E19 - Chance or Something More

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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
[01:31] Gaoshun
    Also, regarding today's schedule,
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.
[01:34] Gaoshun
    there will be a medium
    ceremony in the afternoon.
[01:37] Jinshi
    Yeah...
[01:45] Gaoshun
    I think I know what's on your mind.
[01:49] Gaoshun
    But please, don't forget about work.
[01:52] Jinshi
    I know.
SIGN    Episode 19: Chance or Something More
[02:00] Maomao
    Master Lihaku, what's wrong?
[02:03] Lihaku
    We have a problem.
[02:05] Maomao
    Trouble, is it?
[02:07] Lihaku
    Remember that fire at the warehouse?
[02:10] Maomao
    Ah.
[02:11] Lihaku
    Apparently, a thief broke in to a different
    warehouse on the same day.
[02:16] Lihaku
    I'm sure they were taking advantage
     of all the chaos at the time.
[02:20] Maomao
    A looting. What got stolen?
[02:27] Maomao
    Not something to discuss openly, it seems.
[02:29] Maomao
    Sneak.
[02:35] Lihaku
    Ceremonial tools. And not just one.
[02:39] Maomao
    Were they being managed that haphazardly?
[02:42] Lihaku
    Well, I don't really know.
[02:45] Lihaku
    There's no knowledgeable
     managers right now.
[02:48] Lihaku
    The last one passed away last year.
[02:50] Maomao
    What about the current manager?
    He must know the basics, right?
[02:54] Lihaku
    Well, he got food poisoning awhile back.
[02:59] Maomao
    Food poisoning?
[03:01] Lihaku
    His favorite seaweed made him
     sick and he hasn't woken up.
[03:05] Lihaku
    He can't come back to work. Trouble, right?
[03:09] Maomao
    Where have I heard that before?
[03:12] Maomao
    Was it that official who likes rare foods?
[03:16] Lihaku
    How did you know?
[03:18] Maomao
    A lot happened.
[03:20] Maomao
    Theft at the time of a fire.
[03:23] Maomao
    The warehouse manager is missing
    due to food poisoning.
[03:28] Maomao
    It's a bit too suspicious to be a coincidence.
[03:31] Maomao
    Who was the manager who passed away last year?
[03:35] Lihaku
    Hmm. I remember that he was
    famous for being really by-the-book.
[03:40] Lihaku
    I forgot his name. I remember he had
    a sweet tooth and things like that, but...
[03:45] Maomao
    Was it Master Kounen, by chance?
[03:49] Lihaku
    Oh, that's it! Hey, how'd you know?
[03:54] Maomao
    A lot happened.
[03:56] Maomao
    Master Jinshi told me about the
    tough official with a sweet tooth.
[04:01] Maomao
    The man who died of salt overdose.
[04:04] Maomao
    These are all coincidental?
[04:07] Maomao
    Each incident looks like an accident,
[04:10] Maomao
    but if they were all done
    in pursuit of some goal...
[04:15] Maomao
    So, what can I do for you?
[04:18] Lihaku
    Right! The main point.
[04:20] Lihaku
    Remember this? You gave it to me back then.
[04:23] Maomao
    Ah, from the fire.
[04:25] Lihaku
    I tried to give it back,
    but the owner declined.
[04:29] Lihaku
    He doesn't want it anymore.
[04:31] Maomao
    It seems very expensive.
    I assumed it was important.
[04:35] Lihaku
    Apparently, he got it from some court lady.
[04:39] Maomao
    From a court lady?
[04:40] Lihaku
    Sounds weird, right?
[04:42] Lihaku
    Why give this to a random warehouse guard?
[04:48] Lihaku
    Apparently, the guard escorted
    the court lady outside the castle,
[04:52] Lihaku
    because she was walking alone in the dark.
[04:56] Lihaku
    She gave him this pipe as a token of gratitude.
[04:59] Maomao
    Receiving such an expensive item might
    compel him to use it right away.
[05:06] Maomao
    Start a fire to divert the guards' attention,
[05:09] Maomao
    and break into another warehouse.
[05:11] Maomao
    If the court lady gave the guard
    the pipe for that purpose...
[05:17] Maomao
    Master Lihaku, about that court lady...
