As a Fridge subpage, all spoilers are unmarked as per policy. You Have Been Warned.
Fridge Brilliance
- Consort Lihua's punishment to Shin only involved slapping her and then dismissed her. While this seemed like a Cruel Mercy, one must remember the setting, in which the punishment for attempted murder is an execution. And the punishment isn't only directed at the culprit but also their extended family and anyone else related (as shown in Fengming's case). Since Shin is her own cousin, Lihua is probably trying to avoid her family name going down in disgrace and get punished.
- During the lecture scene in Volume 2, Consort Loulan throws away the book to her maid. This is because she definitely isn't interested in having sex with the Emperor and avoids getting pregnant at all costs, even preparing abortion medicine. She also gives a side look to Maomao. Probably she caught her interest and that's why she befriending her later as Shisui. Additionally, it is later revealed that she would use her makeup and body double to weird out the Emperor to the point that he would be turned off at the idea of sleeping with either her or her body double.
- Jinshi is at first said to be 23 years old, but it's later revealed that he's 18. While it's likely a case of Younger Than They Look, considering he spends most of his time undercover as a eunuch and trying to avoid his real role as much as possible, it's also probably to avoid people getting curious and suspicious about a man who's the same age as the rarely seen and often sick 'Imperial Brother'.
- Another reason to this is because the practice of making new eunuchs had been banned years ago. Maomao deduced based on his (fake) age that Jinshi was made a eunuch right before it was banned. He entered the rear palace at 14 years old and pretended to be 19 years old, because otherwise it'd be weird if he said he was 9 years old when being made an eunuch.
- Lihua attends Maomao's class with the handmaid that was in charge of her makeup instead of her Chief Lady-in-waiting Shin. Given that Shin secretly resents Lihua and is trying to abort her second pregnancy, she was most likely busy making abortion drugs during this time. Alternatively, given how quickly she flew off the handle after believing that Lihua was talking down to her, she probably would have blown her cover if she attended a class about how her cousin could improve her sex life with the Emperor.
- Maomao ended up making ice cream for Consort Loulan to avoid Xiaolan getting in trouble in Volume 4. Then Shisui came in and ate some of the leftover ice cream. Given that Shisui is Loulan, she possibly caught wind of what happened and wanted to make sure Xiaolan isn't in trouble either but found the ice cream. This also meant the ice cream is actually sent to Loulan's double instead of her or that she had eaten the ice cream very quickly and was coming for more.
- The anime had Xiaolan easily removes the bug from the roses while the eunuchs are scared. This might explained why Shisui is getting along with her (aside from being gossip sources)
- The emperor's love to Ah-Duo, and his insistance to make her his consort despite her status is a major plot point
- While it is unlucky for Ah-Duo herself since she lost her dream, this meant years later she was able to give refugee to those who are supposed to be dead.
- For better or worse, if she didn't swap the baby, Jinshi would have been dead.
- Even after she was no longer his consort, she continued being his aide and influence the emperor's decision. Like suggesting him to give Jinshi freedom to choose.
Fridge Sadness
- Maomao challenged Lakan to shogi match involving poison. Turned out said 'poison' is just alcohol and Lakan get drunk. It seemed hilarious until Jinshi guessed that Lakan already knew that too. Meaning he was willing to get drunk just so he could play with his daughter, and bought a courtesan (which is not cheap) just because Maomao wanted that (note that he didn't know who it was). He tried everything he could to get close to his own daughter to no avail.
- The whole plan is this. Maomao was pissed that Lakan paid so much attention to her and dumping work to her (solving cases and making the blue rose) that she eventually plotted her parents to get together. She actually wished it was Meimei who was redeemed, but with her parents being together she can finally just be Loumen's daughter without Lakan constantly on her neck. At least for awhile.
Fridge Horror
- During Maomao's visit to the Crystal Pavilion, she was lucky that Jinshi was there when he was to allow her to go into Lihua's bedchambers. Had he not, Lihua's ladies-in-waiting would have kicked her out again and she wouldn't have found out that they were still applying the poisonous face powder on the consort. As a result, Lihua would have eventually died and Maomao would have lost her head.
- Lishu's poison tester switched the food to bully her. However, given the knowledge the food is actually poisoned with the intent to kill and not everyone is as knowledgeable in poison as Maomao, it is possible she could have been killed if she hadn't done so.
- Xiaolan was sold off to the rear palace by her own family. Instead of angsting about it, she loved the life in the rear palace because she got to eat and was always happily accepting food from Maomao. This implied she had experienced hunger before being sent to the rear palace. Unlike Maomao, she actually dreaded the idea of her contract running out because she knew she either couldn't go back home or that it wouldn't end well for her.
- The whole plot started just because Maomao got kidnapped and sold to the palace. While it seemed horrible for Maomao herself, imagined what the palace would be without her.
- Consort Gyoukuyou's daughter might have died and Consort Lihua too.
- Someone else who acted as poison tester might have gotten injured due to not having Maomao's Acquired Poison Immunity.
- Lishu's food tester might have continued to bully her and the next allergic reaction could have been fatal.
- Fengming might have gotten away (Jinshi only found her based on the hint of colored fire).
- A man would have gotten away scot-free with poisoning his brother with uncleaned seaweed.
- Without her solving related cases, it is possible Jinshi might have been assassinated.
- Yinghua, Shisui and several other rear palace staff might have succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning during a scary stories club session and suffocated to death.
- Xiaolan could have been severely punished by palace officials for accidently knocking over some ice meant for Consort Loulan's dessert.
- In this case it is possible Loulan will interfere to avoid Xiaolan getting punished though.
- Without Maomao being there to catch her interest, Loulan might have not befriended Xiaolan under the disguise of Shisui and thus the latter probably wouldn't have anywhere to go after finishing her contract.
- It is possible the rebellion would be successful, since Lakan's motive to destroy the rebels is for the sake of Maomao. If Maomao never encountered the culprit and be taken away Lakan wouldn't care that much.
- In the chapter with the title festering malice, Maomao mentioned how the girls who had slept with the emperor couldn't ever leave the rear palace, unless they had higher connections or be 'gifted' by the emperor to someone else. It is horrible since the previous emperor is only interested in little girls meaning they trapped there since childhood for the rest of their lives.
- But the worse part is this is still a 'better' option compared to the custom of the past : when the emperor died, all of those women would be made to follow him to the afterlife. Still Maomao can't have it in her to say 'At least you're still alive'.
