This a great question. I write this at this moment, but will expand later. The announcement of the marriage to…
Upon rewatch, I felt that the night at the Shengding house was quite a huge turning point. Which is interesting, because Mi Jin said he had to redo the scene. That Shu He at this point was in love but still using Zi Ang.
Imo, things change immediately after Shengding house: Shu He doesn’t want to use Zi Ang any more to hold Prime Minister Gu back. And Zi Ang thinks about how he will no longer eliminate Shu He, even if he were a obstacle in his mission to kill the Crown Price.
Not much later, we see how they both do things for each other that they would never have done before, which shows how important they have become to each other — Shu He entering the court and Zi Ang opposing his superior, General Wang, to protect Shu He.
But I’m not sure they were 100% aware of the romantic nature of their feelings…? Then again, how can they not? 😂
Such a difficult question to answer. I think they fell for each other the moment they laid eyes on each other…
True, there was something special about their relationship right away. The way Zi Ang and Shu He recognized each other immediately in the dark alley? The way Zi Ang was looking for the jade token and the fact that Shu He have it so willingly? The way he protected Shu He from the arrow? And Shu He rushing to get the wound treated? The whole bath scene?
A question for everyone: I've been wondering — when do you think Shu He and Zi Ang truly fell in love? Was it before the betrothal to Princess Wen Jing, or was this the catalyst? Would love to hear your thoughts!
@MarazulOx@YerisinaWriting that answer for you, makes me think a bit now... At that moment I mentioned before,…
Oh Jasprin, how wonderful your interpretation is. ❤️
Maybe Shu He was even deceiving himself—I can certainly see that. Still, I believe he was searching for some kind of redemption, especially after everything Zi Ang put him through. Not so much in Act I, but definitely by Act II. To me, he was desperate to settle the disparity and wrongdoings between them once and for all—because only then could he forgive himself for still being in love with Zi Ang.
At the same time, everything you wrote rings true. To go together, to die in his lover’s arms, their eyes locked in those final moments—that was the end he chose. Because he loved Zi Ang with every fiber of his being. And he knew Zi Ang’s life would end soon regardless.
It wasn’t revenge out of spite. Perhaps that’s why many viewers have a hard time with the word "revenge ". It was just one last move in the long game that had been his life. He was finally in charge of how to end it—in dignity and the love of his life by his side.
For me ep 9 The separation. I think Shu He is probably the most misunderstood character because he was an artist…
I agree that I have the feeling that some viewers don’t fully understand ShuHe as a character—he is very complex and some of his traits and actions seem contradictory (I don’t think they are though).
Episode 10 on the bed — I can’t imagine the emotional whiplash Zi Ang must have felt. Shu He on top of him, shoulder exposed, he’s tired to the bed (arguably something he’d like to happen)—but at the same time not, as he has their dagger to his throat and Shu He is not in *the mood * (not that Shu He would have stabbed him)
Their relationship at this point is a mess of contradictory feelings. Too much has happened between them, yet there is still undeniable attraction.
I love that Shu He is no push over who just submits to Zi Ang (or at least only on his terms (and yes, double innuendo))
Either the kissing scene in episode 6, episode 9 where Duan Ziang goes apeshit, or the very end when Duan Ziang…
Zi Ang can’t live without Shu He, that’s so true. He’s like the air to him — not saying it’s healthy, but we all ( or most viewers at least) love Zi Ang for that.
When Shuhe returns Ziang's dagger and he has a mental breakdown. That whole speech about giving him no where to…
Zi Ang is so unhinged, but I loved every second! I don’t know why, it was so wrong but so right? 😅 Episode 9 ZheXu really got to shine in how he delivered these powerful lines.
I also wanted to mention before he killed his father — of course the iconic line from the trailer (that I watched way too many times before the show even started airing) "I don't care about the kingdom! I just want one person!" And right before that "just like what you did to my mother?" The way he said mǔqīn yī yàng (like my mother) — seething with hatred!
"You'll die when I tell you to. You'll live when I tell you to. Even if the king of hell comes, he won't dare take your life!"
Who allowed them to mess with my emotions like this? (Please do!! 🤣) and also who wrote this — can I nominate them for an award?
Yerisina, what a task, I have so many "favourite" scenes that I come back again and again, but I will…
It’s the afterlife, so I assume Shu Qian‘s soul just felt that this was the place his brother would eventually go. It doesn’t necessarily matter if he knew before ;) And I’m fine with this explanation, so forget what I said too 😅
Yerisina, what a task, I have so many "favourite" scenes that I come back again and again, but I will…
You mean when he was looking for Zi Ang after the massacre? I’m not saying you’re wrong, I’m just wondering… wouldn’t that then make a bad place to hide Zi Ang, if Shu Qian knew of its importance? 🤔😅
Probably an afterlife thing, where they meet in emotionally important places or something…
Yerisina, what a task, I have so many "favourite" scenes that I come back again and again, but I will…
Yes, their hideout really means a lot to Shu He. While the series was airing (and because of rumors that there might be a full-blown HE), I wanted them to hide there, escaping politics and royal duties.
