Volume 10 - Chapter 31

The Apothecary Diaries

Successor #

When Baryou was sixteen years old, he was summoned by his mother, Tao Mei.

“Remember everything I’m about to tell you.”

His mother was the woman in charge of the Ma family, a family responsible for safeguarding the royal family. But on the flip side, this meant that men could also sacrifice themselves for the cause. Therefore, in times of crisis, it was the women who were expected to use their intelligence to strategize.

Normally, the wife of the clan leader would fulfill this role. However, due to special circumstances, Baryou’s father, Gao Shun, was not the clan leader, and there were no suitable candidates. Thus, his mother took on the responsibility.

Tao Mei spoke about the “Mi Clan,” one of the prominent clans. If the Ma Clan protected the surface, the Mi Clan was responsible for covert activities.

“Although we call them the ‘Mi Clan,’ their structure is not as straightforward as our blood-related family ties.”

The Mi Clan excelled in espionage. Due to their role, their identities were not openly disclosed.

“While we refer to them as the Mi Clan, there are multiple branches, each operating through a hereditary system.”

“What do you mean by a ‘hereditary system’?”

“Members of the Mi Clan function in that way. Let’s say there are ten individuals. Each of those ten individuals selects one successor. While the selection often occurs based on blood ties, if there isn’t a suitable candidate, they might adopt from outside. This chosen individual becomes the next in line for the Mi Clan. Furthermore, those who aren’t successors are not recognized as part of the Mi Clan. In most cases, they aren’t taught the clan’s techniques, and in fact, they might not even know they have any blood ties to the Mi Clan.”

“May I ask a question, Mother?”

“What is it?”

“In other words, is it possible for the Mi Clan to infiltrate other prominent clans?”

Tao Mei smiled knowingly. Her expression indicated that he was correct.

“Yes, that’s right. You’ve hit upon a crucial point. The Mi Clan is the counterpart to the Ma Clan, so only a few, including myself, know about this.”

Baryou’s stomach tightened. A clan specializing in espionage would indeed be adept at probing the loyalty of vassals.

“May I ask one more question?”

“What is it?”

“Is the woman I’m to marry also from the Mi Clan?”

For the past few days, there had been talk of an arranged marriage with his sister’s introduction.

“I don’t know. However, consider that you won’t be able to decline.”

Baryou couldn’t retort to his mother’s resolute response.

A few days later, the woman introduced by his sister turned out to be someone he didn’t quite understand.

“Hello, I’m Ma Chuue. Feel free to call me Chuue-san!”

She approached energetically. She was the complete opposite of Baryou.

“Chuue-san, you’re really close, but well, I suppose I should get used to it. Chuue-san, this is my younger brother, Baryou. He might faint occasionally, but if anything happens, you can even have the servants carry him to his bedroom.”

“Understood!”

With a nod to his sister, Chuue approached Baryou. He panicked and tried to hide behind the wall, but before he knew it, she was behind him.

“Giggle, running away? You’re quite the innocent one. Don’t dislike people like me too much, Baryou-san. Oh, and Chuue-san, he might faint at times, just so you know.”

“Got it!”

And just like that, he promptly fainted.

Chuue was a person who seemed impossible to deal with due to her close proximity.

“Hello there, Chuue-san has arrived. I made some steamed buns, so please enjoy them while they’re warm!”

“Yes, and I brought some sweet buns. Oh, were you studying? Please eat them while they’re still warm.”

“I’ve prepared a bamboo screen so we can converse comfortably. Can we use this to talk?”

Somehow, Chuue frequently visited Baryou. She would either make a ruckus, leave steamed buns while he studied, or measure distances.

Chuue, despite her chaos, was capable.

As he received more and more sweet buns, they began to match his taste. The size and flavor changed to his liking.

The cotton filling for his clothes was always perfectly sized for the season.

The bamboo screen proved to be useful and convenient.

“Hehehe, Chuue-san is quite useful, isn’t she?”

“Do you have to say that about yourself?”

Communicating through the bamboo screen had become a regular practice. Without seeing each other’s faces, they found it easier to talk.

“Even if you marry me, I doubt anything will change. Honestly, my younger brother will inherit the family. If we have children, they’ll probably be adopted, but you won’t gain any benefits from it. My sister will likely raise them. She’s better suited for parenting, isn’t she?”

