THE GREAT DETECTIVE OF THE INNER PALACE IS BORN...?! Maomao, a young woman trained in the art of herbal medicine, is forced to work as a lowly servant in the inner palace. Though she yearns for life outside its perfumed halls, she isn't long for a life of drudgery! Using her wits to break a "curse" afflicting the imperial heirs, Maomao attracts the attentions of the beautiful Jinshi and is promoted to attendant food taster. But Jinshi has other plans for the erstwhile apothecary, and soon Maomao is back to brewing potions and...solving mysteries?!

THE EMPEROR TURNS HIS GAZE UPON MAOMAO...?! When word of her accomplishments falls on the ears of His Imperial Majesty, Maomao finds herself tasked with a direct request from the throne. Turning down the emperor is out of the question for the former(?) apothecary if she wants to keep her head! But while acquiescing to the emperor is expected of all subjects, Maomao is about to discover that ladies-in-waiting have still more taxing duties to which to attend, as preparations of the garden banquet get underway! Concocting an aphrodisiac might be second nature to Maomao, but smiling prettily for the officials of the court could prove far more difficult...

MAOMAO REAPS THE REWARDS OF HER FEATS! After putting on a successful and sensual(?) show of food tasting at the garden banquet, Maomao is the talk of the palace! But she soon discovers that notoriety isn't the only thing the party has granted her! Her collection of hairpins from the event brings the young herbalist a brief window of freedom beyond the palace walls, as she returns to the pleasure district for the first time in ten months! But while reunions with her father and her friends await, so too does another mystery...

MAOMAO STUMBLES ONTO AN EVEN BIGGER MYSTERY... The trail of the garden banquet leads Maomao to the Garnet Palace! Aiming to uncover the identity and motives of the culprit who nearly succeeded in turning the festivities into a tragedy, the young apothecary-turned-lady's maid temporarily takes up there at Jinshi's behest. Home to Lady Aduo—the consort with the longest tenure in the Emperor's affections—the Garnet palace harbors many intrigues, some more shocking than even Maomao could have imagined! Will solving the mystery at hand lose Maomao her job...and maybe even her life?!

Forced to the leave the Inner Palace, Maomao finds herself in the employ of none other than Jinshi, the seemingly ever-present thorn in her side! Immune to his charms, Maomao sets about learning the ways of life in the Outer Palace, where government officials and military officers go about the daily business of running the country. Far from being fearful of her new surroundings, however, Maomao has her insatiable curiosity piqued by the soldier-occupied eastern wing, where she's been forbidden to go but where it seems further mysteries await...

CAN MAOMAO DULL THE CHARMS OF A HEAVENLY MAIDEN?! When the ever luminous Jinshi asks for her help in disguising himself to see to a matter beyond the palace walls, Maomao must dig deep to mar her employer's divine allure! And to make the ploy believable, Maomao herself is roped into a spot of theater right alongside her master. But the "business" at hand takes the pair right to the gates of the Pleasure District, leaving Maomao to wonder if all her hard work has been for a mere assignation or if there's yet another mystery afoot...

MAOMAO FOILS A PLOT, BUT IS THE THREAT GONE FOR GOOD? Proving herself indispensable yet again by saving Jinshi from a horrific fate, Maomao is given the chance to explain her rash behavior during the holy ritual. But when she continues her investigation into the foiled plot, a bizarre outcome awaits, leaving the plucky apothecary impressed by the sheer nerve of the culprit behind it. But admiring the exploits of another won't get Maomao very far when Jinshi tasks her with a feat of her own—to present him with blue roses at the needling of the eccentric La Kan! How will Maomao respond to this provocation from the man she despises the most?

After breaking a curse on the imperial heirs, a palace servant with training in herbal medicine is promoted up the ranks to food taster...and right into the thick of palace intrigue in this lushly illustrated historical mystery series! The truth of Maomao's identity revealed?! After losing to Maomao at elephant chess and passing out from the "poison" he drank as his punishment, La Kan dreams of a long-lost past and his affair with a certain courtesan, as well as the events leading up to meeting his daughter for the very first time. Upon waking, he finds himself at Verdigris, where he is pressed to buy the freedom of a courtesan of his choosing and take her home as his wife! Who will he pick?!