Now I believe they live there in their afterlife as commoners, free from all worries.
Yerisina, what a task, I have so many "favourite" scenes that I come back again and again, but I will…
I know what you mean — it's so hard to choose a single favorite scene because there are just too many!
Episode 5 really moved their relationship forward. It’s fascinating how differently Shu He and Zi Ang react to the betrothal — both clearly unhappy, but expressing it in such contrasting ways. Shu He grieves quietly, retreating to their old hideout, while Zi Ang is overwhelmed by jealousy and drinks away his sorrows to the point of passing out. That moment was a huge shift in their relationship — from ambiguous friendship (something more?) to something undeniably deeper.
Episodes 6 and 10 — just ❤️ I have so much more to say about those… but I’ll save that for another comment!
Am I the only one who found the plot a bit confusing? I mean, the Crown Prince ordered Xiao Shu He's hand to be…
You’re raising some thoughtful questions. I hope my personal perspective might offer some insight.
Shu Qian is deeply insecure and consumed by jealousy toward his brother. Unlike Shu He, he was never talented in calligraphy, poetry, or music. Politics was arguably the only field where he could excel, and perhaps only because Shu He deliberately stayed away from it.
When Shu He eventually entered court life, Shu Qian saw it as a threat to his only strength. That is why he crippled Shu He‘s hand — because Shu He had taken away something important from him, he wanted something as significant in return.
Things come to a head when, driven by corruption and ambition, Shu Qian assasinated Crown Prince of North Ji. He then murdered their father and set his sights on eliminating the last remaining obstacle to his power—Shu He. Shu Qian’s decisions were never guided by foresight, he acted out of jealousy and arrogance.
In contrast, Shu He is clever and perceptive, and he knows Shu Qian is out for his life. Yet he is also an idealist who still wants to believe in the goodness of people, especially his own brother and the bond they once shared. Shu He does not seek power. He wanted to live as a wanderer and would rather die than ascend the throne.
He is even willing to be killed by his brother if it means preserving peace and preventing greater turmoil in the nation. ("I’m fine with only being one line in the history books").
On the bridge, Shu He considered escaping with Zi Ang. But Shu Qian sowed seeds of doubt by revealing that Zi Ang had lied to him about his true identity. This revelation shattered Shu He’s trust. Was he simply being used? Deceived in the cruelest way, by someone pretending to love him? Even then, perhaps Shu He could have been persuaded to leave.
But once Shu Qian died, the path of retreat closed. If Shu He were to run away with Zi Ang now, he would leave a power vacuum—inviting chaos, rebellion, and possibly invasion from North Ji. Too many lives would be at risk. And so, out of duty, Shu He stays. Zi Ang would have chosen love over duty, but for Shu He it will always be duty over love.
"Duan Zi Ang might not have had to kill the Crown Prince, but could have just knocked him unconscious and then fled with Xiao Shu He, but I'm sure the Crown Prince would have pursued and searched for them. " You answered your question yourself. Also, Zi Ang wanted to kill Shu Qian, for everything he did to Shu He and maybe for his own reasons too. Anyway, he said he'd never been so satisfied killing someone before.
Outlier here, but I still like bromances, especially if they're not all killed off at the end. I don't like bromances…
Yes, bromance can be incredibly good and I’ve seen quite a few too.
What probably makes the difference for me is whether bromance was what the story was supposed to be (intentional or unintentional) or whether it was supposed to be more if the screenwriters, producers, actors (…) weren’t restrained by censorship. The former is an addition to the story, while the latter is a deduction, which only makes one think "what if"
Imo, things change immediately after Shengding house: Shu He doesn’t want to use Zi Ang any more to hold Prime Minister Gu back. And Zi Ang thinks about how he will no longer eliminate Shu He, even if he were a obstacle in his mission to kill the Crown Price.
Not much later, we see how they both do things for each other that they would never have done before, which shows how important they have become to each other — Shu He entering the court and Zi Ang opposing his superior, General Wang, to protect Shu He.
But I’m not sure they were 100% aware of the romantic nature of their feelings…? Then again, how can they not? 😂
The way Zi Ang and Shu He recognized each other immediately in the dark alley? The way Zi Ang was looking for the jade token and the fact that Shu He have it so willingly? The way he protected Shu He from the arrow?
And Shu He rushing to get the wound treated? The whole bath scene?
I've been wondering — when do you think Shu He and Zi Ang truly fell in love?
Was it before the betrothal to Princess Wen Jing, or was this the catalyst?
Would love to hear your thoughts!
Sometimes it’s not meant to be in this life…
What do you like—that Zi Ang tried to kiss him or how Shu He pushed him away and Zi Ang responded? Both? ;)
Maybe Shu He was even deceiving himself—I can certainly see that.
Still, I believe he was searching for some kind of redemption, especially after everything Zi Ang put him through. Not so much in Act I, but definitely by Act II.
To me, he was desperate to settle the disparity and wrongdoings between them once and for all—because only then could he forgive himself for still being in love with Zi Ang.
At the same time, everything you wrote rings true.
To go together, to die in his lover’s arms, their eyes locked in those final moments—that was the end he chose. Because he loved Zi Ang with every fiber of his being.
