Once more an Enzo-ism is proved out by The Apothecary Diaries. This series really is so much better when it’s about stuff that actually matters. And sure, a lot of seemingly random stuff winds up mattering later on. But even when it’s pretending to be a slice of life Kusuriya no Hitorigoto can quickly get self-indulgent and even boring. By that standard the last three episodes should be one of the best runs of the series, as they’ve been all meat and potatoes and not fetishizing the garnish, And lo and behold, that’s exactly how it’s played out.
Wheels are in motion, worlds are colliding. Choose your metaphor, but at long last this ever-expanding universe is starting to contract and we’re getting a few answers, not just more questions. A lot of things that were starting to look like connections are indeed just that. Gyoukuyou going into labor would be event enough given her situation (though Loumen says Maomao’s treatment seems to have corrected the baby’s breech positioning). But Maomao has been missing for ten days and Jinshi is starting to get seriously frayed at the edges over it.
With no leads, that’s especially true. But he catches a break with a report that the mysterious missing eunuch, known as Tian and seemingly unconnected to those brought in with “him”, was seen praying in a graveyard at the north side of the Rear Palace grounds. That’s where the former Emperor’s victims were quietly buried, not allowed to leave the palace even in death. Investigating, they happen upon Shenlu praying at the grave of someone named “Taihou”. Jinshi recognises her from the clinic, and the old woman is visibly panicked at being caught here. And even more so when Jinshi confronts her in up close and personal terms about his missing apothecary.
Shenlu has good reason to freak out, given that she was seemingly one of the former Emperor’s victims herself and Jinshi is the spitting image. Not many remember what he looked like as a young man, but she does. She even asks Jinshi why he’s pretending to be a eunuch, a disturbing enough question in public. But the worst part for Jinshi is that he’s been pretending too – pretending that the rumors that he was illegitimate and not that bastard’s son were true. His whole current life – which he begged his older brother the Emperor to let him lead – is part of that self-deception. But Shenlu’s words make it impossible for him to perpetuate it.
As for Shenlu, she’s so freaked out by the experience that she tries to kill herself with poison – that, and she’d die before revealing further secrets. She lives but barely, leaving Jinshi to hunt for answers. Taihou was known to him, and her connections were to Concubine Loulan. So he goes to the Garnet Pavillion to try and discover the truth behind all this, only to find Loulan missing and one of her ladies-in-waiting impersonating her. Here Jinshi once more reveals himself to be extremely smart is his own right, and observant too. The weird “same-face” effect of Loulan’s servants – accentuated by makeup – was no coincidence. And he was suspicious enough to remember the details that were harder to mask (like moles).
Shishui being Loulan I’ve suspected for a while, so that confirmation is not a huge needle-mover. But this is still a game-changing development. Jinshi is right – taking a powerful man’s daughter as a concubine is a leverage play, because they effectively become a hostage. By escaping the Rear Palace Loulan has turned both herself and Shishou into criminals, and likely ticketed for execution for offenses against the Emperor if apprehended. As such this is a rebellion, no more and no less. And seemingly one that’s been in the works for some time.
Not satisfied to rest on those laurels, this blockbuster ep has one more wild card to play – Lahan (Toyanaga Toshiyuki). With that name he can only be Lakan’s son – adopted, despite their distinct resemblance. Lakan – who wigged out hard after his sources told him his daughter was missing – has Lahan working on some strange numbers from the national treasury. Someone is skimming off inflated grain prices, and using that largesse to buy tons of metals (driving up their prices). Not many would have the wealth and opportunity to do that – I certainly have a suspect. And it would be to Lakan’s advantage to share this info with Jinshi, even if he didn’t have a fat repair bill to have forgiven in exchange for it. They both very badly want the same thing – Maomao to return safe and sound.
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