IrenaK Whoa, what a monster the Emperor has become! I cannot even imagine what is happening in that mind of his. That scene where he puts a knife in Yinlou’s hand and then stabs her cousin about twenty times while holding it… Even Eunuch Sun flinched with each stab and wanted to turn away. Anyone would be terrified of that. And even so, the Emperor sat in front of Xiao Duo, praising how beautiful the blood-red colour looked on Yinlou’s face. He’s a maniac!The actor must be doing a phenomenal job portraying such a terrifying character. The Emperor's transition from that gentle and shy lantern-maker into this possessive, controlling and terrifying man has been so smooth, step by step, episode by episode. At this point, I am not sure if it will get even worse or not.Princess Hede’s realization and confrontation with Xiao Duo about his and Yinlou’s relationship was actually a low-key relief to me. I know she is kind of against it because the Emperor is her brother, but she is not reporting them either and even helped out when Yinlou went to meet Xiao Duo, so I believe she’s a possible ally there... If not now, then maybe when she realizes what a monster her brother has become.The end part was so heartwarming. Yinlou needed to feel that safety in Xiao Duo’s embrace. She’s been through so much and she probably will be put through even more terrifying moments. She even looked like an emotionless shell at that Buddha ceremony for a moment. I feel for her… oh, my poor girl. At least the cousin survived and is now safe and far away thanks to Xiao Duo.
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Oh, boy… if only Xiao Duo hadn't cared quite so much about Yinlou! She had such a perfect plan to trap Empress Rong'an, but instead, it got continuously interrupted by Xiao Duo’s men, bringing us a lot of comedy. To be fair, after all the heartbreak and tears we got in previous episodes, we really needed a more easy-going and comforting one, so I am very grateful for that! And even more so, in the end, she still managed to do what she wanted, treating us to even more laughs.However, I don’t think the answers she got helped that much, even if they did help in general. I know Xiao Duo now suspects Empress Rong'an of being his brother’s killer, but I don’t think she’s the one. Otherwise, how could her obsession with Xiao Duo be explained? Or… nah, I don’t think it is her.But what I do wonder about is—why didn't Xiao Duo check that entry journal at any point during those six years? Was it because he was just very focused on the Prince of Nianyang and checking this didn't cross his mind? But knowing how Xiao Duo's mind works, I think he would have checked EVERYTHING.Regardless, what worries me now is—was the blood from Yinlou’s mouth faked, or did she drink poison for real to distract the Emperor away from Xiao Duo?
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My feelings after the finale of this wonderful journey are mixed.On one hand, I am very satisfied that Cheoljong could fulfil his lifelong dream and become a King of the people—a loved and respected leader. He also introduced a new system for how rulers are chosen, marking the first steps towards democracy and entirely changing how the history books described him.However, on the other hand, even though it's kind of a happy ending, it still leaves a very bittersweet feeling. Throughout the show, I loved following how Cheoljong fell in love with the chaotic, unpredictable version of So-yong—not her looks, but her personality! We also saw how this relationship with the King changed Bonghwan. I wouldn’t be lying if I said I think he actually loved him… maybe he wouldn’t have if he were in his own male body, who knows, but he was genuinely ready to accept staying in So-yong's body for the rest of his life. And that’s what makes me feel bitter.We followed the growth of their bond, only for it to be cut just like that. Now, they both must live their lives missing something—Cheoljong misses something he cannot really explain or put a name to, yet he feels the void, while Bonghwan misses an actual person he will remember for the rest of his life. And he might not even have a place to go and mourn him… When I think about it that way, it actually makes me extremely sad, not just bitter.But anyway, despite the bittersweet ending, I can still easily place this drama among my all-time favourites.
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This episode was devastating. Xiao Duo returned to the capital just to have his heart broken and thrown away like trash. Yinlou acted the part of the cold, ambitious, and heartless manipulator perfectly, pretending she used Xiao Duo just for her own benefit… but we all know the truth. She did it to protect him, to chase him away from the palace, and away from all the danger lurking from the Emperor’s side. But did it help? We’ll see. The last scene proved that even while heartbroken, Xiao Duo is still watching her… I hope that’s because he didn’t fully believe her and wants to understand what’s really happening. I actually hope Princess Hede or Tongyun will tell him something, because they know exactly what has happened there.Meanwhile, the Emperor is searching for the cousin. It is only a matter of time until he finds him, and he will probably learn who Yinlou’s real lover is… or at least confirm that the cousin isn’t the one.I really don’t like Yinlou’s father, who uses her only for his own greed and advancement. Intolerable! However, I am actually rather grateful that he blabbed about the Emperor's plans to weaken Xiao Duo's power. This way, Yinlou might just be able to devise a plan of her own!
