Yani

I can't call Ji Chong a second lead. He's one of the main leads, fully deserving of his place there. I don';t "ship" him with Zhai Xing, I actually don't watch the drama for ships because romance is not so much what is interesting to me here but the characters' stories on their own, the character building and the story as a whole but I do think the story is not so strong as its players are :) . And as for Ji Chong in the last episodes - again, great developing. From the start where he was shown as a free spirited, larger than life type of a person, then to the same guy but with different reasons and a good backstory and now revealing the honor, the grace, the beauty and the very realistic personal tragedy of someone experiencing unrequited love. Honestly, I didn't want him to fall in love with Ma Zhai Xing, not for the main couple's sake but for his sake. I wanted him to be more self-indulging than he is, more freedom-loving than he is, more cunning even, more f**k it all
kind of a guy but not in a completely bad way xD ...but he had to stay in the depressing world of this story, it was expected :) And I think it was done rather realistically as it is realistic to love someone who doesn't love you back and for that to change your way of living. I haven't seen a "second" male lead be given so much story and personality, I do think he's a favourite of some of the screenwriters - wish I could high five that screenwriter haha <3. For not being able to give back what he is giving to her, I hope Ma Zhai Xing finds a way to really say thank you in her actions and not just in words. Keep him alive, girl, don't allow something bad to happen to him to the end of the series! I'm watching you, this is on you! Hope they don't stay together and he goes and live life to the full
On another note....her choosing to stay with him on the wedding after he tried to stop her by telling a part of the truth...I know she loves Bo Wang and that's good for TV romance but objectively, that is maybe the best decision someone can make for their own good in a situation like that. Whatever it was, whatverer the reasons and the good intentions, the main couple's relationship didn't bring them hppiness. Probably because of circumstances but the truth is the truth - they didn't make each other truly happy. When she seemed to realise that, I was happy for her. In real life, this would be a big and brave moment for a person ending a toxic realtionship and choosing a future of possibilities(if Bo Wang wasin her place, I would think the same). But in a drama of this genre, of course their love is shown to be true, pure and eternal and the suffering casn't stop because they don;t see other ways of escaping it. Doomed love is an old trope in fiction.
Now, Yao Ji....She was not given a lot of screen time till now but now I'm happy she is here to take action ^^ The actress is sooooo good! She and Xiao Zhan have very expressive eyes and they are so good at acting with the eyes...but of course, she has more experience and her facial expressions just slay! The way she looks when thinking of Bo Wang...so full of sadnes, so like...humane looking, I'm impressed. I also loved her part in ep.40, loved her scene with Prince Bo...Strong woman and a master actor to portray her <3
One more thing - burning someone is such a cruel act. Traitors maybe were killed in that way but...one way or another, Bo Wang is one of the children of the emperor...no wonder Chu Kui was also the reason for his first son to die :(

Finished episodes 39 and 40 and I really like them. Again, beautifully shot - amazingly done emotional scenes with great eye for aesthetics, I loved just looking at them, not only following the story <3
And as for the emotions, I do feel for Bo Wang and Ma Zhai Xing(here, especially for Bo Wang and other characters) but I have to comment on what really got me - Ji Chooong, are there even men like him in real life? I think not! (as if it was gonna be someone else xD first drama watching XZ, it was not so much him that made me love the character, although he looks like an amazing guy, it was and still is Ji Chong - and the actor's amazing portrayel, of course)
And Yao Ji.. Wow! Xin Zhi Lei - pure acting skill right there, one of the biggest in the show. Wanna say a couple more things but in spoiler...Attention, long read! (for whoever wants to read, thanks :) )

