anhsn

He looks so innocent at first. He gives some comedic relief when his character is introduced, but... I am deceived again. He is a psychopath, worse than Wang Pu.

Yes that is a mistake that is also lamented by the ml, not only us, the viewers.

When you feel disappointed, anger, worry, or anything on certain scenes, this show have characters inside the story to feel the same. Such synchronicity is the interesting thing in this drama, but...

You need to let youself flow with the story. If you resist the course of the plot, and begin think what is should and shouldn't, that is when enjoyment diminished. You lose the shocking value and will fail to grasp what will happen later.

You will get more shocked later as this show dare to kill more characters you might like. For soft hearted viewers maybe this show is really too much, especially if you compare this one to MLC. Literally different genre and theme.

This show won't disappoint you in giving answers to your questions about the plot because they are definitely there in later episodes. You just need to pay attention and don't skip any scene.

Please tick spoiler in your comment if it contains spoiler.

Don't get triggered. This person just teased us to enjoy our reactions 😒

At first, I thought it was just his imagination, seeing Wang Pu's ghost. I thought he became a madman, too, like Huai An!

It is like a checkmate situation. But the cornered king actually can change the tide of game.

My friend, get ready. But don't read spoilers.

IMO, being watched is pretty much the same to being controlled. Why do Huben watch a person unless they try to control that person?

He is selfish and doesn't have a chivalrous spirit.

Yeah, Wang Pu is his reason for controlling his killing intent and looking beyond victory or defeat. For him, that is the definition of a good commander.

You should learn the psychology of the general before you call him stupid. IMO, his "revenge operation" is quite successful. They lose Han Ziling and some soldiers, but then the enemy loses Qingyi and his mother, and later Wang Pu.

Since the beginning (episode 2), we have known that. Her scene with Qingyi after her teacher committed suicide.

Not many. They appear and next, die.

I agree with you. The show is telling the dark side of human being without losing the moral core. It is not a fight for power, or a game of throne. It is about finding justice from existential perspective.

I think, it is another thing that makes this drama differs greatly from the famous NIF. In NIF, the ml is from the army. He struggles through political maneuvering and utilizing established law to serve the justice, to end corruption, and put the righteous heir to the throne. It is a story of the elites, and don't really show the struggle in the grassroot.

Here, it is more like an underground movement, or an asymmetrical war. The ml doesn't care about the monarch. He only wants to kill his enemy and to end the existence of an army. The story tell people lives from the palace to the market, from the big city to the rurals, how relationships take various forms and continue to evolve.

He is a chess piece himself and the player of the game at the same time.

I think it is not a problem with billing. Maybe the one who put the info in MDL doesn't have the complete information themselves because this show is an original script. So, they have no reference to really tell who will become what.

For example, Han Ziling. He is even stated in the synopsis like one of the main characters, but his presence is only in some episodes. I guess, there will be an update later after all episodes out.

I think, he would become a troublemaker that mess every plan. I respect that he has conscience. This show is telling his maturity and how he found his agency. If he will become the emperor in the future, he deserves it.

And the killing scene, it is more like an accident than a deliberate action. He is furious after the real Zhang Mo called him looked like a servant. For an emperor to be called like that, who won't feel humiliated?

In other perspective, the real Zhang Mo also made a mistake for lacking some consideration. He is so happy to be return home soon, and sharing to the poor emperor his happiness. He is just a simple person really.

And the axe may serve as a symbolism of common people and their hard work. It is basically a tool for work and make a living, not to kill. It is nice to see how the emperor learn to how to hold this tool (from the simplest chopping woods to defending himself) until he can master it and use it to help his team (to fight).

The end is still open to many possibility. Either one of the following or all of them.

The emperor: XHA to help the country with his talent

To the deposed emporer: XHA to live long, they will age together

To his sister: XHA to have a relaxed life, like in the painting

To XHA: He doesn't care about his future as his focus now is revenge. However, in his desperate moments, he wants to join his family.

Not that trope, I beg