Reel Tastes & Travels – a light dose of entertainment to wake you up

Episode 4 transports Maomao to a new setting – the palace of one of the rival concubines Lihua. Connecting back to episode 1 where the two royal children were ill, Lihua is still ailing after the death of her son. The emperor tasks Maomao with treating her illness since nothing else seems to be working. We also find out that in the aftermath of the prince’s death and Maomao’s intervention, the poisonous white powder which had gained popularity in the inner palace has been banned and all containers confiscated.

Maomao relocates to Lihua’s palace but her path is not an easy one as she finds herself continually blocked from seeing Lihua by her attendants, who have apparently not learned anything from the events of Episode 1. Her attempts to provide some nourishing gruel for the ailing Lihua are thwarted by the attendants who consider the food (and Maomao) ‘low-class’ and continue to try to feed Lihua her favorite (much more lavish) dishes to little avail.

Having seen a few other imperial palace dramas, the rear palace is usually depicted as a pit of vipers where dastardly plots and backstabbing are the norm among the emperor’s concubines as they jostle for his attention and the power it brings. In such a scenario, a concubine’s attendants are often the few, if not only, people they really trust in the palace. Considering that, it is perhaps not surprising that Lihua’s attendants look with suspicion on Maomao, who has come from her rival Gyokuyou’s palace and are reluctant to let her near their mistress. However, I did find it a bit surprising that they would be so openly obstructive and disdainful since Maomao has been sent there by the emperor himself.

Ultimately, Jinshi has to step in and charm his (and Maomao’s way) to Lihua’s bedside. While feeding Lihua, Maomao realizes that her pallor is not just due to her illness but also due to makeup (yes, the very same powder that had supposedly been confiscated!). It turns out the attendant responsible had hidden the powder in a misguided attempt to preserve Lihua’s beauty while she was ill. The road to hell is paved with good intentions indeed! It is also an interesting commentary on how misguided loyalty can also be harmful, particularly when combined with ineptitude and wilful ignorance. Without Maomao’s intervention, the attendant’s attempts to protect Lihua would have eventually resulted in her death as the poison from the powder continued to eat away at her health.

Maomao terrifies the attendants into submission and is finally able to slowly nurse Lihua back to health. Punishments are handed out to all involved in the lapse, Maomao gains another supporter in Lihua and having successfully fulfilled the emperor’s task, she returns to Gyokoyou’s palace.

Stray Musings

• Maomao’s intelligence is once again on display as she immediately understands the subtext of the emperor’s ask and the onus it places on her. However, her emotional intelligence and her understanding of how to leverage the social dynamics in the palace is not quite at the same level since she doesn’t even think to leverage Jinshi when blocked by Lihua’s attendants. In fact, if Jinshi hadn’t stepped in himself, the episode might have had a much more tragic ending. This could also be due to Maomao’s high degree of self-reliance – unused to asking for help from others, it quite simply may not have occurred to her as the most expeditious route to success.
• Jinshi’s charm comes through again! Though Maomao continues to be immune, Jinshi seems to be cottoning on to the fact that an alternate route to her heart (or rather a better way to manipulate her) may lie in her love for food and for medicine.
• A stray comment from Lihua after she recovers about the difficulty in competing with Gyokoyou’s pale skin and green eyes could point to her attendant’s insistence on hiding the powder and continuing to use it despite the official ban. In the constant competition for the emperor’s affection, the powder was probably seen as a powerful tool to neutralize the perceived advantage of Gyokoyou’s unique looks.
• Maomao using the lessons she learned from her sisters at the brothel to help Lihua win back the emperor’s attention is hilarious. It is also a small moment that shows Maomao’s neutrality within the inner palace. While she works for Gyokoyou currently, that doesn’t stop her from helping others, even Gyokoyou if she can
• The animation continues to impress – my favorite sequence this week is the montage of Lihua remembering her time with her son. Even without a single word, it beautifully evokes Lihua’s emotions