PeachBlossomGoddess

Jian Ning wang and the Emperor were front runners to inherit the throne but Jian Ning wang was their father's favourite. He died before formally naming a crown prince. But the Dowager Empress (remember all of them are from Wang clan) produced an imperial edict naming the Emperor as the successor. It is never made clear exactly what happened but it is mentioned in many times, especially by Wang Lin that the Emperor would not have succeeded the throne without Wang clan. Possibly it was a fake edict.

Oh wow - I only very occasionally follow celeb news I had no idea she is such a prima donna...
But I did google ZYW and see he has an absolutely stunning wife!!!

I found the first 2 episodes slow as well and then I fell in love with Chen Kun and Ni Ni. Tbh, the last arc is not great but the acting is fabulous and the ML character Ning Yi is my favourite character ever paired with a great FL no less. It has less romance as this one but I think the politics is better (minus the final arc again).

Ah I didn't know all that re her pregnancy and I forgot all about Xing Fu... I may check that out anyway with the hope her attitude got better but if not I will just bail...

Yeah I don't like mean rants either; even when I agree. That is why I like Quippe Quest - she does it so nicely and she is funny as well.

As for ZZY I have seen some of the Chinese netizen posts - Douban at least seems still quite balanced/constructive. I sense many people still haven't forgiven her for her relationship with the Isreali billionaire - the one that had all her brand ambassadorships etc pulled maybe about 10 years ago. I always felt that is her business I never got what the big stink was about.

BTW I started watching Qin2 and OMG I totally feel you in terms of the ML for Qin4. The dude is an amazing actor and so well cast I can't believe it! I am kind of glad I watched Qin4 first...

It just cracks me up that this drama is supposed to be about Wang Xuan/ZZY but Xiao Qi/ZYW is totally stealing the show!!! The book is an accomplishment in and of itself in terms of how many ways the writer found to rave about Wang Xuan's incomparable beauty. You peeps have so far trounced her in the number of ways Xiao Qi's yumminess is being described.

Geez I am still terrible at screenshots but he may actually inspire me to learn...

Let me just tell you the most useful information in that review is that ZZY actually put her money where her mouth is - she invested in the drama and it shows. AvenueX is so blinded by jealousy that ZZY had that much money to invest in a drama that she doesn't get that it means there is alignment of interest and more actors should get paid from the success of the drama. Then they will really act their hearts out the way ZZY is doing in this. To me those are a GOOD things, that she cared so much she put her own money and recruited a bunch of talent, picked the ML herself. That is how dramas should be made, more actors should have skin in the game.

Like I know she has fans so I don't mean to bash LOF and ZLY but that is the opposite story. She got paid a boatload of money to make LOF - so much there was little budget left for anything else. She started trashing the drama shortly after shooting started and her bad attitude is so obvious from the get go. She just looked pissed off and she was not in character throughout the 19 episodes I watched before dropping. That is what happens when the actor gets paid no matter what - they go in and put up an insipid and uninspired performance. That whole thing left a terrible taste in my mouth. It will be a cold day in hell before I watch anything she makes again - and I actually liked her going into that drama.

I find Mary Sue to be the most overused lazy criticism of a drama and not that applicable in this case. The FL is pretty smart and resourceful - she escaped from the CP pretty much by herself although she falls off the roof for a romantic trope, her words stopped Helan Zhen from raping her and she really pulled her weight in the siege. She is not a general or trained in martial arts of course she can't hold off an army by herself. And yes she is a great beauty everyone falls in love with her because in truth no one really wants to watch a drama about a wallflower that no one notices.

Yeah I hear you - her reviews are very inconsistent and she seems to have pretty much written all historical dramas off. I haven't seen a good, really substantive review from her since Winter Begonia. I find her rants occasionally funny but most of the time just mean and ultimately undifferentiated. Like Quippe Quest is way better at ranting.

Yeah let's be honest here, Seven Tan does not at all look like a teenager to me either even though she has a young face. But it doesn't bother me at all. Per the article I much rather see the same actor in the same role throughout. I only scream miscast when like in Qin Dynasty Epic a 40 year old plays a teenager for more than half the show...

Uhm that was like the worst, meanest and most unfair rant I have seen from her. Wow.... what did ZZY do to wrong her???

TROP was another amazing drama, one of my all time top 3.

There really is a fair bit of like father like son - Helan Zhen's dad raped his mother, he tries to rape Wang Xuan. Jian Ning wang foisted his bastard on his brother the emperor. Will the son foist his bastard on Wang Lin's son? It would serve the old goat right but I like his son so I hope that doesn't happen.

Indeed I have no issue with that at all... She just usually has much more interesting and original things to say when she actually likes a show I was kind of hoping to see that from her on this one instead of beating the two dead horses - Age and Mary Sue. Not to mention she was the one who ranted about actresses not being allowed to age so I would be very disappointed at her if she goes down that path.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHEvDSI_fVA

I can see a rant coming. Hopefully she is at least original and doesn't just go on about age and Mary Sue...

Ah ok... I missed that... Phew!
Not much drinking, baths only once and month and his is a damn hero (with short hero life expectancy) - I think there are plenty flaws...

Indeed but this show is supposed to be more about her so even though I expect him to get quite a bit of screen time, it will likely be more heavily slated toward her.

I can't imagine her on the frontlines... in those unwieldly and impractical outfits no less... can she even lift a sword? It defeats the purpose to have XQ and the army protect her rather than kill the enemy dead... But maybe she wins the court battles while he wins the physical battles... Its synergistic.