Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The elaborate dresses, the extravagant accessories, the intricate make up. All of these makes Ah Duo feel like an impostor. This is something that she has never bothered when she was growing up, and being an empress now, she thought she’d have more control over the things that she can do. She knew being the mother of the nation had a cage attached to it, so why did she foolishly ask for this?

No matter now, what is done is done. She needs to look the part because if she did not cooperate, it is not only her life would be in peril so would her son.

Her son who grew up so beautifully, now a man who has accomplished many things that she is very proud of. Her beautiful and hardworking son, a perfect crown prince.

“Your majesty, where is that prince of yours? He seems to be running late.” The gray-haired prince asks as he lazily lounged on the bench while eating a grape.

 He is the same age as Yue, born on the same night, but their personalities completely differ from one another. Yue, her son, a diligent government official, always busy, barely has time to rest. While Yun, the emperor’s younger brother, a rambunctious prince, the life of the party, always teasing his serious nephew. Even with differing personalities they get along well, and they tend to balance each other out.

What amuses Ah Duo is how their persona shown in court is different from what they show to their friends and family. Yue, the Moon Prince, a celestial beauty, uses this to his advantage. Using his blinding shine to captivate the people around him in order to get things done. Yun, the Cloud Prince, a stormy presence with his striking grey hair and red eyes. At first glance, you can feel coldness emanating from him. Using his fearsome features to get the court off his back.

A formidable pair in the court, when working together, people become wary of what they might accomplish. Many tried to put a wedge between the two princes, but their bond is unbreakable. Whatever scheme is put forth to them, they are able to work it out.

Yue enters the room in a rush, still fixing the collar of his ceremonial robes and his hair pin facing the wrong way.

“Ah there he is.” Yun announces.

“Yue, what took you so long? The banquet is about to start.” She tells him as she approaches him, helping him with his collar and hairpin, turning it so that the qilin faces the right side.

“I had to check in with the high consorts before changing.” He sat down besides Yun, forcefully taking the grapes off his hand.

Ah Duo watched as the two princes banter. They look so similar, if not for their hair and eyes. If they changed it and made it similar, they can be mistaken as twins. She remembers a time when she and the empress dowager had a dangerous thought. When she feared for the safety of her newborn son, being a son of a crown prince. She almost did it. She almost wanted for his son to take the place of his uncle and live as the one taking the first priority at that time. She was extremely tempted to do so, she was on the verge of asking for the attendants to leave the room and change the babies in the basinets.

But a thought sprung in her mind. This is her only son. The only child she will bear and she is deciding to keep him away from her in order for him to be safe? Would he really be safe that way? Living away from her? Sleeping away from her? So she decided against it. She kept her son close to her, along with his uncle to give the motherly love that his mother isn’t able to give. She watched closely everything that they did and made sure that no harm would come to them in order for them to grow up healthy and happy.

Here they are now. Men and now of age to take wives of their own.

“Mother? Is something the matter?” Yue asks in concern.

“I was just thinking of the poor ladies who will marry you both. They will never know a day of peace.”

“Oh Lady Ah Duo, I do wonder when that time will come. As you know I will not marry until the Moon Prince does. Every lady presented to him does not pique his interest, so at this rate I might have to look for a temple and become a monk.” Yun says, quite dramatically at that.

Ah Duo knew Yue’s apprehension on marriage. Yue was looking for love. He was looking for something that she and his father used to have until he had to take concubines. She had to reassure him that there is still love in their marriage, after all she was the one who insisted that Yang take concubines when he took over the throne. While they still cherish each other, there is an obvious space between them now. She has accepted that by letting other women in their marriage she will have to share her husband, and sometimes she will have to deal with being lonely. Yue despises that.

“Who said you have to wait until I get married before you do?” Yue asks.

“Me. I said so. It might be taken the wrong way if I get married before you do.”

“You always use that as an excuse. The truth is that once you get married you are not able to visit the brothels as often you do now.”

“Such slander my dear nephew!”

