ep21 thoughts. im having a hard time enjoying the main romance. with ljq and xlx having met as master servant,…
Just keep watching and it’s best you don’t skip. The creators did a very good job of tying all the subtle details together, revisiting them in later eps, and conveying meaning through them. Also, do not expect this to be your typical romance. You’re really not gonna get any of it - like her reciprocating his advances just because he’s show her affection. Why should she when she’s not interested in him? But by the end of series, you’ll have no doubt they are DEEPLY in love and devoted to one another (at least I think so).
he did take 2 concubine eventually... and both gave birth to daughters, for details i think it would be better…
That’s my point. No matter how they try, just focusing on the women may not give them the results they want. Henry VIII kept beheading his wives b/c they couldn’t produce a male heir.
Yes, ep 42. However it was super anti climatic. No words of confirmation were spoken .
I thought it was well done, very subtle and beautiful. They didn’t need words. They mutually understood each other. The meeting with grandpa confirmed her identity to him. He didn’t need to ask her. She knew he knew. It’s crazy how this drama pulls all the details from previous eps and ties them all together so well.
Alright, I went ahead and wrote down the poem (based on the translation as I am not a native speaker) that spanned the years JQ served after the talk about their different ways/ views on living. Please feel free to add your interpretations.
First we have hints and foreshadowing of division amongst the eunuchs with reference to WangYi, the eunuch Favored by the first prince and the sign that eunuchs shall not interfere with politics.
JQ starts walking in his court uniform as the weather changes to winter and we see dead solders and hear swords clanging.
Sunlight bright and moonlight bright - passage of time Ants in the roots, bring down the beams in silk and jade, they upend all order, killing the old, killing the young A Tiger at the door, a wolf out back
- corruption and division w/in the court leads to fall of reign. - it snowing and we see dead soldiers and fight soldiers.
Sunlight bright moonlight bright Palace walls are built on on piles of bones Rise or fall, right or wrong, all folly Hailed as hero of the realm yesterday, Dumped in a mass grave today
- new reign starts from the many lives that have died for this. All the reasons for fighting and merits and honor are meaningless. All the end, these heroes are just buried in mass graves. As he walks through the fighting, his facial expression is serious and heavy.
Sunlight bright moonlight bright Grass grows where grand Palaces burn Loyal or traitor, all a passing dream Wise, ministers and famous generals, Nothing left, but a crumbling wall
- Time goes on burying the events and people of of yesteryear. Who’s who has no significance. Seasons has changed to summer again. People are living life and he’s wearing civilian clothes again. His views probably has changed to align with hers now as he’s endured the ups and downs of reigns and sees the suffering.
Sunlight, bright and moonlight bright Red candles, flicker, and blossoms are sweet. Hand-in-hand, we laugh as one, a pair of mandarin ducks Unafraid of the world’s winds and Frost Face-to-face, Dawn to dusk, love endures
- he returns home no longer serving the emperor (civilian clothes). You can see that he’s more at peace and glad to return. They share their marriage as one with a strong bond of love that carries them through all the the worlds turmoils.
Acrually, we probably won’t see court politics because ML resigned and moved back to his hometown.
I rewatch edit after going, wow that was underwhelming. Then after reading all the comments , I realized I missed a bunch (like his whole career and coming to the realization of the truths in her way). After rewatching.I went Ahhh…. Ok I get it now. Very philosophical.
K-Drama 
1
First we have hints and foreshadowing of division amongst the eunuchs with reference to WangYi, the eunuch Favored by the first prince and the sign that eunuchs shall not interfere with politics.
JQ starts walking in his court uniform as the weather changes to winter and we see dead solders and hear swords clanging.
Sunlight bright and moonlight bright - passage of time
Ants in the roots, bring down the beams
in silk and jade, they upend all order,
killing the old, killing the young
A Tiger at the door, a wolf out back
- corruption and division w/in the court leads to fall of reign.
- it snowing and we see dead soldiers and fight soldiers.
Sunlight bright moonlight bright
Palace walls are built on on piles of bones
Rise or fall, right or wrong, all folly
Hailed as hero of the realm yesterday,
Dumped in a mass grave today
- new reign starts from the many lives that have died for this. All the reasons for fighting and merits and honor are meaningless. All the end, these heroes are just buried in mass graves.
As he walks through the fighting, his facial expression is serious and heavy.
Sunlight bright moonlight bright
Grass grows where grand Palaces burn
Loyal or traitor, all a passing dream
Wise, ministers and famous generals,
Nothing left, but a crumbling wall
- Time goes on burying the events and people of of yesteryear. Who’s who has no significance. Seasons has changed to summer again. People are living life and he’s wearing civilian clothes again. His views probably has changed to align with hers now as he’s endured the ups and downs of reigns and sees the suffering.
Sunlight, bright and moonlight bright
Red candles, flicker, and blossoms are sweet.
Hand-in-hand, we laugh as one, a pair of mandarin ducks
Unafraid of the world’s winds and Frost
Face-to-face, Dawn to dusk, love endures
- he returns home no longer serving the emperor (civilian clothes). You can see that he’s more at peace and glad to return. They share their marriage as one with a strong bond of love that carries them through all the the worlds turmoils.