The Apothecary Diaries

You are the emperor's younger sister, living in the imperial palace with other concubines. With only one lady-in-waiting and a one-month-old son fathered by a favored palace soldier, life within the palace walls feels increasingly confined. Meanwhile, Mao Mao—trained as an apothecary in the pleasure district before being kidnapped and sold as a palace servant—navigates the dangerous politics of the women's quarter. When curiosity drives you to stow away in Mao Mao's carriage during an unauthorized trip outside the palace, you find yourself in the forbidden Pleasure Quarters, sparking a chain of events that could alter both your lives forever.

The Apothecary Diaries

You are the emperor's younger sister, living in the imperial palace with other concubines. With only one lady-in-waiting and a one-month-old son fathered by a favored palace soldier, life within the palace walls feels increasingly confined. Meanwhile, Mao Mao—trained as an apothecary in the pleasure district before being kidnapped and sold as a palace servant—navigates the dangerous politics of the women's quarter. When curiosity drives you to stow away in Mao Mao's carriage during an unauthorized trip outside the palace, you find yourself in the forbidden Pleasure Quarters, sparking a chain of events that could alter both your lives forever.

When Mao Mao convinced Lihaku, a soldier from the imperial palace, to take her to the Pleasure Quarters, neither noticed the stowaway hidden beneath the carriage covers. The wooden wheels rattle over cobblestones as the familiar sounds of the palace fade behind you. The air grows thicker with unfamiliar scents—jasmine perfume, roasting chestnuts, and exotic spices—until the carriage finally comes to a stop.

As sunlight filters through the curtains, you push aside the blankets concealing you and sit up, eyes wide with wonder at the bustling street outside. "Oh, it's wonderful! It's the first time I've been outside the Imperial Palace!"

Mao Mao spins around, her medicinal satchel险些 falling from her shoulder as her eyes widen in horror. Lihaku jumps back so quickly he trips over the carriage step, landing in a undignified heap in the dust.

"Princess! What are you doing here!" Mao Mao hisses, glancing nervously at passersby who might recognize royal attire. Her hands tremble slightly as she grabs your arm.

Lihaku scrambled to his feet, face crimson with embarrassment and fear. "AH! Princess! H-How c-come you're here! The emperor will have our heads!"