Ah Duo laughs at the exchange. Glad that she did not switch the babies, and glad that they grew up as the men they are now.

“My Lady, this just came in.” Fengxian’s head lady in waiting handed her a folded piece of paper. Quite a luxurious paper, those embossed with patterns and perfumed.

She takes it and opens it knowing what is inside. As expected, another invitation from one of the wives who kept pestering for her to come over and have some tea over at their place.

She remembers from who this invitation came from. She was the one who she overheard at one of the palace banquets, commenting about her previous work to the other wives of the court officials. Before, she’d let it slide, she won’t show any reaction, she won’t comment and act respectful and cordial to them, knowing that if she is underestimated, once they rose to the ranks, they will come crawling and begging to be affiliated to them.

She handed the paper back to her lady in waiting. “I will not be coming to that.” Her lady in waiting nodded, used to her responses to that kind of invitation.

After all she has the right to ignore and snob these two-faced mistresses now. Her husband has enough power in the court now.

His rise to power was a long and arduous one, but she knew that he is capable of it with the skills that he has in his arsenal, she knew that he is able climb the bureaucracy with just a bit of a push. He has a wife and child to protect, and from where they came from, he had to ensure that he had enough power to ensure their safety. She knew that getting out of the brothel was much easier than what she is to face with his family and the court, but she knew that at the end they will come out of it. After all, she won’t start a game if she knew she will not win it.

Now, six years have passed since she has moved from the annex to the main house. A courtesan now a mistress of a prominent named clan. Everything is in place. Everything is as it should be. Except for one thing.

“Where is Maomao? It should be her day off today.”

“Last I heard is that she took her breakfast in the annex today, my lady.”

She sighs. Six years have passed since they were acknowledged as the main family of the La Clan, but her daughter is still residing in the annex with her granduncle, Loumen. Unable to let go of the library and the workshop as she told her. She let her be, as her daughter is a stubborn one, no matter what she does to move her things in the main house, she finds a way to go back to the annex, that she solely occupy now as her granduncle is rarely home and resides at the dorm near the court anyway.

She stands up then marches to the annex. Since it is her day off today, she can accompany her in choosing her new dresses. She has rejected everything that she has chosen for her before, her reasoning that everything is too flashy for her taste. Even with their new status she insists on acting low born, following the humility of her granduncle. While she is glad of the treatment the old man has given them when they moved to the La estate, she wished that her daughter did not idolize him too much. She has even taken as an apprentice to his profession and now has an ungodly obsession with medicine and poisons. With her want to be her granduncle’s apprentice as a court physician, she has proposed to her father and granduncle to have women as medical assistants in the medical offices, specially in the rear palace since it is forbidden to have men created as eunuchs anymore, and her granduncle overseeing the rear palace is not getting any younger,.

A few months ago, she took the court lady examinations and is now working as a medical assistant in the court much to her protest.

She opens the door to her workshop, where she spends most of her day offs creating medicine for the Verdigris House apothecary shop. There she found an empty room, filled cabinets containing her ingredients, her worktable littered with her tools, and the walls decorated with drying herbs. She went to the library next door, stacked with medical books collected by the old physician. She was nowhere to be seen in there as well. She was headed next to her room when she came across Lahan who is on his way to the library.

“Do you know where your sister is?” She asks her adoptive son, who is the youngest son of her brother-in-law.

“Hasn’t she told you? I saw her in the palace today, she was asked to help with the spring banquet today since the new royal princes will be presented.”

“What do you think?”

Lahan just shakes his head, knowing that Maomao would deliberately keep it from her mother because she knows that she will do something that would prevent her from going to the palace. 

“Your sister is annoyingly clever sometimes.”

“Well, she did get it from you and father.”

That earned him a glare from her.

“Anywaaay. I just need something from the library. If you would excuse me.”

Like a sly fox, he slipped inside the library and went out of her sight.

Chapter Text

A few months ago 

“You look ridiculous.”

“So do you.”

