Precious

Sameeee

Exactly what I was thinking! One hand spasm and ML wouldn't be able to have children in the future. So crazy. But they definitely had more punishments.

Here's how to differentiate them:

Wuxia: martial arts × heros
Xianxia: gods/immortals × multiple worlds
Historical: plain historical (could have fantasy etc too).

This is a historical drama.

It's not Wuxia at all.

Kept going until when lol. His plot has already been revealed.

I understand that she's from a different family that was also harmed when the old emperor usurped the throne 23 years ago. The character most likely to be FL's relative is the scarred female peddler we've seen a couple of times.

And I actually like that they didn't have a full conversation about it, but they recognised that deep loss in each other. They really are just trying to survive in their own ways, and any kind of discussion would have watered down that quiet loyalty grieving people share with each other.

Exactly!

Ah, I understand you, but remember she isn't in love with Scholar Han. She wants to make her parents happy and she doesn't exactly dislike Scholar Han. If anything, she is grateful for how he has come through time and time again, but it's obviously very platonic on her end. The thing is that a man like Scholar Han would never make FL happy. I just do not see it. Inasmuch as she craves a quiet life, she's also a go-getter and thinks very quickly on her feet. Scholar Han would be a good fit for what she aspires to be, but not who she actually is. She's naturally observant, crafty, and enjoys plotting (you can see her restrained delight when her plots workout) and I just do not see SML doing this with her. ML, on the other hand, is ready to plot for hours and get his hands dirty if necessary.

And I love it! The drama is ultimately about people (rich & poor) trying to game the system by hoarding aces and this marriage decree is actually the best way to show what people on both sides of the divide cherish and how they plot to survive. It's beautiful.

It will take her a while to understand this, but I can definitely understand why she's so sad about how everything turned out. She just wanted a quiet life. I think she has forgotten that, just like that prince ML had to hide away, if murmurs start again she will be in danger and if she ends up marrying Scholar Han and starting a family, everyone would be in danger. I believe she will later realise that she can only be truly safe when she has power.

It seems he did

Probably, but in about 15 episodes.

Okay guys, I think we can all agree that this episode was absolutely amazing. I was dying! I literally replayed the last five minutes of the drama multiple times because I had to see everything again. The head-on-the-shoulder scene, the scream, the way they like each other, and even the slap felt romantic. I love them. I wish the kiss was better, but, you know, we got something at least. I love the chemistry between the two of them.

So, I looked through the comments, and I saw some people asking, in particular, why she hasn't opened up to him yet and why it almost feels like they take one step forward and then five steps backward. If you guys remember, when SSR realized that she would actually be living a new life here in the present—which is her future—she decided that she wasn't going to wait anymore. She was just going to live for herself. And with everything that happened to her in the past, she betrayed the trust of someone who trusted her and was eventually betrayed herself. When she decided to trust the king's vision, she was ultimately killed because of it. So, it's very hard for her to trust anybody, and that's why she has found it very difficult to open up to him.

I also see that some people are saying that he has been written as if he's going to be in perpetual anguish, but I think this is very deliberate. If you remember, or basically if you watched Episode 9, you know that he never actually confessed his feelings to her in the past. I feel like that's why, in the present timeline, he fell in love first. It's almost like he had been living with those feelings all this time because he never got the chance to express them in the past.

Anyway, guys, these are just my thoughts. I love this drama so much, and I can't wait for Episode 10!

Whenever they're together it's electric!!!

He would raze the village down lol

She's more hurt than anything. My poor baby 🥺

Please you'll love it so much!!

Haha so true. If she'd put in even a fifth of her energy and considering he wasn't expecting it, she would have sent him flying.

I haven't read the book, but I loved the way he essentially told her he's ready to follow her lead for the rest of his life. That was the original plan (when he married into her family) and even if things are now different, he let her know that him standing at her side is a non-negotiable.