AleksandraSucur

sorry, but I can't totally switch out my brain, just bc I'm watching a C-drama.

neither do I (cry)

you're such a sweet liar! ❤️
You like heroes, as much as I do, otherwise, how we would both be Jin Yong's fans?

I agree with you that XQ is sufficiently consistent within the drama and I am generally neutral towards the script deviations in plot and characters (from those in the original, I rarely read such novels) on one condition: they must make sense. Not only the characters must be consistent, but also the plot, subplots and dialogues must have sense.
So, I have no problems with the scriptwriters' decision to re-tailor the story and reshape the characters. The screenwriters wanted a dumb, betraying, selfish and ungrateful cousin in order to add melodramatic suspense (and such a common trope) and make her more similar to her muddle-headed father, governer of Yanzhou? Fine with me, they've re-wrote Manman's character too. But in order to create this single betrayal, screenwriters were forced to invent this flooding subplot that doesn't make sense at all. Combined with their efforts to transform Manman in a great strategist and problem-solver, now even a hydraulic engineer, they've made this terrible faux pas: defying the basic physical principles, known as communicating vessels (or Stevin's law) we've all learned in elementary school ("a liquid contained in two or more containers communicating with each other, in the presence of gravity, reaches the same level giving rise to a single equipotential surface"). The river dam (upstream to the level of marsh connected with the river under the soil) they initially wanted to blow up in order to flood the marsh was impracticable, so she decides to DRAIN the downstream? Draining the level inferior to the marsh will only cause an ulterior drop of the water level in the marsh, certainly not its rise, so this thing doesn't make sense and this is not the first time.
In one of the first episodes (and another deviation from the novel), she BURNS sulfur bags hidden in Panyi granary (in order to prevent LY to use sulfur to explode the river dam and flood the people downstream), and beside being an explosive substance (burning which she will highly probably kill herself in explosion), its burning and/or explosive reaction would have released sulfur dioxide (SO2) and intoxicated the whole city to the death.
Answering your question: her character is completely different - she is a timid girl, aware of not being as smart as Manman, yet smart enough to follow her lead and suggestions, loves her family and appreciates Manman's efforts to mend their overall relationship.
In the original novel, there's also a rebirth subplot regarding Manman (I am glad drama dropped that one): in her first life, QM married LY and Da Qiao married Wei Shao, dying shortly after the marriage (as well as WS's grandmother), her death is the main reason why she decides to substitute Da Qiao to marry WS in her "second life"

"You pushed your husband to fight and die for Qiao clan." I agree these words are toxic, meant to hurt. But - as a statement - it's totally untrue. The decision to split his forces on three fronts was entirely Wei Shao's, she never pushed him to defend Qiaos, she even told him she would understand if he concentrate his fight on the defence of Panyi and the canal.

"I will die for you but..." - words of a hypocrite with everything after a "but" being a bull*hit.

"I'll never let love bind my husband to fight and die" - words of an ignorant coward, fighting doesn't necessarily imply dying.
Besides, if she hates so much her hubby "fighting" for the Qiao's, why did she raise up the Qiao's flag over Boya when he won the battle against Xue general? Because, then, he has already won and she wanted to butter up her father/family and now, when she knows it was insufficient for her father's recognition of their marriage, she hates ALL her family members, including those who were always protecting and helping her (not only Manman, but her mother and Qiao Ci)?

Although I agree the dialogue between two cousins was well written and performed in a touching and convincing way, I can't find anything "reasonable" in DaQiao's pov, she is just an unreasonable (read: dumb & somehow spoiled) coward in the drama and, being such, she is a very different character compared to Da Qiao in the original novel.
1. Some people said her decision was motivated by fear (of LY's more numerous forces). When a reasonable person is afraid of smth, he/she notoriously has only two options: to fight or to flee. Fighting together with a bigger force (WS's troups) is certainly better than fighting alone (with just 20K soldiers) later against massive LY's army. On the flag she raised above Boya is written "Qiao", i.e., although her husband's forces preside over its territory, it is a part of Yanzhou, her homeland, currently attacked by LY and Boya is passage oblige in LY's progress towards the capital.
2. Where will she flee when 20K Boyans fail to defend it against way stronger enemy? To her family in the capital of Yanzhou, she refused to assist in a defensive fight? Or to her cousin in Wei, she equally refused to assist and whose husband might have died while defending Panyi?
3. She "just want to protect one person" (her husband), doesn't care about anyone else: people of Yanzhou, her family (including her own mother, who is also a very good and unselfish person, Qiao Ci with whom she grew up), her cousin Manman who spent no effort to help and assist her in every possible way! Beside being stupid per sé, her belief she "protects just that one person" is beyond selfishness and ungratefulness towards any other person who helped her in her life. Finally, that person she wants to protect is way smarter and more grateful than she is and she deliberately hides the truth her cousin came to ask him for help. Once he discovers he was needed to join the fight (and prevent further trouble) and she refused even to tell or discuss the thing together, what will he think (of her brains)? Will he feel "protected" by such a dumb and selfish person?

