
If Maomao is the daughter of Lakan, a high ranked general, then why would it be an issue for them to be together? Lakan could just claim Maomao as his and it would be acceptable no?

If I were to speculate since I haven’t read the light novel, it would prob be bc Jinshi doesn’t wanna be the Crown Prince/take up that mantle since he’s worked to distance himself from it by pretending to be an eunuch. If Jinshi were to ever get exposed, and Maomao’s position as Lakan (high ranking General)’s daughter, then it would prob signify and strength his position as crown Prince then eventual emperor, and i don’t think jinshi wants that path for his life.
How is it that Jinshi looks like both Ah-Duo and the former emperor?
Want a spoiler?
Ooh yes always
It might seem crazy what I'm 'bout to say~
So my explanation might be shit and not full on right in some parts but basically
Jinshi isn’t actually the emperor’s younger brother but actually the emperor and Ah Duo’s biological child.
When Jinshi was born, both Ah Duo and the empress dowager were in labor at the same time.
It was stated in the anime that the empress dowager was prioritized during the labor of both, and thus Ah Duo had a harder time. Later, the child of Ah Duo died.
What happened was, during that time, the child of Ah Duo and the second child of the empress dowager were actually switched at birth. Apparently the empress dowager had no emotional attachment and saw no political value in her second child and casually accepted to the switch.
So the supposed child of Ah Duo that died was actually the empress dowager’s second son, while Ah Duo’s real child, Jinshi was raised as the “younger brother” of the emperor, the second child of the empress dowager.
The switch was made to protect Jinshi. (I might be terribly wrong but I think because Jinshi at the time was the only legitimate son of the emperor, so there would come to be a lot of political tension and danger surrounding Jinshi)
(Do correct me if I’m wrong or missing something)
Yep you're absolutely correct
Glad to know ^^