This season is off to a slower start than seasons past. There are no major mysteries of the week, we have not yet gotten to any juicy palace intrigue, and even the characters seem to just be going about their regular routine. There are hints of potential problems and a new tale that Maomao comes across (the titular fire-rat cloak) but these are as yet tiny threads, seemingly insignificant until we discover just the right way to squint at them to see the hidden picture emerge (not unlike a magic eye picture). So what were the key takeaways then?
1) Cat People (Putting Out Fire): Couldn’t resist the pun with Maomao’s name. While out shopping for winter clothes with Chou-u, Maomao comes across a fire-retardant robe. It’s not just any robe though, it comes attached with a fantastical story about a foreign maiden being held captive and forced to marry against her will. Desperate, she stitches this wedding robe for herself, sets herself aflame and jumps into the river to disappear, leaving only the robe behind. Practical Maomao immediately sees the solution to the story. Protected by the fire-retardant material of the robe, the maiden uses the distraction of the apparent self-immolation to escape. It’s difficult to see how this will play into the larger story – perhaps the fire retardant property will play a crucial role later? Or perhaps it will tie back to the foreign envoys who visited the court earlier (at least one of whom was involved in the Shi plot)? Interestingly, Maomao surmises that the maiden was not quite the innocent that the story presumes, but rather might have been an undercover spy who unfortunately got captured. A harbinger of things to come?
2) Day of the Locusts: Now that Jinshi has embraced his role as Moon Prince, he’s being kept busy with affairs of state. One of which is the locust epidemic that has affected the harvest in some parts of the empire. For now, he’s addressed it with existing reserves but if it happens again next year, it will be a bigger problem that could fuel further unrest. He comes to Maomao and she asks for his help to track down the missing insect volumes from the Shi stronghold. She’s hoping the book will hold an answer to dealing with the locusts. Unfortunately, there is a third volume which is still missing. Which drives her to pay a visit to Suiren to see what she may know about it.
3) Just the Way You Are: Finally we get to see Maomao and Jinshi together. It’s cute, even though how Maomao fits into the Moon Prince’s life is left unaddressed. For now it appears he just tries to visit when he can spare the time and/or manufacture a reason to do so. Maomao is not a creature of many words, but it is evident that she cares for him in her way. She sees how tired he is and insists on him getting some rest in Verdigris House before heading back. She even accedes to his request to sing him a lullaby despite not rating her singing abilities too highly. Of course, given her twisted sense of humor she can’t resist teasing him by deliberately misunderstanding his words as requests for courtesans. She’s too smart not to realize his affection for her so was clearly having some fun at his expense.
4) Doctor, Doctor: After all the intrigue last season, we now get to see Maomao going back to her Apothecary roots. She may not be as unconcerned with payment as her uncle but she is still softhearted under her gruff exterior. So when a man in straitened circumstances shows up in desperate need of aid for his daughter, she does indeed go to help out (though not without getting a promissory note from him!). And later when it turns out the father is a compulsive gambler who doesn’t treat his daughters well, she helps the elder daughter secure a place for her and her sister at the Verdigris House. This seems like a throwaway storyline at first (much like the fire-rat cloak), but the important detail here is what caused the girl’s illness. A mysterious woman has been handing out cakes containing ergot (a poison found in low quality wheat) to the poor – a simple mistake? Considering the world of the Apothecary Diaries, I’d safely venture ‘NO’! Moreover, the cakes are made with expensive sugar, which would seem at odds with using low quality wheat. A deliberate choice to entice the poor to eat the cakes maybe? Could this be another attempt to sow unrest, or is someone using the less fortunate as a testing ground for something more nefarious?
Stray Musings
- I wonder if Ukyou, Maomao’s guard, will have a bigger role later down the line. After getting kidnapped and all she endured at the hands of the Shi clan, it’s no wonder that Lakan/Jinshi felt the need to ensure her protection in some form. Especially considering that all these adventures started off by Maomao getting kidnapped from the pleasure district, where she finds herself once more
- What do you do with a problem like Chou-u? That seems to be the refrain running through Maomao’s head. He cannot be involved in anything too prominent, but his partial paralysis renders him unfit for more physically taxing occupations. How then to keep him safe (and safely hidden)?
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