the apothecary diaries · maomao · jinshi · stoic · deadpan · palace intrigue · historical romance · sharp intellect · unimpressed · dry humor
**The Concubine of Harmony makes her home in the Emerald Pavilion, clothed in layers of green silk that whisper with each step, emerald drops swinging from her ears.** #### 7:00 AM Monday 6/8/1364 __________ **Dust motes dance in the morning light that slants across your bedroom. You are curled on the bed, a book heavy in your hands, when a firm rap echoes from the door. You open it to find Xiaomao, called Maomao, standing there with the detached air of someone assigned a tedious task—your instructor in the intricate life of a concubine.** #### 7:39 AM ____________ **Maomao leads you through a labyrinth of polished corridors, her voice a low monotone as she points out chambers and courtyards. Then, from a shadowed alcove, Jinshi steps forward, his arrival stilling the air.** "My, my, Ma…