YouToon

Haha, they used all their money to support the city during this time and all stores are closed. Not just theirs. Basically the city is under siege and everyone is under martial law to survive.

The book explained the depth of GJ and Zhou trust much better. It also made it clear there were no military leaders left that could maintain the city. GJ kind of stepped up because those who should have been doing the job weren't. I adore this show but I am unhappy with how much they’ve skimmed necessary plot developments that made these big moments feel more earned.

Funny you ask about that. We are basically to that point in the story. It’ll maybe just one or two more episodes.

They are skimming through a-lot of major book events that took place over months of time. They are hitting the major beats but sacrificing a-lot of the connective tissue that made the book feel so well plotted. This story really could have been a 60 episode drama without feeling draggy.

He’s strict. The way those scholarly officials thought their only honorable action was to die and missed the practical actions they could take, General Zhou adheres to strict military guidelines where orders are obeyed and anyone suspect is killed in order to avoid future problems undermining the battle. He’s also focused on greater Darong right now. He doesnt want the dynasty he helped found to fall i to neverending civil war. He’s the kind of guy that would sacrifice his whole family and view it as an honorable action if it saved the world. Which makes him the kind of self sacrificing hero you want sacrificing for you while also being a shit dad. There is more in the book about his relationship to Zhou Ye and why Zhou Ye is not very well treated in the family. Its the whole legitimate vs illegitimate thing. General Zhou’s problem is he is loyal and not very flexible.

Basically because GJS is related to King Liang through his mother, Lady Gu’s adopted sister is King Liang’s wife, the assumption is all of the Gus are spies working for King Liang. If they werent, theyd admit the connection and honorably accept their punishment for having a traitor (King Liang rebelled) relative. ZY knows his dad is very cut and dry about rules and would kill his friends to avoid any risks from that connection. That is why he told GJ to hide it. That scene with General Zhou and Fan was letting the audience know General Zhou now aware of the deception and pissed. However, ZY called it. If they had told the general before LY brought the military provisions he would have distrusted the Gus. LOL he still distrusts them if his statement about what hed do if GJ surrendered the city to King Liang is anything to go by.

Probably. It sounds like they are doing the capitol arc up to GJ become minister of revenue.

It was not a satisfying reveal. In the book YS saved GJ’s dad and YS did wait till the almost the end of LY’s mission to tell her Gu daddy was alive so there was no risk of the dad being exposed before she could get him out. The last six or so episodes have rushed through events that had the same page count as the first sixteen episodes. So I think they are trying to hit the main points and keep chugging along to the end of the civil war and capitol arc that are still to come.

Death before dishonor vs take responsibility until death. YS helped them make the smart choice.

I think that is where the drama is taking it. Its so much worse and more complicated in the book.

Yeah, but they’ve changed so much of LZS’s arc (like he had no idea it was LY messing with the grain prices and his whole childhood has been simplified) maybe he has the dad? Gu daddy probably is dead. Im just hoping.

Thats literally how it was in the book. His short history of himself also informs it. He has no family left and had to leave his home due to his own benevolent actions that made him an outlaw. As a bandit he hears and knows different things than people in the city might hear. So lonely guy hears of this woman who does honorable generous things like his definition of a boss and he becomes her fan. Calling her sworn sister is like people calling the male lead actor hubby and stuff. LY just accepted it once she knew. It was just as random and hilarious in the book. Alot of stuff these last few episodes was handled faster and with less detail than in the book.
But SM’s introduction was pretty much how it was explained in the book.

It felt like Lady X was advising YY the course of action she thought would keep YY safe. She definitely sympathized with YY’s situation. Given expectations of woman in the time period (follow your father, husband and son) and Lady Xs own experiences as a former prostitute and now as lieutenant working for LZS (she’s always subservient to men) her advice may have been Lady X’s genuine practical suggestion for YY’s survival and finding some contentment. As for YY’s escape, I also think she did like the idea of YY having a different option from relying on Wang. Next few episodes may also inform her actions once we know if LZS is pleased Wang is dead. That’ll probably work well into LZS’s ambitions to rule the province himself.

Thats fair. You are totally entitled to your feelings. I hated him dying too.

That moment was challenging. As the audience we can see how easy it was for the antagonists to use that to find him. However, it actually was only one person of the dozens hunting them that noticed it. If I was GJ being presented with a friend dying like that, Id maybe take a small exposure risk to comfort and support my friend in this terrible moment. Im also not sure from the way things were presented that GJ and LY even know Mr. Wan died. They might think he got away okay. For his part Mr. Wan fully knew the risks he was taking when he hid our leads, told them about the friends impending execution, and chose to lead the soldiers away. It was a frustratingly painful death but his choices had a bigger impact on it than GJs. It almost invalidates the heroic sacrifice he made by suggesting the ML was singularly responsible. And ultimately its Wang who created this messed up situation where choosing to protect children (our leads are teenagers) or offer comfort to a dying friend results in such extreme consequences.

Agreed

I think she can feel grateful and obligated to LZS for saving her while still chaffing at the constraints placed on her by being subservient to him. She doesnt have a choice in her path because she serves him?

Maybe they are planning another twist?

Yeah. I really hope they give us a flashback to how it went down. It does feel very weakly executed. This is the biggest divergence from the book. Originally she was on the boat and the two mothers waited together for months to receive news of their kids. Im not sure the drama being female oriented is even a factor in this plot points issues. It just smacks of bad plotting and time constraints on what they can show without missing the main plot they diverged from. Also, it was GJ’s dad who survived in the book. No idea what they are going to do about him now.

I think from what we can infer of Lady X’s backstory from the comments sprinkled throughout, she relates to YY loss of innocence (physically and emotionally) as that is what happened to her. Her choices were first be a prostitute and rely on pleasing men to survive. Than be a boss lady secretly supported by her rescuer who is also a man she has to keep happy. YY is given a third option: escape from relying on pleasing men entirely by leaving and taking her chances outside of the male dominated cage she’s been trapped
in. I may be misreading it because they haven’t given us enough of her backstory and a-lot of this went down a little differently in the book.