IrenaK

Shifting winds and mandarin duck feathers

I am stunned by how everything changed in this episode! From a relatively peaceful palace life, we have moved to such a high-tension, action-packed situation. I am a little afraid of how it all will go from here, but I also absolutely loved the shift! 🤩Firstly, we have ShaoShang who is confined in Changqiu Palace, but with the help of the Empress, she escapes to search for the truth of her father's fate. Even though with her actions the Empress defied the Emperor, she is willing to be ShaoShang's shield in the back rather than a barrier that hinders the resolute and steadfast girl she loves almost like her own daughter. Amazing woman, and I can only applaud her for such a brave move! 👏🥹Secondly, once again, I can be grateful to Yuan Shen for interfering and thus helping ShaoShang with her reckless plan to visit her family with the fake badge. But the Grandmother... she really doesn't stop with her overdramatic ways! At least she brings some comedy. 😅And, finally, the main star of this episode, ofc, was BuYi. Not only did he convince everyone to think his shoulder pads were made from mandarin duck feathers and not from chicken feathers (because ShaoShang said so), but he also single-handedly dealt with the Shouchun army and opened the city gates for his army to enter the city and arrest Peng Kun... And the combat scenes, and BuYi's moves — phenomenal! Pure cinema! 🤩👏 Additionally, a perfect, yet only semi-expected, moment was that the armor ShaoShang made for him actually saved him from getting pierced through his heart... 🫣😌But now I wonder, what is BuYi's father's link to the Gu City massacre? Was he among those who plotted and acted to destroy that city and General Huo Chong? If he was, then why would he do that? BuYi said his parents were on good terms once, so, maybe this specific reason is what drove them apart and not BuYi's mother's mental state? 🤔🤨

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What a plot twist!

Wow, what a plot twist! 😲Thanks to Yuan Shen for interfering with the arrest, and thanks to the Crown Prince and the Empress for standing by ShaoShang when she pleaded to meet the Emperor, soaked in the rain. 🥺🙏ShaoShang made reasonable points about why her father might not be guilty and is possibly being framed as a traitor. Those county magistrates could actually be the ones who are aiding in that framing, if they are so firm with their accusations. 🤨Also, I am a little mad at the Emperor for confining ShaoShang to Changqiu Palace, but I also understand why he didn't want her to go to Tongniu County to search for her father. Difficult situation for everyone there, but I hope they resolve this soon! 🫣🤞

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An affectionate couple, supporting each other

Crown Princess Consort got what she deserved for not leaving Qu LingJun in peace. ShaoShang told her all the right things, so I hope she will think about those words. 😌The scenes with BuYi and ShaoShang's affection for each other were golden here! ✨🥰How he bought her candies with his guards clearing the way and not allowing anyone near the shop... Aww, BuYi, ShaoShang looked a little embarrassed! 😅 But like she said — BuYi can be flashy when doing certain things — and she was right. He really is, I agree, especially when those things have anything to do with ShaoShang. 🤭🤗Loved how she supported BuYi in front of the Emperor about going to Shouchun to capture Peng Kun! And then as a sincere gesture so he would be better protected in that war, she sewed that armor and snuck into the military camp so she could give it to BuYi as a gift. The camp scene was very funny! 😅 And in the end, BuYi's gesture of giving ShaoShang his seal to take care of his house while he's away... Aww, they are such couple goals now! All the bumps in their road have finally paid off. And I must say, I really liked those mandarin duck shoulder pads! 🥰 But I guess they make him look too much in love and too soft, because why else would his closest guards say they feel embarrassed to go to war with their general wearing those? 🤔Also, I want to add that I feel kind of sorry for the Empress. It must be quite sad to always feel like the third wheel in her own marriage. However, I know that was often the case with harems and marriages with many wives — some were more favoured, and some weren't... 😔

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Tearing down houses

I kind of enjoyed Yuan Shen and ShaoShang's scenes in this episode. They both really seemed different — she's matured and he wasn't as harsh on her. Probably, because he has realized he has some feelings for her and what he has missed out on with her due of his previous behaviour. But him knowing his feelings makes me wonder — will he become like a silent protector/helper for her, or will he turn into a villain at some point because she won't respond to his feelings the way he wants? At the moment, it looks like he has accepted that she and BuYi are together and he is just a spectator. 🫣🤔But BuYi... Wow... Ordered to tear down the house just to find out if ShaoShang was hidden inside? He really was afraid to lose her! 😳 But she was very clever in this situation and I loved it. However, that murderer wasn't very smart, I must add! 🤭I don't know if BuYi will decide to punish Young Marquis Yue eventually, but I wonder who is the person he loves/cares about that would get hurt in the process if he chose to do so. 🤔

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Liang Shang's murder case

I was right to suspect the Crown Princess of having two faces, yet I didn't imagine her other face to be like this! What a petty woman! 😤👎 I am quite sure the Crown Prince never sought out Qu LingJun to be unfaithful. I think he had accepted his fate and fulfilled his duty as the Crown Princess's husband, loving her or not. She was the one who couldn't let it go and ruined her own marriage by plotting against Qu LingJun. 😔😒Even if it was for a very short period during this episode, I really enjoyed watching BuYi and ShaoShang on somewhat the same wavelength. Both working on the case like Sherlock and Watson! 🤗😅Also, I agree with BuYi — one of the Liang family probably is the real murderer and is just using Qu LingJun's and her husband's marital problems to frame her. 🤨

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Punishments, confessions, and new evidence