[05:19] Lihaku
    Yeah, I tried to get the details about her.
[05:22] Lihaku
    But she was wearing a scarf
    that hid her face, apparently.
[05:26] Maomao
    Maybe she was hiding her face intentionally.
[05:30] Lihaku
    Yeah.
[05:31] Lihaku
    But she was "quite tall for a woman,
     and smelled like medicine."
[05:38] Lihaku
    I know it's not you, given the height.
[05:42] Lihaku
    Can you think of anyone else?
[05:45] Maomao
    A tall court lady smelling of medicine...
[05:50] (Flashback) Luomen
    Don't speak based purely on conjecture.
[05:54] Maomao
    Were there any more strange incidents
    other than the events we mentioned?
[06:00] Lihaku
    Hmm. I can't say...
[06:03] Lihaku
    Do you think there's something to find out here?
[06:06] Maomao
    There could be.
[06:09] Maomao
    Or there might not.
[06:11] Lihaku
    Which is it?
[06:15] Maomao
    Two coincidences can often
     occur simultaneously.
[06:19] Maomao
    Three at once isn't that rare, either.
[06:23] Maomao
    But when several of them pile up
[06:26] Maomao
    and become clearly intentional...
[06:29] Maomao
    What if a person who fits the description
    of a tall court lady appeared here?
[06:36] Maomao
    This way, even if Suirei's name
    comes up, it has nothing to do with me.
[06:43] Lihaku
    Wow, you're a lot smarter than you look!
[06:48] Maomao
    Conversely, Master Lihaku, you're as big
     a brute as you look, so please go easy on me.
[06:56] Jinshi
    Looks like fun.
[06:59] Jinshi
    Looks like fun.
[07:02] Maomao
    There's nothing fun here.
[07:05] Lihaku
    I'll take my leave!
[07:11] Jinshi
    You seem very close to that officer.
[07:14] Maomao
    Do I?
[07:16] Maomao
    He just came to talk to me
    about some concerns he had.
[07:22] Maomao
    I can't say for certain that this has
    nothing to do with Master Jinshi.
[07:29] Maomao
    May I explain the details to you?
[07:34] Jinshi
    What a strange way they connect.
[07:37] Maomao
    Yes.
[07:38] Jinshi
    So, what do you think is behind them?
[07:41] Maomao
    I don't know.
[07:42] Maomao
    None of those incidents are certainties.
[07:45] Maomao
    It's more like setting several traps in
    the hopes that some of them work out.
[07:50] Jinshi
    In that case, do you think
    there are other traps?
[07:54] Maomao
    I can't say for certain.
[07:57] Maomao
    It's hard to determine which are
    accidents and which were plotted.
[08:01] Maomao
    It's still possible that these
    are all just coincidences.
[08:09] Jinshi
    You're not excited?
[08:11] Maomao
    Excited?
[08:15] Maomao
    I'm just a servant. I only do what I am told.
[08:20] Jinshi
    Hmm.
[08:23] Jinshi
    In that case, how about this?
[08:26] Jinshi
    The other day, I visited the trader.
[08:30] Jinshi
    He told me there's
    an interesting item in stock.
SIGN    Ox bezoar
[08:35] Jinshi
    This is what it was called.
[08:38] Maomao
    Ox bezoar, a medicinal gallstone from a cow!
[08:41] Maomao
    The most exquisite medicine
    only found in one in a thousand cows!
[08:45] Maomao
    Are you going to give me that?!
SIGN    Ox Bezoar
[08:48] Maomao
    Really?!
SIGN    Ox Bezoar
[08:49] Maomao
    You'd better not be lying!
[08:53] Jinshi
    Do you want it?
[08:54] Maomao
    I do!
[08:55] Gaoshun
    Xiaomao.
[09:03] Maomao
    Excuse me.
[09:06] Jinshi
    Looks like you're excited now.
[09:08] Maomao
    Will you really give me this?
SIGN    Ox bezoar
[09:10] Jinshi
    Depends on how well you work.
    I'll keep you updated.
[09:14] Maomao
    Understood.
[09:16] Maomao
    As you wish, Master Jinshi!
[09:18] Jinshi
    And so, Gaoshun, take care of it!
