KJ2025

The bitch is back

The emperor is still in bad shape but manages to get to the throne. He is going through detox and improving. The chancellor and 4th Prince present their evidence and request a retrial. The emperor is not inclined to do it. He sees it as the last available son finding a new way to undermine him for the throne. He is shaken when he finds out who the chancellor is but is even more enraged that the case will be closed for the duration of his lifetime. He is challenged by chancellor and Prince to be remembered as the emperor that righted a wrong and admitted fault rather than a stubborn tyrant that deliberately struck down a noble family. The emperor was all grumbles but reinstated chancellor’s family and 4th prince’s mother. I think he was convinced by the chancellor’s resignation and plea for truth about his family as his only objective. The players are in place for correcting wrongs in Beiyuan. However, there is one major flaw to all plans. The royal b is back with gold mask. It is ugly as sin and matches her lovely disposition. Her first course of action is to kill off her husband. The sweet lady dropped his meds on the floor and lovingly watched him die. She has transformed from the cobra to the black widow. Her web is shown when his aides leave the room to let her finish him off. When the guards are hunting the prince and changes the court proceedings by claiming herself owner of the throne. She is reminding the officials their poison time is almost up and she keeps them in line with those peach blossoms. The prince found the spy and has found out about tyrant empress being back. I do not think he knows about his father yet. The father’s actions towards her were very similar to third prince’s. It is clear this spider has a type.😝The only real difference between her men of choice is that she was married to one the right age.😝 The princess tries cornering the minister for her brother’s location but he really doesn’t know where he is. The one very surprising and useful bit of news amongst the tragic is the king’s edict giving the throne to her brother. There is a silver lining to this massive b cloud hanging over the realm.

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Up in flames

The scholars begin challenging the wedding and third prince comes down with a sword and starts executing scholars. He is making a trail of blood as he mocks them all and dares them to defy him. The princess challenges the empress’ history with all her misdeeds announced to the court. He tells the guards to kill her but chancellor makes it in time to get the emperor himself in to challenge the throne’s status. Ms Meng used her father’s tally to get the gate open and had the leader killed by her man. It’s chilling to see people kill at command with no hesitation. The two vipers snuck out with the chaos as a distraction. He takes empress to a place he designed for them, he now knows it will be their crypt. He has furnished it with all his childhood memories of the beautiful woman that made him happy. She returned the favor by letting him know the depth of her hate for the furnishings and most of all him. She doesn’t hesitate to stab him or walk out hearing his pleas. She did not expect him to set the place on fire. With her high wide cheeks and thin neck, she truly looked like a cobra slithering away til the flames enveloped her. I can only hope that eternity locks her with him forever, flames and all. He will be in heaven and she in hell —nice irony. When Meng slapped his daughter in prison I wanted him dead and gone from her life. She let him know what the prince’s plans really were for the Meng family and even after his slap still begged him as a filial daughter to do the right thing and write a confession about the witchcraft trial. I think he really thought he was doing the right thing at the time and was just too lazy to explore the “evidence” to see if true. He was surprised at the chancellor’s revelation but only sorry he hadn’t killed him when he had the opportunity. He did have the wisdom to have the women and children of his clan spared and then took his life to avoid retribution chosen for him. I have mixed feelings about consort trying to adopt 4th Prince. If this would have happened after his mother’s death, that might have been an option. I did note that the only truly kind words to him from the royals was from her. She did have a soft spot for him, but she also never really let him know. I don’t blame him for not wanting his mother’s name erased from the record, but as heir, does this have to be his sacrifice so that no further conflict can be raised about becoming crown prince? I’m waiting to see what comes of the chancellor’s investigation. He and Princess are heading to Beiyuan to find a cure for her poison. That is the one ace both vipers kept secret….the cure.