Hehe it do be like that sometimes xD

O how I wish the battle was longer and grander! Wish they gave more budget to it and hired someone to better direct it. Where is Miguel Sapochnik when you need him?! <3 It was a matter of priorities, of course, they chose romance over many other things - in this episode, over true action sequence that the series actually was building up to. Hope there is more grand action scenes in the future because the show certainly can go in that direction, the last episodes were promising that but we were denied here. Ma Zhai Xing trained for long to be ready, to be strong and she was riding a horse for a couple of seconds and then she passed out, the hero appeared to save her and so on...a little disappointing. Sometimes, I do miss Game of Thrones, watching how other tv shows don't make things of that scale if they can and build up the tension for it is certainly putting things in perspective - when a drama is in the genre of romance it just refuses to step up their game when it needs to and reverts back to the old save routes (waiting patiently for Arthdal Chronicles next year, that series promised a good story on a bigger scale also). Sigh...Still, it had a battle that was not that bad for this genre and is quite honestly not the norm for it. I actually thought Ma Zhai Xing did kill Prince Bo and he seemed to die in a pretty cool way (it was well shot and emotional, that's what I'm trying to say xD). It fulfilled his character's wishes, it made him free, could;ve been interesting if it did happend and then she wnet to Chu Kui to take revenge for him too. Darker but maybe more believable then him surviving through every single hit. Just a thought.
The second thing that the show build up to - another action sequence. And here it;s not so much a case of a missing fight but of a missing plot resolution if I can say. I'm talking about the presumed ambush of Chu Kui. He didn;t need to die or anything if that would be an issue at this time in the story, but they didn't have to make all the characters abondon their plans and again go save Ma Zhai Xing. *Big sigh* All was going good, they were finally there to catchand kill him, it would have solved the whole war - everything ends, boom, right then and there, it was easy for them! And then they went to save the princess from Bo Wang. I get it she's very important for Jin but it was a bad desicion in my opinion and not logical. And then every character had to have a little speech about how Ma Zhai Xing is more important than killing their biggest enemy and because of that they had to abandon everything (did they really need to?) and go save her when killing the emperor would have saved so many people, it would have put an end to the biggest "evil" in the drama and made their kingdoms peaceful again. As if the screenwriters wanted us to see their reasoning, as if they felt guilty and wanted to make some excuse for ther desicions. I didn't expect them to suddenly brake the old trope of the romance dramas (I don't hate romance in shows, by the way) and go the logical and more interesting route xD But I can always hope...
Anyway, at the end of episode 38 Ji Chong appeared again so I was happier lol Just for a while I had that bad feeling that the show is coming back to my least favourite episodes somewhere in the middle, but all is good, for now, we'll watch and we'll see ^^

Finished episodes 37 and 38. The big action is here....All good, just a little something to say xD

Well deserved! My personal favourite is Sirius ^^ Never is also beautiful ^^ As well as Stone and a couple of amazing instrumentals. It's one of the best OSTs honestly

Ji Chong is prescious, amazing, one of a kind, a golden hearted wild spirit (Ok, I'll stop...for now xD) and I don't really ship him with anybody in this series ( he deserves more than a woman that loves another man, someone more legendary), he so good he shines on his own. They better give him another series where he roams the world and has the wildest adventures and finds the biggest of loves. Only the best for ma boy <3 okay I said what I had to say, 'squese me now xD

Haha then I'm too good for my own good! I'm stopping with the predictive thoughts before I make things not enjoyable anymore xD :))

No problem, It happened when the emperor took the sword from the first son's grave. There was wind and lightning and all kind of stuff suggesting the dead prince holds a deep grudge with his father and knows his intentions.

We have reached a point in the series where two main characters make a promise with a smile on their faces...Ma Zhai Xing promised Ji Chong they're traveling the world when everything's passed. I'va watched films and dramas before and I know what that means.. guys you're not going anywhere probably ;( I don't have to watch to the end to know xD That hopeful smile of Ma Zhai Xing at the end of the scene, as if everything's gonna be alright...girl, I'm not Nostradamus, but you're so dead by the end of the series just because of that look, directors love it right before killing somebody xD PLEASE don't tell me fo real what is gonna happen :) I don't want to know, I already am suspucious enough, thank you
I just hope Ji Chong survives. Ma maaaaan, survive and travel the world on your own, please, find love and freedom.
That scene in ep. 35 got me laughing so much but I'm prepared, bring the action on :)
P.S. - XZ's smile is a killer though, not gonna lie :)

