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I think WS character actually showed remorse and wanted to stay as far away from her was a good sign of how he acknowledged the incident. I mean he was planning to runaway to Panyin to oversee the canal project. QX too understood what actually transpired instead of having negative impression of him and did not blame him. Her knee jerk reaction is understandable coz she was shocked.
In this drama both of their reaction to the incident is different coz usually in other dramas the ML doesn't give a damn coz he got some while the FL pretends it was all ok. In this they actually addressed that how a man's dignity can be compromised as well while the woman experiences shock or trauma, after such an incident, so well done here.

The way QX addressed and put WS's mom in place was awesome. She told her off that she cared more for the cousin instead of her own son that his own mother was willing to ruin his dignity and respect. Kudos to QX for standing up for WS. I think we often forget men too have dignity and shame which can be ruined by something like this. Technically it is a SA.

I like that his advisor gives him new perspective about QX and he keeps telling him that she is his closest person and he should open up to her. I think WS is beginning to understand that coz I think men generally need more nudging coz QX is mature and understand the duties of a wife while he is still learning.

In some Asian culture, wives don't call their husbands by name. This is in ancient time, so they use honorific titles and in this even the husband calls her my lady or Lady Wei . This is still practiced in the present time, some wives and husbands use other terms of endearment instead of calling each other by names. Some husbands wld call their wives by their pet name but not full proper names.

The creepy cousin is clearly trying to create rift between them coz he wants revenge on the Qiao, but also coz he is a creep that wants her. IMHO I think she would be able to handle him coz she isn't stupid or helpless, I mean she is cunning and scheming as well. As for Wei Shao i think by now he knows who she is or what she is, So I don't think there will be a great misunderstanding between them. Their battle is more about conquering the lands and claiming power for their families.

Separately, I was thinking Prisoner of Beauty seems like how WS is the guy that has been 'taken in 'by QX's beauty, which is her intelligence, cunningness and wits, I don't know ...maybe

I just wanted to say that WS's mom is a real piece of work! What kind of mother sets up her son like that? QX was right she didn't think about his dignity and his reputation. But I think she will continue to scheme. Anyway horrible woman!

I also wanted to point out that the four Wei generals are like the four pillars of the Wei stronghold while they can be clueless but they also provide the balance, opinions, support and trust he needs. There is a belief in my community that a person is usually surrounded by four people, whether this four is good or bad depends on what they have to offer coz the four will have their own opinion and pull factor.

I wanted to praise the cinematography, there is a lot of subtle hints they have placed. Like when Wei Shao lifts the curtain to see her for the first time, the way the shot goes to his face and that very small reaction was beautifully captured. Kudos to the actor for his acting there. It represents that one can have a preconceived notion about someone but you can only see someone if you remove the barrier that is holding you back.
Bro folded immediately after seeing her then said my grandmother's wished for this marriage LOL!

Second favourite scene is when Qioa Xiao is caught in the middle of the Liu Yan and Wei Shao, noticed how the Wei clan was on the right side and the Liu on the left. Despite Liu Yan calling her his jewel, she still ran towards the right side coz she knows no matter what Wei Shao will do right by the people instead of the selfish Lius. That pesky Liu even said I have known you for much longer but she still chose the guy whom she had just met, This is coz she is not just choosing for herself, she is choosing for the benefit or greater good of the innocent people. This is what I like most about Qiao Xiao, her righteousness and selfishness. She basically calculated that she might die but at least innocent people won't compared to being with the Liu Yan, who will not kill her but willing to kill many more innocent people.

The other scene is the weasel as dowry given to Qiao Xiao by Liu Yan was just a pet but Wei Shao went and hunted a lynx for her. This represent how each sees her value, one is just giving her something they had while the other got her what she deserved.

Another is him asking her to bring in the concubine was also deliberate because he knew she will find a way out of it.
The shoes she made for him fitted perfectly while the one his mother made did not. This again shows how she knows him a lot better and she is a good fit for him in his rise to unite the territories because you need a comfortable pair and one that fits in the journey ahead.

Lastly the beauty he keeps saying, which she is but not. Qiao Xiao real beauty lies in her resilience, her intelligence, her selfless trait and her willingness to do good for the people these are the things that makes her attractive to him.

