WEBVTT
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The Apothecary Diaries
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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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Dad!
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Dad!
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Episode 7: Homecoming
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I wonder if Dad's doing okay.
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Right. Yesterday, after the garden party...
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What are you talking about?!
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The minister who ate the poison
is in terrible condition!
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You're sick. Get lots of sleep!
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Thanks to them, I got a good deal of sleep.
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But sleeping until noon is too much.
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I can't go without makeup now.
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Oh.
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You could have taken a day off.
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I can't allow myself to do that.
Please put me to work.
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Oh? Your freckles.
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I'm uncomfortable without them.
Can I keep them on?
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I understand.
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Everyone kept demanding to know
who that lady-in-waiting was.
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My apologies.
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It's fine.
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Anyway, Gaoshun came by this morning
and hasn't left. What do you want to do?
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He seemed bored, so I asked him
to pull up some weeds.
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Weeds...
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Back at the garden party, he was
in a pretty high-ranking seat.
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I guess he really is caring.
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He must win the hearts of
the ladies-in-waiting in his own way.
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May I use the parlor?
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Sure. Hongniang.
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Yes.
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Is it just me, or is Hongniang
being sparkly-eyed, too?
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Master Jinshi wanted me to bring you this.
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This is the soup that Lady Gyokuyou
was supposed to drink, right?
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Yes.
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How kind of him.
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Please don't eat it.
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I won't.
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Silver corrodes quickly.
This is oxidized and no longer tasty.
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Tasty...
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Did you pick this up with your hands?
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No, I didn't touch the bowl.
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I only picked up the contents
in a spoon to see if it was poison.
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Shoop shoop shoop.
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After that, I immediately
wrapped it in cloth.
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One moment, please.
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Clip clip clip.
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Clunk clunk clunk.
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Cotton, powder, and a brush.
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Yes.
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What will you do with these?
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In the apothecary I used to work at,
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we used to put dyes on containers
that weren't supposed to be touched.
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This is a similar technique.
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It's simple. I put some powder
on this cotton ball.
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I dust the bowl with it...
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Finally, I brush off the excess.
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And there.
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There's some white marks.
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That's where a human hand made contact.
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When you touch this with
your fingers, it leaves a mark.
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It's especially visible on silver,
which is easily corroded.
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That's why you thoroughly
wipe silver items before use.
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In other words, the finger
marks remaining here
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were from people who touched
the bowl after it was wiped clean?
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Indeed.
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The size and placement of the finger marks
allows us to guess how they held it.
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The bowl was held...
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What is it?
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Nothing.
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The bowl was held by four people, I think.
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Four people.
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First, three people who touched
the side of the bowl.
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The one who poured the soup,
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the one who carried it,
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and Lady Lishu's taster.
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But there was one more.
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An "outsider" that touched
the rim of the bowl.
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I believe this unknown
person poisoned the food.
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If that's true, why is the taster's finger
mark on the high-rank concubine's bowl?
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That's simple. Lady Lishu's taster swapped it
on purpose as a form of harassment,
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not knowing it was poisoned.
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Swapped it?
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It's bullying.
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A lady-in-waiting is bullying
a high-ranking concubine?
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Sounds like you can't believe it.
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Can you explain?
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Let me first say that this is all
just conjecture on my part.
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That's fine.
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Do you remember Lady Lishu's
dress during the garden party?
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Yes. I believe it was a flashy pink color.
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Normally, you'd think that if a concubine
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picked a color that would clash
with Lady Gyokuyou's dress,
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her ladies-in-waiting would
recommend another one.
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Or, at least, they'd wear something
that matches it themselves.
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However, all of her servants
were wearing white.
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That makes Lady Lishu appear like
a buffoon who can't read the room.
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Ladies-in-waiting should
allow their mistress to shine.
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Come to think of it, that day...
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Have you no decency? A crimson dress?
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Lady Ah-Duo's ladies-in-waiting
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were scolding Lady Lishu's
servants for not doing their jobs.
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The rear palace is full of enemies,
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so the only people a concubine can
truly trust are her ladies-in-waiting.
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I suspect the ladies-in-waiting recommended
that dress to their young Lady Lishu,
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and she wore it without realizing
they'd done it to humiliate her.
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She didn't suspect a thing.
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Not only that, but she also tried to swap
the food to further harass Concubine Lishu?
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Yes, though she was unaware it was poisoned.
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It ended up saving her.
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But it's still quite distasteful.
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Why would they do such a thing?
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Lady Lishu became the previous
emperor's concubine at a very young age.
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Then she left the rear palace
soon after. Her situation is unique.
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A wife must sacrifice everything
to devote to her husband.
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We are all taught this from a very young age.
