Ti02

Mid-climax!

Exactly! In the novel, ML's grandmother (the previous Empress Dowager) actually fed abortion pills to ML's step mother (the current Empress Dowager) while she was pregnant, so that no more princes can threaten ML's place. That is why later his step mother killed her mother in law, which was shown in the drama, and hence she even hated ML, and wanted power.
But this is omitted in the drama, maybe to show the current Empress Dowager evil. Its actually very sad, everyone faced so much hence became bad as well!

Yonger transmigrated into a novel! But Yonger transmigrating into a novel, this plot is also from a novel in the real world! FL and ML are from that real world! Making Yonger a 2D character written by an author!

Trust her! (okay if they abide by the novel, then we can trust her)

FL suddenly remember that Yonger though has transmigrated but she is still a 2D character not like ML and FL. Yonger doesn't know Beijing and thinks City A as the capital. I think that was a sudden realization/remembrance to FL.

In the novel, she never knows that! She even tells FL she will come and visit her in the real world!

Right! It was so unfair to them! I said it few days back, maybe no one is actually bad, everyone is trying to survive, but palace politics is ruining all of them!

Exactly! Enjoying both of them so much, they are really complementing each other, due to them being different genres!

FL's master's death does happen! The teaser was released where FL was crying!

It seemed she suddenly got the favour of majesty, due to her saving the prince, and was awarded! I think there were scenes, but 6 episodes were cut, so they had to delete some of the scenes!

Just bear her for 2 more episodes!

While this can be, because emperor was always scheduled to be a tyrant! But I doubt that, ML and FL have not been following the script at all, they do have this power! FL said, everyone can take their own decisions, and via their choices can change their faith!
ML is a kid in the scene, he just wanted her not to say anything about his secret. It seemed to be a mistake!

Ep 17 and 18 set up the perfect pre Mid-climax base! I really like the palace politics here, of the three different factions, while reading I was confused most of the time, but the drama did it well!
I love the leads, they have the perfect chemistry, perfect clothes and aesthetics! Babies so in love, I will never stop raving about them!
Now it has really been a regular thing these days to feel bad about young Dan! Poor baby!

Concubine Shu said, it was the first time ML entered the palace. So he was curious and wanted to take a look, hence went near it! Even ML said the same to FL. But he told there was no one else! But his father was there, and he was even saving her, which FL remembered on her own!

He never wanted to, but he couldn't deny Imperial decree! So he had to continue. But later, like by ep 9, he had adapted to it, basically I think he started liking her!
His father told him to maintain distance to her, while all of them do debate if she remembers the tragic night 15 years back or just pretending to! ML might also be with her, in order to get answers to that, if she truly remembers or not! But this was not explicitly said! In fact after the first case when he started getting concerned with her, he is even guilty, so maybe everything changed when he developed a bond with her!

Because the present crown prince is ML's biological son. Hence to explain that to the same actor played the two roles.

He is! And I am not supporting him or anything! But he is also brainwashed. His mother was a maid, who used to care for ML's birth mother. But the maid/concubine said something to ML birth mom, and hence was slapped to death! Now its not very evident if ML birth mom did it, but from Duan perspective, she is responsible! Plus even he is punished by his step mother, without any mistake of his! They were all children, they really did not had a lot of means to understand what's right! Palace politics did ruin all of them! But in today's episode, Duan changing pastries was the first vile thing he actually did against ML.
But now he could have changed, like at least using the girl who likes you, killing your own baby, happy a relationship with brother's concubine, are really pathetic!

Yes Duan!

Nothing, they only showed light hearted moments in the previews of ep 17-18, but by 18's emoji things do escalate!
In today's episode, yes Empress Dowager does things, but FL is too clever so nothing happens! Its all merry!

He is 30? She is 24? They don't seem to be like that! Like WXY is too young so he wouldn't look a lot elder to Bailu, but in the childhood flashback scenes, he look 2-3 years max elder to her! Did they mention the ages? My goodness if they did that, they completely did opposite of their real lives, WXY being 6 years younger to Bailu!
That's a different thing though, I like both their contrasting characters yet have similarities!