The Apothecary Diaries Book 9

A Voyage by Sea

On the day they were to leave, Maomao found herself riding in a carriage with a single bundle of belongings on her back.

It's as emotional as it is...ordinary, by now.

Yao and En'en had been there to see her off, En'en looking about the way she always did and Yao a bit sulky. Maomao did feel sad to say goodbye, but it wasn't like she was never coming back.

Her medical supplies had all been prepared in advance and packed. Other necessaries were also with the cargo, so all she had with her specifically were some fresh clothes and the book Yao and En'en had given her. Maomao didn't suffer from carriage sickness, so she looked forward to passing the time by reading.

I heard there were four doctors going, she thought, but in the end no one had told her exactly who. It nagged at her—there was every indication that they were hiding something.

No sooner had she boarded the carriage than she found out who one of the doctors was.

"Ooh! Is that the ship we'll be on?"

Tianyu stuck his head out. Maomao had been expecting him—after all Dr. Liu's prodding, he had still been the only volunteer.

Awfully inexperienced for an assignment like this. Guess I'm not one to talk.

Maomao had been chosen as well, although she wasn't counted among the physicians. So there were four doctors and one helper. Dr. Liu had talked about a shortage of personnel, so he must have put a lot of thought into this selection.

Maomao had to constantly remind herself that she was ultimately only there to help—while also not forgetting what she was really there for.

The Imperial younger brother, a.k.a. Jinshi, would be on this trip, as would the freak strategist, so this was going to be a bigger affair than last time. Three large sailing ships waited for them, the biggest Maomao had ever seen. She was told they would be going by sea, and the ships looked the part. Each had four or five masts, and she saw cannons as well. The ships' construction suggested they had been heavily influenced by western technology, but gaudy red, green, and gold coloring marked them as Linese vessels. Maomao didn't know how large the ships were inside, but they looked like they could easily hold several hundred people each. Maybe even a thousand, if everyone squeezed.

"Is it really going to be faster than going overland?" Maomao asked before she could stop herself. She'd taken a boat home from her last visit to the western capital, but this time they would be going by sea, not river. The route was definitely longer by sea, but you could also travel uninterrupted, day and night.

"It's probably because of all the cargo. You need it when you have such a big VIP staying somewhere for so long. Plus all the gifts they have to bring." The explanation, offered with a touch of resentment, came from one of the upper physicians, a man with a beard and a rugged face. His skin was noticeably tanned despite the fact that he probably spent most of his time at a desk. He had light hair that suggested at least some foreign blood in his veins. Maomao vaguely recognized him, but because they worked in different medical offices, she didn't know his name. Evidently he was one of the four doctors chosen to go on this trip.

"Yes, that makes sense," Maomao said. Under any other circumstances, she could have simply tried to gloss over the fact that she didn't remember his name, but this time she was going to need to learn it. She would have to find it out later.

"I'm going to be in charge during the trip," the physician said. "I look forward to working with you."

He seemed to have his feet on the ground, Maomao thought. Knowing Dr. Liu, he would have chosen his people not just for their skill, but their attitudes as well. This man gave the sense that he came from the western capital himself.