[09:26] Maomao
    This is the incident from the other day.
[09:29] Maomao
    The officer who got food poisoning
    was from the Board of Rites.
[09:33] Maomao
    Which one was the Board of Rites, again?
    The education and foreign affairs one...?
[09:40] Maomao
    If only I'd studied for
    the court lady exams properly...
[09:44] Officer
    I'll leave these here.
[09:47] Maomao
    Thank you.
[09:49] Officer
    No problem. Feel free to ask me
    if you have any questions.
[09:53] Maomao
    Um, what does this division do?
[09:56] Officer
    Hmm?
[09:58] Officer
    They deal with ceremonies.
[10:01] Maomao
    Ceremonies?
[10:06] Maomao
    Do you have anything to write with?
[10:08] Officer
    Huh? Y-Yeah.
[10:10] Maomao
    Ceremonies, ceremonies...
[10:13] Maomao
    The food-poisoned official and Master Kounen
    were both were related to ceremonies.
[10:18] Maomao
    If the incident with the pipe was
    a way to help steal ceremonial tools...
[10:24] Maomao
    These events, disguised
    as coincidences, must line up
[10:27] Maomao
    to form an intentional incident, somewhere.
[10:30] Maomao
    If someone went through so much
    trouble to steal ceremonial tools,
[10:34] Maomao
    it has to be a ceremony of some importance.
[10:38] Maomao
    Medium or higher, most likely.
[10:40] Maomao
    I should find out when all
    of these ceremonies take place.
[10:44] Maomao
    Come to think of it, Master Jinshi
    did purify himself often.
[10:48] Officer
    If you're interested in ceremonies,
    here's something good.
[10:56] Maomao
    Is this a picture of a ceremonial building?
[10:59] Officer
    Yes. It's at the west end of the outer
    court, and called the Altar of the Sapphire Sky.
[11:04] Officer
    Quite an interesting design, don't you think?
[11:07] Officer
    There's a large pillar
    hanging from the ceiling.
[11:12] Officer
    There are these banners
    hanging above the central altar.
[11:16] Officer
    They lower the pillar to
    add festive texts every time.
[11:20] Maomao
    You're very knowledgeable.
[11:22] Officer
    Yeah. I'm ashamed to admit it, but
    before I got assigned to the archives,
[11:26] Officer
    I was doing more important
    work at the Board of Rites.
[11:29] Officer
    I talked back to my superiors once,
    and got demoted to this role.
[11:35] Officer
    I used to be worried about the build
    strength, but I'm glad to know it's fine.
[11:40] Maomao
    What are you talking about?
[11:42] Officer
    You see how the pillar is hanging
    from the ceiling like this, right?
[11:46] Officer
    It's big, so I was worried
    about it falling down.
[11:51] Officer
    When I voiced my concerns
     about the parts' strength,
[11:53] Officer
    it got me sent to this place.
[11:57] Maomao
    That is indeed scary.
[12:00] Maomao
    If the metal parts fixing the pillar in
    place broke, and the pillar fell...
[12:07] Maomao
    The person directly underneath performing
    the ceremony would be at the highest risk.
[12:11] Maomao
    Someone of truly noble birth could be lost.
[12:16] Maomao
    Strength issue... Strength...
[12:19] Maomao
    What was the stolen ceremonial tool, anyway?
[12:23] Maomao
    If something so important went missing,
    surely they'd make a new one.
[12:28] Maomao
    Make a new one...
[12:32] Maomao
    Excuse me!
[12:33] Maomao
    When is the next ceremony
    taking place at this venue?!
[12:36] Officer
    When? Well...
[12:39] Officer
    Oh, today, actually.
[12:49] Maomao
    If my predictions are correct, this is a plan
    that was concocted over a long period of time.
[12:56] Maomao
    Not every piece is likely to work.
[12:58] Maomao
    But by placing numerous traps everywhere,
    some are bound to work and overlap.
[13:02] Maomao
    And finally, it connected to this.
[13:09] Maomao
    It's just conjecture on my part.
[13:12] Maomao
    But if I happen to be correct...
[13:19] Maomao
    There!
[13:28] Military Officer 1
    Hey!
[13:30] Military Officer 1
    What are you doing?!
