E10 - Honey

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(Please feel free to edit the speaker names if incomplete or inaccurate. Names are handled on a best-effort basis depending on the info on the source file. Dialogue is left as is.)
SIGN    The Apothecary Diaries
SIGN    The Apothecary Diaries
SIGN    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.
SIGN    Episode 10: Honey
[01:52] Xiaolan
    I heard about the servant
    who drowned. It was a suicide!
[01:56] Xiaolan
    She was a servant at the Garnet Pavilion.
[01:59] Xiaolan
    I heard she was the one who poisoned
    Lady Lishu's food at the garden party...
[02:03] Xiaolan
    I wonder if she did it because
     she served Concubine Ah-Duo?
[02:07] Maomao
    You mean, Pure Consort Ah-Duo?
[02:09] Xiaolan
    Yeah. She's going to lose her title
    as one of the four consorts
[02:12] Xiaolan
    to be replaced by a new,
    younger concubine, I hear.
[02:16] Maomao
    Concubine Ah-Duo is one year older
    than the emperor, at 35 years old.
[02:22] Maomao
    She had a male baby with the emperor once,
    back when he was still a prince, but lost him.
[02:27] Maomao
    It's too bad, but the whole rear palace
    system is built for creating many babies.
[02:33] Maomao
    Mother of a dead male baby.
[02:37] Maomao
    Will the same thing happen to Lady Lihua,
    if she can't have another baby?
[02:42] Maomao
    There's no guarantee that Lady Gyokuyou
    will continue to have the emperor's love.
[02:48] Maomao
    Even the most beautiful
    flowers wilt over time.
[02:51] Maomao
    The flowers of the rear palace are
    meaningless unless they bear fruit.
[02:55] Xiaolan
    I gotta go now.
[02:57] Maomao
    Oh. Take this, too.
[02:59] Maomao
    They're leftovers from yesterday's tea party.
[03:01] Xiaolan
    Thanks!
[03:02] Xiaolan
    Enough snacks to have leftovers?
    Tea parties are awesome.
[03:08] Maomao
    I'm not so sure.
[03:10] Maomao
    A tea party is definitely a form
    of work for a concubine.
[03:14] Yinghua
    Maomao, help us set up!
[03:16] Maomao
    Another one?
[03:18] Maomao
    You're working quite hard for this one.
[03:21] Yinghua
    Obviously. This time,
    it's a high-ranked concubine,
[03:23] Yinghua
    the Virtuous Consort, Lady Lishu!
[03:26] Maomao
    The politics of the rear palace
    is well-represented here.
[03:30] Gyokuyou
    Welcome, Concubine Lishu.
[03:34] Lishu
    Thank you.
[03:36] Maomao
    Non-stop probing of each other's thoughts.
[03:40] Maomao
    Is it part of the nature of being a woman
    to be cautious of the same sex?
[03:45] Maomao
    To be honest, they seem more wary
    than when the emperor is here.
[03:50] Maomao
    The way Lady Gyokuyou gleans
    information through polite conversation
[03:54] Maomao
    shows how skilled of a concubine she is.
[03:57] Maomao
    I heard she sends the information
    she gathers to her family back home.
[04:00] Maomao
    Being a trade hub, it must be
    important to understand the times.
[04:14] Maomao
    The taster at the garden party.
[04:16] Maomao
    I'm glad to see she hasn't been
    too harshly punished.
[04:20] Maomao
    I'm not going to bite her head off or anything.
[04:24] Maomao
    The other servants aren't paying
    attention to their mistress at all.
[04:28] Maomao
    That said, it doesn't seem like they're
    actively harassing her, either.
[04:32] Maomao
    If my report to Master Gaoshun
    was mistaken, that's fortunate.
[04:37] Gyokuyou
    Do you have any issues with sweets?
[04:40] Lishu
    I love sweets.
[04:42] Gyokuyou
    Great.
[04:45] Gyokuyou
    It's cold out, so I was
    wondering if you'd like this.
[04:49] Gyokuyou
    It's orange peels boiled
    in honey. It'll warm you up.
[04:56] Gyokuyou
    I hope you like it.
[05:03] Maomao
    Hmm? She can't handle honey, either?
[05:06] Lishu's Lady-in-Waiting 1
    Is she being a picky eater again?
