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The Apothecary Diaries season 2 episode 9 was released on March 7, 2025. The episode featured Maomao's investigation of Empress Dowager's case as to whether the latter cursed the previous Emperor or not. While doing so, Maomao stumbled across Jinshi's favorite toys, and one stone helped Maomao gain a key hint to this entire investigation.
The next day, Maomoa visited the previous Emperor's room and unraveled a painting. She later explained how the paint used to make this painting had a chemical that preserved the Emperor's body even after his death, thus solving Empress Dowager's case. Afterward, Empress Dowager shared a moment with Jinshi whose origins became clearer.
Disclaimer: This article contains potential spoilers from The Apothecary Diaries season 2 episode 9.
The Apothecary Diaries season 2 episode 9: The dark history of the Imperial Palace comes to light
The Apothecary Diaries season 2 episode 9, titled The Late Emperor, commenced with a brief overview of the previous installment as Maomao took the case of Empress Dowager in exchange for permission to visit the previous Emperor's room. As she was granted permission, Maomao was shifted to Suiren's dorm room.
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At night, when Suiren was reading her book, Maomao stumbled across a box filled with toys. This belonged to Jinshi when he was a child, and the toys were his favorite. The Apothecary Diaries season 2 episode 9 saw Maomao pick up a stone from the box and reveal its poisonous nature. As Suiren demanded answers from Maomao, the female protagonist demanded time until the next day.
The next day in The Apothecary Diaries season 2 episode 9, Maomao entered the previous Emperor's room. Accompanying her were Jinshi, Gaoshun, Empress Dowager, and her lady-in-waiting. Immediately after entering the room, Maomao stumbled across a paintbrush and wanted to know how the late Emperor spent his everyday life.
So, Empress Dowager called the servant of the previous Emperor. The servant was a deaf slave who avoided responding to Maomao's questions. However, he was awfully focused on the room's walls, which caused Maomao to ask Empress Dowager's permission to tear the wall's curtains. After tearing the curtains, a canvas came to light, which the previous Emperor had drawn.
As explained by Maomao in The Apothecary Diaries season 2 episode 9, the previous Emperor used orpiment (a yellow-colored mineral) to paint his canvas. With time, the arsenic from orpiment started depositing in the Emperor's body, and after his death, his body was preserved, thus debunking Empress Dowager's suspicion of cursing the previous Emperor.
Maomao debunked all of this through Jinshi's stone, which she found in the male protagonist's box of toys. The Apothecary Diaries season 2 episode 9 then saw Maomao asking to leave as she was done with the investigation. The episode then focused on Empress Dowager's origins and how she became the previous Emperor's wife.
Empress Dowager worked as a lady-in-waiting for her half-sister, a consort. However, one day, when the previous Emperor visited the consort, he snapped right before her eyes. To console her, Empress Dowager shared her condolences and was promoted to a consort. Empress Dowager had the physical features of a young girl, despite being old, and this made her realize the Emperor's tastes.
Empress Dowager then conceived the current Emperor but age was taking its toll. So, as soon as Empress Dowager's appearance started resembling an aged woman, the previous Emperor lost all interest in her and started approaching the young maids of the Imperial Palace. Furious about getting treated like this, Empress Dowager confronted the previous Emperor.
This experience sent the Emperor into depression and The Apothecary Diaries season 2 episode 9 saw him grounding himself in a simple room where he started painting canvases of little girls. Empress Dowager exited the room after sorting her feelings and confronted Jinshi. The male protagonist playfully talked to her about their past encounter.
The Apothecary Diaries season 2 episode 9 then saw the Empress Dowager calling Jinshi a "mistake child," hinting that he was not the biological child of Empress Dowager and the previous Emperor. The episode ended with Empress Dowager commenting on how Jinshi had acquired an interesting girl (Maomao) as she wanted the male protagonist to protect the female protagonist from others.
Related Links
- The Apothecary Diaries season 2 reveals main trailer
- The Apothecary Diaries chapter 80 release date
- How old is Jinshi in The Apothecary Diaries? Age explained
