WRITTEN BY HYUGA NATSU
THIS STORY IS A FICTION AND ALL NAMES OF FIGURES AND ORGANIZATIONS ARE FICTITIOUS.
MOREOVER, THE STORY HAS NO RELATION TO REAL-LIFE INCIDENTS AND EVENTS.
Pardon me.
Lord Jinshi.
Has Lady Gyokuyou gone into labor?
Yes, from this morning.
It’s a little earlier than scheduled,
but preparations have been made.
Please, go ahead.
How is she?
She’s calm now.
The contractions have subsided, and she shows no signs of fatigue.
I see.
We still don't know exactly when she’ll give birth.
And the child?
It was a breech birth, but do not worry.
Maomao’s treatment has been working.
Maomao…
It’s been ten days, and we still haven’t found her.
Is she all right?
Mr. Luomen, if there’s anything I can do…
Master! You're in the way!
Don’t block the entrance!
Watch the cat if you have to!
Ye… Yes!
Seeing someone more flustered than me somehow makes me calm down…
Then I’ll return for now.
Let me know if anything comes up.
Lord Jinshi!
What is it?
It’s about the missing eunuch…
So, what did you find out?
His name is Tian.
He is said to be a former slave from a foreign tribe.
But it seems he had no ties to the group he supposedly arrived with.
Most likely, he slipped in from somewhere else.
To infiltrate the Rear Palace?
Yes. He avoided getting too close to others to avoid slipping up.
Because of that, there’s so little information left about him.
Anything else?
There’s a witness who saw him praying at the temple.
If he's devout, that wouldn’t be unusual.
Yes, but…
-The northern cemetery… -Yes.
It’s the gravesite for those who served
the former emperor and passed away in the Rear Palace.
Someone saw Tian praying at one of the graves.
TAIHOU
In the era of the former emperor,
even after death, the young girls who perished early
weren’t allowed to leave the Rear Palace.
Without their names ever being recorded,
they vanished quietly in this garden.
A palace woman from the clinic?
Excuse me.
This scent…
Where did Maomao go?
Calm down. Right now, I am now the eunuch Jinshi.
Act normal.
I want to ask about
the freckled palace woman from the Jade Palace.
Do you know anything?
You know something, right?
I remember now…
An old memory…
He called my name in a gentle voice.
He gave me foreign candy.
What are you talking about?
You don't know what he was like in his youth?
I heard he became a shadow of his former self over the years.
After I grew up, he stopped visiting.
I only heard stories.
Who are you talking about?
You look just like him.
What are you saying?
He also…
had a voice as sweet as honey
and a face like a heavenly maiden…
Why would someone like you
play the role of a eunuch?
Get her!
Let go of me!
Don’t struggle!
Lord Jinshi, what should we do?
Lord Jinshi!
What?! Poison?!
-Bring water! -Yes, Sir!
Lord Jinshi, your orders!
Lord Jinshi!
Take her to the medical office. Make sure she doesn’t try anything else!
Yes, Sir!
Please, stay strong!
Don’t be shaken by a mere palace woman's joke.
Joke…
Would someone risk their life for a joke?
She looked pale after she saw me smile.
He also had…
Gaoshun…
do I resemble him?
Enough to frighten her. Enough to make her drink poison.
That man in my memories
already seemed like an old man.
He didn't resemble my mother or my brother.
That’s why…
That’s why I believed…
Who could he have resembled?
Given the Emperor's tastes,
it can’t be the Empress. She’s too old.
That’s why they say it, right? He’s an illegitimate child.
I believed the rumor that I wasn’t related by blood
and tried to escape from my position as Crown Prince.
Begging my brother who is the Emperor,
why am I in a women's quarters taking the name of a eunuch?
There’s no word for it but disgrace.
TAIHOU
I will simply do what I am…
Able to.
That’s right. I can laugh at myself later.
Now, I must do what needs to be done.
That palace woman was praying at this grave?
Yes.
It’s out of season for Chinese lantern plants.
Taihou.
The name of a palace woman who died last year.
Yeah.
She often gathered people to tell ghost stories.
She was once an attendant to a certain noble family.
Her relatives…
Only one blood relative remains.
During the former emperor's reign,
A daughter was born from an illicit affair with the court physician.
If that child is still alive…
-Where to? -The Garnet Pavilion.
However, the daughter born to Taihou and the court physician,
disappeared with the court physician
after being expelled from the rear palace.
If it's Consort Loulan,
she might know the whereabouts of the court physician and the daughter.
It’s only intuition, though.
There may be no real connection.
Still…
Please.
I’ll do everything
I can.
