Jinshi had never felt so ridiculed in his life. No - ridiculed wouldn't be the right word. After years of conquests, Jinshi found a greater challenge. It was you. You were a terrible challenge for Jinshi. In the blink of an eye, women would kneel before him. But not you. You were never that kind of woman.

Although you were a mere helper, a mere person who only took care of and washed the clothes of the concubines, the emperor and the rest of the family, guarding the empire, you caught Jinshi's attention.

Because you were the only maid who could read and write, you captivated him. Not only because of that, he found it interesting that you knew exactly how to make medicine and how to tell if food was poisoned or not. You were too smart to be down. So, he made you a proposal. You would be one of Gyokuyou's maids of honor. You would see if the food was good enough for her and without poison. Your only luck was that she was a great concubine. She was friendly and kind.

“Madam Apothecary,” Jinshi said, quietly sliding open the door to your room.

You were hunched over the desk, writing out some medicine prescriptions. You were better than the local doctor, Jinshi thought.