AleksandraSucur

The first 6 eps and the last 6 eps are 10/10.
I need to think about the story we've seen in between. The overall can't be 10 bc not every character was depeened enough, things that can happen in reconstruction of real historical events (and that kind of task is truly difficult). I'll have to resee certain subplots to decide between 9 or 9,5

Indeed

that was the thing I wanted to point out, they didn't seem to match each other in any way.
Now, with all eps out, we've got some sort of explanation which wouldn't be convincing if not played by that incredible actor Huang Zhi Zhong. He is so good, so convincing in any role he plays that I instantly believe the story, I don't think I'd buy the explanation if any other actor was playing this weird role.
I also greatly agree (actually, I thank you for the comments above) with what you've pointed out on female characters but... many male characters aren't written or deepened well either, including certain ML's traits. Things that happen when the eps are limited and screen adaptors must change the plot to make the long story short. Then, everything depends on the actors performance. Like Ms. Su who is - like a parsley - present in every pot, even overbearing, her goals misty, no romantic interest but the actress put some sense in this ungrateful character.

lol

I retract what I've said above.
I still haven't seen the next scene and why she needed the jewellery. 😂😂😂

For anyone who ever practiced any sort of martial arts is so eye-piercing seeing all those rings, earrings... it's the first lesson any shifu, sensei, master etc teaches you, bc. you'll hurt yourself during training. I mean, she is fastening her sleeves before a combat, fine, may and may not be useful (this only avoids someone grabs your sleeve, many martial arts are practiced wearing large sleeve kimonos...) but doesn't put off the jewellery. Simply irritating.

yes, maybe, but she was so romantic talking about that wedding dress, as if they were romantically connected

my question above (erroneously addressing PBG) was directed to you.

I think the reason for "lost in the plot" current state is in a heavy deviation from her character in the novel. In the novel, she appeared later and wanted that revenge over Cixi because she was a daughter of one of the 8 executed regents. In the drama, her character is used to provide background explanations functional for the story or other characters, that's why she's everywhere and the character is less believable and incoherent.
We should ask people who read the novel to update us about her situation at this point in the novel.

you're right about the numbness she rolled herself in, as a way to forget the man who loved her so much to sell his most valuable things to buy her the prettiest wedding dress and father of her sons, was still alive. I can relate with how this hardening experience made her gloomy and depressed, thank you very much for pointing this aspect out.
But still can't connect her character with LWT, how do you explain the connection?

The fainting of Gu's mom and the sickness of LWT (now we can remove spoilers of him being his dad) and Rui Lin knowing and arranging that meeting... is a bit too much for me. Gu's mom is such a boring and depressing woman, hell bent to her values (and that romantic story of her wedding gown + humbleness) which she constantly contradict with subtle ambitious impositions, a woman that any man with a grain of salt would escape many miles, kms and lis away.
LWT is despicable, but I definitely can't connect such a COHERENT man in his greed, cunningness, social-climbing smartness etc. with such a boring (the most boring character in the story) and intrinsicly uncoherent woman, and a dead weight, how could he has ever possibly fallen for her than in a DRAMA?

I agree. This is a (relative) calm before the storm

Thanks to Skibbies, we know the actor playing the customs officer Hart is Andy Friend. What a life, pity a person with such a rich experience in both Chinese and American productions doesn't have his page on MDL https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202303/1286988.shtml

Indeed! While it is somehow expectable for Chen Xiao to have a great screen interaction with veteran actors (playing LWT, Rui Lin, Mr. Chang, Mr Liao etc), it is so good to see this complicit chemistry with such a young actor as Luo Yizhou.

thank you! Yes, later I found about the historical Robert Hart but couldn't find the actor.
It's him, Andy Friend, now I've found a bit about his bio here https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202303/1286988.shtml

What misled me was the biography of person who served as xunfu (viceroy) of Jiangsu province in real historical period 1864-1866, Li Hongzhang. The author shaped fictional character Rui Lin giving him certain distinguishable traits with the historical Li HZ. Eg. he was a Hanlin student, he mentioned twice "I am dealing with the mess Zeng Xiangxiang (this is Zeng Guofan) left here" etc. I've initially thought Li Hongzhang inspired both Jiu and RL characters, but you've pointed out that the first has more in common with Zeng Guofan's (ninth/jiu) brother. But in both cases, Rui Lin seemed more "civilian" and less powerful than Jiu, so I've concluded the real decision-makers are Zeng(s), not him.
Yes, Rui Lin indeed said "he had doubts when Jiu recommended him GPY" (ep 32, around 31' min) but the way he put it made me think it was his (Rui Lin's) decision to summon GPY, which means he is not a figurehead but a real decision-maker.
Yes, I agree with all the rest you've written.

yup, NIF, JOL, Minglan... one watch is not enough to catch all the subtleties... Later you end knowing them by hearth 😂

as Li Baiwan told him: you wanted to lure the snake out (intending himself, ofc) and now I am here.
The dialogues are totally brilliant in this drama, I love them so much, I know I'll rewatch them at least ten times, lol

Yes and no. You are right Rui wants Gu to get things done but he doesn't keep LQ at bay (he is actually happy to milk him...), he just doesn't trust his father.

Lets analyse it step by step. Yesterday, I was wracking my brain why marshal Jiu wanted GPY to be viceroy's economic advisor while so many people are more experienced and have powerful backers who can help in removing the obstacles for money-making, necessary for the recovery. I've thought Jiu wanted all these backers at bay (with a possible purpose not to disband the whole army which must be payed and then disbanded), assuming Rui Lin was just a figurehead Jiu can maneuver at his will. PeachBlossomGoddess and Megumi thought that either all other better candidates already refused (because they were in a position to refuse such a hot potato mission) or Ms Su convinced marshal Jiu to employ GPY, still wanting to make GPY's life hard... All 3 of us were wrong (= following wrong tracks) bc. untill eps today we didn't know it was RUI LIN who wanted GPY, as he candidly admitted today (besides, it is more Jiu who follows Rui Lin's orders than vice versa as we've seen when he was ordered to stall rice mearchants in Nanjing as to delay them to flock all together to their destination and ruin the sale at higher price of Anhui's rice to the greedy fat guy).

So, the real question is why Rui Lin, who hides his extreme intelligence with "Confucius, Mencius, blabla", wanted GPY? Bc. he caught the info GPY won in previous clashes (banks, tea...) over Li Baiwan, who is now threatening to take over 90% of salt industry in the region (consisting of several provinces) governed by him. Actually LTW already is in possession of all these salt fields (and now even has an official position of "salt commissioner"), just not all of them were obtained in a clear or legal way (he was purchasing these fields during the Taiping rebellion, highly probably through Ms Su) and now wants Rui Lin, as the top authority, to "legalize" all these deeds. Rui Lin is reluctant to do so 1) because he doesn't want the salt profit to leak out (and that's why he constantly milks Li Qin) of his region which desperately needs money and 2) doesn't trust LTW won't sell them to the foreigners (and GPY, having dealt with the latter, is certainly more experienced than him). That's the reason why he is constantly driving a wedge between GPY and LQ.

Confucius, Mencius... and other Viceroy Rui Lin's pearls of sageness, part two:

"the sage once said: if you don't take advantage when you can, you are a fool" (ep 31)
"have you ever seen a sage who was poor?" (ep 32)
Despite he is continuously trying to drive a wedge between LQ and GPY (pardon, he is just committed to a "divide et impera" wisdom), I really enjoy these pearls 😂😂
(somehow I also feel for him, being abruptly awaken... that's what I hate the most too, lol)