Itsuki Nanao

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?

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! Strong-armed into getting out more, Maomao attends a spooky soiree where court ladies share spine-tingling tales of terror as a diversion from their daily toil. While there are plenty of chills to go around, the thrills are perhaps few for the skeptical Maomao...until the evening takes an eerie turn! And still more thrills await when Jinshi requests Maomao’s presence on a hunting trip. All is not as it seems when court intrigue and subterfuge are in play however, and master and servant find themselves in a very tight spot and uncomfortably close quarters when a break from a banquet on the hunt goes awry...

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! 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 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… After explaining to Jinshi the circumstances behind the poisoned cup at the garden party, Maomao returns home to the pleasure district for the first time in ten months, thanks to the ornate hairpin she received at the party. But there, she gets swept up in yet another mystery?!