149話 臭いの正体
「あのような臭いが存在することを、初めて知ったよ」
太子がお茶を飲みながら、しみじみと告げた。
前世ではアンモニア臭を「薬臭い」と表現したのだが、この国では薬の臭いというと草の臭いであるので、ほとんどの人には知らない異様な臭いだろう。
――鼻の奥にいつまでも残る臭いって、そうそうないよね。
ともあれ、皆がお茶を飲んで人心地ついたところで、太子が
「それで雨妹、あれはなんだい?」
お茶と一緒に出された
「教坊だと?」
この雨妹の言葉に反応したのは
について話したと立彬に聞いたけれど、そのことでもう進展があったのかい?」
以前立彬に話したことが太子の耳にまで上がっているのは、雨妹としても「まあそうだろうな」と思っていたので、特に驚きはしない。
「徐さんについては特になにも進んでいなくて、今回は別件なのです」
「はい。あの臭いの素であるケシ汁とは、ケシの花から採れる汁を加工しているもので、医術では痛み止めの用途の飲み薬として使われています。
雨妹の説明に、秀玲が「ケシの花?」と首を傾げた。
、できる女官は花の名前も知っているようだ。
「飲み薬かい? けどあれは煙草の燃えかすのようだったけれど?」
続けて太子が不思議そうにしたのに、雨妹は語る。
「ええ、医術ではケシ汁を煙草のように吸引することはしません。
この話に、太子たちは互いに顔を見合わせている。
「薬の別の目的なんて、想像がつかないな」
「薬には食材として美味しいものもあるようですけれど、それでしょうか?」
「いえ母上、煙草ですので食材ではあり得ません」
「残念ながら、そういう平和的な用途ではないですね」
太子たちが答えを捻り出そうとするのに、雨妹は告げる。
「煙草のようにケシ汁の煙を吸引すると、とてつもない多幸感を味わえるのです」
「多幸感?」
「例えるのが難しいのですが、自分が万能になった気分になったり、すごく気持ちのいい快感が長い間続いたり、とにかく『気分爽快、最高、自分って世界一凄い!』っていう状態になるのです」
太子がわかったような、わからないような顔をしながら、とりあえず話を進めてくれというように促した。
「何故ケシ汁の飲み薬ではなく煙草なのかというと、煙草の方が飲み薬よりも脳――頭にある思考を司る臓器に強く作用して、おかしくさせた結果として、多幸感が生み出されるからです」
雨妹が自らの頭を指差しながら話すのに、これを聞いた立彬が難しい顔をして問うてくる。
「酒飲みが過ぎる者が酒を止められない理由として、『酒を飲んでいると気分が良くなる』と似たようなことを言っていたが、それとはなにか違うのか?」
Chapter 149
"It's the first time that I've become aware that such a stinky smell exists."
The crown prince seriously stated while drinking tea.
In her previous life, this ammonia smell was described as "medicinal scent", but in this world, such a description was used for the smell of herbs, so it was an eccentric smell that was unfamiliar to most people.
'This kind of smell that lingers forever inside the nose isn't that common, after all.'
The crown prince posed a query to Yui Mei when he saw that everyone was comfortable after having tea.
"So, Yui Mei, what is that thing?"
Yui Mei was eating one of the pastries that had been served with the tea, so she hurriedly gulped it down before she replied.
"Jiaofang?"
It was Libin who reacted to what Yui Mei said.
"I already heard about Xu Zi from Libin. So, do you have any progress with her?"
Yui Mei wasn't surprised that what she and Libin discussed reached the crown prince. She only thought that it was natural.
"There's no luck with Xu, but this is a different matter altogether."
"Yes. That poppy juice, the source of that stench, is extracted from the flowers of poppy and processed. It's used as an oral painkiller medicine. I heard from Physician Chen that poppy juice is an imported product from a foreign country."
Xiuling tilted her head in confusion when she heard Yui Mei's explanation.
As expected of Xiuling, elite maids even know the name of the flowers.
"Oral medicine? But that looked like tobacco ash, though?"
The crown prince looked perplexed, so Yui Mei continued.
"Indeed, in medicinal arts, you don't inhale poppy juice like a tobacco. If one inhaled the smoke like you do with tobacco, then it's for a separate purpose or there's another intention."
The crown prince and the rest glanced at each other.
"I can't imagine any other use other than as a medicine."
"There are medicines that can be used as an ingredient to make the food delicious. Is it something like that?"
"No, Mother, it's tobacco so it is not for food."
"Unfortunately, it's not for something as peaceful as that."
The crown prince and the others tried to come up with the answer, so Yui Mei answered them.
"If you inhale the poppy juice's smoke like you do with tobacco, you're going to experience extreme euphoria."
"Euphoria?"
"It's a bit hard to give an example, but let me try. It's like the person will feel that he became omnipotent, and he will experience a pleasant feeling for an extended period of time. In short, it's like being in a state of having thoughts such as "I feel so great, this is super awesome, I'm the best in the world!"."
The crown prince looked as if he's teetering between comprehension and bafflement, but he urged her to continue anyway.
"The reason why people suck on it like tobacco instead of taking it as pills is that smoking brings a stronger effect on the brain -- er, the organ inside your head that controls your thoughts -- compared to ingesting it as pills. As you see, the stronger the usage, the crazier the effect, resulting in euphoria."
Yui Mei pointed to her head as she explained. Libin had a complicated expression when he heard this, so he posed another query.
"So you're saying that it's a similar feeling to what the drunkards say when they can't stop drinking after having too much booze. Like, 'I feel pleasant when I'm drinking". But then, what's the difference with this one?"
Housekeeper of the Hundred Blossom Palace
百花宮のお掃除係～転生した新米宮女、後宮のお悩み解決します。
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/housekeeper-of-the-hundred-blossom-palace/
Fantasy Romance Shoujo Slice of Life
Adapted to Manga Ancient China Complex Family Relationships Different Social Status Female Protagonist Imperial Harem Love Interest Falls in Love First Reincarnated in Another World Royalty
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n4104ev/
黒辺あゆみ