E13 - Serving in the Outer Court

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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.)
[00:15] Jinshi
    Are you serious?
[00:18] Emperor
    So, what would you do?
[00:20] Emperor
    After all, you're the gardener
    maintaining my flower garden.
[00:28] Jinshi
    He truly is cunning.
[00:35] Jinshi
    How ironic.
[00:38] Jinshi
    No matter how hard I try,
    both in intellect and martial arts,
[00:41] Jinshi
    I can only slightly
    outperform a regular person.
[00:44] Jinshi
    Instead, I am granted an appearance
    more beautiful than anyone.
[00:51] Jinshi
    The things I truly want
    are so far out of reach.
[00:59] Jinshi
    I was dissatisfied at first,
    but I've gotten over it.
[01:03] Jinshi
    My sweet gaze, my sweet voice...
[01:07] Jinshi
    I'll use my superior tools to my advantage.
[01:13] Jinshi
    I'm aware that ultimately, I'm just a child
    floundering on the emperor's palm.
[01:20] Jinshi
    As you wish.
[01:22] Jinshi
    I'll manage his rear palace,
    or whatever else he wants.
[01:27] Jinshi
    That's the only way I can choose my own path.
SIGN    The Apothecary Diaries
SIGN    The Apothecary Diaries
SIGN    Verdigris House
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.
[03:06] Maomao
    I don't need this much, Big Sis.
[03:08] Meimei
    Sure, sure. Take this, this... Oh! And this, too.
SIGN    Episode 13: Serving in the Outer Court
[03:13] Maomao
    I'm not going to be using lipstick.
[03:15] Meimei
    What do you mean? Can't you put in
    the least bit of effort to look proper?
[03:19] Maomao
    Only courtesans have to get
     prettied up to go to work.
[03:25] Maomao
    I want to work with herbs...
[03:27] Maomao
    Ow!
[03:28] Meimei
    You've landed such a nice job at the palace!
[03:33] Meimei
    And you're telling me you can't dress up
    appropriately for the position?
[03:37] Meimei
    You have to be thankful
    for that every day.
[03:39] Meimei
    Otherwise, you'll lose your great customers.
[03:42] Maomao
    Meimei is really convincing.
[03:46] Maomao
    She's old enough to start considering
    retirement as a courtesan,
[03:49] Maomao
    but her popularity hasn't waned at all,
[03:52] Maomao
    because she has the intellect
[03:54] Maomao
    to entertain her customers
    through song, chess, and go.
[03:57] Joka
    Maomao.
[03:59] Pairin
    Wow, what a huge package.
[04:00] Maomao
    Pairin, Joka.
[04:09] Joka
    I'm glad you found a good
    workplace. Go make a fortune.
[04:15] Maomao
    Got it.
[04:17] Meimei
    If you could bring back some paying
    customers, that would be great too!
[04:20] Joka
    Find some good, rich guys.
[04:23] Pairin
    Someone with vigor, pretty please!
[04:26] Maomao
    Uh, yeah...
SIGN    Verdigris House
SIGN    Verdigris House
[04:32] Maomao
    My new workplace... Or should I say,
    the workplace I'm returning to,
[04:36] Maomao
    is the area in the palace
    called the rear palace.
[04:40] Maomao
    It's a garden of women who are there
    to have children for the emperor.
[04:43] Maomao
    I was supposed to work here
    as a lowly servant girl, but...
SIGN    You with the freckles, stay here
[04:46] Maomao
    I solved the mystery of the dying
    infant heirs, which drew attention.
[04:50] Maomao
    I was promoted to lady-in-waiting
    for Lady Gyokuyou,
[04:52] Maomao
    then got sucked into various
    troubles as a food taster.
[04:57] Maomao
    After that, a bunch of stuff happened,
    leading to me getting fired.
[05:00] Maomao
    Who would've thought I'd be back again?
[05:06] Maomao
    I succumbed to the allure
    of the caterpillar fungus,
[05:09] Maomao
    but looking back, that might
    have been careless of me.
[05:12] Maomao
    Of course, seen from the outside,
    it's a huge lucky break.
[05:16] Maomao
    I do have some reservations about leaving
    my dad behind to go live elsewhere for work,
[05:20] Maomao
    but the rules are a lot less strict this time,
[05:23] Maomao
    and I'm not treated as missing anymore.
[05:26] Maomao
    Dad also said I should do as I like, but...
