Kusuriya no Hitorigoto - Ch. 78.1 - The Stronghold (Part 1)

[StormSen]

There's been so long I forgot, why did they kidnap Mao Mao and bring her to this place?

Maomao was putting two and two together. Specifically sniffing around the medical house, finding Rouran's insect book. Given her already proven detective abilities, she was well on her way: to 1) recognizing that the old maid running the clinic was actively involved in killing infants (by suppressing info about the face powder); and 2) recognizing that consort Rouran (daughter of She Shou) was tied to that clinic.

Secondly, it's possible that they intend to use Maomao as a hostage against Lakan. Alternatively, if they killed Maomao at that time and that was discovered, it would have brought the wrath and full attention of Lakan.

Thirdly, it's possible that Rouran personally did not want to kill Maomao (noting that she just saved Maomao from a whipping by lying). Perhaps even Sui Rei likes/respects Maomao.

Fourth, they may have wanted to find out what Maomao knew already and who she had told.

Fifth, they may have thought that Maomao had some utility (as apothecary, etc.) (Just bribe her by allowing her to be a mad scientist!)

Sixth, maybe they just like cats.

 

[dumbziri]

There's been so long I forgot, why did they kidnap Mao Mao and bring her to this place?

Because Rou Ran is gay for her or what the post above said I guess

 

[Quarterdane]

I recommend some iocane powder for yourself and the evil noble.

"Never go against an apothecary when medicine is on the line"?

 

[Junpaku]

Just gonna say as a LN reader that this is just the tip of the iceberg for how messed up and evil Shenmei is. Like "wondering how much of her atrocities they're going to to be able to show with the censorship differences in words vs pictures" level of messed up. Gonna be interesting.

 

[beThereShortly]

...I have no clue how she can get out of this situation now... nor how Jinshin could reach out to help / rescue her...
Can't wait to see what happens next!

 

[Vemon]

I kinda lost track that Rou Ran is married to the emperor (I even rewatched the anime a couple of days before reading the previous chapters) maybe you could add that to the charts? would be helpful

 

[Junpaku]

I kinda lost track that Rou Ran is married to the emperor (I even rewatched the anime a couple of days before reading the previous chapters) maybe you could add that to the charts? would be helpful

Not married, consort/concubine. There's so much infighting (and assassinations) between the consorts and their supporters because they're vying for the position of official wife and empress.

 

[IronMace1990]

Just gonna say as a LN reader that this is just the tip of the iceberg for how messed up and evil Shenmei is. Like "wondering how much of her atrocities they're going to to be able to show with the censorship differences in words vs pictures" level of messed up. Gonna be interesting.

Like "We're still dealing with the messes the Shi did, done and left even when they're gone" level of messed up?

 

[Junpaku]

Like "We're still dealing with the messes the Shi did, done and left when they're gone" level of messed up?

"Shenmei has some fucked up shit happening in that fortress because she's only happy when other people's lives are ruined" level of messed up.

 

[Beregorn]

What are the chances of that happening, almost nothing, a 1 in 100.000, an improbable probability... NO WAY.

More like one in a million. EXACTLY one in a million...

 

[IronMace1990]

"Shenmei has some fucked up shit happening in that fortress because she's only happy when other people's lives are ruined" level of messed up.

Yeah. I can see that. She's one of the fine examples of this quote: "An evil man will burn his own nation to the ground to rule over the ashes" (Well in this case, she's a woman, but still applicable...)

 

[Kip44]

Since she's considered an illegitimate child by the Big Bitch, I guess it would be the equivalent of denying Sui Ren her father's family name, and she's forced to use her mother's family name instead. It's still pretty common these days, even in the US.

Legally that is possible in the US, but I've never heard of anyone doing it or read about it. Can you provide a source that supports that being common in the US?

 

[Cidolfas]

"Shenmei has some fucked up shit happening in that fortress because she's only happy when other people's lives are ruined" level of messed up.

Spoiler

On the tame end, she has a pit of venomous snakes to toss people into. That's some bond villain stuff.

 

[cokelemon]

How??? How did Maomao know that Shi Sui = Rou Ran? They didn't really elaborate

 

[Imryse]

Just gonna say as a LN reader that this is just the tip of the iceberg for how messed up and evil Shenmei is. Like "wondering how much of her atrocities they're going to to be able to show with the censorship differences in words vs pictures" level of messed up. Gonna be interesting.

that's disappointing, I was hoping this would wrap up soon.

 

[ultrabread]

she still thinkin about that frog

 

[Oodori]

Oh crapppp civil war arc!!!!! A must have in any historical story haha

 

[daywithoutgames]

page 7 :
actually , in this room , there are several guards / soldiers with swords , but the artist doesnt even bother to draw their faces , lol .

page 15 :
- mao mao : screw jin shi and his secrets , i have more important things to do right now , like playing with these drugs and herbs .

in this chapter , we have a cat ( mao mao ) , a brat ( kyouu ) , and a rat / a piece of sc@t ( shen mei ) , lol , pun .

another hint that shi sui is actually rou ran : in a previous chapter , shi sui avoided the mother of the current emperor , because the mother knew the face of rou ran .

previously , mao mao could not realize that shi sui was actually rou ran . i guess the reason is : mao mao can only remember drugs and herbs , and she is not good with remember the faces of peoples .

shen mei wants the elixir of immortal . well , in the future , she will really need it , because she dares to start a rebel against the current emperor , and she dares to threaten mao mao , the main character of this manga .
shen mei 's life looks very dark in the future . i hope the elixir will save her life , lol .

her name , shen mei = 神 美 = god - beauty .

she is a daughter of the previous leader of the shi clan , but for some reason , her name is "shen mei" , not "shi mei" .

now she is the real leader of the shi clan . her husband , shi shou , is just a puppet leader . she can do whatever she wants , like treating sui rei and rou ran like trash .

 

[angeaeth]

oh no i caught up thanks for the TL!