WindBlows

I am an only child and a girl as well 😊They did not show us Shaoshang's oldest brother, who I assume will be the heir of the Cheng family.

Taking into account the time period and dominant mentalities, I would say general Cheng was considered lucky to have 3 sons. And Song - as the Cheng second son marrying into the Wan clan was like a gift between the two families who had experienced so much together.

Yes, Song married Qiqi and they continued general Wan's name and family, since he had no male heirs.

So true! Now that I think about it, I found it funny how the grandmother suddenly shifted her attitude (though time in prison can change people) and Yuanyi became very open in her affection towards her daughter... I also disliked how they reduced Shaoshang to a victim who physically and emotionally withdraws from the world after HBY's revenge. As you said, in the novel she built a life for herself and the Empress which was true to both of them.

I agree that the scene where Shaoshang and Zisheng say they will lead good lives is very touching. The acting was great throughout the drama, no complaints there, just some script choices which were disappointing for me.

I have watched all the remaining episodes late into the night, since I was too eager to see how things unfold to the very end. Now I want to put down some thoughts, though I reserve my final opinion for later due to a couple of reasons. I bought the WeTV express package so watched on my phone, which was not ideal. The English subtitles left a lot to be desired, hence I am looking forward to rewatching with hopefully better translations.

Overall, LLTG will always be my first love in terms of drama. I have never been so emotionally invested in either a book or film/series, so it will always have a special place in my heart. That being said, I was disappointed by a few things.

The pace felt very rushed from ep. 43 to the end, considering how LLTG delivered the story until then. A few more episodes would have made a great difference. If that was not possible due to budget/time constraints, then I think the palace bullying could have been cut down significantly and leave more episodes for the post-5 years developments.

The reconciliation was somewhat unconvincing, in my opinion.
1. I was very disappointed about how they wrote the scene of Shaoshang and Zisheng's first meeting after separation. In the novel it was much more poignant and emotionally charged.
2. Zisheng turned from a quite dark character into a saint, which is difficult to believe for me. Of course, he repents and regrets his choices, but how has he become a completely different person?

I understand they had to change things from the novel, particularly the rebiting scene which would have been too intense for most of the audience. Yet they could have found a middle ground. Zisheng, who had been so determined about his love for Shaoshang, after their reunion only looked resigned. It's nice that he protected and supported her family, but the one he hurt was Shaoshang so I felt more direct amends would have been needed.

3. I didn't think there was a heartfelt conversation between them, without life threatening or painful situations, which could lead to forgiveness. They used a classic plot device to force the reconciliation - Shaoshang believed him dead after Zisheng heroically saved her and others, then he shows up alive and all is well and forgiven.

Despite these aspects, LLTG has secured my love for it and I will rate it 10 out of 10 - overall and episode by episode.

I love this celebration card and all the fanart you've drawn! It's been a lovely experience for me too! Not only watching a wonderful drama, but also sharing ideas and comments with our great community here on MDL 🌌💖🌟

Wonderful news! 💖

I am familiar with video editing, so I know the transitions are tricky. But as you practice you'll definitely master them!

I like your concept and the video looked nice!

About the imperial trio, it just goes to show that appearances can be deceptive. At first everyone seemed to be happy with their lot in life. And the Emperor is probably the happiest since he gets the best of both worlds.

I feel very sorry for the Empress because, despite her official position, she has the least influence and has never been loved as she deserves.

I really dislike the Lou elder too and hope he will get his just deserts. Right now I am not sure how everything will be tied together. And I feel sorrow for Lou Ben's wife because she loved him deeply.

Perhaps Lou Ben also wants to become the new clan head, which requires his uncle's demise. But there is a thin line between changing clan leadership and having the whole clan die for treason. Lou Ben seemed desperate the last time we saw him in part 1. And desperate times call for desperate measures.

Just adding to what you've already described, Lou Ben's main concern and life disappointment was not being able to become an official, despite being very gifted. And that was due to his uncle's interference and influence as the Crown Prince's tutor.

So what can Lou Ben do to achieve his aim? Create a situation after which he earns so many merits, including from the Emperor, that he can surpass his uncle's influence.

I agree, if it had not been for YS, the Cheng family could have died before even going to prison. I only like the Emperor as comedy relief, otherwise he is quite disappointing.

I also hope LBY will be convincing in making amends towards SS. And I am very curious how the script writers will handle this challenge. Usually I am not convinced by the happy ending...

As I understood it, the Cheng family has been imprisoned awaiting trial. So theoretically they are under investigation and not condemned yet. As for the Emperor, he doesn't like to make waves or go too much against popular opinion. All the ones you mentioned had been let off were aristocrats or related to the imperial family.

General Cheng and the other accused come from poor backgrounds, which makes them easy victims. It's nepotism, but also double standards when serving justice. It may have been the Emperor who promoted them, but when faced with opposition from the displeased aristocrats, he prefers to cave in and let others handle the situation.

Yes, it's great to see that she has built a support network besides LBY and her family. And it's due to her efforts. YS is also working hard to redeem himself.

True, the angst is upon us. They could handle the separation, her life in the palace, his in the northwest (brief presence of Viper) - all in one episode and then switch to the reunion.

Agreed! It feels like ages since I hoped for the story to move on from palace bullying...

I assume the revenge arc starts already in ep. 48 as shown in the trailer, followed by the exile.