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QH and GTY look like they’re going to have a good talk where QH will finally get it. Huzzah! Also, SUPER CUTE moment where his wife pops after GTY leaves with a fucking sword because she was afraid GTY was going to hurt him, and she’s obviously scared but wanting to protect him. I mean, GTY wouldn’t but that’s not how people view their relationship.

68 spoiler about QH

This is a little early but DO NOT start 66 until 67 is finished subbing. That won't complete this next major arc but it will prevent some mental agony, haha. Also. 67 is choice. *chef's kiss*

Oh yeah! My Mandarin is suuuuuper basic. But this is what I've gleaned: They know there's a fire raging (is it Gu Manor? I'm not sure; but ML is there) and QH is like, CAN'T I SAVE HER ONCE? Parents are like, if we can see there's a fire, others will know there's a fire and the proper people will go take care of it. QH seems to have grown a pair and said something about how I listened to you (mom) and didn't propose marriage, I saved you (dad) and didn't propose marriage (to her), I waited and didn't propose marriage... oh, this is might be when he says CAN'T I GO AND SAVE HER ONCE?

I don't think his parents are against him saving her life. I feel like there's politic shit in play here. UNSURE.

I'm basing this off memory (I'm at work!) so read this as a more vague descriptor of the previews involving QH and his parents.

Oh no! Well, the arc ends at 64. And if you don't want super cliffhangers, may want to hold off on 65. I'll post a comment about the next arc but it immediately rolls into that in 65, I think. The previews aren't numbered to the exact episode.

So, like, very interesting how they're switching things up? I didn't read the books so I don't know if this is the same but it looks like Aunt Kang will set the fire and will also try to stab Minglan while she's pregnant??! And that GTY is going to rush into the manor before reporting to the Emperor (which is a MAJOR NO-NO. Think of it like after a raid, an officer didn't check in with his superior and went straight home; he needs to check in with a superior first but it just so happens that the Emperor is the superior in this scenario). Looks like Emperor is going to complain about it to the Empress. GTY is obviously going to save ML but this will also land him in political trouble. I'm guessing this may be the reason why we see him being more of a foot soldier in one of the MVs. UNSURE.

Happy note, Danju is getting married! I will probably cry. 4th B*tch alert though. She def instigates Aunt Kang some, along with that old maid of her mother. Sidenote, Concubine bro looks to be shaping up!

Ugh, cannot WAIT for that mother-in-law to get hers. This is it, peeps.

Also. I'm betting that the Emperor isn't as muddle-headed as he appears. I'm thinking it's a long-con to look for the Empress Dowager's weakness(es).

Ok. Updating the latest arc eps count to 60-64. Based on the previews it looks like it's full steam ahead into another major book arc. ????

Calling him 'uncle' is due to Qi Heng's family tree. They reference that several times throughout the show. He's either the same age or very close to the eldest Sheng brother's age. GTY & QH are related in such a way that GTY is technically an 'uncle' and since 4th & 5th Sheng misses called QH 'brother', they would, in turn, call GTY 'uncle', but it's done with an air of... flippancy? It's not said with serious intent.

This is beautifully thought out. This is actually addressed little by little and will come to a head between them both, whereas Minglan will flip the question back to GTY. There will be another major arc and after that they will have an in depth discussion about this.

It looks like 60-62 (maybe also 63) will be a major arc. If you don't want cliffhangers... I recommend trying to resist watching until they're fully subbed. Prepare for some BADASS Minglan though.

Ah, mine isn't so curated yet! I will subjectively like shows even though I know they're objectively bad, haha.

I'll have to check out your list then!

I didn't want to give everything away due to ~book~ knowledge. I tried to describe the scenes as well as I'm able to with my very limited Mandarin.

It's more of a slow burn in comparison to Yanxi Palace. But I feel like the female leads in both are very similar but tonally different; like two halves of the same coin. They're both very clever, pragmatic, loyal, and lovely. Yingluo's probably quick to be aggressive, a bit more fierce; Minglan is mild in comparison but also ready and willing to get shit done when needed. I think it's also the setting. Palace politics are always more dramatic and intense. In a way, I feel like they're pacing is opposite: Story of Minglan is slower in the beginning but things start picking up midway; while Yanxi Palace starts to slow down in its latter half.

Anyways, I love them both.

Also, it looks like airing dates have been adjusted. This is the Chinese TV airdates, so the episode numbers are different from Viki's, which are the director's cut/DVD versions (from my understanding). https://wx2.sinaimg.cn/orj360/006yFpQXly1fzrbcp648nj30ku112wjg.jpg

(copypasta) That's fair. It's more slice-of-life but I love it. The romance between the leads doesn't spark until episode 22/23 and doesn't really get going until the mid-to-late 30s.

It's probably one of my favorite Chinese dramas, tied with Yanxi Palace so far and second to Nirvana in Fire. I really love the character progression and arcs in this.

ML is visibly pregnant! Looks like a major plot point from the novel is happening. Grandmother is sick and doctor informs ML that it isn't illness, but poison. ML throws shade on Sheng's family Big Madam and her father catches on. Father doesn't want to make this public and ML & him quarrel. ML tells father not to worry, she wait until Aunt Kang is out of the gates/city/capital before she has her killed (hell yeah), and I'm not sure what's going on in the last scene besides a maid's confession and Aunt Kang trying to play it off...

https://www.weibo.com/tv/v/HeGNZ9qxn?fid=1034:4335010782629861

Trailer for 64/65(?) via Weibo (unsure which version)

57 - Looks like some scheming hits hard for one of GTY's subordinates (cliffhangery ending)
58 - Bad news for GTY's subordinate and his group, as well as the new Emperor, I think. BUT! Good news is that ML is pregnant! Thank god for this cute moment because it looks like another arc is ramping up. We'll soon be hitting upon 1-2 major ML moments from the book. I can't remember which one comes first.

Sidenote - I saw in one of the trailors or MVs that GTY looks like a foot soldier marching off, while ML and some of her maids trail after in the forest, looking distraught (the women aren't going off to battle but more of a long and sad? goodbye). Does this trigger anything from the books? I don't remember this. It looks like he might be demoted or something in the future but climb back up?? MY HEART.

Damnit, I am so i n v e s t e d.

Aahhh~~~!! The latest raws on YT (Director's cut/DVD ver). So I put this on-hold subbed because I want to watch arcs together and now I'm not sure when I'll be picking it back up on Viki because I'm too worried about cliffhangers. It's easier to handle cliffhangers in raws, haha. See spoiler notes below.