The Apothecary Diaries - Part I

The setting of the anime is immersed in Imperial Chinese culture, unfolding the story of Maomao, a skilled young girl in apothecary, serving in the Imperial Palace after being kidnapped. As she solves mysteries related to illness and death in the palace, her narrative intertwines with that of an influential eunuch named Jinshi. Together, they unravel various mysteries surrounding her and his family background in the royal court.

The distinct contrast between the lively and well-adorned red light district and the humble, simple street across highlighted how the attractiveness of women forms the nucleus of this business. Maomao hurriedly ran from her home to the familiar brothel, The Verdigris House, to deliver medicine, encountering various attractive ladies and the Madam, who once again proposed she become a prostitute. Swiftly evading the proposition, she fled to gather her preferred medicinal resources, only to be kidnapped shortly after.

In the subsequent scenes, two women resembling concubines or madams gave birth to healthy babies. Fast forward three months, and Maomao found herself working monotonously as a maid, all the while reminiscing about her father. Keen on avoiding trouble, she maintained a low profile, leveraging her intelligence in apothecary and reading for a relatively comfortable life.

Later, it was revealed that the two children of the concubines, Gyokuyō and Lihua, were suffering from an illness. The servants suspected a curse, especially since three children had died prior to this incident. The symptoms piqued Maomao's interest, prompting her to investigate the cause. Coincidentally witnessing a street brawl between the two concubines, she deduced the reason and contemplated how to convey this information to them. In an encounter with an attractive eunuch, Jinshi, she unintentionally shared her thoughts about finding tools to write messages, unaware that he overheard. This marked the initial meeting between the female and male leads.

Maomao left messages on their doorsteps, advising Gyokuyō on the treatment while Lihua's servant discarded the note. Less than a month later, Lihua's child succumbed to the illness, while Gyokuyō's child survived.

The message on the cloth read, 'Avoid the white powder poison touching the baby.' Jinshi, recalling the peculiar encounter with Maomao, initiated an investigation. Identifying her as the only servant who could read characters, he brought her to Gyokuyō. Despite initial reluctance, Maomao disclosed her apothecary identity, revealing the deadly impact of the white powder.

Reluctantly, she was appointed Gyokuyō's personal servant, an unexpected promotion that left her extremely worried. The episode concluded with a cliffhanger, as suspicions arose about poisoned food near a man who lay unconscious. Episode 1 came to an end.

The episode kicked off with Jinshi learning about the poisoned army incident and the discussion with Gaoshun (his assistant) of making Maomao the new servant for Gyokuyō. Despite their suspicions about Maomao, they deemed it the best way to keep an eye on her.

Gyokuyō welcomed Maomao and her servant Hongniang introduced her to Jade Palace and other servants, namely Yinghua, Guiyuan, and Ailan (I'll call them trio servants for simplicity purpose). As the trio servants felt pity for Maomao, she was advised to rest as she would serve as a poison tester for Gyokuyō. Jinshi warned her about the deaths of previous servants, but surprisingly, Maomao was excited about the job.

Following this, Hongniang assisted Maomao in preventing her salary from being taken by the kidnappers who brought her to the palace.

Jinshi visited Gyokuyō's place to find Maomao and test her ability to detect the presence of poison in the food he was given. Maomao identified the aphrodisiac just by its smell. Later, Jinshi informed Maomao about the poisoned army incident in the village. Maomao suggested it might be caused by burning branches from poisonous plants, not the food provided by the villagers. Subsequently, Jinshi assigned Maomao the task of making aphrodisiac, and she was thrilled by the opportunity. Finally, the apothecary had a chance to create medicine.

As Jinshi returned to his palace, another concubine invited him to spend the night together, but Jinshi declined. It turned out that Jinshi was tasked by the emperor to use his handsome appearance to test the loyalty of the concubines towards the emperor, and many failed to resist Jinshi's charm.

The next day, Maomao headed to the imperial medicine area, where Gaoshun assisted her in finding the ingredients needed for the aphrodisiac. Using chocolate and other ingredients, Maomao swiftly made the aphrodisiac in chocolate form and set it aside to cool down. She used the remaining ingredients to make a chocolate dessert and got distracted while picking herbs in the palace area when she went to clean the dishes.

