Lakan - Blog Posts
A very very dumb Apothecary diaries AU where Lakan checks in on Fengxian before he leaves finds out she's pregnant. She can't go with him or marry him yet but instead while he goes abroad to study she stays with Luomen helping him set up pharmacy after he's cast out from his family.
She and Lakan stay in regular contact through letters, both of them gushing over letters only for someone top look over their shoulders and see letter is only a move in go They're playing long distance each letter is just the next move. At least until Maomao is born the Fengxian includes scribble drawings Maomao does or hand prints...Lakan office and room are full all walls covered in them.
The two reunite and although they live with La clan and Lakan gets headship but they still visit Luoman and the visit Verdigris house (Madame still hastes Lakan but they send good business recommending them to high ranking officials). So Maomao still has her big sisters and still learns about medicine and poison from Luomen.
She still tests on herself , Lakan freaks out but Fengxian trusts her daughter just makes sure they have plenty of antivenom and antidotes ( Basically every room in the LA family state has an emergency draw for if Maomao has had poison again)
Maomao doesn't get kidnapped, she ends up in rear palace because consort Ah-Dou she can see that Lishu is struggling she can't intervene or protect her within her own court so she contacts Fenxian who she's met at functions other the years.
Ah-Dou- Fengxian you have a daughter correct. Is she as terrifying as you?
Fenxian: Of course
Ah-Dou: May I please request a favor?
Maomao enters Lishu's court not as a noble but as a lady in waiting (and the food tester, it's how she agreed to it)
Maomao: Do I really need to go into court I want to make medicine
Fengxian: You will be testing food for poison
Maomao:....deal
She of course see's the bullying in the court and instantly Nopes, she does totally overhaul terrifying Lishu's ladies in waiting and getting rid of them, she spends time around other servants and ends up recruiting other servants as new ladies in waiting ones who will actually care for and protect Lishu. Full big sister Maomao mode with Lishu.
She keeps an eye on other departments dressing as a maid while moving around to avoid suspicion and still see's the confrontation between Gyokuyo and Lishu and sends the messages with torn dress (She didn't get chance to change and couldn't go into their pavilions in her lady in waiting clothes)
She gets dragged in the room with other maids also, she kinda gets stuck and pulled in and meets Gyokuyo having to admit so sorry can't be your lady in waiting already Lishu's. Jinshi suddenly puts together about the totally change in ladies in waiting and promotion of other servants. Jinshi is very curious but Maomao is able to divert attention.
Gyokuyo still wants to see Maomao and so she moves between both her and Lishu and gets Lishu to spend more time with Gyokuyo the two getting along well.
She also helps Lihua as before and then she is basically going between 3 of them and the 3 consorts spend time together... Lihua and Gyokuyo figure out who Moamao is but they're not saying they want to keep Maomao around and also they are all shipping Jinmao and enjoying watching this soap opera.
The banquet happens but Maomao is of course Lishu's food tester not Gyokuyo's but none of the old ladies in waiting are there to bully Lishu and swap bowls so Moamao still gets poison. (She 100% tried to get to test food for all 3 consorts ... they didn't let her)
Lakan still trolls Jinshi because he's seen letters Ah-Dou and others sent Fengxian keeping her updated and is suspicious about Jinshi and his precious daughter. (Fengxian and Jinshi are planning the wedding already)
When Maomao is still dismissed after the poisoning is revealed and Jinshi is super upset and sulky until fancy banquet and high ranking personnel and then sees Maomao again as daughter of head of La clan...
Maomao: I suppose you are upset than I hide my identity
Jinshi:...
Jinshi:Yes very upset (he says hypothetically ignoring looks he is getting form the emperor and Gaoshun)
She still comes back to rear place (The consorts missed her so much... plus they have a betting pool... a lot of people are in it Fengxian has a board plotting moves so the 2 get together when she's bet...while Lakan is pouting in corner that no one deserves their baby girl)
(Light Novel spoilers
Lahan is raised as Maomao's brother and adores his sister, the two are chaos gremlins her making medicines and him plotting how to self and market them
He is also adored by Verdegris house the beloved little brother... also everyone is pretty sure he and Maomao are twins they know there was only 1 baby but... they're sure the 2 are siblings.
