The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 Episode 1 Recap: Locusts

The third season of The Apothecary Diaries premiered with an episode titled "Locusts," picking up after the events of the previous installment. Following the destruction of the Shi clan and the revelation of Jinshi’s imperial lineage, Maomao has left the palace to resume her work in the pleasure district. Meanwhile, political tensions rise as Gyokuyou prepares to become empress consort, facing resentment over her foreign heritage.

In the premiere, Maomao interacts with Chou-u, a survivor of the Shi clan rebellion living at the Verdigris House. She observes his consumption of cooked locusts and notes his comment on their poor quality due to being hollow. Suspecting a looming agricultural crisis, Maomao investigates further by consulting historical texts and questioning a former royal guard. The guard confirms that grasshoppers are mixed into the locust supply, indicating potential famine. Maomao connects this to past research on preventing locust plagues and considers reporting the threat to Jinshi, fearing it could be interpreted as divine retribution for the recent clan purge.