SoloHan

Neither the crown prince (cp) or 2nd prince (2p) were ever real friends with FX. They both just wanted FX on their side.

2d prince pretended friendship in season 1 but behind the scenes he was always allied with eldest princess. (Ep) and she and 2p always wanted to keep the palace treasury and secret smuggling for themselves. At the end of season 1, 2p showed his true colors and open conflict began between him and FX.

To fight off 2p, FX sought CP’s help at the beginning of season 2. CP used this opportunity to try to build a relationship with FX, to recruit him as a supporter, but FX never committed to him. It was a situation of mutual benefit, not friendship.

As to EP, she and 2d prince have been long time allies to loot the palace treasury with their secret smuggling with northern Qi. CP was oblivious to this, as he is not the brightest, and engaged in a secret affair with EP.

EP is something else. She loves the emperor, has an affair with his son the CP, allies with 2p another son, and wants to kill FX, the emperor’s illegitimate son.

Thank you for reading it and for your compliment. A real prequel would be great.

To the best of recall and quick scan of chapter 726 et.seq.:

The Divine Temple is a military/artifacts museum built by a past human civilization that wiped itself out by nuclear wars. The museum builders built it to protect/control future civilizations from wiping itself out again, primarily by limiting technological growth in the new civilization. The builders implanted AI holograms/programs to fulfill that mission, and recruited people from the new civilization to act as emissaries for the Temple to interact with the new human race. The temple also had a few ”home-grown” humans (perhaps from from selected DNA from its civilization). FX’s mom was one of those humans. The builders also programmed the creation of enforcers, powerful androids like WuZhu, with special abilities to kill anyone who jeopardized the Temple’s mission - like YQM who escaped from the Temple to give new technology to the new human world. . With the passing of 100,000 years and more, the Temple has run out of emissaries and Wu Zhu is the last enforcer who has killed the other remaining enforcer and has returned to the temple to try to get his memory restored. It is in this setting that FX, DuoDuo and 13th Wang later journey to the temple to find Wu Zhu and bring him back.

The drama has been less specific about the Temple thus far. One implied change is that the previous civilization was wiped out by successive ice ages and not by nuclear wars. However, that possible change does not explain the presence of zhenqi in the new world which martial artists have cultivated to reach 9th level status and beyond. In the book, the remnants of nuclear radiation from the nuclear wars has resulted in human mutation being able to absorb the remnant radiation in the atmosphere into their bodies as zhenqi (internal energy). The book is not specific but I am guessing this mutation occurred in late stages of the previous civilization as well, which was chronicled in the various zhenqi technique books YQM took from the Temple and gave to the four future grandmasters,

Season 3 will delve further into its version of the Divine Temple. Who knows if they follow the book version or not. I guess we will have to wait 2 or 3 years.

The prequel’s opening scene should be of Ye Qing Mei’s (YQM) last moments, how happy she was after giving birth to FX, how her best friend Fan Jian’s first wife ( eventual mother of Ruoruo) was there to assist her, when suddenly their peace is shattered by the attack of many, many soldiers entering their courtyard. YQM and Mrs. FJ run to a secret place to hide with baby FX. By pre-arrangement, Mrs. FJ switches her recent newborn son with baby FX and runs to hide in another secret location. YQM, knowing that the attackers will eventually find her secret location, reflects upon in a long series of flashbacks her beginnings in the divine Temple, why she chose to escape to help the humans of the new world to have a better life by sharing her superior, advanced products ( contrary to the wishes of the temple) and her ideas of equality.

After the series of flashbacks, detailed below, YQM is found by the attackers. Before she dies, the audience learns that YQM is content with her fate. She has killed and now knows the scales of justice must be balanced with her own death and the death of the child with her. She is aware that the Emperor is behind her murder, and the irony of it all, but knows that she had made the necessary preparations for her child to survive. As she lays dying, she is proud of her contributions to the new world: the sharing of her new products and ideals; creating the Overwtch Council to protect the common people from government corruption; happy to have done something worthwhile in her life instead of living out her years in the temple, She has no regrets. Her final thought bids farewell to little bamboo.

