The Apothecary Diaries episode 22: Maomao confronts Lord Lakan

The Apothecary Diaries episode 22, titled Blue Roses, aired on March 9, 2024, and mainly introduced Lady Loulan along with her father, a military official who holds influence that can almost rival the emperor's influence.

This episode also unveiled that Lakan is unable to perceive people's faces and he can only see them as Go pieces. The anime is listed for a total of 24 episodes, and the series will end after concluding the plotline revolving around Lakan and Maomao's mother.

Disclaimer- This article contains spoilers for The Apothecary Diaries series.

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The Apothecary Diaries episode 22 highlights

Maomao as shown in the anime (Image via TOHO Animation)

The Apothecary Diaries episode 22 starts with Maomao confirming the fact. However, the peaceful atmosphere is disrupted when Gyokuyou’s daughter approaches Maomao for a drawing. Maomao then gives her a drawing of a poisonous mushroom and gets reprimanded by one of Lady Gyokuyou's maids.

Meanwhile, Lakan pays a visit to Jinshi and Gaoshun in Jinshi’s office, expressing his fascination with Blue Roses. Despite Jinshi's skepticism regarding the existence of such flowers, he acknowledges Lakan's interest and expresses his desire to see Blue Roses in the palace.

After Lakan leaves, Jinshi tasks Gaoshun to gather information about the Blue Roses.

The Apothecary Diaries episode 22: Lady Lihua (Image via TOHO Animation)

Later, Gaoshun informs Jinshi that the Blue Roses are not in season, which prompts Jinshi to turn to Maomao for help in obtaining them for an upcoming garden party.

Despite Maomao's initial hesitation due to the impossibility of the task, Jinshi understands her concerns. However, Maomao senses something peculiar in Jinshi's demeanor.

Maomao suspects Lakan's involvement in Jinshi's sudden interest in the Blue Roses and decides to take on the task herself. Internally, Maomao harbors a hope of hurting Lakan through her actions.

She submits some requests to Jinshi and then departs to Lady Lihua’s place, where she secures permission to use her steam room.

The Blue Roses as shown in the anime (Image via TOHO Animation)

Over time, Maomao and her companions work tirelessly, inserting over a hundred roses into the steam room. They meticulously separate and tend to the roses, monitoring their growth closely. However, their efforts are not without setbacks, as they encounter challenges such as bugs infesting the roses.

Later in the episode, Xiaolan excitedly informs Maomao that one of the Blue Roses has started to bud. With a sense of accomplishment, Maomao falls asleep, hopeful of completing her task before the next garden party.

Maomao confronting Lakan as shown in the anime (Image via TOHO Animation)

At the garden party, Jinshi presents the Blue Roses to the emperor, which draws attention from other officials. Despite Jinshi's concerns about potential repercussions, he remains focused on Lakan as a potential threat.

Maomao reveals to Jinshi that the Blue Roses aren't genuine and explains her plan to confront Lord Lakan. Later, Maomao confronts Lakan alongside Jinshi and Gaoshun, leaving the outcome of their confrontation uncertain.

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Final thoughts

The Apothecary Diaries episode 22: Lord Lakan (Image via TOHO Animation)

The Apothecary Diaries episode 22 mainly acted as a setup for episode 23 which will unveil Lakan's backstory along with the events that led to him meeting Maomao's mother.

Episode 23 will be released on March 16, 2024, and will be titled Balsam and Woodsorrel.