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I guess, from that perspective,
to wed her deceased husband's son
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is an indecency beyond words.
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I think the mark near the bowl's edge
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was left by the person who added the poison.
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They must have held the edge
while stirring in the poison.
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I see.
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Your fingers must not touch the area
that noble lips are supposed to go.
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That is the teaching of Hongniang.
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That's all I came up with.
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May I ask one more thing?
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What is it?
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Why did you try to protect that
taster yesterday?
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I'm just curious. This isn't
an investigation or anything.
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The life of a serving girl is worthless
compared to that of a concubine.
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Especially if that life
belongs to a food taster...
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I'll try to explain this to Master Jinshi.
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Thank you.
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Well, I should be thankful, since she
did go out of her way to make the swap.
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I was able to taste that poison thanks to her.
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I really should have swallowed that soup.
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That is all.
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I see. You always impress me
with how you word things.
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Is that so?
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This is clearly an inside job, right?
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The situation indicates as much, yes.
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You make it sound so simple.
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I haven't had time to sleep
at all because of this.
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I haven't even been able to change clothes.
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I want to stop thinking.
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Your natural self is showing.
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Who cares? There's nobody here.
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I am here.
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Can you cut me some slack?
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No.
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Nothing I say will move you, huh?
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We've had a long relationship.
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It's not easy having someone
look after you since you were born.
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Master Jinshi, you forgot
to remove your hairpin.
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Oh, oops. Totally forgot.
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It was hidden in your hair.
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I don't think anyone noticed your true status.
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Take care of it for me.
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You're treating it roughly again.
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It's something only special individuals
can wear, so please take care of it.
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I know.
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You don't.
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Excuse me.
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Let's do this...
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Oh right, did you get any hairpins?
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A few.
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I see!
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So, now...
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You can get out of the rear palace!
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Huh? What did you say?
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You can get out of the rear palace?
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More details please!
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Yes...
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You can't meet men from the outside
while at the rear palace,
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but if you get special permission,
a man can escort a female worker outside.
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I see, so that's what the hairpins
they hand out at the garden party means.
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Exactly! You can also use the hairpin to ask
someone to take you out of the rear palace.
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I see. Thanks, Xiaolan. I'll give it a try.
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No problem.
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Maomao, thanks for the hawthorn!
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It was yummy!
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I received a total of four hairpins.
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Two are from men.
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Or rather, since one of the two
lost his important parts,
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maybe I shouldn't call him a "man"?
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Apothecary!
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Right!
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Master Lihaku, a lady from
the rear palace sent you this.
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Oh, understood.
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Yikes, did she take that
consolation hairpin seriously?
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But if it's a pretty lady,
it would be a waste...
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Jade Pavilion
Maomao
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I only gave out one hairpin
at the Jade Pavilion...
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Which means...
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That one?
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Wonder how I should turn her down...
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Excuse me.
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Thank you for waiting.
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Huh? Who are you?
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I get that a lot.
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Do people ever tell you that
makeup changes you drastically?
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I get that a lot, too.
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But anyway, you called me up...
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I'd like to go back to my family.
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Your family?
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Do you know what this means?
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I was told that I could go home temporarily,
as long as you can vouch for me.
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You're quite bold.
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You, a mere lady-in-waiting, are demanding
that I, a military officer, vouch for you?
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Yes.
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And you summoned me just for that?
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Yes.
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I don't know if you're dauntless or clueless.
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So, little girl, you're trying to
exploit me for your homecoming?
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No, I believe I can offer you
something valuable in exchange.
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Huh?
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Verdigris House - Introduction Letter - Pairin
Verdigris House - Introduction Letter - Joka
Verdigris House - Introduction Letter - Meimei
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Could I interest you in a flower-viewing
session at the Verdigris House?
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Th-The Verdigris House?!
You've gotta be kidding!
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A night at that super high-class brothel
could cost a year of my salary!
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If you're worried, you can show them
one of these introduction letters.
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Pairin. Joka. Meimei.
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Th-That's even less believable!
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Those are the Three Princesses that not even
the highest-rank officials can afford!
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If you can't believe it, that's just too bad.
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Huh?!
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My deepest apologies for
having wasted your time.
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W-Wait...
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It's very unfortunate, but I'll just
have to ask someone else.
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Please forget I mentioned this.
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She has other contacts?!
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Hairpins with rose quartz and silver?!
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They're obviously from
people who far outrank me.
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Just who is this girl?!
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In that case, what she said might be...
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No, it's too suspicious!
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But if it is true, I'll never get another
chance to meet the Three Princesses again...
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What should I do?!
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So, what will it be?
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I lose.
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Congratulations, Maomao!
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Who would have thought
you'd go before any of us...
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I'm so glad!