Upon her return, the trio servants accidentally ate the chocolate dessert that Maomao had prepared for herself. Despite the embarrassing situation, it proved the success of the aphrodisiac, and she gave some to Jinshi, cautioning him about its potency.

Episode 2 concludes with a servant being frightened by the appearance of a lady on the rooftop, her eyes dimmed in the dark atmosphere.

Episode 3 kicks off with Fuyou receiving saddening news from Jinshi, prompting her to run away. The long-haired lady, who made an appearance in Episode 2, spooks the servant once again.

The scene transitions to the trio of servants engaging in casual banter about their work. Yinghua pays a visit to Maomao, who is busy concocting flu medicine, and shares the gossip about a ghost haunting the palace. Despite confirmation from her friend, Maomao dismisses it as a typical ghost story she doesn't believe in.

Later, Maomao stops by the imperial medicine area, where she has a friendly chat with the sole doctor present. Jinshi arrives, prompting Maomao to reluctantly agree to investigate the 'ghost issue' and its potential connection to sleepwalking.

During the night, guided by Gaoshun, Maomao witnesses Fuyou, dressed in white, gracefully dancing under the moon. Gaoshun reveals that Fuyou is soon to marry a military general. The imperial medicine doctor explains that Fuyou's sleepwalking is a result of an incident where she danced in front of the emperor, who lost interest in her.

In a clandestine visit to Fuyou, Maomao observes a stark contrast in her demeanor during the day and night, drawing a parallel to the Hibiscus mutabilis flower that blooms white in the day but turns dark pink at night.

With additional information from her friend about the ghost's movement from the North to the East, Maomao pieces together the puzzle. She explains the truth to Gyokuyō and Jinshi using the story of a prostitute displaying sleepwalking symptoms to avoid being ransomed. While Gyokuyō accepts the explanation, Jinshi remains skeptical.

As Fuyou leaves the palace to marry the military general, Maomao and Gyokuyō discuss the real truth. Maomao shares a story of another prostitute using sleepwalking symptoms to manipulate a ransom. Fuyou, it turns out, knows the military general from her hometown.

While Fuyou exits the Imperial Palace, Maomao speculates that Fuyou intentionally made mistakes in front of the emperor to lose his interest. The moonlit dance at the East wall may be Fuyou's way of praying for the general's safe return from the war.

As the palace doors open, Fuyou walk towards the military general, exchanging smiles. The anime portrays scenes of their joyful embrace, highlighting the beauty of love. Maomao reflects on the mysterious medicine that can make love blossom so beautifully.

Episode 3 concludes with the emperor informing Gyokuyō that he requires Maomao's assistance in a dark room, hinting at a serious matter.

Maomao was tasked by the emperor to treat Lihua, whose health had been deteriorating since the loss of her baby. Despite being mistreated by Lihua's servants, Maomao persisted in her efforts to help by preparing the right diet for her. After being rejected three times, Jinshi intervened, using his charm and persuasive words to convince the servants to let Maomao help.

When Maomao finally got close to Lihua, she became furious upon discovering that Lihua's face was covered in white powder makeup. She scolded the servants for their foolishness, pointing out that the makeup was poisoning Lihua just as it had killed her baby. After the servants expressed deep remorse, Maomao took over Lihua's care, focusing on detoxifying her system.

Two months later, Lihua was fully recovered, and Maomao was ready to return to serve Gyokuyō. However, Lihua confided in Maomao, worried that the emperor might lose interest in her now that she had lost her baby and faced competition from other concubines. Maomao reassured her with advice she had learned from the red light district.

As a result, the emperor began visiting Gyokuyō less frequently than before. Only Maomao and Lihua knew the real reason behind this change.

Episode 4 concluded with flames burning in various colors. A man, terrified, looked at his hand, which appeared to be covered in blood after touching the ashes of the flames.

With Jinshi complimenting Basen's improvement after a morning sparring session, his day started off with a conversation with Gaoshun about Maomao's condition.

