Corneilius

Both really. it starts off in the Manor of minor official who has a main wife and 2 concubines. Minglan's mother is unfavored so the initial story is the conflict between the legal wife and the favoured concubine. The grown Minglan doesn't appear until episode 5 by which time her father has moved to the capital and is a minor government official so politics becomes part of the drama but the main focus is still the conflict between the legal wife and the concubine who is desperate for a prestigious marrige for her daughter. As Minglan moves amongst sons and daughters of poweful people, politics becomes more involved until her husband becomes an adviser to a new emperor and they both become targeted by schemes to overthrow the new emperor. The Rebel Princess is one of my favorite dramas, the production in Minglan is just as good but focuses on realism rather than spectacular scenes and the writing is at a much higher level

Minglan is like Aw'u but keeps her fierce intelligence hidden because that was the way she learned to survive in her toxic houshold and means that everyone underestimates her because she has no power. She doesn't need power, intelligence and an uncanny ability to read people's motivations sees them defeated and they have no idea how it happened or who was behind it.

Yes, absolutly. However it is a commitment because there is a massive cast of chracters, 73 episodes and a massive back story to build which cam make it seem to be slow at the start but everything is tied together. For example there is a scene in episode 2 which is hardly noticed but by episode 33 (And 10 years later) explodes into the drama and sees the demise of one of its main chracters.

it is a commitment. There is a massive cast of chracters and the backstory takes a long time to build (The grown Minglan doesn't appear until episode 5) but has so many layers that a 2nd watch really makes the show more enjoyable (So That's why that happened!) It is brilliantly written and acted and the FL is unique in Cdrama.

73. I think one release tried to lengthen the climax of the drama by cutting the last few episodes in half (23 mins instead of 45).

it's when Minglan escapes from the palace, bumps into the maid and delivers the emperors blood written decree. Princess Pingning (Qi's mother) is held hostage with other women from powerful families by the emperors consort who is seeking revenge for the abduction and desth of her younger sister (Who Princess Pingning had secretly arranged for Qi to marry) Qi's wife is in the purple dress along with her mother and father (The crown prince who had arranged the abduction so his own daughter could marry Qi). When Princess Pingning fakes insanity to escape, Qi's wife and her mother can be seen dead along with other people in the room.

Yes, one of the best endings in cdrama but it is on a knife edge until the very end and yes they are together.

FL played Nana in Meet Yourself last year, one of the top hit dramas.

Power as usual. His wife........

Hourses for courses, it constantly vies with a few other cdramas for the title of greatest, I have re watched it 4 times now and I an starting to get the itch again.

There are some misunderstandings and Awu is kidnapped.... again, the General is presumed dead for several episodes but it resolves itself eventually for a surprising and unexpected ending.

both are great Dramas but take a while to build the back story. With Minglan give it to episode 33 where Minglans brilliance is revealed (the grown Minglan doesn't appear until episode 5) The Rebel Princess, give it unti she gets to the border fort around episode 10. if you don't like them by then then you probably never will. I struggled with Minglan because it is such a massive cast but I found an episode recap helped to understand what wss going on

Tan SongYun plays a similar character in 'Flight to You' which is criminaly underrated.

Road Home gets a lot of recommendations but Romance isn't my focus. I found it very slow and draggy but it seems to get most recommendations from people who focus on Romance.

Episode 33 is the best episode in cdrama, Episode 35, the 2nd best.

hold tight you are in for a wild ride!

it's on my bucket list. I hope you had some flower cakes!

I was the same, an episode recap helped because it is a multi layered story and when it looks like nothing is happening....everything is happening.

I have rewatched 3 times now, it is absolutly gold standard.

Did Yunnan meet your expectations?

Nothing is like Meet Yourself but 'Flight to You' with Tan SongYun and 'The Ideal City' with Sun Li are both Dramas about women having to overcome tremendous difficulties in their working lives.

if you like Lu Yifei (Christal Lu) she is excellent in the modern drama 'Meet Yourself' which is a feel good healing drama with a very tough first episode. It was so popular last year that it triggered a massive tourist boom in Dali city and Yunnan province where it was set.

The reason it has bad recommendations is because of the Toxic ML. He should have been in prison due to his appaling controlling behaviour to FL and then trying to wreck her career after she left. it could have been a great drama about female empowerment but instead ended up excusing abusive workplace behaviour against a woman by giving ML redemption which was never deserved.