E11 - Reducing Two to One

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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 11: Reducing Two to One
[01:44] Fengming
    A letter from Concubine Gyokuyou?
[01:46] Maomao
    Yes. I was ordered to deliver it directly.
[01:49] Fengming
    Lady Ah-Duo is away on a tea party.
[01:56] Maomao
    There's something I would like to
    discuss with you, Lady Fengming.
[02:00] Fengming
    I understand.
[02:11] Maomao
    The luggage is all packed up.
    That must mean, as I thought...
[02:15] Fengming
    Please.
[02:22] Fengming
    So, what did you need today?
[02:25] Fengming
    We've finished cleaning this place.
[02:28] Maomao
    When are you moving out?
[02:32] Fengming
    You're a smart one.
[02:35] Maomao
    The big clean-up was an excuse.
[02:38] Maomao
    In order to welcome a new high-ranked
    concubine during the new year's celebration,
[02:42] Maomao
    Concubine Ah-Duo must leave this palace.
[02:47] Maomao
    Concubine Ah-Duo can't have
     children anymore, can she?
[02:53] Maomao
    What happened when she gave birth?
[02:55] Fengming
    I fail to see how that's any of your business.
[02:59] Maomao
    It is my business.
[03:04] Maomao
    The doctor who attended
    that birth was my father.
[03:10] Maomao
    My guess is the misfortune was
    that Concubine Ah-Duo,
[03:12] Maomao
    the prince's concubine at the time,
[03:14] Maomao
    gave birth at the same time
    as the empress dowager.
[03:27] (Flashback) Fengming
    When is the doctor coming back?!
[03:29] (Flashback) Lady-in-Waiting
    He's still at the empress dowager's.
[03:31] (Flashback) Fengming
    Lady Ah-Duo!
[03:31] (Flashback) Fengming
    Lady Ah-Duo, it's all right!
    Fengming is by your side!
[03:35] Maomao
    The empress dowager was given higher priority,
[03:38] Maomao
    and Concubine Ah-Duo's childbirth had to wait.
[03:47] (Flashback) Fengming
    Lady Ah-Duo.
[03:49] Maomao
    That must have been when
    Concubine Ah-Duo lost her uterus.
[03:54] Maomao
    The child that was born to Concubine
    Ah-Duo then passed away soon after.
[04:01] Maomao
    Lady Fengming, are you
    blaming yourself for that?
[04:05] Maomao
    You must have been the one taking care of
    the baby instead of Concubine Ah-Duo.
[04:15] Fengming
    You've figured it all out,
[04:17] Fengming
    despite being the daughter of the quack
    who couldn't help Lady Ah-Duo.
[04:23] Maomao
    You're right.
SIGN    ...Luomen, expelled...
[04:28] Maomao
    It's thought that the cause
    of the baby's death was
[04:30] Maomao
    the same toxic make-up
     from the other incidents,
[04:34] Maomao
    but that's not the case, is it?
[04:38] Maomao
    That doctor you call a quack
    must have banned that powder.
[04:43] Maomao
    You're a wise person. You wouldn't
     have let the baby die from that.
[04:47] Maomao
    The real cause of death was this.
[04:52] Maomao
    Many flowers have poison in them,
[04:56] Maomao
    like aconite or azalea.
[04:58] Maomao
    Their nectar can be poisonous, too.
[05:02] Fengming
    I am aware.
[05:03] Maomao
    But back then...
[05:06] Maomao
    you weren't.
[05:07] Maomao
    You didn't realize regular
    honey with no poison,
[05:10] Maomao
    the medicine you thought was good for health,
[05:14] Maomao
    can be harmful to a newborn baby.
[05:21] (Flashback) Ah-Duo
    Thank you for your help as always, Fengming.
[05:23] (Flashback) Fengming
    It's no trouble at all, Lady Ah-Duo.
[05:26] (Flashback) Fengming
    Please rest and recover soon.
[05:33] Maomao
    And thus, Concubine Ah-Duo's child passed away.
[05:38] Maomao
    The cause was treated as a mystery.
[05:40] Maomao
    My father Luomen, the attending
    doctor at the time,
[05:43] Maomao
    was blamed for the repeated mistakes,
    including the one at childbirth.
[05:47] Maomao
    He was expelled from the rear palace.
[05:50] Maomao
    But later on, you accidentally learned
    the true cause of the baby's death.
[05:57] Maomao
    Someone taught you that honey can be
    poisonous to infants, didn't they?
[06:04] Maomao
    You had to make sure
    Concubine Ah-Duo didn't find out.
[06:07] Maomao
    She couldn't know you were
    the one who killed her only child.