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Siblings reunited

The empress is waiting for all the mice to gather together to blow them up. Such a pleasant ruler to plant combustible material throughout the area planned to be used for lantern festival. The chancellor knowingly enters the city in his rank’s robes so that friend or foe will know where he is. The prince is more incognito than his sister. The 4th Prince wants to play hero. If he knew the area or urban fighting techniques this would be a worthwhile venture. Unfortunately he only has a rough number to go by and no clue who these people are or men to women ratio for getting them to safety. Seems the chancellor is going to have his hands full dealing with the variables. I don’t think he is aware his sis or 4th Prince in vicinity but I am sure he will hear her soon. She tends to make a stir wherever she goes. The princess and bodyguard are together which is a good thing. Third prince has shown up to fawn over his ‘Hua’. I think she really is fond of him. As much as a viper can be. They have the emperor down to 6 mths of expected survival after the elixirs he’s been eating like candy. They know a signal is to be sent but not what it is. They have taken out one bomber and have ? to go. Time is running out as the festivities begin. The prince has gone to his commander to have city evacuated, but the news is not being received as credible. The prince is now more in harm’s way than helping counter the bomb plot.

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Quest for a cure

The bodyguard has already been gone a month. The princess is getting concerned and actually asks chancellor for assist with correspondence. She says she wants an ally but if not the chancellor, who? The third prince’s servant has been brought in for questioning. He immediately finds a way to kill himself. In spite of this the chancellor uses it as opportunity to check his theories out on third prince. This has led into some more research of Hua. If the sister died suddenly, was she murdered to slip empress into household? Too convenient to be accidental. She has groomed third prince since a young boy. I do not know for sure if he sees her more than a big sis, but that bracelet fantasy implied more. That is just a lot of weird. He has been groomed for a long time and never questions her directions for his actions. He has complete blind faith in her. Since the chancellor is aware, he is forced to back down as admin for exams. He moves in swiftly to appear the acquiescing son while 4th prince gets reinstated. The elder Meng is tired of it all. Had he not killed off his first son, he would have a nice duo to head family. He will never recognize the daughter and that will always be his failure. The doctor is still seeking a cure for peach blossom poison but discovered it was one poison countering another. He is still hopeful of finding a way to purge it from the body. So far, it’s still a tragic work in progress. The chancellor is determined to find a true cure. The 4th Prince is back where he belongs. He is making an impromptu question for exam and promises death for cheaters. He and sis had a cute duet while taking a break from grading. He and chancellor has found a very promising scholar. The results will be decided soon. The chancellor is happy with the new crop of scholars. He goes to his family’s memorial and happy that father’s wish is completed. First name is cleared. Meng patriarch most likely took back the seal. The emperor is going with the snakes he knows vs the new upgrades that could happen if one noble family falls. I think he has twisted Meng’s arm to stay in the game. The emperor is feeling much better. His sly look is back and so is his scheming. Ms Meng has taken care of the would be scholar. She feels the coldness of the job she has taken and wonders if it was same for her brother. I am not sure she will be allowed a happy ending. But she will hopefully have a say in it. Clearing the Meng family of this one just saved the executioner. His second offense resulted in the death of a prince, even if helped along by another. He had no value as a criminal or scholar. His existence cost more than his absence. After the last fail from the doctor, the chancellor decides to take a leave of absence to find a cure. He has already sent off his aide to find bodyguard. I think she will be glad for the help even tho Princess will now be alone. Since she wished solitude in her efforts, let’s see how happy she is when it’s the true reality. The third Prince is becoming unhinged. There is no telling what direction he will head now. We can only be certain who guides his path. Curious how aide and chancellor will fare in another realm. I’m sure their skills will be tested. Maybe at some point he and Princess can actually have that simple meal.

