Xiang83

I'll check that out! Also, notifications are scrambled due to MDL's issues. That's why I am replying so late XD

I would gladly read Strange Tales of Liao Zhai, Canonisation of Deities or Journey To The West but if I am forced to do Dream of Red Mansion one more time, I'll gladly plant my face into a block of tofu and possibly not resurface.

I am still figuring my way out for Sci-fi. IQiyi's Light On series has been quite engaging, and this is a compilation of all the different series in chronological order: https://kisskh.at/775587-iqiyi-light-on

XJS was actually ready to die at one point, as per the flashback when he told Yixiao to leave him and she refused.

This is the spoiler for XJS and Xiyang that I shared yesterday before today's episodes. Seems to be on-point so far, including future episodes: https://kisskh.at/768987-wan-xin-ji#comment-23740534

Because the screenwriters and directors clearly didn't have sufficient grasp of the source material, and the insertion of the original elements of transmigration was also not well-thought-out and not well-handled. The end results prove they couldn't even decide on the creative final vision for the ML's development and delivery which affected Cheng Yi pretty badly, much less the creative final result for this drama, and it affected a lot of other performances. Cheng Yi's brothers are very one-dimensional due to lazy writing in the adaptation. The editing is also atrocious (such as not giving Li Chenzhou the scenes needed with Xiao Qiushui), and Liu Suifeng got so much screentime it didn't make sense, so one gets a terrible story.

In the hands of the directors and screenwriter of Fated Hearts, Cheng Yi would have been the ML with the right focus. That novel was adapted very well for the currently-airing drama ( I read the novel, so I know the differences in characterisations and plots for Fated Hearts).

He isn't heartless. He is at the mercy of his younger brother and step-mother, and he is finding a way to survive and overcome that. He did tell Xiyang she could leave him, when they were at the border. He also told Xiyang he would never love her, and all he could give is the status accorded as the wife of the Prince of Zhennan. The death camp he maintained doesn't mean he is excused, nor his decision to sacrifice his own citizens in battle. It's a question of how unacceptable his ruthlessness is.

XIyang doesn't realise how badly she wounds him once she starts wearing a certain specific dress and hairstyle of Yixiao to try to make XJS fall in love with her.

There is no Murong Yao in the novel, and Feng Suige doesn't suffer any of that. The novel is quite different.

Oh yes, I got one thing mixed up, which is that the Emperor of Jinxiu is the younger brother of XJS, and that is the same in the novel. I got mixed up on this detail because I was reading another novel. Yesterday, I also gave another MDL user spoilers about what happens to Xiyang and XJS after episode 18. This was before today's episodes aired, and seems to match my spoilers for episodes 19 and 20 plus future episodes:

https://kisskh.at/768987-wan-xin-ji#comment-23740534

If you want specifics on Xia Jingshi, understanding the initial changes for the first 32 chapters of the novel versus the drama would help. I created a discussion post for that, with a link to my comment summarising those details.

If you want to know what might happen to Xia Jingshi and Xiyang after episode 18 based on the Reuters available and many theories out there, then this is what I have summarised: https://kisskh.at/768987-wan-xin-ji#comment-23740534

What are your thoughts on Elvis Han Dongjun's performance at this point?

Zhang Tian'ai has captivated me in this drama. I would really like to see her and Li Qin together in a female-centric drama, perhaps where they front an agency.

Wait for Vendetta of An. You have every right to be disappointed and angry with how this turned out. That pink robe was a terrible choice for Cheng Yi, and it's odd when Eleanor Lee and Gulnezar had much better styling. I found Liu Suifeng not to be bland, and that is due to the actor's efforts plus the bewildering fact of his story being edited and portrayed in a far smoother manner than Xiao Qiushui. If I had not focused on Liu Suifeng as the pivotal point for seven episodes to understand the rest of the drama in a sensible manner, I would have dropped the drama by episode 4.

I am certain a fair number of watchers took their personal views to DM. I know some of them didn't dare to voice their thoughts in this comment section. Even though some of the ratings for this drama are very unfair on MDL and IMDB due to some weird fan war, TJOL didn't do as well as expected domestically despite a big budget and not having strong competition during its run because TTL was already over. A lot of Cheng Yi fans should rightfully feel hurt about Cheng Yi's efforts relative to the end result, but not to the point that anything negative about this drama becomes anybody saying so as "haters".

The Directors, Scriptwriters and post-production team should have been fired, and I explained why in my review.

What are you looking for in a drama, at this point?

There's a JoL3? I hope Li Qin also picks future projects where she is strong yet vulnerable. There are some actors I want to see her with. She can do this!

In the novel, there is a struggle for the throne. The original Jinxiu emperor who tries to kill Xia Jingshi tricked Feng Xiyang by pretending to be nice, and this emperor is very evil. Xiyang dies in the novel trying to protect Xia Jingshi, who is willing to swap himself and subject himself to the Emperor again in order to allow Xiyang to be safe even though he didn't love her. Xiyang realises that the wounds Xia Jingshi suffered initially in captivity is because of her naivety so this time, she refuses to allow Xia Jingshi to sacrifice for her.