Maomao was spotted foraging for Matsutake mushrooms in the palace garden. She later brought her friend some food that other servants had given her out of concern for her weight loss after returning from caring for Lihua.

Later, Maomao visited the imperial doctor to prepare a Matsutake barbecue, until the man from the last scene of Episode 4 knocked on the door. It turned out his hand wasn't covered in blood but red rashes. He believed he was cursed after witnessing the colorful flames from the burning of the palace's rubbish dump. Maomao explained the science behind the colorful flames and treated him with medicinal lotion.

Jinshi overheard the situation and asked Maomao for details. Afterward, he instructed Gaoshun to investigate the person with the burned hand. Maomao speculated that the effort behind creating the colorful flames might signal something.

Back at Gyokuyō's palace, Maomao was surrounded by other servants, who informed her that the concubines would be attending the garden party—an event both Gyokuyō and Lihua had missed the previous year due to their pregnancies.

Although Maomao wasn't particularly excited about the party, she prepared sweets and pouches for warmth during the cold weather, which attracted the attention of other servants, Jinshi, and the imperial staff, who asked for her help in making them. This kept her busy until the party.

Meanwhile, Gaoshun reported to Jinshi that he still couldn't identify the person with the burned hand.

Gyokuyō distributed her accessories to her servants, signifying their identities. When the servants were putting makeup on Maomao, they discovered her freckles were fake.

The day of the party arrived, and when Jinshi greeted Gyokuyō, he was surprised by Maomao's beauty. He felt sorry for her, realizing she had to hide her beauty with fake freckles to survive in the red light district. He gave her his hairpiece, leaving Maomao confused.

And with that, Episode 5 came to an end as the garden party began.

Episode 6 kicked off with Lishu's servants gossiping behind her back before the garden party began. As the party started, Maomao and other servants huddled around a fireplace, complaining about the cold. The four consorts sat in a circle, enjoying performances by dancers. Guiyuan introduced Maomao to the empress, mentioning she has a brother who is physically weak and rarely seen in public.

Later, Lihua's servants made snide comments about Gyokuyō’s servants, calling them rustic. Maomao scared them off by subtly revealing she was the one who scolded them when Lihua was sick.

During their chat, Maomao was surprised to learn that Lishu was a consort of the previous emperor at the age of nine and became the current emperor’s consort after the previous emperor's death. Lishu walked by in a red dress, with her servants in white, the same color as Gyokuyō’s—a rare and odd sight as consorts usually avoid wearing the same color to prevent conflict.

Maomao received hairpieces from a Lihaku official and Lihua. When the party lunch began, she noticed Gyokuyō’s menu seemed different than expected. As the poison tester, she sampled the food and discovered the soup contained poison.

She rushed out to clean her mouth, and Jinshi appeared, taking her to the imperial medicine for detoxification. Maomao suspected what was happening and asked Jinshi to bring Lishu and her poison tester to her.

Noticing Lishu's arms covered in rashes, Maomao deduced that Lishu had a seafood allergy and that her food had been swapped with Gyokuyō’s. She sternly warned Lishu’s poison tester that feeding seafood to Lishu could be fatal, and threatened her to prevent this from happening again.

Although Jinshi was puzzled, Maomao reassured him that Lishu was the intended target, not Gyokuyō. The episode ended with Jinshi asking Gaoshun if this case was related to the colorful flames incident, leaving him wondering who set up the poison.

As Maomao woke up the next morning, she briefly missed her dad before realizing she had rested for quite a while. The other servants were worried about her after she ingested poison at the party the day before. After visiting Gyokuyō, she met with Gaoshun, who had brought the poisoned soup that was meant for Lishu.

With the soup and bowl untouched, Maomao located fingerprints on the rim. She identified four sets: the cook, the server, Lishu’s poison tester, and the person who poisoned the soup. She informed Gaoshun that Lishu’s poison tester had swapped Lishu’s dish with Gyokuyō’s as an act of bullying.

