ORIGINAL STORY BY NATSU HYUUGA
You mean to make Lady Lihua
eat such low-class food?
It needs to be more luxurious.
Otherwise, it won't suit Lady Lihua's taste.
It'd be a disgrace to even show Lady Lihua this food!
Does she really think Lady Lihua would approve of this?
Oh, god.
So annoying.
I didn't want to come to the Crystal Pavilion if I could help it...
It was the night that the Emperor visited the Jade Pavilion...
There is no poison.
I'll be taking my leave.
Wait.
The Emperor spoke to me for the first time.
We would like to request something from the rumored apothecary.
"Rumored?" I have a bad feeling about this.
Yes, my lord.
Concubine Lihua's condition is not good.
Can you look after her for a while?
By "look after," He means "heal her."
The Emperor's words are words from heaven.
If I refuse, I could be beheaded.
Yes, my lord.
Even so,
he doesn't need to say this in front of another concubine.
It's a reminder that the Emperor
is a whole different being than us.
Even so,
to treat someone who arrived here by the Emperor's orders this poorly...
I guess that Lady Lihua's attendants
hate me for working for Lady Gyokuyou
that much.
If you're done cleaning, hurry up and get out!
Boing!
Whatever. I'll remake it again.
Maomao, you're at the Crystal Pavilion?
Yes. I'm looking after Lady Lihua.
I see.
She's still not getting any better, huh?
The poison from the face powder is probably still in her system.
The poisonous powder, right?
That powder is now forbidden.
All the remaining powder
in the rear palace was removed by the eunuchs.
I see. That's good.
But a direct request from the Emperor! You're so amazing, Maomao!
I was really surprised!
Requesting something from a girl like me...
The palace physician must be that incompetent.
- You're going to the kitchen, right? - Yeah.
- Good luck on your cooking! - Thanks.
All right!
After studying Lady Lihua's condition,
I decided to improve upon her diet first.
First, we must remove the remaining poison in her system.
To do that, we need porridge with plenty of fiber,
and tea with a diuretic effect.
Not this. Nor this.
This one, this one, and this.
Not that one, either.
Cut it out, all right?
This isn't a place where low-class people can just come and go.
Boing!
This will take a while.
All right, next up...
This one, this one, that and this...
Didn't I tell you?
First, we have to give her something easy to digest.
She doesn't need peasant food.
A patient needs plenty of nutrients to recover.
So that's what she's always eating?
Yes, it's rich in nutrients,
but it's too heavy for a patient with a weak stomach.
If they used their head even a little, they would know.
No one's stopping them?
Lady Lihua, we have your food.
These are all your favorite foods.
Please have even a little bit.
- Lady Lihua? - What should we do?
Water, quickly!
Are you all right, Lady Lihua?
Lady Lihua, here's some water. Please drink this.
Huh?
Because a low-class person like you is in the room...
- The room has bad air! - Get out!
Boing...
I can't even get close to her like this.
All right, what should I do?
Could I at least examine her?
No need.
What if you worsen her condition?
In this state, she'll definitely get weaker and die.
Humans have to eat to live.
She probably lost the will to live after losing her son.
How long until my neck says goodbye to my body
for going against the Emperor's divine orders?
You look like you need help.
Do I look like I need help?
You do, indeed.
Sir Jinshi?
What's up with that woman?
Why her and Sir Jinshi...
Now they've got the wrong idea!
Let's go inside, shall we?
Sir Jinshi!
Going against the Emperor's wishes
goes against intelligent, beautiful women like you.
Oh my! We weren't doing anything of the sort...
Exactly. We weren't doing such things...
Women are terrifying.
Now, go.
She has the will to eat.
But she's weaker than I thought.
Maybe rice gruel will work...
Excuse me.
Her skin is the same color as before...
Are you the one applying makeup to Concubine Lihua?
Yes, I am.
I want her to stay beautiful.
That's the duty of a lady-in-waiting.
It's all for Lady Lihua.
- It's to be expected. - I see.
What are you doing?
Huh? I'm just chastising an idiot.
Ouch! Stop it! It hurts!
The poison will go through your whole body soon.
Good for you.
Now, you can be just as beautiful.
Just like the Lady Lihua you admire so much.
Her blood-drained skin, her sunken eyes,
and a body that can't even eat...
