At the end, we have conflicting information, and I'm left with a question mark. Is it revenge, as XSH tells his…
My opinion: It was a mix of love and hate, just as Shu He said multiple times. He still loved and cared for Zi Ang deeply—after all, he married him and even performed the ritual meant to bind their souls together for eternity. And yet, there were too many obstacles between them in this life: Zi Ang killed his brother and forced him into the role of emperor (a burden Shu He was never suited for), he kidnapped and held him captive, and realistically there was never a future for them in the countryside. Zi Ang was the emperor of one nation and in poor health, Shu He the fallen ruler of another—even if Zi Ang abdicated, the world and fate would not allow it. Besides, the moment Zi Ang died, Shu He would either be executed on the spot or have to kill himself somehow.
So Shu He sought a way out of the misery his life had become, and at the same time he wanted Zi Ang to feel some of the pain he himself had endured. That was his revenge. And once that “box was ticked,” he could finally let go of the hatred and embrace the love he had carried all along. It was like winning one final game of Go: they were even at last.
(Xiao Shu He, ep 6, right before their second kiss: "Don't let me lose again.")
What matters is in the end Shu He waited in the afterlife out of love. Because with death, he was finally able to let go of his hatred.
Re-watching - ep 4 - Festival dateShu He entering the court- SH was always tempted to enter the court to avenge…
I always interpreted that Shu He entered the court because of the "favor" Prime Minister Gu asked of him in exchange for his help to find Huai Yi. In ep 3 Shu He was adamantly opposed, and in ep 4 suddenly willing to do so. Of course, getting revenge for his mother was also part of his reasons. But the timing is just a little too convenient.
I am actually quite upset on how the last scene is portrayed by few users in social medias. The posts said that…
I mostly agree, yet I do think Shu He wanted "revenge".
However not for the fact that his brother died before his eyes (or at least that was only low on the list of things that might have contributed). I think he wanted revenge for being betrayed, forced to take the throne he never wanted —fully knowing he was not qualified for the task — held captive, humiliated as leader, treated like a pet (lower than a human being in his eyes) and being denied the dignified death he had asked for on multiple occasions. The fact that Zi Ang‘s health was rapidly deteriorating aided in his decision. If Zi Ang died before him, he would have been executed or committed suicide, whichever came faster.
I hope you take my reply as what out is intended — my passion for this series and a love do deep dive into characters‘ minds, their actions and possible motivations for them.
I disagree with the "Asian Love Glorifying Suicide" I don't think it was because of Love. May be I am…
Thank you for your wonderful reply. I think it’s sad how some people misunderstand XSH, thinking he was weak. To me he was strong, intelligent and fiercely loyal to South Hui. Also your input on XSQ and politics - quite a complex subject, that could have been explored a little bit more, weren’t it for their extremely tight budget.
I just thought back to how Ziang said innately to Shuhe “ You have deceived me my entire life.” And it’s…
How can anyone—other than the people themselves—truly know or compare how much one loves the other, or whether their love is equal? What feels clear is that both loved profoundly, perhaps even too much. “Like fire and powder, which as they kiss consume.” Zi Ang became obsessed, while Shu He was torn apart by betrayal, his love and hate hopelessly intertwined. I also don't think it's about who wronged who more, they both wronged each other.
And while Zi Ang said that Shu He had deceived him his whole life, I don’t think this is true. Before their first kiss, Shu He confessed all his lies and revealed his true self. Zi Ang, meanwhile, opened his heart but still concealed his identity. From that moment until the fateful night at the bridge, Shu He was nothing if not genuine. Zi Ang may have been the only person who ever truly knew Shu He—not Shu He the Sixth Prince of Southern Hui, but Shu He the man.
After the time skip, Zi Ang’s “love” had twisted into obsession—so consuming that he could no longer see Shu He as he was, or the suffering he endured. If Zi Ang’s love were truly selfless, he would have recognized how deeply he had hurt him. Instead, he convinced himself that as long as Shu He was alive, everything would be fine. But it wasn’t.
And yet, despite being humiliated before the court, held captive like a canary in a gilded cage, shakles around his bloody ankles, Shu He still loved Zi Ang. He hated himself for it, but he couldn’t stop. That’s exactly what Shen Song had warned him about: don’t fall for real. After all, the best disguise for a lie is to embed it in truth. And whenever Zi Ang and Shu He were close after the time skip—when Shu He touched him, bathed him, shared his bed—those moments were not lies. They were his real feelings, his real love, not little tricks he used. Yet he still wanted out of this misery his life had become.