[05:08] Lishu's Lady-in-Waiting 2
    She won't even eat something served to her?
[05:10] Lishu's Lady-in-Waiting 3
    I know, right?
[05:22] Maomao
    Lady Gyokuyou.
[05:25] Gyokuyou
    Oh, my. Ailan, I'm sorry.
[05:28] Gyokuyou
    I think this one needs to
     be boiled a bit longer.
[05:31] Gyokuyou
    Let me get you something else.
[05:33] Gyokuyou
    How about hot ginger water?
[05:36] Lishu
    Yes, that's fine.
[05:40] Maomao
    Unfortunately, it seems like
    I wasn't wrong about the bullying.
[05:48] Yinghua
    We'll clean up here.
[05:50] Ailan
    Maomao, you can rest.
[05:53] Maomao
    I can clean too, you know...
[05:56] Jinshi
    How was the tea party for
    Concubines Gyokuyou and Lishu?
[06:00] Maomao
    I thought it was odd how that
    tea party happened so suddenly.
[06:06] Maomao
    So, it was this guy's idea, after all.
[06:09] Maomao
    They had a enjoyable time.
[06:12] Jinshi
    I'm not done with you.
[06:15] Maomao
    Could you please let go?
[06:19] Jinshi
    Did you hear that
     the garden party poisoning
[06:21] Jinshi
    was done by the Garnet Pavilion
    servant who committed suicide?
[06:26] Maomao
    I heard the rumors.
[06:29] Jinshi
    Do you think she really committed suicide?
[06:33] Maomao
    That's not for me to determine.
[06:37] Jinshi
    Why would a common servant
    poison Concubine Lishu?
[06:43] Maomao
    I don't know.
[06:51] Jinshi
    Well then, can you go help out at
    the Garnet Pavilion, starting tomorrow?
[06:56] Maomao
    "Can" I? It's not like I have a choice.
[07:03] Maomao
    Understood.
[07:06] Maomao
    Mansions are painted in their
    masters' colors, figuratively speaking.
[07:10] Maomao
    Concubine Gyokuyou's
    Jade Pavilion feels homey,
[07:13] Maomao
    while Concubine Lihua's
    Crystal Pavilion felt refined and noble.
[07:17] Maomao
    The Garnet Pavilion, home to Concubine Ah-Duo,
[07:20] Maomao
    was practical and simple,
    yet polished and classy.
[07:24] Fengming
    My apologies for summoning you so suddenly.
[07:26] Fengming
    I'm looking forward to working
    with you over the next three days.
[07:30] Maomao
    Master Jinshi didn't tell me
    to do anything specific.
[07:33] Maomao
    I guess I should just work.
[07:35] Ah-Duo
    These are new faces.
[07:37] Ah-Duo
    Fengming, who are they?
[07:39] Fengming
    Temporary help for our big cleaning day.
[07:43] Ah-Duo
    I see. Thanks for the help.
[07:46] Maomao
    Ah-Duo, the Pure Consort.
[07:49] Maomao
    She's neither showy nor voluptuous,
[07:51] Maomao
    but she has an androgynous,
    almost gallant kind of beauty.
[07:54] Maomao
    She's really thirty-five?
[07:57] Maomao
    If she dressed differently,
    she'd pass as a young civil servant.
[08:01] Maomao
    She'd probably look better in a riding suit,
    instead of her skirt and dress.
[08:15] Maomao
    Whoa, those longing stares.
[08:25] Maomao
    Does she remind me of someone?
[08:32] Maomao
    Lady Fengming, the head lady-in-waiting.
[08:35] Maomao
    I expected the Pure Consort's
    head lady-in-waiting
[08:37] Maomao
    to be from an important family,
[08:39] Maomao
    but she's surprisingly approachable.
[08:42] Fengming
    Can you air the books out?
[08:48] Fengming
    You can ask the eunuchs
    to handle the heavy items.
[08:54] Maomao
    She really is the oldest
    high-ranking concubine.
[08:57] Maomao
    Despite the efficient look,
    the mansion has a whole lot of stuff.
[09:04] Maomao
    Similar to the Jade Pavilion, the servants
    at the Garnet Pavilion are hard workers.
[09:08] Maomao
    Certain fools who are all talk
    could learn a thing or two.
[09:23] Maomao
    Phew.
[09:27] Maomao
    I guess that's it.
