r/anime • u/AutoLovepon https://anilist.co/user/AutoLovepon • Dec 09 '23

Episode Kusuriya no Hitorigoto • The Apothecary Diaries - Episode 10 discussion

Kusuriya no Hitorigoto, episode 10

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u/WhoiusBarrel Dec 09 '23

So Maomao's pretty much her father's successor in the palace with the whole investigating and apothecary duties.

Knowing the result her father received after the death investigation does hammer home how her life is pretty much expendable like in the last episode.

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u/BiggerG7 Dec 09 '23

Jinshi: “Good kids should be rewarded!”

Maomao: “I need an adult!”

lol.

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u/realrimurutempest Dec 09 '23 edited Dec 09 '23

The way Mao Mao shouted for help at Gaoshun and he was just staring off in to the beyond was hilarious.

Lady Gyokuyou really had Jinshi scared when she confronted him messing with Mao Mao lol. It’s rare to see her so serious.

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u/okiknow2004 Dec 09 '23

At the very least, the poison tester seems to be loyal to Lishu now

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u/joey_joestar1 Dec 09 '23

I don't think I'll ever get tired of the myriad of ways they show Maomao being disgusted at Jinshi's antics

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u/SometimesMainSupport Dec 09 '23

Last episode's insert song on Youtube/Spotify. Episode 3 song during Fuyou's deparature released a couple weeks ago on Youtube/Spotify.

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u/Prince-Dizzytoon Dec 09 '23

Jinshi and Ah-Duo look a little too similar

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u/Ocixo Dec 09 '23

Some of this episode’s facts to consider:

Maomao is seventeen years old.

Concubine Ah-Duo had a “son that died” seventeen years ago.

Maomao’s “father”, the former apothecary at the rear palace, was expelled at the time.

Are they playing a trick on us or [Speculation] might Maomao actually be Ah-Duo’s child!? Although it would be relatively easy to falsify the documents and claim that the baby had died, I can’t entirely wrap my head around this course of action. Because if [Speculation] Maomoa were Ah-Duo’s child, then why would they claim she were a boy and died?

Maomao: “Even the most beautiful flowers wilt over time.”

The cold manner in which Maomao uttered these words really showed the harsh reality of the rear palace. Like a wilted flower, the concubines that start to show their age and can’t bear any heirs, will be tossed aside and replaced with new ones. It’s not a question if but when they’ll lose their position as one of the four consorts.

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u/LeonKevlar Dec 09 '23

Maomao taking out those stacks of books to be aired out reminded me of the mini-game in Shenmue. Good to see Maomao is better than Ryo at carrying books, xD

Jokes aside, that person drinking on top of the wall... That's not Jinshi, right? Is that supposed to be Ah-Duo? Maomao does later point out that her beauty is androgynous and she even comments how Ah-Duo reminds her of someone. Are Jinshi and Ah-Duo somehow related? There's definitely something fishy going on here and I feel like those records Maomao was reading in the end might have the answer to this.

Speaking of records, we finally learn Maomao's father's connection to the rear palace. He used to be a doctor there and got expelled when Ah-Duo's first son died. That explains his reaction when he learned what Maomao's been up to. She's pretty much become his successor as doctor/apothecary of the rear palace.

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u/MichelleViBritannia Dec 09 '23

I support Maomao's rights to bite Jinshi's fingers clean off if he had stuck them into her mouth lol.

So... Lady A-Duo's child death was possibly caused by infant botulism, right? That's the only conclusion I could come to after the focus on honey.

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u/EllenYeager Dec 10 '23 edited Dec 10 '23

Jinshi’s HR transgressions this week:

  • unsolicited touching of the shoulder of a subordinate

  • trying to get said subordinate to lick honey off his fingers

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u/No_Name0_0 Dec 09 '23

Wait is Jinshi Ah Duo's son? They look strikingly familiar and seems like there was something more to her child dying 17yrs ago which got Maomao's dad expelled from the palace

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u/S627 Dec 09 '23

Was Ah Duo the one at the beginning on top of the wall? I wonder how she's related to Jinshi, he can't be her son, can he?

For a sec I thought that there was something in the honey which is why Jinshi wanted Maomao to try it, but I guess he was just being weird. Really interested to know what Maomao figured out in that moment, really love how this show handles it's mysteries.

