PeachBlossomGoddess

Yes of course that is true.

It's a bit of a pity - I found him funny and kind of liked him but it seems he is hell bent on completing his moral downfall.

I didn't read the novel but I am quite sure he must have succeeded bc Yang Guifei got fat on lychees, it was her favorite fruit.

The Philippines has some of the world's best beaches and dive spots but the cuisine is... uninspiring. Been there many times for work and fun but never had a memorable meal there.

I totally understand what you are saying although I wouldn't exactly describe it as she looks old. She is actually a pretty good actress but her nature is a reserved and serene beauty. She was fantastic in Royal Nirvana because that kind of role is close to who she really is. But even when she played Huang Rong when she was much younger, like her character in WOACN it was really forced and cringey. She and Bai Lu very closely resemble each other - there are some pictures where I mistake one for the other. But Bai Lu is naturally a very animated personality so it is a lot easier for her to embody the young, carefree and slightly silly female characterizations that Chinese dramas love.

No, I didn't read any of the novels - they are both by Ma Boyong.

You mean Li Bi (Jackson Yee)? He is a close confidante of the Crown Prince and he was one of the main characters in Longest Day in Changan, which was set over 10 years before Litchi Road. In this story, the Crown Prince should ascend as the next emperor in less than a year.

He is the dude with the Security Bureau who made Pingan to spy on the real Ma Guiyun in Ep 1. He works for the Left Chancellor and should be Yunqing's colleague in Changan.

Should be Lu Huan (Shawn Dou).

To be such a weasel. OMG brilliant but completely despicable.

Didn't expect Zhao Xinmin

He looked like a girl to me. And in Northward I initially mistook Xiu'er for a boy! I am so confused! 🤦🏻‍♀️

Looks like it.

No he’s a boy - me bad I thought he was a girl!😅
In any case it looks like Pingan likes Yunqing.

You can watch it as a standalone.

Try Sword Snow Stride, Novoland Eagleflag and Ever Night.

The company mentioned it among their profitable dramas to investors.🤷🏻‍♀️

I wouldn't say the drama bombed, at least not commercially. Those are usually flakey stuff like Fox Spirit series which cost stupid amounts of money relative to viewership. Low budget dramas are surprisingly profitable - they don't need many views to make money. But yes, money is tight at iQiyi. They frequently tell investors that modest budget, modest view dramas are their sweet spot.

I could be wrong but I suspect Pingan was about mid-teens when they were ousted. His older sister was not married yet at the time. Even though they lost their income (their father's business), they probably had some property and other assets that allowed Pingan to continue to keep up pretensions and hang out with other scions of wealthy families and for his sister to marry a poor but promising scholar like Li Shande with a modest house as a dowry. He probably only went to work at the tavern after they sold off everything to try to cure his sister. By then, Xiu'er was already old enough to remember her mom's sickness. And he didn't really help those "sworn bros" that much - he overheard them mocking his efforts and his downfall his first night at the tavern.

Now I am even more anticipating the movie!