No epic drama can open without some grand establishing shot, and so we sweep through the clouds into a cosy courtyard Zhaoyun Hall on Xiyan Mountain where a pair of young children and an old granny are spending what appeared to be a restful time.


A pretty and carefree young girl on a swing is showing off how high she can go, but the young boy she is with is not paying her any attention. Their granny is introduced as Xiling Xie and “Your Majesty” by a maid who brought medicine, but the little girl and little boy has no introduction. 


The girl has a little flower mark on her forehead and appears to be bright, confident and cheeky. She called the boy Cang Xuan, and after some playful bickering and dialogue, we learn that young Cang Xuan’s parents are away fighting a war.


Five minutes into the drama, we already have a death heralded by sudden ominous clouds that distressed their old granny and caused her to collapse. She was obviously not well enough to attend her own son’s funeral, we see the King of Xiyan introduced along with the little girl’s mother Xiling Heng at what looks like a rather small scale funeral for a prince.


The children tried to delay the sealing of the tomb as Cang Xuan’s mother has yet to arrive. They argue with their instantly unlikable Royal 9th Uncle, Xiyan Yi Peng, as Cang Xuan’s mother, Chang Pu arrived at last.
In the white snowy landscape with everyone in mourning clothes, she showed up calm and collected, in a blood red gown, which looked like a wedding dress.
This is very odd since as the wife of the deceased prince, she should not have been late to her husband’s funeral and also be in mourning clothes. Did they rush the funeral and not given her enough time to get back from wherever she was? Does she hate him and not want to give him the respect at his funeral?


After Chang Pu tenderly greeted her son, she turned her steely gaze on the 9th Prince and informed everyone present of his crime of intercepting military letters and withholding reinforcements, which led to the deaths of her husband and 6000 of her Ruoshui clansmen.
I wonder why as the wife of the 4th Prince, she is not referred to with a Royal title but just with her name?
She is also the leader of the Ruoshui clan who have supplied soldiers for the war.





As the Prince scoffed at her accusations, she stabbed him then and there to the shock and disbelief of everyone present.
Cang Xuan’s mother is certainly not the type to cower before power, or wait indefinitely for the ‘right opportunity’. She became the judge, jury and executioner to avenge her husband at his funeral. One wonders how she learnt of the truth and if the King of Xiyan was aware of it as well. Did he know the truth but tried to cover up for his other son?



As the soldiers seem to half-heartedly attempt to arrest Chang Pu, being easily kept at bay by an unarmed woman and a little girl, she has time to bid Cang Xuan a tearful farewell. She just loved her husband too much to stay behind, and entrusted her son to Xiling Heng as she stabbed herself and falls into the tomb as it sealed itself. Beautiful red flowers magically covered the tomb as poor Cang xuan cried for his mother. 





The little girl tries to cheer Cang Xuan up and get him to eat some nectar from the flowers she plucked. He is still very upset and can’t taste the sweetness of the nectar or the honey she brought. He could not understand why his mother chose to abandon him and leave him alone.
*** (to be continued)