The madame also adores him both coming up with schemes for money and he happily does the accounting when they visit (they're sure he's her favorite)
When Jinshi sees them together before knowing they're related he thinks the 2 might be a couple, Gaoshun is face palming and despairing while the courtesans are losing it laughing)
The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 - Episode 18
HE STILL LOVES HER MOTHER? OMFG
MEIMEI AND MAOMAO YOU SNEAKY BASTARDS OMFGGGG YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST. I CANTTT WITH THIS SHOW
I THOUGHT LAKAN WAS AN IDIOT
AND HE STILL SEES HER AS THE SAME FROM BEFORE, HE DOESN'T SEE THE SCARS.
STOPPP I CANT THEYRE SO AGAGAGGAGAG
AND AND MEIMEI YOURE SO ME IN THAT SCENARIO.
Spoilers for season 1 episode 23 of The apothecary diaries
SO YOURE FUCKING TELLING ME
YOURE FUCKING TELLING ME
LAKAN WAS A TYPICAL STUPID MAN AND THAT CAUSED MAOMAOS MOTHER TO LOSE HER STATUS AS A COURTESAN AND, FORCED TO TAKE REGULAR STINKY CUSTOMERS AND CONTRACT SYPHILIS AND BE BASICALLY INSANE
BECAUSE LAKAN IS A FUCKING MORON WHO CANT PICK UP CONTEXT CLUES.
IM GONNA FUCKING AHAKSGWJGS
OMFGGGGGGGG
WHAT IS THIS WHAT IS GOING ON IM GONNA PULL MY HAIR OUT WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK THIS IS MY LIVE REACTION WHAT THE FUCKKKK
Spoilers for season 1 episode 23 of The apothecary diaries
SO YOURE FUCKING TELLING ME
YOURE FUCKING TELLING ME
LAKAN WAS A TYPICAL STUPID MAN AND THAT CAUSED MAOMAOS MOTHER TO LOSE HER STATUS AS A COURTESAN AND, FORCED TO TAKE REGULAR STINKY CUSTOMERS AND CONTRACT SYPHILIS AND BE BASICALLY INSANE
BECAUSE LAKAN IS A FUCKING MORON WHO CANT PICK UP CONTEXT CLUES.
IM GONNA FUCKING AHAKSGWJGS
OMFGGGGGGGG
WHAT IS THIS WHAT IS GOING ON IM GONNA PULL MY HAIR OUT WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK THIS IS MY LIVE REACTION WHAT THE FUCKKKK
Maybe i should watch the anime after all?
It’s incredibly important to me that the anime decided to include this scene that wasn’t in the manga. In the manga, Maomao does pass out in Jinshi’s lap after saving him from what was obviously an assassination attempt.
HOWEVER, the manga cuts off at this point, keeping strictly in Maomao’s perspective, and cuts straight to when she regains consciousness in bed after being treated for her injuries. The manga doesn’t show how she got back. They SAY how, and she briefly mentions, “wow that must have been embarrassing; he carried me back,” but we don’t SEE it. We don’t get to feel the true impact of what that means. But the anime DID show us, and holy shit.
They SHOW us how taboo this is. They show Jinshi carrying her out of the temple, after a public attempt on his life.
They show us the shock and horror on Lakan’s face as Jinshi silently walks past him. Horror at the state his daughter is in, horror at another man—a man with a status he could never dare to question—staking such a public claim over his child, horror at the fact that he could never have this level of closeness with her (as Maomao would never allow it).
Everyone hides their gazes, as is their custom when someone of his rank passes by, but the air is different this time. Jinshi is furious, he’s terrified, and he could not give a single shit about how inappropriate it looks to these palace officials.
The shot that slowly follows her trail of blood—even though it’s a small detail—that in particular leaves such a intense impression of how poignant this is for him.
Maomao talked about this scene in the manga like it was nothing to her. She did what she set out to do: she saved the person who was targeted by the attack. She didn’t even know the target would be someone she knew. But she has no idea that this happened afterwards as a result of her bravery. To her, it likely wasn’t even an act of bravery at all. She acted on impulse; she did what she knew was the right thing to do.
The anime didn’t need to include this, because the manga didn’t show it. But damn, I’m so glad they did.