CKT_DramaFan

What irritates me about this show and Female Student at Imperial College is how two non-royals just roam around with soldiers throughout the palace doing anything they want (ZWY and ZX). First , ZX isn’t in a high minister position nor is he related in anyway to a royal. For him to get a hold of ZBN’s medical records is ridiculous. Hoping this time when he’s tried, that he does get punishment. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Isn’t the evil one his Aunt (Princess Hwawon)? I’m still iffy about the young Queen who’s his step-grandmother but she seems to try to counterbalance her scheming step-daughter (Princess Hwawon).

https://youtu.be/Qw7mdsTbKhI Cute greeting to Viki viewers.

Yes, that’s what caused the fall-out between them and I think he lost favor in court because of it. It’s crazy but looking up some of the real life characters, I didn’t realize there were so many adoptions to make power plays in the palace.

I don’t think they’ll show the other wives since the focus of the drama isn’t on a fight for the position of his wife. There was no significant harem fights for power noted during his time (unlike during his great grandfather and Dong-Yi time). Only significance that people took note of from his married life was that love story with Doek-Im. Political drama will be from the court officials and distant family members wanting the throne. Maybe they’ll throw in names or title references but not have actual character portrayals?? Cause by now he supposed to already be married and have 1 concubine.

Yeah. I could tell from when he was a kid that his loyalty to CP stems from his ambition for power and ep3 shows it’s root in his past having to beg from other family members. The end of ep 4 where CP stops him from killing Doek-Im. He already had suspicions about CP’s distractions before so I can see how he’s going to feel threatened by CP/Doek-Im future relationship.

I think Hong Doek-Ro is a good take on the character since in real life, Hong Guk-Yeong’s sister was chosen as CP’s first concubine (Consort Won) at age 13 but she died about a year after becoming a concubine with no children. Then Hong Guk-Yeong (Doek-Ro) adopted one of Yi-SAN’s nephews as Consort Won’s son, and tried to make him Yi-SAN’s heir since Yi-San didn’t have any children yet.

Luckily the person asking Doek-Im to spy right now is CP’s mom who just wants to keep him safe. It’s going to suck when that head Court Lady tries to use Doek Im later.

Glad I’m not the only one who feels that way about Hong Doek-Ro. His character is as slimy as the rest of the courtiers that fight for power in the palace.

She’s the one he chose for himself while the others were chosen for him.

The concubine scheming in Kdramas is less dramatic than cdramas but there was concubine scheming in DongYi (Jewel of the Crown) and Queen Love and War. In fact, in DongYi, it was the reason why a law was passed to prevent concubines “Bin” from becoming Queens. You are right about showing the one true love theme since Kdramas never really show the Kings visiting their other wives once they meet their one true love.

Uhh…ZX is crazy. Even with her telling him to move on, he’s still like “I’ll wait for you forever.” 🤦🏻‍♀️

The lady at the drinking house was a set-up by ZX in order to create a misunderstanding with ZBN. He didn’t really drink with her until ZBN arrived.

😂😂

Doesn’t look like they’ll go to the end of the novel. They’ve discombobulated the novel and threw in pieces of it here and there for looks. One of the official trailers did show a war where ZBN was by LQ’s side and DD was also fighting in her armor next to them but haven’t seen any of it in the previews. Don’t know how they’re going to throw all that into ep40.

Yes…thought they wasted QT’s character too. They turned this show into a hot mess.

I prefer imprisonment and execution but suicide is better than dumb redemption plot…at least they’re dead for sure. Yeah…the previews and the flashbacks are all over the place with more plot holes and throwing in new players at this late in the game. Apparently dumb Empress Dowager has secret masked spies/ninjas that may be tied to the original plot. This is going to be the first drama I’m going to rate and no matter how much I like ZBN/LQ and DD/QA characters, this one is not going to be good.

🤦🏻‍♀️ Think at some point they tried to realign it with its original course but it’ll be a mad dash to the end since only 8 episodes left. Really only hanging on to see ZBN/LQ and QA/DD and how they’re going to punish the crazies if they even do. They went so far off the trail with the crazies that I don’t see any space for redemption but these historical cdramas never fails to disappoint me in that realm by giving bad guys easy way out with suicide.

Yeap…they went off their rockers with the mess they made of the story. I don’t know why they do that in most of these historical cdramas that would have had a good plot and been great if the original work was mostly followed.

I think those 5 years is supposed to be the time in the novel where ZBN gave up the Regent role to Empress Dowager Han but they threw a pregnancy in there for the Empress Dowager instead which changed the story to ZBN being Regent from afar to prevent Empress Dowager from messing with state affairs. The 5 year time leap is in beginning of ep32 before the nun and ZBN’s father revelation.

During the 5 yrs ZBN and LQ go back to their hometown where he’s a minister/commandant/prince consort. They live their lives like normal while the crazies build up their forces and little Emperor gets a little brother that they’re probably going to use later to try and take over the throne.

Based on Empress Dowager Han’s flashback in ep32 and ep 36 preview, her family has something to do with the Li family village. The man in the flashback is the same guy in the memory of the Aunt refugee/QA mom in ep36. The nun said that Empress Dowager Cao sent ZBN’s father since he was also a disciple of the weapon mast Zhang, but didn’t say she saw him bring the book back, that that not long after that Empress Dowager Cao got the book. I think it was just her assumption which is now going to create a misunderstanding.

However, Empress Dowager Cao doesn’t really have any relationship with ZBN’s family except through the Emperor so most likely she didn’t trust him to really help her. My guess is that she had the Han family minions to try and make a deal with LQ mom and they were the ones that killed everyone to take the book? Empress Dowager Cao was aligned with Minister Han and they’re distantly related. The previews are all over the place with the crazies 🤦🏻‍♀️

At least QA is cured.

Me too…I was hoping for once a historical cdrama would not rush the ending and actually show some epilogue stuff of the couples.