QAS

They didn't want to spend their budget on war scenes, including Ye Li training soldiers.

It is possible. Three directors and six writers are listed on the project.

Director: Lin Yu Fen, Liang Sheng Quan, Liu Zhi Jun
Screenwriter: Zhao Na, Li Zong Chen, Guan Sheng Nan, Chen Chen, Zhong Heng (仲恒), Xu Bo (旭波)

Separate credits:
Art Director: Jin Yang
Action Director: Wang De Ming

It felt like the writers felt sorry for her, and didn't want to give her a tragic ending. She declared all her wonderful community works, except we never saw any of them.

I was also wondering why Ye Li didn't treat Li Feibai after he was injured. I don't think Ms Wen (the sister-in-law) would lower her standards. He was below her station. I liked his scenes.

Dowager Emperor should have banished Mo Jing Li to the borders eight years ago, but she wanted to keep tabs on him, afraid he would rebel. She was responsible for his downfall.

I agree. If there was only one kiss scene in the drama, the director, writer and actors must have discussed the placement.

D.E. Guo and Mo Jing Li are together in the afterlife. LOL

I was surprised that the son Emperor issued the posthumous edict about his mother, but it was justified.

I don't even remember that kiss scene, tbh.

The leads might have contract stipulations about kiss scenes. There was an opportunity for one kiss in the final episode.

I watched the final four episodes back-to-back. The writing, directing, editing, acting were very good. The invasion of the palace was tense. The confrontation between Ye Li and Mo Jing Li was well done, and highlight of the last arc. I will not miss Dowager Empress Guo. She had to justify her motives of eight years ago with her career accomplishments. All well and good, but she didn't share her wealth with the peasants. I suspected that Li Fei Bai was leaving town, because he was going blind. On the good note, he didn't die. The ending was light and happy.

D.E Guo and Mo Jing Li would have made the perfect mother and son. They had a lot in common. Mo Jing Li executed the same plot that she masterminded eight years ago.

They should address with issue directly with the writers and the two production companies, and carbon copy the Korean government officials.

They should direct their grievances to the writer and the production company. The MDL forum and the viewers are not responsible for the drama content.

Same here! The three bullies look pretty, while the daughter looks mousy. It is typical writing and casting to hire the seasoned actors as a parent, and make the role secondary to the younger character. Hopefully it changes with the arrival of the N.K. hunter. I wonder if the writers are younger than 48 (...Ji Sub's age).

How did this K-drama turn into a political soapbox? I picked this drama because of the ML, So Ji Sub, who I have watched randomly over the years. He is one of the established actors in the Korean Entertainment industry. People should be more triggered by the violence in the school place. My BP instantly rose when the bullying started in the classroom. I wanted to drop the drama immediately, but I kept going.

He was the pretty, handsome prince.

I wondered why she looked gleeful. The woman was ungrateful. She and her son had retained their status because of her brother-in-law, Prince. She was praying that he would never return. If that happened, was she planning to kick Ye Li to the curb?

I suspected that he recognized the father, who didn't recognize him. I am guessing the tattoos is the link to the father's past.

He looks almost the same, just older.

Kim reminds of So Ji Sub's character named Kim in My Serious Terrius (2018). Similar enigmatic special ops agent, but the timeline does not match.