Cleaning house

We are given more info of the Dongxia battle. It was not one but two. The first should have been won but the Gui seal gave them an army of undead. Production did an excellent job. When the general took his sword to the neck of the fiend and no blood and the bones cracked back into place…..and the other walking up the spear to toss off the weilder…this was eerie and cool. This was an excellent blend of production and cast to make an otherworldly battle sequence quite believable. I am surprised he even attempted the battle as most would have retreated just seeing them. The Marquis does not lack courage. The explanation of wives clearer. The schemer was first and simply a political marriage. She was satisfied with that til she was introduced to the loved wife and son. She almost cannot be blamed for her actions but she had many kinder options. How satisfied she must have been to watch them both fall into disfavor. The deliberate poisoning of the wife and the thriftlessness of ‘loved’ son must have made her quite happy. What she failed to notice was that even tho quite successful with her evil intentions, she did not improve her son’s heart status to Marquis. He is an arrogant, lazy, self serving politician who has no regard or interest in the people he is supposed to be serving. The lack of waterproofing and dam repairs two obvious flounderings. The garden chat about the plum blossom to peonies gave hope for the second son while not finger pointing at the choice to change where efforts directed. The Marquis wanted the fallen general’s position and actually asked Zang Hai for advice. He was advised to let the emperor choose without expressing specific interest and the Marquis wisely chose to follow that advice. Another got the position, but any who offered to take it was demoted. The Marquis was even given a thousand teals of silver to assist his health when he was too sick for attendance. Here is the part that made my skin crawl. He calls Zang Hai to his secret trophy room and tells him of the battle. He says that Zong Hai’s dad stole the gui seal and hid it. He also told Zang Hai he was dead without revealing where and showed him the bronze fish. Zang Hai bravely asked if more than one and the Marquis made it clear he knew where the other two were. He has commissioned him to find the seal. I do not know how Zang Hai managed to be so calm by his parents’ remains but knowing about it prior gave him the strength to put his horror aside. That this is the place that clears the Marquis’ mind is 🤯 The Marquis put in a good recommendation and Zang Hai is now imperial astronomer. His mentor is like a proud father.😁 but he also specifically steered Zang Hai’s attention to the missing one from Marquis’ family and then to ghost burial and stealing of orchards by nobles. So he is directing Zang Hai’s path specifically. He goes to his father’s office and remembers what his father showed him. He also turns off the fake praise and heads to the morgue to help the single person that actually does his job. His mentor corrects Zang Hai’s opinion of bureau but this doesn’t quite ring true for me. They are now separate organizations instead of a cohesive unite to serve the emperor. Will be interesting to see their reactions cause he is nothing like Chu. And it may point to others that wanted his father gone. He reveals to mentor that he didn’t intend to find the seal but now it is on his agenda.

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