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The lonely king

The third prince is moving rapidly to impress his empress. He started a rumor for 4th Prince that 2nd Prince compromised exam. 4th Prince angrily accuses him and we do not see what happens after. The Meng pendant is missing a piece that is found in tavern. It just happens to be at the site second Prince was murdered. I am not sure how Meng scholar has it but I don’t see him having the courage to kill anybody. He was most likely at the scene to buy answers and ran away from the crime.😝 Third prince is too adamant about 4th prince’s guilt rather than finding culprit. He has the emperor done in with poison and now both other brothers neatly out of the way and Meng family reinstated. He has himself and minister Meng in charge of exams working directly with our chancellor. There is no way the 4th prince has the strength or wherewithal to kill anybody, much less his brother. The emperor can’t think straight and Qin family being noisy. He dismisses them all but agrees that harsh and swift punishment must follow for murderer of second prince. He laments to consort about his title as lonely king and seeing it play out in the loss of his sons. The viper strike was well done and well placed. The chancellor has a better idea of what happened but knows things are precarious for 4th Prince and whoever helps him. The princess has nicely given the piece of jade clue so he knows it belongs to Meng pendent. Ms Meng is veering on believing fratricide, but which brother does she really think caused it? The 4th prince found himself being patron of the common scholars, both by default and principle. This will work against him for now, but hopefully become the foundation for future realm. But first, the chancellor has to clear him and it will not be easy. I rolled my eyes and was close to nauseous at third brother’s empress fantasies at the end. All of these brothers are just…..ew. The 4th brother is decent but comes off as a righteous stick in the mud. His ideals are not backed with armed strength and both are needed to rule. This is where he comes up short. He needs someone shrewd both with intellect and military strategy and this is where our chancellor fits the bill. How to establish this and disrupt the corruption and poison antidote extortion will be biggest obstacles. Ms Meng has tossed her ring in with third prince, but really had no other option. Her father’s enterprises doomed her from the start. She is the best of the Mengs with her brother gone. She will hopefully find a new course for them. She is a bit behind with intel but catching up fast. She and chancellor could have been a formidable pair. Too bad her family was always in the way.

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The making of an emperor

4th prince has made it a point to oversee the care of scholar’s body. He has resolved to get examinations reinstated. His determination is shown by kneeling until the emperor makes a decision on the matter. The second brother is not showing a kind face to this. He is at first flippant, but once seeing the emperor is considering it, his avaricious nature is showing through and third prince and Ms Meng plan to make use of it and crush him with it. The chancellor also makes use of it. By pretending to side with emperor’s callous position on 4th son, he puts it in place with nobles and common men. Does the emperor dare stand up to the nobles or the rebellion of the people? He manages to manipulate the two princes being made directors of the examinations and for him to be in charge of the scholar hall. The chancellor was intended to throttle the flow of the commoners making it more difficult for them to participate, but the chancellor had other plans. He has extended the invitation far and wide to all remote quarters that 4th prince fought for them to have the right to be recognized if qualified. This is starting a grassroots movement in favor of 4th prince rule. The empress and third prince want to counter and Ms Meng as a leader of noble family can choose to favor the noble side of the discussion. She and third prince wisely surmise that second brother will sell off questions to lazy nobles and that this will trip up the second son. They both know the chancellor was behind moving the body and getting the rebellion started. They are still deciding how to deal with him. Third prince trying to distract with the princess. He hopes to make chancellor less focused by keeping his lover close yet distant. He is hoping the yearning lover will be less prepared for confrontation in future. The bodyguard has healed and back in the game peripherally. She has gone to Princess to let her know she has healed. The sis has also been sticking her nose in and fortunately was quieted by bodyguard before they were both discovered. Like 4th prince she has good intentions, but she is loud, impulsive and shortsighted. She inadvertently causes more harm than help. I hope the writer gives her more wisdom and has her train with bodyguard rather than sticking in at wrong times. The princess is complying with noncompliance. She sees through the plan of the third prince and while appearing to follow instructions she has insured the chancellor will be even more focused on the tasks at hand. The POS Meng scholar expects to do well on the future exam. Guess he expects uncle to pay for it.😝 The lovesick puppy eyes of the third prince as admonished to not fail the empress again. She is in for the long game and has chosen the prince most attuned to her thoughts and methods of execution. She has spent lots of time forging this alliance and I wonder if she has any contingency plan if this goes sideways. Is she as smart as she thinks she is, or is she simply a bully in the right place at the right time til knocked on her arse. This remains to be seen. For now, Ms Meng is the best piece on the board for opposition. She has working knowledge of all the key players. She is always underused and underestimated. Looking forward to how she pivots the pieces to take on the chancellor.

