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Facts. Usually when they go to the capital 😂 that's when the story starts to nose dive.

They made a point to show the crown prince is attending the wedding, so it could be related to that too. With people trying to silence the Marquis and Jinqi, now the Crown Prince investigating the deposed emperor's grandson, I'd find it hard to believe that Jinqi and Marquis aren't prepared to protect themselves.

Yeah I think the writers mean well but it can get didactic.

I think honor was important back then, so I understand why someone like Lu would think that way. I don't feel any particular way about the Lin grandpa. It wasn't the morally upright thing to do - it's giving in to authoritarian rule (not that they had a
democracy, but in theory rulers should still be just). That said, he saved his family and it counted for something.

Mr Lu won third place scholar but refused office. Once he knows who Jinqi's grandfather is, he dismissed Jinqi. The song he was writing was also about "how many previous emperors were foolish". This actor usually plays notable supporting role. I think these are hints that Lu was and is a supporter of the Shen family, and was probably indignant with the current emperor's treatment of them, and how the Lin changed their tune and submitted that memorial to chastise the previous emperor, only to appease the current one. Hoping to see him help Lanxiang in the future restoring justice to her family!

I don't think that means much usually.

Ep 24 preview is stressing me out omg please be safe 😭 I like both the Marquis and the 3rd sister!

Some things are just about chemistry!

Someone posted it but I lost it: what was the meaning/relevance of the story Lanxiang told the soldiers?

Yup only when the legitimate daughter makes a mistake can she as the daughter of a concubine steps in and takes over the good marriage. But thankfully she has a good head on her shoulders and didn't resort to that!

No she was definitely smiling, and then snapped out of it by pinching herself. She's smiling because (this is informed by a scene in the trailer) she wants to marry well, and if Xiuwan can't marry the Marquis she can step up and take her place. But thankfully she's wise and knows that she can't gain happiness if her sister is ruined.

It's a show don't tell approach. You're seeing characters behave and move through their life, or reacting (by themselves) to events. It's excellent storytelling.

Leverage to be free of them. He still figured out the supplies but yeah his grandfather said people would get in his way from now on. I don't think it's gonna stop him though. He's better off this way than having to succumb to some other power.

That would certainly have been the kinder way, but he also wanted to free himself of her family 's control and have some leverage over them.

That's not her dad in the trailer. We don't know who that is yet. Likely her uncle.

Good theory, but if he descended only 3 years ago, how was he allowed to leave? I still don't think whatever happened to them happened 8 years ago, because like you said she needed the education lol both in literary and martial arts. She already got some education before by going back and forth between the capital and the mountain, but she's so good at everything that it would be a real stretch to think she got that good studying by herself from the age of 14 (?).

You'd like Ming Lan in The Story of Ming Lan. They're similar. Both also hold a lot of trauma.

Zhao Yi Qin is so much better as an unhinged villain than whatever gentle righteous emotionless character that his character was pretending to be lol

I was just thinking that...in Yanxi palace (same writer, same director), why did I still care for YingLuo despite her perfect almost always successful scheme? I think it's because we know her as a person, we know what makes her tick. She has clear loves and hates. For RSB, we've never seen her shaken in any way. Besides knowing she is devoted to her duties, we actually don't know that much about her inner life - if she has one. This makes her scheming enjoyable on a surface level, her general wit and intelligence respectable, but she as a character is hard to feel invested in. I actually feel way more invested in LJL. His character is fun to root for :D and even the second and fourth sisters. We know what makes them tick, that makes them seem human.

Is anyone confused about Jun Dai? He's originally a servant in the Rong's household, given to LJL by Shanbao, but he's now more loyal to Lu than he is to Rong, going so far as to leave the Rong family to go with Lu. What gives?

I don't think he planned it. It could be his ex advisor covering stuff up. He might already know that LJL lost his memory and is using it to his advantage. Let's see what he remembers vs not in the next episode!