In the grand scheme of things a useful as she might be to the emperor or even beloved by Jinshi Maomao's value as a hostage is basically nothing when it comes to treason on this scale.
Rakan clearly has a major weakness for the people he loves and Luomen is the one that helped him find his way in life despite his disability. Learning to identify people as game pieces was a crucial step forward for him.
MaoMao turning down eating locusts and frogs kind of surprised me, she's the last person I expected to be a picky eater. Poisoned soup is a yes but roasted frog is a no, silly cat.
In further speculation Shi Sui chewing the lantern plant is interesting especially considering Maomao's comment...
It helps to buy outfits one piece at a time if they're too spendy, maybe one every other paycheck as a treat. You can mix and match the pieces with stuff you already own until you get the whole thing you wanted. It's not a bad way to build a wardrobe.