PeachBlossomGoddess

The masked man is the one demanding Jingshi and Weiran kill FYX - likely bc she discovered his identity and can expose him as a traitor. In the latest episode Jingshi already pushed back against killing her again, pointing out that his plotting will soon be revealed so he doesn’t need to silence her anymore. Weiran went to pick up the antidote but it’s clear that Jingshi has been hoarding it instead of using it so clearly he plans to turn against the masked man as well.

He is probably behind the kiddy death camp that he allegedly rescued her from.

She is a silly girl who read too many romance novels.

Ugh! No interest in a romance between them.

Not that it excuses them at all but I do think that Jingshi is being controlled by poison. He is however also motivated by his ambition to dethrone his brother.

Yups. I suspect the masked man is behind the plan and is enraged that she foiled his plan to take down FSG and ordered XJS to kill her.

I doubt the SML will ever leave Susha alive. Unless his attitude towards his bride changes, FSG is definitely going to kill him dead - he has already figured out that XJS's bro the emperor does not want him back.

I hope I am wrong but I think she KNOWS the prince has ZERO interest in the princess bc he is in love with someone else. That does not suit her plans so she is now scheming to kill FYX. There is no good bone in this woman's body. But terrific villain. Very good and manipulative.

Quite sure she is SUPER evil.

😅😂👍

Bc that's a literal translation of 灶 but the word 灶马 (two characters) technically refers to the camel cricket in English.

Camel cricket to be precise. Many popular Chinese idioms and metaphors about crickets.

"dungu" 😅😂😂😂 - Love that word. Haven't come across it in too long!!!

Well... at least she didn't fall off a cliff, turn dumb and into an entirely different person. (Princess Gambit).

👍It comes up often in classical texts, hard to look for literal translations.

Well the emperor is still the ruler while FSG is still the subject so he doesn't have to consult anyone. I think there is some element of father and son just putting on a show and some element of genuine resentment between them.

Yeah PM Zhuang totally gave himself away. I wonder what the Zhuangs have over the emperor that he tolerates them like that.

He knows his father loves and approves of him. Otherwise he would never dare be so daring.

Yes bc he is planning to rebel against whoever is controlling him.

Just elaborating on @Megumi's post, the cricket 灶马 she left him is a kitchen insect that usually leaves faint tracks in the dust from the stovetop. That's why Lu Ke asked which horse or ma马? He is implying the hidden message is the idiom 蛛丝马迹 (spider web and horse tracks) means she is following the horse/cricket tracks/ that will lead her to unravel the spider's web.