Lishu, being young and alone in the palace, relied on her servants. However, they bullied her by convincing her to wear a red dress, knowing Gyokuyō would also wear red, while they wore white. They swapped her dish despite knowing her allergy, which coincidentally saved her life. This bullying stemmed from their belief that her remarriage to the current emperor was immoral.

When Gaoshun reported the findings to Jinshi, he was exhausted and complained like a young boy, which didn’t suit his appearance and status, but he couldn't care less.

Later, Maomao discovered from a friend that she could now leave the palace as she had received hairpieces. She approached Lihaku, who she thought was the most suitable person to help her leave. Although Lihaku initially rejected her request, he couldn't resist Maomao’s offer to visit the high-class brothel, The Verdigris House. However, Maomao didn't realize that the hairpieces signified more than just an opportunity to leave the palace.

Excited to go home, Maomao was greeted by the old Madam with a nostalgic kick in the stomach, while Lihaku ecstatically spent time with Pairin, one of the Three Princesses of the Verdigris House.

Returning home, Maomao noticed nothing had changed since she left. Her dad greeted her warmly, and she shared her experiences from the past few months. As she slept, her dad looked at her, ending the episode with an intriguing line suggesting that Maomao’s journey to the imperial palace was part of a greater cause and effect.

The next morning, Maomao woke up to find her dad missing from the house. She headed to the medicine field, grumbling about his stubborn preference for his self-grown herbal remedies even at his old age. As she muttered to herself, a loud, urgent knock interrupted her thoughts. Before she could call her dad for a doctor's visit, a little girl grabbed her hand and rushed her to the brothel.

Inside, Maomao found a woman and a man unconscious, with saliva dripping from their mouths. Slapping herself awake, she sprang into action, performing emergency procedures to revive them. After several rounds of CPR, she was exhausted but managed to stabilize their conditions. She then asked the little girl to call her dad.

The woman regained consciousness and noticed that the man was still alive. Maomao’s father arrived, assessed the situation, and critiqued Maomao’s emergency methods, noting that using water for detoxification wasn't the best choice in this case. He suspected that the poison had been ingested through water.

While checking on the man, who was in worse condition than the woman, Maomao noticed the little girl attempting to stab him. The woman explained that the man was a wealthy but deceitful lover. He had promised to ransom the girls but abandoned them once bored. His rich father always bailed him out, allowing his despicable behavior to continue. This time, he had deceived the woman, leading her to choose to die for love during their last night together—at least, that’s what Maomao initially thought.

Back home, Maomao pieced together the clues: the poison wasn't in the tobacco but dissolved in water, the hated man, the use of a wheat stalk straw prevented lip stains on the cup and the woman’s better condition after being poisoned.

"It’s not dying for love; it’s murder."

The woman had used tobacco to poison the alcohol. To avoid suspicion, she drank the bottom, unpoisoned layer with the wheat stalk and lured the man into drinking the poisoned top layer. To further avoid suspicion, she also drank a small amount of the top layer, getting poisoned but not fatally. Maomao admired the woman’s mental determination despite her physical weakness.

To Maomao, the red-light district was like the imperial palace — a garden and a birdcage. Everyone was trapped, breathing poisoned air, and the prostitutes became a sweet poison for others to taste.

After a shower at The Verdigris House, Maomao wondered about the fate of the rich man and the prostitute. She chatted with Meimei, her close sister and one of the Three Princesses of the Verdigris House. Meimei and the others had worried about Maomao while she was away. Maomao later visited the Annex but sat outside with a sad expression, never entering the room.

Her three-day home visit ended quickly. She sought out Lihaku at the Verdigris House, who was more than satisfied with his time spent with Pairin. The Madam informed Maomao that she needed to cover the cost of Lihaku’s night with Pairin next time she returned.

Back at the palace, Jinshi was waiting to question her. He was jealous that Maomao had asked for help from Lihaku instead of him. Maomao explained that she couldn’t think of a suitable gift to thank Jinshi, which led to a misunderstanding. Jinshi believed Maomao had spent the night with Lihaku, not realizing she had been at the Verdigris House.