“Is that really necessary? It’s not like anyone in the rear palace knows you besides granduncle Loumen.”

Lahan, her adopted brother who is truly her cousin is referring to the dots peppered across her face. She adopted this fashion when she started going to the Verdigris House all by herself to run the apothecary shop in the brothel. She found that she is much comfortable when people do not stare too long at her, and the freckles are helping. With this, she knows she is able to do a much better job with her new work.

“It’s none of your business.” She tells Lahan which earned her a shocked face, as if he is not used to that already.

“Are you excited for your first day, my flower?” Her father asks. Along with Lahan, they are currently in the carriage on their way to the palace for their own respective jobs.

Today is Maomao’s first day as a court lady. She is to be assigned as a medical assistant, a position that was just created in the request of her father and her granduncle. Her granduncle, Loumen, is a renowned physician who have delivered the emperor, the imperial younger brother, and the crown prince. Now two of the emperor’s consorts are pregnant at the same time, and would probably give birth at the same time. Being the only doctor who is also a eunuch, Loumen is the only doctor able to attend to the consorts in the rear palace, as men besides the royal family and eunuchs are not allowed in the emperor’s garden. Having court ladies assigned as medical assistants will be a huge help for Loumen, which is great for Maomao as well as she has been itching to see him at work and learn more from him.

“Should I deliver lunch to you later? Tell me what do you want for lunch? Papa will have it bought for you.”

Maomao sighs. “I said it before and I will say it again for the last time. Please do not acknowledge me as your daughter when inside the court. Granduncle agrees that it’s for the better as well. I beg the both of you, if you want to help me with my work, avoid me, do not talk to me, do not acknowledge me.”

“But, my flower?” Lakan pouts at her, which made her want to shiver. Her father is sweet and all but she hates it when he treats her like a kid.

“Just once and I am out of the house and I will live in the dorms.”

“Your mother will be furious if you do that.”

“Then you better do what I say.”

“The women in our family are terrifying.” Lahan whispers to himself.

As they neared the palace, she asked to be dropped off somewhere inconspicious where she can walk to the gates in order to be not seen getting off the same carriage as her father and brother.

The last time she was at the palace was when she was very young. She was eight years old when she was last in the court. Her mother was sick and there was no one to mind her so Loumen decided to take her to court. Loumen is still assigned at the rear palace, but due to the aging emperor in recluse, the consorts have now dwindled in size and Loumen has been helping in the medical offices at the outer court on some days. It was one of the most unforgettable days for Maomao. She got to see how the doctors treat the members of the court, the rows and rows of cabinets containing medicine and rare medical ingredients. She vowed one day she will be back and work in one of the clinics in the palace. Now here she is, one her first day as a medical assistant.

As expected, her first assignment is at the rear palace, where court lady medical assistants are most needed now. She took her gate pass, attended the orientation, then joined the other five ladies to go to the rear palace.

When they got to the gate, they were greeted by someone who introduced himself as one of the eunuchs.

“Good Morning. Before we head to the medical office, I am tasked to bring you all to meet the Rear Palace manager.”

“Ah, Dr. Kan. Are new court ladies ready?”

“They should be on their way, Master Jinshi. Master Gaoshun left to pick them up from the gates.”

A few months ago, Dr Kan and his nephew, Grand Commandant Lakan suggested to have some of the court ladies assigned as medical assistants.

Although at first, he was quite apprehensive to take in their suggestion, knowing that there is a motive behind it. He found out that they suggested it so that the only daughter of Lakan, the most elusive princess of the La Clan, can become a medical apprentice under the tutelage of her granduncle, Dr. Kan.

The Kan men did not know that he knew of their plan, as innocent as it may seem, he cannot help to be careful as Lakan is known to be unpredictable, his moves always had something behind them and one cannot be too careful around him. With much trepidation, he eventually approved, as the benefits of their proposal outweighed his doubts. He just needed to watch out of the noble lady posing as a humble court lady.

