The author always surprises me with how much forethought he can dig up from chapters so long before. A piece of dried pineapple skin from a silly banquet--! Genius use of previous plot.
That would be quite hilarious actually (and I admit I haven't spoiled myself on the final chapter raw scans)... It'd call back memories of how Matabei's father just dipped out of samurai politics to live a reasonably nice-ish life for the time period. (But it'd be hard to imagine Oribe abandoning his wife.)