[09:29] Fengming
    Incredible. You did this much already?
[09:31] Fengming
    And so thorough, too. Can you
     help with the parlor, as well?
[09:37] Maomao
    Yes.
[09:38] Maomao
    She's friendly, observant,
    and praises others well.
[09:42] Maomao
    Seems like she's skilled at handling
    others as head lady-in-waiting.
[09:53] Maomao
    I haven't done so much
    physical labor in a while.
[09:59] Fengming
    Good work. Thank you for your help today.
[10:02] Maomao
    You're welcome.
[10:03] Fengming
    Oh, I know. You'll be
    staying here tonight, correct?
[10:06] Fengming
    Follow me, please.
[10:16] Maomao
    A sweet smell?
[10:18] Fengming
    Please use this. It'll get cold tonight.
[10:22] Maomao
    Thank you.
[10:24] Fengming
    Rest well.
[10:36] Maomao
    Master Jinshi didn't tell me
    to do anything specific.
[10:40] Maomao
    But...
[11:01] Maomao
    Is the mastermind behind
    the poisoning really here?
[11:05] Maomao
    They really are all hard workers.
[11:08] Maomao
    Not just the ladies-in-waiting, but...
[11:10] Garnet Pavilion Lady-in-Waiting 1
    Lady Fengming! We can take care of that!
[11:14] Fengming
    Don't worry about it.
    It's just something I noticed.
[11:18] Maomao
    Lady Fengming is the leading example.
[11:20] Maomao
    She's well past her prime,
    but would have made a great wife.
[11:25] Maomao
    I wonder if she never
    considered getting married.
[11:28] Maomao
    Did she choose to serve
    Concubine Ah-Duo for life?
[11:33] Maomao
    Strong loyalty is a possible
    motive for the poisoning.
[11:38] Maomao
    Now that a new concubine is about to enter,
[11:41] Maomao
    the high-ranking concubine at
    the most risk is Concubine Ah-Duo.
[11:46] Maomao
    But what if a vacancy
    opened up elsewhere first?
[11:49] Maomao
    The emperor is only interested
    in ripened fruit.
[11:52] Maomao
    He doesn't visit Lady Lishu.
[11:55] Maomao
    That's fine, given her age of fourteen,
[11:58] Maomao
    but one could also claim she's not
    serving her role as concubine.
[12:02] Maomao
    If someone were to poison
    someone for Concubine Ah-Duo,
[12:05] Maomao
    it wouldn't be out of the question
    to target Lady Lishu.
[12:09] Garnet Pavilion Lady-in-Waiting 2
    Can someone help me out here?
[12:13] Maomao
    Honey?
[12:14] Garnet Pavilion Lady-in-Waiting 2
    Lady Fengming's family runs an apiary.
[12:18] Maomao
    No wonder there's so much honey here,
    despite it being so expensive.
[12:23] Maomao
    That must have been
    the sweet smell from last night.
[12:32] Maomao
    Lady Lishu?
[12:33] Maomao
    Accompanied by just the one taster?
[12:36] Maomao
    Why is she at the Garnet Pavilion?
[12:38] Maomao
    Coming to think of it, at the tea party...
[12:48] Maomao
    That's what happened at the Garnet Pavilion.
[12:52] Jinshi
    I see.
[12:54] Jinshi
    And?
[12:56] Maomao
    That's it. No "and" or "but."
[12:59] Maomao
    I don't know what he wants.
    I'm just an apothecary.
[13:04] Maomao
    If he wants a spy,
    he's asking the wrong girl.
[13:07] Maomao
    What's with his casual
    attitude recently, anyway?
[13:15] Jinshi
    Let's change the question, then.
[13:17] Jinshi
    If one of them could contact the outside
    using some special method,
[13:21] Jinshi
    who would that be, you think?
[13:23] Maomao
    What a roundabout way of asking.
[13:26] Maomao
    I suppose the only possibility would be
    Lady Fengming, the head lady-in-waiting.
[13:31] Jinshi
    Based on what?
[13:33] Maomao
    She had bandages around her left wrist.
[13:36] Maomao
    Those colored text plates were wrapped in
    a woman's dress with burns on the sleeves.
[13:43] Maomao
    Why would anyone make multi-colored fires?
[13:45] Maomao
    One possibility is that it was a code.
