Maomao has accompanied Jinshi on a hunting trip. Suddenly shot by flintlocks, they manage to get away by hiding in a cave where Maomao learns one of the many secrets that Jinshi has been keeping.
Maomao attends a spooky soiree where court ladies share 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!
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.
When two beautiful foreign envoys with designs on the Emperor come calling with a tale of old, it’s up to Maomao to concoct a theatrical scheme to give the ladies a whopper of a story to take home!
A festive atmosphere descends upon the Inner Court with the arrival of a long-awaited merchant caravan and its myriad wares. Though the excitement is contagious, Maomao soon cottons on to something potentially sinister about the innocuous goods for sale.
Sly tactician Lakan’s attempts at provocation lead to his own downfall when Maomao challenges him to elephant chess, only to outplay him in a game of wits!
Maomao succeeds in saving Jinshi from a horrific fate, proving herself indispensable to the palace once more!
But Maomao has yet to learn that the treachery of the plot she has uncovered is woven deep into the fabric of the very palace in which she serve
After explaining to Jinshi the circumstances behind the poisoned cup at the garden party, Maomao returns home 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?!