After breaking a "curse" on the imperial heirs, a palace servant with training in herbal medicine is promoted up the ranks to food taster...and right into the thick of palace intrigue in this lushly illustrated historical mystery series! A festive atmosphere descends upon the Inner Court with the arrival of a long-awaited merchant caravan and its myriad wares. Though the excitement is contagious and even Maomao looks forward to making purchases of her own, she soon cottons on to something potentially sinister about the innocuous goods for sale. Before Maomao can tease out any evidence, however, her attention turns to mushrooms when Jinshi asks her to root out any poisonous varieties on the grounds. But is this request just a bit of landscaping or does it have anything to do with the rumors making the rounds about a court lady who has gone missing?

After breaking a "curse" on the imperial heirs, a palace servant with training in herbal medicine is promoted up the ranks to food taster...and right into the thick of palace intrigue in this lushly illustrated historical mystery series! When two beautiful foreign envoys with designs on the Emperor come calling with a tale of old about a spellbinding courtesan who captured the imagination of their family patriarch, it’s up to Maomao to concoct a theatrical scheme to give the ladies a whopper of a story to take home! Later, Maomao goes back to sniffing around the Inner Court to find out the truth about the troubling prevalence of those foreign perfume oils that could spell disaster for the throne's future heirs...

JINSHI'S PAST AND PARENTAGE AT LAST COME TO LIGHT?! Summoned to attend the Emperor on an evening jaunt to an ancient shrine that functions as a rite of passage for the rulers of the land, Maomao makes quick work of the puzzle inside, acquitting herself with aplomb. Having learned more about the Imperial bloodline than a commoner has any right to know, Maomao returns to her post at the Jade Palace. But her aim to stay out of the business of her betters is foiled once again when the Empress Dowager comes calling! The mother of His Imperial Majesty seeks Maomao's aid in investigating yet another curse, one she fears she herself may have cast upon the infamous late Emperor...

After breaking a “curse” on the imperial heirs, a palace servant with training in herbal medicine is promoted up the ranks to food taster...and right into the thick of palace intrigue in this lushly illustrated historical mystery series! Having solved the curse of the late emperor, things are back to usual for Maomao at the Jade Palace. Yinghua brings her along to an evening social gathering being held in the inner court, then Jinshi requests her to accompany him on a hunting trip. There, Maomao finds herself getting involved in yet another new case...!

Maomao has accompanied Jinshi on a hunting trip in which Jinshi is keeping his true identity a secret. But then they were suddenly shot by flintlocks and managed to get away by hiding in a cave where Maomao learns one of the many secrets that Jinshi has been keeping. Now she has to work with Lihaku to identify their would-be assassins. While she’s able to work out their motive, could it be that there’s much more to this incident than she realizes? Once this case is closed, Maomao is once again called upon to solve a mystery in the inner court!

After breaking a “curse” on the imperial heirs, a palace servant with training in herbal medicine is promoted up the ranks to food taster...and right into the thick of palace intrigue in this lushly illustrated historical mystery series! After tangling with a ghost at the Diamond Palace and temporarily trading in her poisons for sweet treats, Maomao returns to the Jade Palace only to find a grave problem staring her in the face! Mere weeks before the heavily pregnant Consort Gyokuyo is due to bear her child, Maomao deduces that all is not well with the coming birth of the new Imperial addition. But even with her skills, Maomao knows she isn’t up to the momentous task of seeing her lady through this trial. Who to turn to, then? The quack, sweet though he may be, is out of the question. That only leaves…Maomao’s Pa! But while his plucky daughter would gladly vouch for Luomen, will the Inner Court really be willing to put the future of the empire into the hands of a criminal once more?

隠れ里での祭りの晩に──…。 子翠の故郷の隠れ里で、猫猫はまたしても好奇心から、祭りの背後で進行していた謀略に巻き込まれていく…。一方、消えた宦官の情報を求める壬氏は、消えたのが宦官だけではなく、猫猫の失踪にも関連していることに気付いて…。隠れ里と後宮、それぞれで起きていた事件が繋がる第１５巻!!