Chido Moira Majaha

the "drowned" wife

I can't help but wonder though, if Lou Ben was bought by Peng Kun on the premise that he would get Tongniu. Cause how would a rebel like Ma Rong, die so easily? Lou Ben literally has no military power to subdue a rebel army + the royal army. Anyway to be seen tommorow. LOL

It's not necessarily an idol drama, and those always open high. Like action and crime. Probably because all the non-romance folks finally have something to watch that is high quality. LOL

Hey LOL, it's okay. It does get pretty confusing cause everything is moving fast in the politics realm. This will be long but hope it helps.

So, the Gu city fall ( LBY's hometown) has many prominent figures who are attributed to have plotted for it to happen either directly or indirectly. Peng Kun is suspected to have been the master mind behind the Huo's family massacre and Gu city fall. After the Emperor took the throne, Peng Kun (who happens to be related to past royal line) states he no longer wants to be involved in the court and asks the Emperor to allow him to retire to his home town of Shouchun. However, as LBY keeps investigating he unearths that Peng Kun and other generals really didn't retire but are planning to rebel and upsurp the throne. Now, in order to successfully overthrow a king, you need to take over his main cities. Which ensue today's episodes: two cities were captured Shouchan and Tongniu. CSS father had been tasked with going to rescue Tongniu (if you remember LBY saying they needed to ambush different cities if they were gonna stop the rebellion fast). When he arrives there, Yan Zhong (the city official) is meant to assist him, and that's when he and CSS's father *allegedly* decided to move the money out of the city in case it could be looted by Ma Rong (Peng Kun's man) who seized the city. However, Yan Zhong also ends up moving his family out of the city as well, which is a red flag. So now in Tongniu, Li Feng (who is the city official's assistant) is technically in control of the city after Yan Zhong and Cheng Shi *reportedly defected*, but refused to surrender to Ma Rong and was put in jail. Reportedly Ma Rong spread the rumors about the defection that landed CSS family in jail.

Then insert Lou Ben (Lou Yao's older brother) is said to have been travelling in region and ended managing to negotiate with Ma Rong about his surrender. He also then states that Ma Rong was killed by Peng Kun's men, which can't be true cause Ma Rong was Peng Kun's man. During all this CSS arrives and is put in jail were Li Feng was being kept. She asks around, and Li Feng states that even before Lou Ben started negotiations Li Feng knew Lou Ben would make Ma Rong surrender, and that they would all be happy and become rich once Lou Ben regains Tongniu. Additionally, right when LBY and his army arrive to investigate the jail is set ablaze, Lin Feng dies but before he does, he states that he has been betrayed and they are killing him to cover up their tracks. So this begs who is Li talking about and why did he know Lou Ben would be successful in regaining the city.

Next, we then have Li's widow, while she is mourning Lou Ben asks her what she has decided to do, and she claims she will sell her property and move away with her family. However, she ends up giving CSS and LBY clues to help break the case, hence tells them were to find the bodies of Yan Zhong the alleged official who Ma Rong (and Li Feng) had said deflected. In doing so, she helps prove that the two never deflected instead something else was happening in the city, unfortunately she can't talk openly because she is being threatened and in that city where they were the one's with power, only a person with more power can do that. And right now the only person in town besides LBY with such power is Lou Ben.

Cut to the capital, Official Zou (is one of the official's who LBY beat up cause of the whole water thing with CSS), has been the one really peddling that since Cheng Shi deflected, his family must be punished and executed in court. In other words he is out to try to exact some revenge for the humiliation he faced at the hands of their son-in-law, at least that's what it seems like. However, Yan Zhong was found dead, so this rules out that they were deflectors, so he is probably there to try and peddle that Cheng Shi must have killed him and run off with the money. Grand Tutor Lou, is Lou Ben's uncle, who has always been in adamant about not allowing Lou Ben to join the court. However, now it may appear that Grand Tutor Lou knew Lou Ben habored far greater desire than being just some official in the court, and hence tried to clip his wings for the sake of the Lou family. So he is probably there to plead that case, that though Lou Ben has achieved something as gran as regaining Tongniu, he shouldn't ben allowed in the court. Then last you have General Wan and YS, who care about the Cheng family and just want to plead for them. Outside Wan and Zuo are fighting cause they want opposite things, and Wan loses his patience and beats Zuo up. Which, when he tries to report to the King, both YS and Lou stand by Wan, cause they both know the King ain't gonna let his in-laws die based on rumors.