And he knew Zi Ang’s life would end soon regardless.
It wasn’t revenge out of spite. Perhaps that’s why many viewers have a hard time with the word "revenge ".
It was just one last move in the long game that had been his life. He was finally in charge of how to end it—in dignity and the love of his life by his side.
Episode 10 on the bed — I can’t imagine the emotional whiplash Zi Ang must have felt. Shu He on top of him, shoulder exposed, he’s tired to the bed (arguably something he’d like to happen)—but at the same time not, as he has their dagger to his throat and Shu He is not in *the mood *
(not that Shu He would have stabbed him)
Their relationship at this point is a mess of contradictory feelings. Too much has happened between them, yet there is still undeniable attraction.
I love that Shu He is no push over who just submits to Zi Ang (or at least only on his terms (and yes, double innuendo))
Episode 9 ZheXu really got to shine in how he delivered these powerful lines.
I also wanted to mention before he killed his father — of course the iconic line from the trailer (that I watched way too many times before the show even started airing)
"I don't care about the kingdom! I just want one person!"
And right before that "just like what you did to my mother?" The way he said
mǔqīn yī yàng (like my mother) — seething with hatred!
"You'll die when I tell you to. You'll live when I tell you to. Even if the king of hell comes, he won't dare take your life!"
Who allowed them to mess with my emotions like this? (Please do!! 🤣) and also who wrote this — can I nominate them for an award?
And I’m fine with this explanation, so forget what I said too 😅
I’m not saying you’re wrong, I’m just wondering… wouldn’t that then make a bad place to hide Zi Ang, if Shu Qian knew of its importance? 🤔😅
Probably an afterlife thing, where they meet in emotionally important places or something…
Now I believe they live there in their afterlife as commoners, free from all worries.
Episode 5 really moved their relationship forward. It’s fascinating how differently Shu He and Zi Ang react to the betrothal — both clearly unhappy, but expressing it in such contrasting ways. Shu He grieves quietly, retreating to their old hideout, while Zi Ang is overwhelmed by jealousy and drinks away his sorrows to the point of passing out. That moment was a huge shift in their relationship — from ambiguous friendship (something more?) to something undeniably deeper.
Episodes 6 and 10 — just ❤️
I have so much more to say about those… but I’ll save that for another comment!
Excuse me while I cry in the corner
1) how much the presence/the return of Zi Ang expose ShuHe to danger.
This will require more time to analyze and answer. :)
2) Would ShuHe entered to court if it is not because the negotiation he did on ZiAng behalf?
IMO no.
Maybe if their father died and Shu Qian asked him to be his right hand. However still unlikely.
Shu Qian is deeply insecure and consumed by jealousy toward his brother. Unlike Shu He, he was never talented in calligraphy, poetry, or music. Politics was arguably the only field where he could excel, and perhaps only because Shu He deliberately stayed away from it.
When Shu He eventually entered court life, Shu Qian saw it as a threat to his only strength. That is why he crippled Shu He‘s hand — because Shu He had taken away something important from him, he wanted something as significant in return.
Things come to a head when, driven by corruption and ambition, Shu Qian assasinated Crown Prince of North Ji. He then murdered their father and set his sights on eliminating the last remaining obstacle to his power—Shu He.
Shu Qian’s decisions were never guided by foresight, he acted out of jealousy and arrogance.
In contrast, Shu He is clever and perceptive, and he knows Shu Qian is out for his life. Yet he is also an idealist who still wants to believe in the goodness of people, especially his own brother and the bond they once shared.
Shu He does not seek power. He wanted to live as a wanderer and would rather die than ascend the throne.
He is even willing to be killed by his brother if it means preserving peace and preventing greater turmoil in the nation. ("I’m fine with only being one line in the history books").
On the bridge, Shu He considered escaping with Zi Ang. But Shu Qian sowed seeds of doubt by revealing that Zi Ang had lied to him about his true identity. This revelation shattered Shu He’s trust. Was he simply being used? Deceived in the cruelest way, by someone pretending to love him?
Even then, perhaps Shu He could have been persuaded to leave.
But once Shu Qian died, the path of retreat closed. If Shu He were to run away with Zi Ang now, he would leave a power vacuum—inviting chaos, rebellion, and possibly invasion from North Ji. Too many lives would be at risk. And so, out of duty, Shu He stays. Zi Ang would have chosen love over duty, but for Shu He it will always be duty over love.
"Duan Zi Ang might not have had to kill the Crown Prince, but could have just knocked him unconscious and then fled with Xiao Shu He, but I'm sure the Crown Prince would have pursued and searched for them. "
You answered your question yourself. Also, Zi Ang wanted to kill Shu Qian, for everything he did to Shu He and maybe for his own reasons too. Anyway, he said he'd never been so satisfied killing someone before.
What probably makes the difference for me is whether bromance was what the story was supposed to be (intentional or unintentional) or whether it was supposed to be more if the screenwriters, producers, actors (…) weren’t restrained by censorship. The former is an addition to the story, while the latter is a deduction, which only makes one think "what if"