[06:11] Maomao
    So, you tried to eliminate them.
[06:15] Maomao
    That person is...
[06:18] Maomao
    Concubine Lishu.
[06:22] Maomao
    During the previous emperor's reign,
[06:23] Maomao
    Concubine Lishu was close to
    Concubine Ah-Duo, who was her elder.
[06:28] Maomao
    Concubine Ah-Duo was also
    fond of Concubine Lishu.
[06:31] Maomao
    A young girl, taken from her parents,
[06:34] Maomao
    and a woman who could no longer give birth.
[06:38] Maomao
    There may have been a type of
    codependency developing.
[06:42] Maomao
    During that time, you learned
     from Concubine Lishu
[06:44] Maomao
    that she almost died eating honey as a baby.
[06:49] Maomao
    To make sure Concubine Ah-Duo
    never heard that story,
[06:52] Maomao
    you started to chase Concubine Lishu
    away from the Garnet Pavilion.
[06:56] Maomao
    Later, the previous emperor passed away,
[06:59] Maomao
    and Concubine Lishu was forced to leave the
     rear palace, unaware of why she was chased out.
[07:06] Maomao
    You must have felt quite relieved.
[07:09] Maomao
    But Concubine Lishu, who you
    thought you'd never see again,
[07:13] Maomao
    returned to the rear palace.
[07:16] Maomao
    As another high-ranking concubine.
[07:18] Maomao
    As a threat to Concubine Ah-Duo's status.
[07:22] Maomao
    That insolent child tried to visit
    Concubine Ah-Duo many times,
[07:26] Maomao
    as if trying to be with her mother.
[07:29] Maomao
    To protect Concubine Ah-Duo,
    who is incapable of childbirth,
[07:32] Maomao
    and to hide the issue with the honey...
[07:36] Maomao
    You poisoned Concubine Lishu's soup.
[07:43] Fengming
    What do you want?
[07:46] Maomao
    There's nothing.
[07:50] Fengming
    Anything. Just ask.
[07:59] Maomao
    You must know that's meaningless.
[08:21] Fengming
    Hey. Do you know what's most precious
    to the person most precious to you?
[08:31] Fengming
    The moment I met Lady Ah-Duo,
[08:34] Fengming
    I knew I would never serve anyone else again.
[08:38] Fengming
    Despite being a woman,
[08:39] Fengming
    she had a strong will, and the ability
    to speak on even grounds with the prince.
[08:44] Fengming
    I had nothing but the deepest
    respect for Lady Ah-Duo.
[08:47] Fengming
    Compared to me, who just followed my
    parents' orders to become a lady-in-waiting,
[08:52] Fengming
    she was such an astonishing person.
[08:56] Fengming
    Despite that, I...
[08:58] Fengming
    I took what was most precious
    to her with my own hands...
[09:03] Fengming
    I took him away!
[09:05] Fengming
    The baby that Lady Ah-Duo loved so dearly!
[09:10] Fengming
    With these hands!
[09:12] Fengming
    Back then...
[09:14] Fengming
    Lady Ah-Duo told us this.
[09:17] (Flashback) Ah-Duo
    Do not blame yourselves for this.
[09:19] (Flashback) Ah-Duo
    Babies can die for any
     reason until they're seven.
[09:23] (Flashback) Ah-Duo
    Even the slightest illness
    can easily kill them.
[09:26] (Flashback) Ah-Duo
    My baby simply followed
    the will of the heavens.
[09:36] Fengming
    And yet, I knew she cried
    herself to sleep every night!
[09:50] Maomao
    What was her mental state like, as she served
    Lady Ah-Duo for the past sixteen years?
[09:55] Maomao
    Without having her own partner,
    sacrificing everything for Concubine Ah-Duo...
[10:01] Maomao
    I can't relate.
[10:03] Maomao
    I don't have it in my heart
    to keep someone so close.
[10:09] Maomao
    If he hears my story, Master Jinshi
    will surely apprehend Fengming.
[10:14] Maomao
    There's no way she'd
    escape capital punishment.
[10:18] Maomao
    She's a smart woman. She knows all of that.
[10:24] Maomao
    I have a suggestion.
[10:30] Maomao
    The only thing I can do is to take
    your two motives and make it one.
[10:35] Maomao
    It won't change the results.
[10:37] Maomao
    But if that's still preferable
    to you, please hear me out.
[10:53] Maomao
    So tired...
[10:55] Maomao
    A bath... No, it's too late for that.
[10:58] Maomao
    Guess I can at least get changed.
[11:02] Maomao
    I wore layers of stiffened
    oil paper, just in case.
