The Apothecary Diaries Book 9

Selection

I felt...surprisingly calm.

Maomao gently pressed a hand to her mouth to keep her opinion from coming out of it. Instead she washed her hands carefully and changed her clothes. Next she would go to the bath. That was all.

She had dissected a human body for the first time, the corpse of a man hanged for burglary. Now he was covered with incisions. If he'd known he was going to be sliced up after he died, he might have reconsidered his life choices.

I have to be sure to wash really well, Maomao thought. She sniffed her hands to see if they still smelled. She'd perfumed her change of clothes to be extra sure, so she thought it was going to be all right...

"Niang-niang!"

She wasn't sure if she should stop or not. Only one person ever called her that. She turned back to see Tianyu.

She didn't say a word—to do so would be as good as admitting that she would answer to "Niang-niang." At the same time, though, it didn't feel quite right to just ignore him.

If it turns out he's just going to prattle at me, though, I'm leaving.

As a matter of fact, Tianyu had a good reason for stopping her today. "Dr. Liu wants to talk to us," he said.

"What about my bath?"

"Sounds like it'll have to wait," Tianyu said with no small amount of disappointment—apparently Maomao wasn't the only one who had been looking forward to washing up. Tianyu pressed his outfit to his nose and sniffed mightily.

If she wasn't the only one being delayed, then Maomao could hardly complain. She followed Tianyu. She couldn't help noticing that the other apprentices, though, all headed home.

"What about the rest of them?" she asked.

"What else? They've been held back," Tianyu said, and then it made sense. The other apprentices had done well enough dissecting animals, but their hands had been shaking as they cut human flesh. It seemed only Maomao and Tianyu had managed to look like they belonged there.

So he swung it too? Bah. Anyway, I thought we might at least get a few more tries, Maomao thought and sniffed her hands again.

They were brought to a room with Dr. Liu, Maomao's old man (that is, Luomen), and several other physicians. There was a long conference table lined with benches, with everyone arranged around the far end.

They're...all upper physicians?

All the men present were skilled and learned. The medical office, like everywhere else, had its hierarchy, but broadly speaking the physicians were commonly referred to as being upper, middle, or apprentice.

Maomao rubbed her eyes, for in that august company she saw someone she would never have expected. He waved eagerly to her, his eyes kind, his frame portly. He bore a loach-like mustache despite being a eunuch.

"Master Physician..." Maomao said. Which could, of course, be qualified as: rear palace physician.

It was the quack.

What's he doing here? I mean, I guess it makes sense, kind of. Whatever she might think of his medical expertise, he looked after the medical office of the rear palace all by himself, which meant that he must at least be afforded a title equivalent to the other upper physicians. Nonetheless, he seemed distinctly out of place. He sat there like a piglet among the ranks of men who otherwise seemed distinguished by their intellect and skills.

Come to think of it... The quack had been frightened even to touch a dead body. How did he ever make it from apprentice to physician?

It was a mystery. One of the seven wonders of the royal court, one might say.