#tasterlessau

Jinchi was on the floor of the temple unmoving. How could he move, after all, there was maomao's body underneath that beam that fell. The beam that was meant to take his life, that should've taken his life, that it would've killed him if maomao hadn't pushed him.

we've seen how jinchi got when maomao got kidnapped now imagine his reaction to maomao dying to save him.

Like I imagine jinchi would have the backing of Lakan, instead of Lakan disliking him. Lakan would feel kinda responsible for his daughter death, feeling like he could've saved his daughter if he just went inside with her. Lakan would feel like he could've just saved maomao if he just took action for once instead of waiting for others to take action.

Lakan and Jinchi could even like trama bond about losing the only women they loved (because without maomao forcing him to buy a courtesan, Lakan would never know Fengxian was still alive.) Lakan would probably be more unstable then he is now and jinchi wouldn't be far behind. The two would tear apart the country to take revenge on Shishou and north. The plot would still progress about the same but it would be Lakan connecting the dots that lead them to the north instead of maomao.

The old lady originally refused, she didn't think Lakan deserved to know what the annex was really used for. But when Meimei came inside and overheard Pairin and Granny's argument, Meimei wouldn't stop begging and crying till the old lady agreed. Meimei wanted nothing more than for Fengxian and Lakan to have something good happen in this time of grief.

Lakan was sitting next to Maomao's coffin, ping-ponging between crying and cursing. Lakan's hand traced over the pile of flowers on top of the coffin, muttering about how she deserved more. She deserved better than white lilies, no, his baby girl should've been covered with Balsam and Woodsorrel instead. They may not have been the traditional flowers for funerals but they would've better represented his daughter.

While Lakan was lost in thought a hand touched his shoulder. Lakan may not recognize faces but he knew whose hand it was, it was Meimei. Lakan patted his eyes to clear away the tears, “Pardon me Meimei, but I would like to be alone right now.” Meimei hesitated, she didn't want to push but she felt it was necessary.

“Please, I have something to show you.” Meimei asked. Normally Lakan would've refused, but something in Meimei's voice made him agree. Meimei led him outside.

“Where are we going?” Lakan asked, looking around the courtyard but Meimei didn't respond. Meimei simply led him to the small stand alone building, opening the door. Lakan raised an eyebrow confused but he entered. Then he froze, the woman on the bed might've been covered in devastating effects of syphilis, but he knows who she was. He could never forget those gorgeous eyes, the only woman he's ever truly fell for, one of only a handful of people he's ever seen the face of. That was his beloved, Fengxian.

Lakan's body moved on its own, he rushed over to Fengxian, clinging on to the woman like she would disappear any second. Fengxian hasn't really shown emotion ever since she was put in the annex, but in that moment Fengxian began to cry, a mixture of happiness of finally seeing Lakan and the realization that meant that Maomao really was gone. Her baby girl that she had emotionally abandoned, was gone and she could do nothing to apologize to Maomao for blaming her for her own mistakes.

The rest of the night was quiet. The old lady didn't even complain about Lakan's refusal to leave Fengxian's side, even though she doesn't like the fox. They let that go tonight, tonight they aren't enemies or anything else. Tonight everyone here was Maomao's family, all grieving the same loss.

The next morning, when they finally buried Maomao's body, Fengxian dragged herself out of the annex for the first time in years. Lakan beside her tried to reason with her to let him at least carry her, but she refused with the same stubbornness she's always shown. She wanted to walk on her own to the burial. The burial was made up of only a small number of people, just Maomao's sisters, Loumen, Lakan, Fengxian, Granny and Goshen. They stood together in silence, no one said anything, they just watched as the coffin was finally laid to rest. While everyone had already been grieving, today was the only day it felt real, the only day that their minds had to accept maomao wasn't coming back.

Normally the red light district, especially the Verdigris house, is bustling with visitors and courtesans alike. But today was different, it's rare for the Verdigris house to shut down, in fact it was practically unheard-of for any brothel to close its doors for a day.