Looking at all the responses, think it's time I try some duck. LOL

It is a good score for a drama that is still airing. Douban is harsh. Anything above a 7 is a well received drama. Once you hit 8, you getting into highly acclaimed dramas.

High budget dramas because they have A-list actors and actresses, fine costume and set designs, great CGI and special effects, well advertised (i.e press conferences, Weibo page that is updated). These take time and money to produce and therefore platforms tend to have at least 1-2 S dramas for each season. Like Dream of Splendor and LLTG were Tencent's summer Sdramas.
Honestly, the levels used to be for internal use for like investors and production companies to know what was what. However, now it's been adopted by drama watchers as well, to rightfully see which dramas should be highly anticipated (cause actors headline them).

I see a lot of people weary about CSS "blaming" LBY, but that's far from what is happening in that reunion scene. It's a type of flirting, which in the English language, I don't know if there is a particular word for it, maybe mix "coaxing" and "whining," and you would get what CSS is doing. Keep in mind that LBY has always wanted CSS to be vulnerable with him, lean on him, need and ask for him. What she did is exactly what would make LBY feel needed/wanted by CSS. It's her being like yooo you promised not to leave me, and the minute you did, look what happened, shit hit the fan. This is why we should never separate. A very nuanced and clever way of admitting that she does need him and also fill LBY with joy at the thought that she sees his value in her life. LBY immediately picked up what she was conveying and his responding tone is like, I gotcha, I won't allow that to happen i.e we won't be separated acknowledging her desires. In my native language, we do have a word for this type of flirting and it's kuyemera.

I saw the flirting it too, granted I am African so that too may influence how I am able to read into scene. LBY has always wanted her to be vulnerable with her, lean on him and ask for him. What she did is exactly what would make LBY feel needed/wanted by CSS. It's her being like yooo you promised not to leave me, and the minute you did look what happened, shit hit the fan. This is why we should never separate. Very nuanced and clever way of admitting that she does need him more than she likes to admit it, which LBY immediately picked up and in his tone is like I gotchu, I won't allow that to happen i.e we won't be separated acknowledging her desires. I don't think coaxing is the word for what she is doing in English, but in my language we do have a word for it and it's kuyemera.

No. They won't separate this week

Guys what tastes better chicken or duck?

While it maybe possible for other smaller productions to do so, S dramas tend to be very rigid. This is primarily because of the high production value that the budget has to stay close to true for the sake of profit margins. However, if a small budget drama adds more episodes it would be able to generate more money, which makes more sense. The wise choice for LLTG would be to do what Word of Honor did, do epilogue clips or another way would be to do a director's cut where they scenes that were cut off during airing.

which one? Cause I don't even think from the pending there is anything that is gonna top off LLTG. LMFAO.

I honestly hope they don't fast-track the end. This cast and production team has worked hard to keep the momentum and engagement high. Just killing that off for a few bucks makes no sense. Cause let's be real, how many people will actually buy fast track in comparison to those who will just watch the pirated version? NOT WORTH IT.

I thought LLTG was their summer drama this year??

But seeing how CCP was not happy with ADOS fast track thing, I don't know if this team would follow suit. Also, I feel their engagement has definitely been much more than ADOS, so why would they immediately let go of it? Part of the fun with fans, and the cast is the discussions during the waiting period for a new ep. I don't think it would be a smart business move at all.

You already know it. LMFAO. Ama make it a public announcement until the drama ends.

In as much as I love the Empress, Consort Yue is way better suited to be an Empress than the current one. She has a back bone and would be able to keep the harem including kids and their consorts in check. Part os the problem with the royal family is that the Empress is to soft hearted, which resulted in many of them turning out the way they did. She is the royal mother and needed to act like one. She isn't a normal mom who can dot on her kids regardless of how they turn out. Look at the CP, literally a product of that. Yes, I hate that she is married to a man who doesn't love her, however, when she sat on that Empress seat, she should have grown a little more tougher. Literally both her and the Emperor are so soft and Yue and LBY are the one's constantly cleaning up the palace. Make it make sense. So for one, I will be happy once Yue is Empress cause many of them noble girles will be put in check fast.

"Don't be afraid. I'm here."
- Tuesday, in LBY's voice to CSS.

1Yes. Qiqi's family was the one meant to have been arrested not CSS's. Also the tiger seals thing with the CP was added on by the scriptwriters.