Old Eunuch

The Old Eunuch is a supporting character in The Apothecary Diaries.

He is closely tied to both court politics and the personal histories of several main characters.

He works as a teacher for lower-ranked palace maids, including Xiaolan.

Because of his age and knowledge, he is respectfully addressed by them as “Teacher” or “Master.”

He originally served when the Former Emperor was on the throne and the Empress held real political power.

This long service spans multiple reigns, giving him a deep understanding of imperial history and succession.

He is implied to know the true identity of Jinshi.

He also has a longstanding friendship with Maomao’s adoptive father, Luomen.

His Japanese voice actor is Yoshito Yasuhara.

The character is presented as male, though he became a eunuch to keep his position.

Teacher of Palace Maids

The Old Eunuch runs an informal school for lower-ranked palace maids.

Around twenty maids, including Xiaolan, study reading and writing under his guidance.

He is patient but sharp-tongued, and he treats his students with a mixture of strictness and kindness.

Through this teaching role, he quietly raises the overall literacy and awareness of the women serving in the inner palace.

His presence as a teacher also shows that parts of the palace system support education even for low-status workers.

This small classroom becomes one of the few places where maids can improve their own futures.

Guardian of the Shrine of Selection

Before becoming a eunuch, the Old Eunuch managed a building known as the “Shrine of Selection.”

When the palace expanded and the shrine became part of the inner palace grounds, he chose castration so he could remain its caretaker.

The shrine is officially described with a reverent phrase about a “Shrine of Selection made by the Queen Mother.”

In reality, it is a secret testing ground to judge whether the Crown Prince is suitable to become Emperor.

The Old Eunuch acts as the shrine’s guardian and guide.

He leads the Crown Prince candidates into the shrine and observes how they handle the trial.

Many Crown Princes fail the test.

Even the current Emperor, famous as a wise ruler, is said to have failed several times before ascending the throne.

Connection to Jinshi and Maomao

The Old Eunuch is one of the few people who understands Jinshi’s true position and background.

Because of his role in imperial succession and his long experience at court, he can see past Jinshi’s public persona.

He also knows Luomen, Maomao’s adoptive father, from their younger days in the palace.

The two were colleagues, which means he has watched the imperial family and its retainers over decades.

When Jinshi and Maomao accompany him to the Shrine of Selection for yet another evaluation, he again witnesses a failed attempt at the selection test.

This failure indirectly leads to an important revelation about the shrine’s true purpose.

Maomao’s Deduction

During one of the selection attempts, the Old Eunuch takes Jinshi and Maomao into the shrine.

As before, the Crown Prince fails the hidden trial.

However, Maomao begins to suspect that the key lies in the wording of the phrase used to open the shrine’s door.

She carefully analyzes the traditional words and uncovers a deeper historical and medical meaning.

From that phrase, she infers the existence of a princess from the western regions who married into the imperial family.

This princess had a hereditary condition causing color vision deficiency.

The text indicates that among her ten children, one would manifest the same illness.

This detail leads Maomao to see the shrine not as a purely mystical place, but as a practical testing site.

True Purpose of the Shrine

Based on these clues, Maomao proposes that the Shrine of Selection was originally built to test for color vision deficiency in imperial heirs.

It was a controlled environment designed to reveal whether a future Emperor suffered from this condition.

She further deduces that the western princess’s lineage was intentionally preserved.

Her bloodline was valued, and the family engaged in repeated close-kin marriages to maintain that western blood and strengthen their claim to the throne.

As a result, many members of the imperial family became frail and prone to illness.

The combination of hereditary disease and inbreeding produced a weak, sickly royal line.

The Old Eunuch understands and accepts Maomao’s deduction.

He uses it as the basis for a careful, indirect warning to the Emperor and Jinshi.

Warning Against “Western Blood” and Inbreeding

Armed with Maomao’s reasoning, the Old Eunuch presents a veiled critique of past succession policies.

He points out the danger of insisting on maintaining the western bloodline at all costs.

He notes that bringing in western blood may provoke political backlash and resistance among other factions.

At the same time, he stresses that close-kin marriage carries serious risks for the health and stability of the imperial family.

He does not lecture directly.

Instead, he frames his comments as a reflection on the shrine’s history and the failures of previous Crown Princes in the selection trial.

Through this, he advises the Emperor and Jinshi to reconsider how they handle bloodlines, alliances, and marriage within the imperial house.

His words combine medical insight, political caution, and long historical experience.

Suggestion About Maomao as a Consort

In the course of these discussions, the Old Eunuch goes a step further.

He hints that choosing a consort outside the traditional, inbred royal network could be beneficial.

Specifically, he indirectly suggests that Jinshi could make Maomao his consort.

This is both a political recommendation and an acknowledgment of Maomao’s unique talents and comparatively “healthy” bloodline.

By proposing this, he challenges the conventional idea that only certain noble bloodlines are suitable for imperial marriage.

He presents Maomao as a practical solution to both political and genetic problems.

This suggestion also shows that the Old Eunuch recognizes the growing bond between Jinshi and Maomao.

He couches his advice in careful terms, but he clearly pushes them toward a future where Maomao might become Jinshi’s wife.

The Old Eunuch is outwardly mild and grandfatherly but inwardly sharp and calculating.

His long service has made him observant, patient, and cautious with his words.

He respects knowledge and education, as shown by his work teaching the maids.

He enjoys passing on literacy and understanding to those who would otherwise remain ignorant.

At the same time, he is not sentimental about power.

Through his work at the Shrine of Selection, he has seen many Crown Princes fail and understands that not every heir is suited to rule.

His friendship with Luomen and his familiarity with Maomao’s abilities suggest that he values competence more than status.

This attitude is what leads him to support the idea of Maomao as a potential imperial consort.

Despite his advanced age, he remains active and mentally sharp.

He moves easily between the roles of humble teacher, quiet advisor, and guardian of a secret central to the empire’s future.