[05:34] Maomao
    What did he mean by that, I wonder?
[05:38] Maomao
    I'm home.
[05:44] Luomen
    They loaded you up, didn't they?
[05:46] Maomao
    What should I do? I definitely need
    my mortar and pestle, and my notebook.
[05:52] Maomao
    I can't bring less underwear—
[05:55] Luomen
    Maomao, you probably can't take those with you.
[05:59] Maomao
    Huh?
[06:00] Luomen
    You're not a doctor.
[06:01] Luomen
    Having such things would make you appear
    like you're plotting a poisoning.
[06:09] Luomen
    Come now, don't make that face.
    It was your decision to go.
[06:13] Luomen
    You can't back out now.
[06:16] Maomao
    Really?
[06:17] Luomen
    You should be able to gradually get
    permission to bring more things in.
[06:21] Luomen
    Get ready and go to sleep.
    Tomorrow is your first day.
[06:26] Maomao
    Fine...
[06:40] Luomen
    Well, you haven't done this in a while.
[06:44] Luomen
    I thought you weren't a baby anymore.
[06:47] Maomao
    Well, it's cold.
[06:51] Luomen
    We'll be lonely again.
[06:53] Maomao
    Not really. This time,
    I can come back any time I want.
[07:01] Luomen
    You're right. You can come
    home any time you want.
[07:07] Maomao
    I have no mother.
[07:09] Maomao
    But I have a caring dad, a nosy old granny,
[07:13] Maomao
    and a lively group of big sisters
    to keep me company.
[07:18] Maomao
    I can come home any time.
[07:27] Maomao
    Thank you for waiting, Master Jinshi.
[07:40] Meimei
    Please take care of our little girl.
[07:43] Pairin
    We got her all dolled up for you.
[07:46] Old Lady
    Don't you forget, Maomao.
[07:49] Maomao
    I know. Good customers, right?
[07:52] Old Lady
    Good. Now go on.
[07:54] Maomao
    What a way to start the morning.
[07:58] Maomao
    Let's go.
[08:01] Jinshi
    Uh, yeah.
[08:02] Joka
    Take care.
[08:05] Maomao
    I'm off.
[08:07] Onlooker A
    She's pretty.
[08:08] Onlooker B
    Have you ever seen her at
     the Verdigris House before?
[08:15] Maomao
    This is your fault, Master Jinshi.
[08:17] Jinshi
    Hmm?
[08:18] Maomao
    I got a lot of unwanted attention.
[08:20] Jinshi
    That's because you're...
[08:28] Maomao
    What is it?
[08:29] Jinshi
    Nothing.
[08:49] Jinshi
    Good work. May we proceed?
[08:51] Guard A
    Yes!
[08:55] Jinshi
    Apothecary. While you're here,
    go back to your usual freckled face.
[08:59] Maomao
    Huh?
[09:01] Maomao
    Understood.
[09:13] Coworker A
    Hey, I heard the manager of the rear palace
[09:16] Coworker A
    bought out a courtesan
    from the Verdigris House.
[09:18] Coworker B
    The Verdigris House? Is that where
    the famous Three Princesses are?
[09:22] Lakan
    The Verdigris House?
[09:29] Maomao
    What is this guy doing?
[09:34] Maomao
    And this is?
[09:36] Jinshi
    My house.
[09:38] Maomao
    Huh?! Why?!
[09:40] Jinshi
    This is your new workplace.
[09:44] Maomao
    Master Gaoshun, I was under the impression
    we were returning to the rear palace...
[09:49] Gaoshun
    We fired you once already, so we can't
    just put you back in the same position.
[09:53] Gaoshun
    You will be working in the outer court now.
[09:56] Maomao
    The outer court...
[09:58] Gaoshun
    Yes. The rear palace is
    considered the inner court.
[10:01] Gaoshun
    The outer court lies outside of that.
[10:04] Gaoshun
    There are many public offices there.
    I'll show you around later.
[10:09] Suiren
    Welcome home. It must have been cold.
[10:19] Suiren
    I am Suiren, his attendant.
    You must be Xiaomao.
[10:24] Maomao
    Y-Yes.
[10:27] Maomao
    Xiaomao?
[10:33] Suiren
    There are two separate buildings,
[10:35] Suiren
    one with the office and one
    with the personal residence.
[10:38] Suiren
    The area ahead is the young
     master's room, but...
