Tibbs

Plus the emperor knows the Marquis is likely innocent. However, he can’t prove it from his throne room. He needs to go by the book until someone produces evidence that exonerates CSS’s dad. That was why he was initially so angry he needed to be consoled by his concert. I’m sure he’s not looking forward to exterminating a whole line of subjects, or the impact this would have when he tries to elevate other commoners in the future. His hands are tied. He was only arguing with CSS in order to let her see things from his POV.

Excellent points. We’re forgetting he’s an emperor. So the more children, the merrier. Lineage is very important.

The Crown Princess didn’t have to marry the CP. If I understood the subs right when the empress was explaining to CSS, the Crown Princess was given the option to bow out knowing that the CP was in love with a woman more suitable for him but she refused. She didn’t go into this marriage blind. So she has only herself to blame for marrying a man who was already in love with another woman. In that case, she should have sucked it up like the empress, who knowingly married a man who was in love with another woman, but made her peace with it and didn’t allow herself to be consumed by jealousy. The Crown Princess also had myriad opportunities to make her husband at least like and respect her, even if he was in love with someone else, as the empress did with her husband. But she didn’t, and was instead consumed by bitterness. I agree that the CP was wrong to stare so intently at another man’s wife. But the heart wants what it wants, and it cannot always be controlled. The Crown Princess acting out in jealousy to ruin another woman’s life gets no sympathy from me. And to say that she wasn’t aware her children were getting abused is stretching the truth a little far. Why else did she so insidiously ask why the children weren’t brought to the palace? That the crown Prince always talked about her kids? In the presence of the woman’s husband? For the last 10 years of their marriage, there was no evidence that the CP ever tried to contact his first love, rather it was his wife who created the illusion of an affair in the eyes of Qu Lingin’s husband.

The Crown Princess mask has finally come off! Now CSS can see the beast behind the caring façade. Imho she’s much worse than the spoiled princesses, because they do their evil acts openly while hers is hidden and pretentious. What a witch!

Really she should have been the empress! She has the regal bearing, she understands the emperor do much better, and she has an innate sense of justice and fairness. Plus she doesn’t give a f*ck about anyone in her family and isn’t intimidated by anyone. I do admire her. I bet the 3rd prince is like her in many respects. He also deserves to be the Crown Prince.

She’s been punished. For some who claims not to give two cents about the lives of subordinates. She certainly was shocked at the death of all her beloved ‘aides’. Ling Buyi did deliver the present he promised. Waiting for her as she entered into her mansion. She should have been more wary of him. Plus her reputation is in tatters and she’s under house arrest. There are many ways to punish a person than a physical beating.

Lesson learned, appreciate people while they are with you otherwise you may never get the chance again. NN is now outside her mother’s sphere of influence. She’s moved on with her life.As a mother, she missed her timing twice, and has only herself to blame for a non-existent relationship with her daughter.

Thumbs up! A lot of people underestimate the freedom she felt with Lou Yao, total acceptance of her, giving her the freedom to be whoever she wanted to be. But he still looked out for her and took care of her in his way.

She started with an indirect kiss (sharing his wine plate) and ended it with a direct peck lol! Can this couple be any sweeter?

She shows a depth of maturity that I feel is missing in CSS. I can see why CSS’s mother likes and protects her so much. I was against CSS’s mother’s treatment of NN in the past; but as times go by, I begin to understand her mother more and more and sympathize with her fears for her daughter’s reckless ways. I still believe she was wrong in her methods to train her daughter, constantly praising another child in front of NN; not really communicating with her daughter or appreciating her daughter’s talents. If NN had gotten the motherly love she so craved from her own parent, she may not have been so reckless at the palace, that she feels the need to go an extra mile to anyone she perceives is showing her kindness. In that one regard, NN’s mother’s actions made her daughter’s behavior worse, instead of better.