[11:06] Maomao
    Glad I didn't need it.
[11:08] Maomao
    Getting slashed would hurt.
[11:13] Jinshi
    And so, Fengming turned herself in.
[11:17] Jinshi
    Do you know anything about it?
[11:19] Maomao
    What do you mean?
[11:20] Jinshi
    I heard you had Gaoshun
    collect some information.
[11:24] Maomao
    Yes. I'd hoped to figure something
    out, but it was all for naught.
[11:30] Jinshi
    Fengming's motive, as you said,
    was to try to make sure
[11:34] Jinshi
    Concubine Ah-Duo could stay in the
    position of one of the four concubines.
[11:38] Maomao
    I see.
[11:39] Jinshi
    But Concubine Ah-Duo has already been
    determined to leave the rear palace.
[11:44] Jinshi
    She'll live in the detached
    palace to the south.
[11:48] Maomao
    Does this incident have
    anything to do with that?
[11:51] Jinshi
    No, the decision was made a while ago.
[11:54] Jinshi
    It was the emperor's call.
[11:56] Maomao
    I see.
[11:59] Maomao
    This flower.
[12:01] Jinshi
    Hongniang came by earlier to put it on display.
[12:05] Maomao
    Yes, it's out of season.
[12:17] Jinshi
    It's sweet.
[12:18] Maomao
    Poisonous, though.
[12:21] Maomao
    It's not lethal. Don't worry.
[12:26] Maomao
    My suggestion to Fengming, back then...
[12:31] Maomao
    The poisoning of Concubine Lishu.
    The cause of death for the baby.
[12:34] Maomao
    If these two motives become one,
[12:37] Maomao
    she could hide the cause of the baby's
    death from Concubine Ah-Duo.
[12:42] Maomao
    Even if her own death is inevitable...
[12:45] Maomao
    That was the best I could do,
    as a girl with no power.
[13:04] Maomao
    I can't sleep.
[13:07] Maomao
    Maybe I'll take a walk.
[13:30] Maomao
    Fengming was executed.
[13:33] Maomao
    Concubine Ah-Duo is set to leave
    the rear palace tomorrow.
[13:37] Ah-Duo
    Oh, someone beat me here?
[13:42] Ah-Duo
    You're that girl who came
    to help clean the other day.
[13:46] Maomao
    I'll leave right away.
[13:48] Ah-Duo
    No.
[13:49] Ah-Duo
    Care to join me for a drink?
[13:52] Maomao
    Whoa! Booze!
[13:55] Maomao
    Thank you very much.
[14:06] Ah-Duo
    Pretty masculine, aren't I?
[14:08] Maomao
    I feel like you're giving
     that impression on purpose.
[14:13] Ah-Duo
    You're an honest one.
[14:16] Ah-Duo
    After my son left me, I became
    the emperor's friend, not his concubine.
[14:24] Ah-Duo
    Or rather, I returned to being his friend.
[14:29] Ah-Duo
    I never thought I'd become a concubine.
[14:34] Ah-Duo
    I was a concubine in name only,
    given the role out of pity.
[14:38] Ah-Duo
    I wanted to hand it off to someone
    else as soon as possible.
[14:42] Ah-Duo
    Why cling to it for so long...?
[14:45] Maomao
    She probably would have said the same
    things to whoever she'd met up here.
[14:56] Ah-Duo
    It must have been cold in that water.
[15:00] Ah-Duo
    It must have been painful.
[15:07] Maomao
    You're probably right.
[15:09] Ah-Duo
    Stupid, don't you think?
[15:13] Maomao
    Perhaps she was.
[15:16] Ah-Duo
    We're all stupid.
[15:25] Maomao
    Perhaps we are.
[15:36] Maomao
    I think I get it now.
[15:40] Maomao
    That servant was indeed a suicide.
[15:44] Maomao
    Concubine Ah-Duo noticed that.
[15:47] Maomao
    Maybe Fengming helped set it up.
[15:51] Maomao
    To take suspicion away from Concubine Ah-Duo,
[15:54] Maomao
    the servant chose to sink down
    into the cold water.
[15:57] Maomao
    To keep her secret hidden,
[15:59] Maomao
    Fengming chose to step up to the gallows.
[16:04] Maomao
    Regardless of Concubine
    Ah-Duo's own wishes,
[16:06] Maomao
    there are those who
    sacrifice their lives for her.
[16:11] Maomao
    I should go now, too.
[16:17] Jinshi
    What are you doing?
[16:23] Maomao
    Ow... Who's that? You startled me.
[16:25] Jinshi
    My bad.
[16:28] Maomao
    Master Jinshi? Why are you here?
