(CR) Kusuriya no Hitorigoto (The Apothecary Diaries)

[Thor's Hammer]

Originally Posted by Frontier

I guess it really just depends on how you view his thinking on "if the child had survived..."

It's more than that. I can name four reasons based only on the anime why people should not conclude that Jinshi knows or suspects that he is Ah-Duo's son.

1. Jinshi believes the Emperor making a new prince would take him out of the running as being next in-line for the throne. This shows clearly and without any room for interpretation that he does not suspect that he is the Emperor's son, as if he did suspect that, not even his delusion/fantasy about Ah-Duo's son surviving would give him any hope of being taken out of the running as being next-in-line for the throne.
2. Maomao literally guessed that Jinshi being swapped at birth was the truth whereas there is no instance of Jinshi talking about that possibility out loud or in his mind.
3. The reason for why Luomen was fired was covered up, and that is the main reason Jinshi's disguise/roleplay as a eunuch works in the first place, as if the reason were public, Jinshi wouldn't feasibly pass for the Emperor's brother, or at least it would be a lot harder since more people would be in the know. Maomao never told Jinshi the reason behind Luomen's firing. And Jinshi trying to find out more about Luomen doesn't mean he uncovered the true reason Luomen was fired since it was covered up.
4. Maomao clearly thought to herself that Ah-Duo reminds her of Jinshi given their looks. Jinshi has not in the anime made such a connection.

So based on these four things, with an emphasis on the first point, it's extremely reasonable to conclude that Jinshi has not connected the dots whatsoever.

[Frontier]

Originally Posted by Thor's Hammer

It's more than that. I can name four reasons based only on the anime why people should not conclude that Jinshi knows or suspects that he is Ah-Duo's son.

1. Jinshi believes the Emperor making a new prince would take him out of the running as being next in-line for the throne. This shows clearly and without any room for interpretation that he does not suspect that he is the Emperor's son, as if he did suspect that, not even his delusion/fantasy about Ah-Duo's son surviving would give him any hope of being taken out of the running as being next-in-line for the throne.
2. Maomao literally guessed that Jinshi being swapped at birth was the truth whereas there is no instance of Jinshi talking about that possibility out loud or in his mind.
3. The reason for why Luomen was fired was covered up, and that is the main reason Jinshi's disguise/roleplay as a eunuch works in the first place, as if the reason were public, Jinshi wouldn't feasibly pass for the Emperor's brother, or at least it would be a lot harder since more people would be in the know. Maomao never told Jinshi the reason behind Luomen's firing. And Jinshi trying to find out more about Luomen doesn't mean he uncovered the true reason Luomen was fired since it was covered up.
4. Maomao clearly thought to herself that Ah-Duo reminds her of Jinshi given their looks. Jinshi has not in the anime made such a connection.

So based on these four things, with an emphasis on the first point, it's extremely reasonable to conclude that Jinshi has not connected the dots whatsoever.

I mean, officially he's the Emperor's brother. If there's a male heir he's officially out of the running and it's only supposition that he might be the Emperor's true firstborn so it's not like he needs to be concerned about it on that front. Unless someone figured it out and that was the main reason they tried to kill him.

We don't see him directly think it in his head but we see some evidence of his attachment to Ah-Duo that makes more sense if he felt she was his mother. Which is also possibly because of their obvious physical resemblance even if Jinshi himself has not vocalized it like Maomao has (he's also had far more years to deal with this than Maomao has).

There's no hard evidence but that doesn't mean Jinshi hasn't put two and two together in his head even if he doesn't say it out loud or in his head. The way he's talked about Maomao's father in abstract gives me the impression he was more aware than he lets on.

[Cloudedmind]

Originally Posted by Frontier

I mean, officially he's the Emperor's brother. If there's a male heir he's officially out of the running and it's only supposition that he might be the Emperor's true firstborn so it's not like he needs to be concerned about it on that front. Unless someone figured it out and that was the main reason they tried to kill him.

We don't see him directly think it in his head but we see some evidence of his attachment to Ah-Duo that makes more sense if he felt she was his mother. Which is also possibly because of their obvious physical resemblance even if Jinshi himself has not vocalized it like Maomao has (he's also had far more years to deal with this than Maomao has).

