Freefoxx

Yeah Left Chancellor seems like textbook "lawful neutral"

I thought so too before watching, but IMO it's surprisingly good for this genre? I've seen a lot of competing reasons for the low rating and idk what's accurate or not, but the acting and pacing are both really good even though the drama is pretty dark.

To each their own but I'm honestly surprised by the low overall rating. I think this is a really engaging and well acted drama.

Little easter egg - Fan Yong (the young man with Li Yuanqing and Shen Yin in the last couple episodes) is the father of Fan Zhongyan, the famous reformer.

Yes - he arranged his dealings through the uncle. But the king and the chancellor (Shen) are not aware.

Li Yuanqing was a real historical figure and was both a spy (known for sneaking into Bianjing/Kaifeng on one occasion) and military officer. He had led a popular resistance group in Huainan against Guo Rong's army and was still fighting when the Song invaded. So it's understandable why the drama would use his character for this purpose, but yes, this stuff all seems 100% fictional and a slightly lazy way of shepherding things to their historical conclusion.

It's not well explained but I think he's sneaking in to see him - the more senior people don't know his identity.

Li Yuanqing is always stirring up trouble, but the scene in ep 44 where he convinces his subordinates to fight one last time for Southern Tang was very powerful.

@PeachBlossomGoddess absolutely! I read recently that Sima Qian may have intentionally smeared Qin Shihuangdi and his family to an extent because he wanted to criticize Han Wudi but of course couldn't because he was the reigning emperor! I didn't know that before but it really makes you question the reliability!

The drama does a great job of presenting the misery of war, even those who are brave on the battlefield are exhausted of a life that revolves around fighting and death.

Great comparison!

A lot of that criticism dates to the Song dynasty histories written by Ouyang Xiu and Sima Guang in the 1000s, which largely shape how the Five Dynasties are remembered. These are undeniably brilliant works but certainly reflect the prejudices of a more peaceful time when officials were contending with questions of reform and economic intervention, not civil war and constant famine.

A little thing I noticed and liked - has anyone noticed how the flaps of the futou (official caps) of the officials in Bianliang change with every new dynasty? Gradually getting straighter as you go from Jin to Han to Zhou (and closer to the "iconic" Song dynasty look haha). I don't know if the versions for each actual dynasty are recorded in history but I like the visual cue.

Yeah, this was an excellent performance. I think he stands out among a strong cast.

Haha yes, I think the drama is going out on a limb to present Hongchu as someone Zhao Kuangyin and Guo Rong would have "respected." In reality they probably saw him for what he was, a savvy businessman maxxing out his advantage haha. He was definitely not the bold and decisive person shown here.

The drama presents Hu as a follower of the original king who was born in 852, so the idea that he was born in the late 850s is theoretically possible. I think in reality he was a closer associate of the second king (the father) and had been one of his close companions in wartime. So I'd guess probably in his 60s or 70s at most, but birth dates often weren't recorded for generals and officials, so it's not necessarily "wrong."

OK, that makes sense. I was watching this episode while falling asleep so I think I missed the overall implications. It felt like he was underestimating Hu Jinsi's danger but this makes more sense.

None today and I think just one tomorrow, then back to 3 on Monday, but might be wrong on this.

I was a little surprised at how Shuiqiu Zhaoquan is portrayed in this episode after being shown as a skilled diplomat and general earlier. He gave the king very naive advice and allowed Hu Jinsi to seize power.

That's the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms for you, haha! A notoriously chaotic period.