We’re back…back to the palace and back to Maomao and Jinshi. But a lot has changed since we last saw them. Jinshi has now cast off his eunuch persona and embraced his role as the emperor’s younger brother. The emperor has two healthy sons and Gyokuyou is about to be crowned Empress. And most surprisingly, Maomao has left the palace and is back living in Verdigris House, helping the Madam with odd tasks and keeping an eye on Chou-u.
From one angle, there’s not too much that happens in the episode. For a season premier, it could even be seen as slightly underwhelming. But there are several seeds of storylines sprinkled throughout the episode which promise to germinate into fairly juicy plots further down the line. And the show had proven time and again that it is good at playing the long game, slowly weaving together several seemingly disparate arcs into a satisfying and cohesive overarching story at the end, so I’m willing to keep faith.
It looks like this season, more than its predecessors, is going to focus overtly on political intrigue. Of course, that’s always been a big part of ‘The Apothecary Diaries’ world, but it’s often played out through stories that seem smaller in scale and more focused on interpersonal drama at first glance. But here, we immediately see some of the repercussions of Gyokuyou becoming Empress. Apart from her father (who is naturally thrilled at the elevation), there is a lot of discontent. Lihua’s family is frustrated that they apparently missed out on more power due to a quirk of fate in the delivery order of the young princes. Others are pained at the idea of an Empress from the West. Interestingly, there is a hint that birth order may not have been the sole reason for the Emperor’s choice. Rather there is a need to consolidate his power and strengthening his alliance with the West (particularly in light of the Shi clan’s treachery) will help with that. There’s also some exposition about the divide between the old and new nobles which is likely to become more important in the future. Given the (necessary) elimination of the old Shi clan, and the increasing importance of the newer clans (Gyokuyou’s family and Maomao’s La clan included), it is likely that the older nobles will feel that their influence is waning. Not to mention the wild card that’s Jinshi. Yes, there are technically two royal heirs now but they are still babies. If anything happens to the Emperor, Jinshi is still very much in play as a key piece in the resultant power struggle.
How does Maomao fit into all this? As yet, she doesn’t. She’s out of the palace (though I’m sure that won’t last too long) and (seemingly) away from the intrigue. But as usual, her formidable powers of observation and keen intellect set her on to the scent of something that is sure to bring her right back into the path of palace schemes. While the rear palace is humming with discontent and power struggles, the kingdom outside appears to be heading towards a famine. There are rumbles about poor crops and again and again Maomao comes across signs of an increased grasshopper population – apparently another portent of impending famine. When both internal and external troubles collide, the Emperor is sure to find himself in some hot water! Did the rebellion actually die with the Shi clan or was that just the first attack?
Stray Musings
- Now that Maomao (and everyone else) knows about Jinshi, how will it affect their relationship? It remains a mystery since the two have not even interacted yet. If matters weren’t complicated enough, is the
- While out in the market, Maomao comes across a book from the Shi stronghold which motivates her to look for the similar volumes on plants (which, as a reminder, might hold the key to perfecting the death simulating drug).
- However, her investigative efforts also bring an old Shi guard face to face with Chou-u (formerly known as Kyou-u of the Shi clan), who is supposed to be dead. she quickly hurries him out but surely this will come back to haunt her.
- It’s a tiny scene but I love that Lakan is still eccentric enough and besotted enough that he ignores the Empress’ coronation in favor of playing Go with his wife
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