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I can’t even imagine how Yinlou felt when the Emperor actually forced himself on her, attempting to rape her. I am happy she could get out of that by injuring him, however, it came with a cost. In anger over the rejection, he issued a decree that she’s his consort now and that she had served him well in bed. I know what the Emperor was doing there. His whole reason was to bind her and ensure this news reached the ears of her lover.And I have very mixed feelings about how Fang Jiang reacted to this situation. At first, I was quite relieved that he didn’t blame her for staying with the Emperor and not eloping with him, but then—he believed the imperial decree, thinking she hadn’t trusted him enough. I expected better of his character, but I also know what a weakness these emotions can be, especially when someone has been betrayed before. However, I don’t think he thinks Yinlou betrayed him. I think he’s more frustrated by the fact that she didn’t trust in him enough to keep fighting the Emperor longer. But at least he finished the Emperor’s task and will be on his way back to the capital. I really hope he learns the truth very soon and that all the misunderstandings vanish.
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This episode raised the stakes immensely. The Emperor's decisions and actions now are mostly turned against Xiao Duo and focused on possessing Yinlou. They are driven primarily by his own emotions—angst, power struggle, jealousy and more—drawing out the worst in him.The fear for Feng Jiang’s life has forced Yinlou to make a very hard decision—to abandon him by not following their plan of eloping, leaving him in the dark regarding her reasons. I believe he is quite shattered now, because he was ready to jeopardize everything to stay with her, but she didn’t come, didn’t even try. That must have hit him hard, but I hope he’s smart enough not to think she has betrayed him. I am having my doubts because of a few lines Yinlou said, but I really hope there won't be any unnecessary misunderstanding on Feng Jiang’s part. The other reason why such a trope would look like a poor choice is because they talked through different scenarios when agreeing on eloping… and our leads are clever in general and confide in each other!Another thing that made the suspense even thicker was everything that went down in the palace. Even Wanwan is afraid of the Emperor, and all she wants is to save the Young Prince Yuwen Liangxu, who, however, is very anxious about his brother and his fate.This episode overall showed a larger scale of the changes in the Emperor’s personality. He doesn’t take no for an answer anymore and demands that everything happen the way he wants. He always asks Yinlou if she’s alright and punishes everyone who has subjectively wronged her, yet in the meantime, he doesn't really care if she’s actually ok. If he truly cared, he wouldn’t ignore the fact that he’s not the one in her heart, or force her to become his woman in all possible meanings.I wonder what’s in the bottle Wanwan gave to Yinlou… sleeping pills? Some other drugs?
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This episode let us learn more about the ML and how he became the way he is. Over those years, he had been driven by his own sense of guilt and self-hate about his brother’s death. And now, when he has defeated the man who killed his brother, he turns out not to be the one. And I must admit, I lowkey suspected that Prince Yuwen Liangshi might not be the real killer. So, the question now is — who is? Could it be Murong Gaogong, the current Emperor, or maybe someone else? I am quite short on suspects at the moment, but that doesn't mean I won’t look for one.The way Bu Yinlou supported and was able to console Xiao Duo (I am still considering what to call him from now on — Fang Jiang, maybe?) was filled with care, understanding and love. I really appreciate her for that. Their romance, even if forbidden, has grown very beautifully so far. They really understand each other and confide in each other. And even when they hide something, they notice something’s off very quickly and try to find the truth so in the end they could support each other even more. Like the situation with the pills, for example. Yinlou learned the truth her own way and only then decided to talk about that with Xiao Duo… only the show didn’t show us the confrontation.Instead, we got a time jump when Yinlou was already very worried whether Xiao Duo could have been able to accomplish his plan against Prince Yuwen Liangshi. And only a glimpse through Yinlou’s memories showed us what had happened the night before. She had been in the bath, naked, and Xiao Duo had been there with her. They talked about whether he was a eunuch or not and then he told her he wanted to marry her…. HOW could they cut such an important scene!? I am very disappointed that the editors chose to cut that scene, which in my opinion was very significant… Such choices make me as a viewer detach from the characters eventually. Forbidden love that has to overcome a lot of obstacles has always been one of my favourite romance tropes, so I hope it won’t happen here, because I really enjoy this story and don’t want it to get ruined because of editing choices.And then there’s the Emperor. He has finally arrived in Jiangnan city, but he is already causing trouble for our lead couple. He’s holding some angst against Xiao Duo and has decided to show where his supposed place is. And it starts with punishing him by whipping in front of all Xiao Duo’s men and, most importantly, Bu Yinlou. And the reason? The reason is for not protecting her enough and letting her get poisoned. I feel uneasy about the Emperor, and I don’t want to see him around either of our leads, but I know it’s inevitable since he thinks Yinlou is his woman. I only hope that he won’t decide to take her by force… which I wouldn’t be surprised if he did, considering how he gradually has changed already. It all will just become worse, I reckon.At least Eunuch Sun didn’t whisper much nonsense in the Emperor’s ear this time, but I dislike him anyway… a lot.
