Maomao’s life as an apothecary changes abruptly when she is abducted and sold into service in the imperial inner palace. She intends to finish her contract quietly without revealing how much she knows about medicine and poison, but curiosity wins when a mysterious illness threatens the emperor’s children. Her discreet intervention catches the attention of the palace official Jinshi and earns Maomao a new post as a food taster for Consort Gyokuyo. From there, her analytical mind is repeatedly drawn into illnesses, crimes, and court mysteries hidden behind palace walls.