Images: TOHO Animation
Maomao investigates the Empress Dowager’s belief that she cursed the previous emperor, while the empress’ dark past is revealed to the viewers.
Episode 32 of the The Apothecary Diaries, named ‘The Empress Dowager’, introduces us to a new character, and more mysterious circumstances surrounding the Royal Family, all while bringing to light some deeper social issues that still exist today.
Following the events of Episode 31 (Shrine of Choosing), Maomao is once again approached by probably the second-most powerful being in the land: Lady Anshi, the Empress Dowager. She asks Maomao to solve a mystery regarding the late emperor, believing that she (Empress Dowager) had cursed him to death.
The anime did a great job of tackling sensitive issues and topics, almost too matter-of-factly, and cautiously brings to light social issues that still exist.
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD.
The woes of a geek: Maomao is mistaken for Shisui
Before diving into heavier themes, the episode gave viewers a lighthearted moment. Maomao gets "punished" for collecting oddities like lizard tails, but instead of sulking, she surprises Hongniang by actually thanking her for the "punishment."
Then, Yinghua brings up a rumour about a “strange court lady catching bugs while laughing.” It’s a hilarious moment, especially since Maomao clearly dislikes being compared to Shisui—despite the fact that just minutes earlier, she was practically glowing with excitement over getting an entire storage shed for her collection, drying herbs, and making medicine.
In many ways, both Maomao and Shisui are the equivalent of modern-day geeks. In the past, having an eccentric hobby often made people seem strange to others. If you were unlucky, you might get bullied or have your interests taken away. If you were lucky, you’d find encouragement or like-minded individuals who shared your enthusiasm. For now, while the women in the rear palace find Maomao and Shisui odd, their quirks aren’t causing any real harm—just a bit of amusement and gossip.
That said, there’s nothing wrong with being different; in fact, it’s what makes someone stand out. That’s exactly why so many people love Maomao—not just for her intelligence and sharp critical thinking, but also for how relatable she could be when she struggles to communicate her true thoughts and understand those around her.
The abolition of slavery by the Empress Dowager
When a large entourage appears, Maomao and Shisui instinctively hide, although they discover that the entourage was for Empress Dowager, or Lady Anshi.
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a dowager is “a widow holding property or a title from her deceased husband,” and in this case, the empress was widowed by the former emperor.
In the olden days and in Chinese culture, the Empress Dowager wielded a lot of power, usually influencing matters regarding the rear palace and the imperial family. On top of that, she often extends her influence to ruling the land, especially if the next emperor who ascends to the throne is still a bit too young.
Then, it was mentioned here that the Empress Dowager made some changes in the palace and in the land that shook the norm and improved various lives. She was the one who created eunuchs and had a clinic built for the rear palace—which, from what we’ve seen in previous episodes, was constructed well. Among her other achievements was the abolition of slavery.
Although her intent was good for the latter, the execution was somewhat weak. As Maomao said, other forms of slavery still exist during their period—like the courtesans at the pleasure district, who had terms to serve before they are able to head out. However, in these cases, most of these courtesans are proud of the work they are doing and feel somewhat empowered. Then, we also know that some of the servants in the rear palace, like Maomao in Season 1, were kidnapped and sold, with a fraction of their earnings going to the kidnappers.
In fact, it’s a problem that persists even until now, also in many forms and terms: Employers that have no regard for the well-being of their employees, domestic workers hired as maids or nannies who fall into devious hands—where they are locked up, not given a day off, or worse, get abused. Then there’s criminal groups taking advantage of folks from poorer nations and doing a Maomao—kidnapping or scamming them to abuse them, or forcibly making them work for scam centres or pornography.
People like Empress Dowager and other figureheads can bring about the initial change, but in the end, it should be a concentrated effort to address an ongoing issue. Because as long as someone turns a blind eye, or continues to “buy” into the current system, issues like slavery will persist.
Lady Anshi’s dark past
Finally, Empress Dowager visits Lady Gyokuyou, so that she can consult with Maomao. She thinks that she has cursed the emperor. Lady Anshi's disdain for the emperor is evident in Episode 31, where she shielded Jinshi from him for very dark reasons.
It was said that Lady Anshi has a scar on her stomach, because her body was “not fully developed” when she gave birth, which only meant that she was too young to bear a child at the time. Although not yet mentioned in this episode, it can be surmised that the Emperor Regnant (former emperor) had a child with her when she was too young.
Since The Apothecary Diaries was based on a mixture of fictional China with influences from the Tang and Ming Dynasties, the youngest age requirements for marriage roughly spanned 12-14 years of age. While it was common for nobility to present their young daughter as a consort or wife for the emperor, some customs were still followed, or at least recommended
Medical knowledge at the time generally advised against early pregnancies, as young girls were considered physically unready for childbirth. Texts from the Ming Dynasty, such as Ye Feng’s Treatise on Easy Childbirth, emphasised the importance of maternal health and minimising risks in childbirth, so younger consorts in the rear palace normally weren’t touched until they were considered ready for childbirth.
Maomao also muses about this, saying the late emperor was said to have preferred the youngest in the bunch, even if there were women who were “of age” in the rear palace--so the Emperor Regnant taking a child too young to give birth was also considered abnormal and not recommended at the time.
This must have been a traumatic experience for Lady Anshi, who at such a young age not only lost her innocence, but also went through a difficult childbirth, likely involving an ancient version of Caesarian section that was painful, risky, and only done as a last resort.
It’s no wonder that the empress, who harbours ill feelings against the emperor may have thought that she was the reason for the mysterious circumstances surrounding the late emperor’s demise. Of course, our sharp girl Maomao knows and senses that this is unlikely to be a curse.
In the episode, it was mentioned that the current emperor and the Empress Dowager visited the remains of the Emperor Regnant, only to discover that they had not decayed and remained preserved, as if he had died just a few hours ago.
This was a curious case, because mummification and embalmification weren’t common practices at the time. What was it that kept the emperor preserved? Was it truly a curse, or something else?
And while we all know that this is most likely not a curse, Lady Anshi is most likely experiencing self-guilt from the lifelong shame she has endured since childhood. Projecting her anger onto the emperor and believing that it caused his death may not seem logical, but given her experiences, it makes sense to her.
Whatever the cause might be, our girl Maomao is likely to crack this case open in the coming episode.
If you or anyone you know is a victim of child abuse or sexual abuse, please know that you are not alone and that you can find help. You may reach out to local organisations like the following:
- Sexual Assault Care Centre (Singapore)
- Women’s Aid Malaysia (Malaysia)
- Philippine Commission on Women (Philippines)
- Komnas Perempuan (Indonesia)
- Child Help International (International)
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.