[13:33] Maomao
    I need to get inside!
[13:34] Military Officer 1
    No.
[13:35] Maomao
    This is an emergency!
[13:37] Military Officer 1
    What right does a servant like you
    have to interject in this ceremony?
[13:42] Maomao
    He's absolutely right. I'm just
    a servant with no authority at all.
[13:47] Maomao
    But if something happens, it'll be too late.
[13:51] Maomao
    That's always the case with
    things that can't be undone.
[13:55] Maomao
    There are lives at risk.
    Please stop the ceremony.
[13:59] Military Officer 1
    That's not a decision for you to make.
[14:01] Military Officer 1
    If you have something to say,
    put it in the suggestion box.
[14:06] Maomao
    That will take too long!
[14:08] Military Officer 1
    No!
[14:09] Maomao
    A fatal defect was discovered in the altar!
[14:13] Maomao
    There is reason to suspect
    that someone tampered with it!
[14:16] Maomao
    If you don't let me in now, you'll regret it!
[14:20] Maomao
    If, after listening to my
    warnings, you still reject...
[14:25] Maomao
    Oh, I get it, so that's what it is!
[14:29] Maomao
    I see. You're obstructing me and
     waiting for the incident to happen!
[14:36] Maomao
    In other words, you're in league
    with the ones who tampered with the—
[14:58] Maomao
    I'm about to lose consciousness.
[15:01] Maomao
    It's only natural for him to get upset,
    hearing a girl talk to him like that.
[15:06] Maomao
    That was intentional, so it's fine.
[15:11] Maomao
    It's no use. This isn't a big enough of
    a commotion to stop the ceremony.
[15:17] Maomao
    I'm fine. I can't lose consciousness now.
[15:25] Maomao
    Do you feel better now?
[15:30] Maomao
    Please let me through.
[15:34] Maomao
    There is a person of the most
    noble birth inside, isn't there?
[15:39] Maomao
    If something happens, you all will
    be the ones to lose your heads.
[15:44] Maomao
    I won't ask you to cancel the ceremony.
[15:47] Maomao
    Please just let me through.
[15:51] Maomao
    Just say a rat got in accidentally.
[15:55] Maomao
    In that case, the only person
    getting beheaded will be me!
[15:59] Military Officer 1
    Why should I trust the words
    of a girl like you?!
[16:02] Lakan
    What about my words, then?
[16:13] Military Officer 1
    S-Sir, you're...
[16:19] Lakan
    Now, why would you strike
    a young girl like that?
[16:26] Lakan
    She's hurt.
[16:31] Lakan
    At any rate, why don't you just
    go ahead and do as the girl says?
[16:36] Lakan
    I'll take responsibility.
[16:39] Maomao
    I don't even want to see who's behind me.
[16:42] Maomao
    It's perfect timing, as if
    everything was planned...
[16:45] Maomao
    No, I can't concern myself with that right now.
[16:48] Maomao
    It doesn't matter who this voice belongs to.
[16:58] Maomao
    I must look terrible.
[17:00] Maomao
    I'll ask Master Gaoshun after all this is done,
[17:03] Maomao
    and take a nice, long bath.
[17:06] Maomao
    But first,
[17:09] Maomao
    I have to avoid getting beheaded.
[17:56] Maomao
    I made it...
[18:05] Maomao
    Gotta stitch that...
[18:08] Jinshi
    Hey.
[18:14] Jinshi
    What's going on here?
[18:18] Maomao
    Master Jinshi...
[18:22] Maomao
    Can I have the ox bezoar now?
[18:26] Jinshi
    This isn't the time for that.
[18:30] Jinshi
    What's happened with your face?
[18:36] Maomao
    Why is Master Jinshi here...?
[18:42] Maomao
    What's that look on his face?
[18:50] Maomao
    Sorry, I need to stitch up my leg first—
[18:55] Jinshi
    H-Hey!
[18:58] Jinshi
    Hey, wake up!
[19:01] Jinshi
    Wake up! Hey!
[19:04] Jinshi
    Hey! Stay with me.
[19:06] Jinshi
    Hey!
SIGN    Next Time
[22:46] Narrator
    Next time: "Thornapple."
SIGN    Episode 20: Thornapple