[16:31] Jinshi
    I should ask the same of you.
[16:33] Maomao
    I'm sorry. I'll get up now—
[16:37] Maomao
    Could you let go?
[16:40] Maomao
    Let go, please.
[16:43] Jinshi
    Don't wanna. It's too cold.
[16:45] Maomao
    You'll catch a cold without a coat.
    Please go back to your room.
[16:50] Maomao
    Are you drunk?
[16:52] Jinshi
    I had to. I was sharing a drink with someone.
[16:54] Maomao
    Sharing, huh?
[16:57] Jinshi
    The host invited me to drink,
[16:59] Jinshi
    loaded me up full of booze,
[17:01] Jinshi
    then just took off.
[17:04] Jinshi
    When she finally came back,
[17:06] Jinshi
    she told me she was satisfied
     now, and threw me out.
[17:10] Maomao
    I didn't know anyone in this rear
    palace could treat this guy like that.
[17:15] Maomao
    But that's not related to this right now.
[17:19] Maomao
    I don't want to put up with a clingy drunk.
[17:22] Maomao
    Wait... Come to think of it,
    he did catch me as I fell.
[17:28] Maomao
    Maybe it's rude to just make him let go
    of me without even thanking him.
[17:33] Maomao
    Master Jinshi—
[17:45] Jinshi
    Just a little longer.
[17:47] Jinshi
    Keep me warm, just a little longer.
[18:07] Maomao
    Neither of them seem hungover.
[18:11] Maomao
    Concubine Ah-Duo, in order
    to leave the rear palace,
[18:13] Maomao
    returns the crown signifying
    her as Pure Concubine.
[18:16] Maomao
    That crown will be bestowed on another girl
    who will join the rear palace later.
[18:28] Maomao
    Ah, I see.
[18:30] Maomao
    I knew she resembled someone.
[18:33] Maomao
    It's Master Jinshi.
[18:36] Maomao
    Those two might as well swap outfits...
[18:41] Maomao
    Swap...
[18:43] (Flashback) Ah-Duo
    After my son left me...
[18:46] Maomao
    "Left me," she said. Not "died"?
[18:51] Maomao
    I can almost interpret that
    to mean he's still alive.
[18:54] Maomao
    Concubine Ah-Duo's child and
    the then-empress dowager's child...
[18:59] Maomao
    What if the two babies were swapped?
[19:03] Maomao
    It must have been clear to Concubine Ah-Duo,
    through her experience in childbirth.
[19:07] (Flashback) Luomen
    What are you doing?! I must
    tend to Concubine Ah-Duo...
[19:10] (Flashback) Eunuch
    The empress dowager takes priority!
[19:11] (Flashback) Fengming
    N-No!
[19:13] Maomao
    After all, she was just a nurse's daughter,
    a childhood friend of the prince.
[19:18] Maomao
    Her son would live a better life
    as the empress dowager's son.
[19:24] Maomao
    Maybe she wasn't in a state
    to decide what was right or wrong.
[19:29] Maomao
    But if the decision resulted
    in her son surviving...
[19:33] Maomao
    That would have been all that
    Concubine Ah-Duo could have wished for.
[19:37] Maomao
    What if people found out
    the babies were swapped later?
[19:41] Maomao
    If that was after the one baby had died,
[19:44] Maomao
    that would explain why my dad would be
    physically punished for not noticing.
[19:51] Maomao
    And if that were the case,
[19:53] Maomao
    it would explain why the emperor's younger
    brother is in a delicate position,
[19:57] Maomao
    and why Concubine Ah-Duo,
    who's supposed to be a realist,
[20:00] Maomao
    stayed in the rear palace for so long...
[20:06] Maomao
    Complete nonsense.
    An idiotic delusion of a story.
[20:09] Lishu
    Please, wait!
[20:10] Kanan
    Lady Lishu!
[20:15] Maomao
    As always.
[20:18] Maomao
    As a lonely concubine, to have
    a lady-in-waiting she can trust...
[20:24] Maomao
    How reassuring that must be.
[20:29] Kanan
    Lady Lishu!
[20:38] Maomao
    At that moment, her masculine, noble face
    suddenly took on the expression of a mother.
[20:52] Gaoshun
    Here is the list of Fengming's family
    and those connected to them.
[20:57] Jinshi
    I heard she was kidnapped and sold off, but...
SIGN    Jade Pavilion
    Maomao
[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
[22:26] ED Lyrics
    Even if I stumble over the words of love
SIGN    Next Time
[22:46] Narrator
    Next time: "The Eunuch
    and the Courtesan."
SIGN    Episode 12: The Eunuch and the Courtesan