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You must've met someone nice!
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Uh, thank you?
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Why are you so casual about this?!
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Don't worry, I'll bring back souvenirs.
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How'd you meet this guy?
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Um, coincidence?
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I'm pretty sure she has no idea
what the hairpin means.
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Yes, I'm sure of it. I feel so
sorry for a certain someone.
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This is so amusing.
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I wonder what kind of face he'll make...
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I suspect some turmoil in the future...
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Jinshi was finally able to finish up
his work and find time to visit
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the day after Maomao had already left.
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Maomao took off with someone.
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On a three-day homecoming.
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The pleasure district where
I grew up isn't far away.
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It's walking distance from the rear palace,
just beyond the walls and moats.
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A carriage? How extravagant.
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Well, the Three Princesses
of the Verdigris House are
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idolized by the population. Worshiped, even.
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Just being able to meet
them would be an honor.
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Oh, there it is...
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The pleasure district!
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There are girls who enter the brothels,
wanting to become like them.
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But it's not easy.
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Even if they become a serving girl,
a courtesan-in-training,
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there's no guarantee that they'll make it.
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So, this is the Verdigris House...
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Yes.
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Verdigris House
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It's very dignified.
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It's a long-standing, reputable brothel,
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providing everything from middle-
to super-high-rank courtesans.
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Hey, long time no see, Grams.
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How has everyone—
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What do you mean,
"long time no see?!" Stupid girl.
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Are you okay?! What's with this old woman?!
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This is the old madam,
proprietor of the Verdigris House.
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I remember this used to help me
spit out all the poison I tried.
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So, is this the good customer?
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He's got a handsome face and a good build.
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I heard you're a rising star, too.
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Hey, why say that out loud to his face?
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Hey, get Pairin.
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She should be making tea today.
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Yes, ma'am!
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Pairin...
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Master Lihaku, how strong are your arm muscles?
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I do train pretty regularly.
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This could be...
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This way, please.
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I'm getting nervous...
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Make a good impression, okay?
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Yeah.
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So, why'd you vanish for ten
whole months without a word?
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I had no say in the matter.
Didn't you read the letter I sent?
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Of course I read it! That's why
I'm taking care of that guy for you,
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even though we're introduction only!
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I know, I know. I got half of my pay at
the rear palace early, as a special deal.
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This isn't enough for Pairin.
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Can we say it's enough for just some tea?
18:49.580 --> 18:54.020
Idiot! Pairin won't leave
those muscles alone.
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I knew it. But that's not
something I can control...
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That won't fly! I'll add it to the tab.
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I could never afford that...
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In that case, bring more good customers.
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Similar to that guy. Young, so that we can
drain him over a long period of time.
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Would a eunuch be an acceptable customer?
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No way. The courtesans
would pull out all the stops
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and put the brothel out of business.
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But I'd feel bad for Gaoshun
or the quack doctor...
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Maomao, your old man should be
at home. Go visit him already.
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Cross just one street, and the face of
the town changes dramatically.
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Rough shacks, beggars,
and syphilitic streetwalkers.
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Things haven't changed.
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I'm home, Dad.
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Welcome home. You were out for a while.
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I'm finally home.
20:08.630 --> 20:13.900
Yeah, on that day, I was out
getting dyes for my freckles, when...
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I still have time left on my term, so I'll
go back to the rear palace in two days.
20:29.230 --> 20:29.990
I see.
20:30.380 --> 20:33.110
I'm sleepy, but I also want a bath.
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You should borrow a bath at
the Verdigris House tomorrow.
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Yeah, I'll do that.
20:58.920 --> 21:03.580
The rear palace? What a twist of fate.
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Not just some superficial sweetness
21:12.290 --> 21:17.220
I want more warmth than I can even use, oh
21:18.500 --> 21:23.550
Having these selfish idealistic thoughts
21:23.550 --> 21:28.120
I swallowed them again today
before putting them into words
21:28.690 --> 21:33.290
Still in my memories,
the scent of fragrant olive
21:33.290 --> 21:36.410
The color of twilight in the city
21:36.410 --> 21:41.230
We were laughing...
21:41.230 --> 21:53.140
Filled with sadness,
the tears welled up in my eyes
21:53.670 --> 22:01.360
I found a glow during those days
22:01.360 --> 22:05.420
I guess I took everything for granted
22:06.040 --> 22:18.460
The wind was so loud I covered my ears
22:18.460 --> 22:26.000
I gotta stop being like that
22:26.000 --> 22:34.200
Even if I stumble over the words of love
22:35.040 --> 22:50.050
Next Time
22:46.520 --> 22:48.820
Next time: "Wheat Stalks."
22:46.630 --> 22:50.050
Episode 8: Wheat Stalks