WEBVTT

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ORIGINAL STORY BY NATSU HYUUGA

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THIS STORY IS A FICION, AND ALL NAMES OF
FIGURES ND ORGANIZATIONS ARE FICTITIOUS.

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MOREOVER, THE STORY HAS NO RELATION
TO REAL-LIFE INCIDENTS AND EVENTS.

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Maomao.

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Can you deliver medicine
to the Verdigris House?

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Got it, old man.

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A lot of women are getting
kidnapped recently.

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Be careful.

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I'll be fine.

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I'll stop by the farm.

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All right. Thank you.

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I'm off!

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THE VERDIGRIS HOUSE

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That's all you've got?

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Come on, this is my whole fortune!

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Out of the question.

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That's one of the Verdigris House's
prized Three Princesses,

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the popular Pairin!

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Don't look without paying!

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It's not healing fast enough.
I'll change the recipe.

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Oh, Maomao.

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Big Sis Pairin!

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Look at those new scars!

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Oh, this?

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They're experiments for my medicine,
like usual.

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Are you eating properly?

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Those things are impressive as always.

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Maomao! If one of your little experiments

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blows up this room, I won't forgive you!

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Or would you rather work
as a courtesan here instead?

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Shoot!

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Granny, I'm leaving the medicine here!

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Say hello to the old man for me!

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Geez.

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I heard Maomao's voice.

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- Where did Maomao go?
- She ran away.

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That sleazy granny...

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She tells me
to be a courtesan any chance she gets!

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<i>Could they be kidnappers?</i>

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Old man will worry about me.

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The Eastern Palace heir is born!

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Congratulations, Lady Lihua!

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Her baby was delivered without issues.

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I see. I'm glad...

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THREE MONTHS LATER

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I want to eat skewers from the market...

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I hope the old man is eating properly.

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<i>So annoying. I don't know if I was
sold off or used as a scapegoat,</i>

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<i>but it's been three months
since I got here.</i>

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<i>The palace and the pleasure district
are not that different.</i>

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<i>I wanted to avoid getting involved
in the rear palace if possible, but...</i>

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now that I'm here, it can't be helped.

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<i>Even though I had a pretty good life
as an apothecary...</i>

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<i>The rear palace is an all-female area
for giving birth to the emperor's child.</i>

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<i>Men are strictly forbidden
from entering this area.</i>

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<i>The only people who can enter here are
high nobility and their blood relations.</i>

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<i>Other than that, only eunuchs,
or "former men"</i>

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<i>who've lost their "precious parts"
can enter.</i>

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<i>All the consorts
and palace women total 2,000.</i>

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<i>Along with the 1,000 eunuchs,
it is a large living area.</i>

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<i>Unlike the high, mid
and low-ranking consorts,</i>

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<i>us maidservants doing menial tasks</i>

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<i>can lose our lives at any moment.</i>

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SEVENTEEN

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<i>Next up is the shut-in
low-ranking consort.</i>

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<i>At least we get paid a salary.</i>

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Hey, Maomao!

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Do you know which room this tag is for?

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This is Wisteria Nine, so it's over there.

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Thank you!

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<i>There are many maidservants
who can't read.</i>

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<i>Before working at the rear palace,</i>

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<i>we are trained strictly in basic manners,</i>

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<i>but it's different
with reading and writing.</i>

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<i>Even if you got higher salaries
for your literacy,</i>

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<i>the kidnappers would just take
a higher portion of your pay.</i>

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<i>But there are rare cases</i>

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<i>where maidservants are promoted to
low-ranking consorts.</i>

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<i>Simply put...</i>

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<i>it's looks.</i>

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<i>Freckles, flat chest.</i>

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<i>A figure with no curves.</i>

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<i>So it has nothing to do with me.</i>

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<i>If I stand out too much,
my life could be put at risk.</i>

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<i>I'd rather stay like this.</i>

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<i>If I shut up and work,
I can leave after two years.</i>

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<i>I want to drink so bad!</i>

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- Hey, did you hear?
- Huh?

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There's apparently a really pretty
eunuch in the central area.

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That's all everyone's talking about
these days!

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I see.

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If he's that beautiful,
I'd love to see him once, don't you think?

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A eunuch, huh?

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- She's lost a lot of weight.
- Yeah.

