JJJ

Some drama going on the C-side regarding Jiang Ci/Li Landi (don't click if you don't want to know):

As this is an ML-centric drama, FLs are usually expected to always believe and trust the ML regardless (it is just how this genre is written), and if the FL misunderstands the ML, it is usually to add to ML's sad background and have the viewers feel for him. It is a very common trope. The FLs in this kind of genre are usually just a love accessory and don't have their own arc. The FL is meant to be a self-insert.

However, Jiang Ci in this drama is written as her character with her own arc even without the romance aspect. Because of that, she has been getting bashed by /some/ viewers (the ones who are very rooted in ML's POV) along with YXH adding to it. Questioning how can she not trust the ML, how dare she "stopped" loving the ML, etc. I believe anyone who is watching this drama without bias can understand Jiang Ci's POV. Character bashing is nothing new so it is whatever, however, it is now dragging Li Landi as an actress into it.

These same people are now claiming Li Landi's acting is bad because she is showing only "coldness" and "hate" to Wei Zhao. Again, anyone watching the past few episodes without bias will see her interactions with Wei Zhao are mixed with conflicts, hurt, coldness, pining, etc. It is to the point that they are trying to claim she is a bad actress.

Good thing is there are also a lot of people defending her and saying Jiang Ci is her own character with her own thoughts/experiences. It makes no sense for her to completely trust Wei Zhao 100% once again after what had happened, and her interactions with Wei Zhao are completely aligned with Jiang Ci's character.

I think part of it is also there are people who were upset that Jiang Ci's character is too "good" in the sense that she had highlights from the Ayan case, saving the Yue Luo people, etc. They feel like her character is getting a bit too much attention which would benefit Li Landi as an actress for her career.

But yeah, I can see it getting even worse once episode 34-25 hits. It is starting to spread so I am just hoping it doesn't affect the drama overall. It is one thing if it helps with the heat index, but if it is just going to lead to Li Landi as an actress being questioned, then it is pointless.

Consequences of an action/decision sadly. It basically spiraled. Wei Zhao thought the Yue Luo/Lu Yu war would have ended before the master showed up so they can probably have a more peaceful convo, but it didn't end when she showed up, so their first meeting was him attacking her in the battlefield. Then Lu Yu clocked how both WZ and PY cared for her, took her away, which led to them all finding out her hidden identity. Then for selfish reasons, PY revealed JC's identity to the emperor, and emperor ordered WZ to bring her back to imperial court, the list goes on.

This drama always had a "what if" theme going on. What if this didn't happen, what if that didn't happen. They all made decisions that benefitted them in the moment, and they can't predict the future. And sadly, the future often times will be a tragedy.

It will be single episodes for some days and then should go back to double episodes. They haven't released the full episode schedule yet but I think from now to episode 33, it is one episode a day.

I also don't know how she can ever trust anyone again. Majority of her main relationships in this drama have been filled with lies, omissions, or just outright not saying anything even when she asked. Her feelings have been constantly casted aside for the "greater good". If they were just going to keep treating her like this, none of them should have developed feelings for her. Because now with the feelings mixed in, Jiang Ci is being expected to put her personhood aside to trust in feelings that have been laced with lies throughout her journey.

Poor Jiang Ci. The people who are claiming to protect her are all making plans/decisions FOR her without keeping her in the loop (saying just "stay still" or "I will protect you" is NOT enough communication), then there are people outright trying to end her, then there are the people (like Cui Liang and Dong Second Lady) with no agenda but doesn't have enough power.

I did lose it already.

Need them to figure it out soon and unite against their common enemy. 🙏

Jiang Ci hasn't really smiled a lot for the past few episodes, Wei Zhao's eyebrows are in constant downward mode from all the stress/problems he got to deal with, and here we have Pei Yan smiling away thinking he is about to eat noodles with Jiang Ci. Pei Yan is a menace. 😂

Lowkey funny that despite whatever Jiang Ci is feeling, she will always acknowledge Wei Zhao is beautiful. 😂

Haha they will have some. But this is a historical setting after all, and they are all too deeply involved with politics. It would never be a typical fluff romance where there won't be external factors affecting them. They all carry too many burdens.

This is based on the script leaks. They also need the remaining episodes to get through other things so they did have to wrap it up. 😂

Lmaooo, they have no choice anyway but to wrap it up since they got a whole other thing coming that requires all of them to be reunited.

Yeah, they will resolve it. Probably by like episode 34.

Yup, she pretty much has a knee/leg injury at this point. I think it started back in Yue Luo (she was rubbing medicine on her legs after she was climbing those mountains for the Lingjiu flowers).

And plus, in the palace, she has to kneel a lot for ceremonies and whatnot so I am sure that doesn't make it better. Let's see if this gets expanded. I feel like her knees being like this is also a symbolism of a bird's wings being taken away. She uses her legs to run, her legs are hurt/in pain right now, which makes it harder for her to escape (like a bird without their wings).

I think the emperor is planning to use Pei Yan to keep Jiang Ci in check. His words to him were "make sure she doesn't show any distress". He doesn't really care for Jiang Ci nor Pei Yan enough to even be concerned it did be a potential incestual relationship especially since no one else knows (he did only care if he actually cared for them). In a way, it might actually be better for him because he could always claim he didn't know and drag Madam Rong into it.

Pei Yan (unlike Wei Zhao) is not questioning the emperor's and Prince Qi's relationship. Because the emperor has always spoken Prince Qi in a positive light so I don't think most people would know of their potential bad relationship. Even Wei Zhao didn't know the emperor supposedly placed Prince Qi under house arrest 20 years ago until JC's master mentioned it.

-Madam Rong: Hates the Xie family (imperial family) and wants to kill Jiang Ci
-Wei Zhao: Hates whoever destroyed his family/implicated his father/Yue Luo... pending
-Jiang Ci's master: Hates the Xiao family + imperial family
-Pei Yan: Funny enough, doesn't actually hate anyone, he is just in opposition with Wei Zhao and currently forced to align with his mother, but cracks are forming
-Emperor: ?

Current update of who hates who edition:

For sure, he caught that WZ is interested in JC too. The emperor seems "passive" right now, but he has really good observation skills.

He probably thought he had the capability to protect JC + thought his mother would be okay with him ascending the throne via marriage to her. But PY underestimated how much Madam Rong hates the Xie family and doesn't want anything to do with them.

In the novel, Dong Second Lady ended up marrying Pei Yan for political reasons. Though Cui Liand and Dong Second Lady were in love with each other, they could not be together.