Lady Lishu's rooms were much calmer than Jinshi had expected. The bad stomach pain the maids talked about was already gone. The curtains were pulled open a little, letting soft morning sunlight fill the room and make everything feel warmer and nicer. Lady Lishu was sitting up against some soft pillows, her face looking a lot better—no more tight or pale from the hurt.
Jinshi walked in quietly, took off his wooden shoes at the door, and sat down across from her. He kept his face kind and relaxed, but he was watching everything closely.
"You look way better now," he said with a gentle smile. "The maids made it sound like you were in a lot of pain. How do you feel?"
Lady Lishu looked up at him, her eyes lighting up a bit with that shy happiness she always had around him. She gave a small smile. "Lord Jinshi... yes, I'm feeling much better. It came so suddenly this morning—like someone was squeezing my stomach hard right after I drank my tea. There was no weird taste or anything, just the pain. The maids got worried and started running around, calling for Gaoshun-sama. But before he could come, my lady-in-waiting rushed in, breathing hard, holding this small bottle. She said, 'Rub it gently on the sore spot, in circles, every three hours.' And it really worked. The pain started going away almost right away. It felt warm and comforting, like the hurt just melted."
Jinshi kept smiling, but inside he was thinking: This has to be Maomao. I just saw her in the hall a few minutes ago. I even teased her about helping with Lishu's pain. She sighed and said, "If you already know the answer, don't waste my time." She's always fast with fixes like this.
Out loud, he said calmly, "Your lady-in-waiting brought it? That's quick thinking. Can I see the bottle? I just want to check it—sometimes these fast fixes can cause problems later."
Lady Lishu nodded right away and told her maid to bring it. The maid hurried over with the small bottle and handed it to Jinshi with a deep bow.
He opened it a little and smelled it. It was warm and soft—not strong like normal medicine or temple smoke. Something gentle and nice.
"Nice smell," he said, closing it again. "Who gave this to your lady-in-waiting? Did she say?"
Lishu shook her head, looking a bit confused. "I don't know, my lord. She just came running in with it. Ask her—she's waiting outside."
Jinshi turned to the maid. "Bring her in, please."
The lady-in-waiting came in quickly and bowed very low. "My lord?"
"Rise," Jinshi said kindly. "Good job helping so fast. Where did you get this oil? Was it from the apothecary stores?"
The girl stood up, looking nervous but honest. "No, my lord. I was in the hall, telling everyone to call Gaoshun-sama because Lady Lishu was in pain. Then Madam Hui-lan from the kitchens came running up to me. She was out of breath and gave me the bottle. She said, 'Give this to Lady Lishu. Rub it gently in circles on the belly, every three hours. It will help the pain go away.' She sounded very sure. I didn't ask questions—I just ran back here with it."
Jinshi listened carefully, his smile still on his face, but now he was surprised inside. Hui-lan? Not Maomao? Hui-lan is from the kitchens—she handles food and trays, not medicine.
"That's interesting," he said lightly. "Hui-lan brought it to you?"
"Yes, my lord."
He nodded. "You all did well. Medicine passed around without checking first isn't usually allowed—it's a rule to keep everyone safe. But this time it helped, so no problem. Just tell Madam Hui-lan I might talk to her later about where it came from."
The girl looked relieved. "Yes, my lord. Thank you."
Jinshi stood up, gave ladyLishu a warm smile, and promised to visit again soon with some sweets. Then he left the room.
The hallway outside felt too quiet. Jinshi walked with the bottle hidden in his sleeve.
Hui-lan wouldn't give something risky to a consort. She must have gotten it from someone she trusted. But who made it so fast?
His feet turned toward the herb rooms. He needed to talk to the one person who would give him straight answers—even if she made him work for them.
Maomao was in the side herb room, grinding something in a bowl. The place smelled strong—like crushed leaves and warm spices. She looked up when Jinshi came in and sighed.
"Lord Jinshi," she said with a quick bow. "You again? So soon?"
He smiled his usual playful smile. "Yes, me again. I need your help with something about Lady Lishu."
He took out the bottle and held it out. "This fixed her stomach pain fast. Have you seen it before?"
Maomao took the bottle and looked at it. "Can I open it?"
"Of course—that's why I brought it."
She opened it and smelled carefully.
She paused. "...Huh."
Jinshi watched her. "What does that 'huh' mean?"
"It's not what I thought it would be," she said. She smelled again, deeper this time. "Warm... soft... it stays in the air a while."
She put one drop on a spoon and waved her hand over it to pull the smell up.
"Fennel—very light. Ginger, just warmed enough to relax tight muscles. And dried orange peel for a little sweetness."
Jinshi raised an eyebrow. "You sound surprised."
"I am," Maomao said. "This is simple, but it works better than it should. It's only for rubbing on the skin—no drinking it, no strong herbs. But the warmth and the smell together calm the body and loosen cramps."
She put a drop on a cloth and set it aside.
"See? The smell doesn't go away fast. It keeps working quiet and slow."
She clicked her tongue softly. "Annoying... in a good way."
Jinshi laughed a little. "Coming from you, that's almost a compliment."
"It's smart," she said. "Not too much, not too strong. Whoever made this knows exactly how far to go and when to stop."
Jinshi put the bottle away. "Hui-lan from the kitchens brought it to lady Lishu's maids."
Maomao's eyes sharpened. "Brought it. Not made it."
"Exactly."
She crossed her arms. "So the real question isn't who delivered it. It's who made it—and who noticed the pain fast enough to mix this before anyone else even got there."
They stayed quiet for a moment.
Jinshi closed his fan with a soft snap.
"I don't like being the last to know things," he said lightly, but his voice had a serious edge. "Especially when they could be dangerous."
Maomao nodded. "Then start paying attention to the quiet ones."
He smiled. "I will."
He turned to leave, the bottle safe in his sleeve again.
Maomao watched him go, already thinking hard.
Somewhere else in the palace, a girl kept doing her normal jobs—quiet, calm, with no idea that her simple oil had reached the most important ears.
And questions were starting to grow around her... even before anyone knew her name.
Disclaimer
This work is a fan-made story inspired by The Apothecary Diaries. The world, its canon characters, and original setting belong to their creators.
Moon, her journey, and all new scenes written here are entirely my own creations. This story is shared purely for love of the universe and for personal enjoyment. No copyright infringement is intended.