Therefore, for how good that dialogue was written and performed, I think such a huge character deviation from the original was totally unnecessary. It is true it created a suspence, but the novel wasn't lacking in suspence as well. Besides, this deviation added the flooding subplot ("raising the level of water in the marsh by draining the downstream"!???) which doesn't hold any logic at all.

That battle already happened in one of those first episodes, when LY held Manman in fortified Penyi. In the last second you can even see bound Manman sitting on the floor, trying to free herself of the rope

I think we can pass over all Sue Ehuang's misdeeds, except the hurry to attack which directly caused that... hmm... concubitus interruptus 😡

the dreams of her past life happen only in the novel, not in the drama, bc. they didn't pick up the rebirth motif from the novel.
I share your hopes, I am just a bit irritated by too many tropes, push 'n pulls and beatings around the bush in their relationship, leaving out so many interesting things from the novel. It was intentional - imo - to adapt and transform this relatively original story into an oversimplified idol romcom.

The "divination" happened in the drama, too, but she was a child back then, WS wouldn't take it to the hearth seriously if he was to learn about it one day...
In the novel, she is always wary because she was reborn, she lived once before and witnessed the deaths of her family inflicted by WS and in the present life, scenes from her former life frequently come back in her nightmares. Actually, when she confessed him the things she have done behind his back, she mentioned those nightmares, that's why he understood her feelings and fears much better after.
Although I like the drama didn't pick up that rebirth theme from the novel, I agree with you that in the drama her fears are less understandable than in the novel, but it is far away from being the main point of my dissatisfaction with the drama script, I actually take her fears for granted and don't mind them at all.

probably the daughter in law, his son's wife

In the novel, he was very angry when discovered she advised her uncle and father to recruit talents resulting in her father gathering a discrete military force which, combined with Bi Zhi's troups, warded off Bianzhou's attack. It was the proof she was wary of him even after his touching love confession and strong intimacy they've shared, and keeping it a secret behind his back, wounded him deeply. If I remember it well, he discovered this when she has already given birth to their daughter and was returning from Luoyang to see her and their baby, turning back the horse and the scene happened after she went to him, confronting him directly. But that anger didn't last much, it only led to a better understanding of their feelings and trust.
The drama (unfortunately, imo) deviates a lot from the novel, many scenes in the drama never happened (eg. she never threw a ledger onto him), while omitting at least three very important things from the novel, making the characters less consistent than they were in the novel and the entire story more superficial and fluffy

👍

you are right, there are multiple "bedroom scenes" in the novel, but they were serving the purpose to describe the character: his sex-drive wasn't about sex, but about the process of his healing. He lost his father and brother as a child, and as a child, he ought to take the leadership and honour a heavy oath to revenge them and restore their projects, so his character is shaped within these parameters. He is rigid bc. of that, but what could make him more flexible is not shopping around as in the drama, but venting that frustration in a way he vented in the novel.
No need to be explicit, we would have understand....

It's not compulsory to read it 😂
I rarely read the novels which served as source materials for dramas myself. I've tried several times and dropped that effort (mainly due to the length and bad translation). But this novel's translation was acceptable and I've checked it not because I was curious about it, but because I've noticed too many things were off, with several characters not being consistent any more.

I've seen that one years ago, great drama.
I've never expected this drama to be "epic", I have nothing against bland romcoms, only with illogical, incoherent stories.
This drama started great, because the scriptwriters hooked the audience relying on some novelty elements they've taken from the original material and then... well, totally disappointed that expectation by turning the plot into a bland romcom.

To tell you the truth, I've decided to read the novel because felt smth was amiss with Wei Yan... I understand they've wanted to avoid all the Xiongnu subplot, but they certainly could have done far better job to convey the very same character with Chen Ping of Bianzhou as his father...
You are right, we now must lower our expectations. But I still feel it's a pity, the story had so much potential... it's not a masterpiece but had its own originality (and it is this originality that actually hooked people), I personally like they've dropped the rebirth element (although it was useful for novel's ending), but I dislike very much it is the FL who is desperate to get closer to the ML. She is smart both in the novel and in the drama, her smart and audacious actions solve so many ML's problems, why would she suddenly ask for "rewards" and start to play games with ML? It makes her character illogical as well.

My thoughts exactly. They could have convey his passion without making him do explicit deeds and remain within the censorship standards. Instead, they've turned him into a clueless even dumb man, which he is not...
We are not interpreting him wrong, don't worry. Little hints (discomfort when she was too near to him, "don't seduce me") are insufficient, in drama he looks like he fears her (and contacts with women in general), but that's not true. He is principled (in general) and suspicious of her (in particular), but he is certainly smart and psychologically perceptive enough not to fear who is in obvious disadvantage, and this applies to both men (enemies) and women.
Therefore, the problem is entirely in screen adaptation of his character, the scriptwriters made him illogical.

there's no time for that, we are at the mid-point of the drama, the conquest arc will certainly suffer.
Imo, the screenwriters were not "building-up their relationship" but they were "circling around" needlesly procrastinating the relationship to happen, impeding in a way for it to build up. Even in the novel, it is a process (as it is in real life), but not as such a dumb push and pull game...

Yes, and that's why I feel it's a pity, given the original material, it had much greater potential.