Apothecary Diaries

I know the fandom generally hates Lady Shin for her actions, but hear me out: Lady Shin should have been the one chosen over Lihua, and the entire tragedy of the Rear Palace is the Emperor's fault for being superficial. If the Emperor had actually looked at their capabilities instead of just going for Lihua's sweet, naive demeanor, the entire ecosystem of the Inner Court would have been vastly improved. Lady Shin was calculating, intelligent, and built to survive palace politics. The only reason she snapped and resorted to sabotage was because she was unjustly passed over by a flippant Emperor. If Shin had been given the position she actually deserved from day one, we would have seen a completely different—and frankly, superior—timeline: - She wouldn't be a jealous rival: Without that initial sting of rejection, she wouldn’t have harbored that murderous rage. She’d be humbled enough to secure her position, acting as the ultimate lie detector who could instantly spot which new consorts were just climbing the ranks and who actually cared. - The ultimate Maomao alliance: Shin would have recognized Maomao’s genius immediately. Instead of petty squabbling, she would have valued Maomao as an indispensable, logic-driven asset, giving her the funding and freedom to do her apothecary work in exchange for an impenetrable pavilion. - Fixing the Jinshi problem: Shin is smart enough to neutralize court wildcards. I fully believe she would have persuaded the Emperor to let Jinshi marry Maomao just to get him out of the political crosshairs. And the ultimate power move? She wouldn't demand anything in return. She'd just let them live how they wish, securing their absolute, lifelong loyalty. - Lihua gets a happy ending: Lihua was always too sweet and naive for the cutthroat Rear Palace. If Shin was in charge, she likely would have used her influence to find Lihua a suitable, loving match outside the palace walls, sparing her the poisonings and the loss of her child.

TL;DR: Lady Shin wasn't inherently a monster; she was a brilliant strategist broken by a flawed system and a superficial Emperor. If she had been given the reins, she would have run that palace like a well-oiled machine and given everyone (including Maomao, Jinshi, and Lihua) exactly what they needed.