The situation where Buyi got punished should have been serious in any book, but no — instead, it was more like a light comedy. I couldn't watch that scene without laughing, only because of the Emperor! 😅I quite quickly realized there was more to that punishment and that it was probably intentional for Shaoshang to witness. And I was right. The main reason was to calm the crowd's anger about Buyi's violence towards the eight noble families, of course, but it also served as a lesson for Shaoshang about angering Buyi to this extent, plus an extra cherry from the Emperor to push her to the limits where she would finally show and reveal her true feelings for him. Well done, Emperor, even if that lesson was a little twisted... 👏🤨However, this punishment was also a sacrifice Buyi had planned to make as a consequence of his own plans to get the evidence from the Yue Army's military reports for his investigation into those past events of Gu City. Did the Emperor know of Buyi's hidden agenda behind his act of violence to avenge Shaoshang? I kind of doubt it. 🤔And the lesson for Shaoshang did its work perfectly. She confessed her love and snuck into Buyi's room at night to take care of him... They kissed, she played the flute, and he told her how he had fallen in love at first sight... "One gaze that lasts a thousand years," he said... A phrase so beautiful that it made my heart leap! ❤️🥰 They are closer than ever now and I really, really hope they stay that way! 🤞

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Everyone is getting their endings

Jiang Yan came around after all and made peace with both Wan and XiXiao, which was nice. Maybe brothers can stay brothers in the end after all. 😌🥹Gu Meng and Jiang Fan made up, which was one of the greatest joys. Also, I actually think that Jiang Fan was that buyer who bought their home from Gu Meng. It was such a wonderful gesture of love, to be honest. 🥰Wan finally proved Lu ZhongYue's guilt in her father's factory case and also in that new case for that other factory. That was a quite epic scene and actually gave me goosebumps. 🤩 Only, Mr Lu disappeared somewhere after, so I have to ask, is it really over with him or does he still have something in store for us? 🤨Even Wan's mother got some sort of conclusion, providing some evidence that helped Wan's cause, and also XiXiao's grandfather somewhat accepted Wan finally. 😌Everything seems all right, and I am so ready for a very happy final episode! 🤗

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They are so back!

Finally, they are back together! 🥹❤️The confession scene was beautiful, yet I would have liked it even better if she hadn't been so drunk. I honestly was a little afraid that in the next morning's scene she would have forgotten everything that happened the previous night. But, phew, she hadn't, and I could breathe again — they are fine, wonderfully silly in love, and blushing like back in school! 🫣🥰Now we just need Gu Meng and Jiang Fan to reconcile and cancel their divorce. But I do get both of their POVs in that situation, actually. I just hope they can find a middle ground where both can receive and give an equal amount in their relationship, clear enough for both parties to understand what's expected of them. 🤞🥺And Jiang Yan is onto the factory's case... tadada daaam... 🥁 I hope he will help Zhou Wan, not his father, with that. And actually, I expect that, because that would be the biggest proof to Lu ZhongYue of what a crappy father he has been, resulting in not having any of his children on his side. 🤞🫣

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Finally on better terms

I loved how they found out each other's secrets that none of them wanted to talk about, and how both are about to help each other deal with them — Wan will be XiXiao's cure and he's secretly conducting an investigation into what happened to her father's factory. 🤗😌Them opening up to each other a little and finally finding some common ground is all I could hope for! 🥹 I am so looking forward to their full reconciliation. It's about time anyway, as there are only 4 episodes left! 🫣And what... Luo He is dead? 😮 I expected him to return and mess with their lives a little more, not to die off-screen by drinking himself to death. Well, but it's good to know that he wasn't an invincible cockroach after all! 😂👍

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The thrill is back!

Wow, this episode was peak again! 🔥 I got all the thrill I missed in some of the previous episodes — sitting on the edge of my seat and worrying about all the characters, especially WuYi, Yun, and their father. 😱🫣 The battle scenes were very well executed, in my opinion. And JiaYu's weapon was such a game-changer! 🤩What I actually think is quite funny, though, is how everyone always knows everyone's true intentions behind their actions. 😂 Like Mao and JiaYu knowing WuYi had known about LeJun's poisoning, for example. Yes, they did an autopsy and found she was poisoned, but how could they possibly know all the rest? 🫣🤷‍♀️ But I guess that's just something I have to overlook when it comes to these relatively short dramas (here I am comparing C-dramas in general to some multi-season ones from other countries, mostly non-Asian). And now, onwards to the finale to see how this wonderful story ends... 🤗😉

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What will this do to Mao and WuYi's alliance?

I have some problems with understanding Mao's sincerity in all this. I get that he and WuYi have a plan, but how long ago did Mao start acting? Was that way before the prison scene, and was it while the Grand Tutor was still around? Did the GT know about it, or was he also fooled by Mao? 🤷🤔But now, I wonder what will change between Mao and WuYi after LeJun's death. WuYi is taking the villain role again to earn the Eagle King's trust, but is Mao aware of the plan regarding LeJun? I think this time he's not. And that's what might make this dangerous and, in some ways, unpredictable. 🤨 Also, I think the Eagle King doesn't want LeJun dead, but his test on WuYi is backfiring a little because WuYi is about to pass it. 👆But there's one thing I feel is lacking in this drama, especially in this episode. In the early episodes, I felt some sort of suspense in every single episode — my heart was pounding for all 45 minutes, expecting possible twists and turns, but now it has somehow disappeared. At least, I can't feel it anymore as much. 😔 A lot of things happen or get resolved off-screen, and all that's left for me is to watch the outcome. I like this drama a lot and the story is very good, but I am getting a little detached from everything that's happening here. 😞

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