Just a random thought:- In ep 36, after seeing Ya Ke end up being a teacher in the same place where Fu Ting Yun also taught students years ago made me realize that in some ways, Ya Ke might have been Yu Jing Xiu's ideal wife.
To me, YJX deep down is someone who just loves books, paintings and music, he only went down the Court Official route because of pressure from his parents. He wants someone that shares the same interest as him, someone that appreciate books and paintings. Ya Ke grew up with her father who is an educator and opens a study academy. She is well educated and talented, as shown in ep 33 when the Empress Dowager was impressed by Ya Ke's writings.
In ep 32, when YJX wanted to leave the capital to have a quiet life, Ya Ke was actually willing to join him and wanted to give their marriage one last chance. But its a pity that YJX by then has completely lost himself and didn't want to believe in anyone anymore.
Had it not been the parent's meddling and stressing both their son and daughter-in-law to do their bidding, they could have had a strong and lovely marriage.
I am still on ep 20 and now started another drama. I am not even watching ep 36 so do you mind telling me what…
!Episode 36: Spoiler for YJX & Ya Ke's Ending!
YJX: The Yu family's wealth was confiscated and YJX was made a commoner. Due to the crimes committed by his family, they are not allowed to take any imperial exams or hold any official post for a few generations. YJX lives in very poor conditions with his mom and child and he makes a small living through helping people write letters.
Ya Ke: She managed to leave the Yu Family before their downfall. She becomes a teacher in a remote location. Ya Ke did grow up in a family of educators, so it's no surprise that she is actually a smart and educated woman.
Strongly encourage you to watch the remaining episodes! There was so much that went on within the Yu Family and it was very interesting to watch.
At the beginning of E32, he literally pleadingly told her he doesn't want to lose her too, and she told him about…
From my pov, she is not telling him she wants a divorce in a bad way. She feels sad and guilty that Zhao Ling is so stressed that he has lost his sense of self. She knows that Zhao Ling is desperate to climb to the top to protect her. So she is telling him, that if her love brings so much pain, why not he divorce her so he would be less burdened.
There was a part of me that wanted a harsher end to the Yu family, but seeing it again from a different perspective, the 3 kind of got what they deserved.
The once powerful and honored Yu Ge Lao was reduced to a shaking mess, pretty much running out of the palace like a scared chicken. Just when he thought he could use his son to wriggle out of trouble, he dies in such a pathetic fashion. For all the wealth and power he amassed while alive, only to end up having his cold body hung up in such an undignified manner was kind of fitting.
For Madame Yu, like what FTY said, giving her a quick death would be too simple. While Yu Ge Lao wanted endless wealth, Madame Yu loved the power and control she had over others. She relished in always being the biggest winner. For her to be reduced to a mere commoner, with no hope of ever making a comeback, this is the best eternal punishment for Madame Yu.
For Yu Jing Xiu, while he was a despicable person, he didn't commit evils to the extent of his parents. For this arrogant man who once looked down on everyone, he now has to bow his head and use his scholarly talents to write letters for little money. That is a punishment and lesson for him. The story does leave some hope that he would turn over a new leaf.
Splendid! Such an amazing drama with such great writing and acting. 10/10!! The last 6 episodes were such a satisfying watch, it is clear that the scriptwriter did magnificent work in pacing the story and tying up every loose end. Seeing how every single character who ever stepped into the lives of our leads appearing one after another to contribute to the downfall of the corrupted was such a good call back. Everything comes full circle, every good deed rewarded and every wrongdoing punished.
An amazing end to an amazing story. The Road to Splendor brings us through a roller-coaster of emotions, of how our leads faced a cruel and uncertain world with grace and tenacity. There were mistakes and regrets, but there was also growth and love. The drama also tells the stories of women in that era, how their desires shapes their decisions and how their decisions shapes their lives, whether for good or bad. It's rare for a drama to hold the attention of their viewers from start to end, not a single character felt extra, not a single dialogue was wasted, everything mattered.
I hope more will come to appreciate this gem of a drama. This is a drama where every department brought their A game. The costumes and sets were intricate, the cinematography was stunning, the director brought out the best in everyone and the scriptwriter made every character unforgettable. Every actor and actress did a wonderful job, every character felt like a real living person.
These people delay projects until they've killed all hype and interest around it. I'm done waiting. I won't watch.
Same feels... I read the novel it was based on and got so excited as I like ZXC's acting. The trailer looks so promising as well! But then this just gets dragged out with no end in sight. Why film a drama if the platform does not have a proper plan of when to release it?
Comments making it feel that another drama where they messing up near the end? I really hope it ends well.
Don't be too affected by the comments, give it a watch and decide for yourself.
From the last few episode teasers, it is more than likely that there will be a nice ending. Personally, I have been enjoying this drama from the first episode till now, it is not draggy and every character has their own goals, desires and issues. The cinematography is beautiful and the outfits are gorgeous.