I don't think the screenwriters will deviate that much on the character of the Emperor, even if they deviated more than 90% on novel-Xia Jingshi to improve everyone else including Feng Suige's father.

If you want to see the other differences of novel versus drama which has an effect until episode 16, I summarised it here: https://kisskh.at/768987-wan-xin-ji#comment-23723748

You can access weibo, unless weibo is blocked in your country. If you're asking about full access to all the features for the likes of xiaohongshu or weibo, a China mobile number ensures no issues.

I saw some scenes and kept them in the sole context of what they represented, so this is what I managed to gleam:

When they return to Jinxiu, Xiyang does her best to make XJS fall in love with her, to the point of dressing up and adopting the same hairstyle and imitating Yixiao. There is a scene whereby XJS slaps Xiyang, who has chosen a dress and hairstyle constantly used by Yixiao. To XJS, Xiyang did not give him a choice in the marriage and her existence reminds him of how she used this marriage alliance to permanently separate him from his only love Fu Yixiao, and this imitation cutting too close reminds him of those wounds. This slap makes Xiyang realise that what XJS once said to her is true: He will never love her.

Before that, Xiyang also protects XJS from Xia Jingyan. There is a scene whereby Xia Jingyan is in his casual robes as emperor and tries to kill XJS with a sword, only to be thwarted by Xiyang shoving Xia Jingyan aside.

Xia Jingyan is a spoilt bratty tyrant bitterly jealous of XJS and wants to harm XJS in anyway possible. Poisoning XJS is one way of keeping XJS under control. One example of Xia Jingyan wanting to harm XJS in any way is the scene where Xia Jingyan pretends to be nice to Xiyang and grabs Xiyang's hands, then deliberately shoves them into a a bundle of stems full of thorns.

There is one bilibili video with a summary closest to the scenes I have described: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1i7xMzPEb8/

This is not-yet-ascertained: As to why Xiyang divorces XJS, it is to do with her hearing the news about the deaths of her father and brother and her wanting to avenge them at any costs, whereby she believes XJS is responsible. It is because of her allying herself with Xia Jingyan that XJS finally decides to go for the throne. In the novel, there is a struggle for the throne of Jinxiu. I believe this struggle will turn out differently from the novel.

In the novel during the final 30 chapters, there is a power struggle for the throne of Jinxiu.

In this drama, the power struggle will be between Xia Jingyan and Xia Jingshi.

This interview for episodes 9 and 10 was funny.

https://video.weibo.com/show?fid=1034:5217819969912992

The top four are discussing that scene where they all meet. Xia Meng says Xiyang wanted to meet Yixiao because she wants to know about her soon-to-be-husband's ex. Chen Zheyuan is totally not helping the ??? in the plot here, when he explains he happened to be there because the script says so, and then claims he forgot he was originally there for his sis the moment he saw Yixiao. But he remembers at the last-minute, which is why he looks back and calls his sister's name.

I think the drama would have been awesome if Xiyang went with the thought of totally ditching Xia Jingshi and wanting Yixiao, after seeing how Yixiao shot three arrows. Two siblings fighting over Yixiao would have been hot.

And if Xiyang wants the complete attention of both princes, just get Yixiao. I am totally for this plot deviation and pairing. Xiyang and Yixiao together would be hot and Xiyang would develop well as a character, but then we would have this drama majorly derailed XD

Which spoilers are you referring to? Could you share?

I was trying to clarify certain scenes with the right context in an older thread, given everything that is floating around. I don't like what Xia Jingyan did to Xiyang.

Our Yixiao is a very direct lady and goes completely for the heart, most fatal when literally. That's why she has slaughtered many enemies for the Jin Xiu Dynasty and pissed off Susha Kingdom's soldiers. She has to, or she dies.

On the other hand, Xiyang has never been in such a situation. In terms of developing character, she has never been placed in a situation requiring her to show character. One can excuse ignorance, but at some point one cannot excuse a refusal to differentiate between right and wrong or good and evil. But something good will come out of her choices in episode 17.

At this point, I find drama-Xiyang to be worse than novel-Xiyang. She blatantly lied to her father and betrayed his trust. Whatever one feels about this emperor, he would know she took the imperial token from his room and when. Of course he would collapse. Feng Suige may appear defiant, but he protects his father. If his father didn't trust him, he wouldn't warn him about what would happen in court the next day.

Xia Jingshi was blunt with her and in episode 17 where his words are concerned to Xiyang, he was similar to novel-Xia Jingshi. He told her he would give her accordance as per the status and all else as befits her position wedded to him, but she would never have his love. He said he did not want to be indebted to her. He even told her that she could turn back, when they were at the border.

Hence I posted something for everyone XD

In the interview highlights, Li Qin and Chen Zheyuan are praising each other for certain aspects of their fights/battle scenes. Li Qin finds him to be quite hot when he is on horseback. Chen Zheyuan recounts how and why he failed to single-handedly mount a horse at one time for her.

I can't remember if Li Qin ever took on the role of Hua Mulan. She would have been very suitable.