As much as I love this drama, how episode 34 went down is simply unrealistic. That CSS or Zisheng would hold that much power to let the royal family leave the business of ruling to come to his wedding to put the old lady in her place is simply past belief. It’s like the royal family are props the writer uses in the romantic story of Zisheng and CSS, and when they are no longer useful, the writer puts them on the shelf. I wish the story was a tad more realistic, I simply cannot believe that a low ranking CSS would speak to her superior in such a manner in front of the Emperor and Empress and just get away with it.

@J66. Thanks for your comment. NN cannot be blamed for advising the CP to be more filial. What he does with her advice is his business. And if the emperor is a big idiot to trust a CP who has no boundaries between family and his subjects, it’s clearly not her fault. HOWEVER, I agree with LBY that she should stay out of it. See how her advice was misrepresented by the CP to LBY. What would have happened if it was an enemy with evil intentions instead of LBY? She’s better off minding her business, and just learning at the side of the empress as she was intended to do. Personally, I agree with NN’s mom. NN is too bold. She meddles in matters that have nothing to do with her; and in the process, offends many important people. She could potentially bring harm to her entire clan if she’s not careful. LBY is right to be afraid for her, but he didn’t equip her to deal with all this. Knowing her nature, he should have prepared her more fully for what she would meet at the palace.

Are we watching the same drama? All these happened in the earlier episodes. When she was bullied by the princesses the first time she came to the palace even before her engagement. She was pushed headlong into broken pottery that could have marred her face. And when the third princess caught her alone and forced her to kneel, having her servants slap her; she was saved by the crown princess. No wonder she feels loyal to her.

I’m losing interest in this drama. Currently on ep 13. Yandan should have called her sister out on her lies. She had many opportunities and different ways of doing so. Instead, she goes about moping, feeling sort for herself. If she has decided to protect her sister, then she should suck it up and let it go, instead of this continual moping. It’s quite irritating.

The 2nd sister spoke up during the Hui memorial. She seems quite intelligent and well mannered. She’s the one who invited CSS to come visit even though they were not acquainted yet.

Thanks for saying this. What he’s giving her is certainly control, not love. She tried to explain this to him, and yet he couldn’t understand. She’s embarrassed by his overbearing ways and his display at the wedding didn’t serve to make her happy or comfortable. How could she feel comfortable when she became the object of every one’s attention in such a manner and at her ex’s wedding, no less? LBY loves and admires CSS, but fails to understand how to get along with her by allowing her be herself as Lou Yao did. LY gave her space to be herself. She’s a strong personality with her own thoughts, ideologies and desires. I think with time she can handle him in a marriage. She would not be cowed like a female with a meeker personality would be. She can stand her ground. When they get to truly know and understand each other, they will be a force to be reckoned with.

I agree with you and understand her mother’s reasoning and fears. Still there are other ways to avoid the pending engagement than degrading one’s child before the emperor. She could have pleaded that her child is traumatized by the broken engagement and the family needed more time to evaluate the proposal, or she needed more time to train her child to be equipped to marry into a powerful family since her daughter was uneducated in etiquette. She didn’t have to go so far as to tear her down in such a way to ruin her daughter’s reputation and future prospects. I never doubted her mother’s love. It’s ironic that the one who is supposed to love her the most is inflicting the most damage to her.

There’s a huge difference between being a harsh disciplinarian and being abusive. CSS mom is abusive. There’s nothing wrong with tough love. There’s something hugely wrong when a mother sees nothing wrong with damaging her daughter’s reputation in public, knowing fully well that reputation is the life blood of women in that era. After that display of motherly love, CSS is guaranteed to be a spinster for life, or at most someone’s concubine. She was right to ask her mother if she had a problem with her as no reputable family would want to marry a wife whose own biological mother condemns her in front of the emperor. In an era rife with gossip. CSS was very smart to accept LBY’s proposal, cause that may well have been the last honorable proposal she would have. Smart girl. The mother tried to rescue her from a frying pan, but threw her into the fire. And her father had no backbone.

And dear Papa never contradicts his wife. Even before the emperor! No wonder his own mother is frustrated with him!

Agreed. It was very classy. Very classy indeed. I couldn’t love the couple more than I already do. Genuine feelings from both sides. YS could learn some pointers from them and not be such a jerk.