Epilogue, after the series of flashbacks (below), with fade-out from YQM’s dying scene, switch to Wu Zhu fighting and fending off enforcers sent by the temple to kill YQM in a coordinated attack designed to draw Wu Zhu away from YQM’s side. Wu Zhu is able to defeat the temple enforcer (s) but he arrives back at the courtyard, too late to save YQM. He finds Mrs. FJ and baby FX and whisks FX to safety in scenes similar to the opening scenes of joy of life 1.

Here are some of the possible flashback scenes:

YQM’s early life in the temple: how she got to know Wu Zhu and why she determined to help the new human civilization.

YQM escapes from the Divine Temple at the age of 4 with the Barrett gun. She runs into Ku He and Xiao En who have journeyed long and far to find the temple. She gives Ku He a book that will enable him to become a great grandmaster. At some later point, she goes back alone to get Wu Zhu and their first stop after leaving the Temple is Dongyi where she meets and trains Si GuJian and starts her business. But she eventually decides to leave for Qing. Maybe ,SGJ did not want YQM to leave because he worshipped/loved her, but his family told him he was crazy; whereupon he killed them all (except future shadow).

Next huge flashback scene is her time in Qing and covers events like:
- how does she meet then Prince Li Yu, future emperor of Qing? Did she purposefully seek him out, then an obscure prince, to facilitate her entry and rise in Qing? He at first seems to share in her visions of equality but his rise to power corrupts him and leads to him ultimately betraying YQM and her ideals.

- when does she decide to help him become crown prince and future emperor by killing the two brothers of Li Yu’s father with the Barrett gun, making Li Yu‘s father the emperor (and LI YU emperor when he succeeds his father)?

- when does she develop the three great workshops that introduce new and superior products to the market? Does Li Yu court YQM for herself or her money? It would be great to see YQM make her place in the world, raising chaos and hopes as she becomes the richest person in the world. What traps she must have had to overcome in a male-dominated feudal society?

- how does she meet Chen Ping Ping and Fan Jian and Fie Jie and develop deep friendships, and earn their everlasting loyalty? This is a huge one, particularly why Fan Jian agrees to sacrifice his first born for FX;

- how does Wu Zhu break his programming and become loyal to YQM instead? It would be great to see some of their escapades together, to see them bond.

- how many enforcers and acolytes sent by the Temple to recapture YQM were killed by Wu Zhu to protect her? That could be source for interesting fight scenes.

- another fight scene could be Emperor’s Qing battles in Northern Qi where his meridian explode, leading him to think YQM betrayed him, sowing the first seeds of his betrayal.

- and of course,, CPP’s trip to capture Xaio En where he loses the use of his legs and YQM builds him his special wheelchair. Does she build the special chair right away? Or does she build a second chair with special qualities when she begins to suspect things? (The fighting or tricks to capture Xaio En, a 9th level ace, should be amazing! )

- will we see if a young or infant Yan Bin Yun is indeed taken from northern Qi ? That could be a nice Easter egg.

- how beautiful would a young Li Yun Ri be? Would the prequel spell out the exact relationship between her and Li Yu / the emperor and how she/YQM/the emperor formed a love triangle?

- the killing of YQM is of course the climax. Even if CPP and Wu zhu were lured away, CPP would have sent overwatch personnel to protect YQM while he was away. Was he stupid or were the guards overwhelmed too? A clearer explanation is needed as to why there were not enough clues for CPP to figure it out until nearly 20 years later.

plus all the new plot twists and intrigues the author will add, should make for an interesting prequel indeed.

With way too much time on my hands, here is a spoiler on what a prequel might look like, based on events of the drama so far and the book. It is long. I clearly had too much time.

