Ashes of Love Episode 4

spoilers within due to re-watch

Enjoying the fun Xu Feng-Jin Mi interactions a lot. You can already see that he has a huge soft spot for her since episode 2 with the way he's always smiling at her antics and humouring her outrageous behaviour. He's also quite protective of her and is definitely keen to use the smallest excuse to keep her by his side. They're adorable here - like two frolicking puppies. All the Jin Mi's bookboy events from the epilogue are here. Also appreciating how they are dropping early plot-hints about Run Yu's mother and the Rat Immortal's involvement in the whole revenge setup. Flower Realm did not want to get involved (well done to Chief Zhang), but clearly one of the other flower leaders was lured by the promise of vengeance, which later led to the birthday banquet fiasco.And I just realised how Run Yu found out that Jin Mi is close to Xu Feng - it was from the Moon Immortal who leaked it out. Didn't think too much of this scene in the past but Run Yu did obtain valuable information here. He knew Jin Mi was a female and now she's in Qi Wu Palace as one of Xu Feng's attendants. Potential chess piece material. Was also discussing this with someone else but I had always been wondering why the Emperor has been dallying over appointing Xu Feng as the Crown Prince despite urgings from the Empress and Xu Feng clearly being the favoured son. It was only lately that the penny dropped. In one of the Emperor's talks with Run Yu (after his mother was murdered by the Empress), the Emperor said that only Run Yu had the power and ability to curb the Empress and the power of the Bird Tribe. From this conversation and also from Xu Feng's later conversation about him being happy to live under Run Yu's command because Run Yu was the better person to rule, it's telling that everybody is able to see that Run Yu has the intelligence and strategic ability required to control the balance of power in the court and among the realms. They probably had no idea just how cunning and manipulative he could be but they could definitely see Run Yu's innate talent in this area.Xu Feng is definitely not built to rule, not because he's not smart enough, but I think because his father the Emperor realised that in order to be able to control and maintain power, some element of cunning and ruthlessness is required. This, Xu Feng doesn't really have, because he's a pretty open and honest person who likes to deal with people sincerely and in an upfront way. Xu Feng's natural disposition to trust those close to him and around him makes him open to manipulations from people with hidden ill-intentions, or blind to plots around him. Unfortunately, the Emperor can't name Run Yu as the Crown Prince either because this would probably cause the Empress and the Bird Tribe to revolt and create chaos in the court. So, I think the Emperor must be in a pickle over the choice of his successor, hence the constant hesitations and delays.

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