It's your classic opening to a case...a rowdy drinker making a spectacle of himself around others, someone slips something into his drink, and then...bam! You've got a mystery :eyespin:.

Jinshi is still in a bit of a funk over Maomao to the point where he can't really play "Jinshi" any more, but at least Gyokuyo finally explained everything. She'd enjoyed his suffering enough as is :innocent:.

I love how Gyokuyo and Jinshi are properly mourning Kounen with the solemnity of his station and history....while Maomao is like "welp, some complete rando who I've never met just died" :heh:.

I see Maomao loves her booze as much as she loves her poison :p.

Kounen had his own story. He lost his entire family and threw himself into work and drink, to the point where he lost his sense of taste, which is why he wasn't able to taste the salt in his drink or notice it until he'd drank too much. And it killed him. And Maomao wasn't looking to put anyone's head on the chopping block, but she gave Jinshi all the clues he needed to figure it out. It was a sad case all around :(.

And also a personal one for Jinshi, as he knew Kounen since childhood. Maomao is definitely seeing the more human Jinshi as they get to know each other better. Though he still knows how to get her good when it comes to offering up some booze and getting up-close-and-personal. Also threatening to make the legal drinking limit 20? What kind of crazy idea is that!? What are, we modern society ;)?

Dang, the dust barely settles on the first case and now we've got a drowning woman. And the quack doctor is the only one who can investigate it because Maomao can't touch corpses lest she go all Maomao on any body that's gone cold :p.

Was it a suicide or murder? There definitely seems to be more to this death...but I guess what matters most is a life was lost, and Maomao knows more than anyone how precious yet fleeting life can be, and you don't always have a choice in the matter when you lose your own. And Maomao has been surrounded by death, whether it be in the pleasure quarter or her experience in the palace with so many people dying or nearly dying :uhoh:.

What more can she ask for than that Jinshi let her die via her one true love, poison? Not that Jinshi wants to kill Maomao, far from it, but the choice may not be up to him if she ever gets in trouble. Kind of a somber note to end things between them on :upset:.

Oh, we're back to the hidden messages? And it's connected to the head lady-in-waiting for Ah-Duo? Looks like we're focusing on the last member of the top four concubines :eek:!

two cases in one chapter and I don't want to believe maomao discussing her execution is foreshadow.

it looks like there is an arc incoming, looking foward to it.

I'm confused about the first case. What was the motive? Was he accidentally harassed to death like Maomao speculated, or did the culprit(s) intend to kill him? It felt like the resolution wasn't really one.

Second case made Maomao contemplate her own mortality and how the slightest mistake could cost her her life. She isn't wrong, but I think she underestimates her value. She's accomplished great deeds already by saving two of the big four concubines' lives, the big wigs would probably be more lenient with her than most.

It seemed like one way or another people were trying to get at him for his serious work ethic.

I think she also doesn't really see how much Jinshi values her as more than just something that amuses him now.

Based on the dialogue on the second part of the episode, I believe that the reason Kounen was tricked-turned-poisoned was because of the exact dilemma Maomao had.

"What if you did you worked so well that someone took it personally?"

In Maomao's case, it's fairly obvious that her acumen over poisons makes her a threat to those who want to dispose of others AND to those who think that her knowledge is too dangerous for one person to carry. She already knows that there will come a time where her status as commoner won't save her despite her connections. Jinshi had to be reminded of that.

It reminds me. That royal court physician, looked down by Maomao as incompetent, is actually smart and diplomatic. Although all deaths are not his fault, he somehow survived all retaliation and punishment imposed by king's whim.

Mighty convenient that the servant that committed "suicide" confessed to trying to poison Lishu. Especially when Consort Ah-Duo, someone who has been attached to the Emperor before he even was the Emperor and bore him a boy that died, is on her way out of the palace. I definitely smell a mystery :cool:.

It's tough to be a concubine, you're prioritized for your beauty and ability to bear children but that can only get you so far, and even with your fellow concubines it can be hard to deal with each other or have an honest relationship. It all ultimately comes down to politics, which Gyokuyou, with her wit and cleverness, uses to get information for her family back home :uhoh:.

Well, Lishu's taste-tester still has the fear of Maomao, which is good, though her other ladies-in-waiting haven't improved at all and still look down on Lishu for trying to avoid stuff she can't eat/drink...but luckily Maomao is there to smooth things over :).

I guess this wouldn't be a palace episode of Apothecary Diaries without Jinshi forcing Maomao to investigate something and get involved with a concubine :heh:.

