I really liked the Grand Emperor. He's far wiser than almost anyone else in this drama. He always loved his family, especially his sons, and in the end he died repaying his debt to the Empress. His story was moving.I feel terrible for Ying Ying and, something I never thought I'd say, for the Lu family as well. At least she'll become the main consort, but the circumstances are still heartbreaking.As for Chu Mu... I can't bring myself to feel sorry for him. He put himself in this situation, and hopefully once he matures and learns from his mistakes, he'll be able to move forward.Who is Xiong Rui again? I can't quite remember. Was he part of the acting troupe that died alongside Chen Ji?What frustrates me the most is the Crown Prince. He just can't seem to stop making mistakes, bad relationships, bad allies, bad decisions, and terrible judgment. I really hope he becomes more cunning and politically savvy as the story progresses.
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This was a terrible episode for my heart.Yingying and Zi Fang separating. Chu Mu and Rou'er separating. One heartbreak after another.And I honestly don't understand Chu Mu. Didn't he say he would trust the woman he loves? So why is he acting like this now? It's incredibly frustrating to watch.The one bright spot in all this misery is Shen Chu Jun and Sun Ling Wei. At least one couple is getting the happiness they deserve.And my poor Crown Prince... at this point, I just feel sorry for him. He can't seem to catch a break.
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Ying ying is such a pitiful character, always sacrificing herself for the sake of her family. And the saddest part is that her family truly does love her in return. I just wish she could see their flaws more clearly. Funnily enough, she's now in a situation very similar to Fu Yin's now.I'm genuinely touched by the Empress's kindness toward Rou'er. She's sincerely grateful to her, and that's a quality I can truly admire. On the complete opposite end of the spectrum is Demon Zhou, who continues to disgust me every time he appears on screen.I also feel bad for the Crown Prince. It feels like the writers are deliberately sabotaging his character just to make a man who is literally an abuser look better by comparison. At least he has a son now. And honestly, I'm willing to accept that he forgives the Crown Princess, I do believe her regret is genuine.Finally, I'm so happy that Rou'er asked for the villagers to be helped. Moments like these are exactly why I continue to root for her despite all the frustration this drama puts me through.
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Setting everything else aside, Lu Qi is genuinely good to Fu Yin. Compared to Demon Zhou and Zi Fang, he's a much kinder man to the woman he loves.That's also one of Chu Mu's greatest qualities, and it's why his relationship with Rou'er works so well. They have such a strong partnership. And they're finally married! Oh my God. It may not be official, since it wasn't arranged by their parents or a matchmaker, but in my heart, it absolutely counts. I'm also hoping this finally keeps everyone else from harassing her.I'm really curious about Chu Mu's plan. Part of me wonders if he thinks that having a child together would somehow solve their situation.Also... just when is Demon Zhou going to die???As for Chu Ling and Princess Xin Nan, I absolutely adore their relationship.Thankfully, Consort Yan isn't nearly as irrational as the Empress; otherwise, everyone's lives would be in complete ruins. I actually think she's someone who genuinely believes in love, and that's something I can admire, even if it shows itself through her unwavering support for her completely unhinged son.And Fu Yin getting to know Aunt Lu was heartbreaking. They're both kind, selfless women who love their families deeply, which makes the whole situation all the more tragic.
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My heart broke for the villagers Rou'er and Chu Mu encountered. Their suffering was genuinely painful to watch, and it made me appreciate Sheng Xiao Jing even more. I'm so glad he's such a good person who truly cares about the people.One of my favorite things about the FL and ML relationship is their ability to forgive each other instead of holding onto resentment.Oh my God... Fu Yin is pregnant?!And now she finally knows the truth... poor girl. She ended that man herself (he deserved it), and at this rate, she might end Lu Qi too. What a woman. She's so different from her sister, far more decisive and willing to take action without hesitation.As for poor Fu Tao, it must be heartbreaking for him to realize that both his mother and his sister have been wronged by the very same family.
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Fu Yin is basically Lu Qi's good luck charm. It's just a pity that he's such a terrible person, because her heart is going to be completely shattered when she finally learns the truth.Even Hai Niu seems to be more self-aware than Zi Fang at this point, and Zi Fang might finally be starting to realize a few things too... maybe. Still, being manipulated in return is exactly what he deserves. I love Yingying for that. Use this man and make him suffer. I also find it hilarious that now that the roles are reversed, he's suddenly unhappy about being the one getting played.One thing we can all agree on, though, is that we want Lu Yun Ji's head.And finally, the scenes between Rou'er and Chu Mu. The time they spent together completely washed my soul after all the frustration of the previous episodes. It was exactly what I needed, but I have a bad feeling that this brief moment of happiness is only going to come back to haunt them.
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At this point, I'm genuinely wondering: if I skipped twenty episodes, would the story still be dealing with the same conflicts?I'm happy the rebels were finally able to make a move. As for the Empress, I dislike her, but I can understand her motivations. When they were trapped in the cave, I actually found myself feeling sympathy for her.I'm surprised Rou'er decided to help Lord Liang, and honestly, I'm disappointed. She's far too willing to help people who will never be grateful to her. It's even more frustrating that she didn't take the credit for what she did.Chu Mu continues to prove what a genuinely good person he is. Even after everything that happened, he still chose to save Lu Qi.Consort Yan is much more cunning than I initially thought, and I sincerely hope Demon Zhou never becomes emperor.And Zi Fang... I swear, I can't stand him. People get so few chances in life, why waste them like this? Also, why are the writers so determined to keep forcing the female lead into abusive situations? It's becoming repetitive and exhausting rather than compelling.
