Platinum Fox

This drama reminded me of Dong Yi aka Jewel in the Crown. That one is hilarious and much happier ending.

Just finished this, but have to disagree. They both loved each other equally. However, because of their status neither could really express their love to the fullest extent. He is married to the people and other women with the sole purpose of producing an heir. This is why they have the long conversation about how it would have been nice had they met as commoners.

If she truly did not love him, she would have continued to refuse him, and I believe he would have accepted it. I think he understood why she didn't want to become "his" in the first place. Circumstances forced them together.

I have not read the novel, so thank you for the information.
Happy drama watching.

So there was a script change? Do you know why the one child policy issue was censored? It is not like a big secret, and it has only been 11 years since the policy has changed.

Thank you for the explanation.

So let's address your concerns. There was no trusted aide left behind to guard the child. The family was not that wealthy at the time. They only become wealthy through their achievements on the battlefield. And NN did have a trusted servant Lian Fang and Lian Fang's "boyfriend" later to be husband. They protected her as much as they could.

When mom left for the battlefield, she had to make a choice. Do I leave my son or my daughter in order to show my filial piety to my mother-in-law who favors boys and is superstitious? Or do I leave my daughter, who society has already cast off as worthless? If mom had left the son, we would have an entirely different story as the son would have been spoiled probably to the point of being a bully, just like Aunt Ge. We can infer this by Aunt Ge's nephew bullying NN. At this time even mom reflects the values of the time that boys would be more useful on the battlefield than girls. She chooses the son fully knowing that grandmother and Aunt Ge favor boys.

Upon returning home after being away for 15 years, mom comes home to a girl who doesn't act the way a girl should. During the past 15 years, mom has changed as well as she is no longer the quintessential Han Dynasty woman. She is a progressive woman. You want mom to act like a general towards NN. Many viewers have said mom treats NN like a soldier. There is one scene where NN makes a snide remark and mom responds, "I have my ways of dealing with you." There is also a scene where mom says exactly what you want her to say, "I'm here now, you don't have to behave like you do now." But, remember NN trusts no one and why should she. No one has ever been on her side; she is skeptical that mom is as well. Many of the beginning scenes you see NN misinterpreting people's intentions, especially her mother's. Also, dad and 3rd aunt and uncle think that mom is being too harsh with NN, so she can't really go all militaristic on NN.

You may have found the story unconvincing and poorly written, but many viewers have reacted quite strongly to the mother character to the point of calling her abusive and saying that she should just love NN just like the empress and be gentle with her. You seem to be taking the opposite stance. So in a sense the writers did their job of convincing you that NN needed to be disciplined rather than just being allowed to do whatever she wanted just because of her circumstances.

The fact that you and I are having a conversation like this tells you the story did its job. Whether you found it unconvincing or poorly written, it got you questioning the ways of disciplining a child. What are the true purposes of stories?

To be honest, I found the first season better written than the second season. The second season for me had a very different feel to it. It could be because of the topics now being at the national level instead of the personal or family. I don't know. I'm still trying to figure that out. Yet I do know that it is very craftily done.

Thanks for the discussion and happy drama watching.

Your take on the ending is something I had never even considered, and I find it intriguing. The whole drama is about appearance vs. reality. In the end, XFF really is "a ghost" as she told JL's father that she would live as JL until the grandmother passed away. XFF wanted to spare the grandmother the knowledge that JL had already died. So in a sense you are right, XFF is "a ghost" until grandmother passes. Then, she will be able to live as herself again.

For me, the ending is poetic justice for XFF taking her revenge too far on the princess. It is just like Princess Wei Young, whose happy life is cut to 10 years because she goes overboard in her revenge of her family. jmo

The parents favor the older sister for three reasons. One, XY had heart valve issues when she was a baby. She needed an expensive operation that the parents couldn't afford. The grandmother steps in and pays for it and XY becomes her legal ward. When XY returns to the family, Qiao Lin is the older daughter and just like with boys, the older sibling gets all the attention and resources, despite their ability. Finally, the drama is written during the time the one child policy was still in play which any children outside of the oldest child didn't receive any money from the government to support the raising of that child. Thus, despite QL's lack of discipline, she would be the one to receive the government money. This is just my take on it. I could be wrong.

You're right, so why would they have her talk and act like a child when she is 17? That's the point of the whole drama, and it is good that you are uncomfortable. That was intention of the writer. Should 14 and 19 year olds be a couple? Should 17 and 22 year olds be a couple? A hundred years ago this was the standard marriage arrangement. It is only in today's society that getting married in your teenage years is considered a bad idea as teenagers still have a great deal of growing up to do.

This drama is a social commentary on the age of consent law in China which is 14. Are 14 year olds mature enough to handle a sexual relationship with someone who is even just five years older than them? Or even 10 years? She speaks like a child for a reason, it is not just to sound cute.

I have to disagree with both you and Avenue X. There have been dissertations written about the mother character, and she alone is a character who should have her story told. During the Han Dynasty when females had pretty much two choices in life (marriage or nunnery), she found another way to live. She helped her husband on the battlefield and became a general in her own right. Her discipline of Naio Naio was very controlled, except for one time, whereas the other noble families just let their children run wild. If the mother had not disciplined her, NN would have turned out to be like the noble girls. Those side characters are moral lessons on disciplining your children. I don't know how far you are, but one of those side characters only became a decent human being after her entire harem was killed. Does this seem extreme, yes, but her actions towards NN were also extreme. All the characters represent some form of persuasion: ethos, logos, or pathos for the below topics in this drama. Season 1 mirrors Season 2, family versus national. This drama is very craftily written, especially the first season. The second season, especially E 54 and E55, take a nose dive, but there were supposed to be 10 more episodes.

