The various murder mysteries and puzzles around the Imperial Palace in The Apothecary Diaries are one of its most appealing aspects. Watching Maomao solve and explain them keeps the intrigue up, making us come back for more each episode.
We’ve seen a few assassination attempts in The Apothecary Diaries, mainly targeting the high-ranking Consorts and Jinshi. The latter has been in danger at least twice in the series, with fairly bold attempts. If Maomao hadn’t uncovered the secrets, he would’ve died in the first season.
We witnessed yet another attempt in Season 2, although this time, Jinshi was saved by his athleticism. He’s a significant character in The Apothecary Diaries, but Natsu Hyuuga almost permanently killed him early on in the story by the person you’d least expect.
The creator initially planned for Gaoshun to murder Jinshi in The Apothecary Diaries
Gaoshun is the trusted attendant of Jinshi, who is a source of strength and resilience. He’s devoted to the Imperial Family and an incredibly loyal person, even acting as a surrogate father to the young man. They are always around each other, too.
Jinshi and Gaoshun’s father-son dynamic is one of the most wholesome in The Apothecary Diaries. They trust and care for each other. The older man is also brutally honest with the prince, advising him and scolding when necessary. As Jinshi became closer to Maomao, Gaoshun slowly became fond and protective of her as well.
Overall, Gaoshun is the most trustworthy and honest character in The Apothecary Diaries, without a doubt. Others would be lost without his help. The fact that Maomao, of all people, is comfortable with him tells us a lot. He’s also sacrificed a lot for Jinshi’s sake to protect him and be by his side as his attendant.
So, imagine our surprise when Natsu Hyuuga, the creator of The Apothecary Diaries, revealed that she had plotted to kill off Jinshi, and the murderer was none other than Gaoshun. He would’ve also had less of a political standing than we see now. She spoke about this in an interview with NHK World, which featured a special episode about the series.
This Instagram user, @alli_bugg23, spills all the necessary details of the interview that pertain to Jinshi’s storyline. He quickly became a fan favorite, to Hyuuga’s disdain, so she abandoned the plot to kill him off early on.
Fans are grateful she didn’t go down this path, as it would’ve devastated us. It would’ve ruined Gaoshun’s character and their wholesome dynamic. Not to mention, it would’ve wasted Jinshi’s potential, now that we see how fleshed out he is. Hyuuga, however, also spoke of an alternative twist to his arc.
The Apothecary Diaries originally ended at Volume 4 with Jinshi faking his death
If Gaoshun hadn’t killed Jinshi as she originally planned, Natsu Hyuuga had an ending for the series in mind, too. The anime adaptation is currently covering Volume 4 and would’ve ended there if it wasn’t for her editor convincing her to write more. Now, it’s standing at 16 volumes.
The twist ending, however, is quite interesting. The creator planned to have Jinshi fake his death, although the full details aren’t explicitly told to us. He would’ve then been caught and exiled instead, which is a fate fans prefer rather than permanent death.
The Apothecary Diaries wouldn’t be the same without Jinshi. His entire arc shows how complex and twisted the Imperial Family and Palace are. Gaoshun is also the only person he trusts without a doubt, so thankfully, she didn’t ruin his character either.
Fans were shocked that this was ever a plan, but Hyuuga also never imagined Jinshi would become so beloved. Maomao’s chemistry with him had fans swooning, and if he had died, many would’ve stopped reading.
The Apothecary Diaries can currently be streamed on Crunchyroll and Netflix.
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