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A death not wasted

I am not sure if Prince or Meng machinations taking Princess to crematorium. Also not sure why Empress would waste time toying with bodyguard. She was no longer in loop to have current intel so what was the point? The Princess’ distraction got her servant stabbed, so how helpful was that? The Princess and guard both in water and their men rescue them. Be more careful 😂 Aide is very cute in hover mode but he is also impeding the doctor from doing his job. She was conscious long enough to let Princess know she had to play along with their plan. Now to see if she survives the Princess’ rescue.😝 I am already hating that faux Meng scholar. He is as big a weasel as the crown prince and as cowardly. I understand why Ms Meng has taken this course but, in doing so, she has placed herself in the same miserable spot her brother did. Being responsible for a whiny ass coward with just enough position to cause grief. She should have just killed him there and saved the scholar. 😝 I hate farm boy scholar was sacrificed….4th prince doesn’t mean to kill, but the deaths a result of his good intentions are really special people. He really needs to read the room better instead of just jumping in. This one even surprised chancellor. He has figured out the circumstances and is using this death to cause the change his father died for. To bring back the exam instead of just giving positions to nobles. To use the best and brightest of the country regardless of birth status. This was a noble cause the young scholar would have supported and maybe even willing to die for. But it’s a damn shame that waste of a Meng is getting away with this. He is distasteful on every level. I do not like what Ms Meng is turning into. But this is the only choice that will hold weight with her father. I hope any new minions are better than this POS scholar. But it also seems the Meng family fated to protect or serve idiots.😝The princess has recovered her memories but won’t tell chancellor. She has no options but to stay where the antidote is. She also wants to figure out third Prince and empress connection to see how their plans mix with local politics. The emperor and Meng past conversation with a very passionate court member. The chancellor’s dad was every bit as idealistic as 4th Prince. He saw the big picture for what would really better the nation, but could not foresee the greed and power seeking nobles that would never let this come to pass willingly. Had the emperor sided with chancellor’s family, he would not have to be in fear of nobles now. He was too greedy and shortsighted and remains so. That is why his first choice for crown prince was worthless for the people, and ultimately even for himself. He had no vision and apparently the emperor really doesn’t either outside of what is self serving. The demand of the commoners for the exam is a good legacy of both idealistic scholars. Their talents were lost too soon but their dream of all being given a chance to progress based on merit now has more hope as a result. I’m with Ms Meng on this….to sit back and watch the show. Third prince is as much of a sweetheart with the antidote as empress and b boutique lady. The princess is well aware of this scenario. It’s nothing new, but now to see what plot the prince and empress have in store. And there is the game win reward promised to Ms Meng. What will she ask for?

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Princess’ gambit

Here the princess is in a delicate spot. She is in the crucible of two nation’s plotting and her survival skills are kicked in maxed level. In this scenario she thinks she is sacrificing her place with chancellor, but I think she will find that is not the case. Her bodyguard is in the most dangerous spot for a servant. She is far more subtle than sis, but her mouth is often on a par when angered. I don’t see things going well with her in this environment. She and chancellor know the prince has the antidote. Her meal to the chancellor😂 that was the one light spot in this episode. The third Prince, there is such an insidious essence about his character. He uses the ex wife’s name and the wife to taunt the chancellor. His contempt that the chancellor has feelings for her. Funny how either third prince’s love or hero worship of the visiting empress leaves a surprisingly similar look on his face. Even snakes can be devoted. I liked him so much in another drama, so for him to be so vile here is rather unnerving. I deducted a star for the time warped brother. So I went back and checked, there was only supposed to be a 3 yr gap between siblings. However, the actor of him older was 10 years older and looked it. So the first child was too young and why most of us thought a greater age gap between them. The one grown was actually correct, but I didn’t think so based on the first episode. We did not learn the actual age gap til 20 episodes later. Many are dropping this because of the inconsistencies and poor judgment calls of the writer. That is fair. But in spite of the flaws, I find myself wanting to see how our princess and chancellor fare for the duration. The one thing the author did accomplish, was to create characters I really like and really loathe. For better or worse I want to know what happens to them.

