In the previous episode, we see that Maomao wakes up in Jinshi’s quarters, finding herself wrapped in bandages. This sparks a flurry of questions and discussions as Maomao unravels the mysteries surrounding recent events.

Her sharp eye for detail and logical thinking take the spotlight as she recounts her involvement in a dangerous ceremony, where she thwarted a plot against a noble. Connecting the dots between past incidents and a recent theft, Maomao points fingers at a metalsmith, suspecting their unwitting involvement in a larger scheme.

As Jinshi grapples with Maomao’s revelations, attention turns to Suiren, whose sudden death raises suspicions. Lihaku’s investigation uncovers evidence incriminating Suiren, but Maomao remains unconvinced, refusing to believe her former ally acted alone.

Her persistence leads to a shocking revelation a cleverly staged escape disguised as Suiren’s demise. Meanwhile, Jinshi finds himself tangled in political intrigue and personal reflections, contemplating his relationships with Maomao and the mysterious Luolan.

Amid talks of potential suitors and courtly duties, Jinshi confronts his desires and uncertainties, hinting at deeper layers beneath his calm facade. Let’s see when episode 21 of The Apothecary Diaries is going to be released, the timings, and where to watch it.

Recap

In The Apothecary Diaries Season 1 Episode 20 things get intense! The episode starts with Maomao waking up in Jinshi’s room all wrapped up in bandages. Turns out, she got hurt and ended up there. Suiren, a friend, tells her why she’s there and gives her some tea.

Then, Suiren takes Maomao to a meeting with Jinshi, Gaoshun, and Basen. Jinshi asks Maomao why she went to a ceremony and how she knew something bad was going to happen. Maomao spills the beans about a plan to hurt a noble and connects it to some past cases.

She also talks about some stuff stolen from the ceremony and a metalsmith who might be involved. Maomao thinks the metalsmith didn’t know what he was making and was just doing a job. She figures the person who hired him knew the secret behind making the special metal for the ceremony.

Jinshi and Maomao chat a bit about what should happen to the metalsmith. Then, Maomao starts wondering why Jinshi was even at the ceremony and what might’ve gone down if the bad guys had succeeded.

She even thinks Suiren might have something to do with it. Later, Suiren tells Maomao that Lihaku wants to talk to her. Lihaku tells Maomao that Suiren was tied up in some bad stuff and that she’s dead now.

He says she drank poison, and the doctor confirmed it. But Maomao’s not convinced Suiren did it alone. Maomao gets back to work with Suiren but keeps thinking about whether Suiren could’ve pulled it off solo.

She talks to Jinshi about it and gets him to take her to the morgue to talk to the doctor who did Suiren’s autopsy. At the morgue, Maomao asks the doctor if the poison has something called thornapple in it.

She thinks back to a hill where she chatted with Suiren and wonders if it had thornapple plants. The doc isn’t sure, but Maomao thinks it could be important. Maomao opens Suiren’s coffin and finds out it’s not Suiren inside! The doc swears he saw Suiren’s dead body, but Maomao’s not buying it.

She thinks the doctor might’ve been tricked into not looking closely enough. Jinshi wonders why Suiren’s body got switched, but Maomao thinks Suiren faked her death using some special medicine. This medicine can make people look dead for a while.

Maomao points out an empty coffin nearby, where she thinks Suiren is sleeping instead of being dead. Maomao explains how Suiren and her pal pulled off this sneaky switch. Now Maomao’s eager to meet Suiren again and maybe learn more about the medicine she used.

Meanwhile, Jinshi’s dealing with his drama. He’s thinking about Suiren’s case and also about his connections to Maomao and Luolan. He talks with Gaoshun about his family stuff and even considers finding a girlfriend for himself.

Jinshi and Gaoshun visit Luolan and talk about her connection to the royal family. Even though the emperor might not be interested in her, Luolan is still important because of her ties to the Empress Dowager.

Later, Jinshi checks in with Lady Gyokuyou, who’s having health problems. He tells Maomao to go to the rear palace to help Gyokuyou.

Maomao thinks Gyokuyou might be pregnant but later changes her mind. She finishes her tasks at the rear palace and heads out, still mulling over the mysteries. At the Verdigris House, Lihaku overhears some gossip about someone leaving. This news hints at more trouble brewing.

Release Date & Where to Watch

The Apothecary Diaries Season 1 Episode 21 is set to release on 2 March 2024. Let’s see the timings of The Apothecary Diaries Episode 21 for various regions

• Japanese Standard Time: 12:55 AM on Saturday, March 2, 2024
• Central European Time: 4:55 pm on Sunday, March 3, 2024
• Australian Capital Territory: 2:55 AM on Sunday, March 3, 2024
• Pacific Time: 7:55 AM on Sunday, March 3, 2024

Fans can watch The Apothecary Diaries Episode 21 on Crunchyroll.