#gyokuyou x maomao

[anime-ships-all-good]

Lady Gyokuyou x Maomao

The Apothecary Diaries

[friedwizardwhispers]

Gyokuyou when some Jinshi x Maomao drama is happening (always):

[yup-thats-me]

—hairpins • Jinshi

pairing: Jinshi x female servant! reader

summary: Jinshi is jealous

warning: none

“Please, accept this small token of love, Y/n,” a higher-up military officer smiled at the girl as he presented a handcrafted wooden hairpin.

Not to be rude, Y/n accepted the gift with a smiling face, not knowing the true meaning of the gift. Maybe it is a consolation prize for everyone, she thought to herself.

Walking back to Lady Gyokuyou and her ladies-in-waiting, she smiled at them. Jinshi was also there, chatting with the concubine with his ever-present smile, but his eyes seemed to be searching for someone.

“Greetings, Jinshi-sama,” Y/n called out to him.

When their eyes met, Jinshi was awestruck. Maybe he was too accustomed to seeing the girl in her usual working attire that he had never imagined her to look so breathtaking in the official clothing of a lady-in-waiting for a concubine. If he was frank, she had the beauty befitting a queen. His queen.

“Y/n…”, he whispered, stepping closer to the girl. “You look…gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous.” He had said when he placed a kiss on the back of her hand.

A deep crimson flushed across Y/n’s cheek, taking her hand away from the man. “Thank you, Jinshi-sama.” Excited squeals could be heard from the coworkers. Even Lady Gyokuyuo had giggled.

“Oh! I have something to give you, Y/n,” Jinshi declared taking out a beautifully handcrafted silver hairpin.  “I got it customized for you. Do you like it?”

Y/n’s eyes had widened including the people around her. “Jinshi-sama, you are too kind. You should not do such things for a mere servant like me.”

Jinshi gently placed a hand on Y/n’s chin, lifting her to meet his gaze. “Whoever said you are a mere servant, Y/n? you know how much you mean to me,” He whispered taking the pin and gently putting it in her bun.

“Meet me at midnight, darling.”

Even if the last part was whispered too close to Y/n’s ear, the people around the two could guess, if not tell, what was told.

“I should take my leave then, Lady Gyokuyuo,” Jinshi bowed giving a smile to the ladies in the back, and walked away, his robes flowing behind him.

As soon as he left, the ladies all surrounded Y/n asking her all sorts of questions, Some appropriate, some not so. The poor girl could only blush and nod until Lady Gyokuyou dispersed the small crowd.

“You have already broken our promise, Y/n. You are not mine alone,” she smiled patting the girl’s head.

The poor girl could hardly wait till nightfall. All the things that could happen when she’d be alone with the head Eunuch of the Rear Palace filled her heart with excitement and adoration.

The two grew closer when when Y/n was appointed as the new apothecary and taster for Lady Gyokuyuo. At first, Y/n had been wary of Jinshi. Avoiding him around the Jade Pavilion, turning down his flirtatious approaches. But maybe it was all decided up in heaven that the two would fall for each other. None of the two could tell when it happened, and before the knew it, they were head over heels for the other.

The two would be seen together more frequently than Gaoshun would like but it wouldn’t be entirely inncorrect to say that he was indeed happy to his master finally smiling. He had seen many women break the young master’s heart, or even just use him. Jinshi had forgotten how to smile. He did but it was all a façade. But when he fell for Y/n, it was all changed. Jinshi would smile and giggle to himself much like a teenage girl in love, She has made him feel again.

When the time came, a soft knock was heard on the girl’s door. Y/n almost tripped and fell to open the door if it was not for Jinshi who held her in his arms. “Be careful, Y/n. I wouldn’t want my darling to fall.”

Blushing, Y/n stepped back. “Excuse me. Shall we go?” she smiled to which Jinshi held out his hand for her.

The two walked around the empty gardens of the Rear Palace. It was truly beautiful to walk under the moonlit sky with your lover. The two barely talked, not wanting to disrupt the peace, their presence next to the other was worth more than mortal speech could describe.

They decided to sit atop the wall that surrounded the Palace, Y/n sitting before Jinshi, his arms holding her close. “You’re so warm, Y/n,” Jinshi snuggled closer to her making Y/n smile.

“Oh you know, Jinshi-sama. I was given a consolation prize by a nice Officer today,” Y/n spoke, playing with her lover’s hair.

“Consolation prize?”

“Yes. This gentleman gave me a beautifully handcrafted wooden hairpin. It truly is pretty.”

Although it was too subtle, but Jinshi’s hold against Y/N’s waist grew a bit tighter. “Yeah? And does my darling like it better than mine?” His voice was a bit more stern.

