I'm sorry to say this bc. of our wonderful couple, but at ep 26 I start to feel like plotholes are accumulating a bit too much (how the hell he got into a besieged town?). I'm not a novel reader and was ok with the simplification of the story, I even liked the fact SML is not a usual aggressive or passive-aggresive freak and could have standed the exaggerations of skills, the meaninglessness of the second couple, etc ... Now, despite I truly like the leading actors and how they've impersonated their characters, the development of their relationship is not any more compelling as before: it's all clear, they are made for each other, totally compatible and able to win over anybody... pity this thing makes there's no story anymore bc outside these two, nothing is particularly important, the story can stop as well. The initial simplification which was an advantage turned into a flow.
He is a scholar, that's why he admires her talents and courage. He also feels smth tragic about her constant gender-crossing,…
Agree. His being attracted to the FL makes a lot of sense and I don't understand why so many people is annoyed with him. He is a decent gentleman who doesn't make FL feel uncomfortable and who "is just trying to find his place in this wicked world", as you've said. Finally, instead of usual 2nd lead/antagonist typical stereotype (idiot, obsessive, self-centred, irritating...), we've got a refreshment: a decent, polite and good-looking 2nd lead who can have his own story of growth and healing/overcoming his problems.
The way I'm interpreting Chu Zhao's character and why he likes He Yan, is because he admires her strength, her…
He is a scholar, that's why he admires her talents and courage. He also feels smth tragic about her constant gender-crossing, and that hardship of hers reminds him of his mum's hard life and tragic death. That's the reason for his "protectiveness". In general, he isn't prejudiced towards women and is so for another reason, beside his mom: his assistant (who is head over heels for him), a girl more efficient and protective than any man being also proficient in martial arts. I expect him to be drawn to his assistant the moment she passes through a certain hardship. Working for a bad guy (PM), he has many grey shadows (well, even the ML has them), but he is decent enough not to fall for a spoiled girl like PM's daughter.
Got to say, I totally enjoyed the scene when Xiao Jue and Chu Zhao battled over who received the better sweet…
Me2. And I don't understand why all these persons are so annoyed with Chu Zhao? Instead of usual 2nd lead/antagonist stereotype (idiot, obsessive, self-centred, irritating...), we've finally got a decent, polite and good-looking 2nd, who is functional to the FL (ie., her personality can attract other men, not only the ML) and to her relationship with ML (adding some necessary pepper and stirring up competitive emotions in the latter). Besides, his being attracted to the FL makes a lot of sense, too.
She was excited to see "the surprise" but ended dissapointed: "It's just an erotic picture, no big deal" XJ - (gulp) you never feel shy... "Only hypocrites pretend to be a prude..." XJ --- (the cloud above his head: - does she really think so or is just provoking me?) "but you are a true gentleman who follows the sages..." XJ --- (- no doubt, she is provoking and pretending to be all-knowing about the subject, now I'll land her on the ground): - Oh, really? Do you really think a true gentleman behaves like me?
And then he literally lands her on the ground. Or better, on the erotic picture (and under a red veil).
As always, Feinu enters abruptly from nowhere just to interrupt their provocative play: Dudu... Why, Feinu, why don't you stop doing this to us?
I’ve watched the first five episodes and I have to say that I do like the drama very much. I like the fact that…
I totally agree with you. The script kept the core entanglement simple, easy to comprehend, creating just a short range of expectations: the development of their relationship in order to get their revenge/redemption/justice. I also appreciate this simplicity a lot, it gives us the opportunity to enjoy how the actors impersonate their characters, all the details in a military environment the production put into, the fights, camerawork etc., without being distracted by unnecessary complications
He'll make CQQ addicted to those oblivion pills. Poor girl. I like Yang Yang's presentation of Han Li here - reserved and a bit shy, reflexive, dettached and cool, is this representation similar to donhua/novel?
The effort they've spent in visuals and costumes is insane. Pity the story isn't particularly engaging and many eps are slow-paced and even dragged, bc. this drama represented the Tang aestethics most faithfully, it's truly the best. So, it's 8/10
Is that aria we've heard in the latest case from a famous Chinese opera?
I've liked it a lot, as the efforts of its protagonist to get the soul of his mother from hell well expressed killer's efforts to bring justice and pay respects to her teacher.
