Kevin Steinbach

Maomao thought she knew what it was. Simply put: he’s imagining her as a sister-in-law.

sure you don’t. In that case...” He took a half breath, and then he said something unimaginable. “Perhaps you’d be interested in asking the Emperor’s younger brother to plant his seed in your belly.”

The fact that the Emperor had asked this of a young girl like Maomao meant either that he knew perfectly well that the doctor of the rear palace could not be relied upon, or that he didn’t care if either or both of them died.

Gaoshun had arranged another official to accompany Maomao, but he spent most of his time looking at her doubtfully.

He didn’t say anything. She didn’t say anything. Neither of them said anything. After a long moment, it was Maomao who spoke first: “I’m sorry, but might I ask you to protect me, Master Jinshi?”

“That title no longer belongs to me,” Jinshi said. “A royal son has been born.”

So Consort Gyokuyou had safely delivered her child—and it was a boy.

So that’s who he really is, Maomao thought. For a man who wasn’t a eunuch to enter the rear palace was a serious crime. Only those who shared blood with the Emperor, or who had his specific orders, could do so.

“You seem to have aged a good deal, Master Jinshi.” She spoke rather softly, yet he glanced in her direction with what she took to be annoyance

Jinshi must have been getting sleepy, for he gradually slumped on the bed until he was lying down. Thinking what a lot of trouble he could be, Maomao sat on the bed and began gently stroking his hair. He wasn’t wearing

What they’re really after is the Imperial blood, don’t you think?” Jinshi said. Meaning his children, she supposed. Or perhaps his life.
“I should think at least

know, sir.” Jinshi wasn’t the type who would lay a hand on a young woman. No, wait, actually he was—to make them vomit when they had ingested poison. “I know you wouldn’t do worse than pin me and force me to empty the contents of my stomach.”
“You brought that on yourself. Why would you even drink poison?!”
“I’m not sure I know how to answer that.”

She found herself pinned again. He was pushing her down onto the bench. His hand in her hair pressed so hard. Something more than breath came past her lips. Now she saw those obsidian eyes, t