QAS

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.

The writers might kill him off, so he and Princess reunite in the afterlife.

Thiss is the missing link to the plot.

I think she loved him since they first met eight years ago. She threw the pastries ino the carriage when he was in chains, and she went to his brother's execution. It was fate that her betrothal to Mo Jing Li ended, and that Empress Dowager betrothed her to Mo Xiu Yao.

Who is going to serve her, the poison tea at the end?

Madam Hag! LOL

She lived in isolation for years, and learned every book in the library. Her knowledge is vast. She taught herself martial arts after her master died.

Ep 32 is so sad. Lishan Academy has been abandoned for many years. The soldiers were guarding it for eight years, and wasting their time. Madam Dowager is delulu, locking it up permantly, and unaware that its residents perished. That Eunuch thinks he is in charge, whining and complaining about the lack of comforts and food.

Tencent might be trying to keep the viewers' attention for the entire week. if they had shown two episodes daily, the ending would be imminent. This drama should have concluded on Friday.

You could be Freelance Drama Plot Advisor. LOL You pay attention to the detail.

Thank you for all your feedback. You could write a costume Cdrama.