To my fellow novel readers out there, how does the series compare? I am seriously thinking about reading the novel…
I'm currently at chpt 230 and frankly don't know what to say, I am hardly enduring. All these C-web novels authors have a presumption to write "War and Peace" - and these 230 chapters already abundantly beat Tolstoi's W&P - the difference is: for how already boring is Tolstoi, his narrative was dealing with real events which were realistically and craftily narrated (ie. have some historical, chronical and educational-artistic value) while these novels contain so much nonsense and so much unrealistic things treated as realistic that you may get bored, annoyed and irritated at any moment. These novels are made with a help of AI templates, the latter formed on audience's preferences (which often tolerate nonsense) and already existing patterns, so their artistic value is next to zero but they serve this exclusive purpose to be adapted (as an "original novel" source) one day in a drama. What will be included in the drama from that endless prolapse of words depends only on the screenwriter(s). In this drama, the first criminal case was badly written already in the novel, but more in line with the characters outlined in the novel than it was the case in the adaptation, second was waaay too long in the novel (the screen adaptation probably could have not been better than this, having in mind it occupied at least 80 if not more chapters), the third was excellently cropped, and now we are watching the fourth (in which the adaptation inserted the second couple romance). Although unsatisfied with the start, I appreciate the screenwriter's effort to maintain a sort of balanced length/pacing (of the cases). So, if you're not specifically interested in the generation of narrative, I wouldn't recomend you to read the novel. But given your personal interest in criminal justice, maybe you'll be delighted with a variety of cases, idk
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1 
Now, despite I truly like the leading actors and how they've impersonated their characters, the development of their relationship is not any more compelling as before: it's all clear, they are made for each other, totally compatible and able to win over anybody... pity this thing makes there's no story anymore bc outside these two, nothing is particularly important, the story can stop as well. The initial simplification which was an advantage turned into a flow.
His being attracted to the FL makes a lot of sense and I don't understand why so many people is annoyed with him.
He is a decent gentleman who doesn't make FL feel uncomfortable and who "is just trying to find his place in this wicked world", as you've said. Finally, instead of usual 2nd lead/antagonist typical stereotype (idiot, obsessive, self-centred, irritating...), we've got a refreshment: a decent, polite and good-looking 2nd lead who can have his own story of growth and healing/overcoming his problems.
In general, he isn't prejudiced towards women and is so for another reason, beside his mom: his assistant (who is head over heels for him), a girl more efficient and protective than any man being also proficient in martial arts. I expect him to be drawn to his assistant the moment she passes through a certain hardship. Working for a bad guy (PM), he has many grey shadows (well, even the ML has them), but he is decent enough not to fall for a spoiled girl like PM's daughter.
And I don't understand why all these persons are so annoyed with Chu Zhao? Instead of usual 2nd lead/antagonist stereotype (idiot, obsessive, self-centred, irritating...), we've finally got a decent, polite and good-looking 2nd, who is functional to the FL (ie., her personality can attract other men, not only the ML) and to her relationship with ML (adding some necessary pepper and stirring up competitive emotions in the latter).
Besides, his being attracted to the FL makes a lot of sense, too.
XJ - (gulp) you never feel shy...
"Only hypocrites pretend to be a prude..."
XJ --- (the cloud above his head: - does she really think so or is just provoking me?)
"but you are a true gentleman who follows the sages..."
XJ --- (- no doubt, she is provoking and pretending to be all-knowing about the subject, now I'll land her on the ground): - Oh, really? Do you really think a true gentleman behaves like me?
And then he literally lands her on the ground. Or better, on the erotic picture (and under a red veil).
As always, Feinu enters abruptly from nowhere just to interrupt their provocative play: Dudu... Why, Feinu, why don't you stop doing this to us?
I like Yang Yang's presentation of Han Li here - reserved and a bit shy, reflexive, dettached and cool, is this representation similar to donhua/novel?
These novels are made with a help of AI templates, the latter formed on audience's preferences (which often tolerate nonsense) and already existing patterns, so their artistic value is next to zero but they serve this exclusive purpose to be adapted (as an "original novel" source) one day in a drama. What will be included in the drama from that endless prolapse of words depends only on the screenwriter(s). In this drama, the first criminal case was badly written already in the novel, but more in line with the characters outlined in the novel than it was the case in the adaptation, second was waaay too long in the novel (the screen adaptation probably could have not been better than this, having in mind it occupied at least 80 if not more chapters), the third was excellently cropped, and now we are watching the fourth (in which the adaptation inserted the second couple romance).
Although unsatisfied with the start, I appreciate the screenwriter's effort to maintain a sort of balanced length/pacing (of the cases).
So, if you're not specifically interested in the generation of narrative, I wouldn't recomend you to read the novel. But given your personal interest in criminal justice, maybe you'll be delighted with a variety of cases, idk