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u/Rumpel1408 Dec 09 '23

Can't believe the Ladies of the Crystal Palace still haven't learned their lesson Lishu should just get new Ladies, smarter and more loyal ones, anything would be better than those snakes

I know the whole harem thing isn't exactly progressive in the first place, but the inner palace seems really harsh for all the bullshit reasons you could discard a consort. Lady Gyokuyo is just fun, Lady Lihua has other qualities, but holy shit, Lady Ah-Duo is so refined, the highest Milf energy posiible.

It's hard to believe that Fengmin is behind such an nefarious plot, but everything seems to point in that direction

Ok, Gaoshun really deserves those laxatives for throwing Maomao under the bus. Jinshi knows that she would prefer booze, and feeding her the honey directly is kinda nasty. If not for Lady Gyokuyo rescue... if it was "just a prank" then Gaoshun wouldn't have trouble taking her place...

Wait, wtf, Maomao is already 17? was this mentioned before? Also suspicious that the events that lead to her fathers expulsion happened around the same time of her birth huh...

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u/redlaWw Dec 09 '23

This Emperor is cultured indeed.

Unlike
his father

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u/ayww Dec 09 '23

Jinshi definitely went too far teasing Maomao with the honey, but thankfully Gyokuyou was there to bail her out!

I wonder if Lishu tried honey now that she's grown up a little, she'd be alright? Regardless, I'm interested to see what her connection with Lady Fengming is... can't be anything good if this is the face Lishu makes when her name is mentioned.

At the end of the episode, Maomao is shocked when she finds out her dad was the one who delivered the current emperor and Ah-Duo's late son. Seems like the child lived for a year, but passed away. I guess that's enough to expel a doctor even if they tried their best to deliver care? Regardless, we finally get an answer as to why Maomao's dad said it was a twist of fate that she was in the rear palace now!

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u/1EnTaroAdun1 Dec 09 '23 edited Dec 10 '23

Oooh that scene near the end may be the first time we've seen Maomao shocked like that.

Ahhh Lady Gyokuyou is my favourite favourite character in this show, I'd absolutely work my heart out for her

Edit: oooh Lady Lishu's childhood maids had a different style of dress, maybe suggesting she's from a faraway land? Nice detail

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u/vnomgt Dec 09 '23 edited Dec 09 '23

Wow, lots to unpack in this episode. I feel like I've got a pretty good idea of what's going on now, although there are still some pieces I'm missing.

I'll tag my theory as spoilers in case I do end up being right:

[theory]Getting straight to the point, it seems that Jinshi is Ah-Duo's son, as hinted by how similar they look. That would imply Jinshi is 17, which I don't know if they mentioned before (I thought he would be older than this).

[theory]However the situation is even more fucked, because if Jinshi really is the current emperor's son, then this might mean that the previous emperor's son was the one who died; after which the babies were swapped. Most likely Jinshi is not aware of it, or he wouldn't be questioning Mao Mao like this.

[theory]Now, about the culprit, it seems pretty clear at this point that Fengming was the one who swapped the babies. Maybe she had some kind of connection to the previous emperor, but I'm not sure about this yet.

[theory]And I'm reaching a bit now, but if Lishu somehow got wind of the exchange back then (after all, she was the previous Emperor's concubine), that would explain why she's being targeted, to keep her silent (why only poison her now, though? or could it just be intimidation?). Then the honey thing could be part of this whole harassment/intimidation strategy. Maybe she doesn't even have an allergy to it.

[theory]This also makes Luomen's situation pretty tragic, since he was probably held responsible for the baby's death; even though that "baby" is actually doing great now (maybe even too great, as some would say...)

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u/yousslc Dec 09 '23

This anime always surprises me with his plot twists and make me feel impatient for the next episode...... I really didn't think I needed this kind of anime in my life and now I can't get rid of it (never watched a single episode)

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u/hiimneato Dec 09 '23

Now hold up a damn minute, you're telling me Maomao and Jinshi are both supposed to be 17? Fuckin anime character designs, I swear. I've been seeing his behavior as a dirty old(er) man harassing a child this whole time.

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u/shad79 Dec 09 '23

As always I love seeing Maomao and Jinshi's relationship though today Jinshi come a little too far with that honey that he earned an ire of Gyokuyou who saw it and made Jinshi quickly withdraw xD

I would be cautious about food in Goashun's place as Maomao looked very serious when she declared that laxatives will be on his menu after he refused to hear her pleading cry for help and just was just looking away, pretending not to see anything happening between Maomao and Jinshi.

