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The sun shone brightly through the lattice windows, scattering patches of light across the polished floors and nearby furniture. Not a single cloud marred the blue sky overhead, and birds drifted lazily through the air alongside buzzing insects. Trees swayed gently beneath a warm breeze, their leaves rustling softly as the sweet scent of blooming flowers wandered through the courtyard.
By all accounts, it was a beautiful day.
Court ladies gathered beneath the shade of sprawling trees, exchanging gossip and laughter while enjoying the pleasant weather. Ministers moved through the palace grounds at a more leisurely pace than usual, travelling from one meeting to the next without their typical urgency. Servants carried out their duties with lighter steps and brighter smiles, their cheerful chatter echoing through open hallways and courtyards.
The entire palace seemed touched by the day's warmth. Everyone was happy, or at least, everyone should have been. Maomao certainly wasn't.
She stood in Jinshi’s office, arms crossed over her chest as her fingers gripped her own skin angrily. She scowled at the man, something she hadn’t done in a while despite his typical behaviour.
“Respectfully sir, that isn’t true.” Her tone was calm, or at least calm for her as her eyes narrowed menacingly at him.
“Yes it is!” he exclaimed with more exaggeration than was needed, “the matter has already been investigated. Those were the results.”
She threw her head back at his words. Would it be poor form to laugh at him? She didn’t want to find out. “Then your investigators are wrong.”
She was slightly offended he hadn’t asked for her help in the first place. She had always been his personal investigator for these kinds of things. Why had he chosen to go to someone else on this occasion? She didn’t understand it.
He crossed his own arms, mirroring her appearance with a pout. “How so?”
“Well for starters, it is very unlikely someone would go to such lengths to do something like that. Secondly, your ‘investigator’ has absolutely no suspects. Who are you planning to detain anyway?” she asked with a sigh as he continued to pout.
His eyes drifted to the floor for a moment before returning to hers, “well, we hadn’t gotten that far yet…?” he explained sheepishly. It was obvious the answer was embarrassing to him.
“I see.” She gave him a flat look, not impressed in the slightest, “and why didn’t you ask for my help in the first place, sir?”
He waved his hands in the air frantically, “I was going to, I swear it.”
She raised an eyebrow as she watched him.
“I-it’s just… you’ve been so busy lately I didn’t want to burden you.” His gaze seemed to drift anywhere but at her.
She had half an idea to laugh in his face. Him burden her, that worry never seemed to occur to him before when he pulled her out of work or bed to have her check on his brand. “Please, sir, next time think of a better excuse.”
“It’s true.” he insisted, his eyes wide as though he could somehow convince her with his unsettling stare. “I’m only telling you now because I assumed you would be interested in such a thing, you know, with your poison hobby and all.”
He watched her expression for a moment before adding, “a hobby that I don’t condone in the slightest mind you.”
She only rolled her eyes. “Maybe I would be more excited, sir, if it was actually poison.”
“It is, they said so.” He threw his arms up in exasperation.
“It isn’t.” She reaffirmed. This would be an argument she won.
“How so?” he asked, banging his head pathetically on the desk. She grimaced at his reaction. As his apothecary she should probably tell him to stop. Though frankly, she couldn’t be bothered.
She took a breath, “You investigators are suggesting that someone poisoned the water wells. I’m saying that can’t be true.”
“But how though, you’ve offered absolutely no evidence.” She would have assumed he would have had more belief in her instincts by now.
“Neither have you.” She counted, giving him a pointed look as he squirmed underneath her gaze.
Maomao 1, Jinshi 0.
“Fine.” He said, rubbing his eyes as if this conversation was tiring him out from where he sat at his desk. This man really needed to get a life. “Though I’d still like to hear why you believe that.”
“Because I drank out of it recently.”
He stared at her for a second, then another, and another, “that’s it, that’s all you’ve got?”
Now it was her turn to throw her hands up, “well I would have noticed a change.” She practically grumbled.
He watched her for a few more moments as if her mere existence was confusing him. How rude could he get?! “Alright, let’s say it isn’t poison, what do you think it could be?”
She smiled at him, grateful he was finally asking for her opinion. It was about time! “There is no doubt in my mind that there is mould.”
“Mould? That’s your idea, mould?” he asked, clearly bored with her final answer.
“Yes, sir. What’s wrong with it?” She almost scoffed, she clearly shouldn’t have offered her help if he was going to act like this. In fact, he shouldn’t have told her at all.
“It’s just boring, that’s all.” He replied with a dismissive wave of his hand.
“But it’s true.” She insisted. She should just head back to work at the medical office. She suddenly decided she enjoyed the herb’s company far more than this man’s.
“Is it?” He asked with a smirk as amusement entered his tone. This man!
“Yes, sir.” She said again, with much less enthusiasm this time. Why was he being so difficult, did he simply want her to give up so he could claim victory? If he did, he chose the wrong girl.
He stood up all too suddenly, making his way over until he was all up in her personal space. Was he trying to intimidate her? She wouldn’t lose that easily. She didn’t back down as she crossed her arms, her chin in the air as she looked back at him with determination.
“Tell you what, Maomao, if you can prove me wrong, that it really is mould instead of poison, I’ll give you a special reward.” he spoke low, a smile on his lips as he played gently with one of her hair beads.