Y/n was quick to notice the change and giggled. “Are you jealous, Jinshi-sama?”

Even if he was facing her back, Y/n could tell that Jinshi was blushing. “And what if I am? Do you expect me to be okay with someone else trying to take what belongs to me? I’ve actually grown tired of men always pursuing you, Y/n. You being pretty as you are is a curse and a blessing, really.”

Y/n giggled at Jinshi complaining like a kid. To her, this Jinshi was his trueself. A big child.

“Once they know that I am with Jinshi-sama, they would stop approaching me. I think you should stop worrying about them, .” She smiled, pecking his lips.

Jinshi sighed deeply. “There is nothing more I want than announcing my marriage with you, my love. If only...”

And those unsaid words would come true sooner than they would know. It would only be a month’s wait till Jinshi could call Y/n “My Wife”, and Y/n could call him “My Husband,” in front of everyone.

It was all a game of patience. A game they were bound to win.  

[cjrae]

Rank And Responsibility. Or: The Hairpin Scene from Jinshi's POV.

Be warned now about the consequences of choosing to do an English Lit degree - you end up doing lit crit for fun. With that in mind, let's break down the hairpin scene at the end of Covert Operations (Episode 5). Mild spoilers for Jinshi's arc are below.

While this moment does kick off the romantic subplot, with all the implications that giving Maomao the hairpin out of his own hair has, I would argue that this is not the moment Jinshi realizes he's in love with Maomao. Instead, from his point of view, this scene demonstrates how Jinshi handles failure.

Holding Power In An Open Palm

This is still very early in the story. Our first hint to Jinshi's true rank does come in this scene, but for now we know him as the manager of the Rear Palace. For the three thousand people who live and work there, for all intents and purposes, Jinshi is the highest authority they will encounter. He literally has the power of life and death over them, either directly in the case of the servants and eunuchs, or in the case of the consorts, his word to the Emperor directly can serve the same purpose. We also see Jinshi use this power early on - he's not just there to keep order, but also to test the consorts' loyalties and virtue. We never see what happens to the lower-ranked consort who attempted to invite Jinshi back to her room, but at the very least that report ensures that her already small chance of the Emperor choosing her as a potential mother of the nation is utterly cut off - and if she doesn't bear children, she will be discarded.

We also know that Jinshi will not hesitate to order corporal punishment if he views it necessary - for example, when Maomao discovers that the toxic face powder is still being used by Consort Lihua's ladies in waiting, she mentions in the aftermath that the eunuch who failed to recover the powder was flogged, while the lady in waiting who hid the powder is put in solitary confinement. These are brutal punishments - and if we consider the historical inspirations, these are also very restrained consequences. For hiding an item that caused the death of the prince (unfortunately, the more valuable child) and has put the life of one of the Emperor's favored High Consorts in danger, Jinshi would be utterly within his rights to order executions. If ignorance is a sin, ignorance in the face of knowledge is a greater one.

Microcosm of Li

For all that Jinshi holds his power lightly, he also takes the responsibility that power bestows upon him quite seriously. It's worth noting that Jinshi takes over governing the Rear Palace shortly after Maomao's service contract is purchased. (Remember, Xiaolan talks about the "beautiful, new eunuch that's been posted to the central courtyard," which tells us that Jinshi has not been in the Rear Palace long enough to become a fixture - he's an object of speculation and admiration from episode 1).

In context it's clear that, with the birth of two Imperial children, his job is to ensure the survival of the Imperial line and investigate why children of the Emperor are dying consistently in one of the wealthiest and safest places in the entire empire. We're shown him running in between Lady Lihua and Lady Gyokuyou to ensure that their very sick children are being seen to properly, investigating what could be causing it, while also managing tensions as rumors about the Emperor's children being cursed begin to spread and outright accusations of sorcery are being thrown between consorts. While the audience might immediately scoff along with Maomao at the idea of one consort cursing another, if Maomao hadn't found the cause of death, those types of accusations followed by Lady Lihua's and Princess Lingli's inevitable deaths could have ended with Lady Gyokuyou's execution.

The Rear Palace is a reflection of the nation as a whole. No Imperial heirs plus the deaths of two High Consorts with various foreign and domestic political ties had the potential to thrust the entire nation into chaos. Jinshi's choices have very real consequences, so when Maomao discovers what the true cause of death is and sends her warning, Jinshi looks at Maomao and doesn't see a person. He sees a "perfect pawn." A tool, one with talents that have ensured that at least one Imperial child has survived and providing a rational explanation why these children have died so that it can be prevented from happening again - and a skill set that can be turned to preventing any more shenanigans in the Rear Palace that could threaten the empire's foundation.