Gyokuyō, Gaoshun, and Hongniang, who had overheard the conversation, laughed at the situation. Maomao remained puzzled by Jinshi’s reaction, while Jinshi was stunned by her words. However, everyone else understood the true story.

As court officials gathered, chatting and imbibing, one official stood alone, requesting more alcohol. A suspicious exchange ensued as a sly individual passed him a new jar, hinting at something amiss.

Jinshi remained unsettled by Maomao's encounter with Lihaku, despite clarifying the misunderstanding with Gyokuyō. Amidst his busy schedule, Gaoshun lamented the court officials' lack of initiative, relying too heavily on higher-ups.

As night fell and Jinshi took a break, he received shocking news from an official, leaving him and Gaoshun stunned. The following day, Jinshi relayed the tragic death of Kounen, a renowned warrior. Maomao, after tasting the alcohol consumed by Kounen before his demise, detected an unusual flavor—a mixture of sweetness and saltiness.

She confirmed her suspicion that the alcohol had been spiked with a large amount of rock salt, which caused General Kounen's death. Maomao deduced that Kounen might have lost his ability to taste saltiness, so he didn't notice the odd flavor of his drink. After losing his family, he had suppressed his emotions and maintained a strict work routine, leading to mounting stress and relentless work. His only joys were alcohol and sweet food.

Maomao guessed that some court officials, who disliked Kounen's pranks of adding salt to their drinks, had decided to get back at him by adding more salt until he noticed. After resolving the mystery of General Kounen's death, Maomao saw that Jinshi was mourning and they chatted for a while. As a thank-you gift, Jinshi gave Maomao a gourd of booze.

As night fell, a female servant drowned in the river while staring at the shining moonlight above her. The next day, Maomao and the imperial doctor rushed to investigate. Maomao didn't touch the corpse as her father had advised against it, believing she wouldn't be able to resist the temptation to use the body for her medicinal experiments.

The dead body was identified as a servant from the imperial caterer. The guard inferred that she had climbed the wall and voluntarily jumped into the river. While it seemed impossible to scale a wall four times Maomao’s height, she discovered protruding bricks left by the builders that could have assisted the climb. However, Maomao noted that the servant's feet were wrapped for beauty purposes, making the climb even more difficult. Despite this, the servant's fingers were red and injured, indicating she might have gripped the bricks too tightly during the climb.

After some thought, Maomao told Jinshi that if she ever faced a death sentence, she would want him to provide the poison. Jinshi was shocked and insisted he would never do that, but Maomao explained that as someone of low status, she could be punished with death for a mistake. Sensing Jinshi's discomfort, she apologized and left the room.

Later, Maomao learned that the servant found dead was involved in the poison incident during the garden party, and it was concluded as a suicide. The episode ended with Gaoshun uncovering the identity of the person with a burnt arm after two months of investigation. The scene revealed Ah-Duo consort’s head maid with a bandage around her arm, slowly bringing the truth of the case to light.

Episode 10 begins with Ah-Duo consort sitting on the wall, drinking with a desolate expression. Maomao learns from a friend that the servant who committed suicide was Ah-Duo’s servant and the one who poisoned Lishu’s soup during the garden party. The motive behind this was to eliminate the threat of Ah-Duo being forced out of her consort position, as at 35 years old, she was considered too old to produce an heir for the emperor, unlike the younger Lishu.

Maomao returned to Gyokuyō’s palace and learned that Lishu would be visiting today. While serving drinks, Lishu hesitated to drink the honey orange beverage. Maomao noticed Lishu’s servants complaining behind her back again and subtly suggested to Gyokuyō that it might be best to serve a different drink.

Jinshi was waiting for Maomao outside the room. He requested her assistance in investigating the true reason behind Ah-Duo’s servant poisoning Lishu, asking her to help out at the Garnet Pavilion, where Ah-Duo resided.

Maomao noticed that Ah-Duo looked very familiar and thought she would look cooler in Hufu instead of dresses. Later, Maomao helped with the physical work of cleaning and tidying up the Garnet Pavilion. She observed that despite being the head maid, Fengming also participated in the work rather than just supervising. Fengming appeared to be a wise, respectful, and loyal servant to Ah-Duo. As Maomao suspected that Fengming's strong loyalty might be the real reason behind the poisoning incident, she was called to the honey storage place and learned that Fengming’s family were beekeepers.