Lin Wan’er’s mothe, Li Yun Rui (LYR) is the emperor’s sister in the book, and his adopted sister in the drama I think in order to avoid censorship issues. She did a lot for the emperor and was jealous of Ye Qingmei when YQM became the Emperor’s favorite.

Technically, the sons of Emperr Qing and Lin Wan’er are blood cousins in the book, but non-blood cousins in the drama because LYR is adopted. They probably call her sister as a term of affection, but legally they are cousins. LYR is aunt to all the Emperor’s sons.

For who FX is and what he wants, I think Lin Wan’er is actually best wife for FX. DuoDuo and FX are great soulmates, but she will never give up her commitment and duty as princess of the grasslands and saintess of northern qi to become FX’s second wife.

The tv drama significantly underplays Wan’er contributions as a political planner for FX in the novel. As she grew up in the palace and is related to and interacted with the royal family, she gives FX invaluable insight into the palace’s personalities and politics. All this is ignored in the tv show. For example, she was very helpful to FX in the novel’s exam arc, but the drama chose to use wang qinian instead. In a later part of the novel, she runs a charity organization that provides much needed to victims of the country’s regular floods and wins the praise of the emperor. The drama indeed cheats Lin Wan’er’s character.

Indeed, the main purpose of the temple, a facility built by a past human civilization wiped out by nuclear wars, was to control the growth of any future civilization so that it does not and cannot make the same mistake.

Good guess. The only grandmasters in the Joy of Life became so because Ye Qingmei gifted the 4 individuals with the knowledge needed to attain GM level. With years of cultivation/practice honing the techniques/ knowledge given them, they eventually attained GM status. Likely, as in the case of Ku He, the book of knowledge/techniques given to a future GM to learn, was taken from the Temple by Ye Qingmei when she escaped.

In the Chinese classic “Romance of Three Kingdoms” there is a master strategist named Zhuge Liang ( or KungMing in Cantonese) whose plans and schemes are as good or better than the Emperor, CPP or FX. No grandmaster powers or tricks either, just fantastic brain power. Unfortunately, I have not found an adaptation that matches the book. John Woo’s original full length “Red Cliff” comes close ( but not the super-edited version ).

BIG SPOILERS:

If they follow the ultimate ending of the book, which they generally have so far:

After the conclusion of the Ming arc and another unsuccessful assassination attempt on FX, the next major arc is the revolt and battle at DongAn Mountain which in the book reveals the Qing Emperor as the 4th GM. During this battle, thousands of tiger guards and imperial guards die protecting the emperor from joint assaults by Ku He and Si GuJian. At first Ye GM is one of the attackers too ( at the bidding of eldest princess) but he changes sides and helps Qing Emperor defeat and severely injure both KuHe and Si GuJian, both of whom later die from their injuries.

The revolt was orchestrated by Eldest princess along with 2d prince who had been pushed to their limits ( losing all their assets) by FX and the emperor. The crown prince also joined in the revolt, having been exiled by the emperor when he found out about the crown prince’s romantic relationship with eldest princess. When the revolt failed, all three commit suicide.

Chen Peng Peng (CPP) finds out after 20 years that emperor masterminded murder of Ye Qingmei and he tries to revenge her death by killing the emperor. He fails and emperor publicly tortures him to death. He dies in FX’s arms and FX thus turns against the emperor. FX also learns of the role of the empress dowager and empress in the murder of Ye Qingmei, and he revenges his mother’s death.

FX’s first rebellion against his father fails even with the assistance of shadow, Haitang, 2 9th level aces from northern qi, and 4 or more 9th level aces from Dongyi. Emperor is 4th grandmaster and is stronger than all of them. They are saved when a hidden sniper with Barrett gun shoots at Emperor, forcing him to retreat and allowing FX and others to escape.

