Images: TOHO Animation
Jinshi's secret is nearly out and Maomao's importance in continues to rise, but some important scenes lacked impact.
There’s a lot of mystery surrounding the identity of Jinshi, the high-ranking eunuch in charge of the rear palace and Apothecary Diaries’ deuteragonist. Finally, more direct clues about his true identity were unveiled in the Apothecary Diaries Episode 31, named The Shrine of Choosing.
In this episode, Maomao was invited by the Emperor to accompany him and Jinshi to the Shrine of Choosing, where he insists on passing through the doors of the shrine with both of them, as he seemingly was trying to find an answer. The story in itself was quite intriguing, and even if I’ve read this in the manga before, it still managed to hold my attention. Seeing everything unfold in full colour adds to the experience, especially since additional visual detail, particularly colour, play an important role in this episode.
That said, while I expected to squeal and kick my feet like I did while reading the manhwa, some scenes felt like they lacked the usual emotional impact and emphasis—something that Season 1 and parts of Season 2 typically handled well. Jinshi's reactions were notably muted, for example. These small choices affect the way one understands the story, causing them to miss the gravity of the words exchanged between Jinshi, the emperor, and the caretaker. While we appreciate a perpetually beautiful, eyecandy-like Jinshi, we also miss the chibi versions of him when he's reacting to Maomao, or the exagerated expressions he gave in both versions of the manga, especially in this particular scene.
Even so, the episode remained enjoyable overall. The Emperor’s jokes, Maomao’s expressions, and the weight of what was said still held up well, making for a solid and engaging watch. Since this episode carried multiple layers and deeper meanings, let’s take a closer look at the events of Episode 31 to unravel its mystery once again.
Warning; Spoilers ahead.
The Empress Wang Mu and the Mysterious Shrine
In this episode, we learned more about the empire that both Jinshi and Maomao are part of. It was said that a noblewoman once “carried the child of the heavens,” who then became the first emperor of the land. We also discovered the shrine’s original purpose: in the past, potential emperors had to pass through the shrine, and if they made the right choice, they would become ruler of the land.
What’s especially interesting is how this ties into preserving the bloodline—and how genetics, as early as Maomao’s time (or even earlier), were already being considered. Queen Wang Mu was colour-blind, so only those who inherited the same condition could pass the Shrine of Choice’s test with flying colours (pun intended). Of course, this didn’t account for family members who didn’t inherit the trait, just as Maomao described. On top of that, while scholars during that time may somewhat have had an idea of how genetics work, based on their assumptions--not all of their assumptions were scientifically accurate, especially in the case of colour-blindness.
It was exciting to see this puzzle unfold in the anime, especially since this part of the manga was in black and white. Now, we finally get to see the colours and how the gates might have actually looked. It took me a while to fully grasp in the manga, and I had to keep flipping back and forth through pages, but the way it was presented here made things clearer.
The shrine's caretaker also revealed that while some heirs didn’t inherit colour blindness, they brought in consorts who could solve the puzzle for them. This hinted that either the consorts had the trait themselves or were intelligent enough to figure it out—like Maomao.
As revealed earlier in the episode, the Shrine of Choice is no longer in use due to what happened years ago when almost all the potential heirs died of illness, leaving the previous emperor the only one left to inherit the throne. But even though the practice was abandoned decades ago, the caretaker warned the emperor about those “who might not welcome the introduction of new blood,” clearly referring to people like Maomao, who is still just a servant. And while the emperor understood this, the caretaker then turned to Jinshi, as if sending him a crucial message as well—fully aware that Maomao seems to play an important role despite her status.
The colour-blindness trait also plays into a potential, subtle struggle for political power in the future, so it’s worth keeping these events in mind for now.
The Emperor’s View on Maomao
I really loved how the emperor was depicted in this episode. Instead of his usual flat expression, we saw him laughing, jesting, and even breaking protocol by bringing Maomao to the Shrine of Choice. More importantly, this gives us crucial insights into what the emperor knows, and how he might influence Jinshi and Maomao’s dynamic in the future. First, we recall him mentioning twice that he “didn’t want to make an enemy out of Lakan” by making Maomao his consort—which means that, despite Maomao being a servant, he recognises that she has the qualifications to be one, even by blood.
By now, he’s also well aware of Maomao’s intelligence and talent, having seen her solve multiple mysteries in the rear palace, and even prevent an accident that could have seriously harmed Jinshi in Season 1. And while he joked about taking Maomao as his consort, it felt more like he was trying to get a reaction from Jinshi, who—compared to his portrayal in the anime—was noticeably more annoyed and protective of Maomao in the manga.
Based on the way the dialogue unfolds in both the anime and the manga, it seems like the emperor has some idea of who Maomao is to Jinshi, and how the young man felt about her. He even encourages Jinshi to be the one to take Maomao into the shrine, implying that Jinshi has the power to elevate Maomao’s status—should he choose her as his consort. But then, how is a mere eunuch even allowed to enter the shrine himself, let alone bring in a potential consort?
Jinshi’s identity
This has been hinted at throughout Season 1, especially during the events surrounding the accident at Jinshi’s “purification ritual,” but it seems that Jinshi is part of the royal family. At the beginning of the episode, Jinshi dreams of his younger self wearing what looks like clothing fit only for royalty. As his ball rolls across the hallway, he’s greeted by an old man—withered and sinister—who strongly resembles the previous emperor and seems to have taken a liking to Jinshi.
At this point, his supposed mother appears and shields Jinshi. She’s dressed like a high-ranking ruler—potentially a consort or a princess who may have been next in line to the current empress during Jinshi’s childhood. Another old woman, just as royally dressed as his mother, prevents the old man from taking Jinshi.
Based on the current information from the anime (without spoiling episodes yet to be animated), one could assume that Jinshi is the son of an emperor. And since his mother wasn’t one of the current emperor’s consorts, he may actually be the emperor’s brother. Yes, the same one who was missing at the garden party and absent again during the Moon Fairy episode.
With no other male heir to the throne so far, Jinshi is next in the line of inheritance, which allows him to take a woman who could potentially be his consort to the Shrine of Choice. But with how Jinshi and the emperor interact, there seems to be more to it than that—don’t you think? Either way, being part of the Royal Family is a secret that weighs heavily on Jinshi, and it looks like he is hoping that the apothecary, Maomao will be able to finally piece this together and share the burden with her.
Things are getting more complicated for Jinshi and Maomao’s dynamic, but somehow, I’d like to think that in this episode at least, the emperor seems to ship them, even if Maomao chooses to ignore all the signals Jinshi is sending, and all the signs that Jinshi is part of the royal family.
If you want to revisit insights and theories from previous episodes, here's a compilation of every review so far for The Apothecary Diaries Season 2.