There's no hard evidence but that doesn't mean Jinshi hasn't put two and two together in his head even if he doesn't say it out loud or in his head. The way he's talked about Maomao's father in abstract gives me the impression he was more aware than he lets on.

You don't need to think you're physically related to someone to be very attached to them. Lishu knows Ah-Duo isn't her mom, but became very attached to her as a mother figure as well. Found families are a thing.

[Tenzen12]

You don't have to but it helps. Also There is difference between young lonely girl and adult, highly inteligent man.

[Cloudedmind]

Originally Posted by Tenzen12

You don't have to but it helps. Also There is difference between young lonely girl and adult, highly inteligent man.

You mean a 19 year old who would have known this woman all his life.

[Tenzen12]

Would he? Jinshi clearly didn't grow in imperial harem, otherwise he wouldn't be able work here now as Eunuch. Empress Dowager also most likely no longer lives in palace after her husband death (Lishu left it after her first husband died and it might be same for other concubines).

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by Tenzen12

Would he? Jinshi clearly didn't grow in imperial harem, otherwise he wouldn't be able work here now as Eunuch. Empress Dowager also most likely no longer lives in palace after her husband death (Lishu left it after her first husband died and it might be same for other concubines).

Ah-Duo wasn't in the Imperial Harem until her husband (I don't know what the term is when she was only his consort) became emperor. Assuming the emperor practically raised Jinshi, Ah-Duo may have been something very much like a mother to him.

[Tenzen12]

I can't deny it's possible, but I find these assumptions themselves very unlikely unlikely.

[Huh...?]

Originally Posted by Tenzen12

Would he? Jinshi clearly didn't grow in imperial harem, otherwise he wouldn't be able work here now as Eunuch. Empress Dowager also most likely no longer lives in palace after her husband death (Lishu left it after her first husband died and it might be same for other concubines).

Until the Previous Emperor was alive, the Imperial Harem was his.
After his death (5 years ago from start of story), all the former Concubine were let go (based on the fact that Lishu left the Rear Palace). While it seems excessive, I think the primary reason they were let go because none of them had bared a child for the Previous Emperor (only the Empress Dowager had given birth to 2 children), so the Concubines of Previous Emperor technically had no connection left to stay behind.
And considering that the Current Emperor only had 1 Concubine (i.e., Ah-Duo) until he took the Throne, means that every member on the current Imperial Harem is a new member and except Ah-Duo no one should have known about Jinshi's real identity (it's possible that Lishu might have known, but she was a kid then at under the age of 9, doubt she would remember seeing Jinshi).

[Frontier]

Originally Posted by Cloudedmind

You don't need to think you're physically related to someone to be very attached to them. Lishu knows Ah-Duo isn't her mom, but became very attached to her as a mother figure as well. Found families are a thing.

I guess it really just depends on how much Jinshi and Ah-Duo were able to interact, I got the sense part of the reason Lishu was important to Ah-Duo was because their relationship let Ah-Duo act as a mother because she was denied that both by the dead child she claimed was hers and because she was unable to be there for Jinshi as a mother.

[Nachtwandler]

There is one thing Jinshi does know but MaoMao does not that makes this situation less clear for him. But it will only be shown later.

[Frontier]

Lihaku has Pairin on the brain! But can you blame him ?

Oh hey, it's the quack! And Maomao is still basically running things now that she's back, all the moreso that the quack doesn't get a pay cut like that doctor Suirei manipulated did .

But even a goofy character like the quack has his own story, hailing from a family that's the purveyor of the imperial palace, but one decision from the former emperor's mother negatively impacted his families' finances to the point where his older sister had to sell herself to the rear palace and the quack became an eunuch to make money and protect his youngest sister. The worst part is he never got to see his oldest sister again .

But at least Maomao was able to do his family a solid and help them find a better way to strengthen their paper and keep them in business, even if it took a second for him to get a clue, like always .

Lihaku wants to win over Pairin and not lose her to any rivals, and his best shot at that is to get Maomao's advice! Sure she'd rather hunt for info of Suirei, but she'll humor him .

Pairin is an absolute beast in the sheets (and it seems like she loves the cute ones as much as the big, manly, ones) but she's also quite motherly, and while all the princesses and grams helped raise her, Pairin is the most like a mother to her. She even breastfed baby Maomao! So that means she knows her well and knows exactly what will make her happy .