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Xiaoling...

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Unfortunately,

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the physician is fully occupied
with the Eastern Palace.

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I see.

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They're just three months
and six months old, right?

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Yes, both the Eastern Palace
and Princess Lingli.

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Do you think it's a curse, like they say?

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What's this about?

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You don't know, Maomao?

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The entire rear palace is
talking about this!

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About the serial deaths of the heirs
in the rear palace!

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<i>All three of the Emperor's children got</i>

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<i>gradually weaker after their births
and died!</i>

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<i>It's strange, right?</i>

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<i>All three babies?</i>

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<i>It looks like the same thing
is happening now.</i>

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<i>The baby is sick?</i>

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Exactly! So this time, there are doctors
in both Lady Gyokuyou

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and Lady Lihua's residences!

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The current emperor has no empress,

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so Lady Lihua, who gave birth to
the Eastern Palace will be empress!

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That's obvious.

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<i>If the emperor has no empress,
the consort with the Eastern Palace,</i>

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<i>Consort Lihua,
is at the top of the rear palace.</i>

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<i>But it's rumored that
the emperor's favorite</i>

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<i>is Lady Gyokuyou.</i>

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<i>People say that might have something
to do with all this.</i>

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A political power struggle, huh?

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I wonder if Lady Lihua's condition
is more serious.

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I hear the doctor is by her side
day and night.

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Lady Lihua is unwell as well?

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Yes. Both mother and child.

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I heard they have headaches,
stomachaches, and nausea as well.

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Headaches, stomachaches, and nausea...

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I knew it! It's definitely a curse!

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- A curse? You've got to be joking.
- What?

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Headaches, stomachaches, and nausea...

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Could murder by poison be a possibility?

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No. If they want the throne, there's
no reason for the princess to be targeted.

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It's highly unlikely they were poisoned.

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It could be an illness, or...

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Could it be in their blood?

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Why am I getting so serious over rumors?

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These are just speculations.

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Just speculation. However...

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I can check it out for a little bit.

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As expected of a building
where the high-ranking consorts live,

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even a single pillar is more sophisticated

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than the building we live in.

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It's your fault!

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Lady Gyokuyou!

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Because you gave birth to a girl,

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you intend to curse my son to death!

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You know that that's impossible.

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Xiaoling is suffering
just as much as your son.

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Lady Lihua is furious.

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How unfortunate for Lady Gyokuyou.

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Sir Jinshi...

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That's why I want you
to examine my daughter as well.

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Yes, but... Well...

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<i>Is that flustered eunuch
in the middle, the physician?</i>

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<i>That quack doctor, is he stupid?</i>

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<i>He spends all that time with the two
consorts, and he really hasn't realized?</i>

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<i>Or... could it be, he doesn't even know?</i>

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<i>Deaths of infants. Headache,
stomachache, and nausea.</i>

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<i>And even more, the haggard state
of Lady Lihua.</i>

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<i>This isn't a curse at all.</i>

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<i>The problem is how to tell them.</i>

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If I can find something to write with...

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<i>Not a month had passed when the news about</i>

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<i>the Eastern Palace's death got around.</i>

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<i>It looks like you want to
ask me something.</i>

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This is...

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It was the day I visited
the Crystal Pavilion

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to ask for my daughter to be examined.

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This was placed by my window after that.

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It was tied to this branch.

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A rhododendron?

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"The powder is poison.
Don't let the baby touch it.

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Ignorance is sin."

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A court physician wouldn't leave
such a cryptic message.

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Yes, it looks like he never figured out
how to treat the Eastern Palace.

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Who wrote this letter?

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I want you to find that out for me.

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<i>Now that I think about it, that time...</i>

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If I can find something to write with...

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Understood.

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Could I keep this with me
for a little while?

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The Emperor is cherishing
the princess who survived,

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so he's been visiting Lady Gyokuyou often.

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What about Lady Lihua?

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I don't hear about that at all.

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How convenient for him, huh?

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Oh, I finally found you!

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You're to head to the Matron of
the Serving Women's office right away.

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What?

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You've been summoned?

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I wonder what this is about.

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All right, everybody who gathered here
should enter.