[13:49] Maomao
    Honestly, that gentle head lady-in-waiting
[13:52] Maomao
    didn't seem like she was
    part of a conspiracy.
[13:56] Maomao
    But that's just my opinion.
[14:01] Jinshi
    I suppose that's acceptable.
[14:04] Maomao
    I'm sure he knew this already,
    eating honey so ostentatiously.
[14:11] Jinshi
    A good child needs to be rewarded.
[14:15] Maomao
    I r-respectfully decline.
[14:17] Jinshi
    No need to be modest.
[14:22] Maomao
    No, thank you! Please offer it to someone else!
[14:25] Maomao
    This guy thinks he can get away with
    anything because he has a pretty face!
[14:29] Maomao
    Oh, right, that's the kind of
    pervert he's always been!
[14:34] Maomao
    Master Gaoshun!
[14:37] Maomao
    He's getting laxatives in his food later!
[14:39] Jinshi
    Do you not like sweets?
[14:40] Maomao
    I like spicy foods.
[14:42] Jinshi
    But you can eat this, right?
[14:44] Maomao
    Damn it, he won't listen...
[14:47] Maomao
    If he weren't so high up,
    I'd kick him in the groin...
[14:49] Maomao
    Wait, there's nothing to kick there.
[14:52] Maomao
    Should I just accept this as an order?
    Or escape to maintain my dignity?
[15:01] Maomao
    If this was aconite syrup,
    I'd have just accepted it.
[15:08] Gyokuyou
    Do you have any issues with sweets?
[15:10] Gyokuyou
    I hope you like it.
[15:32] Maomao
    Honey?
[15:33] (Flashback) Garnet Pavilion Lady-in-Waiting 2
    Lady Fengming's family runs an apiary.
[15:37] Maomao
    Lady Lishu?
[15:39] Maomao
    Syrup...
[15:44] Maomao
    Honey.
[15:47] Jinshi
    Apothecary?
[15:49] Gyokuyou
    What are you doing to my lady-in-waiting?
[15:55] Jinshi
    Concubine Gyokuyou! I was just—
[15:57] Gyokuyou
    On whose authority are you doing this?
[16:04] Gaoshun
    Xiaomao, this was just a prank gone too far.
[16:08] Gaoshun
    Could you forgive Master Jinshi?
[16:11] Maomao
    In that case, next time you can do
     the licking for me, Master Gaoshun.
[16:15] Gaoshun
    L-Licking? That's a bit...
[16:21] Maomao
    Fine, you get the point.
[16:23] Maomao
    Also, there are a few things
    I want to check on.
[16:31] Maomao
    Excuse me.
[16:32] Lishu
    Welcome, I—Oh?
[16:35] Lishu
    Master Jinshi's not with you?
[16:37] Maomao
    I'm afraid not. Apologies
     for the sudden intrusion.
[16:41] Lishu
    So, what do you want,
    Jade Pavilion lady-in-waiting?
[16:45] Maomao
    I have a question for you.
[16:53] Lishu
    I remember you from the garden party.
[16:57] Lishu
    What is it?
[16:59] Maomao
    Do you dislike honey?
[17:02] Lishu
    How did you know?!
[17:04] Maomao
    I saw it on your face.
[17:08] Maomao
    Did honey upset your stomach in the past?
[17:11] Maomao
    It's common for someone to get food poisoning
    and have trouble with honey after that.
[17:16] Lishu
    That's not it. I don't remember.
[17:19] Lishu
    It was when I was a baby.
[17:21] Lishu
    I heard it was life-threatening.
SIGN    Banned
[17:25] Lishu
    Since then, my nurses told me to not eat it.
[17:28] Lishu's Lady-in-Waiting 1
    Where are your manners?
    Probing Lady Lishu like that.
[17:35] Maomao
    Says the lady-in-waiting who didn't even
    try to protect her at the tea party.
[17:38] Lishu's Lady-in-Waiting 1
    What's with that look?
[17:39] Lishu's Lady-in-Waiting 1
    There's no need to listen to her.
[17:42] Lishu's Lady-in-Waiting 2
    That's right, she's being rude to
    the Virtuous Consort. We should expel her!
[17:47] Maomao
    So this is how they paint outsiders as the
    villain to pretend they are the only allies.
