In the East is a land ruled by an emperor, whose consorts and serving women live in a sprawling complex known as the hougong, the rear palace. Maomao, an unassuming girl raised in an unassuming town by her apothecary father, never imagined the rear palace would have anything to do with her—until she was kidnapped and sold into service there. Though she looks ordinary, Maomao has a quick wit, a sharp mind, and an extensive knowledge of medicine. That’s her secret, until she encounters a resident of the palace at least as perceptive as she is: the head eunuch, Jinshi. He sees through Maomao’s façade and makes her a lady-in-waiting to none other than the Emperor’s favorite consort... so she can taste the lady’s food for poison! At her lady’s side, Maomao starts to learn about everything that goes on in the rear palace—not all of it seemly. Can she ever lead a quiet life, or will her powers of deduction and insatiable curiosity bring her ever more adventures, and ever more dangers?

Dismissed from the rear palace, Maomao returns to service in the outer court—as the personal serving woman to none other than Jinshi! That doesn’t necessarily make her popular with the other ladies, but a bit of jealousy might be the least of her problems. A mysterious warehouse fire, an official with a very bad case of food poisoning, and the mysterious last will and testament of a deceased craftsman all demand her attention—but are these cases really separate, or do they share a troubling connection? Then there’s the mysterious military man who continually visits Jinshi. He’s strange, maybe even a little twisted... and he seems very interested in Maomao.

Maomao must help keep Consort Gyokuyou safe during her pregnancy. An imperial consort being with child is supposed to be a matter of the utmost secrecy, but this is the rear palace, where maneuvering and backstabbing are as commonplace as banter and tea parties. Threats seem to lurk around every corner—but it’s not just the rear palace keeping busy. Jinshi finds himself struggling to entertain a most unusual request from a pair of visiting ambassadors. Later, he’s invited to an important gathering in a faraway place—but who knows what dangers might be waiting for him?

Though her main duty is still looking after Consort Gyokuyou, Maomao finds time to help her friends and acquaintances in the rear palace, including Xiaolan, who will need a job after her term of service ends, and Consort Lishu, who’s convinced she’s seen a ghost! When complications arise with Gyokuyou’s pregnancy, however, Maomao knows she’s not skilled enough to handle a situation that could threaten the life of both mother and child. She knows someone who is, but they haven’t been welcome in the rear palace for a very long time… Meanwhile, Maomao begins to discern what seem to be links between otherwise unrelated incidents in the rear palace. But what if her dawning knowledge makes her the next victim?

The political situation at court has changed: the birth of Gyokuyou’s son has seen her elevated to the status of Empress, and meanwhile Jinshi is no longer able to continue his pretense at the rear palace. Although all seems peaceful after the destruction of the Shi clan, threats continue to loom—not least a potential plague of insects—and Maomao, as ever, somehow finds herself caught up in them. When Jinshi orders an expedition to Gyokuyou’s homeland, Maomao heads west. But is there something lurking in the shadows of the glittering city? And will Maomao be able to discover what it is before it’s too late?

The events in the western capital threaten to shake not only the political order, but Maomao’s personal relationships as well, and she departs the city uncertain what her future holds. A detour on the way home, however, gives her an unexpected insight into her own family. Meanwhile, Consort Lishu finds herself at the center of an ugly scandal. Might the truth of the matter help explain everything that’s happened recently?

Maomao attempts the court service exam once more, winning herself a position as an assistant in one of the medical offices. That’s only the beginning of her troubles, though, as a new consort enters the rear palace and brings new riddles with her. What does a former emissary to the court want with three young medical assistants? How is that connected to a mysterious shrine maiden from Shaoh? And will one particular monocled freak ever just mind his own business?

The whole capital seems to have gone Go-crazy when Lakan publishes a book about his games. He’s got even bigger plans, holding a Go tournament that’s open to all—and rumor has it that if anyone can topple the strategist himself, he’ll grant them any single request they might ask. Jinshi sees an opportunity. But it’s not all fun and games, as Jinshi learns when reports arrive of crops devastated by a plague of locusts in a remote village. All his attempts to forestall the insects’ devastation will soon be put to the test, and the outcome may mean survival or starvation.

Maomao has effectively become Jinshi’s personal physician, but she’s just a simple apothecary. If she’s going to give him proper medical treatment, she’ll need more than her meager surgical skills. When she turns to her father for help, he says he’ll only teach her if she can pass a test he sets for her. Even if she succeeds at his mysterious request, however, the truth behind the practice of surgery at court may be more than she cares to know. And only once she has the knowledge she needs will she be able to accompany Jinshi on what could be his most dangerous journey yet.

