Wealth and status do not always ensure happiness, and sadly, Lishu is a clear example of this.
The mystery of the ghost in Diamond Pavilion is finally revealed in the latest episode of the anime adaptation of The Apothecary Diaries. Episode 38, The Dancing Ghost, shifts the focus to Lishu, the virtuous consort, and shines a light on her lonely suffering despite her being one of the four high-ranking consorts.
Warning: Major spoilers ahead
A quick recap
Jinshi visits the Jade Pavilion to ask for Maomao’s assistance with Lishu, who worries about a ghost said to be haunting her private bathhouse at the Diamond Pavilion. With Gyokuyou’s permission, Maomao agrees to look into the matter. Maomao discovers the reason behind the apparition's appearance, which is mostly due to the “magic mirror” or “transmission mirror.” From Maomao’s explanation, “when light bounces off it, it mysteriously forms images or text.”
One of Lishu’s ladies-in-waiting publicly berates and humiliates her in front of Jinshi, Maomao and his entourage, and attempts to take Lishu’s bronze mirror from her. Jinshi steps in at once, firmly rebuking the maid and warning her not to cross the line again.
Later, Jinshi receives a number of complaints from across the rear palace, including an unusual report involving palace women showing interest in a newly arrived eunuch. Upon investigating, he encounters a tall and notably beautiful eunuch bearing visible scars and signs of partial paralysis.
The visuals throughout the episode are particularly well-executed, with every character drawn in detail, even down to the garish appearance of Lishu's mean attendant. This particular character looked so exceptionally tacky that she stood out in the worst possible way, to the point where viewers could take one look and immediately dislike her.
Though the episode opened with a light-hearted tone, the remainder carried an unexpected emotional weight. Lishu’s situation, quietly unfolding beneath the surface, offered a sobering reminder of how isolation and powerlessness continue to shape her place within the palace.
Lishu’s precarious and miserable position
Wealth and status do not always ensure happiness, and sadly, Lishu is a clear example of this. From a young age, she likely faced constant criticism, especially after the death of her mother. Her father arranged for her to become a high consort to the Former Emperor, a known paedophile, to raise their clan’s position.
Following the Former Emperor’s death and her stay at the nunnery, Lishu was engaged to a governor with tendencies similar to those of her previous husband. Ah-Duo and the Crown Prince, who had become Emperor, intervened so that she could return to the inner palace in title only. This was done to protect her from once again being used as a political tool by her father, and to give her a chance at future happiness.
During her second time in the rear palace, Lishu was regularly mistreated by her ladies-in-waiting, most likely due to her young age and vulnerability. She appeared to be almost entirely alone, with only her former food taster, now head lady-in-waiting, still looking out for her.
When she broke down in tears, believing her mother’s spirit was angry, it felt as though she was also mourning her loneliness and longing for maternal guidance—particularly with Ah-Duo now gone. Once again, it was the voice acting that carried the scene, thanks to Hina Kino’s performance as a Lishu in tears, which caused many viewers to empathise with her.
The Diamond Pavilion’s pettiness meets its match in Jinshi
Bullying within the rear palace seems to be a recurring theme throughout the season. While the events may feel reminiscent of the Crystal Pavilion incident, Jinshi stepping in this time made it all the more satisfying.
He handled the situation with care, aware of how to manage the women without creating direct enemies. He observed the exchange, attempted to reason with them, and cleverly redirected the investigation by simply asking for tea.
Lishu rarely speaks up for herself—to the point where she hides her allergies just to avoid being criticised for being “picky.” That’s why it felt significant to see her finally assert herself, especially when one snobbish, self-important, and ugly ladies-in-waiting tried to take something deeply precious from her: the bronze mirror.
Arguably, the most impactful moment came when he confronted the former head lady-in-waiting after Lishu's outburst. She had been wearing a gold hairpin with the symbol of another high-ranking consort: it was a clear sign of overstepping her boundaries. Jinshi used this as evidence to reprimand her.
His calm but commanding presence made the warning unmistakable. His expression darkened and his voice dropped, yet he continued smiling, making his words all the more threatening. His message to the maids was clear: stop undermining the young high consort. As Maomao accurately observed, Jinshi was terrifying, and it sent the message across the other ladies-in-waiting who undermined her.
More about the beautiful eunuch
Once again, the beautiful eunuch makes an appearance, and many women in the palace have been curious with how he looks like. To viewers, though, it has been made obvious that it’s Suirei: the woman who almost successfully assassinated the younger brother (Jinshi) of the Imperial Family, and escaped by taking the resurrection drug and later on escaped from the morgue.
Suirei’s left side has become partially numb, most likely the side effects of the said resurrection drug, but her official story as a eunuch was that she was severely beaten. Suirei is not a known figure in the rear palace since she used to serve in the outer court. And because Jinshi has never met Suirei before, it’s unlikely that he would recognise her disguised as a beautiful male eunuch. However, it only means that with her arrival, a bigger danger is looming once again.
The relationship between Jinshi and Maomao has changed
One thing was entirely clear throughout this episode: the relationship between Jinshi and Maomao has changed. It has not yet reached a point where Maomao is aware of Jinshi’s intentions, but there has been a noticeable shift in how he usually interacts with her. Compared to most of Season 1 and the first cour of Season 2, Jinshi appeared more confident in teasing and making advances towards Maomao, although she remains oblivious to all of it and simply finds it annoying. In fact, he was far more brazen, and following events surrounding The Hunt, he is now able to call her by name (Maomao) instead of referring to her with pronouns or as “the apothecary.”
This is probably because Maomao knows a secret that almost no one else, aside from Gaoshun, is aware of: Jinshi is not a eunuch. It is a little strange that, despite all the evidence she has seen, she only came close to guessing that Jinshi is part of the Royal Family. However, due to her desire to avoid further involvement and not learn the full truth, she remains in the dark about Jinshi’s true status, or at least convinces herself that this is far from the case.
On Jinshi’s side, since the events surrounding the Shrine of Choice, he has been more deliberate in trying to bring Maomao closer and allow her glimpses of his identity. However, because Maomao went out of her way to remain uninformed during the episodes focused on The Hunt, all he can do for now is tease her, involve her in solving various cases in the rear palace, and continue searching for a way to tell her who he truly is.
The Strategist
However, one of the perceived obstacles Jinshi anticipates facing is the one he calls “The Strategist”, otherwise known as Lakan–Maomao’s biological father. Although Maomao acknowledges Luomen as her father, Lakan is her true parent. He also openly recognises her as his daughter.
In the first season, Lakan eventually buys out Fengxian, Maomao’s biological mother, and marries her. This action officially made Maomao his legitimate child, so much so that even the current emperor recognised her as the daughter of Lakan in the Shrine of Choosing episode.
This creates some difficulty for Jinshi, as the unspoken rule within the court has always been to avoid getting involved with the strategist. Those who have tried to deal with him, or even attempted to bring him down have all ended up meeting their downfall.
What will happen to Xialoan?
The episode ends with Xiaolan accidentally bumping into a male attendant and causing the ice from the cargo he’s transporting to fall to the ground. The ice was meant for a high-ranking consort and is now considered spoiled. Trembling, Xiaolan apologises.
We know that ice during that time is a very expensive commodity. There were no refrigerators in the past, and ice was carefully imported into the land. The reason why Xiaolan was trembling is because she knew what potential consequences there could be for a mere servant to destroy something so precious: either a lifelong debt or even her own life. With Maomao witnessing the incident and Jinshi hearing the commotion, what shall become of her? Will she get away unscathed? Will Jinshi and Maomao be able to help her?
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.