CrystalCandy

If you watch the drama for entertainment and relief, this drama is not for you. The storyline is tragic but there's a strong logic behind each tragedy and action of each character. The beauty is that the drama leaves the viewers a room to think how each character is feeling and what will happen next, just like playing a chess game. Some dialogues are worth to be noted for our real life. I feel like my mind is sharpened each time I watch it. Being main protagonist don't grantee your win. Being good-hearted and ethical don't give you easy life. But the main chacters still choose to stick on their own personality and bring the bad guys down. In this drama, most characters are neither completely good nor completely bad. They are in gray area and each character is lovable. What they have done is always true in their point of view. That's very realistic. The author didn't build castles in the air.
Most stories are like good guy on one side, bad guy on other side for no reason and good guy always win through some divine intervention, like disney princesses. This never happens in real life.

@Kim MC, A trailer depicting the emperor's cry and regret is posted on weibo just now. This makes me relieved.

@Kim MC A trailer depicting the emperor's cry and regret is posted on weibo just now. This makes me feel relived.

Well, in the novel, cp abandons his chance to usurp and hands over military power to his father because he doesn't want citizens to die, doesn't want to harm his father. Gu Feng'en warned him abt his fahter before. But he believes his father will be kind to him. But what he gets is the title of rebellion and was sentenced life imprisonment by his father. A lot of people who supports him die because of this. He feel guilty abt this also. Plus, citizens whom he protected see him as an unfilial and rebellious son. He has lost two things he care most in his life: his reputation and his father's love. Now, he has to spend his whole life in prison and has no way to continue his life.
But I heard tv series ending will be happy ending.

This makes sense

I don't really go through the whole novel. I just read the last few episodes haha. I know right, this drama is really tragic but I still can't find way to put it down. How father and son relationship will go is hooking me. I know novel is tragic but still hope for a good ending.
But, if their father-son relationship continue like this, the most logical ending is for cp to commit suicide. Even I feel hopeless to the emperor after flogging. His improved relationship with wx has no way to compensate the fatherly love he has lost. :(
Sorry for late reply, I was on trip

Yes, I noticed this. Up to this episode, I still think he is a good father no matter what he chooses. I can accept choosing Zhao because of the war and the Gus. But, I feel hopeless when he flogs cp like this. My hear is wrenched :(
Sorry for late reply. I was on trip.

Exactly. Power in the harem is nothing to do with military power. Power of the Gus are still the same. If he wants power balance, it should be done in military. Emperor thinks he is playing power game to protect the throne. In reality, usurping the throne is entirely depends on how Gus and cp decide. In the novel, if cp chooses to take over the throne, he will be gone. But cp will never do this because cp is kind. So, he should really thanks cp for this. If you look at this, you will see his previous scheming is not affective at all in protecting his country and his throne. Cp successfully protected.
Even if emperor wants to scapegoat someone to protect Zhao, he should have made the maid admit for her crime. Let the maid say no one has ordered her to kill crown princess. Why should be WX? Just to make cp difficult?

Before ep 39, I stood on emperor's side. But this time emperor has gone too much. He knows clearly who killed crown princess , the late empress (his wife) and the late princess (his daughter). But he does not take action on them just for power balance. Just because he fears cp will become more powerful than him. He doesn't think of cp's feelings. Cp has lost his mother, sister, wife and unborn child. He is cp's closet family member. He should be comforting cp. Instead, he protects the murder for power balance. But when cp use justice department to sue the murderer, he finds wenxi as a scapegoat and even flogs cp for going against him. This time, he should use father's heart to see cp's pain ?

Emperor is my favorite character in this show. He is a farsighted emperor. Actually, cp's life is already smoother than any of his brother. He should be the first priority to the throne legally and culturally since he is born to empress. His uncle is also holding great military power. His life will be too smooth if the emperor does not do like this. Scheming will happen sooner or later. Let's say he protects cp during his reign. But what if after his death? Li Baizhou and Prince Qi would still plot against cp. At that time, cp is inexperienced, cp will either lose or cp would use unethical methods to bring them down. This will hurt cp's reputation (This already happen in 'imperial exam question' case but emperor let cp's teacher to take punishment instead). Emperor is training cp to win his opponents. And cp is so clingy to ppl around him. Emperor is training him for detachment too.
When I look at the details, emperor's eyes are swimming with tears whenever cp cries. Emperor fells down of illness for two times. Both times, he asks crown prince to come to his side, not Prince Qi. I can see emperor loves cp most. And because of emperor's harsh training, cp is closer to his teacher and his uncle. At that time, emperor feels jealous, hahah. I really like to watch emperor's jealous scene. ?Emperor is having difficulty also.

As soon as imperial physician said miscarriage, cp interrogated him. Imperial physician admitted everything. Then, cp asked Chen to frame WX to keep the fake news ongoing.

To add PeachBlossomGoddess, crown prince knows Lu wenxi is spreading fake news. But he frames her and punishes her to make Li Baizhou believes that Zhang Luzheng is genuinely approaching Li Baizhou. (Because Zhang Luzheng's son will be released from prison only when the royal baby is born. Miscarriage means Zhang Luzheng has to betray crown prince and approach Li Baizhou to save his son)

Ep 31, Father and son finally gave warmth to each other

DQ is the king's son. I think the drama will be changing the plot. The actor who played the role of the king, posted on Weibo that "Both sons are of his own flesh, how could he be biased? It is really difficult to nurture a successor". The actor who acted as Ding Tang also said his father used him to train the crown prince. I hope the drama will go in a good direction.
Omg, this is my first time participating in drama discussion. None of the dramas made me do this before. This drama depicts beauty and sadness at the same time. I am hooked by how father and son relationship will continue, haha.

Spoilers Alert*
In the novel, during the former king's reign, the Price of Xiao is considered to be the next king. But DQ's father (then the Prince of Ning) married DQ's mother to gained power in fighting against the Prince of Xiao. Prince Xiao lost and was forced to commit suicide by the former king. DQ's mother didn't love the king. She loved the Prince of Xiao but DQ's father loves her too much. This developed hatred between DQ's father and mother. Then, the king put all his hatred on DQ.
The second reason is DQ's uncle, General Gu Silin, wield great military power and DQ is supported by many officials. This made the king fear and hate DQ. In the novel, the king hates DQ with passion.
But I don't think TV series is following the novel. The king seems to care DQ in TV series.