This drama is about what are the effects of favoritism, nepotism, lack of discipline, revenge, lack of opportunity, love, superstition, filial piety, arranged marriages, teenage marriages, and more on a society.

As for the mother and her actions, I can give numerous reasons for her actions that are in-universe reasons. Is she the perfect mother, no, but what parent is, yet she is far better than some of the other mothers in this drama. She takes responsibility for her earlier actions of leaving NN with the grandmother and Aunt Ge. It only appears that she doesn't love NN, but in reality the mom loves her daughter very much.

Happy drama watching.

Because throughout most of the drama she is considered a child. The marriageable age in China for girls is 20. The age of majority is 18. The age of consent is 14. Most viewers think she is doing it to be cute and if you are watching for pure entertainment then that is probably so. However, knowing the information above, why do you think she speaks like that?

I feel like viewers have missed the point of the whole drama. Yes, DJX is a green flag male, but his intentions are not clear, especially when she is 14 and 17, until episode 25, before that he is a dog in more than one sense. This drama is a social commentary on teenage love. Who should teens explore love and sex with, people their own age or someone older even just five years? Even I have to question why he goes to her school before episode 25. What is in it for him? He even brings this up again when he sees her at the car when she is 17. If he was acting as her brother, than it should not have been a big deal to go to her school. It is a brotherly thing to do. The fact that he brings it up shows you that he is not thinking of her as a little sister. This is confirmed in the period scene. If his actions are pure, why does Sang Yan and Qian Fei shut him down in the car? Why does DJX hide many of his interactions with Sang Zhi from Sang Yan? Her fox picture says she is thinking about sex with him and she is 17 at the time. There is more to this drama than a fluffy, simple love story which most viewers deem it as. Why can't this story be a beautiful love story and a cautionary tale? jmo

Thank you for explaining this. This reminds me a great deal of U.S. soap operas. In Asia they refer to them as makjangs. This was my first one. The only I didn't like was the daughter to way over the top even for a makjang in my opinion.
Actually, I thought the plot, though very basic, sent a wonderful message, take responsibility for your actions.

Most viewers think dad is the better parent because he allows Niao Niao to do whatever she wants. When he finally does say something about NN's behavior, mom takes the responsibility for doling it out. It seems she has always been the disciplinarian in the family and on the battlefield.

I happen to agree with you. If dad would have put his foot down and said no child is being left behind, we would have entirely different story.

Funny you should say that as everyone thinks the dad is the best of the two parents.

Aunt Ge and grandmother wanted a boy to raise. Both favor boys over girls. Thus why Yang Yang was sent off to live with her aunt. When NN's mother had twins in hindsight if she had to leave a child behind she should have left her twin son as he closely resembles the grandmother (who is superstitious), so is he with his constant fortune telling. NN resembles her mother. She would have been a great asset on the battlefield.

You are forgetting the chat that LY and NN have at the little girl's grave. At that time they agree to get married and go somewhere far from their parents' houses. Each want to leave their houses because both feel they are being treated unfairly. LY just wants to be a good official, and she has plans to see the world. For NN, LY has given her the most open and honest relationship she has had in her life. LY shares her dreams, her goals, and plans for the future. He is good at getting the one thing that she most cherishes (food). LY and her do not hide things from each other, including talks about sex and romance. The problems are he will never challenge her to be better than she is and his family suppresses the second household.

People think the marriage proposal of LBY is wonderful, but he and the emperor back her into a corner. She has just come off her engagement with LY. She is still in mourning over this loss, yet here is a guy who comes out of nowhere and asks for her hand in marriage. The mother at least tries to buy her time to think it through by saying what everyone in the elite class already know. What she says is true. However, the king demands an answer or he is going to demote her parents to the country to farm. In order to save her parents, she consents. For me, I agree with NN on his proposal, especially with how things turn out in the end. So for me it is not a double standard.

I don't know how far you are, so don't want to spoil it too much for you. Happy drama watching.

The first seven episodes were pretty slow, but I understand why they are there. The last ones were action packed and full of charm. Loved all of the characters as each get their just reward, except of course our hero. R.I.P Il Ji Mae.

Technically, she is still a child as she has not reach the age of majority, 20 in South Korea. This is why Kim Shin allows her to live with him (as she is homeless), but he doesn't do anything to her or pursue her until she turns 20. She makes a very big deal of stating when she will turn 20, so that he can start pursuing her.

You're right. Lou Yao would never challenge her to be a better person nor would the family tolerate her antics. The harsh treatment from the mother about this marriage makes absolute sense and the fact that she allows Niao Niao to decide that for herself shows that she loves her daughter very much. The mother took the advice of the 3rd aunt to just let the relationship be and let it play out the way it should.

By the way, you are not an idiot. I have done the same thing you have done, so you are not alone.

Happy drama watching.

I am so sorry, I hope I didn't ruin too much for you. Didn't realize you were only on episode 15. There is so much more to come.