In Episode 10, Jinshi sends Maomao to the Garnet Pavilion, which belongs to Ah-Duo.
Jinshi suspects that someone from the Garnet Pavilion attempted to poison Lishu.
Fengming is suspected because of her loyalty to Ah-Duo, but Maomao finds little evidence of her being the culprit.
Is this whole arc a red herring?
In Episode 10, Maomao visits the Garnet Pavilion for the first time. There, she finds Fengming, an extremely loyal lady-in-waiting who never married, presumably, to keep taking care of Ah-Duo. Is she the one who poisoned Lishu?
Motive
The main reason why the Garnet Pavilion is now suspected of trying to kill Lishu is because of the rumors about a new concubine that is going to replace one of the main concubines. According to the rumors, Ah-Duo would be most likely to lose her position due to her age (35). In light of that, getting rid of a concubine so that she is replaced and not Ah-Duo makes sense to some extent. Of course, it is also a very dangerous thing to do, but someone desperate might try it.
Everything is Connected
Fengming is singled out by Maomao based on very limited evidence. The woman’s wrist is covered in bandages, and both Maomao and Jinshi believe that the case of the wooden tablets is connected to the poisoning. In fact, fans wonder if the drowning case is also connected to the poisoning; perhaps, the drowned woman was the one who poisoned Lishu and then got drowned to hide the evidence. But the drowned woman did not have any signs of the rash that the wooden tablets cause. According to Gaoshun, it was a lady from the Garnet Pavilion who showed some rash, even though he never specifies which lady. It could have been Fengming, but we do not know for sure.
Fengming and Lishu
Fengming is loyal to Ah-Duo, and she could have done something extreme to protect her from being replaced. But she also appears to be a wise and kind woman, making it less likely that she poisoned Lishu. It is even further complicated by the fact that Fengming and Lishu appear to be connected in some manner. We are never told how they are connected, but Lishu is shown to be uncomfortable before revealing that information to Maomao. That’s why we think it is a very important piece of information that could, indeed, show us whether Fengming would have poisoned Lishu or not.
Red Herring
Some fans firmly believe that Fengming was made into a suspect as a red herring. She is Maomao’s only suspect, but Maomao has only been to the Garnet Pavilion for three days. She doesn't know what injury made Fengming wear bandages. She has very little information, and fans have even less of it, seeing how Lishu’s words about Fengming are still kept a secret from us. Aside from Fengming, there are many other ladies-in-waiting in the Garnet Pavilion, too, so Maomao could be looking in the right direction while being completely off about Fengming. The story is not finished yet, and we are impatient for more clues and theorizing!
Do you think that the Garnet Pavilion is to blame for the poisoning attempt?
The plot, along with Jinshi’s suspicions, points to the Garnet Pavilion. Is the culprit really there?
In Episode 10, Jinshi sends Maomao to the Garnet Pavilion, which belongs to Ah-Duo.
Jinshi suspects that someone from the Garnet Pavilion attempted to poison Lishu.
Fengming is suspected because of her loyalty to Ah-Duo, but Maomao finds little evidence of her being the culprit.
Is this whole arc a red herring?
In Episode 10, Maomao visits the Garnet Pavilion for the first time. There, she finds Fengming, an extremely loyal lady-in-waiting who never married, presumably, to keep taking care of Ah-Duo. Is she the one who poisoned Lishu?
Motive
The main reason why the Garnet Pavilion is now suspected of trying to kill Lishu is because of the rumors about a new concubine that is going to replace one of the main concubines. According to the rumors, Ah-Duo would be most likely to lose her position due to her age (35). In light of that, getting rid of a concubine so that she is replaced and not Ah-Duo makes sense to some extent. Of course, it is also a very dangerous thing to do, but someone desperate might try it.
Everything is Connected
Fengming is singled out by Maomao based on very limited evidence. The woman’s wrist is covered in bandages, and both Maomao and Jinshi believe that the case of the wooden tablets is connected to the poisoning. In fact, fans wonder if the drowning case is also connected to the poisoning; perhaps, the drowned woman was the one who poisoned Lishu and then got drowned to hide the evidence. But the drowned woman did not have any signs of the rash that the wooden tablets cause. According to Gaoshun, it was a lady from the Garnet Pavilion who showed some rash, even though he never specifies which lady. It could have been Fengming, but we do not know for sure.
Fengming and Lishu
Fengming is loyal to Ah-Duo, and she could have done something extreme to protect her from being replaced. But she also appears to be a wise and kind woman, making it less likely that she poisoned Lishu. It is even further complicated by the fact that Fengming and Lishu appear to be connected in some manner. We are never told how they are connected, but Lishu is shown to be uncomfortable before revealing that information to Maomao. That’s why we think it is a very important piece of information that could, indeed, show us whether Fengming would have poisoned Lishu or not.
Red Herring
Some fans firmly believe that Fengming was made into a suspect as a red herring. She is Maomao’s only suspect, but Maomao has only been to the Garnet Pavilion for three days. She doesn't know what injury made Fengming wear bandages. She has very little information, and fans have even less of it, seeing how Lishu’s words about Fengming are still kept a secret from us. Aside from Fengming, there are many other ladies-in-waiting in the Garnet Pavilion, too, so Maomao could be looking in the right direction while being completely off about Fengming. The story is not finished yet, and we are impatient for more clues and theorizing!
Do you think that the Garnet Pavilion is to blame for the poisoning attempt?