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Oh, Xiao Duo revealed the truth to Bu Yinlou, including that his real name is Xiao Cheng! At least one secret is off his chest... 😮💨 The pill secret remains, though. I believe they have something to do with pretending to be a eunuch. I'm not sure what exactly they do, but I guess we'll get some explanation eventually, though I'm not sure how detailed it will be. 🤷♀️And we could all see who the real boss in the family is, right?! And who is the scariest one! Even Xiao Duo had to keep Yinlou away from her cousin so he wouldn't get hurt, lol. 😂However, it's now getting more dangerous for them with so many people knowing or suspecting about their relationship. And even the Emperor himself is rushing to Yinlou now... how unfortunate. 😒
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Byeong-in did the only thing that could be considered as his redemption. But it would be even better if he had taken the twitching, scar-faced guy with him. 😔😞There were so many moments I loved, especially all the reunions we got! 🤗 The plan is set and they're ready to take down the Kims... or at least try to do that. ⚔️ Loved every bit of Cheol-Jong and So-Yong, how comfortable and adorable they are with each other, and how he just follows her lead, no matter what weirdness that is! 😏👍I am ready for the last episode! 🎬
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This episode was so tense and emotional. 😨😬😭I really hate Byeong-in at this point. If he was ever going to change, this had to be the final moment... one step further and he's not redeemable. He is driven by anger and hate for being rejected by So-Yong—she's the only reason he's that way. Gaaaaah! The anger and frustration I feel about him! 😤😩I loved how perceptive and clever the Queen was for connecting the dots, proving her suspicion and laying out a plan to find and save the King! 👏😏Court Lady Choi and Hong Yeon must survive this ambush! 🙏😬Love Kim Hwan for being the way he is—sincere, even if not the sharpest, and not discriminating against anyone because of their family! We need more people like that! 🤗👍I hope the Kim family will fall... and fall hard! 😠 (Ok, not Kim Hwan, So-Yong's father and maybe a few others).
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Yep, so he decided to distance himself. And Yinlou's reaction to that is pretty much as main heroines usually have. Only circumstantial extra now is that there's another woman involved in the mix. 😔😮💨I hope the cousin will choose to tell Yinlou about the poison for Xiao Duo, because Yuebai might actually agree to poison him... 🙏😬And I must add—I am quite proud of Yinlou for putting those pieces together and practically realising the truth. 👏 Now she only needs Xiao Duo to confirm it. 👆 I wonder what his real name is, actually? I think it's not Fang Jiang, as that was just his nickname... 🤔
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Yinlou shone in this episode! Her jealousy did them a great favour by getting rid of the spy-maids. 👏🤗However, that has created a soil for Prince Yuwen Liangshi to doubt the nature of Consort Dowager Duan and Xiao Duo's relationship. I can only suppose that starting from this moment it's only a matter of time until the Prince or his people get some evidence and prove their existing feelings for each other. 😬But I loved how clever both of our leads are! They quickly noticed all the necessary hints to realise that it was a trap for Xiao Duo! 👏However, now I wonder what that decisive look on Xiao Duo's face in the ending scene meant. Has he decided on a counterattack? Or maybe just to distance himself from Yinlou, so no one will find out that she's his weakness, and thus also protecting her from any possible future harm? 🤔🤨
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I think I was giggling during the whole episode. I loved every bit of it! How Xiao Duo just tries to fulfil every single one of Yinlou's wishes. The night together was peak tension... 😏🤭🤗 I wonder what will change with Xiao Duo when he doesn't drink his pills. I guess they are necessary to hide that he's not an eunuch. 🤔And they have a dog now—Eunuch Ba! 🤗
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Oh, that fight scene on the ship—tbf those moves of Xiao Duo and Cao Chun'Ang looked kind of awesome! 👏💪I loved that our leads got separated from the rest of the group and could have those very needed alone moments to bond. 😌 And that little kiss in the shed... aww, I am so excited for them—Fang Jiang and Zhou Ying! 🤗🥰
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Xiao Duo and Bu Yinlou are just made for each other. They support each other's plans and are ready to stand against everyone, protecting each other and helping to reach their goals. 🤗 They masterfully dealt with Yinlou's parents and manipulated the Emperor into agreeing to let her go with Xiao Duo to West Shu. 👏I am a little worried about what those nightmares will do to the Emperor's already somewhat unstable mind. Will they throw him completely off the rails? 😨😬
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