Just saw the trailer and it actually looks like much fun! I don't usually watch modern romance but the trailer alone is convincing me to give it a try!
Don't worry, the plot is not forced, in fact it is very realistic and interesting. Every episode is so captivating…
This is why the show is entitled The Road to Splendor, it is a journey where there are wins and losses, where they fall and learn from their mistakes. They didn't become dumb, but simply met their match (for now!), because the rules of the imperial court is very different compared to what they have been through previously.
I am looking forward to the next few episodes and waiting to see the downfall of the Yu Family!!
I feel Xie Tingyun has not fully realize the gravity of Zhao Ling's situation and the ruthlessness of the imperial court. If the Emperor is willing to sacrifice General Mo, his own trusted aide that has been by his side even before he became Emperor, then it shows how precarious ZL's position is. One wrong move and there is no mercy. That is why ZL feels so helpless and mentally exhausted in this episode (31).
You will love it more and feel the roller coster journey in this drama..and I am pleased that the quality of the…
Yes, there really isn't a single episode that felt wasted or "draggy". Every minute, every dialogue, every character is there for a purpose. It is rare for a drama that keeps the audience so captivated every episode.
I've watched until ep 18 and paused, because I was busy... but reading recent comments, I don't feel excited to…
Don't worry, the plot is not forced, in fact it is very realistic and interesting. Every episode is so captivating because we can see the power play between the 2 factions and how our leads go about tackling it.
The emperor doesn't turn evil, but at this point he is simply focused only on his salt reforms regardless the…
The Emperor is not influenced by the Yu family. The court has many officials like Yu Ge Lao who comes from powerful families that has deeply entrenched their power and corruption into every part of the government.
The Emperor wants to establish the salt reforms to abolish corruption, however he needs to be careful as these families can easily use their power to influence the public to go against the Emperor. The Emperor cannot lose the favor of his people, if not there might even be a rebellion.
This is also why he picked the ML, because he came from nothing, has no affiliation with any powerful families and faction. The ML also has a righteous spirit who wants to change the current system to improve the lives of the common folk.
The entirety of ep 31 was just so heart wrenching... Can't blame Zhao Ling though, what is he to do when the Emperor has already decided the conclusion, Ting Yun was too naive to believe that evidence alone would resolve the matter. The only one to blame would be Mrs Mo for falling into Madame Wu's trap.
This is what I like about this drama, it shows the harshness of reality, that not everything in life is black and white. In many other shows, they tend to portray the lead couple being able to easily outsmart the antagonist, but in reality, even when you know the truth, sometimes it is just too little, too late. But from the next ep teaser, it seems that there are cracks forming within the Yu Family. Hoho, hope retribution returns to them ten-fold.
Have to say that Ding Yuxi's acting in this episode was just perfection. The way he is able to portray his feelings of helplessness, pain, fear and guilt without any lines deserves praise. He literally sounded and looked mentally exhausted when talking to Ting Yun.
Ep 25: The marriage scene is so touching, the mother's blessing to Zhao Ling and Ting Yun is so meaningful and filled with love. There have been many wedding scenes in countless historical dramas, but this is one of the most meaningful and beautiful.
I have so many questions after watching ep 22-23. When the fl nominated her sister-in-law's older brother for…
It would not be seen as nepotism or cause trouble for the ML because the Emperor wants to choose the most appropriate person for the position based on merit, regardless of whether this person is related to anyone. The exact Chinese phrase used in the show was "举贤不避亲".
Ultimately, there were 2 final candidates presented to the Emperor and it was the Emperor who made the decision to appoint Shen Cong Xi, so the Court Officials will not question or have issues with the decision.
The FL is not senselessly meddling with the ML's career, in fact she is doing all this to ensure that the ML has a dependable and knowledgeable person assisting him in the reforms. I believe the ML also understands that Shen Cong Xi was the best candidate but he didn't want to give any trouble to the FL (as SCX was related to her) which was partly why he rejected Shen Cong Xi.
In ep 36, after seeing Ya Ke end up being a teacher in the same place where Fu Ting Yun also taught students years ago made me realize that in some ways, Ya Ke might have been Yu Jing Xiu's ideal wife.
To me, YJX deep down is someone who just loves books, paintings and music, he only went down the Court Official route because of pressure from his parents. He wants someone that shares the same interest as him, someone that appreciate books and paintings. Ya Ke grew up with her father who is an educator and opens a study academy. She is well educated and talented, as shown in ep 33 when the Empress Dowager was impressed by Ya Ke's writings.
In ep 32, when YJX wanted to leave the capital to have a quiet life, Ya Ke was actually willing to join him and wanted to give their marriage one last chance. But its a pity that YJX by then has completely lost himself and didn't want to believe in anyone anymore.
Had it not been the parent's meddling and stressing both their son and daughter-in-law to do their bidding, they could have had a strong and lovely marriage.
