Cesia Aozora

Nah, he did not.

Both drama are produced by yaoke and has the director of B team from Blossom here.
This drama isn't about revenge and it is not about soul swap, buy soul transmigration/soul merge.
It is a bit lacking and rushed in political plot, focuses more on 1vN romance.

She is Gu Qingzhi who gained Shen Xihe's memories. Thus created a new Shen Xihe.
The real Shen Xihe is a pampered, weak, meek, dumb and slow witted noble lady.

Bcos both drama are produced by yaoke. Even Peter Ho and Venge Gao are on the same drama with Meng Ziyi and He Yu in Legend of Heroes chronicles, which is also produced by yaoke.

In the novel it wasn't Xie Yunhuai who treated Huayong's poison. Xie Yunhuai stayed in the capital under Xihe's order to teach her son.

FYI, the ending is the same with the novel.
For plot hole, it is the incompetency of the scriptwriter and the effect of censorship/editing.

First, you need to understand the character to understand why the character did what they did.

1. Xihe aims to be the Empress Dowager, so she chose Huayong, the unfavorable prince who was predicted to die young.
2. Huayong had never wanted to be the emperor. He just wanted to kill all the threats and planted his own people in the court. Among all princes, only the 4th prince who is after the throne.

It is not about "no need for him to "die according to the prediction" in order to go seek medicine." They had to to do it.

1. They had to make sure their son will become the next emperor. By having the emperor promised Huayong in front of the ministers, mean his son's future is secured.

1. Huayong wanted to pave the way for Xihe by eliminating threats and planning to deal with the last bosses before he leaves.

1. "How ridiculous the whole notion of empress dowager having a male concubine". What's the problem with woman in royal family having male concubine? It was perfectly normal during that era. Even princess could have their own male harem despite having prince consort.

4. Xihe is just 16, a beautiful woman with power. The ministers have been "giving" Xihe men to be her concubine, but she kicked them all.

5. "Live in peace as "male concubine" without anyone recognizing him as the late crown prince?" Once, someone delivered a man resembled Huayong and Xihe killed him OTS. Since then they dared not send any man to her. One day, Changqing brought Huayong to her, and rumors spread that "Prince Xin brought a man who resembles Huayong, but Xihe didn't kill him". So, is there any problem with "someone resembles the late crown prince"?

6. "Putting all the responsibility of the throne on his infant child?" Xihe asked Changqing, Cui Jinbai and Xie Yunhuai to be her son's teachers. Her son is smart. He ascended the throne at 6. With those 3 excellent teachers + Xihe, he is more than capable of governing. He even inherits Huayong's green tea nature.

7. "They literally reduced ml to nothing at the end." This is a female centric story. About an ambitious woman who owns the best of the world. Huayong exists to help her fulfill her dreams and he did. The next plan is for the couple to travel incognito.

Here is a short sentence at the end of the novel:
Life’s three fulfillments – holding power, finding love, and family joy – even one was a luxury, yet Shen Xihe had achieved them all.

They had to fake his death so he could go out of the palace to cure his poison. Besides, the physicians all predicted he won't live pass 20. So he "died according to the prediction". Now he came back not to reclaim his spot, but to live in peace with his wife, behind the scene, as her "male concubine".

If you can't access wetv, try dailymotion or dramacool.

That's the problem with the drama (scriptwriter). They rushed the last few eps and with no proper scenes for details. That's why some people are confused.

They planned to fake his death so he could go out of Palace to find his cure. After that, in the novel, Changqing (5th prince), brought him to the palace to meet Xihe.

In the novel they already talked about faking his death. Even Changqing knew about it. So Xihe waited for him patiently.
8 years later, Changqing brought Huayong to the palace to meet Xihe.

Bcos Xihe got married when she was 15. She became a widow a year later. Imagine being a widow, empress dowager on top of that, at 16. The ministers tried to "give" her companion so she won't be lonely, but she kicked them all. Once, there was a man who looked like Huayong, and she killed him. So they didn't dare to give her man again.

