Most of the characters in the drama took the name Cuique 翠雀 literally to mean emerald sparrow or a small blue-green bird. Only those knowledgeable in botany or medicine would know it actually is means delphinium or larkspur, a poisonous flower. As grandpa Lin later points out, it is a pesticide and that is what Ms Du really is!!!

In Chinese colloquial context, 翠雀花 (cuì què huā) delphinium flower colloquially is used as a pun or homonym for 娶妾花 (qǔ qiè huā), which means "flowers for marrying a concubine".

The wordplay:

• 翠雀 (cuì què) sounds very similar to 娶妾 (qǔ qiè) in Mandarin.

• 娶 (qǔ) means "to marry/take a wife," and 妾 (qiè) means "concubine"

So 杜翠雀 (Du Cuique) used a hair ornament shaped like a delphinium flower to subtly hint that she wants Jinqi to take her as his concubine (娶妾), playing on the homonym of her own name and the flower and announcing that to everyone present at the gathering.

While he did not bust her, Jinqi is on to her and will be guarded and rebuff all her advances from now on because he knows exactly what she was after. His sister's ambitions should be the cause of the rift that develops between Du Zheng and Jinqi.

Thank you I was just about to ask what that episode means it was confusing in drama .

thank you for this knowledge!

PeachBlossomGoddess:

it is a pesticide and that is what Ms Du really is!!!

yeah i saw her and right away went: she is a 🐍. The way they were describing her was too good to be true, especially for this drama when they clearly show everyone is flawed 🤣

PeachBlossomGoddess:

I would add that I can't decide if Ms Du only meant that to be a private hint to Jinqi or to publicly pressure him into announcing their marriage/engagement.

I would place my bets it was on purpose? As of now the excuse is she was too distracted and careless and did not tell the maid to not put the flower in and somehow it just ended up with other ornaments, but they hinted a few times that she in fact is rather observant and quick-witted. Her hinting it to just ML and not wanting it to be public just does not fit how I see her 😅

PeachBlossomGoddess:

The only reason the guests found out is 3rd Lin brother with zero filter blurted it out.

I know, but I like the idea of her trying to force their hand 🤣

Thank you so much for this explainer!

This makes me wonder, though: why would she intentionally want to become a concubine?

Yes, she's an orphan from a military household not of equal status. But why would she forego the right to become someone's 'proper' wife, even if that someone was of slightly lower status than the ML?

From my understanding, unless you married the emperor, being a concubine — even at the highest levels, e.g. to a wang/fief lord — still kind of sucked, right? (at least that's what I took away from my watch of "Are You The One" and "Blossoms In Adversity" and the ensuing googling-spree, because I first didn't get what being a concubine or a second wife entailed — including, apparently, forfeiting the right to raise your own kids!)

PeachBlossomGoddess:

I would add that I can't decide if Ms Du only meant that to be a private hint to Jinqi or to publicly pressure him into announcing their marriage/engagement.

She’s far too calculating for me to believe she only planned for one possible outcome. 😏 I have a feeling she considered both: a private signal to Jinqi and, if the opportunity presented itself, a very public push toward marriage.

Honestly, creating dangerous gossip at a gathering would be the fastest way to corner him into a situation where rejecting her suddenly becomes much harder. And with the way she schemes, I really wouldn’t put it past her. She wasn’t just flirting, she was trying to close a deal before anyone had the chance to read the fine print.

CherryFoxWhispers:

PeachBlossomGoddess:

I would add that I can't decide if Ms Du only meant that to be a private hint to Jinqi or to publicly pressure him into announcing their marriage/engagement.

She’s far too calculating for me to believe she only planned for one possible outcome. 😏 I have a feeling she considered both: a private signal to Jinqi and, if the opportunity presented itself, a very public push toward marriage.

Honestly, creating dangerous gossip at a gathering would be the fastest way to corner him into a situation where rejecting her suddenly becomes much harder. And with the way she schemes, I really wouldn’t put it past her. She wasn’t just flirting, she was trying to close a deal before anyone had the chance to read the fine print.

Exactly. It was not a private signal to Jin Qi but a public set up. If Jinqi had made that toast before the Grandfather came it would have been harder to withdraw.