“Adopted children, huh? So, Chuue-san wouldn’t have to raise them herself! That’s fantastic!”

“You’re latching onto that, huh?”

Baryou sighed. They were talking about children being born, but it remained questionable if they could even be conceived. He imagined the scenario, blushed slightly.

“If my sister raises them, she’ll definitely take good care of them. It’s safer and more reassuring than if I were to raise them. Chuue-san will become a capable working woman, after all.”

She didn’t seem to be boasting.

I recall what my mother said. If Chuue belongs to the Mi Clan, our child could be raised as a successor. In that case, it would be more appropriate to hand the child over to my sister for education.

Baryou is a weak person. He’s not strong enough to defy anyone. Therefore, whoever becomes his political marriage partner, he has no choice but to accept it.

“Baryou-san, can I be of some use to you?”

“To some extent.”

There was a Baryou who had grown somewhat accustomed to this strange woman.

“May I turn off the lights? Don’t worry, I won’t mess up.”

How about that as a line for the wedding night? While the light issue seemed naive, the roles were clearly reversed afterward.

However, it was impossible for Baryou, who was almost untrusting of others, to practice this elsewhere in preparation for the wedding night. Moreover, fully entrusting this matter to the partner led to an embarrassing situation for him as a man.

“Isn’t it ticklish?”

“…Obviously, it’s ticklish.”

Just as her name suggests, Chuue laughs like a sparrow. Against her teasing smile, Baryou could only succumb.

“Your skin is so smooth. I’m envious.”

Chuue’s voice somehow felt sultry.

However, Baryou had to close his eyes.

Even after the child was born, Chuue remained Chuue.

“You really are like a monkey. I mean, everyone says you resemble Baryou, but can you even tell them apart? By the way, giving birth is tiring. Next time, I’m entrusting it to you, Baryou.”

“No, that’s impossible.”

Eventually, Baryou could talk to Chuue without the bamboo screen. He received a wrinkled, blushing baby’s face from Chuue.

“Please don’t be shy around your own child.”

“How rude.”

However, it was difficult to hold a floppy, boneless creature. He hesitated, wanting to give the baby back to Chuue, but she refused.

“I don’t need it anymore. I don’t want the baby to remember my weird face by holding it too much.”

“Is that what a mother would say?”

“Yes. That’s what we agreed on from the start.”

Not long after, Chuue said she had work to do and left.

By then, Baryou was convinced that Chuue was from the Mi Clan.

The Mi Clan often didn’t know who belonged to the same clan. They followed the royal family they served and were ranked accordingly. Gaining a higher rank was an honor for the Mi Clan and applied to the successor as well.

At some point, Chuue would select the successor. Baryou wondered if keeping the child away was a form of maternal affection from Chuue’s perspective.

Chuue was always noisy. She was quiet when eating or sleeping. No, even when she was sleeping, was she really sleeping?

Such Chuue was wrapped in bandages all over her body, lying on the bed.

On her way back to the capital, Chuue had fought with a male thief. He had heard that she was injured during the encounter.

Ideally, she should be resting and avoiding movement, but Chuue’s job wouldn’t allow that. After surgery, she had been carried in a carriage, her battered body swaying.

She returned to the main residence while a meeting was taking place, and Baryou was informed afterward. It was about the incident earlier.

Sitting by the bedside was the apothecary’s daughter, Maomao.

“Ah.”

What should he say? They had hardly ever met face to face. Mostly, they communicated through the bamboo screen.

“…Chuue-san is seriously injured, so please don’t push her.”

That was what her face said as well, covered in scratches, her features disheveled.

Baryou could tell she had done everything she could to save Chuue.

“… "

Baryou simply lowered his head.

He understood that Chuue had ended up in this state due to her work. However, he had no idea what that work entailed. He could do nothing.

He lightly touched her left hand, the safer one. Her fingers were cold.

“…”

Chuue’s eyelids slowly opened. She had been sleeping all this time, making her eyes look swollen.

“Oh, isn’t it the husband? You have a face that looks like you’re about to die.”

“Is that something you should say?”

“Hehehe. I made a little mistake. Seems like being careless isn’t a good idea.”