I apologize for the sudden visit.
She says it’s no trouble.
Thank you very much.
As always a peculiar sight.
Flashy outfits,
with matching heavily winged eye makeup.
Just like foxes.
Today, I have something I would like to ask…
Lord Jinshi…?
What are you doing?
There were seven attendants, if I recall correctly.
Where is the other one?
I keep track of the attendant's names and faces who serve at the palace.
Although their clothes and makeup change daily,
I memorized their obvious parts.
For example,
the shape of your lips or eyes.
Soulin? No, maybe Renpu?
What's your name?
It was a setup from the beginning.
She chose only aides
who resembled you, bringing a large entourage.
The odd makeup and flashy dress
it was all for just for this.
-Lord Jinshi… -Tell me!
Where did the real one go?
Where did she go?
Where is Consort Loulan?!
I’m truly sorry…
Renpu doesn’t know anything.
Please…
forgive us…
Damn it. Calm down.
So, you didn't ask where she went?
Yes. I was told she wouldn’t be coming back.
So the high-ranking consort left the Rear Palace of her own will.
No point pushing them any further.
We’re searching as much as possible,
but there is no one similar to Consort Loulan.
No need to address her as consort.
If she fled the Rear Palace, it’s a serious crime.
Even more so for a high-ranking consort.
She must have planned it, fully aware.
Yes.
Placing a Senior official’s daughter in the rear palace.
That, for the emperor, was a move of great benefit.
As a hostage,
he could trap her in the birdcage that is the rear palace.
It looked like Shishou cared about his daughter.
But in truth, how was it really?
What about Maomao…?
She joked about being like a runaway courtesan…
Did she willingly go along with her?
If so, she wouldn't have left a note.
Where did she go and for what reason?
What?
Maomao’s whereabouts are unknown?
Wait, Maomao!
Daddy's coming to save you!
Lord Lakan!
How did it get out?
It seems the news somehow leaked to the outside.
Geez…
Also, we haven't been able to locate Shishou.
Was he working with Loulan?
I don't know.
But he’s the father of the runaway consort.
As someone who bears a grudge against the emperor, he'll be guilty.
Yes, I believe so.
Also, the lady from yesterday, Shenlü,
has cheated death for now.
Is she conscious?
Not yet.
However, it seems she was acquainted with Taihou.
She likely joined the rebellion because of that connection.
Everybody in the clinic?
No.
The others didn’t know anything about the rebellion.
Still, they cooperated
because they shared the same grudge as Shenlü.
Since the former emperor’s death,
the women’s resentment has been directed at the Rear Palace.
We must find Loulan immediately.
But there’s too little information.
Should we chase Shishou first…?
No, someone else is already after him.
Who could it be?
Come in.
Excuse me.
An abacus?
What’s your business?
It’s an honor to meet you. My name is Kan Lahan.
In the outer court, the only one bearing the name "La" is
Lakan and Lahan.
It was a surname bestowed long ago by the imperial family.
The "La" clan… you're the General's adopted son.
What is your business?
I wanted to show this to you.
What is it?
What do you think?
A ledger from the national treasury.
Yes.
I was ordered by my father to investigate it.
But the origin of Feifa is unclear, which is troubling.
Why to the national treasury?
When I looked into those around the punished officials…
Naturally, it led me here.
I wanted you to see the actual goods,
but the volume was oddly large.
I excerpted as much as I can see.
Crop values have clearly risen in the past few years…
Interesting, isn’t it?
There weren’t any locusts or droughts.
And another thing.
For some reason, the value of iron has also risen.
Also, metal prices across the country.
I checked if there were any massive construction projects underway.
But no such plans could be found.
His thoroughness is just like his adoptive father.
I understand what you mean.
Grains themselves aren't worth much, but the quantity is vast.
If the prices go up, the difference becomes considerable.
Someone is pocketing that difference.
And then, metal prices are rising.
Someone’s been buying up large quantities here too.
Is that what you want to say?
Yes.
As I see it,
these two leads are headed in the same direction.
Also,
whoever can pull off something of this scale is limited.
I would be able to look into it more thoroughly.
Wouldn’t you like to know
where the flow is converging?
So… what do you want?
You’re not offering this out of goodwill, are you?
Lord Jinshi!
Would you be willing
to knock a little off the price?
What’s that for?
It's for the repairs to the rear palace gate that my father broke.
Shouldn’t he be paying for that?
-Fine. -Are you sure?
In exchange, investigate thoroughly.
Find out what’s happening
with the money and metal.
As you wish…
I’ll use whatever I can use…
PREVIEW
The next episode is "The Festival."