The Apothecary Diaries Book 7

The Suspect

The shrine maiden and the other women were quickly moved to their sickrooms. The shrine maiden and the second food taster were vomiting copiously. It was crucial to give them saltwater to make sure their stomachs were completely empty, and they were also given powdered charcoal and laxatives. Not the most pleasant-tasting stuff, but necessary to clear them out.

Maomao's father still couldn't examine the shrine maiden, so the responsibility fell to Maomao. Not only did she want everything out of their stomachs, she wanted to clear the guts as well. If the laxatives didn't work, she was prepared to put medicine directly into their anuses in order to induce the purging she needed, but she doubted either of them was eager for that. Thankfully the laxatives did their job.

Both the shrine maiden and the second food taster were in a better way than Yao. Symptoms of poisoning they might have, but at least they were still conscious. Yao was in dire shape, and En'en, entirely forgetting whom she supposedly served now, was with her constantly. Jinshi wasn't a monster. Maomao assumed he would let En'en be.

The day after the banquet, when the shrine maiden's condition had stabilized somewhat, Jinshi paid Maomao a visit. He was dressed even more plainly than usual, but his sparkliness remained. The now-recovered Basen was with him. Maomao was still wearing her outfit from the day before; she hadn't even had a chance to bathe. This, however, was not the time to worry about such things.

"How is the shrine maiden?" Jinshi asked.

"Calmer. Her case wasn't as serious as Yao's or the other woman who was tasting her food." One of the apprentice physicians was reporting every detail of Yao's progress to her, and she in turn told him how the shrine maiden was faring. If anything happened to the maiden, it could become an international incident. They couldn't allow things to get any worse. No doubt the same concern was what had brought Jinshi here so promptly.

"Yao—yes, that was her name. The one En'en refers to as her mistress."

"You seem to have grown quite fond of En'en, but perhaps you could give her back to us one of these days? I'm afraid she may die from lack of Yao."

En'en must have been beside herself with Yao in such a state. As for Maomao, she was feeling composed enough by now to crack a joke. Gallows humor? Maybe. Impertinent? Some might say. But that was how you got by.

"You're not worried about your colleague?"

"I'm worried. I'm not that cold-blooded. But my job at this moment is to care for the shrine maiden. Besides, my father is looking after Yao." Maomao had faith he would find a way to help her. And En'en knew a thing or two about medicine, so if she kept herself together she could be a pretty effective nurse. No need for Maomao to bring more work on herself. In any case, Li's international relations rode on the shrine maiden's health. It was paramount that nothing happen to her.

"If I may ask, did they figure out who poisoned the shrine maiden?" No one but the maiden and those with her had gotten ill, which meant that even if the women survived, it remained a clear attempt on the shrine maiden's life. The sooner they could find and punish the culprit, the better.

Jinshi looked pained, then he glanced at Basen. The other man made a rather odd expression himself, but took something wrapped in cloth from the folds of his robes. It turned out to be a small bottle. Maomao opened the lid to discover some kind of powder.

"What's this?" she asked, taking a sniff. The odor was familiar. She'd smelled it very recently, in fact. She gasped when she realized what it was and reached for the bottle, but Basen wrapped it up again.

"I take it you know something," Jinshi said.

"Is that incense powder?" she asked.

"Yes, it is."