NickB

I'm now in ep. 38. It's a twisty turny one. King of slow in pacing. But it's holding my interest.

It's been a year since I've seen this one and it still sticks with me as one of the best Cdramas. The ML is very morally gray, so if you're looking for a Prince Charming, look somewhere else. This one wasn't typical at all and I appreciated the bold direction it took.

He has a way of manipulating ppl to make them think it was their idea, all the while, they're doing his bidding. LOL

This is the reason why I don't care about her and her grandfather getting killed and her being mad about it. She didn't really care about the ppl her Danchi family kidnapped and made unwilling slaves. She didn't advocate to free them or attempt to free them on her own. She just didn't want to see the cruelty for entertainment, but that was it. She didn't really care that they were there. As if those ppl didn't have families that loved and would miss them. Just like she didn't care about any solider who had to risk their lives to come search for her. When they did, did she mourn them? Know. It's all about her.

So, I'm not entirely on her side, either. She needs to take her selfish behind on a field trip to the plains to see all of the families her Danchi ppl destroyed when they took ppl from those villages during their pillaging. She hates the ML for killing her grandfather. Well, what emotion should those families have against her and her Danchi family?

She thinks everything is a game and that's why when things got serious, she couldn't handle it.

Oh boy, this one is a doozy. I'm only on ep. 13 and I can tell it's only going to get ruthless from here. If this guy becomes the next emperor, not one minister will be able to handle him.

I'm also trying to figure out what the hell this teacher Gu was supposed to be teacher her. She can't read, she can't fight, she couldn't swim... what the hell.

I never said that he didn't care about her. In fact I've clearly stated he did. You just want to excuse the fact that he remained dishonest until the truth revealed itself.

You're also having a hard time sticking to your own argument. In your first post. You said "he tried to tell her so many times" and you made it seem like she was the one purposely making it difficult. And even trying to pressure him into having kids. Now you claim he couldn't tell her. That lying to her was some sort of mercy because she could have just been in prison instead of manipulated into being a housewife. Let's not forget that he wanted her to trust him and reveal secrets.

He fell in love. No one is disputing that. I joked that they will have five kids by the time he finally tells her. Considering he punked out telling her and just confessed when asked, means I had a point. And he was even more miserable when she left him. And that's why he fought so hard to earn her trust back.

I enjoyed the series, but I don't care for the dishonesty tropes when it's at the point where it will obviously backfire or when it makes no sense to keep at it because you're doing more harm than good.

By that same token, her reaction to what happened is completely justified. He took advantage of her weakness because she couldn't remember who she was. He wasn't very supportive about the endeavors she wanted to take on like her pottery business. All of her success she achieved on her own in spite of him being a foil. He was hardly home. He lied to her multiple times at first it was heartless because he just wanted to use and manipulate her to get information. But she blew him away by her own personality. She was loving, supportive, determined and innocent in the sense that she had no memory of her former life. She just wanted to be the best wife she could, help him along the way, since she was told that she was his wife and in a very loving relationship by not only him, but his friends and servants. So her hanging on was her trying to fulfill the role they all told her she belonged in. Because she had her doubts. She asked ppl "are we really in a loving relationship" and everyone told her "yes".

So, her not accepting his cop out divorce because he didn't have the courage to face her, even he says that... Even I knew, with her forthright personality, that she wouldn't accept that divorce.

His fear came from falling in love and not knowing how to be honest with her.

My criticism was how long was he planning on holding out? He'd already told his mother and ex fiance that he'd never marry anyone but her. So, now he just needed to tell her. He didn't. She figured it out on her own and that was one of the reasons she was so upset with him.

And I said "it's on him" because he's the one who created the relationship between them in the first place. He's the one pulling the stings. He's the one telling the stories. He's the one who could have ended it by being honest regardless if the outcome.

I see your points, but the bottom line still remains the same. His fear of being rejected, of making her angry, becoming her enemy or losing her entirely came to fruition anyway. Who knows how she may have handled it had he told her the truth that day when she came to confront him about that divorce.

And you mentioned the writer adding conflict. The writer created all of the drama. And they replied on that trope to create conflict. That wasn't the only way to do it.

Yeah, me too. They are perfect for those moments when you're waiting in between more eps to come out in the longer series. Lol. I'm finished one on YouTube called Love & Bid Fairwell and that one was dark. I was like, damn! I LOVE and obsessed lover trope and that one went all out. And it's a short drama. It's funny, because the 2 main leads are in a new drama playing a loving couple.

I know and it's just so annoying to me. It screams lack of creativity. Just like the "misunderstanding trope". Where one character believes something is true and instead of asking the other person if it is like an adult, they just treat that person badly or keep away until they are forced to acknowledge the elephant in the room.

