In Episode 19, there’s this moment when the prince and the scholar are laughing about the poem, and they make eye contact with each other over Qingying’s head. Predictably, she doesn’t get it and becomes upset when it looks like they’re leaving her out. The whole thing felt like two adults sharing a joke around a bratty kid. It is giving me the creeps that the drama insists on Qingying being dumb or childish, but then immediately turns around and pushes her into a mature romance. Either she’s too naive, uneducated, and immature to be dating, or she’s grown up enough to talk about becoming lovers. I don’t see how it can be both…?
wasn't her maid going to tell the ml that prince is in danger...what bout that I think she had enough time and…
These were the same questions I was asking today too! Episode 18 does NOT make sense after watching Episode 17, unless both leads are a lot dumber than I thought or everything that happens is somehow part of a big multi-episode ruse.
I just finished Episode 18. This drama reminds me of the later seasons of The Vampire Diaries or Pretty Little Liars, where the only way to make sense of what you’re watching is if you completely forget everything that came before the current scene you’re on. To enjoy it, you — as the viewer — need to have amnesia. 😂 The characterization? Inconsistent! 🥳 The plot? Who knows what’s going on!? 🤷🏻♀️ The romance? Sure, if you say so…? 🫠The gaping holes in logic? Big enough to drive a truck through! 🚛
i genuinely don't give a single fuck.about the second couple and I don't like the ml sister, she's such a one…
Same! I also find it very creepy that they’ve characterized her as a more immature and childish girl, with very little emotional intelligence, and in this episode, she sexually propositions the Prince. Like, WTF. 😳
I suspect that there will be a behind the scene plan together to trap the enemy. This drama has been using this…
Oof, yeah. You’re probably right. But if that’s the way they go with it, I’ll still be disappointed because that conversation was too important to the entire story to be used like that. It could’ve positively influenced or boosted the characterization, sexual tension, relationship development, etc., but now it might be reduced to a plot gimmick...? 🤦🏻♀️
This is just the same editing trick they use to set up a gotcha“twist” that was (over)used in both The Glory…
That feels right. Aside from being lazy and overused, I’m disappointed that the conversation might be used as a gimmick in the plot, rather than part of the emotional story of increasing intimacy. It was a much-needed (and highly important!) chunk of relationship development that they just breezed right by. I mean, if you discovered a gold mine, wouldn’t you mine it for gold? This drama has a gold mine, but dropped its shovel and wandered off to do other (less interesting) stuff.
probably gonna retell it in a flashback or something.
Same, I haven’t been too bothered by the sudden plot twists or clunky edits. I don’t mind flashbacks in general, that can be a cool storytelling device. But none of those three things make sense at THAT MOMENT.
I'm literally at that part right now and I'm disappointed. If there was ever a time for them to show us what was…
Exactly! I think there’s an argument to be made that the offscreen conversation was what the entire story has been leading up to, and it’s WILD to me that we don’t see it as it happens. The drama needed to give that moment the time and space it deserves, and now we MIGHT see it in BRIEF FLASHBACKS!? I genuinely don’t get their decision there. 🤷🏻♀️
probably gonna retell it in a flashback or something.
That was my assumption immediately afterwards too, but then the tense and action-y plot twist happens and it feels like the moment to revisit that conversation has passed…? Doesn’t it seem like they’ll be caught up in the scary development with the endangered character? That had big “moving on!” energy. But I hope you’re right because I was really really looking forward to seeing that scene. 🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞
WHAT!? They have a VERY, VERY important conversation in Episode 17 and we don’t see ANY of it!? I’ve gotten…
To give the spoiler version, Taohua returns to the mansion after visiting Lan Boutique, Zaiye is waiting there to confront her, and she tells him that all his suspicions about her are true. He surprises her by responding that he trusts her anyway. I thought this would lead to her big confession moment, where she’d laid out her situation in detail and we’d see them connect more deeply. But apparently not!!!
The scene ends after he makes the declaration of trust, cutting away to him adjusting his shutters (?????) and her gazing out of a window. She tells her maid that she’s come clean, he knows everything now. I tried to remain chill, thinking maybe we’ll see her detailed confession in flashback in his memories or something. But instead, as the episode closes, an entirely new and action-packed plot twist begins.
That conversation — her confession that she’s been blackmailed, poisoned, and forced to spy on him — is THE MOST IMPORTANT CONVERSATION in the first 17 episodes!! And it’s done offscreen!? Why!? I just — are they kidding?? Did I misunderstand something here!?
WHAT!? They have a VERY, VERY important conversation in Episode 17 and we don’t see ANY of it!? I’ve gotten used to the bizarre edits around the action, where they’re in a lot of trouble and then we see them totally recovered in the next scene, but this…? Like, it’s one of the most pivotal moments of dialogue in the entire narrative so far and it literally cuts halfway through to…a shot of her looking out of a window?? Are they joking!? 🤦🏻♀️😂
Totally agree about Qingying, but Zhenzhen actually killed someone? Right? QY is ignorant, childish and bullheaded,…
Oh my god, I’m so dumb. Yes! She sure does kill him. 🤦🏻♀️
Yeah, like you said, I’m hoping Qingying matures. I mean — we’ve got a LOOOOOOONG way to go! We definitely have time for it. We need to manifest this! 😂
To anyone who has watched episode 12, is the fake money plot over?
