AleksandraSucur

yes, the wedding scene was a melodrama at its highest.

I am glad I've correctly guessed where was butler Cheng and that he would come after LJL already exposed the monk's true identity, continuing to meddle between LJL and RSB. That's why I am a bit surprised with his sudden and unexplained towel dropping. It was the first symptom of a rush in the story line, the second being the explanation what Yunxu really had done at the river and the deal she struck with RSB after the scholar left her room.

On the other hand, I've liked the whole truth exposing scene happened in front of the guests, business partners and managers finally bringing down the unbearable granny and in one melodramatically effective shot we've got the final closure of Wei-Yang case, found out the true culprit behind Yang DC's and Mrs Yang's death and witnessed a public recognition of the new tea queen. The author went a bit too easy on granny but after seeing her first son and his 2nd family in the capital I more or less understand why she kept herself and the family distant from the officialdom and was opposed to the idea of RSB marrying an official.

Now, we are in the capital. Expecting to see the reasons why LJL needs such a dominant, calculative and cold woman like RSB. An obvious turning point occurred when a person looking like a eunuch brought him an edict and he seems to be in some trouble (at least in RSB's dream) and/or in a "reversal of circumstances" plot again. Such a plot twist looks like a typical "peripeteia" of a hero after discovering a certain unknown truth connected with his origins (eg. his true parentage, as in Sophocles's Oedipus Rex). Till this point, the author used (and sometimes abused) practically all reversal narrative devices except this one. RSB is certainly hearthless ("the morning after"😱) but abandoning the bed doesn't mean she'll abandon her lover to his own trouble or misery. Or that she'll allow someone else to be heartless to him, that's her exclusive right, right?

Yup, smth like that, I expect. Biting his nails, bc LJL will expose the fake YBL first.😁

Thank you.
3. I agree with you, it's unusual... it works also on me.
4. I totally understand why it often doesn't work...
5. ❤️❤️❤️

Don't worry, RSB would never ask him to do so. She rescued him in the first place bc she knew he was "an upright official"

the male butler's name is Cheng, not Lu

Not finding any spoilers or other people's theories to answer the Q "where's butler Cheng?" (which seems to be important for the plot, given LJL asked the same... and RSB changed the subject in order to avoid the A), I've racked my brain myself where he could be, based on what we know about the characters, plotwise trajectory, logics and dynamics among different characters.

Coming to a conclusion the butler must have been sent (either by Granny or by RSB, maybe even via Madam Yan, who is from the same "Yan" family and to whom she gave a letter before Mme Yan left the mannor in order to deliver the tea to various far distant clients) to investigate better "the last man standing" at the Rongs' mannor, ie., YBL. He'll probably come with some evidences of why the person (butler Cheng greatly admired) currently in the mannor is a fraud and cannot be the real YBL. Obviously, the butler will return too late, as LJL will aready expose "the monk", having the real YBL as a proof. And ofc, being always three steps behind LJL, the butler will continue to hate the latter. 😏

P.S. I've seen many comments hating RSB bc she never tells anything to LJL and find this thing odd and assimetrical if compared to how open LJL is about his feelings. Right, RSB could have tell LJL she had "a joker" (in a person of Bai the scholar). I've also totally felt for LJL when he yesterday scolded RSB (in the ep when she finished in prison for the first time), he had every right to do it bc it seemed she put herself in a danger, risked the life of the persons working on the plantation etc... while she had actually took steps and had plans both to protect the plantation workers and to make Imperial inspector supect the governor's motives/credibility. And she gave LJL a reasonable a posteriori explanation: she knew this plan won't be sufficient. And they still didn't crack who induced Mrs Yang to commit a suicide.
Now, here are the reasons why she didn't tell LJL about her plan with Bai:
1. She couldn't be sure Bai will stick to his part of the bet he made with RSB in case YS decided what she actually decided (to drop Bai's invitation to go away with him)
2. If her people failed to rescue Bai from the water, she would have let know to LJL's aide (who is an intelligent guy she herself placed to assist LJL). But Bai was saved by her people and then left to put an act in front of the governor. She informed LJL's aide of this fact (as revealed in LJL's interrogation of his aide).
3. The romantic relationship between the leads may seem assimetrical or disproportionate in showing their emotions, but I think we can all agree this is due to the differences of their characters. A person who was prohibited to show emotions all her life (even in the moment when her mom died) will very likely behave exactly as RSB. So, this is not an issue at all. The real question here is: does LJL tell everything to RSB? And we all know the answer is: no. Not to mention his previous lies and things he didn't tell her, LJL didn't tell her when his mentor visited, and he didn't tell her anything while he is hosting the daughter of his mentor. In not telling things to each other, they seem pretty equal in my eyes.
4. For this fact (not telling things) they never blame each other, why? It is true that a sound relationship is based on an "honest communication", but an "honest lack of communication" is as good if there's a trust. Lovers can decide to hide certain things from their partners, and the relationship can often look like a poker game (when you have to hide which cards you have in your hand), but they can still be very devoted to each other. I've personally never told "all my things" to my partner(s), while always being honest, in good faith and relying on a trust we have of each other. Maybe, this is the reason I've never skipped (like I do whenever watching a C-drama) the romance in this drama: I find it very realistic and relateable.
5. Having secrets can make a relationship hotter. From the trailers for tomorrow's eps, I think you'll have your payoff. 😉

