Exactly! Well said .. even though the main core of the story is not about romance, but at least show some moment…
Oh, I actually really like the way the romance has been handled in the earlier episodes. For example, that little kiss on the cheek that Jinqi gave Lanxiang in Ep 34, especially because of his reaction after she tells him to be careful. So, even a few lines of conversation or small moments showing that they had finally reached the same emotional place would've made it better for me.
Ep 39: I'd have preferred to see more of the emotional development between the two leads, especially Lanxiang’s feelings, during the two-plus years between the grave visit and the consummation of their marriage - after Lanxiang returned to Jinling with her sister in laws. Even though they were separated for those two years, they could still have exchanged letters. A few scenes showing them missing for each other would have made their eventual reunion feel much more emotionally satisfying. Or they could've added a little more conversation after they consummated the marriage, to really show that they’re now on the same path, rather than relying on the symbolism of two raindrops of water merging together. The symbolism was beautiful, but hearing them actually talk about their feelings and realizing they’ve finally come to understand each other would’ve made the moment much more satisfying.
the search for the deposed emperor and the deposed crown prince in the drama, as well as the plot in episodes…
As someone born overseas with Chinese heritage, it’s actually kind of cool that a drama is making me learn more about Chinese history. Even if the drama itself isn’t 'officially' based on history, knowing that some of the storylines have real historical connections somehow makes it feel more meaningful.
Ep 38: The realization in this episode is so beautiful because it made me understand why Lanxiang has struggled so much with accepting this marriage.
All this time, I think she has been trying to live as Lanxiang while carrying the enormous weight of Shen Jialan underneath. She survived by taking another person's name, another family's identity, and another place in the world, but that doesn't mean Shen jia lan disappeared.
That's why the scene at the grave hit me so hard. When Jinqi says that he let down Shen Jia Lan, I think for Lanxiang, perhaps for the first time, someone is acknowledging Shen Jialan herself, the person she had to bury in order to survive.
And perhaps that's the emotional resolution she needed: she can carry Shen Jia Lan with her. It's that, for the first time, his regret reaches the person underneath the name Lanxiang - the Shen Jialan who survived.
ML got what he wanted with the marriage decree, but did he ever think about what FL wanted? Of course not because…
I understand being angry at his choices, but I think there’s a difference between holding him accountable for those actions and concluding that "his needs are the most important and what she wants matters not at all". At this point in the drama, I think we’ve been shown enough to know that isn’t quite that simple. Lan Xiang is adapting to the situation she’s been put in, and deep down she knows that she has a husband who cares about her and importantly, doesn’t hold it against her that she is her own person. Look at what happens when she tells him that she writes for the opera. He doesn’t try to take that away from her or tell her what she is allowed to be. If Xiu Wan was allowed to grow beyond her past actions, so why shouldn't he be? Holding him accountable doesn't mean he has to be permanently irredeemable.
If LaX was aiming the pistol at Xing Tangs's assailant and instead shot the other bandit, kudos to the director.…
I took it as a missed shot that just happened to hit the other guy. I think the whole sequence was intentional rather than Lan Xiang suddenly becoming a crack shot.
If at the end the female lead falls in love with the male lead, it’s literally Stockholm syndrome...
They’re the FL and ML we know where this ship is headed. If later her feelings develop because of their interactions and his actions toward her, then her eventual love is her own emotional response, not automatically Stockholm syndrome.
I badly want to watch this drama, but the problem is that I just can't finish or continue any dramas starring…
I've watched 3 of TSY's dramas: Under the power, Go ahead, The sword and the brocade, and she acted fine in all of them. I noticed a tendency in her acting to emphasize how good the character is (perhaps she's naturally a good person), so sometimes it feels a bit too much for me. That said, this drama has really good direction, script, and all the supporting characters are well developed and well-acted.
If he was a ugly man people would be outraged. forced marriage is NEVER ok, never! Idn how they are gonna redeem…
Correct from a modern perspective, but I think the historical setting matters here. If the drama is drawing from Ming-era China, arranged marriages, involving families and elders deciding matches were a normal part of the social structure. So ML asking the emperor to bestow a marriage on him doesn’t necessarily carry the same meaning or social implications as forced marriage would today.
K-Drama 
I'd have preferred to see more of the emotional development between the two leads, especially Lanxiang’s feelings, during the two-plus years between the grave visit and the consummation of their marriage - after Lanxiang returned to Jinling with her sister in laws. Even though they were separated for those two years, they could still have exchanged letters.
A few scenes showing them missing for each other would have made their eventual reunion feel much more emotionally satisfying. Or they could've added a little more conversation after they consummated the marriage, to really show that they’re now on the same path, rather than relying on the symbolism of two raindrops of water merging together. The symbolism was beautiful, but hearing them actually talk about their feelings and realizing they’ve finally come to understand each other would’ve made the moment much more satisfying.
From reddit's discussion eps 1-3: "It turns out that Jinqi has been away for 6 years fighting Japanese pirates and has just been transferred back to Jinling after being promoted to Vice Commander. " https://www.reddit.com/r/CDrama/comments/1we3z69/against_the_current_episodes_13_discussion/
The realization in this episode is so beautiful because it made me understand why Lanxiang has struggled so much with accepting this marriage.
All this time, I think she has been trying to live as Lanxiang while carrying the enormous weight of Shen Jialan underneath. She survived by taking another person's name, another family's identity, and another place in the world, but that doesn't mean Shen jia lan disappeared.
That's why the scene at the grave hit me so hard.
When Jinqi says that he let down Shen Jia Lan, I think for Lanxiang, perhaps for the first time, someone is acknowledging Shen Jialan herself, the person she had to bury in order to survive.
And perhaps that's the emotional resolution she needed: she can carry Shen Jia Lan with her. It's that, for the first time, his regret reaches the person underneath the name Lanxiang - the Shen Jialan who survived.
At this point in the drama, I think we’ve been shown enough to know that isn’t quite that simple.
Lan Xiang is adapting to the situation she’s been put in, and deep down she knows that she has a husband who cares about her and importantly, doesn’t hold it against her that she is her own person. Look at what happens when she tells him that she writes for the opera. He doesn’t try to take that away from her or tell her what she is allowed to be. If Xiu Wan was allowed to grow beyond her past actions, so why shouldn't he be? Holding him accountable doesn't mean he has to be permanently irredeemable.