Phoenix23:

I was wondering why Yan Rui was targeting only Xie family. That was already explained in Ep 2.

Zhengjun was showing off his wealth in ep2 to Yan Rui which angers the grandmother. This is reported to Concubine Mei who says "when everyone is maintaining a low profile this winter, why is Zhengjun showing off. Does he want others to target Xie family."

Also to help ease off the grandmother's wrath from Zhengjun she send her servant to instigate Qingrong against FL , thus starting all the sister rivalries.

(Maybe the rivalry would have eventually happened, but the flames were fanned and catalyzed by Concubine Mei)

That’s because Xie Shu was involved in bringing down the Shen family. I think it also stems from the jealousy she had towards Qingyuan’s mother. The daughter of her rival is her enemy as well.

In ep2 when the whole family is discussing FL falling into lake with ML and the possible implication on Xie family's reputation, Zhengjun is sitting and playing around with something in his hand, completely oblivious to what is happening...clearly showing his simple mindedness and lack of involvement in Xie family's businesses.

That’s the kind of quiet characterisation that’s easy to miss. And yet it keeps the plot and its characters consistent and coherent, without needing excessive or loud dialogue to spell everything out.Nice attention to details and well shot.

Ep16 observations:

1. So Concubine Mei is tricked into confessing. She admits she gave abortion pills to the 5th concubine but never intended for her to die. She also accused FL’s mother of murder and drew her out of the house, but insists she never killed her.

2. FL tells she is sure it was Concubine Mei, and we’re shown a flashback of a lady getting out of a sedan with that distinctive hairpin.

3. Everyone seems to feel the matter is settled.

I think FL is only pretending that the matter is settled so she can investigate further in secret and give the real culprits a false sense of security. The real culprits may either be drawn into that false sense of security or simply bide their time until they can do away with FL too.

4.And the father...today’s episode has me wondering—is he genuinely regretful and secretly helping with the investigation, or is he actually a master manipulator? I’m leaning towards him being a villain, but I’m still not ready to put him firmly in either category. Only further episodes will tell.

5. The eldest daughter’s mother speaking up at that time seems somewhat suspicious.

6. There also seems to be some sort of hidden interaction between the senior ladies before Concubine Mei gives in.

The father is not regretful. He’s a smiling tiger (笑面虎) he looks like he’s trying to help, sympathetic, but he’s just pure evil. 100% villain.

My take on SML and FL’s wedding :

Ep18: SML has been hounding FL to marry. Neither Li or Xie family approves of the marriage, and FL agrees to play along with the setup by SML’s mother and Madam Hu, pretending to go through with it while the actual marriage is between Li Congxin and Qingru.

Ep19: She realises the full extent of Shen Run’s power.

Ep20: Shen Run drops the bomb that he’ll protect Xie Shu.

Our girl is already grieving her eldest brother, and now she is feeling abandoned and betrayed too. She is at her most vulnerable. She has to plan how to avenge her mother against powerful people...the perpetrator is Madam Hu and Xie Shu and now Shen Run , also powerful, has to protect him. Our girl has her work cut out for her.

Then, in Ep20, she shares her past with Li Congxin, and he promises to help her with her revenge.

The number of people who have been genuinely kind to FL has always been so small, and she has spent her life being guarded because of it. This is perhaps the first time she really stops and pays attention to Li Congxin and realises that he is actually a genuine person.

Who wouldn't be moved by that, especially when you are already at your lowest and carrying a lifetime of betrayals?

And yet she still says, “Thank you. But this marriage is...” and pauses. I read that pause as her feeling guilty and sad, perhaps trying to decide whether she should tell him that the marriage isn't actually going to happen. There is just so much for her to process at that moment.

Then Ep21 begins with SML promising to help FL with her revenge. Again, FL reminds SML that the Li family’s choice of bride is not her. After his persuasion, she eventually nods, but even then it feels more like she is reluctantly playing along with Madam Hu and the Li ladies’ arrangement than genuinely agreeing to the marriage.

This is where I find Zhao Ye’s acting lacking. There are so many emotions and layers to FL at this point, and I don't feel that complexity coming through as convincingly as I would have liked.

And those flashbacks, where SML is promising to help her with her revenge, made me think of her memories of her eldest brother promising to bring her persimmons and her memories of young Shen Run. This girl has had so few genuinely kind people in her life. Of course she would hold on to those precious moments when someone was simply there for her.