Do you even know why this was forbidden?
Do you?
But, I thought...
Lady Lihua would appreciate it...
I'm saying it's poison, damn it!
You don't think at all.
You always think you know best, do you?
Who would appreciate poison that killed their own brat, huh?
Rinse your mouth and wash your face!
You! This is no environment for the ill!
- Hurry up and clean the floor! - Yes, ma'am!
Wow.
Women really are terrifying, huh?
Did I... really do that?
Let's go.
Lady Lihua's state was worse than imagined.
First, remake the multigrain porridge into a gruel,
force her mouth open and pour it in.
Let her swallow slowly, then repeat.
Now's not the time to think about manners or class.
Ventilating the room dissipated the scent of incense,
and the room started smelling of illness.
Those useless attendants can't even wipe down their lady properly?
And they call themselves attendants?
If they have time to burn incense, there are other things to prioritize!
Hey. Bring a tub of hot water and cloth.
Yes, ma'am.
- You help too. - Yes, ma'am!
Any chance I got, I made her drink tea.
This increased her urination and
got rid of the poison in her body.
I think Lady Lihua doesn't want to...
No. She has to drink.
Once she could eat more in one sitting,
I slowly increased the amount of rice grains.
Once she could swallow that,
I added soup and grated fruits to her diet.
I heard later that
the attendant was placed under house arrest.
The face powder was
something she hid and kept for Lady Lihua.
The eunuch who failed to collect the powder
was punished by whipping.
You look tired.
Yes. Unlike some people, I'm very busy.
These are for you.
Thank you very much.
He's observant, as always!
People like that will make a good husband.
Even though he's a eunuch.
Compared to him...
Do you need help with anything?
What is it? Tell me anything!
We need more people over there. Can we get someone?
Please complete this as quickly as possible!
Yes, sir!
A steam bath?
She says it's important to get her to sweat.
Will it work?
I'm sure it will.
We have to use what we can, right?
What is it, ma'am?
Why didn't you...
just let me die like that...?
If that's what you want, you don't have to eat.
You ate the porridge because you don't want to die.
I see...
You're right...
You are...
My suspension was lifted.
I was permitted to serve under Lady Lihua once again.
I'll never make the same mistakes I made last time.
I'll take over for now.
Please rest for a while.
I see.
Lady Lihua.
Will you fetch me some water?
Yes, my lady.
Yes!
After about two months,
Lady Lihua recovered enough that she could walk on her own.
She is proud, but not conceited. Because of the incidents with
the Eastern Palace, I had thought that she was a spoiled princess,
but she possessed the qualifying traits of a concubine.
I'll be taking my leave early tomorrow morning.
I see.
I have informed
the attendants of what to eat and what to watch out for.
Hey. Do you think that I can no longer have children?
I don't know.
It would be good to try.
Even if the Emperor no longer visits me?
I came here on the orders of the Emperor.
Once I return to the Jade Pavilion,
I think that the Emperor will visit you.
Will a woman who let her own child die
without listening to the warnings win against Concubine Gyokuyou?
It's not a matter of winning or losing.
The world is filled with hundreds and thousands of flowers.
It's not right to judge whether
the peony or the balloon flower is more beautiful.
I don't have those jade eyes or her pale-colored hair.
You can make up for it with other things.
It's not just the size that's impressive.
The tension and the shape are exquisite.
What?
Will you lend me your ear?
Of course.
All right, then. I'll be off.
The "gift" I left for Lady Lihua
is a secret method that my Big Sisters taught me
back at the brothel.
You remember too, Maomao. It'll help you!
Okay.
Unfortunately,
I don't have the double fruit required to pull off such a thing.
But it's the perfect method for Lady Lihua.
I hope it helps her.
I've returned.
Welcome back.
Are you okay, Maomao?
You've gotten so thin!
It must've been hard work.
Pulling off the Emperor's divine orders all on her own...
She's impressive, that one.
Later, there was a time when the frequency of the Emperor's visits
to the Jade Pavilion dropped dramatically.
Finally, I can get some sleep!
It's not worth mentioning that Maomao's eyes glazed over.
It's a curse!
PREVIEW OF NEXT EPISODE
Next episode, "Covert Operations."
Subtitle translation by: Yukimi Ohashi