ORIGINAL STORY BY NATSU HYUUGA
THIS STORY IS A FICION, AND ALL NAMES OF FIGURES ND ORGANIZATIONS ARE FICTITIOUS.
MOREOVER, THE STORY HAS NO RELATION TO REAL-LIFE INCIDENTS AND EVENTS.
The scent of sandalwood...
This is Sir Jinshi's bedroom.
Why am I in a place like this?
Oh, you're awake.
Don't push yourself. You needed 15 stitches.
Sir Jinshi didn't want you to rest at the medical office,
so he brought you here.
Here you are.
Thank you.
I know you've just woken up, but could you get changed?
I'm going to bring everyone here.
I can do that.
What's going on?
Basen!
It's understandable. His master was in danger.
Though he has no business yelling at me.
I apologize for my appearance.
It's fine. More importantly,
explain to us why you went to that location,
and how you knew the pillar was going to fall.
Understood, sir.
That was an accident caused by many coincidences.
But it was as if those coincidences overlapped through someone's design.
That would mean
that it was a planned event, and not an accident.
The first coincidence was the death of Sir Kounen,
a high-ranking official at the Board of Rites.
The second was the warehouse fire, and the theft
of the ritual items that occurred simultaneously.
The third coincidence was the manager of the ritual items
collapsing due to food poisoning at around the same time.
You're saying all those events were by someone's design?
Perhaps.
Lastly, there is one more important detail.
-What is it? -The ritual items that were stolen.
During the festivities, the poles for the altar are hung by a metal wire
and fixed to a metal fitting on the floor.
If they wanted to design an accident,
they'd target the crucial metal fitting.
If something that important was stolen, they would remake it for sure!
I'm sure they did.
They would add intricate embellishments appropriate for the festivities.
I had an idea of who the metalsmith might be.
The goldsmith who passed away?
Yes. The stolen metal fitting was recreated by a goldsmith.
If this fitting was designed to break from heat...
Don't be stupid! It's metal.
It wouldn't melt at such a low temperature...
Using the secret technique of the late goldsmith,
it could melt just from being near fire.
You're saying the goldsmith was a part of this plot?
No. He probably knew nothing.
He probably just followed the request for the commission.
"Remake this item using the special metal."
Or something like that.
An accident happening during festivities, would make the goldsmith suspicious.
If they got rid of him before that, the person who commissioned him
and the metal that melts at low temperatures would all remain a mystery.
It would've been very convenient.
You're saying he was killed.
I don't know.
But it could've been murder made to look like an accident.
The person who
commissioned the late goldsmith to make this fixture knew about
the secret technique to make the special metal.
That's all I can say for certain.
Understood.
But I never imagined Sir Jinshi would be at the ceremony.
If the festivities continued as planned...
Who the hell is he?
Someone whose life
could be targeted in a large-scale plot like this...
Knowing that would only cause more trouble.
This is out of my hands now.
-Xiaomao. -Yes, ma'am.
You have a guest.
We investigated
and found that a court lady named Suirei was connected.
I knew it.
Her dead body was found.
What?
By the time the Board of Justice barged into her room,
she had collapsed from ingesting poison.
The physician performed the autopsy, and her death was confirmed.
What's going to happen?
They'll keep her in the coffin
and burn her at the stake tomorrow.
And who else was involved?
No one else. Only Suirei.
She performed all of those detailed tasks on her own?
So, I guess it's case closed.
See you.
She died by being poisoned?
Is this really the end?
And even before that.
Is Suirei the type of woman to kill herself?
Did she have those apathetic expressions and attitudes
because she knew she had no future?
But it was as if she was challenging me that one time...
I'm going to plant morning glories here.
Resurrection medicine...
Speculation isn't enough. I can't say for sure.
Sir Jinshi!
I want to ask you something!
What is it?
I'd like to speak to the physician in charge of Suirei's autopsy.
At the morgue.
Why are you laughing?
I lost to my curiosity!
Sir Jinshi, you really didn't have to come.
If the Apothecary's coming, I'm coming.
I understand.
Xiaomao, right this way.
Thank you, sir.
I'm sorry for the wait.
So this physician did the autopsy, huh?
The court lady he was friendly with died,
and she was treated as a criminal.
No wonder he looks tired.
But is that all?
Our question is simple.
Did the poison the court lady took contain any thornapple?
That is...
The small hill on top of the stable.
Is that where you planted the thornapple?
They are extremely poisonous,
but a small amount of it makes an effective anesthetic.
I'm sure the medical office is equipped with them.
Thornapple looks similar to white morning glories.
I can't say for sure.
From her symptoms, it's highly probable,
but I can't say for certain.
In that case, let's check.
What are you doing?!
Stay quiet and watch!
Stop it...
It's open.
It's not Suirei?
No way...
It was Suirei! I know it!
Are you certain?
I'd never mistake someone else for Suirei.
She had no pulse and her heart wasn't moving.
She was beautiful.
So, you were used as a pawn.
You didn't even think of cutting into the body
to investigate the specific type of poison being used.
Suirei predicted that, as well.
You!
Suirei didn't just use thornapple.
If you check the inventory number of the medical office,
you'll know what she used.
The only sin he has committed
is the careless management of medication inventory.
What's going on?
Why was the dead body switched?
If they're burning the coffin,
people would get suspicious if it was empty.
They probably placed a different dead body in a new coffin
and swapped them.
Then what about Suirei's body?
It would be difficult to sneak out.