When they heard Changqing actually brought "a man who looks like Huayong", they thought Xihe would kill him 😂

Perhaps the scriptwriter thought 1vN romance plot is better 😪

The one who died is actually Changying, not Changqing. He committed suicide during the final rebellion bcos he didn't want to see Changqing and Xihe fight against e/o. He didn't know about the plan, it was dumb tbh.

The 6th prince is also alive with his woman as commoners.

Novel version:

There was a rebellion and Huayong shielded the emperor from a sword. FYI: Huayong was still acting frail.
Huayong managed to get the emperor promised him that his son will be the crown prince (the son was just born). The emperor gave him name and made him the crown prince.

Changqing is an ally. He knows well their plans. So when the ministers were debating, he suggested to open the coffin to make them see the corpse is indeed Huayong.

In fact, the corpse is actually their uncle who tried to kill the emperor. This uncle was in cahoots with Huayong, but he failed and died after entrusting it to Huayong. Huayong asked Xihe's medic to change this uncle's face to look like him. He himself already on his way to search for his cure.

After the final rebellion, Xihe became the Empress Dowager. Changqing asked to be her son's teacher. So her son has Changqing, Cui Jinbai and Xie Yunhuai as his teachers.

Xihe acted as the regent and her son became the emperor when he was 6 or so.

8 years after the end, Huayong returned. Changqing brought him to Xihe. And they start living as "Empress Dowager and her male concubine". Their son is capable in governing. Huayong had never wanted to be the emperor.

It is better to read the extra chapters of the novel. It is only 5 chapters anyway.

Now no one can say the lead actors aren't suited for the roles! 🤩

My girl Ziyi looks fantastic! Her eyes always speak loud. We could see different emotions portrayed as Shen Miao.

My only problem: the full cast list poster is so small! It's hard to read who acts as who 😭

Shen Xihe and Shen Miao are too identical with identical background as well. Now top it with identical styling. But at least there will be a year gap of broadcast time between 2 drama. So it will be okay.

The pacing is slow, I think it doesn't need to be 10 eps.

Everyone except the law trio is annoying. They each have their own agenda and reason, "what I'm doing is right" excuses.

Among all, I really want to shove my shoes to that journalist 😡 every time his face appears, I want to kick his face!
Also that Akazawa is so loud and rude.

I feel really bad for the father and son 🥲 although justice finally served, it won't return the lost time and undeserved treatment.

Just want to add more info:
Huayong managed to get the emperor promised him that his son will be the crown prince (the boy was just born). The emperor gave him name and made him the crown prince.

Changqing is an ally, so when the ministers were debating, he suggested to open the coffin to make them see the corpse is indeed Huayong.

In fact, the corpse is actually their uncle who tried to kill the emperor. This uncle was in cahoots with Huayong to kill the emperor, but he failed and died after entrusting it to Huayong. Huayong asked Xihe's medic to change this uncle's face to look like him, while he already on his way to search for his cure.

After the rebellion, Xihe became the Empress Dowager. Changqing asked to be her son's teacher. So her son has Changqing, Cui Jinbai and Xie Yunhuai as his teachers.

Cui Jinbai and Bu Shulin (using the identity of Shulin's sister) got married. Their twin sons have different surnames and claimed they are cousins 😅 This is to make people believe that relatives can do look alike, just like Bu Shulin's sister looks so much like Bu Shulin 😅

Hmm if that's the case, you must watch A Journey to Love. He Landou cross dressed as a man and she looks exactly like a man.

The second cp in BOP doesn't have that much screentime, just like in the novel.

ML is a jealous and petty person to begin with. It has nothing to do with the FL.
Why? Bcos ML knows exactly her character (coldhearted and not interested in love) and YET he still feels jealous with ANY man near her, even towards Xie Yunhuai, Bu Shulin (!!), her father and brother. His jealousy is the same with the novel.
FL always rejects any other men over and over again. Those men think they have the chance exactly bcos she is coldhearted and think she won't fall in love with the ML.