She's fine. She lives at the clinic now.
I see! That's good to hear!
Oh, you got time off too, Shisui?
Yeah! And you're here too, Xiaolan!
What'd you buy?
I'm just looking.
Oh! Maomao bought me a hair tie!
So cute!
So, they know each other.
Seeing how she wears the same dress as Xiaolan,
she must be a court lady using the same laundry area.
We don't want to block the stall, so let's go somewhere else.
I'll take three of these.
I didn't know you had friends, little lady!
Doctor Quack can be pretty rude sometimes, but he's not wrong.
So cute!
What's her name?
Admonisher of Thieves.
Huh? That's a weird name!
Less weird than "Maomao."
How about I make some tea?
I've brought my own.
Then I'll get the snacks.
Wow!
What a nice scent.
A jasmine flowering tea.
Place it inside a pre-warmed bowl, slowly pour in lukewarm water,
and the bud opens up like this.
I probably won't get the chance to make this often, but...
My little ladies, these are special just for today.
Mooncakes! Thank you very much!
Is it always like this? A huge festival every time?
This is Shisui's first caravan, too.
If she came at the same time as Concubine Loulan,
I think she's been here for about six months.
Hmm, it's lasting longer than usual.
I heard that's because a special envoy is coming from a foreign land soon.
Oh! It must be someone important.
Are you allowed to talk about that?
By the way,
there's this weird smell on the north side these days. Do you know about it?
On the north side?
Nope.
A strange smell, huh?
That area's a bit of a mess, maybe a waterway got clogged.
If an underground waterway carrying waste got clogged,
the smell could reach the ground level.
Do you have work on the north side, Shisui?
Actually, there are good shrubs out there.
You're good.
Yeah, there's a lot of bugs here, so it's great that I can draw so many!
Insects can be ingredients for medicines, too.
The egg cases of praying mantises can make an aphrodisiac,
and earthworms can be fever reducers.
The fruit garden on the south side is well-kept, so there aren't many out there.
But the ruins on the north side are really nice!
There's huge spiders there, even!
Spiders?! I haven't tried it since it's so hard to gather,
but they say spider silk has blood-staunching properties.
You wanna go check it out?
I wanna go check it out.
Look! This one has pretty colors and is plump and cute.
It's delicious, too. I'm sure you'll like it! Also...
A few days after the caravan left...
Scented oils became all the rage in the rear palace.
It stinks...
It really does stink.
The imports from the west have a strong scent.
They might smell nice individually, but all mixed together, it's awful.
Oh, I'm so sorry!
Rose, huh?
If I sold that rose water that I made before, I might be able to make some money.
No, the strong scent of roses can negatively affect a pregnancy.
Right now, the Jade Pavilion can't—
This scent, too...
I have to go.
To the place most easily influenced by fads...
The Crystal Pavilion!
What exactly do you think you're doing?
Shin, the head lady-in-waiting at the Crystal Pavilion, wrote an official complaint.
I thought you had a bit more restraint than this.
I'm sorry. I got too worked up and acted without thinking.
You sound like a pervert making excuses.
I'll get consent before sniffing anyone next time.
Why sniff them at all?!
Oh, my.
That should be enough apologies.
I do have my reasons.
And are they good reasons?
Master Jinshi, could you please read that list aloud?
Rose, benzoin, parasol tree, frankincense, cinnamon...?
Those all sound like the names of scents.
Yes. Those are the names of scents and oils I smelled on the court ladies today.
What about them?
They all can have adverse effects on pregnant women.
Continue.
In addition to scented oils, the caravan also sold spices and teas.
These are the ones I bought.
Jasmine has the effect of constricting the uterus.
Mustard is often used as an ingredient in abortion medicines for courtesans.
So, by using these, the possibility of miscarriages increases?
In small amounts, none of these cause problems.
They're only harmful when used in excessive quantities or abnormal ways.
I should have noticed sooner.
Maybe the festive feeling clouded my judgment.
Can you find out who the merchants were?
I can, but I doubt they kept inventory of every single item they sold.
We did inspect them all, though...
Isn't this similar to the other incident?
What other incident?
Something whose side effects aren't well known.
Something that's not out of place at the rear palace.
Isn't it like what made Princess Lingli sick,
and caused the death of Concubine Lihua's child?
The toxic makeup powder...
Yes, the whitening face powder that contained lead.
So, is it safe to assume someone tried to bring poison into the rear palace?
All I know is, there are many things
that were brought in that could be made into poisons.
In their normal use, none of them are considered toxic.
However, we should warn the other concubines.
Gaoshun.
Yes, Master Jinshi.
This is similar to that incident,
where coincidences converged to become an inevitability.
Hongniang, please.
Yes, Lady Gyokuyou.
Guiyuan, please check the scented oils, spices, and teas in the Jade Pavilion.
Yes!
The court lady who came back from near death to escape, Suirei, is still missing.
The attempted assassination at the ceremony probably involves many people.
How far does their reach extend...?
How much is conjecture, and how much is certainty?
You shouldn't speak based on conjecture.
If I wasn't working directly for a concubine,
I wouldn't have been paid enough to gain interest in the caravan.
If the scented oils weren't so popular, I wouldn't have noticed.
Maybe this is the only time so much of it was brought in.
How much is coincidence, and how much was planned?
I can't even tell that much.
Wow, I'm tired.
I miss those days,
when my big sisters let me drink some when customers weren't around...
I thought that was poison.
Poisons can be medicines in small amounts.
Besides, it's not strong enough in such a small amount of tea,
and I'm not pregnant, either.
That's true.
Also, this is the kitchen. It's not an area you should be in.
Don't be so strict.
Where's Master Gaoshun?
He's out delivering messages.
Can you make me some tea, too?
What kind would you like?
The same as this one.
That's the last one.
If I steep it again, it'll be watery.
That's fine.
It's not fine...
What other effects does this tea have?
It calms the mind.
It improves sleep, and helps wake people up.
Also, it's not good for pregnancies,
but for actually giving birth, I hear it helps with the delivery.
It has more good effects than bad, then.
Yes, which is why it's hard to remember the bad effects.
White tea.
I told you I wanted the watery tea.
Come to think of it, I've heard jasmine has another effect.
What is it?
Decreased fertility, particularly for males.
Yikes, maybe that was a bit too spicy of a joke.
I should get a snack...
I don't like this much. I'm leaving.
I messed up!
Master Jinshi.
Did you deliver the messages?
Yes. Also,
Concubine Jin, of middle rank, has passed away.
Concubine Jin?
Poison...?
Could it be...?
Next Time Next time: "Corpse Fungus."