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<i>Maidservants being
summoned by a higher-up?</i>

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<i>I have a bad feeling about this.</i>

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<i>Are they just short on staff?</i>

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Sorry to call you all like this.

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<i>Who is this bossy palace woman?</i>

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I'm the manager of the rear palace, Jinshi.

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<i>He's a man?</i>

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<i>I guess the "really pretty eunuch"
Xiaolan mentioned was this guy.</i>

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<i>What a waste for him</i>

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<i>to be this beautiful
and not be able to have children.</i>

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THE FRECKLE WOMAN OVER THERE,
YOU'RE STAYING WITH ME.

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<i>Freckle... Woman...</i>

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<i>Oh, shit!</i>

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We're done for today.
Go back to your rooms.

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Huh? What's going on?

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<i>Did I make some big mistake
that got his attention?</i>

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<i>Could it be the letter from that time...</i>

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<i>I see! I'm the only maidservant here
that can read.</i>

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<i>He wrote that sentence to figure that out!</i>

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<i>Shit, I have to run...</i>

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You can't run. I told you, you're staying.

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Shut up and come with me.

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<i>I got played...</i>

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This is strange.

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I looked at my records
and it said you can't read.

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Yes, I was born of low class.

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This must be some sort of mistake.

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<i>Why would I tell you?</i>

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<i>The world is easier to get around
if you pretend to know nothing.</i>

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<i>Anyways, how did this man find out
about my letter?</i>

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<i>I was careful of my surroundings!</i>

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<i>Why is he so suspicious?</i>

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<i>He has way too much time on his hands!</i>

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- Come in.
- Excuse me.

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<i>What will they yell at me for?</i>

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<i>I hope I can make it out alive...</i>

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I have come with the girl.

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Come in.

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I'm sorry for the trouble.

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I'm so glad...

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So you are...

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You've saved my Lingli's life.

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Thank you.

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I'm not of a position
for you to do such things!

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No. I can't thank you enough.

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My child owes you her life.

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You're mistaking me for someone else.

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You've probably made a mistake.

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<i>I'd hate to get beheaded
for contradicting her,</i>

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<i>but I don't want to get involved!</i>

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I have something from Consort Gyokuyou.

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You know that this fabric is used
in the uniform of maidservants, right?

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I guess it looks similar...

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Yes, it's used by maidservants
in Wardrobe Service.

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For example, a laundry girl like you...

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Maybe you ripped off a hem
from your skirt.

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<i>He even knew about that?</i>

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Tell us.

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Why did you place a rhododendron branch
by the window?

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Because I found out about
the truth behind the incidents.

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It was caused by the face powder.

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<i>In the pleasure district where I grew up,</i>

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<i>there were many courtesans
who used expensive powder.</i>

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Most of these women

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were consumed by the poison
contained in the powder

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and lost their lives.

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<i>They weighed their lives against beauty,</i>

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<i>and ended up losing both.</i>

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I was an apothecary,

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so I know a lot about poison.

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That face powder...

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This was used by my child's wet nurse.

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She said the white of this powder
stood out the most,

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so she liked using this.

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The wet nurse was also ill,
so I placed her on leave.

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I gave her plenty of money as well.

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I see.

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Ignorance is sin.

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I should've kept a closer watch
on what my child puts in her mouth.

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I should have as well.

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If we had realized this earlier,

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we could've saved many lives.
Even the Eastern Palace...

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After finding this letter,

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I told Consort Lihua about
the powder as well, but...

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<i>She wouldn't listen to anything
I had to say.</i>

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So...

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What should I do?

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Starting today, you will be my attendant!

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What?

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<i>What Maomao can't hold back</i>

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<i>is her curiosity and her appetite
for knowledge.</i>

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<i>That, and a little bit of
a sense of justice...</i>

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<i>Shit, shit, shit!</i>

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<i>If I had just stayed put and worked.</i>

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<i>- I could've...</i>
- Welcome back, Maomao!

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How did it go?

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<i>This is how Maomao became
the lady-in-waiting for</i>

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<i>the Emperor's beloved Consort Gyokuyou.</i>

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<i>In other words, she got a promotion!</i>

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LI

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Hey!

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This is poison!

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PREVIEW OF NEXT EPISODE

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<i>Next episode, "Chilly Apothecary."</i>

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Subtitle translation by: Yukimi Ohashi