[10:42] Maomao
    "Young master?"
[10:44] Suiren
    You should be all right.
[10:48] Maomao
    This room's about the same size as
    the one I used at the Jade Pavilion.
[10:51] Maomao
    If this place had a stove and a nearby well...
[10:55] Maomao
    Still, this place seems too well-built
    for a servant girl's quarters.
[10:59] Suiren
    Xiaomao?
[11:01] Maomao
    Yes.
[11:02] Jinshi
    I don't intend to make you do servant labor.
[11:06] Maomao
    Huh?
[11:07] Jinshi
    I told you, you're going to
    work in the outer court.
[11:18] Jinshi
    You're going to take the court lady exam.
[11:21] Maomao
    C-Court lady exam?!
[11:38] Maomao
    A cotton garment? That's generous.
[11:53] Maomao
    Good morning, Lady Suiren.
[11:55] Suiren
    Oh, good morning, Xiaomao.
    It's good that you wake up early.
[12:00] Maomao
    I'll help.
[12:01] Suiren
    It's fine, I'm almost done.
[12:04] Suiren
    Can you just help serve?
[12:06] Maomao
    Yes. Um, where are the other attendants?
[12:10] Suiren
    There are none.
[12:12] Suiren
    The office side is fine, but I couldn't let
    anyone handle the personal side.
[12:17] Suiren
    The young master's food is
     especially out of the question.
[12:21] Maomao
    So, you do all of this work by yourself?
[12:24] Suiren
    We had some new girls a few times,
[12:27] Suiren
    but well, things happen, and they don't last.
[12:31] Maomao
    Did they lace his food with aphrodisiacs?
[12:33] Maomao
    Or try to steal things?
[12:35] Suiren
    I mean, who likes finding
    unfamiliar underwear in their closet?
[12:40] Maomao
    Huh?
[12:42] Suiren
    On top of that, it was made of hair.
[12:46] Maomao
    That sounds like a lot.
[12:48] Suiren
    Yes, it certainly was.
[12:51] Suiren
    Come, young master, please wake up.
[12:53] Suiren
    It's time for breakfast.
[13:03] Maomao
    So much wasted sex appeal...
[13:06] Maomao
    I can see why only Master Gaoshun
    and Lady Suiren enter this room.
[13:11] Maomao
    A woman who saw this would lose herself easily.
[13:14] Maomao
    A man would pounce on him right away.
[13:17] Maomao
    He truly has a sin-inducing air about him.
[13:21] Maomao
    Sort of like an insect in mating season.
[13:24] Maomao
    I wonder if I could collect this eunuch's
    scent and sell it as an aphrodisiac?
[13:30] Jinshi
    If you want, I can get you a new room.
[13:34] Maomao
    What brings this about?
[13:36] Maomao
    I don't get it, but is this my chance
    to get a stove and well?!
[13:43] Maomao
    He needs to tell me clearly
    if he wants me to understand.
[13:46] Maomao
    I can manage the stove somehow,
    so for starters...
[13:52] Maomao
    In that case, how about
     a stable with a well nearby?
[13:57] Jinshi
    A stable.
[13:59] Maomao
    Yes, a stable.
[14:03] Jinshi
    No stables.
[14:10] Gaoshun
    So, shall we?
[14:12] Maomao
    Yes, please.
[14:15] Maomao
    Master Jinshi got left behind.
[14:19] Maomao
    I assumed he had nothing to do, since
    he was always loitering in the rear palace,
[14:22] Maomao
    but he's actually pretty busy.
[14:25] Gaoshun
    There are many military officers
    on the east side of this area,
[14:30] Gaoshun
    so please stay away if possible.
[14:33] Maomao
    Understood.
[14:35] Maomao
    The palace he showed me around was huge.
[14:37] Maomao
    I needed more than all my fingers and toes
[14:39] Maomao
    to count all the named buildings
    and departments.
[14:42] Maomao
    Can I learn them all?
[14:45] Maomao
    My ability to learn about things
    I'm not interested in is below average.
[14:53] Gaoshun
    This is the Director of Waters.
[14:55] Gaoshun
    It's the department in charge of rivers,
    dams, and water utilization projects.
[14:59] Maomao
    I see.
[15:02] Maomao
    The rear palace had more medicinal ingredients.
[15:07] Maomao
    My dad must have planted them
    while he worked there.
