Jinshi is unusual due to his incredible beauty and love of making others squirm. As a top manager in the Inner Palace, is either a flaw?
The Apothecary Diaries (Kusuriya no Hitorigoto) spoilers ahead!
Summary
- Jinshi is a beautiful eunuch, who seems to hold the highest position in the inner palace.
- His beauty is his asset, which he uses to test the concubines and to get people to do what he wants.
- His love of mischief seems innocent at first, but his position means that nobody can tell him to stop.
- Jinshi is not the worst manager ever; people in his position are known to do much worse things.
In The Apothecary Diaries, Jinshi is one of the recurrent characters. It makes sense, as he is probably the most powerful eunuch in the inner palace. He serves his emperor loyally, but it doesn't mean that he can’t have some fun along the way.
Jinshi’s Idea of Fun
Jinshi knows he is beautiful, and he knows how to use that beauty. As fans rightfully point out, he is a walking harassment case. It is especially visible when he tries to charm someone who is not interested, for example, the main character Maomao.
Maomao doesn't appreciate Jinshi’s advances at all, but her cold demeanor seems to be even more enticing to Jinshi than the maids who faint at first sight. The man seems to appreciate the challenge, which is why his actions indeed can be classified as harassment.
A Justification?
Most likely, Jinshi is expected to be beautiful and flirt with the residents of the inner palace, especially the concubines, to test their loyalty to the emperor. It hardly justifies harassing Maomao, but it’s quite clear that Jinshi prefers Maomao’s reaction, possibly because women swooning over his beauty is getting old.
Fans note that it is unusual to see a man using his sexuality to get what he wants, and that does not excuse him either, but it makes Jinshi a refreshing sight. Finally, to be pessimistically realistic, Jinshi could probably get away with much worse as a manager of the inner palace, where women are bought and sold and have very few opportunities for justice. He can probably do anything in his position and never be punished. His idea of fun consists of watching Maomao be disgusted by him, and he doesn't do anything truly unsavory, which is why Jinshi’s actions are somewhat justifiable.
In the end, he is a smart man who manages the inner palace and occasionally teases those around him. Fans agree that he is nowhere near the worst manager, especially considering the time period.