Later, Maomao noticed that Lishu and her poison tester visited the Garnet Pavilion, but she couldn't fathom the reason behind their visit. Shortly after, Jinshi approached Maomao and questioned her about her findings. Although initially clueless, with some hints, Maomao deduced that Fengming was likely behind the colorful flames incident. This conclusion was based on the report that the wood was wrapped in a torn female cloth and Maomao's observation that Fengming's left hand was bandaged.

With a playful "Bingo~," Jinshi agreed with Maomao’s inference and teased her by attempting to feed her honey with his fingers. Maomao backed off and suddenly managed to piece together all the clues, revealing the truth of the incident to her.

Maomao quickly visited Lishu and asked if she had ever had a bad experience with honey. Lishu revealed that her nanny once told her to avoid eating honey as it was fatal to a baby's health. When Lishu's ill-witted servants tried to accuse Maomao of being impolite, she deftly deflected by saying she was merely following Jinshi’s orders.

With the final question, "Do you know Fengming?" Lishu was visibly frightened.

This reaction confirmed Maomao's suspicions. She asked Gaoshun to take her to the imperial bookstore. Gaoshun was impressed by Maomao's diligence, especially considering she was only 17. As Maomao flipped through the records, she deduced that before the current emperor ascended the throne, Ah-Duo and the former empress were both pregnant at the same time. The former empress’s child would have been the current emperor’s younger brother.

"Sixteen years ago, a baby boy died. Responsible for delivering the baby: Luomen."

Maomao wasn’t surprised to see her dad’s name but wondered what her adoptive father was doing back then.

Maomao picked a flower while waiting for Fengming, and later requested a private chat with the head maid. After the spring cleaning was completed, Maomao asked Fengming when she and Ah-Duo consort would be leaving, knowing that the spring cleaning was just an excuse to prepare for Ah-Duo’s forced departure from her consort position.

Maomao began the conversation by stating her assumptions: Sixteen years ago, Ah-Duo consort gave birth to a baby, but due to complications, her womb was removed for their safety, leaving her infertile. A few years later, the baby died. Many speculated that the poisoned white powder makeup was the cause, but Maomao believed her adoptive father would have warned them about it. She trusted that Fengming, being wise and careful, wouldn’t fall for such dangers. However, Fengming was unaware that the honey her family produced was poisonous to infants, and Ah-Duo’s baby died because of it. Fengming didn't realize this until the former emperor’s consort, Lishu, told her that she nearly died from honey ingestion as an infant. Shocked, Fengming didn’t want Ah-Duo to know that she had caused her baby's death, so she locked Lishu out of Ah-Duo’s palace and forbade her from visiting.

Fengming was relieved when she heard that Lishu would be forced out of the palace after the former emperor’s death. However, this relief turned to disappointment when Lishu remarried the current emperor and returned to the imperial palace. Observing Lishu’s determination to get close to Ah-Duo, Fengming decided to poison her to protect both the secret and Ah-Duo’s consort position.

Fengming tried to lure Maomao into keeping her secret, but Maomao said it would be pointless. Fengming expressed deep remorse for causing her beloved mistress, Ah-Duo, the pain of losing her son. Maomao suggested a way to handle the aftermath, and Fengming quickly confessed to poisoning Lishu’s meal to protect Ah-Duo’s position. However, both Maomao and Fengming kept the secret that Fengming was responsible for Ah-Duo’s son's death. Although Fengming was executed, the truth remained hidden, and Ah-Duo wasn’t blamed for the poisoning incident. That was the best Maomao could do.

That night, while Maomao was stargazing from the wall, Ah-Duo joined her and offered a drink. As Ah-Duo poured her booze into the river, she murmured, "How cold would the river be? It must have been tough…" Maomao realized that Ah-Duo knew the truth about her servant's drowning and understood the lengths to which people like Fengming and the other servant would go for her.