FX journeys to divine temple with Haitang and 13th wang to find Wu Shu and bring him back to kill the emperor. Tho Wu Zhu has lost his memory and almost kills FX, he eventually leaves the temple and returns with FX.

2d rebellion, Wu Zhu attacks first and both Wu Zhu and Emperot suffer crippling blows. FX then attacks but emperor still too strong. Sniper again attacks and shoots off emperor’s left shoulder and arm. With his remaining strength, emperor lifts off Wuzhu’s black mask and is blown to atoms by array of rainbow lasers coming out of Wu zhu’s eyes. Emperor Qing nonetheless dies content or satisfied, knowing that his legacy will endure.

Third Prince becomes emperor. FX, now branded a traitor to Qing, retires to Chen Gardens in with Qing territory as the richest, most powerful person on .earth. 3d prince now Emperor even visits FX and knows he cannot challenge FX.

I have omitted several arcs that are likely to be omitted in a final 3rd season: Jiaozhou Navy arc within Ming arc; Dongyi arc and acquiring the 13 sword hut disciples; Haitang, princess of the grasslands; and empress DuoDuo and northern qi legacy.

Here is what I remember from the novel:

She meets then Prince Li Yu, who was just a prince and not even in line for the throne. They fall in love because he at first shares in her visions of equality for all people. Consequently, she decides to help him become the crown prince and future emperor by killing the two brothers of Li Yu’s father with the Barrett gun, making Li Yu‘s father the emperor (and LI Yu the crown prince and future emperor when he succeeds his father). But his new power corrupts Emperor Li Yu and he betrays Ye Qingmei and her ideals by ultimately masterminding a plan to murder her while she is giving birth to Fan Xian. Her visions of equality are a threat to Emperor’s Qing desire to rule over everyone and the world,

Welcome. I just augmented and corrected some errors. Also added a paragraph on the FX and DuoDuo conundrum, and another about how the drama treats Lin Wan’er and Yan Bin Yun differently. It is a very long post, but I hope you find it interesting.

I re-watched ep. 36 and the answer is inconclusive, but I would guess maybe to probably. His main intent behind the slash was to show the emperor his power and his dissatisfaction with how the emperor is treating the Ye family. But he also owed a debt to and liked Ye Qingmei, which is why he gave her son FX the option to leave Jiangnan instead of being killed outright. So, in a similar vein, he could have aimed his slash to cut off a strand of FX’s hair, thus establishing a contact point to supercharge FX’s qi with the massive energy of the slash.. As FX said, he felt like an earthquake (of energy) passed by him. But this assumes Ye Luiyun knew that FX had lost his qi. I forget if a GM has the innate ability to sense another person ‘s qi level without physical contact, but 9th level shadow only knew FX had lost his qi after physical contact (I think).

Season 1 Ling’er would have jumped up and threaten to beat up FX when Eldest Princess of Qi was telling Wan’er about Haitang DuoDuo, instead of sitting there docilely. And she would have bug 1st prince about his battle skills and techniques too.

Qing Emperor publicly killed CPP after CPP tried to kill QE for masterminding murder of Ye Qing Mei 20 years earlier. CPP’s death turned FX against the emperor. CPP did some bad things at the orders of emperor, but he protected FX when he could.

Revised to augment and correct errors

This post will offer a summary of the differences between the book and season 2. The changes are so numerous that it’s like watching a 70% plus different version of the story with the same characters, but with the same ultimate ending, so far. The drama uses many of the same arcs as in the book but with its own twists. The drama writers have done a clever job, so it is easy to like both. (In fact, not everyone will like reading the 746 chapter book which can be a tedious read in many parts.). So here goes:

