QAS

I don't think we have seen more than two or three facial expressions. She looks the same, angry, sad, happy, perturbed.

Also, when they are held prisoner, with a gag in their mouth. They can't spit out the cloth.

Guo Dowager Empress aged in one episode. The guilt is overwhelming.

Young Seok is cute and funny. I watched him in the Jinny series and the Texas roadshow. He should be an actor. He reminded me of Psy in the Texas show, which is forgettable, btw.

Dae Joo gets high marks for his skills and diligence. Director Yoon Seok should have a second job as an actor. He looks like Psy. He is funny, but some of his personal habits are questionable. He must not wash his hands very often. Seo Jin is his grumpy old self. It gets boring after a while. The Texas roadshow was not funny. I can't believe a man of his wealth and age would leave his passport, ID, wallet in the airport. He is lucky no one noticed it. He forgot to bring his personal valet with him. Instead of staying in a hotel, they chose a motel. You get what you pay for.

I was just thinking that I had not seen him in years. Flower of Evil might be the last drama I watched. I am glad he is back on the radar. He has an enigmatic and personable aura.

I haven't watched a dramatic K-drama in many years. This cast looks very good. I am going to watch this drama, and suffer through the five weeks, to watch ten episodes. LOL I watch costume C-dramas only, where forty episodes are broadcast within three weeks. I am ready to watch So Ji Sub and Joo Sang Wook. Yoon Kyung Ho was fun to watch in Legend of the Kitchen Soldier.

My brother, who is Chinese, his hair turned grey when he was 30. My Dad was grey at 40.

If Kid Emperor is removed, and Jing Li is killed, and Xiu Yao is the only living male in the royal family, could he become Emperor? I am guessing this was not the writer's intent.

If I wait to bingewatch the remaining episodes, I will end up skipping some episodes, and going to the final episode. I did this with Ashes to Crown. I haven't gone back to watch the episodes that were climactic. I wish they had stuck to two episodes daily. We would be watching the express package today. LOL

His servant hinted that to him. He said, "If it was me, I would move on."

It would only work if QS was the daughter of one of the top Masters, and she was educated at Lishan, and a genius.

If Mo Jing Li has not seen her in ten years, he would not be able to recognize her.

Thanks for reading my ramblings, Ibisfeather. This is the first drama that I attempted to break down the sequence of events that transpired via flashbacking or characters' RAWR, and trying to fill in the blanks.

It seems as if the writers and the director conferred on which events would serve as informative flashbacks via triggered memories. The most profound flashback is the Lishan reveal in ep 33.

Very good idea! Because the flashbacks are randomly placed within the drama, and not presented in consecutive order, the viewers have to piece together the mysterious subplot, to be called Lishan and the Edict.

The two backup characters I like are Mo Xiu Yao's friend who loved the princess and Ye Li's senior who went to Lishan to investigate the place. The latter has not been given any significant story by the writers.

Thank you very much, Aramintai. I was compelled to write the big flashback, waiting for ep 33, which is now available to watch. The prelude of events could have been a drama, with Mo Li as the followup drama, except people would have been fed up watching Dowager Empress.

I usually do not write detailed comments. Thank you in advance for reading this commentary.

This is my muddled interpretation of the sequence of events up to the wedding of Ye Li and Mo Xia Yao.

Prior to eight years ago:
Mo Jing Li studies at Lishan, where he meets Ye Li, and falls in love with her. Ye Li's grandfather and Crown Prince arrange the betrothal of Ye Li and Mo Jing Li. Ye Li writes letters to Mo Jing Li. Ye Ying found the letters after Mo Jing Li's fake death.

Eight years ago:
1. Emperor sends emergency edict to General Mo to return to the Capital. Emperor knows that the current Empress Dowager is planning a coup.
2. Emperor has just died, followed by Crown Prince Mo. Empress Dowager promotes her son to Emperor. Is Mo Jing Li at Lishan at the time? He will be demoted by Empress Dowager.
3. General Mo and his army arrive in the Capital, and are arrested for treason. General Mo hid the edict. Did he know of the death of the Emperor?

4. Ye Li’s Mother visits General Mo in prison, and he tells her to find the edict and give it to Duke Hua? They must be good friends.
5. The Ye brothers attack Ye Li’s Mother, and steal the edict. Grandmother expels her and Ye Li.
6. Ye Li and Mother return to Lishan Mountain, or does Grandmother kill Mother on the way?
7. Ye Li escapes and is stranded in the desert (or somewhere), where Mo Xiu Yao rescues her on the way to battle. Mo Xiu Yao rides off to battle, and will be defeated in battle.

8. Ye Li goes walkabout, searching for her mysterious military rescuer.
9. Mo Xiu Yao is arrested for conspiracy and carted in chains to the Capital.
10. Ye Li recognizes Mo Xiu Yao, and throws the pastries to him (...in chains).
11. Ye Li visits General Mo at his execution, and she promises to take care of Mo Xiu Yao.

12. Ye Li returns to Lishan, that has become a forbidden fortress guarded by soldiers.
13. A year or two later, a plague kills off all the Lishan people. Ye Le buries them, and lives in desolation for years, and exhibits delusional symptoms.
14. Some years later, Ye Li returns to the Ye Mansion for revenge on the Ye clan, and tells everyone that Lishan is thriving.
15. Ye Li’s father cancels her betrothal to Mo Jing Li. He betroths Ye Li to Mo Xiu Yao, and Ye Ying to Mo Jing Li, all masterminded by Empress Dowager. A simultaneous wedding day ensues ASAP.

I meant to type: Counting down the days to her exit.

LOL That comment is based on all the costume dramas where the ML and FL met when they were young, and meet again as adults. In this case, FL and SML Jing Li knew each other as children, and he is obsessed with her. We saw him briefly in a recent episode. I guess he will be reappearing soon, and creating chaos in the kingdom.

I was wondering at the significance of the crack in the stone. Your explanation seems realistic.

Counting down the days for the conclusion.