Who doesn't love a good ghost story?
The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 Episode 34, titled "Ghost Stories," is another episode that feels both isolated and connected—but it unfolds in an engaging way that hooks new viewers while keeping long-time fans in suspense.
Following Maomao’s investigation of the Emperor Regnant’s old quarters, she was invited (more like forced) by Yinghua to a gathering of servant girls and ladies-in-waiting, who entertain themselves by telling ghost stories in the northern part of the rear palace. This may have seemed like yet another filler episode—and honestly, I felt that too, especially after how intense the last few episodes have been.
However, what this episode does effectively is draw viewers into new mysteries surrounding folklore and ghosts. After all, who doesn’t love a good ghost story? Then, just when it seems like a casual storytelling session, the episode ties everything back to something truly chilling—something revealed towards the end—that made my hairs stand on end as I went, “Aha, so that’s why!”
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
Folktales may or may not have explanations
At first, while the stories were being told, I was tempted to feel bored—especially at the start. I felt a bit like Maomao, dragged into a small gathering that didn’t seem to have much purpose, particularly if you’re not one to believe in such tales.
At the same time, though, these stories resemble folk tales in how they reflect the lives, beliefs, and cultural fears of the time. It’s an interesting look at what was known and unknown back then.
Fortunately, Maomao is always able to see beyond the story. Deducing details and piecing things together is her specialty. While the girls beside her were genuinely frightened, Maomao was like a detective, always able to find the logical explanations behind everything.
Take the story of the mother and child, for example. It paints the forest as a place where those who enter never return, and if they do, their families are cursed. It sounds like the foundation of a classic ghost story. However, Maomao’s perspective on it feels fresh—one of those “She’s got a point” moments that makes you rethink everything.
The forest is full of resources, but without knowledge of its terrain, flora, and fauna, one could easily get lost and die deep within. As for the mother and child, the poisonous glow-in-the-dark mushrooms would have naturally sparked intrigue among villagers, and over time, the story could have evolved into tales of spirits.
After the forbidden forest story, it was Shisui’s turn to tell a creepy tale. Despite her usual goofiness and exuberance, she proved to be an excellent and serious storyteller. Her story was about a traveling monk who took shelter in a certain home, only to discover that the woman he was staying with was actually a man-eating demon. He survived only by chanting a holy sutra without pause. At the end of the story, he found two insects outside his lodging. Unlike the previous tale, Maomao had no explanation for this one.
However, as Maomao observed Shisui’s side profile, something struck her—Shisui looked eerily familiar. The anime focuses on her eyes, which if you can observe is similar to lady Loulan. Could Shisui be related to the newest high-ranking concubine? Or is she hiding something else beneath her carefree and energetic facade?
When it was Maomao’s turn to share a story, hers was as logical as expected—but also graphic and unsettling for the women of that time, given how she described the grave robber’s activities. Yinghua quickly stopped her from continuing, but hilariously failed to tell a good story herself, adding a lighthearted moment to the scene.
The thirteenth ghost story
Finally, the beautiful older woman who welcomed them shared her story. Before she began, Maomao noticed something odd—she mentioned that there would be thirteen tales told that night, yet there were only twelve women in the room.
What made this moment even more unsettling was that her story was familiar, both to Maomao and the viewers. It tied back to the events surrounding the Empress Dowager and the Late Emperor.
She spoke of how the rear palace expanded because the late emperor’s mother gathered young girls to satisfy the emperor’s degenerate tastes. He would select the youngest ones—barely of age—and “take their innocence.”
Unlike Lady Anshi, who bore him a male heir that later became the current emperor, not all girls were as fortunate. Those who didn’t conceive were confined, unable to leave. As the woman continued speaking, Maomao and the other girls grew drowsier and drowsier.
At first, I thought it was simply because it was late at night. But when the woman’s voice shifted into a sinister, almost monstrous tone as she said, “Next… it will be your turn,” it became clear she had ill intentions—or was it all an illusion?
This part felt slightly inconsistent. Maomao is usually highly cautious when it comes to poison and keeping people alive. Later on, she realised what had happened, but given her knowledge, shouldn’t she have noticed something was off from the start?
In modern terms, what the girls experienced was carbon monoxide poisoning. Sitting in a cramped room with the windows closed, candles burning, and the central fire snuffing out oxygen—this was a perfect setup for suffocation. With their heads covered, sleepiness and eventual suffocation were inevitable.
Still, it worked for the story. Perhaps Maomao let her guard down, thinking it was an innocent gathering. But it seems like the host had a more sinister purpose—the girls nearly became the thirteenth ghost story themselves.
The vengeful ghost
Later, Hongniang revealed that the host of the event had already passed away, and the annual storytelling gathering should have ended long ago. But Hongniang, unaware of what Maomao and Yinghua had experienced, was simply glad that someone had continued the tradition.
It was then that Maomao and Yinghua realised the twelfth woman—the host—was a vengeful ghost, one who had been locked away in the rear palace until her final days, now seeking revenge.
But while the twelfth lady may very well have been a ghost, this was the first truly supernatural occurrence in the series. Then again, she could have faked her death the year before and planned to take the lives of these girls later on—something that remains uncertain.
This final twist was the clincher of the episode, making it incredibly effective. If you haven’t read the light novel or manga, this moment alone would have hooked you into wanting to uncover more mysteries in the coming episodes. More than that, it solidified that this wasn’t just a filler episode—it was a chilling reminder of the lingering consequences of the Emperor Regnant’s actions.
After two heavy episodes, this slightly lighter, eerie, and surprisingly fun episode provided a much-needed break from the dark revelations of the past two weeks.
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.