What's worse, now she is not only loosing her grip (in controlling the situation) but even that touch she had when she was younger... Her younger self would immediately saw through the monk, at the moment she noticed he had no resemblance with the lover who saved her life. I've thought she was shipping him with RSB to set her up, to make her have a taste of betrayal and fakeness men (as well as women) could inact and to obstruct RSB's own way to be happy.
She acts as she were a muddled old woman, uncapable to discern what's going on around her

I can testify you were right! 👍
But as we now have a confirmation of your 6th sense, use it to tell us were's the butler! 😂😂😂
Bai and th 5th... we've shipped them too early 🤦‍♀️

yes, it will probably turn into smth like you've said. But RSB is going there as well and today another problem popped up with tributary tea for the dowager and can be dragged into the eps in the capital.

What Totoro said is correct.
The imperial inspector's uniform is of lower rank in the court, that's why is blue. He can order the gov. and LJL only bc acting under direct imperial orders (we do not know what is his permanent position, being an imperial inspector is just a temporary assignment limited to one task).
The governor is the highest ranking civil administration official in a province who can, in certain circumstances, even deploy soldiers of the garrisons stationed in his province. The prefect is the second highest civil official, he cannot deploy soldiers but has proper police and justice forces, acting as a combo of chief police officer and a head of magistrates. As the highest ranking in the province, they both wear red.
The official under governor (who tortured the plantation people) wore blue, as well as LJL wore blue when he was just a magistrate.

we're awaiting bc we're scared that 6 eps won't be sufficient and the plot may be too tight and rushed. This drama is already a rollercoaster, we don't need further accelerations on plots and on the amount of subplots, open issues and threads to follow.

I kinda miss these little comic reliefs from the first arc.
We had only one today, very subtle, when LJL asked "Where's butler Cheng?" and I've immediately thought of you, Teen and Totoro and our yesterday's talk "indeed, where's the butler?"
And we still don't know what happened to him after RSB hit him with that glance 😂

That scene was so funny that I've burst in laughter, but as it progressed, I was almost convinced I'd accept such a "challenge" teaching him a lesson or two on that mountain of gold... and then he said smth like "men are fickle, money lasts" (it reminded me DeBeers' ad "diamonds are forever" and even "the stage" he prepared looked like a commercial) and it was comic again, with a subtle note of theatre of absurd. We'll remember this scene, well made and well played, lol

yup. One giving that arrogant attitude while the other is sneaky and falsely submissive.

oh, that's why I've never seen him. And probably why he looked experienced stripteaser, lol 😂😂😂

The twin looks and gives such diferent vibes from the exuberant striptease bull that is hard to believe they are played by the same actor. Totally different persons. This actor def has skills

why do you think RSB is with Bai in burning the tree?

Last evening I've wrote a review not recommending this drama to certain groups of persons among which are also individuals who can't stay on a rollercoaster or suffer from disturbs connected with the production of adrenaline (and/or noradrenaline) during the states of high vigilance. Even persons with no specific issues can't go on its high levels for long bc the depletion of glucose alarms the brain which then passes to the production of cortisol and the person will inevitably feel exhausted. The narrative method used in this drama simulates what we feel when go on a rollercoaster but often the state of allertness it induced lasts too long, turning us to an exhausted mode.
I've felt the same today after we followed at least four threatening threads (Yunshi-Bai-Yang), (Jiang gov.-RSB+LJL), (Yunxi's ex and child), (tea tree-tribute problem), all four mutually intertwined. It was really too much with no real gratification (the slap was certainly insufficient) to compensate the stress piled up throughout an hour and a half.
So, yes, I also fear for the next 10 eps heavily packed with issues and threads to follow.

I don't think LJL invented the story he frequently got in fight with other kids who were teasing him bc he had no mother. And that later, when his father passed away, too, his uncles took the inheritance and returned it to him only when he passed the imperial exam fearing the consequences.
So, out of curiosity, I've asked meanwhile a Mandarin speaker to translate the relationship chart. As it is actually written that this "maid" is his mother, and that there's a question mark between her and the Duke, she might have had an affair or been the Duke's lover, having LJL as the Duke's illegitimate son. For some reason, they couldn't expose this fact (probably the Duke's wife) and gave their baby to a person surnamed Lu to raise as his legitimate son. Or, alternatively, she was married before with LJL's father and later became a concubine of the Duke and now wishes the Duke adopts her son as well

Yes, we'll definitely see. And lets hope nothing will be rushed.