Episode Summaries

Soldiers have collapsed, poisoned by their food. Gaoshun informs Jinshi of the incident and reports that the village leader is detained under suspicion of aiding the barbarians. Their conversation turns to the working relationship between Gyokuyou and Maomao. Jinshi notes that Gyokuyou is served by only four female attendants, while Consort Lihua has over ten.

Although this suggests Gyokuyou holds lesser status, they agree she is the more wise and cautious of the two. Jinshi instructs Gaoshun that he will monitor Maomao closely to prevent her from using her apothecary knowledge for harmful ends. The following day, Jinshi attempts to manipulate Maomao through charm, directing her to serve Gyokuyou faithfully.

Maomao is received by Hongniang, Gyokuyou's head lady-in-waiting, who guides her around the Jade Pavilion. She is introduced to the other attendants: Yinghua, Guiyuan, and Ailan. They explain that Gyokuyou employs no lower servant girls, relying solely on her ladies-in-waiting for all tasks. When Maomao offers her assistance, she is instead told to proceed to her room, where Gyokuyou has a special assignment for her.

The other women briefly gossip about the scar on Maomao's arm as she waits alone. Jinshi arrives to inform Maomao that her duty will be to taste food for poison. He reveals that Gyokuyou's previous taster was often made ill, and that Gyokuyou herself has been poisoned on multiple occasions.

While testing the food, Maomao reflects on her past experiments with various toxic compounds, which have built her immunity to many poisons. Jinshi and the others are perplexed by her apparent enjoyment of the duty. Maomao suggests to Hongniang that they should use silver plates, as the metal reacts to common toxins. Hongniang remarks that Maomao should have disclosed her apothecary background sooner, as it would have commanded higher pay.

Maomao explains her silence was deliberate; she did not wish her kidnappers to profit from her specialized knowledge. Hongniang provides Maomao with her daily earnings, and Maomao notes the sum is nearly equal to her regular salary, with the crucial difference that her abductors will not receive this money.

Maomao continues her poison-testing duties but soon grows weary of the monotony. Jinshi later brings her buns sent by an acquaintance and asks her to examine them. She declares them safe, though Jinshi chooses not to eat them. He then details the incident involving the poisoned soldiers and the arrested village leader. Maomao inquires about the location of the feast and the utensils used. She proposes a theory that the firewood used for cooking may have been the poison's source.

Jinshi subsequently asks if Maomao can prepare an aphrodisiac. She accepts the task with visible enthusiasm. The next day, she visits the palace physician and is met by Gaoshun, who escorts her to a workroom. As she prepares the requested substance, she finds the provided cacao insufficient. After receiving additional ingredients, she completes the aphrodisiac. Without authorization, she uses some of the mixture to bake brownies, which she hides.

Upon her return, Hongniang reprimands her after another lady-in-waiting consumes the brownies and suffers severe side effects. After Maomao presents the aphrodisiac and other compounds to Gyokuyou, Jinshi offers her strained praise for her work. Elsewhere, an unidentified man observes a woman from a distance.