And, as Gaoshun points out, in the beginning of the hairpin scene, she is a toy. Maomao amuses Jinshi up until this point.

For all that Jinshi is shown wielding power with a light hand and a responsible mindset, it literally doesn't occur to him that the people working in the rear palace have stories - some tragic - about how they came to be there. They are resources to be used as befits the Emperor's (and therefore the nation's) need.

Hidden Beauty

When Maomao turns around and Jinshi doesn't recognize her until she speaks, he's shocked. He thought he knew exactly who and what this girl was - ugly and unremarkable, except for her intellectual brilliance and the challenge in managing her by other means than empty compliments and smiles. He attempts to recover and assumes that she is enhancing her looks - and is shocked again when he realizes that the face Maomao has presented to him so far is a protective mask against attracting attention. In a world where beauty is both a currency and a tool that others covet, Jinshi doesn't understand why Maomao would deliberately devalue herself like that. So she tells him.

This is the moment Maomao becomes a person to Jinshi.

Not a toy, not a pawn. Someone who has been ripped from her home and her life illegally and sold off. It's in this moment that Jinshi is forced to confront the ugly side of the society he lives in, people who would rape Maomao out of pure convenience or just take a "borderline marketable" girl off the street in order to get extra drinking money.

Worse, Jinshi is complicit in Maomao's captivity. The Rear Palace has bought her contract - and as the manager of the Rear Palace, Jinshi is responsible for everything that happens within its' walls. The fact that Jinshi does not personally oversee service contracts is irrelevant. The buck stops with him. If the Matron of the Serving Women or whoever is below her is buying these contracts without checking their sources, that is Jinshi's fault because he has allowed a lax enough system to flourish. He has failed to govern this microcosm of the nation wisely, with thought for the welfare of the least powerful among his people. Worse, he has failed to even notice the problem - Maomao may say she's angry about having been kidnapped and sold, but she doesn't react in a way that indicates anger. Instead, she's resigned. Yes, what happened to her was wrong and she's angry about it, but there's literally nothing she or Jinshi can do.

Or Is There?

Jinshi offers Maomao two apologies, the first of which is our first hint to his true status. "I'm sorry we couldn't police them better." Maomao immediately blows off this apology - she points out that there's no way Jinshi should have known and has a very "all's well that ends well" attitude about her situation - her contract will be up eventually and in the meantime she's managed to land in a fulfilling role. Essentially Maomao is telling Jinshi that this apology is not his to make - he's overstepping his responsibility. And, if Jinshi were simply the manager of the Rear Palace, she would be right. It's his job to ensure that the Rear Palace is properly staffed, not to regulate that all contracts comply with the law.

Jinshi apologizes again. This time, he offers no other context. He doesn't accept Maomao's absolution of responsibility - because he knows (even if we, the audience, don't) otherwise. It can certainly be read as Jinshi refusing to accept easy absolution, and the rest of those witnessing the scene, apart from Gaoshun, certainly take it that way.

Instead, he takes the hair stick from his own hair and places it in Maomao's. Their entire relationship has just been upended; Maomao is a person who has been gravely wronged and it is Jinshi's responsibility to begin to make it right. Aside from the personal implications of giving her the hairpin (and the faint blush on his face makes it clear that he's aware of them), it is a form of restitution. There is an unspoken social contract Jinshi is offering that Maomao does not understand in the slightest. It never occurs to her that Jinshi would do something for her with no thought of what he would receive in return, because of the difference in their social ranks. But, from Jinshi's perspective, that social difference is the point. He has failed her and, as the person of higher rank, it is his responsibility to do what is within his power to begin to remedy the situation in front of him.

And, of course, in that moment he sees Maomao in a new light, the other meaning of gifting her his hairpin has fertile ground to take root in Jinshi's mind.

[mewsmagic]

MaoMao demiromantic for the ABPride collab on twitter!!!! She's an icon!

[sayammm]

Gyokuyou: Maomao took off with someone..

we stan an oscar-worthy trolling

[lastofthe20thcenturygirls]

[poemsforay]

✮ LIKE/REBLOG

[myapothecarydiary]

Thoughts from reading The Apothecary Diaries Manga Ch. 2

Starting off kind of where I ended in ch. 1–with how Jinshi and Maomao overlap in their deduction/style of thinking. The first two panels with Jinshi and the pov on Maomao + the insider information on Gyokuyou work to establish that we're following his perspective, but I think their inner monologues sort of run into and resemble each other.

The similarities in the visuals between these two pages and the information they are conveying, from Jinshi and Maomao's perspectives respectively, solidifies this for me. It's interesting to see the blend of subjective and objective and who we learn certain information about the characters and the world from.