Yes for a kid to go through such a traumatic experience is really heartbreaking. I don't blame his actions, he is just looking out for himself, A betrayal that cost the lives of his beloved is not easy to overcome.
But I don't blame her as well coz if she is not two steps ahead of him, she, her family and her people will be killed, As we have seen, she is not willing to let innocent people die, which is why she has to be manipulative, cunning and calculative, but again not for the wrong reason.
Still I do pity Wei Shao.
Also it is clear that someone inside the Wei is the real traitor behind this feud, perhaps there is someone inside the Qioa and the Liu. They're all in it together coz they want to divide and conquer.

I was waiting for this drama and it did not disappoint. The running theme ( no pun intended) is water. They use it in almost every time to make a point. Water also covers 70% of our earth and our body, which ties to the main theme of the drama being the importance of water as a source of live itself.
The best one is of Qiao Xiao saying that despite water being soft it can eventually cut through stone representing Wei Shao. The canal project it also about water, which is the main source of the livelihood of all the territories. The heart of the territories is Panyi connecting it all. So it all ties in nicely,

Another interesting quote Qiao Xiao says is 'In war, the best strategy is to conquer minds' which is what she has been doing since she offered herself to this marriage. She let other people think she was the best substitute, she let the villagers think Wei Shao was a saviour of the people, she let him think she is doing what he wants and many other instances. So Qiao Xioa is the water running through like a stream at time, stagnant at time, nourishing at time, which means she is able to adapt to the needs and vessels of her surrounding. When it comes to war, no matter how many battles one can win, how many soldiers one can have, how many weapons, one cannot kill an idea, so if you are able to conquer the minds of the people, you have won the war already, the battle is just a tete a tete.

The irony is that her grandfather said that since she is woman she cannot lead the family but she is the best soldier and strategist of the Qiao clan. Another trait is that she cares for people similarly her sister Qiao Da also cares for people that she asked for help from her father. This makes the girls better than the men in the family.

Lastly Wei Shao is already losing the war, he is no match for Qiao Xiao coz in a battle wits, she is going to win. The moment he laid eyes on her, you could see how he was taken aback, so yeah.

Also who else think Xiaotiao and General Wei's banter is cute. They are definitely a kawai couple

This series was close to home as I come from a family with five sisters, me being the youngest and my mom navigating using her wit, charm and schemes (at times coz my dad was strict). Even two of my elder sisters married cousins LOL! As for the secret alliance of brother in laws LOL! they exist too.
The best episode was the one with Empress Dowager getting justice and recognition for the contribution, sacrifice and love of mothers. How she brought a court full of men to their senses and even the Emperor conceding.
This show resonates all the issues faced by women, what is sad is that it is 2025 and women are still fighting for their rights, safety and well-being.
It was an overall good show, great cast and I liked how they had so many well-know actors sharing the screen, so it is not jut about one person or a couple.

But one thing I did not like is the vampire Edward-ish make up on the men. it really looks bad like a cake face, The male actors are naturally nice looking but their features cannot be seen with all the foundation.

I see the colour purple everywhere. First episode amazing then story goes everywhere. Loads of backstory and secrets it would seem. But let's see the progress since I am only watching for Bai Lu,

Ok valid points
But she also learnt her lesson from the 1st life and decided to dedicate to herself in the second. I think this is another take away from this reborn series. If we don't love ourselves , be confident and put our own interest first, no one is going to come and save us. Dou Zhou saved herself too because she became her own person not someone's wife, sister or daughter in law.

Rich and affluent people tend to marry from their own class, it is not uncommon and more so during those times and even now. The father got both his wife and mistress pregnant at the same time. He also had Song Mo prior to that and gave away his daughter and replaced with Song Han. He was an opportunist despite his hue and cry about not being able to be with his lover. He himself said he did it for wealth, status and power.
He resented Song Mo coz he thought of him as a Jiang even though he was his own child while preferring Song Han just coz he was born from his lover. Song Mo also would have been ruined if not for his uncle, mom and Dou Zhou. Song Han was already a disturbed child and the father ruined him as well as drove him into his downfall because he kept perpetuating and reminding him that he needed to be better than Song Mo.

