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The Apothecary Diaries

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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.

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That building will be torn down soon.

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We would like you to investigate
before that happens.

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Please identify the true nature
of what Lady Anshi calls a "curse,"

6
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the reason why the late emperor's body
remained intact after death.

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It's been six years since
the late emperor passed away.

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Once the building he lived in gets torn down,

9
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the only thing to remember him
by would be his grave, I guess.

10
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If the mystery remains unsolved,
Lady Anshi will never feel better.

11
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I understand.

12
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However, I have just one request.

13
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A request?

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Would it be possible for us to enter the
room where the late emperor resided?

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I will request permission.

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Getting permission from the emperor shouldn't be hard,
EpisodeThe Late Emperor
as long as the empress
dowager puts word in for us.

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Maomao, your bed is ready.

18
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Thank you, Lady Suiren,
for letting me use this room.

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Don't worry about it.

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Her tastes are cuter than I expected.

21
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A couch would have been fine, by the way.

22
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It would be uncomfortable for me.

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It's been a while since you
were last in this building.

24
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Please rest well.

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Yeah, I've been in the Jade Pavilion
a whole lot lately.

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To be honest, I'm glad I didn't have
to go back there tonight.

27
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I don't want to think about how
Lady Hongniang would react if I went back...

28
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I guess she's been very lenient until now.

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A worker who isn't clearly
part of any specific pavilion,

30
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who frequently visits the other pavilions?

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That can't be comfortable to have around,
for a head lady-in-waiting.

32
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Come to think of it, I sometimes don't
even know what my own position is.

33
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Reading by candlelight? That's extravagant.

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Would you like to read something too, Maomao?

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You can go into the back room
and find something.

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Books are precious. I should read them
whenever I have the chance.

37
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I hope there's something
that suits my tastes, though.

38
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Wait for me!

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Lady Suiren's tastes are pretty young.

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Are you curious?

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Please don't worry!
I'm not trying to steal anything!

42
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I know that.

43
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Children's toys?

44
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Yes. Master Jinshi's favorites.

45
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Maomao, what do you think of Master Jinshi?

46
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I think he's a good boss.

47
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As long as he keeps the rare medicines coming.

48
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Did I notice some hidden intent there?

49
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Well, anyway.

50
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These are the items I hid from Master Jinshi

51
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because he kept playing with them all the time.

52
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Whenever I did that, though,
he would cry uncontrollably.

53
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There are other toys, sir!

54
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No! I want that one! I only want that one!

55
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Gaoshun always had a hard time trying
to find new toys to placate him.

56
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Why did you take away his favorite toys?

57
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If one focuses too much on one thing,
they lose sight of the others.

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He was born into a position
that doesn't allow for that.

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No matter how hard it was,
he had to step up and be the adult.

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That was what Master Jinshi's mother desired.

61
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His mother...

62
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I hear that, when one is raised
in a repressed environment,

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it can have an effect on their mind.

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The childish tendencies that
he's starting to show around me...

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Those must also be a part of
his true personality.

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And yet, by the others surrounding him,
he's treated as "The Elegant Eunuch."

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What a strange turn of events.

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This picture...?

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Oh, there it is.

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I was told to throw it away.

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What was it?

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May I touch this?

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Well, certainly?

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It's just a pebble. I wonder where he found it.

75
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Did you take this from him immediately?

76
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Yes. I mean, a found pebble
can't be clean, can it?

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Good call.

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This is poison.

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What in the world?!

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I'd like to know myself. Why would
something like this be lying around?

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Did Master Jinshi ever visit
the inner court when he was young?

82
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Yes, sometimes. But why would you ask?

83
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I can't say anything for now.

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I do have one hypothesis, but no proof.

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Lady Suiren, the "curse" as described
by the empress dowager...

86
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The reason why the late emperor's body
didn't rot... I can clear that up tomorrow.

87
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Could you wait until I do that?

88
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Master Jinshi's here, too?

89
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I didn't want to make this a huge deal.

90
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This stinging smell... It can't just be mold.