Insight into Jinshi's initial thoughts on Maomao. He views her as a useful pawn and someone he has power over. I also think it's funny how to him she has the defining characteristics of being "freckle-faced" with "poison expertise." He does note her looks as she notes his, but it seems her value comes more from her knowledge and abilities.

And though we later see Jinshi expressing annoyance at using his looks, he appears almost excited at the prospect of using them on Maomao. Maomao's knowledge + Jinshi's looks are also lumped together here as tools and we see he is self-aware about his beauty.

How much is Jinshi planning on using Maomao for work purposes vs his own amusement? It also amuses me that Maomao always comments about him having too much time on his hands but here we see him doing his job and the thought he puts into it.

Here we've got more of both Jinshi's enjoyment of using (or attempting to use) his looks on Maomao + Maomao's "Jinshi has too much free time"

Also more of Maomao as a pawn, something she and others are aware of as well. The different reactions from different characters to the idea of Maomao as a pawn is interesting as well–pity, enjoyment/excitement/satisfaction, resigned acceptance...

Something something poison as a metaphor and Maomao as a metaphor for poison?

Jinshi is smarter than he looks/knows more than he lets on? He is testing her (and her patience lol) Also just look at him/the chibi style

You know what they say about assumptions and conjecture...you can't totally blame them for coming to this conclusion. I just thought it was a cool (and funny) little moment showing others doing as Maomao does, albeit less successfully. There is something to be said for how characters perceive each other.

And though Maomao is all about the social hierarchy and knowing her place (and acting accordingly...well, debatably sometimes), she does not seem to really give a shit what others think about her. One might even call her an eccentric.

And though Maomao aims to respect the hierarchy and act accordingly, she just can't help letting her true feelings slip when dealing with Jinshi's antics (or the antics of his fake persona?). It's like she's being respectful and disrespectful at the same time or really skirting the line.

A small moment that indicates the seriousness of how Jinshi's looks impact how others treat him.

Okay, was his goal to actually have Maomao eat them? Or was it just another test of her knowledge? Both? I also just love the dynamic here with how Gyokuyou is so amused by Jinshi and Maomao's relationship (and specifically Jinshi's behavior regarding Maomao)

Maomao tries to exit stage left as soon as possible where Jinshi is involved. At least for now.

It seems potentially noteworthy that Maomao's first request from Jinshi involves an aphrodisiac (and specifically making one). And that aphrodisiacs are lumped in with medicine + how this volume ends with the discussion of love as medicine (and here we get the phrase "love potion"). There's a sort of overarching theme here. It's also an interesting place to start considering how aphrodisiacs are less grounded than topics later explored in the story.

Also of course Maomao can't imagine Jinshi needing a love potion, yet later you could say he's in need of one to gain the affections of the only girl he cares for XD

End of chapter 2!

[cymraegdragon21]

Blunder of the Century! 😂

[eyesofanapothecarian]

Any new requests?

[evilkaeya]

Feeling the loss of finishing a really good anime rn... the apothecary diaries was so good I need s2 immediately

[animehouse-moe]

The Apothecary Diaries Episode 5: Covert Operations

Sure, this might not be the most visually stunning series of the year, or the most engaging or whatever other metric you might measure by, but I think, much like today's episode of Spy x Family, it does something that a lot of people wouldn't truly appreciate until they understand it, and that would be blocking and layouts.

Yes, blocking. It's a weird thing to talk about in terms of an anime, but it can be incredibly important in the process of "building" a scene, and comes from the heart of the storyboards. I mean, just look at this scene from early on in the episode.

What does it do so well? It makes sure that viewers understand that the space that exists within this series is three dimensional, and it accomplishes that very efficiently with character blocking. They're not orthographic or perfectly aligned with one direction or right in the center of the screen or anything like that. They're placed within the scene in a way that remains very intentional and purposeful, but without "catering" directly to the eyes of the viewer. It forces the viewer to understand the scene in a totally different context because of how things are placed and where.

Let me give another example with Maomao.

This one's incredibly simple but I think in the most deceptive way possible very good. The general idea that they're playing with is "balance" and is very important in scene composition.

Allow me to explain. What we have in this is: the back wall, a desk with a lamp and some fabric on it, Maomao, and then a table in the front left corner of the scene.

And I think that table is the sneakiest part of the whole thing, because it's what really provides the depth and distance of Maomao in this sequence. Even better is that, much like the fabrics and large desk, it's cut off by the frame. I talked about this sort of thing to no end with Skip and Loafer, but to bring it to this episode in particular, cutting objects off, especially in a three dimensional space where they don't just extend in one direction past the frame, but in multiple, is such an incredibly good trick for providing depth and a sense of space to a layout.

