AleksandraSucur

if you think better, the Rong rules are actually good: they pass down a noble craft, promote harmony for the couples (represented by two pillars in their ancestral hall), harmonious upbringing of children/descendants of the family, in the past, Rong women habitually married officials and persons busy with things away (as well as their sons, FL's father and uncle are still alive, busy elsewhere) from home while they were looking after children and tea business... and above all, by securing equal social and economical rights to women, they offer women protection from being abused by husbands. It's just this grandma, blinded by her own resentment and obsession with power, who doesn't understand these principles. RSB does. She remained imprisoned with the abducted girls in the first case to discover which officials were backing the bandits when she first saw the ML who rescued them, she was continuing to give shelter to the abused Mrs Yang who was saved by her mom (while granny dislikes that and perceives as "a mess left behind" her mom. Not to talk about the rules probably invented by her grandma as to fit her purposes. Is her "honing" the "heiress" through a competition and rivalry she puts in practice an example of "harmonius upbringing of the children"?
So the ML and FL aren't mismatched at all, they have many interests in common, they are equally brave, intelligent and cunning, it's just that they'll always have that old hag plotting against them or emotionally manipulating the FL (as we've seen today), bc she can't stand FL's happiness and has obsession that the family leader must be heartless, viscious and ruthless like she is.

No, Xu preferred younger girls like those abducted in ep 1, Wei's mother was just a hag. He colluded with the Yangs in fabricating Mrs Yang's death in order to get Wei's plantations as a compensation and probably there was some money for the governor, too.
The evil magistrate arrested (and later killed) by LJL in the case of abducted girls implied Xu's involvement in that case. They aren't only corrupted local officials colluding with bandits, they are a local mafia with backing/connections both in the underworld and in the court.

No, they are both into each other (I think they've fallen at the first sight for each other) but have so many open, complicated issues and snakes around which make impossible to do it properly right no. You'll understand watching it

yes, they need to settle their own pressing issues first, so they must be separated for the time being.
And this wedding actually wasn't done right, it was literally a Rong wedding, while we want to see a proper wedding of two equal persons who love, trust and put each other above all the others. In this moment of the story neither of the leads could have made such a committment.

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we've seen only half of a drama. The wedding gone (w)Rong for now, but there's still another half to make it right.😂

she is shown mostly as an antagonist or at least a main rival of the FL in family and business. But now it looks she'll have her redemption arc and she isn't the main antagonist

yes, he actually lost his memories

it all happened in another place (Fuzhou, if I remember correctly). The girl was born there and entrusted to her father/YX's lover). YX returned as nothing happened, father and daughter followed and opened a tea shop at Linji.

I've also thought the same thing.
But I was referring to the logic of the plot: this story can't have a HE for the leads unless she is taken down, deprived of her power and possibility to emotionally manipulate the FL. If not for her involvement in smth shaddy (which is also punishable by family law: "Rong members cannot commit crimes or ruin family reputation") connected with this case, she must do smth utterly deplorable and exposable for this story to end well and she is removed from the picture

yes, I imagine it gonna be hard to make her step down 😂👍
But I remember (heh, my brain of a former employee of law firms) there's a rule in Rong family which forbids the family members "to commit crimes and to ruin the family reputation".... She is a person able to do both and get exposed. Is she above the family law?

2nd sis mentioned a rule that the heiress must pass a sort of honing through the rivalry and competition with sisters. And I think the old hag invented that rule because it fits her interests.

btw I wouldn't wonder if she re-written family rules in a way best-fitting for her personally. And that she is also the cause why the entire mid-generation is missing in that house.
I wouldn't wonder even if she has smth to do with the evil officials (those higher than prefect Xu) connected with the "Yang case"
She is vicious, evil, pure evil and must be taken down, otherwise this drama can't have a HE

I was telling that since the early eps...
I wouldn't wonder if she has even smth to do with the evil officials (those higher than prefect Xu) connected with the "Yang case" ...

just "partly to blame"? 😂 She is the main antagonist in the whole story. Emotional and power manipulator N°1. Ofc. she plays them one against another, she actually educates them to be as they are as a leverage against the FL, who is more of a multitasking slave she tortures daily in different ways. A resented old hag, hope she'll have a horrible death.

thank you very much 👍

you mean "the main antagonist". Yeah, she is.

that oath wasn't just scary. Grandma (again) exercised her authority and RSB's emotional weakness in front of her to pass down on her her own unhappiness and to lifelong bind her to a total (w)Rong slavery.
And again, RSB was too weak to oppose her and her insanity...

her role is to play SB's lawyer...
Lawyers may have that unpleasant attitude

Let's recap how the story we are so addicted to progressed today.
1. We've finally got a sort of explanation for grandma's unsound behaviour. As she never stopped to resent betrayal of her first love, she ought to assure her successor will be her clone: an unhappy, resented, viscious hag like she is. The rule that a heiress must pass a heavy competition trial with her sisters, being simultaneously burdened with all the responsibilities was probably invented by her and never existed before. In that way, she can continue to do nothing and dedicate all her time to her own inner demons, whose company she enjoys the most. Inaction interrupted by theatrical acting angry bc FL kept hidden from her the 6th granddaughter was still alive. She certainly prefers opera plays to planning what to do next. She trained a slave (whom she even forced to wow for a lifelong servitude and unhappiness in the ancestral hall) to deal with trivialities, can't be bothered with Yangs or messy problems... Besides, why would she coordinate with a slave?
2. As we've already forshadowed yesterday, FL also has her share of responsibility. While she is usually 10 steps ahead when it comes to business and dealings with the outsiders, she is 10 steps behind to send her cousin Wen back to his home, to protect herself first and manage emotions with cool head, to confront her Grandma... But I still rely on her intelligence and awareness that house is still full of vipers of both genders. Could she have really so hastily decide to marry (without letting know even to the groom) ignoring someone would certainly act to hinder it?
3. I feel releaved LJL finally got out, truly couldn't stand that mansion anymore. Impatiently waiting to see how will he deal with the case, prefect, governor... and yes, that mentor (why is he a Xu, too? Is it the same character?) of his. The change of tune came at the right moment bc the one playing in the Rong mansion became redundant, even a bit annoying.