Episode Title:
The Garden Party
Episode Description:
Amidst the hubbub of the garden party, Maomao is caught in the proxy wars between the concubines' ladies-in-waiting, with one of Lihua's ladies talking smack about her, not knowing she's just infront of her. She also experiences getting two more hairpins, one of them is from Lady Lihua herself. She also learns of the rift between the consorts Ah-Duo and Lishu, where, due to politics, the very young Virtuous Consort becomes mother-in-law to the way-older Pure Consort. Things rear its ugly head when Maomao finds Gyokuyou's soup poisoned, and a minister later falls due to the same poison. Jinshi sees her coughing up the poison and takes her to the infirmary. Asking about the poisoning, Maomao asks Jinshi for Lishu, where she finds that she is allergic to mackerel. Knowing that the rear palace prepared the food, the vinegar used in Lishu's dish may have gotten swapped with that of Gyokuyou's by accident. Maomao knows Lishu's lead lady-in-waiting may have had a hand, but preferred not to magnify it, giving her a list of the foods Lishu can't eat instead. Jinshi notices it, though, and asks Maomao if Lishu is the target of the poisoning.
