Kusuriya no Hitorigoto - Vol. 15 Ch. 78.2 - The Stronghold (Part 2)

[MorriSnek]

Wonder how many people will get caught in the crossfire of this, or if they plan to really use Mao Mao as a hostage as intended to negotiate terms.

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.

 

[IlsaTilsaKilsaMilsa]

I never get tired of seeing Lakan be tamed by Loumen or Maomao, he makes a complete 180 lmao.

As surprising it to see it physically, on the other hand, it makes sense if you consider that Luomen was the one who taught Rakan how to maneuver with his facial blindness, encouraged his intelligence and basically was his father figure. In that sense, Rakan would've considered to be Luomen's "Son" which can happen in Chinese family dynamics.

Yeah just compare Lakan's bio father to Loumen. His bio father basically ruined his life by sending him away to the western region and then never forwarded the letters to him. Whereas Loumen did as you said, it is quite clear who he pays respect to out of his elders.

 

[AnotherDuck]

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.

She's really only a massive liability as a hostage. She holds little value for negotiations as a hostage, but still paints a giant target on their backs.

 

[mikatuki]

The Emperor was indeed merciful. The cuprit's family(3 generations) should have been beheaded following ancient Chinese law.

 

[alacaelum]

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.

As surprising it to see it physically, on the other hand, it makes sense if you consider that Luomen was the one who taught Rakan how to maneuver with his facial blindness, encouraged his intelligence and basically was his father figure. In that sense, Rakan would've considered to be Luomen's "Son" which can happen in Chinese family dynamics.

You are right, thinking back to all the people he loves he has a really high degree of weakness to them... I would even call it a little worship.

They are people who in some way or other, had gone around his peculiarities, Luomen that taught him the tricks to deal with people and nurtured his talents, Fengxian the love of his life who was just as cunning and intelligent as him, and Maomao the greatest treasure of his life that he can naturally see her face but that is forever distant of him because of his mistakes.

 

[IronMace1990]

Then after suppressing the Shi Clan rebellion, Lakan vs Zui is something like this: Father-in-law and son-in-law testing each other's patience in every encounter 😂

 

[HDMI1]

In the chart there should be a line connecting Mao Mao and Rahan with "Step-Siblings" labeled between them.

 

[Cidolfas]

Honestly, temper your expectations because the translation of it isn't that good.
There's a few people in our discord with PTSD because of it.
You might or might not notice it if you don't compare it with the original Japanese.

I've read the JP webnovel and the official EN light novel, and there are changes between them that I generally think are improvements.

What's done wrong between the JP light novel and the EN version? I haven't noticed anything PTSD inducing at all.

 

[StormSen]

Feels like we missed a chapter... The one where they go from "knowing nothing about where Maomao is" to "Shi clan has her!".

... Okay there was the bit where they found out that Rouran was switching out with her maids. Still, even if you supposed that Shi clan was involved in Maomao's disappearance, then they would have no idea whether Maomao is still alive, or where she might be. (She could be stashed somewhere in the capital, or with some affiliate house.)

 

[Veruschka]

But why? The country is at peace.. no tyrannical ruler as well... What are they displeased with?

 

[IronMace1990]

But why? The country is at peace.. no tyrannical ruler as well... What are they displeased with?

It's more like Shenmei's personal grudge against the previous Emperor (Emperor Yang's father), and she managed to convince several people to join her 'cause'

 

[WhimsiCat]

Feels like we missed a chapter... The one where they go from "knowing nothing about where Maomao is" to "Shi clan has her!".

... Okay there was the bit where they found out that Rouran was switching out with her maids. Still, even if you supposed that Shi clan was involved in Maomao's disappearance, then they would have no idea whether Maomao is still alive, or where she might be. (She could be stashed somewhere in the capital, or with some affiliate house.)

Maomao practically dropped a 'this is the culprit' with her hidden message, then it became pretty much confirmed with Rouran's escape + Shi Shou's disappearance.

Rahan, Rakan's adopted son, offer to help figure out where the Shi clan might be gathering their resources back in ch 75, and this chapter is him pointing out his 'educated guess'

 

[testro]

Seems like everyone with half a brain can tell these motherfuckers are going to get massacred so I'm curious what is exactly their master plan? Just having a lot of guns?

Their master plan was not to get caught for a while. They were caught too soon because they drew the eye of Lakan by kidnapping Maomao

 

[SageVonManga]

Wonder how many people will get caught in the crossfire of this, or if they plan to really use Mao Mao as a hostage as intended to negotiate terms.

The evil mother knows nothing about her to begin with, it's really just the sisters that know her. Even they only know she works for Jinshi and that she is very knowledgeable / capable but have no way of knowing she could be used as a hostage. At best they captured her so she couldn't interfere in their plans anymore. Sui Rei had stated previously they didn't plan to take her to the fortress, which means they never intended to make her presence known to the evil mother. The sisters are just doing their own thing with regards to Maomao.

Her practical value as a bargaining chip would actually be against Rakan anyways, if the higher ups of the coup knew about her they'd have already used her as a hostage to get him on their side as soon as they'd captured her. She has no value as a hostage after the army is mobilized.

 

[TwinAero]

Time to cast the eunuch aside and become the prince you were born to be.

MaoMao witnessing froggy at full mast.
MaoMao: That line was broken!

 

[AmeAmeAme]

Seems like everyone with half a brain can tell these motherfuckers are going to get massacred so I'm curious what is exactly their master plan? Just having a lot of guns?

Having a "lots" of gun/rifle in a battle proved to be very effective in that era though. Just look at Oda Nobunaga. That sickos managed to conquered almost all of Sengoku era Japan with his sophisticated-firearm army.

 

[snapdragon007]

👀 PRINCE Jinshi incoming

 

[PinkSakuraFlower]

Oh, do you mean disconnected to us the 4th wall audience? I meant that everything probably seemed disconnected for the characters in the story until Maomao started pointing things out. I do agree that it does seem disconnected for us.

Ahhhhh, you meant that kind of disconnection-
Oh yeah, there is that. Then again, I can't tell if its because of in the story, there's a lot going on to have time to figure it out or if its because the story demands it like that. There were probably more context clues if it were the light novel that might seem otherwise, but I'm not a judge of that.

 

[Tarage]

But why? The country is at peace.. no tyrannical ruler as well... What are they displeased with?

Not being in power.

 

[TheGodEmperor]

And this is one of the downsides of a collectivist ideology. It is a trash justice system to punish the innocents just for relations. by its own logic the entire imperial family should be executed