Just a commentary for those that have watched up to ep.35

I also have watched up to episode 36.
I guess you mean the end of the episode when Bo Wang throws his spear? What that means exactly is supposed to be revealed in episode 37 so it's okay if we don't know what is happening. As for the forth prince trying to kill the emperor and the revelation that Prince Bo is part of the whole conspiracy...That whole thing was hinted when the forth prince dropped that perssimon and then Prince Bo was talking and looking at the emperor in a suspicious way, as if what he was saying, that he would take revenge, was directed to his father and not so much to their enemies. That's because in the scene where the dead brother apparition showed up, a part of the plot that was not mentioned before was revealed - the emperor was in a way responsible for the death of his first son. That's when the forth prince regained consciousness butthe hid it so that he can hear whatever it is he heard. And he told Prince Bo but it was not shown on purpose. So now they know the emperor did something that led to the death of their brother so now I guess they will seek justice :) Hope that helped...It's a whole new plot point that appeared in the last episodes.

Yes, it's pretty short. Seemed like the grand opening of a scene that was not shown in its entirety... But such a good opening though, I paused for a second from the shock - in a good way ^^

Wow, how great, thank you for answering! Can I ask, do you live there or you were visiting? As I see, the mountains are exactly the same as what was in the show and that particular episode. The local performance looks so interesting with the beautiful landscape behind. Wow! And you managed to see the lakes, how awesome, they're gorgeous ^^ Hehe, another travel spot on my list of world adventures some day

Omg I found it! For anyone that may want to listen to it - it's the third track in t he album on Spotify. In the drama i've heard it twice till now - once signifying the appearance of Ji Chong and his eagle in episode 26 or 27 and once in the beautiful snowy mountains in ep. 34. So majestic, pure beauty!

Wow, you're so helpful, thank you! Google doesn't tell me much about Shangri-la but it looks like it can be near Tibet, hmm...I'm listening to the album right now, hope I can find the instrumental, thanks again ^^

I don't know if it's a romantic chemistry or a friendship chemistry but yeah, I'd want more screen time with them both, they'd make a great team in anything ^^

Not related to the plot...can someone tell me where the drama was shot(I know it's probably in China but it's a big country )? In episode 34 they showed one of the most beautifully shot scenes in maybe TV history. I'm talking about the part where Yao Ji was in the snowy mountains. I was awestruck and that folk music, I almost teared up, so epic and emotional!....So here are my questions, I'd be thankful if someone who is Chinese or simply knows of these places and details can answer. :
How are the snowy mountains called and where they are?
Do you know where I can find that particular instrumental with the female voice(from the scene of Yao Ji in the mountains)?
Where are the nature scenes of Ji Chong and Ma Zhai Xing shot? I mean the ones on the plains with lakes near them. So beautiful and they keep coming back there and I keep rewatching the scenes xD Also, in one of the last episodes I watched, maybe 27, where Jin troop and Bo troop met - the plains looked similar but there weren't lakes(seemed more rocky terrain) - is that the same place? It was gorgeous <3

The last scene where his father was walking outside the house and Ji chong was walking just above him on the roof - so good! Yes, it portrays their different paths in life but also their different characters - one is walking close to the ground, firmly walking the path of his stern and seemingly stable reality while the other is up above, "soaring" through his ideals that are a whole different reality of their own but it too is full of difficult decisions and consequences. I think Ji Chong does have and will have a part of the "hard" era his father is talking about, hope it turns out all well for him in the end (please don't spoil - my new motto xD)
"I don't want him to be apathetic" Yes! That's exactly what he's not. He's the one character that is trying with all his inner will to live a life he can call his own and be an own person . We'll see where that leads him (hopefully in a continuation series haha)

Finished episode 34 and....one of the most interesting episodes till now and the most beautiful - both visually and story wise (I rewatched most of the scenes more than a couple of times). Now that's what I call cinema quality, well done to the creators of the show!
ALso, I can see how much care was put into creating the character of Ji Chong and how beautifull and gracefull he turned out to be. Kudos to Xiao Zhan too, for breathing life to this wonderful role, I was emotional in every scene he took part in this episode. I'm really hoping for a series where Ji Chong is leading, would be a different kind of a tale but so worth it to have it on the TV screen :)) Don't spoil me what happens to him till the end of the series, don't even hint, please and thank you xD ^^