I'll def. Check out Bright Eyes. Now, what I must suggest is In the Name of Loyalty. That's a short, but they put in some effort for that one. Dastardly, cunning villains, character arcs, very smart FL who could fight, Solid storytelling.

Not really. I'll give you a prime example. The time he went off to war. She followed him. That was a clear shot for him to tell her the truth. He started to, but then changed his mind.

He let her believe he was only a soldier and not the commanding general. That was all on him. She wanted a life with him because he never revealed that he was a prince and her supposed enemy. He told OTHER ppl his true feelings, but not her. And he clung to the excuse that she still had information he needed and that's why he couldn't be honest. He told his mom he wouldn't marry anyone but her, but never told her that he was a Prince and she may have a different life being princess consort. So no, he didn't try to tell her so many times. That's why she left him.

Why is he surprised that she stabbed him? I mean... ain't that what you wanted? You chose to ignore your guard's sound advice to just tell her the damn truth. You said you wanted her to hate you. You wanted to be the villain in her story because for some silly reason, you thought you could protect her better that way. Which makes zero sense. So, yes sir, she is going to blame you for killing her family since you won't tell her the truth about that night. So, stabs and hateful glares you shall receive. Serves you right for being stupid. She's already stupid, so you didn't help your own situation.

Also, it never fails. Once the FL stabs the ML, nearly killing him over her grudge and his own stupidity. It's the guard... the same one who's been speaking logic the whole time, that is the one who reveals to the female lead the truth that could have prevented a lot of drama in the first place.

I do find it annoying when the lead character doesn't tell the other person the truth for some stupid reasons they came up with and then the whole time they're struggling to keep that person safe, or with them, or from betraying them. Like, you know life would be easier for you both if you just told her, because usually it's the ML doing that nonsense, the truth.

That way other people wouldn't be able to manipulate her/him so easily. And what really sucks is once the other person knows the truth, it proves just how dumb the decision was to keep it a secret in the first place.

She's reminding me of Wil E Coyote and all of her schemes to kill this man end up backfiring on her. I'm only on ep 5 now, but she's not the brightest.

Another FL hellbent on revenge without doing a shred of research to make sure she has all the info and players. Another ML who thinks it's smart to keep the truth to himself and play the villain in her story.

I guess he plans on seducing the need for vengeance out of her.

Ugh, it's broads like this FL who I love to see everything fail for them when they make the stupid decisions they do. I didn't like her from ep 1. And knew she was stupid because she's been plotting revenge for ten years and doesn't even have any research done on the family. No leads, just a grudge she has on the man who was a child at the time. And after they've fallen in love, she decides she needs to be selfless, and break up with the ML.

Dummy, that's not doing him any favors? What makes YOU think leaving him is a good thing for the both of you? So, you'd break his heart, leave him trapped in a marriage he doesn't want all because you don't want him and his grandmother to have conflict? Like they aren't going to continue to have even more conflict now that you're gone and the one ray of happiness he had is gone too. That's your bright idea, broad?

Then she said all these lies and hateful stuff to break his heart even more. But I bet she is going to have her ass on her shoulders if SFL shows up pregnant. And i'm like Don't be mad... isn't this what you wanted?

I'm with you. I watched ep 19 like a crackhead, I couldn't wait to get my next fix. I really want to see the Princess and her dad go down. But I also like seeing her ex husband lose. I'll be glad when Wanning finally consummates her marriage. It's getting there.

Unnecessarily stubborn. Like lady, we only have 5 episodes left, let's keep this romance moving. After everything he's done for her, the resources, time, money and effort saving her and her family... The least she could give the man is a hand. 😂

ML def. Knows that princess is trash like her dad. That's why he's not interested for sure. I'm invested and want to know how this will end. Kind of wish I'd waited until it was done. Lol

Well, the way I would have been ended the Prince Royal's life or his sisters a long time ago. The emperor needs to be more ruthless because he'll have to deal with more ppl like this dude in the future. He let this man get away with too much for too long.

Anyway, it's going to really be his sister that throws a whole wrench in his plan. I can't wait to see him feel that betrayal.

Man, you know he played into that lie of him being impotent to keep unwanted women at bay. I could just see him now when fathers or mothers started to push their daughters at him. He probably coughed and hunched over. Talking about "Naw, you don't want me. It doesn't work. No grandkids coming from me. Best you move on, now." 😂

It was the way he told that boy "I'm your father " that made me really think that and the fact that no other man had been introduced. He already loves the FL. But I don't think he knows he's the dad, he just wants to be.