- fake death arc is all new in drama which includes a modified bao Yao brothel arc: 1) no Mrs Wang and daughter bao bao in book; 2) vegetable merchant Jin and his daughter are new characters and are killed in drama to demonstrate again FX’s sense of humanity and equality and to show he is a great guy; 3) no having to dodge “deception of emperor charge”; 4) In the book, 2d prince’s tries to frame FX for murder of prostitutes but overwatch council covertly eliminates the murderers before they can offer fake confessions to frame FX; 5) Fan Sizhe is sent north but there is no attempt by 2d prince to abduct or kill him; 6) so, no DuoDuo saving him from assassination attempt by 2d prince’s men, and in the process absolve FX of fake murder charge in the drama;

-also as a result of the fake death arc, FX’s makes choices he does not make in book: 1) he kneels before Emperor, which he never did in book: 2) he tells emperor that Xiao En told him location of the divine temple, 3) he aligns with crown prince to fight off second prince.

- in the book, 2d prince ( not emperor) plotted to remove Lin Ruo Fu as Prine Minister, and emperor did not plan to assassinate him as in the drama; in fact, emperor’s tiger guards escorted Mr. Lin home safely in the book;

-in the book, FX and Yan Bing Yun more discreetly accuse the 2d Prince and Eldest Princess with colluding with Northern Qi by writing a memorial to Emperor which he ignores, rather than a direct accusation in front of other princes and emperor;

-exam arc is moved into season 2 with 3 new traps by 2d prince which FX deftly avoids. In this and other parts of drama, 2d prince is made the main antagonist instead of the eldest princess in the book. Lin Wan’er and Teng Zi Jing provide advice and help in the book since Wang Q is in northern Qi..

- Drama significantly underplays Wan’er contributions as a political planner for FX. As she grew up in the palace and is related to and interacted with the royal family, she gives FX invaluable insight into the palace’s politics. All this is ignored in drama. Similarly, Yan Bin Yun’s role is reduced to assistant or sidekick in the drama. In the book, he becomes FX’s brain and tactician in this part of the book.

-First prince ( or great prince) of Dongyi is made more noble. In the book he is initially less trusting of FX. His mom also gives FX a list of his protégés that are to pass the exam. The meeting of the 3 couples at Lin Wan’er place is also new to the book, as is the poisoning scene of 2d prince. The scenes of first prince saving FX from assassin and helping FX save his father-in-law from assassins are all added in the drama. Book Scene in which FX covertly administers truth serum to 2d prince is left out of drama.

- as mentioned in so many other posts, the changing of Ye Ling’er’s character/role from season 1 to 2.

-also new in the drama is 2d prince telling Lin Wan’er that FX and his men killed Lin Gong. While this new storyline gave the underused Li Qin a great acting scene, I felt it added nothing to the story except showing Lin Wan’er’s absolute devotion to FX which we already knew.)

- the comedic scenes of Fan Sizhe in northern Qi with both Haitang and Guo Bao Kun are all new in drama; his trip bringing back GBK and their bromance does not exist in the book;

-The Shijia town and its burning did not exist in the book. Similarly, the burning of the three great workshops by the Ming family in the Ming arc is not in the book.

- the wedding of FX and Lin Wan’er is a huge event in the book, not a family affair as in the drama;

-season 2 provides clues that Qing emperor is hidden 4th grandmaster. In the book, his status remains hidden until the DongAn mountain battle which is planned by CPP to discern if Qing Emperor is 4th GM. How that storyline is changed/modified to reflect this earlier reveal in the drama will be interesting.

-the world and FX also find out FX is the emperor’s son sooner in the drama than in the book..

-FX’s idea to sell the intellectual property rights to the products of the 3 great workshops in the drama is a clever idea, rather than selling the rights to buy the finished products themselves as in the book. Future.spoiler: I do wonder how these proceeds of the IT rights will be divided if FX is no longer the owner of the Imperial Treasury, and whether it means he will no longer build the secret Ten Villages which becomes his shadow operation of the 3 Great Workshops ( and separate independent source of wealth);

- drama omits great fight between FX and Xie Bien (chapter 298) in which FX soundly beats and cripples Xie Bien who, instead of Fan Wujian in the drama, is arrested for killing innocent witnesses and dies in jail. After the fight FX becomes very ill because his tyrannical zhenqi is going out of control through overexertion and he fails to attend his corruption trial. He fakes his illness in the drama.