It was only after his failed escape, and Zi Ang on his last days, that the plan for revenge took shape.
And with revenge—and the possibility of freedom through death—Shu He could finally give himself over completely to his feelings. He could allow himself to express the full depth of his love. That’s why the day they spent together—playing the zither for him while he "sword-blossom danced", getting married, tying their souls together for eternity—was so profound. He wouldn’t have done it if it weren’t real.
I feel empty. It is over. It was tragic and yet beautiful. There was no other possible outcome, and for how far both Zi Ang and Shu He were gone, this ending provided the only peace they could ever find.
The acting was great, and their chemistry undeniable from the very beginning. I've been into BL for almost two decades, mostly a silent observer. Yet for this I want to scream from the rooftops how amazing it is. (Almost) perfection. May this drama and the actors get the recognition they deserve. A tiny few details I would have liked to be done differently, but thats mostly due to their budget restraints.
I'm on episode 9 and I'm about to watch episode 10. I've watched and read the spoilers as well, here is what people…
"...he thought there were no more secrets between them ..." Yes, exactly. Shu He's expression on the bridge changes the second his brother says that Zi Ang is a spy from Norhtern Ji. He goes from "let us leave the city together" to "what the...?" in a split second. It's not that Shu He didn't suspect /know it (at least the part of being a crimson shadow guard, not the fact that Zi Ang was in the line of successsion to North Ji's throne), it's just that he chose to trust him and what he said about never leaving Southern Hui. Shu He bared his soul to him - his dreams, his shortcomings, everything. But Zi Ang hid his true identity. To Shu He there must have been countless occasions in which Zi Ang could have told him the truth, yet didn't. Shu He warned him that his trust was a fragile thing. That he wouldn't be able to forgive him if he ever did something detrimental to the Southern Hui kingdom.
What if Huai Yi is poisoning Zi Ang? Because he was fine before the time skip. Also it’s a lie that all the previous commanders of the crimson shadow died young. Zi Ang’s uncle looked at least 50-55 years old, definitely past his prime.
Maybe Huai Yi is just fed up with Zi Ang acting the way he does? Wants the throne for himself? Or he never was his brother to begin with? I know it’s not the time for theories, but I can’t help myself.
I was editing character aesthetic for Shu He.. can someone drop his some of his dialogues?
There's so much, where to begin?
"You lost." "Don't let me lose again." "My teacher said that one must have clean hands and a calm heart when playing the zither." "Trust is a fragile thing. I am willing to trust you again." "So what if I do? So what if I don't? Who would care?"
also the fact that they didnt even have money to hire extras or servants in the manor 🥲 i didnt even notice…
After I heard their comment on it I wasn't able to unsee the lack of extras, haha. I imagine that they even asked like the make-up arist 🤣 "Just stand there in the corner, please? We won't show your face, just make it look like there are people around."
It was a mix of love and hate, just as Shu He said multiple times. He still loved and cared for Zi Ang deeply—after all, he married him and even performed the ritual meant to bind their souls together for eternity. And yet, there were too many obstacles between them in this life: Zi Ang killed his brother and forced him into the role of emperor (a burden Shu He was never suited for), he kidnapped and held him captive, and realistically there was never a future for them in the countryside. Zi Ang was the emperor of one nation and in poor health, Shu He the fallen ruler of another—even if Zi Ang abdicated, the world and fate would not allow it.
Besides, the moment Zi Ang died, Shu He would either be executed on the spot or have to kill himself somehow.
So Shu He sought a way out of the misery his life had become, and at the same time he wanted Zi Ang to feel some of the pain he himself had endured. That was his revenge. And once that “box was ticked,” he could finally let go of the hatred and embrace the love he had carried all along. It was like winning one final game of Go: they were even at last.
(Xiao Shu He, ep 6, right before their second kiss: "Don't let me lose again.")
What matters is in the end Shu He waited in the afterlife out of love. Because with death, he was finally able to let go of his hatred.
However not for the fact that his brother died before his eyes (or at least that was only low on the list of things that might have contributed).