Her expression instantly changed, her frown disappeared, replaced instead with excitement, her eyes sparkling with the promise of the reward. Would it be a new rare herb? Maybe a poison? An old medical textbook that had been lost to time?! The possibilities were practically endless as her face broke out into a wide grin while she stared at him.
She would not lose this. She would prove him wrong and herself right one way or another. The promise of a new fantastical medical reward was on the line. She would not give that up, not in the slightest.
“I won’t let you down, sir.” She responded as her fist hit her chest in excitement, “I’ll prove that it was mould, just you wait.”
She skipped out happily, already missing the low murmur of his voice as he mentioned that he did indeed hope she won. The door was shut quickly as she let out a squeal, finally out of earshot of the prince.
She always did enjoy rewards, and a reward from Jinshi was nothing to joke about.
She walked quickly through the courtyards, intent on getting to her destination as quickly as possible. Her earlier annoyance at Jinshi’s attitude had all but vanished as servants, court ladies and officials alike stared in horror at the cackling medical assistant. Maomao however, was practically oblivious to such stares as she skipped happily, finally reaching the water well.
She knelt beside it as happy noises emanated from her. She would show him. Her fingers threaded through the small grate and pulled it free with more excitement than was probably necessary.
Her eyes widened at the sight. Just as she assumed, mould littered the surrounding area, it was no doubt the source of the recent sicknesses. She scoffed slightly, those investigators were more incompetent than she had assumed. They had gone straight to poison when the real answer was right under their noses the whole time. If only they had some common sense, then all of this could have been avoided.
She hesitated for a moment. Then again, if they hadn’t been so incompetent, then she wouldn’t be about to receive her new medicinal reward from Jinshi. Perhaps, this time, their incompetence was acceptable.
Just this once.
She eagerly took out a spare piece of fabric, using it to dig out some of the mould before securing the cloth with the ribbon from her hair. Jinshi would need to see proof of such a thing if he was going to give her her reward.
She slid the package happily into her sleeve before jumping up, dusting the dirt from her skirt and making her way back to Jinshi’s office. The trip back was fast as she passed court ladies and officials alike, barely sparing a glance as she passed a very confused Basen who stood guard at Jinshi’s door.
He allowed her back in with a raised eyebrow and she barely waited for the door to close behind her before showing off her triumphant smirk.
“I was right!” She exclaimed loudly as Jinshi’s eyes left the paperwork he had decided to return to during her absence.
“Really?” He asked while raising an eyebrow. She only offered a small glare back at his obvious lack of belief in her before her face returned to a smile at the implication that she would be receiving a reward.
It had been far too long since Jinshi had rewarded her for her services. And for it to be in relation to winning a bet against him was even better.
She nodded quickly as she approached his desk. “There was mould in the grate. If your investigators had simply looked a bit closer they would have figured it out themselves.”
He offered her a smile of his own, “I’m impressed.”
“Don’t be, your investigators are incompetent.” Her response came far quicker than it probably should have.
He watched her for a few moments, surprise etched onto his features from her bluntness. “I- will be sure to ask for your personal services in the future.”
Good.
“A wise choice, sir.” Her response came.
He only stared at her more, “I’m glad to know that you agree.”
She fished the pouch out of her sleeve, placing it on the desk with the utmost care before she untied the ribbon, allowing the sides of the fabric to fall to the side revealing the discoloured mould. “See, I told you.”
Jinshi covered his nose with his hand as if directly inhaling it would be enough to simply kill him. Maomao almost scoffed at his display, this type of mould was absolutely not strong enough to do something like that.
“That’s great Maomao, really I’m happy you won.”
Maomao 2, Jinshi 0.
She only let out a small hum as she packed the mould back away, placing it back into her sleeve.
“You seem awfully happy, I never realised you enjoyed winning so much?” Jinshi voiced as he watched in mild concern as she giggled to herself.
“I’m excited for my reward, sir. The winning was simply a bonus.” She replied plainly as if it was obvious.
“I see, and you're that excited about your reward?” He asked in confirmation.
She rolled her eyes softly, “of course, sir. I’m excited to see what kind of new medicinal plant you have for me!”
His eyes widened slightly, he did have her plant, right? This wasn’t another repeat of the Ox Bezoar where he said he’d have it only to have lied. No, she was sure it was nothing like that.
“So, where’s my reward, sir?”
She watched in mild interest as he stood from his seat, making his way over to where she stood, her face tilting upwards at the new height difference. He stayed frozen for a few seconds, watching her expression carefully before his hand slipped to her chin, tilting it further upwards.
“Your reward.” He whispered softly near her ear, his breath hot against her skin before she felt it.
A light pressure against her lips, before he pushed against her slightly harder. His warmth was almost intoxicating as his hand rested against her hip, pulling her closer. She remained motionless. Her eyes widened in surprise at his advances. Then it was gone as quick as it appeared, he pulled back with a smirk, his eyes drifting between hers.
Her mouth opened as a flush spread violently across her features, then closed, then opened again until finally, “T-that w-wasn’t a reward!” she exclaimed, eventually finding her voice again.
Jinshi simply looked at her fondly, his gaze drifting to her lips before returning, his face moved closer until he was right next to her ear, his breath warm as he lingered for a moment too long.
“It was for me.”
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