The other is Dou Zhou step mom, she was another piece of work who blamed everyone except herself. She also ruined her own daughter's life.

The Empress also ruined herself by being resentful towards the Emperor for not giving her due importance and acknowledgement.

I just feel many of the negative characters carried a lot of resentment with them which shaped their decisions , schemes and outcome. All did not reflect on themselves why their actions are the root cause for their own misery.
If Song Mo did not change his perception, forgo his resentment and revenge, he too would have been ruined, This is the difference between them. This is also why at the end he just wanted to have a simple peaceful life.
Even Dou Zhou gave up on all the resentment and disappointments from her previous life instead wanting a simple and carefree life.

Resentments can create darkness in our hearts, it clouds our judgements and affects our decision making thus our lives. I think perhaps the series aim is to show if you get a second chance, one needs to let go. We have a saying that for you to grasp something that is worth more, one needs to learn to let go.

This was a decent watch, though some parts were draggy and unnecessary but the whole story was good. All the actors did well in their roles but ML did an amazing job. FL's character was consistent and strong.
The theme was definitely resentment which a lot of the characters carried with them but they blamed others for their own misery. The worst father is Song Mo's dad. What a horrible piece of crap! and he is the reason why both his sons ended up the way they did.
I will give this a 7.10

Despite the reborn and revenge plot cum murder mystery, this show was quite the surprise. Excellent cinematography and art direction, as well the direction of this series. The director never disappoints, his series always has a signature scene with the arrow being shot extremely close to the FL/heroine.

I have been waiting for this drama purely for Lui Xue Yi, his dark prince persona is scene stealer. He definitely fits to be a Grim Reaper or the Devil character. However this show was a bit too long, a few episodes in I already knew the culprit, so they kept dragging it, which was a bit frustrating, it took Jiang a shorter time to figure out Cai Wei was Shanggung Zhi but Pan Yue a lot lot lot longer despite his intuition kept telling him.
Face swap not a new plot, neither is the whole whodunnit. I would have preferred if they kept it shorter and tighter, After watching A familiar Stranger which by far one the best series I have watched credit to the makers, they never disappoint with all their series, last one was Butterflied Lovers, which was also amazing.
Anyway, I just felt the plot was draggy and a bit all over the place, Like I said could have been shorter. The actress who play the original Cai Wei did fab job I think.
In conclusion, story is good but the plot was not, cinematography was good, acting I think did a good job especially Liu Xue Yi, he is something.

I saw this trailer, can't wait to watch it. Queen Bai Lu :)

This is by far the best K drama I have seen in a while. Kudos to the webtoon creator for making this story, It has so many social issues and messages intertwined in the series. My most favourite was the serial killer, who used his victim's blood to paint. The acting in this drama are all on point, cinematography and the editing all were on mark. Highly recommended!.
Best take away from this series is that suicide is not the solution because the pain it cause those we leave behind, and to be able to learn how valuable life by going through different lives goes to show you how everyone has their own burden but how we overcome those issues makes us stronger.

So true and also my cup of tea.

So she basically had to just correct the mistake or in this case punish the wrong-doers, it had nothing to do with past Tae Ha living.
Honestly the Joseon era love story was much better than the modern one. The ending was ok, nothing like what I had expected. The entanglement of their fate and love story travelling through time was not quite there. There is something missing. Anyway it has ended time to move on.

All I want to say the food net cover laid on the table to cover the food is like the most Asian thing, and yes every household has one or needs one.
This show literally is like the anti-kdrama cliches with people dressed normally, having normal jobs, living in normal house and working, for that you have to appreciate its approach.
Forecasting weather is no joke and very hard to predict but a very British topic.
Honestly enough with the flashback, I want to see what was promised in the trailer with her kicking asses.

I pity him actually, it seems no one really cares for him neither the mom, the evil grandad or his brother. No wonder he is lost. Still he does have a good heart.

She will go back in time before marrying Tae Ha. The deity said the only thing she can do for her is give her time, so she will go back to fix things now that she has seen the future both in Joseon and present time especially when she knows who is the real villain---Selfish Grandpa.