《 #TheApothecaryDiaries》TAD AU where Maomao is raised by both Lakan & Fengxian (who actually reunite & marry in this AU) so instead of growing up as canon Maomao, she becomes the La clan princess raised around politics, medicine, and manipulation🫰 She STILL learns medicine from Luomen too (which I havent thought abt how they'd meet), and he's like probably the only reason she has morals at all 😭 she basically grows up seeing people as systems she can predict (ref to lakan seeing people as go & shogi pieces, Maomao doesn't have face blindness though) Maomao & Jinshi briefly meet as kids, but their first REAL interaction happens when she saves him from a poisoning attempt (which happens years later) & when she realizes hes the only person she cant fully “solve” & he becomes weirdly obsessed with understanding her (or how she views this world smt smt) Meanwhile Rikuson is still under Lakan but in this AU hes WAY more twisted and sees Maomao as something that should be “secured” He still admires her intelligence but he keeps pushing marriage as both a political move and a possessive one, which makes Jinshi absolutely HATE him because Rikuson treats her like something to own. & the thing is the both of them think theyre playing around Maomao when shes literally studying BOTH of them the entire time (ig toying w them too..)😭 Rikuson becomes predictable because hes possessive, while Jinshi becomes the only variable she cant fully control. Since theres no apothecary maomao in the rear palace, princess lingli dies from the powder poison, gyokuyou falls into depression(😭) and ig she wont give birth crown prince bc lihua is done for lowk without maomao.. & the emperor is NOT laying a hand on lishu (bc thats literally his child w ah-duo🥹🥹)& and ah-duo is infertile and will be forced out as a concubine. THEN Loulan + the Shi clan rebellion happens, Maomao finds out early and pretends to help them(like rlly early)only to betray them at the very last second because she believes that their victory would be unstable. She exposes them and basically ensures Jinshi becomes emperor… & yes she genuinely falls for him eventually BUT she also absolutely wants to be empress for power🙌 although I do want them to get executed tgt too..🤷‍♀️ I tried my best to keep Maomao's design very tang dynasty-y but i kinda failed, the xianxia fan in me couldn't help it. I'll show her full outfit properly another time😭 TAGS | #Rikuson #Maomao #Jinshi #JinMao #RikuMao #KusuriyaNoHitorigoto - @dokjasupremacist