JulesL

Oh goodness, that's a horrible thought - the Qiao/Wei family line might end quickly if that was the case! 😂

Well, it is slow burn and it's a from-enemy-to-lover trope. So after they got married, there have been disagreements and one of them stormed off, or had cold wars but there was no real breakup. There are many cute moments of them making up, giving in etc. Around ep 16/17 was when Manman tried to get closer to wei Shao and it was ep 19 when Wei Shao confirmed his feelings.

The most serious argument was not a misunderstanding but there was reason for Wei Shao to be angry. This was probably their worst argument. They did not break up though but were separated because of the war. That happened in ep 29.

Ah true - I meant cockroach like it will always come back unless you kill it properly. But yes, you're right - Wei Shao should have considered her as Enemy #1 with her troops.
Not only are the Weis not as strategic, they also are too honorable.

Based on spoilers and comments, the family will grow larger, so I think he will be properly rewarded.

Just read your edit - I agree, while I am not as harsh as you on Wei Shao, I do think he made the classic mistake of letting the cockroach go. Should have been like the mafia - get rid of every single thing that can come back to bite you. That fake empress wanna be even vowed to take them through hell so why let her go?

They will meet in tomorrow's episode (ep 31)a and I hope there is a sweet reconciliation scene.

So true - I agree that Wei Shao has every right to be angry and at this point, I really want Manman to just openly adore him and appreciate him. So when they are back together, I want her to be the one all effusive and taking the initiative.

I am only annoyed at Wei Shao after they have won because his heart clearly felt differently from what he said. Even after prompting from Gongsun, he was still being stubborn but what can we do, that guy is just like that.

For me, it is the perspective of the individual - Manman wants Daqiao's husband to risk his life not only for Wei Shao, but for the people of Yanzhou and Panyi as well as to not repeat the Qiao family's mistake of not stepping up, especially when it is about their people.

Is it selfish that she wants to honor her promise to bring reinforcements and not let Wei Shao down? Yes but it is far more honorable than Da Biao who only cared about her life being disrupted if her husband were to join the battle.

Da Biao has displayed her narrow view of life throughout the show like even asking Bi Zhi to leave Boya with her so he was not put in any risk. That was even before the baby.

All that said, back to your point - yes, almost everyone is being selfish here. Except Wei Shao - that guy pretty much deserves unconditional love from Manman at this point. I hope she "rewards" him nicely in the next episode :)

I really feel for Manman. Yes, she made a mistake, but it stemmed from a past decision that wasn’t wrong at the time. Should she have eventually told Wei Shao? Absolutely. But the timing was unfortunate—how could she have possibly known that Liangya would attack and even uncover the secret path?

Still, she more than redeemed herself. As Advisor Gongsun wisely noted, her love for Wei Shao and care for the people was both sincere and evident.

Frankly, I’d much rather see Manman do her thing than be like her cousin, who chose to protect her husband and cling to her peaceful life. While some might sympathize with that choice, to me, it comes across as incredibly selfish.

I wanted to smack Wei Shao when he stubbornly claimed she acted only for her people. That moment was frustrating, though not entirely surprising—especially since some viewers seem to doubt her sincerity and motives.

But I don’t. I fully support Manman. The war would have happened either way. Yes, her actions may have made things harder for Wei Shao, but he would have had to go to battle regardless. What matters is that she did everything in her power to salvage the situation—and she did so with remarkable courage and success.

The 4 generals may seem goofy but they can certainly fight! Great to see XiaoCi step up as well.

It is a shame that the cousin sister made the decision and hid it from BiZhi. I think he would have been an impressive addition.

I am surprised to see Wei Liang using his bare hands but he was awesome. The battle scenes are not the best I've seen, but they are decent.

Yes, as I mentioned above, the drama was clearly written to include romance, so that’s how the story will unfold. What I meant by saying the romance feels forced is that the couple just doesn’t work for me personally. On top of that, the other elements of the drama are far more compelling—so much so that I believe the story could have stood strong even without the romantic angle.

That’s the beauty of being a viewer—we each bring our own interpretations and find enjoyment in different aspects of a drama.

Oh yes, romantic love is a powerful thing and good for Gang Cheol for having the opportunity to experience that. If part of his trials to ascend is to learn about human emotions and feelings, then yes, romantic love is required.

However, the story was not written that way. Unless I missed something, the story never mentioned having to experience humanity in order to ascend. Gang Cheol even found himself accidentally trapped in Yun Gap's body.

That's said, the story is written for romance and that's just how it is. I just personally find the romance uninteresting.

Initially, I’d say they were fighting against what was perceived as evil. But as the story unfolds, we see that things aren’t so black and white—those so-called “evil” spirits are actually wronged souls clinging to their grudges, unable to move on.

Now, however, it feels like they’re facing something genuinely evil—something that’s gone beyond personal grievances to a much larger, more dangerous force.

You’re absolutely right in your description of Gang Cheol and Yeo Ri’s relationship. It has clearly evolved from one driven by self-interest to genuine care and love. As you pointed out, this kind of emotional progression is necessary for the story, which is why we’re now seeing the familiar trope of self-sacrifice enter the picture. That’s the drama’s intention—to center the romance and show how love and effort might break the cycle of past deeds shaping present consequences. We see a parallel in the King's reforms as well; he’s also trying to rewrite the future by addressing the wrongs of the past.

I really liked Yun Gap’s reappearance in the last episode—it feels like his presence will force both Yeo Ri and Gang Cheol to reflect on their situation more deeply.

It’s hard to say whether this will end happily. Personally, I’d prefer to see Gang Cheol finally ascend, but I know many viewers who are invested in the romance will want them to stay together.

That's the beauty of dramas, I suppose—different people can walk away with different impressions and interpretations.

Personally, I don’t find their romance interesting, let alone sexy. The male lead is kind of goofy-cute as he discovers his feelings, but I’m not getting much from the female lead. I’m not sure if it’s due to Bona’s acting or just the way the character was written.

That said, I’m still enjoying the drama for other reasons, so I don’t feel like I’m missing out. I’ve watched many K-dramas and liked plenty of couples, but this one just doesn’t work for me. Their romance feels bland—not in a “comfortable married” way, but just boring. Still, it’s a good watch overall, and I hope it has a happy ending.

Cute little drama. The leads are adorable and likable, plus the male lead is just so empathetic. Other than feeling bad for the initial love interest and the unnecessary 1 year time skip, everything else was absolutely enjoyable.

Hehe - he did look much much more handsome when he wore the headband on his "boat date" with XAT.

Yes! 😍😍😍

I am in the same boat, I would look at him, then his wig but then back to admiring his fineness!

I guess so. I just think with the Zhen Tower having so much dirt on the officials, surely someone in the court would try to find out more about it, and the owner. Like I'm surprised that Gao Ming did not find out or know more about her.

I just think that if someone were to look into it, it would not be difficult to find out who the Zhen Tower owner was, and if they dig deeper, they would know her background.