JoJe

Forget about the exact chapter they did it but BSL told SXH in chapter 682

I love it that in drama CJB know BSL is woman earlier. Maybe because BL won't pass censorship. Novel delay it until very much later, even when they accidentally got intimate after drunk, he still not 100% sure and she try hard to hide the fact by proving otherwise

They alive. Good ending for them too

In the eye of everyone, he is a dead man. He said this to his son "The Emperor cannot have any blemishes. Even the misconceptions in unofficial histories cannot start with your mother and me.”

Actually, Female lead not Empress but Empress Dowager

I read the novel.
Unfortunately, he did not become Emperor. However, here still give different story than usual trope you said 😊

His poison really cost him much near the end that he had to staged his fake death in order to leave for treatment faraway from capital

However, his son did and FL become Empress Dowager. His son be Emperor at age 6 months, so basically it is FL who rule the empire.

Only after 8 years later ML back to reunite

There is ML point of view in extra that I love : who didn't want to roam the world with his beloved. But for now he won't. He and FL will protect and accompany their son. Even when their son said just leave, he have series of good people on court (Prince Xin, CJB, XYH, etc). But, ML still said no, because every children need their parents and their son is the most important for ML&FL

Don't worry, novel has happy ending. He'll back after treat his poison
And there are some clip from filming show happy family

Her logic different from us 😂😂
She want good and powerful ally but not someone more powerful than her

She afraid if someday Crown Prince got tired and hate her because of his unrequited love or because of other things, she couldn't overturn the condition. Worst case is if it implicate her family because of her

She not yet trust that Crown Prince (or anyone) could love in such an unconditionally & timelessly

Honestly it confused me too when she said to Emperor that she wants to marry based on love. Because it's not her cold personality should be, at least not now. Unless she consciously lie said that to Emperor part of her scheming or to delay time when she still not sure to choose whom and to faster get agreement after she choose CP. But it's out of her personality.

While in front of CP she said it's political, that's more to her personality in my opinion. She is cold but straightforward. She won't lie and give false hope. You want it then I'll be a good Crown Princess. You don't want, we could walk peacefully on our own until our interest cross.

She wants power, she wants the world in order no one could harm her family. She need to be at the most top. Now it is still uncertain whether CP will ascend the throne after Emperor. His Prince brother also eye that position. She thought her ally with CP will be balance, she'll help him to find who poison him and together work to secure Emperor & Empress position before he die. If something suddenly happen and they argue she still confident to get upper hand of future condition. She even think if that formidable person behind tagara incense took action opposite to her, then she and CP could join hand to face him

In this while she might think that the only person that she not confident enough to fight against with is the one behind tagara incense. She admired his power to disguise as many powerful figure at capital and only means he is above all that powerful figure. Now suddenly she knew that formidable person is CP himself. She always think give and take balance. The logic if CP love her so he will endlessly help her to achieve her goals is out of her brain. Plus what if because the fact that she not love him, one day CP will tired, hurt and turns against her. One day before his natural death. So she thinks it's better to draw the line now than later. At least, if they walk separate way now, she still could calculate pro cons, they could compete as equals. If one day she loose against CP leading to any disadvantage to her northwest family that because she not smart and strong enough but she had tried her best. But if they married, CP hurt due to unrequited love, revenge to her then with CP power destroy her northwest family... She really couldn't accept that.

Yeah, the most quite with hidden agenda
In novel, it only reveal at 800+ chapter from 850. So, maybe in drama it will be at 1-2 last episode

Something funny pop up in my mind
Why not analogize New Shen Xihe as Purple color. Then Old Shen Xihe would be Blue and Gu Qingzi is Red 😄

Purple is new color that came from mixture Blue & Red as basic color. There won't be purple without blue and red. Just as blue or red only won't become purple

It just happened that new Shen Xihe is in capital with all danger and scheming so Gu Qingzhi personality seems dominant but inside there is still old Shen Xihe too with love & worry for her northwest family, including freedom being raised in northwest. That's why the first time 5th Prince Xin meet new Shen Xihe in temple while collecting pinzhong leaves, he said she cannot be Gu Qingzhi. If, I said If, new Shen Xihe wake up still in northwest, maybe old Shen Xihe personality will still dominant while Gu Qingzhi personality only make new Shen Xihe not that timid and make she readily join her father & brother to defend northwest

It is Empress Dowager. She was the mastermind behind many accident lead Emperor & Princes mutually destroyed each other, waiting to reap the benefits.

Hmm.. I wrote happy ending summary spoilers for them in one of character spoiler reply. You might want to check it

I will quote this from novel. Maybe could help understand male lead point of view. You know drama generally limited in expressing character point of view

This happened when XHY pick snow lotus in mountain. Difficult position, very cold weather.
"Yet he refused to give up, for it was then he realized he loved her – loved her enough to stake his life."

Also, not long after snow lotus
"XHY realize his feelings for SXH had progressed from surprise and amazement to curiosity and interest, then to admiration and praise, and finally to fascination and infatuation."

No, soon they will get together again (though still in join force mood)

You know from teaser he said "In the end you can only choose me"

This is from novel
After that they not meet in quite some time.
In short, there is one time XHY faint, SXH come and found out he is faking it to trap enemy
Then he force to sleep on her lap. She want to push him, but he is so quick fallen sound asleep. SXH knew they were both people born into such complex environments, people as cautious as them couldn’t trust anyone so completely, not even their closest confidants. Yet XHY trusted her with his life. She knew that if she triggered the mechanism on her wrist now, she could easily end his life. “In the end, you’re different from others.”

Then their relationship improve good

Drama might not detailing it, but this is the case in novel
Yes ML obsessed with her but he still attend the court, especially after his coming of age ceremony. Of course occasionally when he is sick, he not attend the court. Every time he need to go out capital, he need to fake serious his sickness - cough blood - faint - stay in bed. Emperor & Empress Dowager will check him at least on first day ML sick. Then, ML is very mastery in art of disguise, so it is easy to find his body double (pretend to be bedrest sick of him). He has subordinate in imperial doctor. This is the key, so every pulse read, every medical report, all write base on ML approval. Only later, maybe at half point, Emperor will start to suspect him

Yess, I also wish the same for them in drama. I mean, just follow the novel, don't make unnecessary plot twist 😄

She will, she will slowly warm up. But we just need to be extra patient. This gonna be slow burn. In novel, only at final third female lead will reciprocate male lead feelings
Pay off will be satisfying

Yeah, even drama already tone down a bit of her cold hearted, right?. At least I'm feeling that way. Novel Shen Xihe is way more cold, including to Bu Shulin and other around her.

We're need to be extra patient with this one 😂
I believe drama will follow novel which novel writer already note this at the end chapter 1 (maybe want us to be prepare)

"The female protagonist’s character is aloof. The male protagonist spends the first third pursuing marriage, the middle third pursuing her heart, final third achieving mutual love."

So, even after marriage that happened around chapter 500/800, he still need to pursuing her heart. But I need to say, that final third will be satisfying

If you want spoiler. Like whole spoiler about Bu Shulin and Cui Jinbai from novel, you may take a look at this. Beware though 😊 and drama might differ too, we don't know yet. They are such a funny and lovely secondary couple that give bright color to this drama

https://kisskh.at/769787-dong-feng-xin/discussions/139978-spoilers-characters-intro-based-on-novel?page=2#:~:text=Based%20on%20novel%2C%20simply,of%20Bu%20Shulin%20twins)