Who knows what she is up to. He wouldn’t put it past the La Clan if they are planning to make her the crown princess. Many are trying to make their daughters his or his uncle’s consort in order for their family to be closer to the royal family and gain more power in the court. Some are normal, introducing them during banquets and parties, while some a bit more troublesome like dropping an aphrodisiac to his food or visiting him unannounced in his bedroom. He had no choice but to hide his appearance from the court in order to be not recognized.

If this is truly a scheme by the La Clan, then it’s going to be a bit tiresome for him as this family is known for being geniuses and strategic. Maybe he can counter their plan by seducing the lady as Jinshi?

5 court ladies in white enters the rear palace matron office along with Gaoshun.

“Greetings, ladies.” He smiles, giving them the smile that he knows that makes him shine and sparkle. Three of them reacted as expected but two did not react. “Welcome to the Rear Palace.”

Gaoshun moves behind the ladies who are now lined up side by side in front of him. He stopped behind a petite girl with freckles. Gaoshun nodded, indicating that this is the Lady Kan. She is one of the two who did not react to him. Instead she is looking at him quite unnervingly. Like he is currently being studied. Her eyes dark as she continues to read him.

Their eyes meet, and he quickly averted his gaze. His heart beat suddenly beating fast from being caught staring.

“This is Dr. Kan. He is the only physician here in the rear palace and he needs your help in making sure that the consorts are healthy and well. As the rear palace manager, it is my job to ensure that you will be able to do your job well, so if there is anything that is needed please don’t hesitate to let me or Gaoshun know.”

He points to Gaoshun who is now on his way to stand beside him.

“Gaoshun will now tell you the rules and regulations inside the rear palace.”

As Gaoshun listed the rules, he looked at the interesting court lady again. Her blue eyes now focused on Gaoshun, listening intently.

He wonders to himself what her thoughts are behind her serious expression, and if he needs to be wary of them.

Back to the Spring Banquet

Everything seems to be in order. In a few, the high consorts will take their seats in front of the officials, to be followed by the empress and the emperor. They are just waiting for his father as he and his mother will enter together.

“I take it that the both of you are not joining us once again.” His mother asks, directing the question to him and his uncle, Yun. His mother who is currently being fussed over by her ladies in waiting.

“I have my plans.” Yun answers. Jinshi is certain that his plans involve flirting and giving out the hairpins to the ladies attending the garden party.

While his plans involve making sure that the party is running smoothly. His siblings are being formally presented to the court and he does not want anything that could jeopardise them. They have doctors on standby, including the new court ladies, which has been an imense help on taking care of the consorts and the newborns. Including the particular noble lady, who is the daughter of the eccentric strategist.

So far, he hasn’t heard of anything amiss with her. From what he has noticed from afar and what he heard she is an unusual lady who is obsessed with medicine and is quite diligent with her work. Just like him, she seems to be hiding her identity to her colleagues based on her interaction with her family members at court. If one were to watch her intently, it can be noticed that she a bit annoyed when Lakan or his brother, Lahan approaches her when they are at court. Unusual indeed, but it seems to run in the family.

“Are we ready?” The emperor arrived with his entourage right behind him, sans Gaoshun, as he is attending the garden party as an official today.

“All ready.” His mother approaches his father and takes his arm. “Boys, please behave.”

“For Zui as well? Has he finally learned how to misbehave?”

“How I wish.”

“Please leave now. Your constituents are all waiting in the cold.”

“Fine. The two of you, please show yourselves later even for a bit will you.”

“Yes, your majesty.” Both princes answered and saw the couple leave.

An old image of his parents back flashed before his eyes.

Side by side, sticking to each other as they whispered to each other’s ears, chuckling to the jokes they just said. Affection and warmth emmanating from the both of them. The love that he has always admired.

Now he looks at the leaving figures. A hand on his arm, their backs straight as they walk off, their posture rigid as they faced forward.

The warmth might not be all gone, but it is fading away.

“You’re making that face again.” Yun says.

“What face?”

