The Apothecary Diaries Book 3

Beating the Heat

Maomao headed for the main room. They said she was wanted for something. When she got there, she found a eunuch draped across the couch. Maomao bowed politely, then went and stood before Consort Gyokuyou.

"Lady Gyokuyou, you asked for me?"

"Oh, it wasn't me," Gyokuyou said, taking a sip of some warm juice. She might normally have preferred some fruit wine with luxurious ice in it, but Maomao had advised her to abstain on account of her pregnancy. Hongniang was trying to make up the difference by fanning her.

"I'm the one with business for you," said Jinshi, his face as gorgeous as ever. Gaoshun was performing the same service for him as Hongniang was for Gyokuyou, fanning industriously. That would normally be a task for some more menial servant—the fact that none was present suggested there were secrets afoot yet again.

"What sort of business, sir?" Maomao asked.

Jinshi looked at Gyokuyou and said, "I'd like to have her back for a few days." He was clearly referring to Maomao. As for having her "back," she was technically on loan to Consort Gyokuyou, to look after the consort's health until the child was born. One wasn't normally allowed to return to the rear palace after having left it, but it seemed special dispensation had been granted—along with special conditions.

"Goodness. And what am I supposed to do for a food taster while she's gone?" Gyokuyou asked pointedly.

"You needn't worry about a thing. I'll lend you my lady-in-waiting in the meantime. She's quite experienced with poisons, if not quite so much as this young woman."

"I wonder, can I trust her?"

"You wound me, lady."

Gyokuyou had a mischievous smile on her face. When Jinshi referred to his lady-in-waiting, Maomao could think of only one person: the not-quite-elderly Suiren. Yes, she would certainly do well enough in Maomao's place. She was a shrewd one, if nothing else.

But in that case, Maomao wondered, who would look after Jinshi? The grandmotherly attendant insisted on babying this otherwise adult man, such that Maomao wasn't even sure he could dress himself without her.

"You said a few days," Gyokuyou said. "Are you planning to go somewhere?"

"Indeed. I've been invited to go hunting."

"Goodness gracious!"

Hunting, huh? Maomao thought. What a very high-society way to pass the time. Would there be hawks involved to chase down the quarry?

"It's at Lord Shishou's invitation." Jinshi's smile was perfect; there wasn't so much as a crack in his facade.

Lord Shishou, huh? Maomao thought. She recalled he was an important official—Consort Loulan's father. Was it just Maomao, or did this smell like trouble? She wanted to tell Jinshi not to drag her into anything that was going to be a huge headache. But then again, she wondered if a hunt might mean she got to eat some fresh meat. Maybe they would be hunting deer or rabbit. If I had the choice, I wouldn't want rabbit meat as much as I'd want a rice cake made by a rabbit. An old fairy tale held that the rabbit in the moon produced medicine with a mallet.

"That sounds taxing. For both you and whoever accompanies you."

"There's a great deal at work here, you see."

"And you wish to borrow my Maomao for this?"

"Yes. Borrow her back."

Gyokuyou's eyes glinted the way they always did when she'd latched onto something that amused her. "Does it really have to be Maomao? We have plenty of perfectly nice girls here."