-In the book, FX has lost control of his tyrannical qi by the time he faces GM Ye,GM Ye’s slash in the book splits the Bao Yao building in half but does not restore FX’s qi. However, FX is eventually able to recover his q with Haitang ‘s assistance using GM Ku He’s methods..

-the Ming arc is not finished in the drama so I cannot comment on any changes yet. But I will say they are as cruel in the book.

Lastly, the drama makes Haitang DuoDuo much prettier than she is in the book and underplays FX’s relationship with her. Xin Zhi Lei is absolutely gorgeous as Haitang, but in the book, FX says to Wan’er that “DuoDuo is really nothing much to look at,” and says to DuoDuo that she really is not pretty enough for a honey trap. I add this to show that FX is strongly attracted to DuoDuo for her inner beauty and shared values. The drama portrays FX and duoduo as only friends, but in the book, they have true feelings for each other, so much that FX even forbids DuoDuo from marrying anyone but FX and she complies. He even stole and wore duoduo’s bandana until Wan’er took it from him, but then offered to allow him to make DuoDuo his second wife. FX would marry DuoDuo if DuoDuo wanted to marry. Though she cares deeply for him as shown by her actions during their trek to the divine temple, her status/identity and her loyalty to her people are more important to her than being FX’s second wife or concubine.

That’s it.

Season 1 was mostly consistent with the book, with the main differences being:
-TV drama made FX monogamous, thus deleting character of Sisi - future concubine;
-drama killed off Teng Zi Jing, in order to highlight FX’s sense of equality and loyalty, to make him appear as a great guy, more likeable by the audience;
- in the book, FX is less idealistic and more willing to use violence to achieve his means; for example, he does torture Si Lili to get information about his assassin;
-exam arc was pushed into season 2;
-Wang Qi Nian stayed behind in northern Qi to run spy network instead of He Dao Ren and Guo Bao Kun;
-in fact, GBK and his fighters and their trip north does not happen in the book; nor does Xan Xiao Yi - ace archer and follower of eldest princess- attack FX on his way north;
-Xiao En ‘s cave story is a bit different: 1) no suggestion in book that Xian En has a grandson, which he thinks is FX in the the drama which also implies might be Yan Bin Yun; 2) Xiao En does not tell FX in the book that Ye Qingmei married the Qing prince who later becomes emperor;
- no interception on trip home by Xie Bi An who delivers 2d prince ‘s letter and threat, and thus no faked death by FX to escape the trap;
-in general, the drama adds several dramatic bits to season 1 and portrays FX as a more likable, less ruthless character.

Season 2 significantly varies from the novel, adding even more new storylines, rewriting others, changing timeline of events, and adding events. It is like a new story but with the same ultimate ending as the novel, so far. In a later spoiler post, I will provide more details of the many differences but for now, I would subjectively say at least 65% of the scenes ( maybe more) were new or rewritten from the novel. I will also say that most of the new additions and rewrites were cleverly done but not without some controversy - like the drama turned Ye Ling’Er from a proud, ebullient martial arts enthusiast into a pawn for 2d prince and others.

While I agree that FX and DuoDuo are great soulmates and would make a great couple, they are not likely to marry, at least in the drama. The drama writers have committed FX to a one-woman relationship. So as long as Lin Wan’er lives at first wife, FX cannot marry DuoDuo.

Even in the novel setting, DuoDuo is a princess of a grassland nation and the Saintess of Northern Qi. Her status and character make it unlikely for her to leave that to become a concubine to a powerful commoner of a rival country. Maybe if FX is uprooted from Qing and moves to northern Qi, would Qi Emperor allow DuoDuo to be a concubine? What happens to Wan’er and their child.? But there is no harm dreaming.