Baryou felt relieved hearing Chuue’s voice. At the same time, he couldn’t help but worry about how weak her voice still sounded.

“May I ask you something?”

“What is it?”

“From now on, I won’t be able to move as freely as before. What should we do?”

She used ‘私’ (‘watashi’) instead of ‘雀さん’ (‘Chuue-san’).

“Am I no longer of any use? Should we consider divorce?”

Baryou was taken aback by this sudden statement.

“It’s not like I can decide what to do.”

“I probably won’t be able to use my right hand anymore.”

Her right hand was no longer functional. This would impact various aspects of her life in the future.

However…

“Chuue is ambidextrous, right?”

Baryou knew this. She was skilled with chopsticks in both her left and right hands. Regardless of whether she used her right or left hand, she could conjure flags, flowers, and doves from nowhere.

“Someone who’s ten times more skilled than me will simply become five times as skilled when they lose the use of one hand.”

“Oh, my. Hehehe. Looks like Chuue just lost a round.”

“Don’t laugh, it hurts my stomach.”

Baryou was flustered.

“Hehehe, I apologize.”

“Is your verbosity still the same? Or did you get hit on the head somewhere, causing all the foreign languages you learned to vanish?”

“No, I probably remember them.”

Chuue said with a strangely cheerful tone.

“In that case, there’s no need to worry about it.”

“Yes, you’re right. So, can I make a very useful request of Chuue?”

“What is it?”

“I’m hungry.”

Chuue’s stomach made a loud growling sound.

“You…”

When did his tone become this informal? It was probably around when he had to close the distance once again with a new wife. Such a hassle.

Such trouble could have been avoided if it was just one person.

〇●〇

Baryou watched Chuue finish her meal before leaving. He seemed to want to help with something, but Chuue skillfully used chopsticks even with her left hand, making him look idle. Chuue thought she should have worried her with even clumsier chopstick use to ensure that she ate, but her priority was filling her empty stomach.

After eating, she would sleep. This was the basic principle of recovery, but if visitors came, there was no choice.

Chuue slowly opened her eyes. Even if her arm was torn off or her abdomen was pummeled, she felt her intuition hadn’t deteriorated.

In the dim light, stood a man in his forties. He was Lǔ Shìláng, a deputy minister of the Ministry of Rites, who ranked just below the chief minister.

“What’s wrong? Is this a rare visit for a get-well visit, or have you come to scold your disappointing disciple?”

“Are you being careless? Your accent is still there.”

“Oh my, well. I apologize.”

Chuue couldn’t sit up. It seemed that her ribs were broken and tightly bound. It was uncomfortable to eat, but she endured it.

“It seems your right hand is no longer usable. Your left hand should still work.”

“If it’s a half-baked ability, I don’t need it.”

“Am I no longer valuable to you?”

Chuue’s face contorted. Was Baryou’s five times more skillful than Chuue just considered half-baked?

“Shall we choose a new successor for the master? Someone like me with exceptional talents would still require five years.”

“Originally, I didn’t raise you with the expectation of using you in physical combat. Your primary role is being the interpreter for our sovereign.”

“That’s something I’m thankful for. However, not being able to perform introductory magic tricks is inconvenient. Should I learn some small talk?”

Perhaps she should start collecting frivolous phrases like Maomao did.

“Am I to be disposed of?”

“I’m troubled because I can’t.”

“I’m sorry.”

“In that case, find a more capable candidate for a successor.”

“You mean someone more capable?”

Suddenly, Chuue thought of Xiǎo Hóng. She had too much aptitude, but it might be difficult to pull her in.

“Well, sometime soon.”

Chuue chuckled softly.

Lǔ Shìláng was the person who brought Chuue into the Mi Clan. Officially, he was the deputy minister of the Ministry of Rites. Ordinarily, members of the Mi Clan didn’t rise so high in rank. They preferred inconspicuous positions that allowed them to move freely. However, Lǔ Shìláng was forced into this position after his elder brother’s death, which led to him inheriting the family responsibilities.

Chuue also followed Lǔ Shìláng to the capital. There, she met Ma Mei, got to know each other, and eventually married Baryou. But their marriage wasn’t a matter of personal freedom. It involved Lǔ Shìláng’s calculations, the Ma Clan’s intentions, and an agreement between both sides.

