Pharmacist Penumbra (Draft)

Ch 1: A Day in the Life of a Harem Servant

Ying Yue was a Harem servant who had been kidnapped and bought by the Imperial court.

Her days filled with laborious chores and small meals that would never fill her up. Surrounded by women dressed in extravagant silk dresses and painted the face and their sick shallow smile.

"Ying Yue, do you know what this tag says?" asked a fellow harem servant. The reed basket held a bundle of neatly folded clothes with a tag reading nine. It was known that only 20% of the country's population was literate.

"Ninth room in the Wisteria court," answer Ying Yue. As the servant rushed to the court to deliver the clothes. Ying Yue sighed, as a small breeze picked up a stray strand of ebony hair. Pushing it back into her hair, as she ambled to the laundry line with a reed basket tucked into her hip. Lines and lines of wet clothes hung in the blistering heat if the sun, as Ying Yue casually hung the clothes.

Ying Yue was a pharmacist's daughter who worked in the red light district with medicine. She was a beautiful girl with shiny ebony black hair, milky smooth skin and sharp purple eyes. But the image was ruined with the spread of freckles that lined her cheekbones and flat chest.

Ru Li was a friend of Ying Yue with a cheery smile. "Ying Yue! You better hurry before everyone eats lunch!" yelled Ru Li. Ying Yue then walked with Ru Luo to grab some lunch, as they were only served a small bowl of rice and a side of pickled vegetable and only a few morsels slices of meat. Munching at the meal with disinterest, "Hey Ying Yue do you know about the rumours?" asked the very cheerful Ru Li.

As Ying Yue munched on the small morsel of meat, "Must you always believe everything around you?" asked Ying Yue.

"No, but this one is true. Two imperial infants have already passed away," said Ru Li.

"Do you know the reason why?" asked Ying Yue curiously. Ru Li shook her head.

"But apparently the newborn Princess Qing Qing from Noble Ming and Prince Long Du from Consort Yong are also sick, as well as their mothers," whispered Ru Li.

Ying Yue could understand if the infants were sick, but the others as well? This was no coincidence.

When she was walking to go do her chores, a murmuring crowd surrounded something. Walking over calmly in curiosity, as she squeezed herself into the ocean of pushing arms and legs. Two consort. Consort Ming and Consort Yong glaring daggers at one another with malicious intent. A crack sounded ad Consort Yong slapped Consort Ming and a pulsing red mark swelled on Consort Ming pale cheek. "How dare you curse my son to death!" yelled Consort Yong.

"How can I curse your son, when my daughter is just as sick?" retorted Consort Ming.

Through Ying Yue's observation, Consort Yong was looking sickly pale and she seemed to be a lot thinner. This was no coincidence at all, as she walked off to warn the two Consort of the root of the problem.

She passed a young man in a General armour, but she ignored him to help the ailing women and their children. But the General glanced back at the freckled face girl with curious eyes.

Hiding behind the tree in front of both Consort's room window, she tore a length of her dress and used her own blood to write the message, as she checked around to see if anyone was around. And wrapped it around a flower and placed it gingerly on the table and darted off to the servant quarters. Not even a month later, Consort Yong's child had passed away and now was a frail shadow of her proud and beautiful woman she was. A eunuch walked up, "Excuse me, I was informed that all servant in the servant quarters is to be sent to the chief staff room." informed the eunuch.

Shit had she been found out? She nodded, as she walked over to the chief staff office. A bunch of giggling and blushing girls were gathered into the room, then the General looking man came in and wrote on the piece of paper.

The paper read.
You girl with the freckles. You are working overtime.

Then he grabbed another piece of paper.

That will be all today. The rest of you may leave.

The other girls whispered among each other, as they shuffled out of the office. Then Ying Yue realised.

She was the only girl in the room that could actually read. As she turned abruptly to leave, a strong hand grabbed onto her shoulders. "Found you. Come with me, girl," he ordered. They walked for a few minutes in silence.

Shit, how was she caught? She was sure that she was witnessed during the act. She will pretend to be dumb and lie her way out of the situation.

The General stood outside the door, "May we come in?" asked the General.

"You may come in." said a gentle voice.

"I have brought the person." stated the General. It was Consort Ming holding a child in a bundle of warm blankets.

"Thank you for all you did for my child," said Consort Ming, bowing respectively to Ying Yue.

"I cannot accept the gesture from someone who outranks me," argued Ying Yue, startled by the gesture.

Consort Ming smiled gently, "Nonsense you are my child's saviour." she stated confidently.

"I'm sorry I do not know what you mean." lied Ying Yue. But the General grabbed a ripped piece of cloth reading. The face powder contains poison. Do not allow the child near it.

"I have crucial evidence that Consort Ming handed me. This would seem familiar since this is the same fabric of servants of your station and there is a rather large rip roughly about the same length. Ying Yue immediately turned her ripped skirt away from the eyes of the General, but it was too late by now. They already knew too much.

She sighed, as her eye flashed with indifference. "In the red light district, it is quite common for the prostitute to use the same face powder. And most of them have suffered and lost their lives for it, as I have seen it first hand. I've seen the side effects, risking their own body and health for beauty but in the end, they lost all three... I have confessed everything what do you want?" asked Ying Yue.

Consort Ming smiled sweetly, "Well since you were honest and saved my child's life. I would like for you to be one of my personal attendants." she voiced.