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Crime and punishment

Once again psycho prince refuses to restrain himself. He also arrogantly wants to present his good deed to Meng so he chooses to not inform him prior but to celebrate after the fact. The chancellor has baited him by letting him know the rescued miners are close and quite confident the prince will retaliate. As expected, soldiers come planning to do a quick slaughter and leave. They find, however, that the chancellor has other plans for them. As they round up the prince’s guards they signal the camp that something important is amiss and the emperor is forced to respond. He and Meng patriarch had a meeting at beginning of episode. They expect to continue forward with their plans and grow as a united family. Tonight’s events altered that course, but apparently did not keep it from moving forward. The chancellor goes in with his report and the emperor has all the rote responses of deposing the crown prince. What he did not completely anticipate was being directly questioned in court as to the punishment of the Meng family. It was clear he considered the matter closed and just as clear that the chancellor did not. Here is where we see where psycho prince got some of his mannerisms. They were much more restrained, but the hate and contempt on his face towards chancellor and his question was very plain. As he thinks about it the Meng patriarch takes things into his own hands. His son knew when the crown prince wanted the celebratory toast that his life was over. For the first time he allowed his contempt for the prince’s actions to be much clearer. Even then the prince had it barely dawn on him that he had lost his way to the thrown. He failed to see that he had successfully brought about the death of the one person willing to put up with him and even like him. The thoughtfulness of his last letter to sister and his final request to his father. He was a very good son to the end. I was actually surprised that the father allowed some sentiment in the visit. But, like all power seeking politicians, he did not hesitate to sacrifice his own son for family position. The daughter has to be even more unsure of her place now. The father assigned both of his children horrid tasks. But for all his hate of the chancellor, he treated the daughter better. His son was stuck covering for a feckless coward that cost him his life. I would like it to haunt both fathers for awhile but they are already deciding their next course of action. Both of these fathers despise the chancellor and would be a lot more active if they knew who he really was. The chancellor is angry his plan was thwarted in booting Meng family from court. But, as he said to his aide, he is only as sharp a blade as the emperor allows. He now knows the degree the Mengs and emperor are aligned so that is at least more intel. He too is devising his next course of action as are both princesses in his household. It will be interesting to see the next moves by our players.

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Gathering the shards

Beast Prince and healers have kept third Prince alive but his powers will cease and he will be mortal. QingKui wants to stay with him. The third shard has completely fallen for YeTan. She is conflicted because she doesn’t know what will happen to their physical forms once united with Empyrean Prince. Since she is waffling about what to do the Prince and Princess take matters into their own hands and get all three shards in same location. QingKui makes her see the obvious, she has fallen in love with the one she calls heartless. She reminds YeTan that these three are all the Empyrean Prince. I want her to see them all as her Prince, like looking through a prism and he is divided by his different characteristics and that all of these combined make him who he is. She is missing the obvious. He was never heartless. He had just fragmented his heart into so many pieces she never got the real picture of him as a whole. I hope they are ending this arc soon because this needs to be wrapped up to deal with the void. It was nice to see different aspects of his personality, but it is time to move this along and progress the story. We want to know how much of him is left to revive and who that person will be.