91
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A brush with the tip cut off
to make it straight... I knew it.

92
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Did the late emperor take up
painting as a hobby?

93
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Just once, he painted a picture for me.

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He said it was a secret. That if the others
found out, they would take it away.

95
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Is he getting uneasy?
That's Master Jinshi's nervous tic.

96
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I'm sure he thinks he's acting calm.

97
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I don't know, and don't want to know,
much about the late emperor.

98
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But, in order to figure out
the nature of the "curse,"

99
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I need evidence.

100
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Did the late emperor
always paint in this room only?

101
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I don't know for sure, but ever since the late
emperor began closing himself in this room,

102
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he was waited on by just one servant.

103
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Can you bring him here?

104
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I think he still works here.

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I will find him.

106
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May I touch this?

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Please.

108
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It's harder than I thought.

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It has a particular smell, too.

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Translucent shards on the floor.

111
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Some markings, like someone
furiously tried to clean something.

112
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And those marks...

113
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There are more of them
as we get closer to the wall.

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It's soft. It must have
layers of thick paper on it.

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There's paint on the surface
to make it tougher, I guess.

116
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I already had a good idea what the "curse" is,

117
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but I think I made another useless discovery.

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I brought him.

119
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You're...

120
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He seems quite old for someone tasked
with taking care of the most noble person...

121
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I wanted to ask you a few things.

122
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This person is a former slave.

123
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Also, he is unable to talk.

124
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I understand.

125
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I see.

126
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It's not uncommon to select a person
who can't speak as a servant.

127
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That's especially the case for the noblest
person, who is always under public scrutiny.

128
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In that case, please just nod
or shake your head.

129
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Were there any paintings in this room?

130
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I'm sure there was something here.

131
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Is he just refusing to talk to a random girl?

132
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No, that's not it.

133
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Is he hiding something?

134
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What's on this wall?

135
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May I tear off this wallpaper?

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It's like he's yelling at me to stop.

137
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Go ahead.

138
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This whole building is to be
torn down, anyway.

139
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So, if that helps find something...

140
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Carefully...

141
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This painting...

142
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What is that?

143
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It must have been painted
by the late emperor.

144
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I don't care about the late
emperor's personality.

145
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But he passed without being able
to let his true talents shine,

146
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all because he ended up becoming
the leader of this nation, it seems.

147
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This painting is powerful
enough to convince me.

148
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The paint used to create the color of the
garment worn by this woman here

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was created by crushing
a mineral called orpiment.

150
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Orpiment has the same toxicity as arsenic.

151
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And arsenic can make things
less likely to decompose.

152
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At first, I thought perhaps there was
orpiment in the wallpaper or something,

153
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and the late emperor unknowingly
absorbed it into his body.

154
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However, when I saw the shape
of the brush in this room,

155
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I thought of a different possibility.

156
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He was using pigment made from orpiment.

157
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The late emperor must have gradually
absorbed orpiment into his body.

158
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I'm sure the substance was all through
his body by the time he passed away.

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In this room, where he painted secretly.

160
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It would be unacceptable for an emperor
to spend his time painting pictures.

161
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At least, that's what the people
around him would think.

162
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That's why he never revealed it, even while
being referred to as the idiot emperor.

163
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That's also probably why he had
a mute slave manage the room.

164
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There's still some softness.

165
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How many layers are under this?

166
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To be able to paint so many pictures,
someone had to acquire the tools...

167
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Probably his mother, the so-called empress.

168
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The woman in the picture knew

169
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that her son was not fit to be emperor.

170
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So, when her son accidentally
ended up becoming emperor,

171
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she gathered power to herself,
to protect her child.

172
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Even if that resulted in people
calling her the empress.

173
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The empress did everything
she could for her son.

174
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Her last gift to him was this place,
and the things he needed for painting.

175
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Not knowing that it was poison...

176
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How ironic.

177
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That's all I can say.

178
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Yes. You did well.

179
00:13:30,559 --> 00:13:35,523
It's like she's trying to send questions
to someone beyond the skies.