Finally, to tie a neat bow on this one, how the placement of objects builds the frame. Maomao is not in the absolute center of the frame, both horizontally and vertically, and that offset requires effort from viewers to correct for. Similarly, placing objects at the edge of the frame forces viewers to become aware of the limitations on the lens that they are viewing the content through. It builds an impressive sense of scope that exists outside what is being shown and is a great trick to use to accentuate things like Maomao's character acting in the sequence.

Armed with that knowledge, the episode really shines in its effort to place character acting and interaction at the forefront while providing a far larger sense of space through its layouts that love juxtaposing proximity with distance. But also, just look at how impressively well the episode adheres to the rule of thirds.

I think my favorite example of the expert blocking and layouts is how they use it to convey the differences between the four concubines and their ladies in waiting.

It's incredibly impressive in how they're able to convey so much from so little. The difference in the angles (both pitch and tilt), the spacing between the concubine and their ladies in waiting, the organization of the ladies in waiting, there's a world of information that appears with them that tells countless stories without saying a word.

That said, the best example of blocking with the concubines is Gyokuyou's later on in the episode, just look at this.

Gyokuyou and Maoamo, the "main attractions", of this grouping comprise the middle of the scene, while the other ladies in waiting are off in the wings. What's so great about it though is the depth that is provided by the layout. None of the characters are sharing the same space in terms of depth, and it builds a really impressive scene where Gyokuyou comprises the front of the group as the "head" and Maomao brings up the rear as the last, but most important in the group. All the while, the main duo separate the pairs of ladies in waiting vertically. Just really incredible stuff that gives life and feeling to the composition of the scenes in the best possible way.

And then there's the stuff between Maomao and Jinshi. I just love how they intentionally preserve the height difference and are aware of that despite the two not sharing a scene often. And then the dark vs light in terms of composition and brightness? Really just expert work that makes for an incredibly satisfying scene in ways that you might not grasp right away.

There's just a hell of a lot of effort in terms of direction and boarding to create an episode that is not just consistently aware of space, but puts focus on character acting and movement so efficiently. Really really great work on the episode as a whole.

[ecargmura]

The Apothecary Diaries Episode 2 Review - The Poison Tester

Before I start the review, I want to make a little apology. In my review of the first episode, I said that Gyokuyou is voiced by Yoko Hikasa; she’s not. She’s actually voiced by Atsumi Tanezaki, who also voices Frieren from Frieren Beyond Journey’s End and Anya from Spy x Family. Yoko Hikasa voiced her in the drama CD. Sorry for the error. Now that I got that out of the way, onto the review.

I did have a feeling that this show would be an episodic one where it all revolves around Maomao utilizing her apothecary capabilities to help the palace. You know what? I like that. Usually, the eastern fantasy stories I’m familiar with are about political dramas or a forbidden love story between a higher class and lower class. It’s nice to see more of the different occupations of fantasy worlds be utilized more.

Maomao gets a promotion and now works under Lady Gyokuyou, as ordered by Jinshi. Her main task is to be a poison tester. I think my favorite aspect of Maomao is that she’s smart and observant. She knows her craft and does it well. I like that a lot. I love smart characters, so seeing Maomao do her magic is seriously entertaining to watch. She knows that poison is easily detectable when using metal bowls, but ceramic ones were given to her on purpose. Because she has been experimenting with many types of poison, she’s almost immune to a majority of them. Because of that, this can be both a good thing and a bad thing because her desensitization towards poison could be a plot point used later on. Despite that, I LOVED Maomao’s reaction to learning she can make drugs. Look at her when she is at the medicine room. She was dancing about.

More new characters are introduced in the form of Gyokuyou’s employees. There are the three servant girls and Hongniang, another lady-in-waiting and the leader of the servant girls in a way. She’s quite the interesting character as she’s strict but means well. She is also cunning in a way. When she learns that Maomao was paid less than her actual worth as she feigned being illiterate so her abductors get paid less, she breaks a pot on purpose and charges the money to her kidnappers so that they can be in debt while Maomao gets money to herself. She’s also prone to scolding the younger girls a lot as she yells at the servant girls to stop dawdling and even punishes Maomao for making the aphrodisiacs that the they ate.

Jinshi is still cemented as the most desirable man in the story and he is pretty. He is really pretty, but I still can’t help but to feel suspicious of him. What is this true goal? However, I did like learning a few things about him. He ultimately has a humiliation kink. He found Maomao’s icy glare charming and I was like “Oh gosh, he’s a masochist.” I also am convinced the anime staff has a thing for him because they drew him in a rather seductive pose, when Maomao was imagining him drugged due to aphrodisiacs. That’s when you know he’s the fan service character. Also, Takeo Otsuka is doing a great job with Jinshi, but the way he’s voicing him makes him sound a bit too similar to Takahiro Sakurai, who was the voice actor for Jinshi in the drama CD. I guess he was casted due to the similar ranges?