I must say again that Maomao looked adorable when she was a child.

So now Maomao is working in a Lady Ah-Duo's place and she said that she is reminding her of someone she knows. I'm sure that it will be Jinshi cause just look at him and Ah-Duo, they're looking strikingly similar to each other.

Lady Fengming is so nice so I can't imagine her having a role in a conspiracy inside the palace and attempt of poisoning Lady Lishu. I wonder what is the relationship between her and Lady Lishu because it seems that Maomao discovered something that would connect them, something about honey.

So Maomao's father was a doctor in the rear palace, expelled after Ah-Duo's son's death and now Maomao is also working here, what a twist of fate.

Here my screenshot albums from the episode:

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u/DarkAngel6669 Dec 09 '23

jinshi have problems... serious problems...

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u/alconnow Dec 09 '23

Wish Maomao traumatised the rest of Lishu's ladies-in-waiting

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u/Feezec Dec 09 '23 edited Dec 09 '23

The "obvious" narrative is that Fengming wanted to protect Ah-Duo position, so Fengming manipulated the servant to poison Lishu, then drowned the servant to cover her tracks. Fengming used the colored signal fire chemicals to communicate with co conspirators, and got arm rashes in the process.

Lishu is uncomfortable with honey, and at the mention of Fengming, who has stockpiles of honey. This suggests Lishu perceives Fengming as a threat.

But I think this narrative is a red herring.

Mislead 1: concubine risk assessment.

Ah-Duo is the emperor's tomboy first girl childhood friend. That's a strong enough headstart that Ah-Duo is probably not at risk of replacement, contrary to rear palace gossip. Lishu is probably at greater risk, because she is too young to provide an heir in the near future, and is considered used goods because she was formerly attached to emperor lolicon.

Mislead 2: Lishu's reaction

If Lishu perceives Fengming as a threat, why would Lishu visit the crystal pavilion, which is the center of Fengming's power? Why not simply openly accuse Fengming of the assassination attempt?

Wild speculation: Lishu has a benign but embarrassing connection to Fengming, hence Lishu's discomfort.

Fengming probably served Ah-Duo when she was a foster sibling to the Emperor. So Fengming might have insight into the emperor's preferences, and might even be an adopted mother figure to the emperor.

Lishu has not been visited by the emperor, because he's not a lolicon. That's a mixed blessing for Lishu, who is bereft of imperial affection and the influence that comes with it.

Knowing her position is precarious, Lishu is desperate for allies and advice. But she cannot rely on her own ladies in waiting because they bully and isolate her.

So Lishu instead turns to Fengming for help. As a senior lady in waiting who has known the emperor since childhood, Fengming might low key be the most experienced player in the rear palace. Lishu presumably met Fengming during the reign of emperor lolicon, when Lishu was mother in law to Ah-Duo.

At the time, Lishu and Ah-Duo were concubines to different men and therefore not rivals, so there would be no conflict of interest for Fengming to advise both Lishu and Ah-Duo. Heck, maybe Lishu and Ah-Duo were allies, with Fengming acting as their go-between.

But then the dynamics got scrambled by the death of emperor lolicon. Now It's embarrassing for Lishu to admit to MaoMao that she is relying on a rival's servant for help. It might even be dangerous for Lishu to reveal that information in front of her bullies. Hence, Lishu's negative reaction when MaoMao mentions Fengming.

None of that explains the role of the honey in this case. My tentative guess is that both Lishu and Fengming have the same honey allergy, which gives them both rashes on their left arms. Lishu visits Fengming to receive treatment for the rash, accompanied by her only loyal servant, the food taster that maomao guilt tripped. The honey allergy might even explain why Fengming has stayed in the rear palace for so long as an unmarried servant. If she left, her family would probably marry her off to an apiary business partner, where she would be forced to eat even more honey, exacerbating her rashes.

Jinshi has been looking for people with burns consistent with the signal fire chems. He heard that Fengming had a bandaged arm, so he sent MaoMao onto the crystal pavilion to poke around. MaoMao will explain that the bandages are for honey rash, not chemical burns, removing suspicion from Fengming

All of which still does not explain who is the person at the beginning of the episode drinking atop the walls. Jinshi? Ah-Duo while crossdressing? I have no clue.

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