YJX: The Yu family's wealth was confiscated and YJX was made a commoner. Due to the crimes committed by his family, they are not allowed to take any imperial exams or hold any official post for a few generations. YJX lives in very poor conditions with his mom and child and he makes a small living through helping people write letters.
Ya Ke: She managed to leave the Yu Family before their downfall. She becomes a teacher in a remote location. Ya Ke did grow up in a family of educators, so it's no surprise that she is actually a smart and educated woman.
Strongly encourage you to watch the remaining episodes! There was so much that went on within the Yu Family and it was very interesting to watch.
She feels sad and guilty that Zhao Ling is so stressed that he has lost his sense of self. She knows that Zhao Ling is desperate to climb to the top to protect her. So she is telling him, that if her love brings so much pain, why not he divorce her so he would be less burdened.
The once powerful and honored Yu Ge Lao was reduced to a shaking mess, pretty much running out of the palace like a scared chicken. Just when he thought he could use his son to wriggle out of trouble, he dies in such a pathetic fashion. For all the wealth and power he amassed while alive, only to end up having his cold body hung up in such an undignified manner was kind of fitting.
For Madame Yu, like what FTY said, giving her a quick death would be too simple. While Yu Ge Lao wanted endless wealth, Madame Yu loved the power and control she had over others. She relished in always being the biggest winner. For her to be reduced to a mere commoner, with no hope of ever making a comeback, this is the best eternal punishment for Madame Yu.
For Yu Jing Xiu, while he was a despicable person, he didn't commit evils to the extent of his parents. For this arrogant man who once looked down on everyone, he now has to bow his head and use his scholarly talents to write letters for little money. That is a punishment and lesson for him. The story does leave some hope that he would turn over a new leaf.
The last 6 episodes were such a satisfying watch, it is clear that the scriptwriter did magnificent work in pacing the story and tying up every loose end. Seeing how every single character who ever stepped into the lives of our leads appearing one after another to contribute to the downfall of the corrupted was such a good call back. Everything comes full circle, every good deed rewarded and every wrongdoing punished.
An amazing end to an amazing story. The Road to Splendor brings us through a roller-coaster of emotions, of how our leads faced a cruel and uncertain world with grace and tenacity. There were mistakes and regrets, but there was also growth and love. The drama also tells the stories of women in that era, how their desires shapes their decisions and how their decisions shapes their lives, whether for good or bad. It's rare for a drama to hold the attention of their viewers from start to end, not a single character felt extra, not a single dialogue was wasted, everything mattered.
I hope more will come to appreciate this gem of a drama. This is a drama where every department brought their A game. The costumes and sets were intricate, the cinematography was stunning, the director brought out the best in everyone and the scriptwriter made every character unforgettable. Every actor and actress did a wonderful job, every character felt like a real living person.
Woah the Yu family is so messed up! No wonder their son became the way he is.
From the last few episode teasers, it is more than likely that there will be a nice ending. Personally, I have been enjoying this drama from the first episode till now, it is not draggy and every character has their own goals, desires and issues. The cinematography is beautiful and the outfits are gorgeous.
I am looking forward to the next few episodes and waiting to see the downfall of the Yu Family!!
The Emperor wants to establish the salt reforms to abolish corruption, however he needs to be careful as these families can easily use their power to influence the public to go against the Emperor. The Emperor cannot lose the favor of his people, if not there might even be a rebellion.
This is also why he picked the ML, because he came from nothing, has no affiliation with any powerful families and faction. The ML also has a righteous spirit who wants to change the current system to improve the lives of the common folk.
This is what I like about this drama, it shows the harshness of reality, that not everything in life is black and white. In many other shows, they tend to portray the lead couple being able to easily outsmart the antagonist, but in reality, even when you know the truth, sometimes it is just too little, too late. But from the next ep teaser, it seems that there are cracks forming within the Yu Family. Hoho, hope retribution returns to them ten-fold.
Have to say that Ding Yuxi's acting in this episode was just perfection. The way he is able to portray his feelings of helplessness, pain, fear and guilt without any lines deserves praise. He literally sounded and looked mentally exhausted when talking to Ting Yun.
The marriage scene is so touching, the mother's blessing to Zhao Ling and Ting Yun is so meaningful and filled with love. There have been many wedding scenes in countless historical dramas, but this is one of the most meaningful and beautiful.
Ultimately, there were 2 final candidates presented to the Emperor and it was the Emperor who made the decision to appoint Shen Cong Xi, so the Court Officials will not question or have issues with the decision.
The FL is not senselessly meddling with the ML's career, in fact she is doing all this to ensure that the ML has a dependable and knowledgeable person assisting him in the reforms. I believe the ML also understands that Shen Cong Xi was the best candidate but he didn't want to give any trouble to the FL (as SCX was related to her) which was partly why he rejected Shen Cong Xi.