180
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Wow, look at me getting all emotional.

181
00:13:50,621 --> 00:13:53,582
Oh, how infuriating.

182
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Even faded, that person's presence is strong.

183
00:14:05,553 --> 00:14:08,556
I wonder if I'm even part of this picture?

184
00:14:09,557 --> 00:14:14,562
No, I must have been only
a passing thought to him.

185
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This scar on my body is the only thing

186
00:14:19,567 --> 00:14:22,528
allowing me to be treated
as the mother of this nation.

187
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A young girl, who accidentally fell victim
to the late emperor and became pregnant.

188
00:14:29,577 --> 00:14:31,579
Some would describe me that way, to pity me.

189
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I'm sure such a girl did exist.

190
00:14:37,585 --> 00:14:41,505
I entered the rear palace as the
lady-in-waiting of a mid-rank concubine.

191
00:14:41,547 --> 00:14:44,508
The concubine I served was
my sister from a different mother.

192
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My sister, who was raised like a princess,

193
00:14:47,511 --> 00:14:50,514
had no idea what our father had in mind.

194
00:14:50,514 --> 00:14:53,517
Hey, Anshi!
Put those accessories on me already!

195
00:14:53,559 --> 00:14:55,519
Yes, dear sister.

196
00:14:58,564 --> 00:15:01,567
Tonight's finally the night!
The emperor is coming!

197
00:15:01,567 --> 00:15:04,486
I saw him from a distance the other day.

198
00:15:04,528 --> 00:15:06,572
He's so handsome!

199
00:15:07,531 --> 00:15:09,491
I see.

200
00:15:11,535 --> 00:15:13,537
I have eagerly awaited your arrival.

201
00:15:20,586 --> 00:15:23,547
Please, come inside...

202
00:15:24,548 --> 00:15:25,549
Don't touch me!

203
00:15:28,552 --> 00:15:29,553
Your Majesty!

204
00:15:35,559 --> 00:15:41,482
He didn't come off as the leader
of a nation at all.

205
00:15:41,523 --> 00:15:43,567
As lady-in-waiting, I could have
consoled the concubine I served,

206
00:15:44,526 --> 00:15:47,529
or apologized to the emperor.

207
00:15:47,571 --> 00:15:48,572
But instead...

208
00:16:02,544 --> 00:16:04,546
Are you alright?

209
00:16:08,550 --> 00:16:13,514
At that moment, his gaze surely fell on mine.

210
00:16:14,473 --> 00:16:17,518
The eyes of the girl, full of ambition.

211
00:16:23,524 --> 00:16:28,570
I carried the emperor's child, and my life
was put in danger countless times.

212
00:16:28,570 --> 00:16:31,532
Fortunately, the child was a boy,

213
00:16:31,532 --> 00:16:34,535
and the empress accepted him
officially as her grandson.

214
00:16:36,537 --> 00:16:39,540
There, there. There, there.

215
00:16:41,583 --> 00:16:44,503
There once was a girl
who gave birth to a daughter.

216
00:16:44,586 --> 00:16:47,548
She claimed that the girl
was the late emperor's daughter,

217
00:16:47,548 --> 00:16:49,550
but he denied it, saying
he knew nothing of it.

218
00:16:49,550 --> 00:16:53,595
A doctor was declared the father
and was exiled with the baby.

219
00:16:54,555 --> 00:16:58,600
Back then, doctors were the only ones allowed
to enter the rear palace without castration.

220
00:16:58,600 --> 00:17:02,521
After that, doctors were required
to be castrated as well.

221
00:17:02,604 --> 00:17:05,566
The one in charge of this operation
on my womb as well...

222
00:17:06,525 --> 00:17:08,527
How unfortunate for him.

223
00:17:09,528 --> 00:17:13,574
The girl who gave birth to the so-called
daughter was left in the rear palace.

224
00:17:14,533 --> 00:17:17,536
She will probably never leave the rear palace.

225
00:17:18,537 --> 00:17:20,539
Then time passed...