Oh hey, Noriko Hidaka as Fengming and Yuko Kaida as Ah-Duo! Some top-tier female seiyuu legends in the cast! Now if we could just have Ah-Duo and Gyokuyou talk we'd have a reunion between Frieren and Flamee :D!

Ah-Duo is the overtly feminine beauties like Lihua or Gyokuyo, having a more androgynous and handsome look, while still being absolutely gorgeous. Though if you put her in male clothing she looks almost exactly like...and she has the same effect on women that...huh, could she be :eyebrow:...?

Fengmin is very dedicated and loyal and runs a tighter and more put together ship than, say, Lihua's entourage, though would that loyalty to Ah-Duo that's kept her by Ah-Duo's side all this time be enough motive for murder? Especially to bump off an unnecessary Concubine like some might see Lishu as :eek:?

Dang Jinshi, no need to force honey down a poor girls' mouth! It's to bad Gaoshun is no help and Maomao doesn't think there's anything in his nether regions she can kick! Though who would have expected Jinshi's unwarranted advances would help Maoamao put this case togehter :innocent:.

Gyokuyou with the save! And Jinshi immediately scrambles when she shows up. And Gaoshun isn't getting out of this either :innocent:.

Huh, so the Empero and Ah-Duo were childhood companions, and the doctor that helped deliver their baby was...Maomao's dad!? He worked at the palace as an eunuch doctor!? Well, this case got personal quick :twitch:.

Bomb drop at the end of this episode. Now we know why she calls her father "oyaji".

That's got complex quickly, but... 2 kids got born around same time and one died. That's classic switch babies set-up...

...which would mean that current emperor brother is actually his son instead AND Ah Duo is earily similiar to Jinshi, who also seem to get honey from her place and whose identity is awfully suspicious in general.

If it was all the case MaoMao dad would definitelly notice switcheroo, he is at least as smart or smarter then her, but he still decided not say anything and take fall for some reason?

Darn there is lot of questions...

Her "dad" was exiled because he was unable to save the baby technically, if he noticed the switch or not is another thing.

Well, he wouldn't be exiled if child survived and if this assumption is right this child is alive and kicking even now two decades later.

I feel kind of silly not noticing that ah-duo and jinshi look a like, it was when maomao mentioned it that my head went boom.

not only that, her father was involved. Now I want to know why fengming wanted to poison linshu.

One child still died. One was current emperrors younger brother, another was his first-born son. Either is important enough to punish someone.

Flamme is voiced by Atsuko Tanaka, not Yuko Kaida.

Same here, I only realized how much they look alike when Maomao mentioned it. Now I can't unsee it. The anime having color kinda spoiled us, it's obvious those two are mother and child. This also means Jinshi is the same age as Maomao.

We also got confirmation that Maomao's father isn't her biological father.

Yes, but it wouldn't be necessarily same person.

Jinshi is older than her, but not for much.

Dang it, I always get those two confused :eyespin:.
Looking at her in male clothing they're near identical.

Did I miss some explanation as to why Gaoshun calls Maomao Xiaomao, and he did so twice? It only started this episode no?

Yeah this episode was a real info bomb!

I also think Jinshi is Ah Duo and the current emperor's son and the emperor's younger brother is the one that died. Since Jinshi was born when the Emperor was just a prince, he isn't a rightful son? That in effect he is out of the succession line? Or maybe he is, and is in training? I kind of doubt that second take.

I'm assuming Jinshi is aware of the whole situation, but then again I'm not sure? :confused:

This also explains why Jinshi had Gaoshun, a high-ranking officer, as a guardian since birth... I'm also assuming Ah Duo's knows all this? As to her ousting, is the trigger of her near departure because she's almost at an age where she can't bear a child anymore?

How much does Gyokuyou know (she seems rather aware)? Do all the main concubines know, or not? :confused:

Finally, Maomao's father being merely exiled means that he was still beloved by the royal family? Else I don't see why he wouldn't have been executed...

So many info, yet so many questions. :eyespin:

Oh and after the tea party the girls kicked Maomao out, I assume it was because they were in on Jinshi's desire to talk to her?

Edit: Oh, is Fengmin the source of Liushu's bullying? Being the eldest lady, her clout could reach outside of her pavilion... :eyebrow:

Edit 2: All these questions relating to the plot are just to communicate my reasoning. No spoilers please! Non-spoilery musing and theory-crafting are welcome however.

"Xiaomao" means "Little Mao".
That's how adults call kids in China. Basically the Chinese equivalence of "Mao-chan".

Thanks for the clarification! Happy it was a benign reason and not some name retcon.