Um, no. In Episode 12, they investigate where the fake coins were being made on the Crown Prince’s hunting grounds. They find out that the coins are part silver, which is a more of a felony crime because the government controls silver mining. When the episode ends, they’ve made a plan to find witnesses (the silver miners) to back up the evidence they’ve found on site.
Spoilers for Episode 12: As a lot of other people commented, I wish that Qingying was a more minimal character in this drama. I don’t think she makes a lot of sense as Zaiye’s younger sister, given their disparate personalities. Her childishness also messes with Zaiye and the Fourth Prince’s characterization. Why would the observant, thoughtful, and scholarly Fourth Prince want to hang out with an immature and arrogant little girl? Why would the cautious, ruthless, and detail-orientated Shen Zaiye fail to instruct his sister in appropriate social behavior or correct her when she endangers his plans? It doesn’t track.
It also strains credulity that a young woman with an adult body would have the social and emotional awareness of a 12 or 13 year old girl. If they had wanted to keep the character of Qingying as she is written, it would’ve better to have cast a child actress or someone who convincingly passes for 14 or 15.
In Episode 12, it was slightly horrifying to watch Qingying swing around in a circle, threatening to shoot arrows at the cowering servants, to blackmail her brother into giving her what she wanted. Then, no one problematizes her violence! Or her entitlement!? Zaiye instructs his servant to gently lead her back to her courtyard and Taohua promises she’ll help Qingying get an invite to the hunt. The discrepancy between what I was watching and how the characters reacted to the situation felt too bizarre. If my young sister-in-law accidentally almost killed me with an arrow, I would never turn around and try to spoiler her further.
For me, this is the central difference between how I interpret Zhenzhen vs. how I interpret Qingying. When Zhenzhen makes decisions that threaten, betray, or hurt others, the drama frames her behavior as deeply problematic. Her actions are understood as antagonistic. Conversely, when Qingying makes decisions that threaten, betray, or hurt others, the drama frames her as a “cute” idealistic young woman. The drama minimizes or straight up ignores her problematic behavior, in favor of continuing to present her as a sympathetic and fundamentally virtuous character.
If the drama is going to continue to be tone deaf about Qingying, I’d just rather she occupy less screen time and remain a more minimal part of the story. She has gotten herself and others into REAL danger and today she was bullying people who have substantially less power than she does. And yet, we haven’t seen her reflect on herself in a meaningful way, never mind growing up or taking responsibility for her actions. Hopefully, in the future, we either see less of her or she matures into a person who we can genuinely sympathize with.
The characterization? Inconsistent! 🥳 The plot? Who knows what’s going on!? 🤷🏻♀️ The romance? Sure, if you say so…? 🫠The gaping holes in logic? Big enough to drive a truck through! 🚛
other (less interesting) stuff.
The scene ends after he makes the declaration of trust, cutting away to him adjusting his shutters (?????) and her gazing out of a window. She tells her maid that she’s come clean, he knows everything now. I tried to remain chill, thinking maybe we’ll see her detailed confession in flashback in his memories or something. But instead, as the episode closes, an entirely new and action-packed
plot twist begins.
That conversation — her confession that she’s been blackmailed, poisoned, and forced to spy on him — is THE MOST IMPORTANT CONVERSATION in the first 17 episodes!! And it’s done offscreen!? Why!? I just — are they kidding?? Did I misunderstand something here!?
Yeah, like you said, I’m hoping Qingying matures. I mean — we’ve got a LOOOOOOONG way to go! We definitely have time for it. We need to manifest this! 😂
It also strains credulity that a young woman with an adult body would have the social and emotional awareness of a 12 or 13 year old girl. If they had wanted to keep the character of Qingying as she is written, it would’ve better to have cast a child actress or someone who convincingly passes for 14 or 15.
In Episode 12, it was slightly horrifying to watch Qingying swing around in a circle, threatening to shoot arrows at the cowering servants, to blackmail her brother into giving her what she wanted. Then, no one problematizes her violence! Or her entitlement!? Zaiye instructs his servant to gently lead her back to her courtyard and Taohua promises she’ll help Qingying get an invite to the hunt. The discrepancy between what I was watching and how the characters reacted to the situation felt too bizarre. If my young sister-in-law accidentally almost killed me with an arrow, I would never turn around and try to spoiler her further.
For me, this is the central difference between how I interpret Zhenzhen vs. how I interpret Qingying. When Zhenzhen makes decisions that threaten, betray, or hurt others, the drama frames her behavior as deeply problematic. Her actions are understood as antagonistic. Conversely, when Qingying makes decisions that threaten, betray, or hurt others, the drama frames her as a “cute” idealistic young woman. The drama minimizes or straight up ignores her problematic behavior, in favor of continuing to present her as a sympathetic and fundamentally virtuous
character.
If the drama is going to continue to be tone deaf about Qingying, I’d just rather she occupy less screen time and remain a more minimal part of the story. She has gotten herself and others into REAL danger and today she was bullying people who have substantially less power than she does. And yet, we haven’t seen her reflect on herself in a meaningful way, never mind growing up or taking responsibility for her actions. Hopefully, in the future, we either see less of her or she matures into a person who we can genuinely sympathize with.