Ti02

CRYING

Wdym Xie Zheng never called her A'Yu??? Let me die a little ;)

No significance. Neither in the novel, nor in the drama. Just that it was gifted by her mother.

That's a dream sequence. Most of the people who wave to her are dead but are shown- Mandi, magistrate, his daughter, Grandma Kang and many others. Its a dream where FL sees her beautiful hometown cheerful with her loved ones.
After that scene, FL, ML and Changning actually return together, as we are shown.

We don't know about that. But I am assuming, as everything is good, he did marry his lady love as well.

I did not watch that. Yup here the first half was excellent.

Yup I wrote that. I wrote except his obsessiveness towards YQQ, others things. I wrote about the foster mother thing as well, it was not like this in the novel.
Even in the novel, my pity was only for that 5-6 year old kid, who had a traumatic childhood. Nothing he did was correct when he grew up. Yes he was twisted, but he could have tried harder, there can be no excuse for such things.
I just felt the drama butchered his character, his character was pretty easy to understand and more reasonable in the novel.

Exactly ;)

The climax/finale is the main part of the novel. Wrapping it up in 25 minutes, seemed too soon. Yes I am grateful for the non-rushed ending, very satisfactory, but the climax deserved an entire episode. The coup was not very magnificent, and felt a little out of place, it deserved a little more.

I hated the fact that Qi Min's perception was not shown in the drama. For once, he deserved to say the truth, his truth in front of ML, like in the novel, during the confrontation with Wei Yan. I really felt instead of giving Qi Min and Qian Qian abusive scenes in lieu of romance, one of them could be cut, and Qi Min's perception, and how he was drugged into having Bao'er, why he hated his child, what he truly wanted should have been explained. Prince Changxin's first wife, Sui Yuanhuai's mother being alive, and showing pity to Qi Min, and still getting killed by him, was the last straw, and it completely butchered Qi Min's character. In the novel, Sui Yuanhuai's mother died in palace fire, and stepmother hated Qi Min, hence the killing sounded okay. The drama made Qi Min unreasonable, but in the novel, except the obsessiveness towards Qian Qian, nothing he did was unreasonable, yes I might not agree with him, but he was not entirely wrong.

Okay this is a little criticism, things I felt a little out of place.

Ik, the part of Qi Min and Wei Yan, healed me a little. Only if!!!

Just like Xie/Yan Zheng said, his best days were in Linan, even for me, the best part of the drama was in Linan. The first 16-17 episodes, that small town, the same people, arguing, laughing, gossiping, only for those episodes I could rate this drama 20/10.
That's why the dream sequence in the last episode was so beautiful, when we saw everyone, even our Mandi. Cried a little. I know why you wanted to return Changyu, its truly the best place.

I want to know too. But for now rewatching the drama and re-reading the novel to visualize scenes that never made it to the drama, are on my list.

Okay so my understanding of the ending clearly says- They have their titles. But they are settled in Linan, not in the capital. This is because in that ribbon tree scene, FL tells ML that since they have returned to Linan 2 months back, the superstition of the tree...whatever. So that means they have been living there. Even after 5 years, in the military barracks, ML tells her he will send someone to escort her back to Linan?
But because they have their titles, and ML is the Regent Prince, maybe they have divided their time between being in Linan and the capital. Like though they are enjoying their peaceful life, they would be available for the country whenever required. Yeah nice, they found a middle ground.

Also the post credit scene clearly states- What if the 17 years past incident never happened. Its an alternate ending which could have happened if the previous Emperor was not such a bastard. So its not a next life. Glad to see they kept this part from the extra chapter of the novel.

About the ending!

Yup!!

It was Wei Xuan. When Wei Xuan came back from Linan and had a confrontation with Wei Yan, where his mother even scolded him for speaking badly, it was revealed that Wei Xuan tried kill Xie Zheng, in order to get power.

We had an extra chapter of the alternate ending.

This is true. I think they should have separate cuts for television and streaming platforms. I know this seems a huge job, maybe not possible but just wishful thinking. I mean the behind the scenes, or reuters of the kiss scenes were so good. So cameraman not capturing the angles being that close, cannot be the truth. Its deliberate attempt to not to focus on that too much.
Its just not them, I think for the other couple as well, though their so called "abuse" scenes could be done away with it, instead giving some stronger villain scenes of Qi Min; But it seems in Chinese dramas, they hype up the kisses, tease it, show cloths, pots, everything, hands, but during the kiss it would be for a few seconds only, not more than that.
Honestly, I would still give them plus points for the beautiful bathtub scene, Yin yang greatly done.

Yeah seems so, hahaha, he is such a cutie, I never mind him. Its entirely for comedy. May be if Jin guy had done this it would have seemed correct. He attained maturity overnight, God knows how, lol!