Gaoshun seems like a logical man. He’s very capable and reliable, unlike Jinshi. I’d like to learn more about him, honestly. Who was he before he met Jinshi? Why does he serve Jinshi? I also love that he goes away when Jinshi made a funny face after thinking about Maomao glaring at him. He knows his boss is kooky as heck.

Also, I seem to have noticed that there is a lot historical inaccuracies regarding the time period this story is set in. I’m not too familiar with Chinese history, but I know for a fact that they’re not too proficient with using English words, yet Maomao’s father called her a mad scientist in English. How do you know English, sir? I also read somewhere that cacao was introduced in an era much later than whatever era this story takes place in, so there’s that too. While it’s not too jarring, it does make it seem like the author didn’t do proper research before creating the story.

All in all, I can’t wait to see what sort of trials and tribulations Maomao will go through. It does make me wonder what the end goal will be. I’ll be watching the third episode soon. I hope you enjoyed my review of the second episode and let me know your thoughts!

[cjrae]

Tragedy of the Jade Nightingale. Or: My thoughts on Vol. 11 of the Apothecary Diaries.

Given that this volume just came out in English a few days ago, spoilers under the cut!

I usually think of the Apothecary Diaries volumes as pairs - usually two volumes make up an arc. If so, Volume 11 will be the first half of the arc with 12, but it also functions beautifully as a tragedy in it's own right.

** I will be only discussing information appearing officially through Vol. 11. Yes, I have read the fan translations of the web novels, but given that details can change, until it appears in official English translation, I won't yet be including it here.

The Hero

Gyoku-ou. Talk about someone who thinks he's smarter than he actually is. We knew this guy was a threat all the way back in Vol. 8, with how Gyokuyou reacted to her brother's letter and his veiled insult of sending a younger version of herself to catch either her husband's attention or the Imperial Brother's. Now we get to see him in action and he's scary - right up until he's not.

This man is charismatic as anything - he understands what makes people tick on both an individual level as well as a social level. His ability to wield a mob effectively makes him extremely dangerous, but I'm oddly put in mind of Lakan's initial impression of Fengxian. "This woman is strong, but she only knows how to fight in her own, small world."

The world Gyoku-ou inhabits is a very small, petty one. You can see it in his conspiracy theory about Jinshi's birth.

Jinshi is one of two people Gyoku-ou fails to read. When he brings Lakan and Jinshi to his puppet council to gauge support for attacking Shaoh, he thinks he's got a young malcontent in his hands, someone who wants power and is prone to the flashes of temper and insult that often drive young men. Someone who is easily manipulated. Instead, Jinshi mops the floor with him in that meeting, cutting Lakan's support out from under Gyoku-ou and making it clear that his priority is peace above war.

This doesn't take away from Gyoku-ou's political genius - this meeting teaches him that Jinshi has to be maneuvered around, rather than maneuvered directly. If the Imperial Brother doesn't want to play his part, then too bad. Gyoku-ou will see to it that Jinshi is hedged in all directions except where he wants him to go - which is to war. And even then, he's got a fight on his hands as Jinshi fully takes advantage of Empress Gyokuyou's information to undercut Gyoku-ou's support within his own family.

It's a mark of Jinshi's political skill that Gyoku-ou's move in that family council is to flirt with treason. If he can't maneuver the Imperial family through Jinshi, then he shifts tactics to turn Jinshi (and the rest of the Imperial Family) into the villain of his piece - a prince born and raised into utter depravity.

Let's just sit with what Gyoku-ou suggests to the rest of his siblings (minus the Empress) in that meeting. He implies that the Emperor impregnated his own mother in order to produce an heir. A son that he loves so dearly (and unnaturally) that he would willingly look the other way while Jinshi murders his other children in order to make sure that his brother-son-lover succeeds the throne.

This is a brilliant examination of how the bare facts of the situation can be construed by people with very different motivations to fit whatever worldview is most convenient for them. I'm a fan of the palace politics in this series because they feel very real.

Gyoku-ou doesn't lie once. But boy does he create a narrative that suits his purposes and dares anyone (namely Rikuson) to tell Jinshi. He is escalating the situation and he's doing it fast, while also challenging the legitimacy of the Imperial Family. A fact which, if it does get back to Jinshi (or the Emperor), could get the entire new You Clan wiped out just as fast as the Yi Clan was. This scene functions as a microcosm of Gyoku-ou's two fundamental character flaws; his short term thinking and his utter self-absorption.

