The Apothecary Diaries - Volume 5 - Chapter Pr

Character Profiles

Maomao

An apothecary in the pleasure district. Normally rather unemotional, she becomes a different person where medicines and poisons are concerned. Daughter of a courtesan and the military strategist Lakan.

Jinshi

Played the part of a eunuch in the rear palace, but his true identity is the Emperor’s younger brother. Secrets surround his birth. So beautiful that some people claim that if he were a woman, he could bring the country to its knees.

Gaoshun

Formerly Jinshi’s attendant and minder. Now that role is played by his son, and Gaoshun serves the Emperor personally.

Basen

Gaoshun’s son; Jinshi’s attendant.

Lakan

Maomao’s father. An eccentric military strategist who wears a monocle. Extraordinarily capable, but not easy to deal with. He’s up to his ears with love for his daughter, but Maomao hates him.

Lahan

Maomao’s cousin. Actually the son of Lakan’s half-brother, but Lakan has adopted him. Another eccentric.

Luomen

Maomao’s granduncle and adoptive father; an extremely accomplished physician.

Consort Lishu

One of the Emperor’s four most favored consorts. Very young and still timid.

Ah-Duo

Formerly one of the Emperor’s four favored consorts. She had a son with His Majesty. Once...

Suirei

Granddaughter of the former emperor, and a survivor of the otherwise exterminated Shi clan. Possesses knowledge as an apothecary.

Loulan

Also known as Shisui. Half-sister of Suirei. Formerly one of the Emperor’s four favored consorts. A member of the Shi clan, she fled the rear palace, a serious crime. It’s currently unknown if she’s alive.

Empress Regnant

Mother of the previous emperor, grandmother of the current Emperor. A powerful woman who conducted politics in place of her son; however, dark rumors persist about her. Deceased.

The Former Emperor

A variety of ugly names for him circulate: he’s called the Idiot Emperor, the Fool Prince, and a pedophile. Deceased.

Empress Gyokuyou

Hails from the west. Formerly one of the Emperor’s four favored consorts, now his empress. Has one son and one daughter with the current Emperor; her son is the current heir apparent.

The Madam

The old lady who runs the Verdigris House, the brothel where Maomao has her shop. A real miser.

The Three Princesses

Pairin, Meimei, and Joka. The three most popular courtesans at the Verdigris House.

Chou-u

A child survivor of the Shi clan. Because he was given the “resurrection drug,” half his body is paralyzed and he’s lost his memories of everything before he took the medicine.

Lihaku

A soldier-acquaintance of Maomao’s. Head over heels in love with Pairin.

Prologue

“Geez, how are you gonna survive if that’s all it takes to send you running?”

The voice was friendly enough, but its owner was looking down at him where he was collapsed on his knees on the ground. He could see the youthful figure on the fence, holding an apple. The figure took a bite of the hard fruit with a flash of white teeth. Why? thought the boy on the ground. He’d disappeared among the trees, eluded his pursuers—so why could this kid find him so easily?

“Shut up. I know that.”

“Better go back, then. You’ve got the serving women crying.” The youth chuckled.

So it had come to this: being looked down upon from the lofty heights of the fence. It made him so mad. What about you? he wanted to ask. Wearing a commoner’s outfit, clambering on the fence like a monkey, munching on an apple. Forget crying—if the serving women saw that, they would faint.

“It’s an important job. Just do it already.” Monkey jumped down off the fence and stood in front of him, then mussed his hair—as if the kid had the right! Monkey was only a year older than him. He pushed the hand away, hating to be treated like a child. The other youth laughed and wiped the half-eaten apple on a sleeve, then held it out.

“Your leftovers?”

“Hey, you don’t have to eat it.”

There was a pause, then he grabbed the apple and bit into the side that didn’t have any teeth marks in it. The crunchy fruit flooded his mouth with its flavor, simultaneously sweet and sour. He looked up to see the kid in the commoner’s garb grinning at him.

“I want to at least choose my own partner,” he said.

“Not likely! You get all the nicest stuff—what if you picked somebody awful? There would be a lot of unhappy people.”

“She was older than my mother!”

“Er...yeah, I don’t know what to say about that,” Monkey said shyly, looking genuinely unsure.

He knew that. Yes, even he knew that much. But he was still a child, so acceptance didn’t come easily.

“Grow up,” Monkey said.

“You’re one to talk! You’re only a year older than me.” What, you think that makes you a grown-up? he wanted to ask. Did it mean Monkey would be able to go calmly along with a match like that?

All right, fine.

“I’ve decided,” he said.

“Decided what?”

He raised his finger, then pointed directly at the faux commoner.

“My partner for tonight.”

“Excuse me?” A sardonic smile, meant to hide embarrassment.