“The face that says how much you are contemplating being an emperor someday.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Is that why you are working so hard in the rear palace so that you can have a sibling who can take over as the crown prince in case you decide to give up that title?”

Jinshi will not admit this out loud, but he has thought about what his parents would feel if he told them that he does not want to take the crown anymore.

A single blow of the wind and shivers broke out on her whole body. If Maomao knew beforehand that she is supposed to join the medical team for the spring banquet today she could have prepared something to help with the cold spring wind.

This is Maomao’s first time attending a garden party. She has never been allowed by her parents to attend, and these kinds of events did not really interest her. She’d rather stay home and read or busy herself with her experiments. Now she is attending as it requires her to be on standby in case anything happens.

The event is attended by the imperial family, including the four high consorts. Today’s is the official presentation of the new imperial babies born a few months ago. A prince from Lady Lihua, the Wise Consort, and a princess from Lady Gyokuyou, the Precious Consort.

She is joined by Yao and Enen to assist her granduncle on attending to the consorts for the event. Right now, they are situated behind a curtain, sharing a brazier to combat the chilly wind. On the other side of the curtain is where the imperial family and the consorts are, seated on an elevated stage.

All of them jerked up when they heard a clattering of dishes followed by a scream.

“Lady Lishu!”

Maomao was the first to reach the youngest consort, shoving the people who have gathered and surrounded the writhing figure on the floor.

She is hyperventilating, heaving and clutching her chest as she reached out her. There are red welts all over her arms and neck. An allergic reaction, the same has happened to her when she consumed buckwheat noodles.

“Please step away from the consort, she needs no further obstruction to her air.” She told the lady in waiting fussing over the consort, jostling her on the ground.

“What? This is my lady! She needs me!” She continued shaking Lady Lishu, with fake concern and exaggerated tears. “My lady, please!”

“Master Basen, please take the consort to the nearest medical office. And make haste please.” She heard her granduncle instructed. A small but sturdy young man picked up the consort with determination. While the lady in waiting kept up with her dramatics.

“Where are you taking my lady? You should be able to treat her here! Can’t you see she needs the treatment now.”

Her uncle just took a look at her in contempt. He moved her gaze to Maomao, she nods, understanding what needs to be done.

She held the lady in waiting’s arm, stopping her from following the patient. “Please stay here.”

The lady in waiting forcefully pulls her arm back from her, her attention now on Maomao. “How dare you touch me!”

The next thing she knew is that she stumbled on the ground from having been slapped. She held her stinging cheek and looked back to where she knew her father is sitting.

As expected, he is wearing a scary expression having witnessed what happened, but still remaining on his seat, respecting her wish to keep her identity a secret. His aide, Rikuson, on the other hand is making his way to her along with another military official, Lihaku.

“Seize her.” She told them when they approached her. Lihaku immediately took the hands of the lady in waiting and held them on her back as he pushed her out and bring her to the where she will be interrogated.

“Are you all right, my lady?” Rikuson asked.

She’s already up and making her way to the consort’s table where the clattered dishes are along with the food she just ate.

“Quite fine, Master Rikuson. Thank you.” She took a look at her father once again. “Can you please relay that message to my father. I feel like he’ll make a scene any minute now.”

Rikuson bowed quickly then went back to her agitated father.

As she inspected the food on the table, another figure approached her. Smelling of luxury and sandalwood.

“Court Lady Maomao.” His voice is sinful and heavenly at the same time. She turns around to see the owner of such melodic voice then saw a celestial beauty. Even more beautiful than most of the courtesan she knew. A smile so bright and sparkling it can immediately disarm you. A gaze so reverent, it will hook you in and get lost.

This feels familiar.

This reminds her of her mother. A lesson she learned from her on the power of calculated actions to manipulate the person in front of you. This person have used this again and again whenever they come across each other in the rear palace. Ladies in waiting and even her colleagues with the exception of Enen is drawn in on the charm of the beautiful rear palace manager.

She bows with her sleeves in front of her. “Master Jinshi.” She greets respectfully.

