Jasprin

Ow, yes, I forgot that about the Princess (really need to watch again, huh? XD will fix that)

It's possible that his poem's were known in Ji Bei already? I feel he could have some interesting reputation around... How else she would know him?

In synch with everything, going along with Ji Bei's proposal would indeed reinforce the relatioship between the two kingdoms.

Btw, I laughed a lot with the "claim your man" mention hhahahah totally true.

Nice to meet you, Boho! We love discussing episodes here, so we're glad to have you onboarding this ship hahahaha let's all sail together

I believe there are several reasons to choose Shu He, but I think the most important was that the emperor knew his sons quite well and Shu Qian wasn't really a good husband material (hahaha) or had any interest AT ALL about making such alliances with Ji Bei. Having a bride being mistreated would be bad to the peaceful relationship he wanted to sustain and Shu He would not only agree to marry, but treat her well, due to his gentle nature.

Also, sounds to me that this was another move to make Shu He the next emperor. The father seems quite happy having him into the politics, showing a lot of favoritism and being proud. That alone could explain the choice, since marriage and heirs were matters of great importance to the main royal lineage.

This situation probably enticed the jealousy from Shu Qian to the highest level and that's why he was so adamant about messing this up at all costs.

Let's see what else our friends have to say. :))))

I'm still planning to answer you on forum btw XDDD but I'm waiting my husband to arrive at home from his work trip this weekend, and then get him to start watching with me (the poor soul) XD

Hopefully I will have lots of nice things to point out after having his third-party analysis too hahahhahaha

Actually, I don't think our arguments are mutually exclusive, but complementary somehow XDDDD

I also think revenge is such a harsh word. Into the situation between them there is so much more, (including Huai Yi "misunderstadings") that were never clarified... That alone, feels to me as the part of his choice about his dignity as a ruler, of course.

He also knew Ziang was so spent that he would not be able to survive his loss. And he loved Ziang so much, so how could he bear to hurt him enough to kill him using his own life?

At ep12 scene, I felt suddenly that Ziang asked for forgiveness and gave him his life on a plate, whatever was left of it. Shu He's answer was a promise to start all over again. The only way to do that was cleaning their past for a new future, therefore the excuse of faking death. But at this point, there wasn't much more they could do, it was deceiving themselves all over again.

Everyone always says Shu He has a gentle soul and revenge does not sound good on him at all. Choosing his death the way he wishes and taking his lover with him wasn't actually an act of mercy, atonement and freedom altogether for both of them? Suddenly, the name of the scene being God's Mercy made sense for me.

He wanted freedom. And he also wanted Ziang. And with such strategy he surely got him fast enough. XD

I totally love how complex and deep all these characters are.

Thank you so much for replying, it's very satisfying for me sharing thoughts about them. <3

Jinjin said the other day, that he thinks Shu He was deceiving himself with the revenge argument... (as I thought the other day)

If we think carefully, Ziang's love caged Shu He as much as caged himself. He did give up of trying to hold Shu He, but he would be suffering with regret and despair until his last second anyway.

Ziang was sick and lost, unable to decide anything for himself at that point. He left the throne for his brother and during "God's Mercy" scene in ep12, offered their future life directly into Shu He's hand.

There, Shu He promises Ziang "let's start over again". And their death did. To me, he loved Ziang so much that he yearned freedom, but always for both of them.

Hmmm... Must say it depends from your interpretation in the end. But surely bittersweet.

Be mentally prepared either way. I cried my heart out (and I'm still healing following the actors on social media like a teen), but surprisingly for me, it was (and still is) totally worthy it.

Yes, its BL :)

Have you tried our Recent Discussions forum? There is a discussion about reading the novel with some links...

@MarazulOx
@Yerisina

Writing that answer for you, makes me think a bit now... At that moment I mentioned before, at ep11, they were both ready to die alone.

But now, for ep12... I think Shu He was deceiving everyone again, including himself, with this "revenge" argument.

Actually, I kinda feel like having ZiAng with him until his last breath... isn't some sort of last wish? Doesn't feel more like that ZiAng -owned- him this? Owns him a wish that was promised and was lost. Owns him to follow his partner wishes at least once, instead of following his own desires and thoughts.

Saying it's revenge seems so strong, so ressentful. He could had found another way to sacrifice himself and never see ZiAng again, and it would be a huge cruel blow for our Emperor already at his wits end. He would suffer and die anyway.

But Shen Song said "live the life that you want from now on". And Shu He lived and got what he wished for. ZiAng was the last thing he saw. His arms were the last thing he felt. And ZiAng's last wish wasn't to have an ordinary day as lovers? And didn't Shu He also gave this for them both?

Real revenge, for me, would be seeing him satisfied after achieving justice and "making the wrongdoer pay", going forward with his brother, in a clean separation.

Instead, he choose to stay. That alone say otherwise.

Come on, Shu He. You can deceive everyone but us. XDDDDDD

I agree with Yerisina on this... On matters of afterlife and soul's meetings, there is no need for time and space to be following anything logical. I think he somehow knew he would find his brother there, without even knowing where it is, as he did not even know why he wanted to be there anymore.

