The Apothecary Diaries Book 9

An Invitation to the Western Capital

"I'll keep this," En'en said, wrapping Kada's Book carefully in a cloth. She and Maomao had guessed what kind of book it was likely to be—but Yao hadn't. Yet she had seen it. For a few minutes, she sat frozen with the shock.

Still, I guess it shows she's grown up a little bit. When Maomao had first met her, Yao would have made far more of a fuss about the book. Six months as a medical assistant seemed to have enabled her to accept ideas she might not have before.

Lahan sent word to Luomen, who would come for them the next day. Maomao hoped she could get her thoughts in order before then.

"I'm afraid there's something I have to do," she told Yao and En'en. She was concerned about how they were doing, but she had another problem to deal with, one she couldn't get away from.

Soon she was bouncing along in a carriage, returning from the freak strategist's house to her dormitory. It would be a lot faster if I could just go straight there, she thought. She didn't want to take a carriage Lahan had procured for her directly to Jinshi's villa, however. A different carriage would collect her at the dorm. The woman who ran the building gave Maomao a doubtful look, but didn't ask any questions. Maybe her salary included a little something extra to make sure she wouldn't.

As soon as Maomao arrived at the villa, she felt the tension in the air. The atmosphere was so dark Jinshi might have been trying to grow mushrooms; Gaoshun was going around with his brow in a perpetual furrow, and Suiren looking disturbed and murmuring, "My, my..." The only bright spot in the room was Chue, the serving woman. She brought Maomao tea, making that characteristic squeaking sound as she walked.

"This is fermented tea from the west," she said. "It smells nice and is lovely with a drop of distilled alcohol in it, but they told me not to let you have anything to drink." She shot a glance toward Suiren. Maomao wished she could have the alcoholic tea. In fact, she wished they would hold the tea.

After a moment's hesitation, Maomao said, "Should I ask?" She didn't really want to know, but Jinshi looked ready to spore at any moment, and she didn't want any of it to land on her.

"If you'd be so kind?" Chue said, and Gaoshun came hustling over. There was no sign of Basen, and it seemed likely there wouldn't be while his father was on the job.

"Yes, well... He's to go to the western capital again," Gaoshun said.

"Oh. Really. The poor guy."

Jinshi's face puckered in annoyance. From behind him, Gaoshun was making an emphatic no, no gesture by crossing his arms in an X. For some reason, Chue was mimicking him, although with her it looked almost like she was dancing. She made it look sort of fun.

"Who is she, anyway?" Maomao asked Suiren before she could stop herself.

"If I told you she was Gaoshun's daughter-in-law, would that help?" Suiren replied.

"In-law? So that would make her his son's wife?"

"Yes. Not Basen's—there's another older sibling, in addition to the older sister."

"I see."

While Maomao talked with Suiren, the metaphorical spores had practically become a cloud around Jinshi. Maomao turned back to him, resigned that she was going to have to hear the rest of the story.

"So, uh, why is that? Didn't he just go last year?"

"Sir Gyoku-ou requested it. He wants Master Jinshi to see how smoothly things are running even in Sir Gyokuen's absence."

"Goodness," Maomao remarked mildly, but in her head she thought, Sounds like a pain in the ass.

Gyokuen was Empress Gyokuyou's father, currently in residence in the capital. Unless Maomao was misremembering, the Empress's older brother Gyoku-ou was the one currently overseeing matters in the western capital.