Ti02

She became QD due to her son. She has no noble blood.

It was Wei Xuan, it was revealed long back. When Wei Xuan was called back to Capital from Linan, he had a confrontation with Wei Yan, and his mother even scolded him for behaving badly. Wei Yan told him if he was scared of Xie Zheng came back. At that time, it was revealed that it was Wei Xuan who sent people to kill Xie Zheng. He wanted power, control over Xie Army. Also he was jealous of him being liked more by his parents.

Right

It was

This is true. But they cannot blame this on Emperor Qi, previous one. He was the ruler, they could not tarnish the reputation of the royal family. There could be riots and chaos all over. But yes I get you what morally should have been done.

👀🙈💘

That he came back without a royal decree. Chose a woman over his duty. Knew the truth about Wei Qilin not being a traitor still killing him. Never truly telling the truth. Despite this I pity him. That's why a complicated character.

True

Exactly

Right. I still think he is the most complicated character in the drama, Qi Min was simple with his wishes, he wasn't that difficult to understand.

Right, we are feeling so lost.

True. I will re read it tomorrow.

Even in the novel, it was shown that Wei Yan loved him, he was always very proud of him, so I think maybe even there it was Wei Xuan. But Wei Xuan completely redeemed himself of everything by dying for ML.

I know. I am unable to. Hence whatever is coming into my mind, I am just pouring it into small comments, about different details in small comments. My thoughts are all scattered, and I need to process everything.

Exactly. They should have added this, even for once.

I don't remember in the novel honestly. Yes but in the drama it was Wei Xuan.

I hate him the most, equivalent to the previous emperor.

Yes this. This was not cleared, in the novel after he got arrested, ML came to him numerous times to ask the truth he refused, only told the truth to Tutor Tao, who was even Wei Yan's teacher out of respect for his elder. But I think he was ashamed. He was indirectly responsible for everything, and maybe he couldn't say this to his nephew that he came back for a woman, left his duty for a woman. Then again deep down he never wanted to bring up Rongyuan's name in anything. This is just a guess. But I remember reading the novel and thinking that Wei Yan accepts blame as if its free food. Even his sister died thinking her brother was the villain, ML grew up thinking his uncle doesn't like him, Wei Xuan believing his "father" chose his nephew over son.
Wei Yan is complicated, way too much. But I believe he loved 3 people genuinely in his life- Rongyuan, ML and his mother. After loosing the two of them, he didn't want to loose ML but things do come to full circle.

Also Sui Yuanqing- I think he is the only person in the drama/novel, who had no excuses for what he did. No traumatic past, no unrequited love, no star crossed lovers, no revenge saga, no country saving plot, nothing. This guy had a good upbringing, was loved and cherished, was powerful, rich and handsome. He did things, because he wanted to, totally in his whims. He was twisted because he wanted to, nothing shaped him into it. What a bratty villain, absolutely hated him, what an end for him, gave me so much satisfaction.
Lin Muran- you were perfect, so good, just brilliant. This made me remember Wang Xingyue's acting capability in The Double. It was so good that him being 21 was unbelievable. Same Muran same. You deserve so many complicated difficult successful roles.

No it was not a mistake. The emperor was acting. It was in the plan of Emperor. He wanted to accuse Wei Yan and Concubine of having that affair. This was stated in the novel, but the drama did not mention it explicitly but Qi Shu's mother said it was later revealed Rongyuan wasn't pregnant, so I think they likely followed the novel.

Princess Chendge didn't know it was the emperor. She thought it was Wei Yan, that is why her son grew up listening from his mother's subordinated that Wei Yan was the culprit, hence thought him as his enemy. Princess knew emperor favoured 16th prince, and her husband' death was a conspiracy. So she feared that the next one would be her child. Hence to help her son survive, she burnt down the palace, when Princess Changxin and her son were with her. Again, this is a change in the drama. In the novel, Princess Chengde, Princess Changxin, Sui Yuanhuai died, only Qi Min made it out alive and lived as Yuanhuai. But in the drama, they showed Princess Changxin was alive as well, but she took pity on Qi Min and let him live as her son not telling it to anyone. I think this was done to show Qi Min was a monster. Because in the novel, Prince Changxin married again, and his new wife was really mean to Qi Min, hence when he killed her it sounded reasonable. But here when he killed the woman who showed him kindness, it butchered his character more.