When Maomao climbed down from the wall, she accidentally tripped and fell right into a drunk Jinshi’s arms. Jinshi, tearing up, didn’t want Maomao to leave. Out of politeness and gratitude for him saving her, she allowed the hug to continue for a while.

The next day, as Ah-Duo handed back her position as consort to Jinshi before leaving the Imperial Palace, Maomao noticed a striking similarity between them. She recalled Ah-Duo mentioning that her child "left her," not "left the world." This made Maomao suspect that Ah-Duo might have swapped her son with the Imperial Brother, ensuring he received better care. This would also explain why Ah-Duo remained in the palace despite being infertile and her son supposedly dead.

Maomao decided to halt her speculation. As Ah-Duo was leaving the palace, Lishu rushed toward her, with her poison tester close behind. Ah-Duo and Lishu hugged, and for a moment, Ah-Duo’s motherly smile returned.

The episode concluded with Jinshi contemplating how to manage those brought into the palace due to Fengming and her family, suspecting Maomao’s kidnapping might be related to this intrigue.

As Jinshi dealt with the punishment of Fengming’s family, he discovered that the buyer who had purchased Maomao after her kidnapping was connected to the businessmen trading with Fengming’s family. Jinshi now held the power to decide whether to release Maomao, since she had been brought to the palace through Fengming’s connections, or to hide the truth and let Maomao remain in the palace. Gaoshun reminded Jinshi of his past statement that Maomao was just a pawn, prompting Jinshi to reconsider his decision and wonder if Maomao would be willing to stay in the Imperial Palace.

Maomao heard that there would be a collective dismissal of staff connected to Fengming’s poisoning case, and she started to have a bad feeling about her own position. She didn’t want to be laid off from the Imperial Palace, as she still hadn’t found any customers for the Madam of the Verdigris House. If she were dismissed, she’d have to work there to pay off her debt.

Desperate, Maomao ran around the Imperial Palace searching for Jinshi. Exhausted, she finally found him. Jinshi informed her that she would be laid off and asked what she preferred. Considering her low status, Maomao didn’t want to beg for a change in the decision. Instead, she tactfully said that she would accept any job he assigned to her. Unfortunately, this led to a misunderstanding, and Jinshi decided to “let her go,” which was the last thing Maomao wanted.

After Maomao left the palace, Jinshi fell into a state of depression, which Gaoshun likened to a child losing his favorite toy. Determined to improve the situation, Gaoshun decided to take action.

Fortunately, Maomao received enough pension from the palace to avoid being sold to a brothel. However, she did get a job at the brothel, which involved attending a party outside the Verdigris House along with her close friends, the Three Princesses – Pairin, Meimei, and Joka.

The party, organized by wealthy Imperial officials recommended by Lihaku, was in full swing as the night began. While Maomao served drinks to the guests, she noticed a man sitting alone in the corner and decided to strike up a conversation with him. It turned out to be a drunk Jinshi. As they chatted, Jinshi learned that she was working part-time for the brothel. He jokingly suggested buying her, to which she replied that returning to work at the Imperial Palace wouldn't be a bad idea.

Jinshi, initially surprised as he thought she wanted to leave the Palace, felt relieved when Maomao clarified the misunderstanding. He complained about her being too concise with her words and then attempted to flirt with her — finally succeeding in making Maomao blush.

That night, Maomao took a bath at the Verdigris House and chatted with the Madam. They discussed whether she wanted to return to the Imperial Palace. Maomao still believed there was no real difference between the red-light district and the palace — both felt like gardens and bird cages to her.

As Maomao gazed at the night sky, she reflected on all the events she had experienced in thus far: Gyokuyō's baby being poisoned, her own journey to becoming Gyokuyō's maid, Fuyou's escape, and the poisoning incidents involving Lihua and Lishu. With these memories, her day came to an end.

The next day, Jinshi visited the Verdigris House. He presented the Madam with boxes of gold and gifted Maomao a rare herb cultivated from an insect. These gestures left both the Madam and Maomao satisfied and determined Maomao's fate to return to the Imperial Palace.

Stay tuned for Part II