If Chuue still had value, then it wasn’t too bad. Baryou wasn’t a bad person either; in fact, Chuue thought he was a good husband.

Normally, it wouldn’t be favored for someone to serve a different country than the one they were born in. However, Chuue had more talent and aptitude for the Mi Clan than her mother. If her value increased, and she gained recognition, she would be evaluated in terms of rank.

Her mother was part of the Mi Clan. She had been sent to the Western lands as the Mi Clan’s representative, and because of her beauty, she became Gyokuou’s wife.

“But she’s just that kind of woman.”

In the past, in the mansion of the Western Capital’s Number One Residence, Chuue’s master, known as Lǔ Shìláng, had said this.

“She’s merely a decorative ornament who’s cherished for her looks. She’s been given little role to play in terms of vision, and her rank is low.”

Thus, Chuue had rushed her achievements. She claimed to be on a mission and headed to Sa Ou. However, those with mediocre abilities tend to be useless. She failed, and when it looked like her true identity was about to be exposed, a conveniently timed shipwreck occurred. She decided to hide in another country until the situation cooled down.

During that time, Chuue was born.

Chuue’s mother was somewhat of a con artist at heart. She genuinely loved men as husbands, but once her job was done, she abandoned them.

The same went for Chuue and Chuue’s father.

The information about her father’s business dealings must have become a souvenir to take back to the Lyre Empire.

At the time, Lǔ Shìláng’s master had helped her mother escape.

Upon her return to the Western Capital, her mother treated the memories of Chuue and her father as if they never happened. She reunited with her husband and three children and even gave birth to another child.

However, Gyokuou’s clan eventually fell, likely due to her mother’s lack of ability. Slowly, like a snake, Gyokuou had entangled and immobilized the clan from within. Her mother’s abilities were insufficient for a member of the Mi Clan.

Her mother was aware of this herself. Thus, she aimed to choose a more competent successor.

The three children she already had were poisoned by Gyokuou while they were separated from her. Thus, she decided to have another child.

Fǔ Láng, the third son of Gyokuou.

True to his name, Hǔ Láng grew up thinking he could reshape the Western Capital as he pleased.

Among his schemes, the easiest was to drive out his wild older brother and assist his more manageable younger brother.

What would happen if his older brother were to sit on the seat of the future head? It was difficult to predict. However, if his younger brother took over, stability could be ensured.

Or perhaps, he had planned for someone other than Gyokuou’s clan to settle in the Western Capital.

Such thoughts floated through his mind.

However, his older brother had discovered Hǔ Láng’s secret.

“My, my, Lord Chīxiāo is quite interesting, isn’t he? Who would have thought he’d say he wanted to join the Mi Clan?”

He certainly wasn’t cut out for intelligence work.

Calling himself Chīxiāo and declaring his intention to become part of the Mi Clan might have been his decision to become a member, but it was laughably meaningless to Chuue. Names and positions could change easily—create and discard. That’s what being a member of the Mi Clan meant.

Since Hǔ Láng was known to be part of the Mi Clan, Chuue’s rank remained low.

“How much will Chuue’s rank drop?”

“It won’t be lower than that woman’s.”

“Indeed.”

Chuue laughed.

Her mother had judged Chuue to be worthless. How would she feel if that worthless person were always above her?

For Chuue, it no longer mattered. But her father had died without knowing anything.

So, this much should be forgivable.

To ensure that her father and Chuue were never forgotten, Chuue had to be a more valuable existence than her mother.

For such a petty revenge, Chuue swore loyalty to the Lyre Empire.

“Master, will Chuue’s role remain the same?”

“It should.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“Though your job is quite perplexing, do you understand its significance?”

Her master’s expression clouded.

“Yes. My primary duty is to ‘bring happiness to the Moon Sovereign.’”

“I don’t understand.”

Chuue didn’t understand either. It would be easier if she could find and eliminate someone. Nevertheless, protecting Maomao despite losing her right hand was the right decision.

“Ah, Maomao-san. It would be great if you listened to Chuue’s advice.”

Her master looked at Chuue curiously, but Chuue pretended not to notice.