Volume 6, Chapter 6: The Unchanging Inner Palace (1/2)

Before entering the inner palace, whether you were a eunuch or a palace lady, your body had to undergo a checkup. Maomao and her dad were used to it, but Yao and En’en seemed to have found it quite humiliating. They looked terribly uncomfortable about the fact that they would be touched by eunuchs, so they blatantly made indignant faces. With a look of resignation, her dad called for palace ladies for them.

“Just this time, okay?” he said.

“We understand.”

It didn’t look like they were intending to defy her dad. The only thing was that after they heard that he was a eunuch, it felt like their attitudes had worsened a little.

(It’s not particularly unusual, though.)

It wasn’t unusual to be dismissive towards eunuchs. Her dad was also used to it, so he might not be that bothered by it, but it irritated Maomao.

They entered the inner palace, and a nostalgic atmosphere filled the air. The garden of women; the men around here were all eunuchs. For a place that gets influenced by this peculiarity on a daily basis, the people who live here also become a little peculiar.

Flickering stares focused on Maomao’s group. As this place that had no freedom of movement, they were sensitive to people who come in from the outside world. Their eyes glittered, wondering if they had any interesting news or anything that could spark a rumour.

Among those, there were a couple of faces she recognised. Though she wasn’t particularly close to them, they were maidservants whom she had occasionally chatted with when she was in the washing area. They looked marvelled, as every single time Maomao left the inner palace she would return.

Her dad made a beeline for the inner palace medical office first. The two court ladies looked around in wonder as they walked, but Maomao and her dad didn’t really care. As if Yao couldn’t stand her behaviour, unusually, she went to talk to Maomao.

“Why are you acting like you’re used to it?” she asked.

“I have worked here for close to two years,” Maomao answered. It was at short intervals, but she had been here until the autumn of last year. “Since the term of service of palace ladies in the inner palace is two years.”

As it was bothersome to explain everything, the court lady should understand if she just said that.

The conversation ended on that note, and they reached the medical office in silence. A familiar loach moustached face was dozing in the medical office.

“Hello.”

When her dad called out to him apologetically, his nostril flared and he flew up in a fluster.

“OH! If it isn’t Ruomen-san. And Lass! Long time no see.”

The quack doctor tottered over to them, his heavy belly under his arms. Although he said long time no see, Maomao had accompanied him to his family home, the papermaking village, so it had only been a couple of months.

It looked like Yao couldn’t stand the fact that Maomao was also acquainted with the quack doctor.

(Nepotism, huh.)

She had intended to take the exam, but it probably would be strange for people to even see it that way. She ruminated on the words the court physician, who worked in the military, had said just then. It can’t be helped that he thought that way, but it wasn’t something to be bothered about.

“Who are the young ladies at the back?” the quack doctor asked, seeing Yao and En’en.

The two had a delicate expression. He may be a eunuch but he was also a court physician. They seem to understand that in their heads but were at a lost on how they should act towards him. The quack couldn’t read their expressions, no, didn’t read their expressions, and started to search the shelves while asking, “What tea cakes would be good?”

His personality was enviable in a way.

“These three are court ladies of the imperial court who will be acting as assistants for court physicians from now on. Since it will be difficult for us alone to watch over the inner palace, we will be taking them around with us as a test. Did you not get the correspondence?”

At her dad’s words, the quack doctor was taken aback. He glanced over to the table. An unopened letter was in view, but let’s not meddle.

“Ahhh, is that so, that’s how it is. And how will this be done?” the quack doctor said meaningfully as if he had already known about it.

Maomao thought that it was the usual and her dad gave a wry smile. Yao and En’en immediately faced this court physician with eyes of full of doubt like he was somewhat strange. It shouldn’t take much time for them to figure out that the quack doctor is a quack.