[17:53] Lishu's Lady-in-Waiting 2
    We're always looking out for Lady Lishu.
[17:54] Maomao
    It would be easy to trick a naive girl.
[17:56] Lishu's Lady-in-Waiting 1
    Who does she think she is?
[17:59] Maomao
    The isolated concubine has nobody
    to rely on but her ladies-in-waiting.
[18:03] Maomao
    Not knowing she's being harassed...
[18:07] Maomao
    It's a vicious cycle.
[18:10] Maomao
    I am here on orders.
[18:13] Maomao
    If you have objections, please take
     them up with Master Jinshi.
[18:17] Lishu's Lady-in-Waiting 1
    To Master J-Jinshi?!
[18:19] Lishu's Lady-in-Waiting 2
    Directly?!
[18:21] Maomao
    He owes me this much, at the very least.
[18:24] Maomao
    Let's see what reasons they come up with
    to approach the pervert eunuch.
[18:29] Maomao
    And one more thing.
[18:33] Maomao
    Are you familiar with Lady Fengming,
[18:36] Maomao
    head lady-in-waiting at the Garnet Pavilion?
[18:54] Gaoshun
    Xiaomao?
[18:55] Maomao
    Master Gaoshun, is there
    any way I can learn about
[18:58] Maomao
    past events that happened
    in the rear palace?
[19:04] Maomao
    I can search the court library.
[19:08] Maomao
    Thank you.
[19:15] Gaoshun
    What did she figure out this time?
[19:18] Gaoshun
    She's a smart girl, especially
    given that she's only seventeen.
[19:22] Gaoshun
    Her knowledge and calm composure...
[19:24] Gaoshun
    Her ability to logically think through
    and deal with various issues...
[19:29] Gaoshun
    She does have some peculiarities,
    but it's still impressive.
[19:36] Maomao
    Seventeen years ago, when
    the current emperor was still a prince...
[19:41] Maomao
    He had a son with Concubine Ah-Duo.
[19:45] Maomao
    The baby's already gone, but...
[19:48] Maomao
    He was born around the same time
[19:49] Maomao
    as the prior emperor
    and empress dowager's son,
[19:51] Maomao
    In other words, the current
     emperor's little brother.
[19:55] Maomao
    That was the only child
    the emperor had as a prince,
[19:58] Maomao
    and Lady Ah-Duo was his only concubine.
[20:01] Maomao
    It says the current emperor and
    Concubine Ah-Duo are foster siblings,
[20:04] Maomao
    so that explains his attachment to her...
[20:08] Maomao
    But it's surprising to learn a man that
    lustful only had one concubine back then.
[20:13] Maomao
    Sixteen years ago, the baby died.
    The baby was delivered by...
SIGN    Doctor Luomen
[20:23] Maomao
    I did have that hunch.
[20:27] Maomao
    Several of the herbs growing in the rear
    palace were the same ones I used growing up.
[20:34] Maomao
    Someone must have transplanted them.
[20:38] Maomao
    A man who drags his feet like an old woman.
[20:43] Maomao
    A doctor overqualified for the position
    of a pleasure district apothecary.
[20:49] Maomao
    A former eunuch with a bone
    removed from one knee.
SIGN    ...Luomen, expelled...
[20:55] Maomao
    What were you doing,
[20:58] Maomao
    Dad?
[21:06] ED Lyrics
    Not just some superficial sweetness
[21:12] ED Lyrics
    I want more warmth than I can even use, oh
[21:18] ED Lyrics
    Having these selfish idealistic thoughts
[21:23] ED Lyrics
    I swallowed them again today
    before putting them into words
[21:28] ED Lyrics
    Still in my memories,
    the scent of fragrant olive
[21:33] ED Lyrics
    The color of twilight in the city
[21:36] ED Lyrics
    We were laughing...
[21:41] ED Lyrics
    Filled with sadness,
    the tears welled up in my eyes
[21:53] ED Lyrics
    I found a glow during those days
[22:01] ED Lyrics
    I guess I took everything for granted
[22:06] ED Lyrics
    The wind was so loud I covered my ears
[22:18] ED Lyrics
    I gotta stop being like that
[22:25] ED Lyrics
    Even if I stumble over the words of love
SIGN    Next Time
[22:46] Narrator
    Next time: "Reducing Two to One."
SIGN    Episode 11: Reducing Two to One