The Emperor’s Impact on ‘The Apothecary Diaries’ Makes a Bigger Difference Because of His Smaller Presence
- The Emperor chooses to stay neutral from the politics of the inner court.
- He makes many good changes but is still restricted by tradition.
- His love for Jinshi makes the Emperor support whatever Jinshi wants.
One of the most complex characters of The Apothecary Diaries is undoubtedly the Emperor, whose presence can be felt from time to time. Even though he is the most powerful character in the series, we hardly see him directly interacting with other characters extensively.
This does not mean the Emperor is powerless or a recluse, as we have seen him making waves with just a single command. The Emperor’s power and influence are so vast that he does not have to be actively involved all the time.
His limited presence is a boon in itself for a majority of the characters, and perhaps knowingly, the Emperor chooses to be away from the happenings of the inner court. Had he been more active, there is a high chance everyone’s lives in The Apothecary Diaries would have been far more restrictive.
The neutral good Emperor of The Apothecary Diaries
When a ruler has an immense amount of power, doing some heinous and devious things becomes the norm. However, the Emperor has a very effective concept of attaining peace without being overtly despotic in his rule. His ideology is further proven in his way of dealing with the many concubines that he has and maintaining order in the inner court by equally favoring his favorites.
The Emperor currently has four important concubines, and though he leans towards Gyokuyou, he also has a soft spot for Lihua. Not only that, his other concubines, like Lishu and Loulan, enjoy significant respect from him, even when they are not close to each other.
His views are also surprisingly more liberal than one can imagine. The Emperor is the first one to abolish men turning into eunuchs by surgery, resulting in having less help around his palace. But his generosity also has limitations as he is still in a position where he must live within the boundaries of tradition. When he had to abolish Ah-Duo to the southern imperial villa, it was heartbreaking but a necessary decision for a greater purpose.
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If he wanted, he could also make many important and significant changes that favor women, like letting them make medicine. However, the Emperor is again restricted by social pressures, making him the best option in a regressive era.
The emperor’s role in Jinshi’s life
The relationship between the Emperor and Jinshi is an interesting one to explore because of the abnormal family dynamics they share. Jinshi enjoys a significant amount of independence, going around and acting like a eunuch rather than an imperial Prince with a direct claim to the throne.
The Emperor definitely wants Jinshi to prepare for his duties, but he still respects his wishes to have other goals. He also does not come in between the budding relationship between Maomao and Jinshi, giving them room for organic growth.
Maomao’s deduction about Jinshi being the Emperor’s son rather than brother has not been proven in the anime or manga yet. But one thing is clear, the Emperor loves Jinshi too much to force his own expectations on him.
The Emperor’s limited involvement does not lessen his role in everyone’s lives but rather enhances it. Much of the intriguing events that we witness in the story right now are thanks to him, proving his worth all the more.