As for my favorite scene, of course I love a lot of them... all the ones mentioned in this post as well, like the confession moment of ep6 :)))

BUT I would like to add one more thou.

ep11 - Maybe I should go to a therapist, but I love when ZiAng is talking with Huai Yi, after the chain scene. He emphasize the full will-driven strengh that gave him the red/black flag (that I don't agree 100%, but I'll go into this another day), but then, just after, concludes the ep9 bath scene argument (that everything he did thinking it was the right thing for Shu He, turned out wrong). He deeply griefs how every choice he made was the wrong one.

He "cannot hold on to him" anymore. Oh my... *sighs* not that I wasn't already crying my heart out by this time watching the series, but... This broke me. He giving up, broke me deeply.

It's not that I personally like feeling sad (I'm even crying again right now writing this hahahaha), but it's just that it felt so... real, frail... and human.

Shu He's action really, -really- broke the guy who could do the impossible, do the things "no ordinary man could". But that never mattered to him at all. The only thing that he ever wanted was completely empty. And seeing such strong man, so deeply weak and lost, it was too much for me.

It seems he doesn't see any way out anymore. He don't asks or looks for Shu He's presence. He delivers all Jibei to his brother and lay to sleep again. Too tired to even feel the angst desperation that was feeding him to try again and again. Just resignation and despair left.

I don't think Shu He didn't really need to add any revenge. It already happened. But, not like the screenwriters would ever make ep12 any easier for me... . . .. . . .. . .... T_T *sobs*

never felt so hard for a CP before, but I'm loving every minute of it hahaha

Hey, have you seen this obscure KTL fanvid?

https://youtu.be/UAzhLyXHNos?si=sKTfDtOfdz8omCbB

Somehow, I just cried... T_T

Awwwww I haven't seen it... *melts* my health is not strong enough for all this sugar hahaha gotta check my blood levels soon if they keep giving us all that XDDD just to be sure if I'll survive this for the time being

I wonder if possible third-wheel situations was written in her job description when she signed for this... XDDDD

Yeah, I agree! Everything between their love was already such a mess!! No need to make it more difficult hahahahahah (and no episode time to develop it also, so it makes sense to cut it)

Oh, yes! Agree with you! The festival is a good point also. Huai Yi being a third-party easily saw through Shu He's intentions of escaping, therefore, ignoring the order from Zi Ang to disperse the soldiers.

Since I think Huai Yi believed that Shu He had no love left, I would say several decisions he made could be also for his brother safety. Who knows if a loyal subordinate of Shu He (or he himself) would try to hurt Zi Ang?

Needless to say, even thou Shu He told Huo Ying expressly not to hurt him, in that capture scene, Huo Ying tried to do that and I'm sure that action gave Huai Yi more certainty that he was doing the right thing.

It seems no one follows the poor lovers wishes here... come on... leave them in peace T_T *sob sob*

Also, I would like to put this here: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMAxWbQxd/

This is the first time I saw someone mentioning it, and I have not found any other source to confirm it (gladly accepting help on this matter).

BUT, being love or not, being real brother or not... (I will not dive into this kind of mess in the comments, but feel free to join me and Yerisina on forum hahahah)... I think it makes sense include the argument that indeed he has intense feelings for Zi Ang.

Before this, I thought his actions could be for setting his brother free from a monk teaching point of view. But it could be also include possessiveness and jealousy in his emotional setting, of course. And that somehow answers most of things for me.

The feelings from Zi Ang to Shu He are crystal clear for anyone to see, they just had their peak romance moment... So when he left the monastery with Shu He, he was probably already aware of them as a couple. Thus, the awkwardeness of both of them interacting into the carriage, maybe? It felt really weird hahaha

Later, Zi Ang was desperate to be accepted by Shu He again. He built the 6th prince whole palace by memory, come on............ IF Shu He accepted to be with him again freely, what he would do next? Seat side by side into the throne room and rule? If Shu He wanted to, anything he wanted to, he would give him.

And THAT is really a dangerous thing. As an auxiliar to the throne, and later regent, Huai Yi is probably conscious of what this weakness represents for the North Kingdom. So, that's where I put my point why he wanted to rift them apart completely.

Thou, even hurting his brother by hurting Shu He, we can't deny that he is really worried about him and loyal to both him and North Ji. With Zi Ang getting sick every minute, he could had overthrone easily, but he did not, so I'm not really convinced about the power ambition. Why go for all the trouble of watching his brother suffer like that? He could end both lovers easily during Zi Ang's bedtime. He had even enough power to hurt and chain Shu He during that time. I don't believe AT ALL that this was Zi Ang's order, he could not even bare to see the whip wounds on Shu He's body, how could he possible accept that treatment?

So, yes, I also think he would not spare Shu He without Zi Ang alive. But more than that goes on my future rambling about Shu He's vengeance and Zi Ang's despair. Wait for me, Y! I'm eventually coming to that! XDDD

I was so surprised! My heart can't handle such amount of sudden sweetness, i felt like it was melting away from my chest hahahhaha

Anyway, they mentioned in some of their last lives for fans not to buy anything. Hopefully, they will listen to that, so this behavior can be supressed.

I totally agree with you, that genuine quality is what makes them so unique and it worries me any possibility of them suffering any harm from being themselves. Let's hope everything will be ok...

Anyway, may I humbly ask you if that's ok for us to be friends? <3 It feels good have someone to share the happiness they give us. ^_^ <3

Glad to know that i'm not the only one doing that XDDD