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I'm very pleased to see Demon Zhou finally getting upset. It was one of the few satisfying moments in the episode.But once again, it felt like so much hassle for so little reward. The writers seem to be losing their ability to move the plot forward at a reasonable pace, stretching simple developments across multiple episodes instead of letting the story progress naturally. It's becoming frustrating rather than suspenseful.
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Finally, Ma Hai Niu is gone... or so I thought. This drama's insistence on love triangles can be really exhausting at times.I ended up skipping most of this episode because they're dragging this storyline out for far too long, and Demon Zhou gets way more screen time than I'd like.Still, it looks like the Crown Princess's sister, Ling Wei, and the Third Brother Sheng are becoming more relevant, so I'm curious to see where that goes.At least Princess Xin Nan continues to help Rou'er, which remains one of my favorite parts of the show.
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I'm so happy that Rou'er has a friend like Lady Bao Ling. And I'm so relieved that Lu Qi couldn't find anything about her plan. That being said, I would have preferred it if Fu Yin had been the one to help her sister, first because it would have validated all of her planning, and second because it would have been more believable than Lady Bao Ling conveniently having an exact copy of the embroidery used.Finally, we got some scenes between Rou'er and Chu Mu! But I'm not enjoying his interactions with Ma Hai Niu at all.I'm glad that Fu Rou is able to stand up to Lord Liang. What I don't like is how the story seems to be trying so hard to paint Zhou as a good guy. To me, he's just as much of a rapist as Lord Liang, so I can't sympathize with him at all. On the other hand, I absolutely love Chu Ling. At this point, I'm skipping every scene with Zhou.A lot of people might find the ending scene funny, but honestly, it was just frustrating to watch.
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With so many dark themes in this drama, Princess Xin Nan is somehow the funniest character. I absolutely love her relationship with Rou'er.I'm conflicted about Lu Qi and Fu Yin's relationship. I've seen people say that the novel this drama is based on does a great job of making readers sympathize with every character, and I think the drama succeeds at that too. I couldn't help but feel sorry for Lu Qi when he talked about his mother, but I'll always side with the Fu family. Thankfully, Fu Yin is still able to help her sister, and her calm, tranquil demeanor seems to put Lu Qi at ease.I'm actually cheering for Hong Yi De's terrorist attempt. As for Lu Han Xing betraying his uncle, I'm both concerned and excited to see what happens next.
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Poor Fu Yin, I hate crying for stupid people, but how can I not cry with Fu Yin? I feel like watching my own little sister make mistakes and not being able to help. I can sympathize with her desire for revenge, just as I support Fu Tao's, but I wish there were another way for her to achieve it.It's as if another drama is unfolding with Fu Yin as the protagonist. Her relationship with Lu Qi worries me, mainly because I fear feelings might develop (since she thinks Lu Han Xing was the arsonist that killed her mother). I won't lie, I'm really enjoying this storyline, because I've seen many similar dramas before.The Lu family are lions that eat lions. There's not a single person there who's a good person (save for Ying ying).Seeing Zi Fang take a beating was good payback for abusing Rou'er, so now it's even for me. I felt disgusted by the price and by the man that beat him.
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This drama is not a romance drama, it's a drama that has romance in it, and I like it. I'm intrigued with all (and I mean all) the plots. That being said, I miss romantic scenes for the main couple.I feel terrible for Fu Yin, I just wish she would give up on this revange and go back to Du Ning.This episode was eye opening regarding the Empress's cruelty. She demonstrated a complete disregard for the human lives of those beneath her, such as when she ignored Princess Xin Nan's servant, Lady Situ, and threatened people with decapitation... Once again, the themes of power and those who abuse it being addressed. How could this terrible woman have such good children, and how could Consort Yan, who so far seem so kind, have the demon Zhou?I understand her, because she is the mistress of the harem, so if someone is poisoned and dies, the responsibility for that person's death falls on her. Therefore, strict restrictions must be imposed to prevent this behavior, but I, personally, believe that, in the small world that is the harem, exceptions should be made on a case-by-case basis. I saw a comment saying that both she and the emperor are self-righteous evils and that's why they get along so well, and I agree.
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I feel like I cursed Fu Yin and Du Ning... that poor man, this directors are allergic to happy relationships. I understand Fu Yin's heart, but the plan itself is so silly... At the beginning of the series, I didn't realize that Lu Qi and Lu Han Xing were different people, so I thought Lu Qi had orchestrated the fire, but now I'm not so sure and don't want to go back, so I will find out alongside Fu Yin. And also, Lu Han Xing is having an affair with the green-tea maid, giving her stolen objects and telling her way too much, why I feel that situation will blow up terribly?I want to see more of our main couple; I miss their cute moments. Now all I see is the demon Zhou, but at least Rou'er is setting more boundaries now. Talking about crown prince, I'm happy he and his brother reconcile, and listening to good outside advice, but I hate prince Han's suggestion to forgive crown princess. If he ever did so (and his attitude worries me a little) he would have been unworthy of Chen Ji sacrifice.
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I'd been wondering for ages when Du Ning and Fu Yin would reappear, and here they are, and they're still so cute together! Finally, a couple that's getting married swiftly in this series TTI'm glad the emperor still has some affection for the crown prince, and the scene where he places the cloak on him made me very happy.Rou'er and Lady Li are still friends and now Rou'er is finally a court lady!
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