Becoming The Wind

Since Rikuson was introduced in Vol. 5, he's been a mirror for Jinshi. He's a "pretty boy," calm under pressure, fundamentally kind and decent to other people while also being extremely competent at his job. Unlike Jinshi, he's also a bit older and more mature. He also clearly admires Maomao and sees the qualities that make her exceptional, despite her various masks.

As it turns out, Rikuson mirrors Jinshi in another important sense too - he also has a secret identity. The Yi Clan were the de facto royalty of the Western Capital and Rikuson is one of the direct survivors of the clan. He was never in the line of succession given the Yi Clan's matrilineal structure. But they were quick enough to save some of the children, namely Rikuson and Empress Gyokuyou's three ladies in waiting, Haku'u, Koku'u and Seki'u.

Rikuson, who was Gyoku-ou's excuse to trick His Former Majesty into giving him the authorization to destroy the Yi Clan. Rather than truly being an bastard Imperial prince, he's a young pawn in Gyoku-ou's hands to whip up an armed mob to hunt Rikuson down - and his mother and sister give their lives to ensure his survival - not for vengeance, but so that the Yi Clan's mission of protecting the west will live on even if the named clan itself dies. So, like Jinshi, he is dedicated to the welfare of the people above all else.

The trouble with relying on an unruly mob is that it's sloppy. Gyoku-ou left multiple survivors and they have absolutely no love for him. He's left weapons at his back.

Rikuson is the other person Gyoku-ou utterly fails to read. He spends well over a year back in his homeland, working for Gyoku-ou as an aide ostensibly from the central region, patiently waiting for an opening - even as Gyoku-ou, who knows that Rikuson has to be assigned to the west with some kind of ulterior motive, is so blind that he thinks he must be a secret member of the La Clan, rather than the Yi boy he tried to kill seventeen years earlier.

Rikuson represents the culmination Gyoku-ou's short term thinking in that he doesn't bother to think about the threat of any surviving Yi clan might pose to him.

He will not insult his mother's memory, or his sister's. But if his mission of protecting the west coincides with vengeance for his family? Sure enough, Gyoku-ou's insistence on going to war (and dragging the Imperial family's legitimacy into his motivations) gives Rikuson his opening; especially because he isn't a vigilante.

He is acting under orders.

The New You

Rikuson's point about Gyoku-ou's life being a tragedy hits home when you consider Gyokuyou's thoughts of how she knows her father loves her - but would also abandon her in a heartbeat if she is no longer valuable to him. Unlike her older brother, she has a very clear-eyed view of how their father operates and focuses on making sure that her value never drops in his eyes.

Gyoku-ou's value to Gyoku'en plummeted the day he destroyed the Yi Clan - Gyoku'en's family. He was given a second chance to show that he could still perform the single function of the men of the Yi Clan - to protect the west. When he endangered it instead, Gyoku'en sent the weapon he'd spent seventeen years preparing (Rikuson) with an execution order.

By first destroying the Yi Clan and then following it up with a proposed invasion of Shaoh, Gyoku-ou proved to Gyoku'en that he was no son of his. Given how desperate he was to be his father's son, this whole book is a tragedy in the classic sense. The Jade Nightingale was so desperate to reinvent himself as a Jade Eagle that he destroyed himself in pursuit of the one thing he never lost - his father's love. But, to be his father's heir, what he needed was Gyoku'en's trust and respect, not his love.

And he killed that seventeen years ago along with the Yi Clan.

Ironically, the foreign born girl that he despised and attempted to undermine at every opportunity, emerges as their father's true heir and mother of the nation, with the rest of the surviving Yi clan as part of her loyal retinue.

In her triumph, the Yi Clan is reborn as the You Clan as Gyoku'en, a Yi man, is given a clan name on the strength of Gyokuyou's role as Empress. So much of their history has been lost, down to the matrilineal succession and family records, but their mission lives on through the Yi men who will continue to protect the west, no matter the personal cost to themselves. There is no room for self-absorption here, therefore Gyoku-ou has no place in their new clan.

Also, a parallel to pay attention to is how the destruction of the Yi Clan and the Shi Clan are mirroring each other with the children being saved. The Yi Clan is reborn with a new name, which leads one to wonder what the consequences of saving those Shi children will be long term.

A Dagger In The Dark

Gyoku-ou sucks up a lot of air in Vol. 11 because he is driving the action - Jinshi, Maomao and their party are all stuck reacting to him, except for one character; Chue.

We see Chue attach herself to Maomao starting with the ship and it's not difficult to guess that just as Lihaku is serving as a discreet bodyguard for Maomao on Jinshi's orders, Chue is also there as protection. Chue doesn't try to conceal that she is clearly trained in espionage either.