The reason for this abnormal cease of activity from the Verdigris house and the nearby brothels burning incense, was that today was the day Lakan and Loumen returned with Maomao's body. Normally that would be inconceivable, bodies were hardly transferred from their spot of death, but Lakan pulled strings (with Jinchi's secret pleading with the emperor) and an exception was made. While the casket was nailed shut to prevent anyone from seeing the disturbing state of Maomao's body, the casket was put in the foyer. By mid-day the casket was covered in flowers, overflowing in fact. Frequent patrons, nearby house’s courtesans, and even a few guards from the royal palace had come to pay their respects.

Pairin, Meimei, and Joka were up on the second floor watching the line of people paying their respects. Pairin is taking this the worse, she was the one who had basically taken the role of Maomao's mother. She could hardly look at the casket without breaking down. Meimei wasn't far behind, her eyes still blood shot from balling her eyes out earlier in the day. Joka seemed to be holding up the best, well at least on the outside. Inside though, she was seething with grief, rage, and so many other emotions, but on the outside she appeared as calm as she always was.

Joka watched the line below, quietly huffing in disapproval every time a guard came to send their condolences on behalf of the consorts of the Rear Palace. Joka finally moves, Pairin curiously following swiftly behind.

“Where are you going, Joka?” Pairin inquired.

“To send my own message to those consorts.” Joka says, her anger projecting on to the nearest thing she could justify, the rear place guards.

Pairin reached over and grabbed Joka, stopping her from doing anything reckless. Before Pairin could even attempt to reason, the old lady's voice rang out.

“What is all this commotion about? This place is a place of mourning today, not a place for fists fights, Joka.” the lady of the Verdigris house cawed out, smoke pouring out of her kiseru. Joka paused, momentarily calming down. Meimei approached, still silent, she hasn't said much since she found out. Her grief swallowed her voice since she found out about what happened to Maomao. Pairin attempts to lecture the old lady about smoking during this time of grief, as Joka observed from the sidelines. After what felt like an eternity, Meimei finally spoke.

“I'm going out to the annex for a bit.” was all Meimei said, walking away before anyone could comment. Pairin frowned, watching as Meimei flit away, knowing that she needed space.

Joka’s voice cut in a second later, “He's here again.” Everyone knew what that meant, Lakan was back. He sat with Maomao for hours, only leaving when Loumen dragged him to eat, but he always came back before long.

Lakan yawned, he'd hadn't expected it to take this long. I mean how long sould it take to save some spoiled prince? 5 minutes? 10? Well maomao had been gone for over twenty. Lakan stretched, assuming it was just some bureaucratic problems keeping his daughter. That was until a figure walked out of the temple, the moon prince himself, carrying a body with a ceremonial banner draped over it. Lakan assumed it was the assassin. He thought it was strange the moon prince would carry a body, but he had seen stranger in his time working with the royal family. That was till the arm of the body peaked out from the banner and into view. The arm of a young girl, but not just any young girl. Lakan froze as he realized in real time that the body the moon prince was carrying, was his daughter, it was maomao's body that was wrapped in the ceremony banner.

Jinchi must've fallen asleep, because when he woke up, he was still holding on to Maomao's hand. His knees screaming from kneeling beside the bed for what must've been hours. Jinchi looks around, not seeing Suiren or Goshen. Jinchi muttered quietly, “You can't leave.” His voice cracking as he continues, his words a plea for this to be some sick joke. “You can't leave. I haven't given you your ox bezzor,” he says the medical ingredient, hoping that just the name of the rare ingredients would somehow resurrect Maomao. “Please,” he says, voice barely above a whisper. “Please apoth- Maomao. Please Maomao. Please just wake up. Do- Don't leave me,” he pleads, using Maomao's name for the first time.

Jinchi's pleading is cut off by the sound of screaming and the sound of a cane tapping against the floor. Jinchi turns his head towards the door, where Goshen stands guiltily. “Apologies, the Grand Commandant insisted he came in.”

