Ti02

3 they had considerable screentime for 3 episodes, making people pissed. ML and FL were together for 16 episodes, being happy green flag coded with each other. They are separated, let the second lead's story move forward. Its vital for the plot, that's not romance that's abuse, manipulation everything but not love.
FL and ML are meeting tomorrow again, I bet we will get their screentime from now again.
This drama is just not about romance, there are a lot of arcs. ML will have his screentime, he has fight scenes, saving scenes, many more.

I liked the poison version more as well. It has a cold nature to it, and Qian Qian was able to kill her abuser herself.
Nope Qian Qian stayed in the palace becoming Empress Dowager. No she never liked him. It doesn't seem to me they have toned down his character. Its just in the novel today's Qi Min saving Qian Qian from drowning was not there. Its an added scene. I don't think she will love him, its just that maybe she couldn't bring herself to kill him just after he saved her life.
I will hope they will keep her character similar to the novel. As much as I love Deng Kai, and I adore the chemistry Kong Xu'er has with Deng Kai, Qi Min is just her abuser, and redemption should not be here at any cost.

I get you. But honestly I have watched the opposite as well. In "The Double" drama, a man was controlled manipulated and everything by the Princess of the country. She made him even kill people. Though unlike Qian Qian who remains a good person, he went astray. But for me its not a gender thing, I enjoy flawed characters as long as they get a bad ending. I know Qi Min ends bad, the woman in the drama ended bad, I get the satisfaction.
But yes different for different people.

You're welcome. I hate the airing schedule.

In the novel, Qian Qian made him drink poisonous soup. He knew there was poison in it, she knew he knew. It was just giving him a peaceful death.
In the drama, according to the reuters video, Qian Qian and Qi Min are forced to jump from the palace wall, while Changyu saves Qian Qian, Qi Min falls and hence dies maybe. There was no such scene in the novel, hence people are believing the poison scene has been changed to this to make it more dramatic.
Some people said that an arrow was thrown towards Qian Qian and to save her Qi Min pulled her away, which lead to both of them falling, but FL was able to save only Qian Qian. Qian Qian tried to help Qi Min but was unable to. Now this video was from another angle. I did not see it, but many people said the same thing, so it might be true.

Its just my perception, I am glad you agree. Its okay there are a lot of people here, different people different perceptions. We should all discuss what we think, till its done in an inoffensive way.

This is because leads hot scenes are left, once they reunite we will have plenty of them as well.

In the novel, Qian Qian made him drink poisonous soup. He knew there was poison in it, she knew he knew. It was just giving him a peaceful death.
In the drama, according to the reuters video, Qian Qian and Qi Min are forced to jump from the palace wall, while Changyu saves Qian Qian, Qi Min falls and hence dies maybe. There was no such scene in the novel, hence people are believing the poison scene has been changed to this to make it more dramatic.
Some people said that an arrow was thrown towards Qian Qian and to save her Qi Min pulled her away, which lead to both of them falling, but FL was able to save only Qian Qian. Qian Qian tried to help Qi Min but was unable to. Now this video was from another angle. I did not see it, but many people said the same thing, so it might be true.

Keep the curiosity then haha!

You are not wrong. But I am just sharing my perception like you are- Its just that not all women have to be looked up to. Qian Qian is a sunshine girl, but her life is caged by him, she is a victim of his abuse. Characters like him who are obsessed and torment women in name of love exist in the world, and I think its just a portrayal of that.
Plus the fact that the leads are separated, hence their screen time goes to the second couple. But I do understand what you mean.

Romance, love between leads, is not the only major arc of this drama.

I saw a reuters video of his death. Do you want the spoiler, or do you want to keep the curiosity till the end?

His nanny died in today's episode, there will be no such explanation anymore.
But in the novel as well as in today's episode it was indicated- Like you see every emperor or prince should have an heir, its like preserving their royal blood, what if the prince/emperor dies, then the throne will just not exchange hands but also surnames/blood. Nanny was very loyal to Qi Min's birth mother. Nanny had began to understand that Qi Min was a madman, maybe not fit for throne, also possible that he is unable to achieve his goals and die before that. Hence as a precaution she forced Qi Min to have a child, so that no matter what Qi Min would always have a replacement.
This was done as a loyalty to the kingdom, to Qi Min's parents, and for the common people- preservation of royal blood for the future of the empire.

He will die, but not before climax. He should be there till 39th episode at least, if not 40 depending upon how they choose to do it.

I know. Next weekend we have 2 episodes again, for 2 days.

Nope.
In the novel Qian Qian was a servant purchased into the Sui Family. Qi Min's nanny forced her to become his concubine. Qi Min's nanny drugged both of them to sleep with each other and conceive a child. Both Qi Min and Qian Qian do not remember each other's faces the next morning due to the effect of the drug.
Qi Min hated the woman with whom he was forced to sleep. Qian Qian was detected to be pregnant and put on house arrest by Qi Min's nanny. They both never saw each other again after that night of which they have no memories.
Qian Qian planned to ran away, but spotted Qi Min who was attempting suicide/or mistakenly fell into water (this I cannot remember). She saved him without knowing who he was. He wore a mask as he always would to hide his scars, but she was not scared of him, being the only person not being scared of him. He fell for her. When he enquired about her, and met her again, he found out she was the woman he slept with. That is the scene we were shown the jade scene.
Later fearing for her child, Qian Qian ran away, and Qi Min has been trying to find her since years.
(This entire thing is according to the novel)

Hahaha, its just the first two letters of my pet name and birth month. But I never thought about this lol.

Qi Min is the third most important character in the story after the leads. The 3 of them have an interconnected past, and everything stems from Qi Min. His story is vital, not just for what happened 17 years back, but for running the plot currently, as well as the climax and aftermath.
Romance has nothing to do with it. Its just a flawed character, he is abusive, and Qian Qian is his victim. Not every couple they show us have to be shipped or loved. Its just a story, with characters. While you and many others might feel its filler or not interesting, Qi Min is a huge part of the novel, and in the drama they cannot do with it.
Plus the leads are separated, hence to add the second leads scenes, is more convenient. Don't worry according to previews, leads are meeting in the next episode, so we will have their scenes again.

Yes its similar. XZ and FC went their separate ways, before meeting again in the military camp.

Qi Min is not a regular guy. He has a secret identity. He knows he is protected only because of that secret identity. His child, having his blood can easily replace him, that's why he never wanted children. He was drugged to have the kid.
For him his survival is more important than anything in the world. He is a madman, he has never received love, he doesn't know how to love anyone. He is just focused on his goals, and to achieve them he can kill the entire, no matter whom. He cannot feel empathy as such.