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Lu the hero

Sass did indeed try to assassinate the princess and crown prince at the show. Thanks to the clue left by the architect, they knew how to protect the 18th floor. Lu asked the elder to make a trap for him that would activate if anybody tried to move the mechanism on the 18th floor that would collapse the building. The screens Lu had made for the royals was pretty impressive. Since there was a second attack I am not sure why they didn’t just leave them closed. The guards provided shields for them and thanks to the trap Lu had made for the 18th floor, Sass the magician/assassin fell at their feet, this time, truly dead. He called Lu a nobody. Well that nobody kicked his ass. 😝Su revealed the slips Sass had made impersonating the official. This referral cost Pei his job. He was demoted to sheriff of Ju. Chicken Fei will be there to assist.😂 The princess was going to declare herself Lu’s mother, but opted to not. She and Lu had a lovely morning with one of the last sky views that would be. Because of the threat of collapse, the Emperor called for the demolition of the building. This would prevent the literal fall of the Tang. Lu was promoted to Supreme Court and Su was demoted to minister of mausoleums. He and Yingtao are deciding how many children.😁 XiJun is still painting. She is making mass copies of Lu paintings to scare away ghosts.😂 They did not give an update of XueHuan. I want to hear more about him and hope he shows up in season 2. Lu is finally made a disciple of Di. It was a touching moment and he received the first three books to accompany the last three. It was a very proud moment for both of them. First day at court Lu discovers he has over 98k cases to solve. He is last seen calling for Su to come save him.😂 This is a very entertaining drama. The music gives it just the right amount of eerie atmosphere. The actors do a wonderful job of engaging you no matter how odd the circumstances. They bring you in to the stories and command your attention. The production staff did an excellent job with all the effects and fight choreography. If you like the strange, eerie, and adventure with investigating, this is a drama for you.

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Rescuing love

The administrator is poised in the Resentment Tower with his men to catch Sass. So is Lu and crown Prince. He Lan Xue plays for them. She received a gift of rouge and saw the proclamation declaring Sass dead. She breaks out into tears and offers to play. She starts the song and when she tears up goes to touch up makeup with the promise of returning. What actually happened was she borrowed the appearance of the beggar boy and she went out one way while her lover escaped from balcony. All hell has broken loose downstairs as all three factions of soldiers start fighting. It is utter chaos. The administrator sees Sass and Lu fighting. He shoots an arrow and kills HeLan Xue. I am grieved with this because there is a pretense that the one in the boat could have been Sass. BS. What he has done is angered the magician in the most horrible way right before show. Everybody is on edge because they don’t know where Sass is or what he has planned. They find the architect of the sky tower dead and in odd position. This literally points them to the clue about the building. There is a weak point in the 18th floor of the structure. Pei deliberately hurts his foot to miss the tethering at sky tower. He has also forbidden his daughter to go and give the guys a heads up. He is going to use his injury to tie XiJun down. He seems to be a well meaning man but I am not sure he is guiltless with this building construction. He knows more than he says and seems very invested in dealing with Sass. There is a story there. The magic show has started. The crown prince was not happy the emperor ate the cherry before having it tast tested. The father sends the fruit to Princess and crown prince. She wants to try it but seeing how serious her nephew is, she tosses it down and doesn’t eat. The next trick has one that changes to a bird in a box. There is an interesting scene here. Lu is guarding the grand Princess. She comments on it. He responds. It is a stiff but sweet encounter. I do not know if it will be a good idea for these two to interact. Lu is making such great strides becoming a warmer person. His mother has no true concern for the lower class. They exist for her use and disposal. He was once pretty close to that sentiment and I really don’t want to see him go there again. I like him best when he is looking out for all the people and fighting for justice. Su for all of his prevarications, is a much better influence for him.

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Fact and fiction

Lu and Su have split up to find more clues about Sass. They both agree that the man that was killed was not him. They are not among the few that know about the wooden bird. They have a good drawing of the woman they are looking for thanks to XiJun. The officials are not helping. Lu is seen as the new kid on the block and not deserving of assist since they were collecting info for twelve years. They won’t work with Su either because we still don’t know who exactly was behind Di’s death at beginning of drama. It is coming full circle and they do have the makings of a net for Sass…so against all odds progress is being made. Su would have been better in Resentment Tower, he is much better on his feet. Lu studied well and is even complimented on it, but it was fiction not fact with some of the details. She laughs and tosses the book on the table. His three friends are not having the good time they expected.🤣🫣 They are asked to go again and settle for an escort each for the upcoming magic show. They return but not happy with the options. The young beggar is hired to deliver treats to the lady in question. She graciously lets the child in and appreciates the treats of cherry dumplings. The second time he brought roast camel, but a bird of prey intercepts him. He wakes up a lot later with his money and purchase still with him, so he heads for the hall and gifts her a second time. This time she asks him if he wants a drink with her and he says no and quickly runs away. Yingtao accompanies Su’s to the author’s home and she is far from impressed. She sees an indulged old man surrounding himself with wine and women. Su brought up their mutual acquaintance investigator Di. The author is cordial, but offers no further information about Sass. We do know Sass is monitoring his lover. It also seems the administrator is correct with his assessment of when he will come get his girl. They have two more episodes to wrap all this up.

