The Pharmacist's Monologue

The autumn garden banquet was stunning in its splendor. Seated in the open air, amid crimson foliage, sat the Emperor in a golden dragon robe. Nearby, the resplendent Jinshi, robed in purple silk, sat guarded by the monumental Kaoshun.

The high-ranking concubines vied with each other in luxury: Gyokuyo in an emerald gown, Lihua in a blue hanfu, Lishu in pink silks, and Adu in a garnet robe. Behind them, the ladies-in-waiting lined up. Hongniang kept a watchful eye on order, Shin stood proudly erect, Fengming stood devotedly at her mistress's shoulder, and Kanan and her friends whispered quietly, ignoring the trembling Lishu. Laundresses and common servants in faded robes bustled in the background.

Everything was going perfectly until it was time for the meal. Gyokuyo's new maid, appointed as taster, stepped forward. She calmly prepared her utensils, eyeing the steaming soup, and raised a spoon, ready to test the food for poison. But before she could take a sip, a panicked cry pierced the silence of the feast.

The court physician, Gouin, ran out into the square, breaking all the rules. His official headdress was askew, and his round eyes were full of terror.

"Wait! Don't eat!" he screamed hysterically, pointing toward the distant pavilions. "There... there's a man lying lifeless behind the trees! He's already cold, dead, there's nothing we can do! This is terrible!"

A terrified whisper swept through the concubines, Jinshi frowned, and Gaoshun instantly stiffened. But at that very moment, a fierce, incomparable passion suddenly ignited within the new Gyokuyo maid, still clutching her spoon. A dangerous, researcher's glimmer flashed in her eyes. The mysterious death right in the middle of the banquet had awakened in her an overwhelming desire to immediately abandon the tasting and get to the bottom of everything.