Rikuson's proposal to Maomao is not a serious bid for her hand, but nor is it a joke - it's a message to Chue that Jinshi needs to tighten security around Maomao. As he puts it, he knows the "hyper protective" elements around her will close ranks. Because he's foreseen a strategy that may not have yet occurred to Gyoku-ou (who tends not to pay attention to the bit parts of the play), but if it does would almost certainly push the country into war.

Maomao is the lever that could move both Lakan and Jinshi.

All he has to do is kill her and make it look like a foreign attack. Lakan's instinctive ability to read a situation and Jinshi's formidable investigative skills would likely be dulled in the face of their rage and grief. Especially since they are technically Gyoku-ou's guests and don't have freedom of movement to push the issue.

Rikuson seizes his opportunity before Gyoku-ou can continue to escalate, but he realizes quickly that Chue arranged the stage and was there as both spy and backup assassin. (I think it's safe to say that Gyoku-ou's conspiracy theory AND that Yi family ledger will be reported, given that we know there were ladies-in-waiting at the meeting and that's how Chue was disguised - and she didn't actually promise to dispose of it).

Gyoku-ou doesn't bother to think that while the Emperor may be far away and the Imperial Brother is a manageable threat, that the people surrounding Jinshi may not be bound by his strictures. Hence, Chue was on standby. No matter what, Gyoku-ou was never going to make it to that ritual. He was never smart enough to realize that his crossing the line would be never be forgiven.

While Jinshi would order an execution if necessary (and has in the past), he would never order an assassination. Therefore, it's evident that Chue reports to someone else. Who that someone is, we don't know, but there's only one person further up the Imperial tree than Jinshi, so it would be reasonable for Rikuson to assume that the Emperor has placed additional protection around not just Jinshi, but Maomao.

Exclusive: Baby Swap!

Jinshi's birth is not a secret to the audience and while Maomao doesn't have confirmation, she's pretty certain of her suspicion. This volume made it patently obvious that there are others out there who are perfectly capable of putting the pieces together, even if the details are twisted.

Let's return to Gyoku-ou's conspiracy theory.

He's put together all the correct pieces. The Emperor's attitude toward Jinshi makes no sense in a traditional palace setting - a much younger, handsome, charismatic and competent brother? That's a threat to the Emperor and his direct line. But Jinshi is never treated that way - instead he's indulged on many fronts.

He's allowed to duck most of his official duties as Ka Zuigetsu (except for a few he can't, where he appears masked).

He's allowed to pretend to be a eunuch for six years and run the Rear Palace.

When he finally reveals himself to the court to put down the Shi Rebellion, he's described as "hale" and "just as proficient in the military arts as the administrative." (More proof that Jinshi is NOT the best judge of his own abilities). He emerges fully formed into court politics - a perfectly trained Crown Prince - only to have a newborn given the title instead.

Gyoku-ou deliberately put the worst possible spin on these facts. I suspect the rest of the You siblings are going to keep their mouths shut about Gyoku-ou's ugly theory, but if he could think of it, if Maomao could think of it with just seeing Jinshi standing next to Lady Ah-Duo, then so can others.

Maomao can be mad about Jinshi branding himself all she wants, but it's currently looking like an absolutely BRILLIANT move on Jinshi's part. Whatever doubts Gyoku-ou managed to plant about Jinshi and the Emperor's motives with the rest of the You clan siblings, Empress Gyokuyou is not likely to entertain it.

Also, it got the Emperor to essentially "banish" Jinshi to the edges of the Empire shortly after his new Crown Prince was born, which makes it look to other members of the court like the Emperor is taking steps to rein in his younger brother and balances the factions that have to be forming back in the capital.

This is not a secret that can be kept forever. No matter how careful Ah-Duo and Anshi were, the information is starting to leak out around the edges, as we see that the Empress' ladies in waiting that were dismissed clearly had eyes and ears - and in at least one case, a loose tongue.

The next arc is being seeded and Jinshi is inching closer and closer to that throne. He ran the Rear Palace for years (essentially managing the nation in microcosm) and as of the end of Vol. 11, he's now stepping up to govern a province and gain actual ruling experience while also having suppressed a war.

I've said before that Jinshi ascending the throne is the bad ending - if there is a single person who is more trapped by the palace than the prince, it's the emperor. We'll see what happens!

[nottherailtracer]

Just finished vol. 7 of The Apothecary Diaries (light novels) and Ah-Duo got her second fake-dead person so now she can really start a collection. Maomao and Jinshi didn’t interact for most of the book but boy did they make up for it when they did. Also, I love Gyokuyou but the Emperor x Ah-Duo forever and I’m sad they can’t be together the way they want to.