226
00:17:21,582 --> 00:17:24,585
When I no longer had
the appearance of a young girl,

227
00:17:24,585 --> 00:17:27,504
the late emperor stopped visiting me.

228
00:17:27,546 --> 00:17:30,549
I hear the rear palace is expanding again.

229
00:17:30,549 --> 00:17:33,552
Yes. I have heard that
Master Shishou suggested it.

230
00:17:34,595 --> 00:17:35,554
I see.

231
00:17:36,513 --> 00:17:42,478
The rear palace continued to grow,
and many young girls arrived,

232
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tasked with the same mission as me.

233
00:17:55,574 --> 00:18:04,541
A pathetic man, a puppet of the empress,
who can only talk to young girls.

234
00:18:16,929 --> 00:18:20,974
To have such a man forget me,
that was unacceptable.

235
00:18:20,974 --> 00:18:22,226
I wanted him to remember me more
intensely than any of them.

236
00:18:23,852 --> 00:18:25,813
After that,

237
00:18:25,854 --> 00:18:28,857
the late emperor's mind was destroyed,
and he shut himself in that building.

238
00:18:28,857 --> 00:18:31,860
I don't even want to think
about whose fault that was.

239
00:18:34,863 --> 00:18:37,866
In the end, he must have stayed in that room,

240
00:18:37,866 --> 00:18:43,831
thinking only about his mother, the empress,
and the other girls who had no ambitions.

241
00:18:46,834 --> 00:18:49,837
He painted me, just once.

242
00:18:50,879 --> 00:18:56,885
I treasured that painting,
but I told Suiren to discard it.

243
00:18:57,803 --> 00:18:58,887
I had no need for it.

244
00:18:59,847 --> 00:19:02,850
Just like the late emperor had no need for me.

245
00:19:10,858 --> 00:19:14,862
He visited us once, in the past.

246
00:19:15,821 --> 00:19:18,824
Yes. How many years ago was that?

247
00:19:18,907 --> 00:19:21,869
I found this back then.

248
00:19:22,828 --> 00:19:24,830
This is the orpiment that was mentioned today.

249
00:19:25,831 --> 00:19:26,874
This stone...

250
00:19:27,833 --> 00:19:30,836
Suiren finally gave it back to me today.

251
00:19:32,838 --> 00:19:33,839
I see...

252
00:19:38,844 --> 00:19:42,890
Child of immorality. Child of a mistake.

253
00:19:42,890 --> 00:19:45,809
No matter what they say,
a precious child, nonetheless.

254
00:19:45,851 --> 00:19:49,813
I think I saw that picture before, once.

255
00:19:49,855 --> 00:19:53,859
It was a painting of
a young girl, in light colors.

256
00:19:54,818 --> 00:19:58,780
I must have picked up this rock
because I remembered that picture.

257
00:19:58,864 --> 00:20:00,908
I thought I told her to get rid of it.

258
00:20:01,825 --> 00:20:05,829
You used to favor garments
in this color, in the past.

259
00:20:25,849 --> 00:20:26,850
Just a coincidence.

260
00:20:27,851 --> 00:20:31,813
Is that woman in the picture
really the empress?

261
00:20:31,897 --> 00:20:35,901
What did he try to tell us back then?

262
00:20:41,823 --> 00:20:42,866
I don't know.

263
00:20:45,869 --> 00:20:48,830
I chose not to know.

264
00:20:49,790 --> 00:20:54,836
Anyway, you seem to be partial
to quite an interesting girl.

265
00:20:56,838 --> 00:20:58,840
She's quite useful.

266
00:20:59,800 --> 00:21:01,843
I see. But...

267
00:21:02,844 --> 00:21:05,847
Even I can tell there's more to it than that.

268
00:21:10,852 --> 00:21:12,896
I've been watching you for many years now.

269
00:21:16,858 --> 00:21:19,820
You should hide your favorites.

270
00:21:19,861 --> 00:21:22,823
Or else someone may hide them from you.

271
00:22:55,791 --> 00:23:10,806
Next Time
Next time: "A Ghost Story."