WindBlows

I was also a bit disappointed with how the reconciliation was handled. And yes, Zisheng looked resigned when he had always been so determined about his love for Shaoshang. Meanwhile, she became a shell of her old self and at one point seemed to have lost interest in life, despite always being adamant to live a good life regardless of other people.

Both changed drastically. Some have called it character growth or becoming mature. I find it inconsistent with how they had been portrayed until the 5-year break. In my opinion, maturing does not mean becoming a completely different person.

Maybe one could argue LBY's revenge and its consequences were so traumatic for both of them that it led to the radical changes in personality and behaviour. Still, this interpretation of their characters does not sit well with me.

We can at least imagine the scene based on the book! Bottom line, it's a matter of interpretation and artistic choice. In my opinion, they could have cut down the LJT as villain arc since she had a minor role to begin with in the drama. Another episode was not necessary.

There is a comment by RedPhoenix above - it seems they decided to exclude this book scene because LBY in the drama did not regret his revenge and its consequences. I don't think LBY in the book regretted them either. He was just very sorry for hurting SS. So the drama team's reason doesn't quite make sense to me. But again everyone is entitled to their opinion and it's all subjective interpretations.

Glad to see I'm not the only one.

That would be a wonderful idea!

I agree. Their conversation is beautiful and heartwrenching. I sound like a broken record, but a similar talk between them could have been included in the drama. That would have made it perfect in every way for me.

I think their dialogue could have been shown in the drama, without the previous fight/rebiting. I still feel a heartfelt talk between them is missing, which would lead to reconciliation. Their conversation after the Empress' death is very touching, but they go their separate ways.

Very generous of you! It was nice to read that scene again. Perhaps you could save the translation and repost it throughout the weekend. Or just make a reference to the discussion thread. Here things move so quickly that it only takes a few hours for the post to be burried.

Wu Lei is an incredible actor! Such a myriad of complex emotions were expressed and his face transitioned smoothly from one to the other. Heartbreaking...

When LBY was answering the Empress' question about regrets, he took his time before tearfully saying no. At that time he was sorry for hurting SS, but would have done the same if given another chance.

Perhaps a part of him hoped SS would not leave him despite all these hurtful actions - repeatedly lying to her, using her to pursue his political agenda and finally abandoning her, but that was too much to expect from her.

Those years in exile drastically changed his perspective. I would have liked for LBY to tell us exactly what he regrets. He only mentions vaguely having made mistakes for which he wants to atone.

I think LBY was not afraid the Emperor would not believe him, but rather that the Emperor would choose not to do anything about it. Remember how Prince Yong (the weapon theft mastermind) taunted LBY about the Emperor's soft attitude? Suggesting that the Emperor would always choose 'peace of the land', particularly when old allies were involved no matter how great their faults.

Later we see the Emperor overlooked Marquis Yue's escalating scheming, though it affected the Crown Prince. And again if Consort Yue had not pushed her brother to confess, the Emperor would not have punished him at all for contributing to Gu city's fall.

So LBY needed irrefutable evidence which would somehow force the Emperor to punish the culprits. And when that possibility disappeared, he chose to kill his uncle regardless of consequences.

I am considering "Why Her?", but I haven't started it yet so I am not sure.

I'll give myself this weekend to properly digest LLTG, while rewatching key scenes.😉 Later I might try a very different genre, something like Eve's Scandal.

Yes, I enjoyed the chemistry between the leads, but always as part of the wider drama context. If I had been invested only in their romance, it would have been difficult since it's a very slow burn. I am someone who likes slow burn yet this couple took it to new lengths...

What I am trying to say is that I enjoyed the whole story with its different multidimensional characters and their individual growth, the family theme etc. Every episode was thought provoking for me in some way, so I eagerly came back to watch again and again.

Just like I could not imagine LBY being portrayed by anyone else apart from Wu Lei, Zhao Lusi shined so very brightly as CSS. I glimpsed at her potential in WRTW, but the true depth of her acting skills was expressed in LLTG. I would have liked a more intense kiss at the end as well. They had spent so much time apart, suffered and matured in the process, so it seemed fitting. At the same time, I was glad to just see them together and happy again.

You've summarized my impression of this last part of the drama compared to the novel perfectly. And of course I appreciate both versions of the post-5 years developments. It's just that I do not think character growth means becoming a completely different person. Is it even possible to drastically change one's very nature? Anyway, it has indeed been a wonderful drama from beginning to end, despite my minor disappointments.

I respect your opinion and you should do what feels right for you. I have enjoyed this drama a lot. Just thought some things could have been handled better.

It's natural to check since there are quite a few members in the Cheng household. I was also a bit overwhelmed in the beginning.

Great comparison! For all those differences you mentioned, I prefer the novel to the drama in this last part. My opinion is that they wanted to make the drama easier to relate to for everyone, avoiding anything that could be too intense or upsetting. Now I just want a proper English translation of the novel to enjoy it fully.

There isn't always a logical reason for what we do, which includes LBY's motivations and actions. I am sure he felt very alone and in pain sitting there at his aunt's funeral. A part of him knew he would move forward with his revenge, while another part desperately clung to the hope of not losing CSS. That pact reassured him he was not alone and that CSS loved him very much.

To me, he looked the most attractive with long hair slightly disheveled, when he was fighting in the northwest. Otherwise, his very strong facial features can be a bit harsh, which I am sure was Wu Lei's intention when acting LBY.