Ether

I'll probably still watch a couple of episodes to see how they handle this, but I don't have high hope to be honest.
And I'm so confused because thinking back on it, they did show us he's not that good of a person: he doesn't care about people feelings, he didn't recognize poor Ji'er when he kinda caused hers and her family downfall...
We'll see how it goes

I didn't even realize that, you're right! But this time it's worse I would say because he could divorce his first wife. Here with the imperial decree there's no way.
And what I find even more infuriating is that he didn't even think about the reaction of his family and how they would treat Lanxiang after the wedding.
Also also, announcing they're both leaving for the capital, without asking her opinion of course but also isolating her for her family for 3-5 years... Go die in a ditch dude

...Are we supposed to be okay with this forced marriage? Are they effing romancing a woman being forced into marriage?
Like dude Jin Qi, you became the evil man in your story wtf. I wasn't fond of him before and I hate him very much now.
The worst part is that I feel they'll just brush it up cause it's a 'romance drama don't take it seriously' but he removed all autonomy for Lanxiang.
That's seriously one of the worst storyline I've ever seen in a chinese historical drama (I know it's from a book, doesn't matter). HOW do you come back from this? Is it still a romance drama, my guys the screenwriters?

This is sadly not at all the same songs, and it seems very much AI generated if I'm not wrong

That's so strange because I have a different vision, I feel it was very romantic! I saw some comments saying there's no confession and not much romance but I feel they confessed a lot actually and I really liked their relationship (even though they are both crazy, which is understandable).
I just finished it (I skipped a couple of things to be honest) and I'm happy I didn't give up in the middle. But yeah the revenge was nowhere to be seen, plotholes and uncomplete parts... save me
Still It was worth watching for me, it made me want to read the novel

I don't really like Sun as a character and I'm not fond of Min's acting either. But I continued watching for all the very good actors and fun characters like Kajorn and Sky.
But yes sometimes the translation makes little sense, especially with more complex subjects (will to live, suicide, karma)

I continued, and from episode 2 onwards it gets really better, lots of endearing characters are introduced <3
I think you should give it a try until episode 2-3

I'm so confused by the ratings on this one, I came back 2 times to be sure I was watching the right show :o
I just watched the first episode and between the horrendous wigs, the bland acting and the main character that is a..bad guy (that I'm supposed to feel sorry for?) it's really not doing it for me.
Does it get better or is it just not my cup of tea?

I was so suprised by this drama, I thought it would be the typical historical drama + revenge. I was not expected the quality and profoundness of the acting, the story, the things the writer and director wanted to convey to us.
There's so many plot point that I adore: Ye Li and the way her suffering is portrayed, the way we're shown the path people choose to take and why, the difference of opinion and how anyone can blind themselves, the importance of education and how tyranny begins with access to knowledge being restrained,...

I found the characters so interesting (I think less time could have been spend on Mo Jingli, I didn't find his struggle interesting especially since it tells us pretty much the same thing as the struggle of the empress dowager but maybe I just didn't connect and missed something).

Question though: does anyone know the meaning of the flower Ye Li is obsessed with in episode 39?

I really wanted So Hee to have some closure, but her body stayed in the background like a loaded Chekhov’s Gun that was left unused.
Also, is it revenge if your suffering is not recognized? Almost every bad guy was punished, but the bullying was never acknowledged for Dong Eun!
I kinda feel we lost the plot at some point? Wasn't the theme of the drama school bullying, its impact on victims and "The only thing victims can get back is their glory and honor"?
But the victims lost their honor:
- So Hee is remembered as a teenager that killed herself because she was pregnant (rape not acknowledged by anyone, the bullying part yes, the murder no)
- Kim Gyeong Ran is...not acknowledged by anyone for anything and became a murderer (maybe she got part of her revenge since she killed her rapist but looked more guilty than anything else about that)

In the end, I don't really know what the drama wanted to tell us.
But it was still amazing amazing, golden era of kdrama.

Yes I agree, but it's not their wife, they don't spend almost all their time outside of work together.
And even her senior investigated when he was suspicious about master shu. He found out and decided not to do or say anything, because he thought she would be better now that she is out of the mountain. Which was probably not the best move.
I still love the ml, but he fucked up on this.

yeah so the timeline should be accurate.

I have a hard time believing that too but Mo JingLi did say everyone kind of thought she was a genius as a child so she probably learned early before she was 13 and continued by herself after. but yeah I'm closing my eyes too.

Thinking about it I'm a bit mad at ML. Cause what do you mean you know your wife suffered a great deal because of the death of her maid that she took with her to Lishan mountain (so you KNOW she died ON the mountain) and you DON'T investigate?
You KNOW she hallucinates her maid and monkeys and maybe other things about the mountain and when she talks about the mountain you're like "why does it always seem like you were doing everything alone?" and she didn't have sugar or meat AT ALL there and she seems to avoid all questions about the mountain and the DOCTOR told you she suffers from extreme loneliness.
Like, dude please put two and two together damn...

Truthfully I didn't even really realised it before he said it! then I was like duuuuude you, in fact, suck a bit

I feel it's the arc with Lingyun princess and the feng guy that does that (also that awful former fiance trying to stay at the house for 2 EPISODES -_- I almost dropped the drama)

ML did express clearly that she was allowed to return but he couldn't follow her. So it is clear she in fact can go as she pleases

Maybe I'm wrong but I think the auspicious stone was chipped (announcing her future death I suppose)

I especially like that he's not pristine, since Ye Li is not either! And I rarely was so happy with the redemption arc of a male lead. Like, he feels reeeeally guilty (as he should, cause he didn't question why the notorious bad guy would give him this information on his deathbed!!).
Ye li is so pitiful I don't know how she will save herself :/

It seems that she really went there after her mother died (so around 13 yo but we're not really sure).
- She stayed there until 2 months before the beginning of the show (so around 8 years on mount Lishan, with the plague arriving maybe when she was 15-16 yo).
- It seems she lived by herself for 5-6 years and went back to the capital.
- She saved the assassin on her way to the capital.
We don't really have a precise timeline, and I don't remember her exact age but it should be pretty accurate.
Also, I think the flashbacks are either her reminescence or they used Bai Lu to signify that a couple of years had passed, we'll see.

For those like me that were wondering: in hanakotoba, dogwood's meaning includes 'enduring presence', 'enduring love', 'reciprocal gift' and 'please accept my feelings' :)