Maomao finds herself once more in the western capital. She tries to focus on her work—which isn’t made any easier when she’s paired with not just the quack doctor but the smart-mouthed young physician Tianyu. Meanwhile, Jinshi might be the Imperial younger brother, but the western capital has its own hierarchies, both obvious and hidden. He and the other visitors from the court will have to navigate these halls of power even more carefully than usual, lest they run afoul of enemies they don’t even know they have. Over it all looms the threat of the insect plague, which seems insurmountable—until one man claims to know how to counter the menace. His method is intimately connected to secrets buried deep in the region’s past.

I-sei Province is still reeling in the aftermath of the insect plague. Jinshi resolves to do everything in his power to help the people of this land—but how far does his power really go in the western capital? And will he regret his efforts when all the credit seems to go to Gyoku-ou? The local lord seems to have an agenda of his own, but Jinshi still doesn’t know what it might be. Meanwhile Maomao must deal with problems of her own, from finding relief for a sick child to unraveling the mystery around the freak strategist’s favorite Shogi opponent. Somehow, each answer only seems to lead her to a bigger question...

The tumultuous political events of recent days have left I-sei Province looking for leadership, but there are obstacles everywhere they turn. Gyokuen’s sons refuse to rule, while Gyoku-ou’s oldest child is unpredictable and violent. Jinshi decides to tutor Gyoku-ou’s other sons in the ways of politics, but they’re going to discover that it’s an even more dangerous business than they ever anticipated. Maomao, as ever, just wants to live her life, but she might not be able to ignore the escalating perils around her. In fact, they might not ignore her...

Maomao, Jinshi, and the others finally return to the royal capital to discover that life went on while they were Lahan is still working his abacus, Maamei is still pondering the future of both the Ma clan and her little brother Basen, and Yao and En’en are still pursuing their dreams (to become a doctor and to geek out over Yao, respectively). Maomao might have hoped that things would quiet down now that she no longer has to deal with locust swarms and succession crises, but it turns out things are livelier than ever as she reconnects with people and places she hasn’t seen in almost a year. Meanwhile, the seeds of a new mystery are being planted...

No sooner is Maomao settled back in the royal capital than she’s dragged off to a meeting of the named clans, and despite the posh surroundings, intrigue is the order of the day. Old grudges come to the surface, new ones threaten to break out into fights, and...is that a hint of love in the air? Maomao will have to navigate the twisting politics and conflicting priorities of the different clans—including hers—if she wants to survive one of the liveliest meetings around!

While pursuing the secret of the mysterious jade, Maomao and Jinshi found more than just the tablet’s owner—they’ve also discovered a forbidden book that has long lain hidden. As the book is gradually reconstructed, they discover that the knowledge and secrets within might be extremely important to someone very unexpected. Meanwhile, Maomao finds herself helping her father Luomen in what appears to be a large-scale drug trial...but what are they treating? And why?

皇帝の手術を無事に終えてから半月、季節も冬へと近づいていた。 術後の治療を上級医官に替わってもらったおかげで、 猫猫（マオマオ）の日常は忙しくも平常運転へと戻っていた。 そんなある日、老医官に届いた文を読んだ妤（ヨ）の顔色が変わった。 「怖いことになるかもしれない」。 その文には水膨れができた患者が増えていると書かれていたのだ。 嫌な予感がする猫猫だったが、その心配は当たってしまった。 「疱瘡（ほうそう）の発生」。 感染力、致死率が高く、顔や身体に痕が残りやすく恐れられている流行り病だ。 特効薬はなく、猫猫でも今から見つけることは不可能だろう。 感染が広まれば村一つが閉鎖することもあるという。 そんな絶望的な状況に一筋の光を放ったのは、 かつて疱瘡から快復した経験を持つ妤の一言だった。 「私が生き残ったのは、そのお医者さんのおかげです」。 疱瘡に詳しい民間の医者——猫猫が知るのは克用(コクヨウ)しかいなかった。 猫猫が時折、花街の薬屋に応援を依頼する、顔半分に疱瘡の痕がある美青年。 厄介な感染病の大流行に備えて医者はいくらいたっていい。 しかも疱瘡の知識と耐性があるならなおさらだ。 克用は医官たちの面接を経て採用され、妤と共に感染が広がりつつある 人口数百人の農村に派遣されることになった。 また、ある時、猫猫は壬氏（ジンシ）から皇太后の実家の当主の娘が、 とある人物に呪いをかけたのではないかとの相談を持ち掛けられる。 当主の娘とは妾の子であり、皇太后の姪にあたる病弱な梔子（ジーズー）。 その姪を助けてほしいという「皇太后からの頼み」により猫猫が調べを進めると、 梔子に毒が盛られていた疑いが出てくる。 そして、その背景には母親である妾の思いが透けて見えてくるのだった。 一方、疱瘡の感染拡大防止に奮闘していた妤から話を聞いていた猫猫に、 大きな疑問が浮かんだ。 「その疱瘡はどこから来たのか?」。 疱瘡の感染源を調べるうちに、猫猫たちは衝撃の事実にたどり着くのだが……。