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Double date

Fenghua follows the directions of the princess and meets with Sass. What he doesn’t know is that the princess met with Lu on sky overlook floor and told Lu to monitor him. She said not to go easy on him just because Fenghua is her servant. The guards intercept Fenghua and Sass at a meeting and a fight breaks out resulting in the death of both of them. Lu is unconvinced this is Sass but the crown prince puts out a statement that Sass is dead and Lu was the court official that brought him to justice. Lu is upset with the proclamation and goes to official demanding to know why issued when there was no positive proof Sass was the deceased. His boss thinks Lu is a position climber since both royals appointed him. He has no confidence in Lu’s work or why he is there. In a second meeting with Lu the Princess thanks him for killing Fenghua. She even admits that he was a good officer and loyal subject. However, his grudge against crown prince and his determination to enact revenge was his downfall. The princess was tired of his machinations to cause problems between the royals. She then reveals to Lu that she is his mother and that her son would understand and forgive past wrongs. I am not sure how Lu is processing the information. She did not directly call him son, but gave very non subtle clues of his past that would strongly imply what their relationship is. I wonder what Su would think of this revelation? XiJun has completed the drawing of Sass based on the boys memories. It show Sass looking at sky terrified and back of ministry of justice flying at him through the air to complete a killing blow. They still do not know about the wooden bird. This is a Tang version of drone. The prince wants the magic show to take place without public disturbance. He thinks Sass is likely to show up since the majority thinks he is dead. Our two couples find themselves at dumpling place for cherry dumplings. They meet up and head back to Lu’s officer quarters. He can have Su and “wife” hide there as they all read the banned book. They are hoping there is enough information for XiJun to be able to draw Sass’ lover. It was cute watching the women eat dumplings while the men poured over the books. Di’s last case was about Sass and he died under mysterious circumstances. For this reason, Su is much more determined than usual to solve the case. At the end of the episode Lu is pretty convinced he knows the name of who they are looking for.

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Weapons from the sky

At the beginning of episode royals from different land are invited for a completion celebration of a 36 floor tower. The very top is a scenic view of the entire city. It is by invitation only to be seen. The blueprints have already been destroyed and all who had part of making the tower or knowing its secrets are invited to a special dedication. He seems like a royal who kills the architects to prevent anything copying or surpassing their structures. The minister so happy to be invited may find it not to his liking. For the first time in ages, a magic show will take place. They see the wooden bird in the sky and figure it’s part of the act. It has already dropped ads of Sass, a known murderer as well as magician. After all the kindness shown by her nephew, the princess plots to use Sass to kill the crown prince. She annoys me with her unnecessary ruthless behavior. Her official is pressing for Prince’s death. She commented that he’d been raised by his uncle and did he have something personal involved since he was so invested. XiJun is bored being home. Her father loves her but dislikes her commitment to Lu. He is the typical politician trying to figure out how to stay on the fence between the royals. Lu is given the talisman of the lead general to control the troops however he wants. However, this is an undercover assignment rather than an imperial position. He is told to find copies of a banned book that had opinions against Princess in it. They find Sass but in the chase the wood bird shows up and kills the minister of justice. Before there is even a memorial for him both royals offer candidates. As luck would have it Lu is recommended for the job and the princess approves. She also like XiJun . Sass escaped but a young beggar saw what happened and gives XiJun info about Sass’ portrait. Lu and XiChun worked out so the boy would stay with XiJun and be a replacement for XueHuan. No news of Yingtao or Fei yet. Seems our group really is separated while in Chang’an.

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