And the best way to be her type is having a body to die for, and so Maomao strips Lihaku down to his undies so she can get a peek at the goods...and of course Jinshi arrives just when she's about to see his dick .

Maomao's just killing Jinshi with all this phrasing around Lihaku! She doesn't even realize he's jealous of her giving Lihaku attention and not that Lihaku is hotter (I mean, we've seen Jinshi shirtless, he's got mad abs too). He'd strip to show off for her if it didn't give him away and would be completely inappropriate...but at least she finally gave him the truth by the end .

Look at Jinshi offering up money so Lihaku could buy Pairin! All the better to ward him off Maomoa, I bet! But Lihaku is a real man, a man who cherishes and adores Pairin, and doesn't want to buy her with another mans' money. You have to respect that. Just like Jinshi respects that he doesn't have to worry about Lihaku around Maomao now that he knows how devoted he is to Pairin .

So Lihaku is putting himself to work, working out and going through every effort to make it up the ranks, and he'll dedicate himself to Pairin. For Pairin's part? All she wants is a prince to come in and "rescue" her, and hopefully some day that prince will be Lihaku .

But this rumor about someone getting bought out wasn't about Pairin...it seems like Lakan is still up to his old tricks .

[Xiyon]

Didn't really think much of Lihaku beyond the occasional comic relief, and it was pretty clear he would reject Jinshi's offer from the getgo.

That said, everything he did afterwards was stellar. And it seems like Pairin does reciprocate!

[Kanon]

So I guess this pretty much confirms Maomao's memories go as far back as being a baby. She remembered her mother trying to kill her and now Pairin breastfeeding her.

I think Lihaku is a good character, but an entire episode about him was too much for my liking. I just want them to reveal what Lakan's deal is already. They've been teasing us for so long.

[Nachtwandler]

Nothing in this story is made just for filler. But I cannot say more without spoilers.

[grecefar]

Well I do hope for lihaku to succeed and buy pairin.

This chapter was funny because maomao is the typical male character in the romcons that is always in the misunderstandings but instead of being embarrassed, she just fuel the fire and make it more funny.

[Huh...?]

Originally Posted by Kanon

I think Lihaku is a good character, but an entire episode about him was too much for my liking.

Everything done in this series is for a reason, which doesn't immediately get explained.

[Thor's Hammer]

The episode clearly wasn't entirely about Lihaku if you were paying attention. At the end, it was implied that Maomao concluded that a servant girl got the wrong idea when hearing about an offer to buy a courtesan and that Lakan was trying to buy out Maomao's mom.

[ryllharu]

Originally Posted by Kanon

I think Lihaku is a good character, but an entire episode about him was too much for my liking. I just want them to reveal what Lakan's deal is already. They've been teasing us for so long.

It's a bit of an establishing episode under the pretext of showing the audience Lihaku's character. We know he's trustworthy and honorable now, without ambiguity.

We're seeing that after the previous incidents all coming together, Jinshi is testing to see if people orbiting Maomao are actually trustworthy, while also doing his actual job as a bonus for snooping around. If Lihaku took the loan, he probably would have been expelled from imperial service on the spot. Having someone buy your wife for you puts you in debt to them, and someone who would do so is a liability to the Courts.

What Maomao kept to herself is that Lihaku didn't even need the amount of money to begin with. Pairin can probably buy out herself at any time. Same with the other two princesses. They seem to make a lot more money than any other courtesan in the entire district by a wide margin, and the old hag treats them like family more than her other charges. Pairin is just waiting for someone who can satisfy her needs and also fulfill her fantasy of being carried out like a princess. She'll waive the rest of the fee or convince the old hag to take it by whining and crying.

And Maomao is also helping out the people she likes in the inner palace. There's been a lot of turnover lately, and new faces are a threat. Keeping the otherwise worthless quack's family providing most of the paper to the court means a family or group less trustworthy won't have an opportunity to slip in. Plus, he lets her do whatever she wants in the inner court's apothecary office.

[Decel]

Originally Posted by Kanon

So I guess this pretty much confirms Maomao's memories go as far back as being a baby. She remembered her mother trying to kill her and now Pairin breastfeeding her.

Is it her memories though? I'd wager that it's possibly what she has been told.

Pairin being motherly would definitely go beyond the breastfeeding period. We don't know (or I missed the info) at what age Loumen took Maomao in.