TaleNeverTold

Alternatively, if he’s ever under threat because of being associated with her, she’ll divorce him so that her blame won’t fall on him. We’ve seen scenario like this in The Sword and the Brocade.

I’m only concerned that he may be reluctant to be tied to her due to her relation to that old shifty guy Fu. Or, alternatively, will marry her to use her against him. Overall, he hates that guy and is trying to scheme against his with all he’s got.

She’s his wife’s niece

About 10 years

I very much appreciate that she has committed to ‘few time’ for that type of ‘scouting’. I hope the trial period is not too long, I need a their relationship to go into -extra-super-exclusive-VIP mode :)

He’s around 28-30

Kissing is scandalous enough for her servant to expect marriage. They haven’t slept together because no way she’d kept that updo during any kind of frisky activity :) but in all seriousness, if GJZ is still not feeling strongly enough to agree to marriage (and CYY did say he’s ready to propose!) then I doubt GJZ would just jump in the hay with him.

Oh, money question! Financial degree I can finally use!
So, 20 000 silver taels would be about 800 kg of silver (Ming Dynasty) — in today prices it would translate to about USD 2M - it’s a lot, right? But wait! If we use ‘rice standard’ (which is a recalculation approach for pre-modern Chinese currency), then 1 tael would buy you about 75-80 kg of rice so in today’s prices you’ll get about USD 2,6M.
Now, cross-reference it to the fact that Grade 1 court official would be making around 1000 taels a year — now it’s about 20-year base salary. Granted, court officials would regularly get financial commendation from a ruler (what we today would call bonuses and benefits) and their family had a range of businesses (supported by political will) to get substantive extra income, but 20 000 silver taels was not something to scoff off. That’s why it’s also a good sum for dowry — wives couldn’t make their own income unless they invest in the business with their own money, so families tried to give them some head start and chance in financial sustainability.
See, the fact that Ji family hasn’t noticed how much money was loaned means that money probably came right out of mom’s dowry so it was much more significant to begin with. And the fact that Gu family says the Ji family can dismiss this sum easily for ‘familial peace’ tells a lot about how rich the Ji family really is!

I agree he was calculating but he wasn’t panicking. He has too many ideas and enough time to both bring his girl to him and divert other potential suitors and manage his household and manage his career and navigate around whatever his mentor is throwing at him. His mother who was shows to be loving and understanding towards him is the least of his concerns :)
Also, his worried face is when GJZ is trying to rein in the horse — he’s pretty much livid there!

As of episode 18, GJZ is about 18-19 so I little late into a marriage game but her mourning has just ended so no one was supposed to pressure her into marriage during that period. The only people who can pressure her now are her father (and he won’t as she’d gotten his written consent to back off) or her grandmother (and she would bite a head off of anybody who wishes to pressure her precious GJZ into anything). So when and if GJZ decides to get married, that would her decision and hers alone :) Love me some girl with agency!

I both agree and disagree.
Yes, CYY is manipulative but we’ve already established that in that time and space and court he’s not going to become the Prime Minister by being direct and open. He has saved and helped GJZ and YX and many other people exactly by being manipulative. Alternatively, if he were to do all the saving and problem-solving directly, he’d just overexpose himself and rob other people of their agency and a chance to shine (and develop).
But no, I don’t think that CYY being manipulative is anti-ML opinion to agree with. Him being manipulative is not a negative trait, it’s an adult trait, a strategist’s trait, a politician’s trait. He’s exactly what it says on a tin — the future highest political figure.
P.S. I’ll be just here in the corner, swooning over the fact that he’d conditioned one of his best horses to recognize her scent :) that’s some high quality manipulation!

I don’t think he’s aiming for GJZ with this potential promotion, he wouldn’t have talked his servant off like that if he’d still entertained the thought. But I do think he’s aiming to delay his wedding and maybe gain some power to his name so his marriage wouldn’t be decided by a need to cover up for his biological father. P.S. CYY would NEVER let him near GJZ anyways :)

Well, this can go few ways… 1) I can point out that You Guys (tm) have nothing to complain about that character except the same repetitive thing — and we shall be in impasse. 2) I can point out that I’m yet to see a credible reason for liking any other male character that would pass the reality check — but that would be immature of me and would look like I’m trolling, and I’m too old for this type of bickering. 3) I can point out that We Guys (tm) don’t need multiple reasons to like that character nor do we need to entertain You Guys (tm) with kaleidoscope of reasoning and justify our likes — and here’s where I will stand, I guess. To each their own :)

Guns back then were really not very precise… hoping for luck, I guess?

I (the mature boring one) appreciate you taking the time to say ‘sorry’ :) I hope you live your best exciting life!

Yes, she would get back her dowry, especially since their divorce was signed as Harmonious Separation (voluntary). In historical Chinese legal codes, the dowry was considered the woman’s private property and a "safety net" provided by her natal family. The husband’s family was expected to manage the assets during the marriage, but they didn’t technically own them. Thus, mama’s dowry and her uncollected debts technically should revert to granny as matriarch of that family — unless she’d officially entrusted GJZ to handle this matter :)

I don’t think it’s about competitors. In his mind the sequence of events is: 1) she says she will go to some town to live her days as lonely business woman, 2) he proposes and is waiting for her to answer, 3) he finds out she’s packing to go to that exact town, 4) he assumes her silent escape is THE ANSWER, 5) he expected better communication between them considering the manage to communicate by imperceptible tone changes and half-glances, 6) he storms in to demand direct answer, 7) turns out she’s not actually leaving anywhere (hello, granny is still kicking!) but she still plans to become a spinster, 8) he considers dragging her to the capital for some perspective (though I think it’s more of dramatic gesture rather than real threat), 9) on her own personal accord she is coming to the capital and he’s just smiling in the background about workings of fate :)
As I said earlier, I do not necessarily like his tone but I understand where his frustration comes from - he did think she’d made an ultimate ‘not marrying you’ move and he got scared (he skipped out on work!). Still, he pleased me greatly in episode 18 so I’m feeling magnanimous! So I’ll give him few episodes to go back to straight and narrow path of dignified adult :)

I am, somewhat, too. He’s getting frustrated with not having the response he wants and is acting a bit rash. However, I’m reserving final judgement on his courting style until I see more of it as in previews he seemed to have come back to being respectful of her boundaries and pace. So far he didn’t do anything unforgivable and his ‘imma have you come back with me to the capital’ may be attributed to playful banter considering her reaction (I don’t think she believes he would actually force her!) and his follow up comments on her power play :) we’ll see tomorrow!

We know that 3 years passed since she moved to grandma’ town because 1) aunty says so and 2) the mourning is over. So, in episode 18 GJZ is now 18-19 years old.

Really interesting genetics game in this show - how were GJZ and her cousin born of those parents? It seems, both their families are rotten and only grandma’s genes save the pool! Phew! P.S. Conversely, GJZ and CYY kids are bound to be geniuses, right?