Jinchi hears the sigh of an older man, seeing Maomao's adopted father Loumen step around Goshen. “Forgive my nephew. He's never handled grief well,” Loumen said, as he stepped closer to the bed, not commenting on the disastrous state Jinchi is in. Loumen sat on the bed, not commenting on how Jinchi's hand clung to Maomao's hand either. Loumen, stroked Maomao's hair, “I always knew you would get yourself killed, but I never imagined it would be so soon.” Jinchi's breath catches, he wanted to scream, to ask Loumen how he can be so heartless when his daughter just died. But when Jinchi turned to yell at the elder apothecary, he saw the tears forming in Loumen’s eyes that he was forcing not to fall.

Jinchi freezes, realizing Loumen wasn't being unemotional about this. No, the elderly apothecary was staying calm for Maomao. Jinchi could practically hear Maomao's voice complaining about them wasting tears on her. Jinchi and Loumen sat in silence for a long moment, the distant sounds of Goshen restraining Lakan in the background. Loumen's old wrinkled hands ran through Maomao's hair, his composer finally cracking some despite his best efforts, “You stupid girl, always trying to handle everything with as little help as possible. But I guess that's partially my fault, I always taught you to be independent.”

Jinchi stayed quiet, unsure if it was appropriate for him to give his two cents. After a moment of silence the moon prince finally spoke, “You raised her well, it isn't your fault. It is mine, I should've realized that it was a trap.”

Loumen looked at the moon prince, “It is not your fault. You did not know any of that would happen.”

Jinchi wants to argue, to take the blame, but an angry voice cuts him off. “OF COURSE IT'S HIS FAULT,” Lakan’s enraged voice rang out.

Loumen turns to his nephew, his voice sharp “Lakan.” Lakan's face dropped some, he hates being in trouble with Loumen, but the pain of losing his daughter hurt more than Loumen's disapproval.

Lakan's voice was quieter, “It's true. Had he just let me take my daughter back she would still be okay. Had he just let her go, she would still be alright.”

Loumen sighs at his nephew’s outburst, “Is that so? Is it his fault that Maomao was kidnapped as well? Is it his fault that Maomao chose herself to come back to the rear palace to work for him? I understand you are hurting, but you can not just blame others for things they can't control.” Lakan goes to argue but Loumen's voice sharpens as he continues, “I could say the same about you. You knew she found something, yet you let her go in alone. But I do not take my grief out on you do I?” Lakan freezes, his uncle's words hit the exact spot that hurts the most. The real reason he was thrusting the blame on to Jinchi. Lakan's own guilt was eating him alive.

Jinchi carried Maomao's body through the crowd of onlookers. Goshen tried to take maomao's body from Jinchi’s hands but with no luck. The crowd parts instinctually, not just because that's the moon prince, but because of the tears slowly rolling down Jinchi's cheek.

He should've taken her to the inner court doctor, but he doesn't. He doesn't even take Maomao to the outer court doctors either. Instead he brought her to his home, Suiren went to speak as Jinchi laid Maomao's body on her bed, but Goshen’s hand on her shoulder stopped her from speaking. After all, this is different from taking a toy like they did when Jinchi was a kid, this was Maomao. Suiren felt powerless, how could she take that boy's pain away? It wasn't as simple as giving him a new toy, everyone in that room knew Maomao was irreplaceable. Not just in knowledge but in their hearts.

Lakan- Lakan is riden by guilt about allowing maomao to go in alone. He feels responsible, he believes had he only followed maomao into the temple instead of waiting outside that he could've protected her from the falling beam and she would still be alive. He would join forces with Jinchi knowing that jinchi is the only person powerful enough to help him avenge his daughter. Lakan would have reason to protect jinchi's post, using him as a pawn to get revenge for maomao's death. while jinchi uses Lakan to inact revenge in a way he never could plan alone.

Jinchi- Jinchi would be riden with guilt, maomao died to save his life after all. He would feel responsible and tries to punish himself, by doing things like cutting his hair and scarring up his arm to remind him of maomao. At the beginning he would be riden by depression, refusing to eat or rest till the emperor demands he takes care of himself.

The emperor- the emperor is not as affected as other characters but as he sees jinchi's declining mental health he begins to worry. The emperor would force jinchi to take a leave of absence so jinchi can recover.