It’s awfully cruel to have no episode so close to the end of an arc and season, but that’s the case next week with Kusuriya no Hitorigoto. Instead a “special broadcast” with the seiyuu will air, pushing Episode 47 to June 27th and the finale to July 4th. I have no idea if this was planned, but it seems very unlikely – that’s not where you’re going to hiatus a season normally. On the other hand there are no visible signs of a production in crisis mode either, so who knows. Either way, it kind of sucks.

If one was hoping we’d get most of the hanging chads from last week resolved, they left this ep disappointed. But there was some fanservice to tide us over, no doubt. Most of the A-part belonged to Shisui, who had Maomao on the back foot in a way we rarely see her. Maomao in fact seems almost sentimental – both over the bodies of the children and Loulan’s seeming intent to sacrifice herself. She even gives her Jinshi’s hairpin (uh-oh) with a “return it the next time you see me” benediction. There are practical reasons why any member of the Shi Clan is going to be challenged to survive the next 24 hours, but that’s not the real issue with any of them surviving.

It’s pretty clear from this “insects don’t survive the winter” exchange that the children aren’t dead – I almost felt like Groucho Marx was going to drop down and give Loulan $100 every time she said “not breathing”. Suirei survived the resurrection potion, and Shisui clearly brought Maomao here to try and repeat that with the children. We already know that’s not easy but Xiaomao accepts this as her role in the drama, clearly. What happens then is another question – Kyou-u and the others would be condemned to execution without even the slightest doubt – but I suppose that’s a problem for later.

As this is playing out the Royal Guard is approaching, with Jinshi now exposed as (former) crown prince (Gyokuyou had a son) and marching at their head. Lakan is still struggling to contain his dad rage as Lahan endeavors to keep him from doing something he’ll regret. Lahan’s intelligence is good – he knows Shishou has had access to saltpeter and sulphur, the essential components of gunpowder. This means the Royal Guard will be facing advanced weaponry – not feifas, Lakan assures him, but cannons. The master strategist has hatched a plan, however – attack the strongholds gunpowder stores to render their artillery impotent before the main assault.

There’s a problem with this however, as Gaushun interjects. The Royal Guard would be expected to fight “honorably” – frontal assaults only, not sneak attacks and stratagems like this. It’s a bit of an acid test for Jinshi, really – does he defer to expectations at the cost of heavy casualties, or prioritize the lives of his soldiers? He chooses to do the latter, to his credit – though his disinterest in pressing his claim for power makes this an easier decision for him. Lakan of course is very good at his job, and uses the means at his disposal to cause an avalanche which buries the gunpowder reserves (most of which Loulan destroyed anyway, though he wasn’t to know that).

Loulan’s endgame here is the big wild card. She rebels against her mother and shames her father (and Kyou-u’s mother) for allowing himself to be steamrolled by Shenmei for all these years. But who is she trying to save, and how – and what is the “tanuki trick” she urges Shishou to employ? The assault comes, sooner than expected, and the defenders are clearly taken by surprise. Maomao is holed up with the kids, hoping that whoever discovers her doesn’t slash first and ask questions later. But she has a couple strokes of good fortune, the first of which is that it’s Jinshi who breaks down the door and finds her. Spotting him on the battlefield her formidable sense of denial took one last stand, but it finally crumbles when she sees Jinshii face to face.

“Sorry to trouble you, but could you protect me, Jinshi-sama?” may not be the most romantic of phrases, but it certainly ushers in a new phase in their relationship. Maomao’s second lucky break is Lihaku being the one Jinshi assigns to get her out safely. Lihaku is a thoroughly decent fellow, and doesn’t summarily dismiss Maomao’s request to have the Shi children laid to rest rather than be left to rot. Lihaku asks Maomao to curry favor for him if this gets him in trouble – perhaps by calling Lakan “Papa”. He quickly rescinds the request but truth be told, that’s the least she could do given the risk Lihaku is taking for her.