The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 Part 1 is set to premiere tomorrow (2 October), taking Maomao and Jinshi on a new investigation involving a mysterious woman, a troubling agricultural crisis and the threat of famine in the Li Kingdom.

The first part of the third season will consist of 12 episodes, airing weekly on Crunchyroll. The season will be split into two parts, with Part 2 scheduled to premiere in April 2027.

Following the Shi Clan rebellion, Maomao has returned to the Verdigris House in the pleasure district, where she resumes her work as an apothecary. Jinshi, meanwhile, has returned to his true position as the Emperor’s younger brother and begins confronting the responsibilities that come with his royal status.

The new story begins when Maomao notices something unusual during a meal at the Verdigris House. Around the same time, Jinshi attempts to make sense of a warning left by Loulan in the previous season about signs of a disaster that could strike the country.

Maomao’s investigation soon leads to a worrying agricultural problem. Large numbers of locusts begin appearing in farming areas, raising concerns about food supplies and the possibility of a devastating famine.

As Maomao and Jinshi attempt to piece together the clues behind the strange phenomenon, rumours also begin to circulate about a mysterious woman stirring up trouble.

Who is she, and what is her connection to the possible disaster?

The investigation eventually takes Maomao and Jinshi beyond the places familiar to them. The story moves from the Rear Palace and the streets of the capital towards the western regions and, later, a neighbouring country, expanding the series into a journey involving new mysteries and political intrigue.

The new season will also explore the changing relationship between Maomao and Jinshi. With Jinshi now openly confronting his responsibilities as a member of the imperial family, questions surrounding his future and marriage are becoming increasingly important.

Although Maomao has left her former life in the Rear Palace, she continues to be drawn into Jinshi’s affairs as the two find themselves once again working together.