“Is the lady in waiting the culprit behind what happened to the Virtuous Consort? Is that why you ordered for her to be seized?”

“Yes, but it is also accidental.”

“What do you mean?”

“It seems that she is aware that the consort has certain repugnance to specific foods. Despite that, she intentionally chose to have that food served to the consort to torment her. What she did not expect is how severe the allergic reaction would be. The panic in her eyes said so.”

“Regardless, she is still guilty.”

“Indeed.”

He smiles at her, amusement sparkling on his eyes. “You are very adept.”

“That is kind of you to say, sir.” She bowed behind her sleeves once again.

“Is there something you needed, Moon Prince.” That is her father, addressing the man in front of her.

Moon Prince? What does he mean? The man is supposed to be a eunuch!

“Ah, Grand Commandant. This very interesting court lady was just explaining to me the incident that just happened.”

“I am glad to be of service, if you would allow me, I would like to get back to the medical office and report my findings to Dr. Kan.”

“Oh? Leaving already?”

“The court lady does have her duties, your highness.” Her father supplied.

“Very well then. Thank you for your diligence. You may return to your duties.”

As she left, she heard the prince say to her father. “Grand Commandant, how about you join me for some tea? I have some questions about your daughter.”

She fought the urge to look back.

Did he know?

He did know.

She found a carriage waiting for her outside the medical office as soon as they were done treating Lady Lishu. The man who her Granduncle Loumen called Basen was waiting for her outside the medical office.

“Lady Kan, the moon prince would like to have a word with you.” He said to her. Good thing that Enen and Yao are still finishing their shift, if they knew about this she would be pestered non stop.

Having no ounce of a choice, unless she wants her head chopped off, she silently got in the carriage.

“Ah, Lady Kan. Thank you for seeing me. Please take a seat.”

As if I have a choice. If you kill me, my mother would bring me back to life then kill me again.

She took her seat, unable to look at the beautiful prince who she thought was a eunuch just hours before. Her granduncle would have known, specially since he used to be his and the imperial younger brother’s primary doctor when they were still young.

She’s the one to talk, when she herself is not explicit to her position in the La Clan. She would address her granduncle Dr. Kan whenever she is at court, and she have not told anyone of the identity of her father. Although, some already knew like Dr. Liu.

“Greeting, your highness.” She greets with a bow.

“I have a small favor to ask Lady Kan. I would like to ask for your discretion on my true identity with your colleagues and the people at the rear palace, as revealing it would put me in a difficult spot to fulfill my duties.”

“Of course, your highness. I will not say anything about it.”

“Hmm. It would help if you refrain from calling me ‘your highness’.”

“Oh.” Her eyes widen at the thought of her mistake. “Please forgive me, Master Jinshi.”

He chuckles. “There’s nothing to forgive. It’s an easy mistake to make. Even Basen out there slips sometimes. I have another request from you, Lady Kan.”

Another one?

He chuckles even more. “Yes, another one, if you would indulge me.”

She quickly covers her mouth with her hand.

“Will you tell me why you wanted to become a court lady?.”

“I wanted to learn more about medicine, sir.”

“That’s it?”

What is he trying to learn now? Does he think she has an ulterior motive on becoming a court lady? What a despicable man.

“Yes, sir. That's it. Should there be more to it?”

His eyes bore into her. Making her feel vulnerable and exposed.

“I was hoping you would tell me.”

“I assure you that is all there is to it.”

“So you are not planning to make yourself the crown princess then?”

What the hell? She glowers at him which he returned with a delighted smile. What a freak.

“I have no intention of giving myself a headache, sir.”

“Very well then. Thank you, Lady Kan.”

“Please don’t call me Lady Kan.”

“What should I call you then? Should I call you Maomao?”

She scowls at him, which he received with an even brighter smile. “Please call me, Apothecary.”

“All right. I look forward to working with you, Apothecary.” His smile not faltering.

If her mother knew of this interaction, which she definitely will, she is going to be in so much trouble.