Volume 3, Chapter 28: Dinner (1/2)

Two days after she brought up the aforementioned matter to Honnyan, an old man with a figure like an old woman showed up at the Inner Palace. She was surprised that his movements that were quicker than she had expected.

Her dad, who was led in by Gaoshun, greeted every person in the Jade Palace and then headed off to the medical office. It seems that he will be at the quack doctors place for a short while. She had wondered what would happen if the quack got dismissed, but for the time being, that worry was unfounded.

Infa and the others showed up before Maomao who was organising the baggage.

Really restless too, arent you?

So saying that, they came to help her clean the room. Guien was amazed at the medicinal herbs that kept coming out no matter how much she packed them, and Airan almost shrieked at the dried lizard tail.

Since its work.

She said it was work, but was it really the case? Maomao couldnt help thinking. If she did the work properly, Jinshi would surely award her with an unusual medicinal herb as a reward, or perhaps, a foreign medical book. But Maomao wavered at the something that was different to that.

(Ah, what a pain.)

She didnt want to do such a thing, but shell end up hating herself if that was what she did. As she sighed while cramming the compounding tools into the wrapping cloth, Infa looked at Maomao as if she recalled something.

That reminds me, Maomaos father? He is, right? That person?

Yeah, I guess.

She decided to go with that since they look similar. Its a pain to explain it in detail so she gave the abridged version.

Hes kinda, completely different to what I imagined. How do I say this, hes normal? Something like that?

what were you imagining?

Well, speaking of what, you know.

Like they were agreeing with Infas words, Guien and Airan also faced each other and nodded.

It was nothing short of a mystery on just what they were imagining.

After leaving the inner palace and walking in the imperial court after a long time, she felt that the atmosphere was somewhat different. The inner palace was restrictive. She hardly felt the outside air. It only amounted to the occasional wind that leaked in through the gaps in the walls.

Maybe it was the strained atmosphere, or maybe it was that if you suspect something, everything will look suspicious, she had no idea. Just that within the few months, something must have changed.

.the atmosphere is somewhat different.

Maomao said to Gaoshun in a roundabout way. Gaoshun had come to pick up Maomao. Her luggage left to the manservant who was waiting outside, Maomao headed for Jinshis room.

There will soon be a conference with a foreign country.

After he said it frankly, Gaoshun walked briskly. The man who would normally slow down, taking Maomaos pace into consideration, was walking unusually fast. Maomao hurried after Gaoshun.

Maomao didnt understand government affairs. Even if she was there listening, she would only understand half of it.

After reaching Jinshis building, Maomao decided to talk to Gaoshun after properly timing the moment the owner of this place wasnt around.

Maomao understood that it would become bothersome if Jinshi knew what she was attempting to do from here on.

A couple of days after the preparations, Maomao waited upon Jinshi together with Suiren. Staring fixedly, the beautiful master seemed like hes worn out for a different reason to before.

Jinshi usually exuded a disgusting smile. Often before Maomao, he displayed a look of sullenness, but before others, especially in the inner palace, he hardly showed that expression. His outward appearance was good if you were to say it, but it looked like he was wearing a mask.

During the time hes wearing a mask, everyone must be effortlessly fooled by that inhuman beauty. With the reason being that he possessed an unusual beautiful face, the numbers of those who noticed that crack was limited.

And the few places where he doesnt hide the cracks and display it, would have to be just his own room here. As soon as he entered the living room after coming back from work, Jinshi slumped down on the couch, completely exhausted. As Suiren has said it, Maomao passed the honeyed fruit juice to Jinshi.

Jinshi sculled down half of that, then scanned the document that Gaoshun had brought over.

Maomao glanced at it. It appeared to be a document on a conference with a foreign country this time. If its the significance of customs, even Maomao knew about it at least. While thinking that it was not good to steal looks, Maomaos eyes shifted to the place she was concerned about.

.

What is there?

Perhaps he noticed Maomao staring, Jinshi asked her.

The location of the conference, isnt in the capital, right?

She saw the place name it was the name of a town that was situated along the national border in the northwest. Considering the distance from the capital, it would have to be a long trip. She didnt know who was attending, but they may not return in several months.

Seems that the other country doesnt wish to come all the way here either.

Rather, considering how they had proceeded all the way here, it would be more of a compromise. However, what Maomao was concerned about, was the location of the town that was holding the meeting.

The western side was the national border with the foreign country. The northern side was pretty much a self-governing territory, but a different ethnic group lived there since olden times. Although it wasnt taken as a country, it was the nature of the locality where both sides west and north were vigilant.

Honestly, its not a place that you can be excited about.

I guess so. Im not at ease.

Even the different ethnic group were people, but things like the culture that were passed on there were different. When her dad studied abroad in the West, he said he also had that feeling. The language was different, and mutual understanding was also difficult. It becomes even more difficult when you bring in various components like food, clothes, lifestyle, and religious belief.

Theres also that, but they have a custom where they eat strange things.

With a strangely weary expression, he drank up the rest of the fruit juice.

It seems insects are normally served in meals.

Jinshi sighed deeply.

Its because of that youre nave, Maomao thought. Maomao, who had eaten both snakes and frogs, hadnt not eaten insects before. In particular, the northern parts treat insects as an important source of nutrients. Even if it was not normally eaten in the years where there were locust plague, they would have to eat even crickets too so it cannot be helped. The northwestern parts were spread out as a grain-producing region, so if locust plague occurred, it cannot be overlooked.

(Locust plague?)

A calamity caused by insects. In bad years there were also those who die from starvation. As this could go as far as to also change the ruler of the country sometimes, it was one of the serious disasters. It was also said the insect was written with the emperor for that reason[note]The word for locust is written with insect and emperor .[/note].

Maomao recalled one other thing.

(Bad insects carry calamity.)

The final words the young girl had said when she was still Shisui.

What does insect mean? What is the calamity?

Maomao had only considered diseases. However, if what she said was about this:

(There will be locust plague from here on?)

No, no matter how much she knew about insects, was that something she knew? Otherwise, if she knew, how much of a benefit would that be?

That cant be, Maomao shook her head and considering something else.

(If we speak about insects,)

There was a technique that forces insects to eat each other and uses the survivors as a curse. Its called witchcraft[note], fuko. More specifically, dark magic/curse that involves poison derived from venom.[/note], but Maomao didnt believe in things like curses. It is likely that due to poisonous creatures eating each other that will accumulate poison. Creating a stronger poison and serving that up to the other person. The curse was something like this.

(I want to try it once.)

While thinking about such insolent things, she looked at the map that was attached to the document. Suddenly, she recalled the words of the peddler who was a guest of the pleasure district a long time ago. Was it the story of the different ethnic tribe that lived in the northern parts?

.

What is it?

Jinshi asked Maomao who was staring intently at the map.

No, the tribe that lives in this place, do they hunt?