I think he wanted revenge for being betrayed, forced to take the throne he never wanted —fully knowing he was not qualified for the task — held captive, humiliated as leader, treated like a pet (lower than a human being in his eyes) and being denied the dignified death he had asked for on multiple occasions. The fact that Zi Ang‘s health was rapidly deteriorating aided in his decision. If Zi Ang died before him, he would have been executed or committed suicide, whichever came faster.
I hope you take my reply as what out is intended — my passion for this series and a love do deep dive into characters‘ minds, their actions and possible motivations for them.
No person is worth genocide.
Also your input on XSQ and politics - quite a complex subject, that could have been explored a little bit more, weren’t it for their extremely tight budget.
I also don't think it's about who wronged who more, they both wronged each other.
And while Zi Ang said that Shu He had deceived him his whole life, I don’t think this is true. Before their first kiss, Shu He confessed all his lies and revealed his true self. Zi Ang, meanwhile, opened his heart but still concealed his identity. From that moment until the fateful night at the bridge, Shu He was nothing if not genuine. Zi Ang may have been the only person who ever truly knew Shu He—not Shu He the Sixth Prince of Southern Hui, but Shu He the man.
After the time skip, Zi Ang’s “love” had twisted into obsession—so consuming that he could no longer see Shu He as he was, or the suffering he endured. If Zi Ang’s love were truly selfless, he would have recognized how deeply he had hurt him. Instead, he convinced himself that as long as Shu He was alive, everything would be fine. But it wasn’t.
And yet, despite being humiliated before the court, held captive like a canary in a gilded cage, shakles around his bloody ankles, Shu He still loved Zi Ang. He hated himself for it, but he couldn’t stop. That’s exactly what Shen Song had warned him about: don’t fall for real. After all, the best disguise for a lie is to embed it in truth. And whenever Zi Ang and Shu He were close after the time skip—when Shu He touched him, bathed him, shared his bed—those moments were not lies. They were his real feelings, his real love, not little tricks he used. Yet he still wanted out of this misery his life had become.
It was only after his failed escape, and Zi Ang on his last days, that the plan for revenge took shape.
And with revenge—and the possibility of freedom through death—Shu He could finally give himself over completely to his feelings. He could allow himself to express the full depth of his love. That’s why the day they spent together—playing the zither for him while he "sword-blossom danced", getting married, tying their souls together for eternity—was so profound. He wouldn’t have done it if it weren’t real.
It was tragic and yet beautiful. There was no other possible outcome, and for how far both Zi Ang and Shu He were gone, this ending provided the only peace they could ever find.
The acting was great, and their chemistry undeniable from the very beginning. I've been into BL for almost two decades, mostly a silent observer. Yet for this I want to scream from the rooftops how amazing it is. (Almost) perfection. May this drama and the actors get the recognition they deserve.
A tiny few details I would have liked to be done differently, but thats mostly due to their budget restraints.
Yes, exactly. Shu He's expression on the bridge changes the second his brother says that Zi Ang is a spy from Norhtern Ji. He goes from "let us leave the city together" to "what the...?" in a split second.
It's not that Shu He didn't suspect /know it (at least the part of being a crimson shadow guard, not the fact that Zi Ang was in the line of successsion to North Ji's throne), it's just that he chose to trust him and what he said about never leaving Southern Hui.
Shu He bared his soul to him - his dreams, his shortcomings, everything. But Zi Ang hid his true identity. To Shu He there must have been countless occasions in which Zi Ang could have told him the truth, yet didn't. Shu He warned him that his trust was a fragile thing. That he wouldn't be able to forgive him if he ever did something detrimental to the Southern Hui kingdom.
What if Huai Yi is poisoning Zi Ang? Because he was fine before the time skip. Also it’s a lie that all the previous commanders of the crimson shadow died young. Zi Ang’s uncle looked at least 50-55 years old, definitely past his prime.
Maybe Huai Yi is just fed up with Zi Ang acting the way he does? Wants the throne for himself? Or he never was his brother to begin with?
I know it’s not the time for theories, but I can’t help myself.
"You lost."
"Don't let me lose again."
"My teacher said that one must have clean hands and a calm heart when playing the zither."
"Trust is a fragile thing. I am willing to trust you again."
"So what if I do? So what if I don't? Who would care?"