[15:11] Gaoshun
    Xiaomao, when you become a court lady,
    the outer court will be your workplace.
[15:15] Maomao
    Yes.
[15:17] Maomao
    Court lady, huh?
[15:28] Suiren
    Oh, good timing, Xiaomao.
[15:30] Suiren
    Can you take this charcoal to the office?
[15:33] Maomao
    Yes.
[15:38] Maomao
    Excuse me.
[15:46] Maomao
    So, this is Master Jinshi's office.
[15:50] Maomao
    It's not extravagant,
    but everything here is top class.
[15:53] Maomao
    How high up is our young master?
[16:02] Maomao
    Sizing up the new girl? Not a good atmosphere.
[16:09] Maomao
    The court ladies of the outer court
    are like secretaries.
[16:13] Maomao
    They have the right qualifications,
    background, and education.
[16:17] Maomao
    They're nothing like the hodgepodge
    of female officials at the rear palace.
[16:20] Maomao
    Which explains their high self-esteem...
[16:25] Maomao
    Hmm?
[16:28] Maomao
    And therefore, they won't go out of their
    way to clean, since that's not their job.
[16:35] Court Lady A
    Just who do you think you are?
[16:39] Maomao
    I guess they grow well when they're fed well.
[16:43] Court Lady A
    Are you listening?!
[16:44] Court Lady A
    Why is someone like you assigned
    directly to Master Jinshi?!
[16:50] Maomao
    I guess staying quiet would irritate them more.
[16:55] Maomao
    In other words, you're all jealous of me?
[17:01] Court Lady A
    Watch your mouth!
[17:03] Maomao
    Wrong choice of words.
[17:06] Maomao
    Fine, then.
[17:08] Maomao
    Are you implying I'm getting
     special treatment?
[17:12] Maomao
    There's no way that could be right.
[17:15] Maomao
    Why would he, a heavenly maiden
    of a person, fall for an ugly girl like me?
[17:22] Maomao
    Does the noble figure in your
    mind have such bad taste?
[17:27] Maomao
    Would he go out of his way
    to eat meatless chicken bones,
[17:30] Maomao
    when there are heaps of delicious abalones
    and boar meat in front of him?
[17:34] Maomao
    If that's the case, well, he must
    have some interesting proclivities.
[17:39] Maomao
    I don't really get it myself,
    but does he truly have "special tastes"?
[17:44] Maomao
    I see, so it's a "special taste"—
[17:45] Court Lady A
    T-That's impossible!
[17:47] Court Lady B
    R-Right!
[17:48] Suirei
    Why did he hire you, then?
[17:56] Maomao
    This is the reason.
[18:04] Maomao
    I just tried out some burn
    medicine the other day,
[18:07] Maomao
    so it's really messed up right now.
[18:09] Maomao
    Stings!
[18:11] Maomao
    That heavenly maiden
    has a heavenly heart, too.
[18:16] Maomao
    He gives a person like me
    a way to make a living.
[18:22] Court Lady A
    Let's go.
[18:32] Maomao
    Done and done.
[18:34] Jinshi
    "Interesting proclivities..."
[18:37] Jinshi
    Do you get harassed like that a lot?
[18:41] Jinshi
    Besides, why are you raising your left arm—
[18:44] Maomao
    I'm off to my next cleaning duty.
[18:47] Jinshi
    Are you studying?
[18:49] Maomao
    Sneak, sneak.
[18:51] Jinshi
    Hey!
[18:52] Maomao
    Sneak, sneak!
[19:13] Suiren
    Xiaomao.
[19:16] Suiren
    Please be quiet.
[19:25] Narrator
    And thus, the day of the exams came.
[19:31] Jinshi
    Why did you fail?
[19:34] Maomao
    Why did you think I'd pass?
[19:37] Narrator
    Maomao became Jinshi's personal servant.
[19:42] Gaoshun
    What should we do?
[19:44] Suiren
    What should we do, indeed?
[20:17] Maomao
    Ow!
[20:20] Suirei
    There shouldn't be any reason
    for you to go beyond this point.
[20:24] Maomao
    Could you say that before you hit me?
[20:28] Maomao
    The scent of sandalwood, mixed
    with another, distinctly bitter smell.
[20:44] Maomao
    The military, huh?
SIGN    Next Time
[22:46] Narrator
    Next time: "The New
    Pure Consort."
SIGN    Episode 14: The New Pure Consort
SIGN