There's no need for that.
What do you mean?
Because she walked away on her own.
I thought she was dead!
There's a medication to make it look as if a person died.
Do you know it?
I've heard of it, but thought it was all fantasy.
What is it?
The medication is said to be found in a distant land.
It kills someone once, and then brings them back to life.
I'm not sure of the details,
but I've heard that it contains thornapple and pufferfish.
-Xiaomao? -Sir Gaoshun.
Could you look inside the empty coffin?
Yes.
Nail marks.
That's probably where the dead Suirei was sleeping.
And once someone came to help her and opened the coffin,
she came back to life.
They placed a new coffin with a different dead body,
disguised themselves as workers, and left.
But there's no certainty that such a plan would work!
Either way, if she's found, she'll be executed.
If it were me, I'd bet on that gladly.
You're a special case.
If her dead body isn't here,
it means Suirei won the bet.
If this had been after the substitute body was burned, she would've won the game.
But I won't let her do that...
If she is alive, I'd love to meet her.
Not to catch her.
The knowledge that made all her plots look like accidents,
and the guts to pull that off.
Her toughness that allowed her to bet on her own life
just to trick everyone!
It wouldn't be fun if a person like that had died so easily!
The elixir of resurrection!
I'm going to make her tell me the recipe for sure!
-Excuse me. -What is it?
Could you stitch my legs? The scar opened up.
Why didn't you tell me sooner?
Lady Loulan.
In the end, Suirei's case ended in a secret treaty.
There are many unsolved mysteries about
the court lady Suirei.
According to the physician, his mentor was her guardian.
This guardian
saw through her talent a few years ago and adopted her,
but not much about her before that is known.
This will be a long case.
I took Xiaomao to her room.
Thanks.
We can't have her opening up her wounds again.
Yes.
It's not only her injuries we're worried about.
There's also the case of the eccentric, Lakan.
It's certain that he is her father.
From the Apothecary's reaction, it seems their relationship is complicated.
The rear palace is tomorrow, right?
Yes, sir.
No issues. It tastes the same as usual.
So, it tastes weird.
You don't have to drink it if you don't want to.
It's an important gesture as a eunuch.
You probably shouldn't hold your nose in front of others.
-It makes you look much younger. -I know.
Elegant manners,
a smile of a goddess, a voice as sweet as honey.
A "24-year-old" man who became a eunuch five years ago, when the rear palace
was passed on to the current emperor.
That is Jinshi.
Ever since I decided to put on the mask of Jinshi,
I take this medicine every day
to make me "not into a man."
Eventually, you'll become impotent for real.
And what about you?
My children are all adults.
We had another grandchild just the other day.
Your oldest son had another child?
Yes.
I'm thinking it's time for my younger son to find a wife.
You mean Basen, right? He's still 19.
Yes, just like you. He's 19.
Even though the eunuch Jinshi is 24.
So you're saying I should find a lover
and finish up this job quickly?
Let me hug my grandchildren, okay?
I'll work hard.
Good day, Sir Jinshi.
Your garments are beautiful, as always.
Thank you, sir.
-Sir Jinshi... -The Emperor is visiting Concubine Loulan,
but he doesn't seem to desire her.
Concubine Loulan loves fashion
and changes her hairstyle and makeup often.
This makes her hard to recognize during visits,
confusing the Emperor.
Even so, He has been visiting her once every ten days.
Concubine Loulan's father is
chief vassal who was well-liked by the Empress Dowager.
So, He cannot ignore her completely.
The Emperor has also not shown interest in Concubine Lishu.
The Emperor was disgusted at his father's pedophilic tendencies,
and does not plan on laying his hands on her.
The Empress Dowager, who has given birth to the current Emperor,
has given birth to another child
a little over a decade later.
The physician did not leave the Empress Dowager's side during the birth
and the child was born without issues.
However, Concubine Ah-Duo's birth was disregarded
as it overlapped with the Empress Dowager's birth.
Because of this, Concubine Ah-Duo lost her uterus
and the current Emperor's first prince died soon after.
If that child was alive now...
That's pointless daydreaming.
We must get the next Eastern Palace right away.
Oh, you're here.
You look very tired.
Come on, you three. Get back to work.
Yes, ma'am.
Actually...
-To the rear palace? -Yes.
It seems as if her monthly bleeding has ceased.
In other words, she may be pregnant.
When should I go?
Can you go today?
-Yes, sir. -I'm counting on you.
This is convenient for me.
There are no men allowed in the rear palace.
I have no chance of running into that man whose name I don't even want to hear.
Could it be that he did this for me on purpose?
Either way, I'm a food taster again.
Oh, you're in a good mood.
What? That's not true.
How unfortunate.
I was happy to have a girl here that I can train.
Right?
My first time in the rear palace in a while
has been uneventful.
I'm working as a food taster, like before.
This is safe to eat.
Other than her late period, there's no way to know if she's pregnant.
I thought this during Lady Ah-Duo's incident,
but maybe He's not just some perverted old man.
His trusted advisor, Lady Ah-Duo, left,
and her replacement was an eccentric girl
who could even sway the court.
He can't ignore her,
but having a child with her would cause problems...
It must be quite the headache.
VERDIGRIS HOUSE
Hey, did you hear?
One of the Three Princesses?
Yes! She's being bought out of bondage!
Bought... Out?
PREVIEW OF NEXT EPISODE
Next Episode, "How to Buy Out a Contract."
Subtitle translation by: Yukimi Ohashi