The Apothecary Diaries: Who Tried To Kill Jinshi?

The Apothecary Diaries is a Japanese light novel series written by Natsu Hyūga. Originally published in 2011, the work was adapted into a manga series published in May 2017. An anime produced by Toho Animation Studio and OLM has been broadcast since October 2023. The focus of the series is the heroine Maomao, the titular apothecary, and her daily activities on the court, but Jinshi is definitely another character who stands out among the cast of The Apothecary Diaries. In the recent anime episode, an attempt was made on Jinshi’s life, and it was Maomao who saved his life. But who tried to kill Jinshi and why? This is something we are going to discuss in this article.
Someone tried to kill Jinshi during a ceremony
Before we actually reveal more information about the identity of the assassin, let us walk you through what actually happened. Jinshi is an important character in the series, that is a well-known fact, and he is a very important member of the imperial court, which is why he is often at the center of many courtly dealings. But, while his importance is undeniable, it is also the reason why he is always a target of intrigue, as his presence is not really acceptable to everyone.
While the series will explore many such intrigues, in this article, we are going to discuss what happened in Episode 19 of the anime, when an attempt was made on Jinshi’s life. He was, of course, in the process of a sacred ceremony, so it made him a relatively easy target for what the unknown assassins had in store for him. So, how was it all executed?
In the ceremonial chamber, there were several heavy metal pillars suspended above the person performing the ceremony. Maomao was speaking to the man who was in charge of fixing them, and he explained the whole mechanism, as well as what initially worried him about the pillar. Still, he assured her that everything was alright and that whoever was underneath was safe. Yet, Maomao was not assured. In fact, she began to connect the dots – the issue of strength, the stolen ceremonial tool, etc. – and she deduced that the mechanism was sabotaged as to fall on Jinshi during the ceremony.
Having “solved the mystery,” she rushed towards the chamber to save Jinshi’s life. She was stopped and beaten by one of the guards, but Lakan’s convenient arrival allowed her to enter. She ran towards Jinshi and was able to push him out of the way a moment before the heavy pillars fell down. This effectively saved his life, as he would have surely died had he been struck by these pillars.
Who tried to kill Jinshi? The identity of the assassin remains a secret…
So, now that we have explained what happened, we can actually discuss the identity of Jinshi’s assassin. There is no doubt that this “accident” was an assassination attempt, and knowing how the court functions, this isn’t something overly surprising. But, sadly, the series hasn’t revealed the identity of Jinshi’s assassin or his assassins.
It is possible that there is a larger plot against Jinshi within the court and that more than one person is involved or that it is just one rival who wants to eliminate Jinshi. Be that as it may, most fans think that Lakan is involved in one way or another. His convenient appearance behind Maomao just in time seems odd, and while he did help her, it could just be that he was securing himself a degree of plausible deniability or that he thought that Maomao would not arrive in time to save Jinshi.
This is a heated debate among fans of The Apothecary Diaries, and while we cannot confirm or deny that Lakan is to blame, we definitely think that there is something going on and that Lakan might know more than he wants us to think. But, for more information, be sure to keep following the series and our portal!
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