After being kidnapped and forced to work as a servant in the rear palace, former apothecary Maomao inadvertently draws the attention of the higher ranks when she investigates what's causing the emperor's infant heirs to fall mysteriously ill.

Maomao tries to settle into her promotion to lady-in-waiting and food taster, but struggles to fend off both boredom and the overly-familiar Jinshi. That is, until she gets an assignment of her dreams: to concoct an aphrodisiac.

Tasked with investigating a ghostly woman dancing nightly on the palace walls, Maomao finds a sleepwalking Concubine Fuyou. But with no medicinal cure for sleepwalking, she's forced to dig deeper to find the real reason behind Fuyou's affliction.

A eunuch stricken by a curse comes begging for aid. Meanwhile, the rear palace buzzes with excitement as everyone prepares for the upcoming garden party, and Gyokuyou's ladies-in-waiting aren't about to let Maomao get away without dressing her up.

An older acquaintance of Jinshi's dies while drinking at a party. A servant's body turns up in a moat. Both deaths are written off as self-inflicted, but Maomao's keen observations tell her that there's more to both stories.

Back to work at the rear palace, Maomao listens to Guen talk about his family's business. Meanwhile, Lihaku hears a rumor that whips him into action.

The spring garden party concludes without incident. Maomao returns to her regular life as Concubine Gyokuyou’s taster. Meanwhile, novels become popular in the rear palace. Maomao wonders how this came to be, as novels were typically considered low-class. But behind the scenes lies Jinshi and his goals as manager of the rear palace.

The caravan stirs up excitement in the inner palace. The merchants bring all kinds of goods. However, something gives Maomao a bad feeling.

A concubine passes away, and a woman goes missing. Jinshi sends Maomao to investigate - not these incidents, but mushrooms growing in the rear palace.

In order to realize the seemingly impossible request from the foreign envoy, Maomao speaks to the “Moon Fairy” herself.

The woman from the clinic finds out that Maomao knows a thing or two about medicine, and asks for her help.

Concubine Lishu reports sightings of a ghost in the baths in her pavilion. Maomao goes to investigate.

Xiaolan accidentally ruins an expensive block of ice. Maomao comes up with a delicious backup plan.

Luomen returns to the rear palace. His observations trigger Maomao's curiosity.

Suirei smuggles Maomao and Shisui out of the rear palace. Jinshi begins to search for Maomao.

Maomao has been missing for ten days now. Jinshi's investigations lead him to a forgotten graveyard.

After the war, Jinshi's work piles up and Maomao returns to the pleasure district.