The script plays it safe and definitely smoothes over what was certainly not a solely pure motive for unifying the lands. Still, a worthy historical epic - and I got to learn about some figures I didn't really know before.
It's not well explained but I think he's sneaking in to see him - the more senior people don't know his identity.
I believe his uncle (Taizhen’s brother) knows because he’s the one that suggested the young heir take him in. But you may be right that Hongchu the King doesn’t know.
If you love history, this is a great one that explores a not often explored era in Chinese history (Five Dynasties and 10 Kingdoms). There is a lot of detail in the dialogue and scenes (discussing politics and the day to day matters of government), which may be too much for a casual viewer. But it’s epic (battles, court intrigue, all of that) and well acted for the most part.
I really like Bai Yu but Zhu Yawen is totally stealing the show at this point. Now that he no longer has to try…
I think this is my main struggles with watching the show - and perhaps one of its main writing challenges. While it’s great to see an often overlooked period and kingdom (Wuyue) explored, gosh it’s really Zhao Kuangyin that I keep wanting to watch in this second half. But it’s not to mean the Wuyue actors or storyline have been terrible, far from it.
Some may find these parts slow, but I quite like watching the scenes depicting the more "boring" or tedious side of governance. It is these people - the ones faithfully counting every expense, recording them and being diligent in their tasks that make our governments run on a daily basis.
Then you have the self-serving people in the shadows (literally these scenes are full of shadows with the lighting - don't think that's unintentional) plotting to get something for themselves. Such was mankind before and today - and tomorrow?
As a longtime fan of historical dramas, I’ve been generally really enjoying this so far. And may I just say, that opening title song is super catchy and stuck in my head.
https://x.com/kpopsmileshop1/status/2019241668252430419
Then you have the self-serving people in the shadows (literally these scenes are full of shadows with the lighting - don't think that's unintentional) plotting to get something for themselves. Such was mankind before and today - and tomorrow?