Rachel

Idk what to say about this one other than it's just 35 episodes of abuse apologia. There were a lot of ingredients that could have made something good (or at least fun) but the ideology of the show is just so regressive and misogynistic. So when Zhang Peng finds himself in Zhang Peng Peng's body, Qi Sheng responds coldly to him - we're clearly doing an enemies to lovers situation, it's fine that he doesn't like Zhang Peng Peng at the very start. (Also going to be referring to Zhang Peng Peng w she/her pronouns through the rest of this given that's how everyone else refers to her.) Qi Sheng is also currently having an affair with his brother's wife, Lady Jiang. I guess Qi Sheng is enchanted by Zhang Peng Peng's change in behavior because Lady Jiang starts to notice a difference in how he treats her and the show confirms this in dialogue as he agrees that he's started to develop feelings for Zhang Peng Peng, but honestly I didn't see anything to indicate that. But whatever, the narrative tells us over showing us and is a little heavy handed about it, fine. Lady Jiang is then worried that she's going to lose favor with Qi Sheng and there's a scene where they're playing soccer and Lady Jiang rips off her outer robes but she frames Zhang Peng Peng for the action and Qi Sheng believes Lady Jiang and PUBLICLY slaps Zhang Peng Peng in front of everyone. So.... bad turn of events but I thought the romance could maybe - MAYBE - still win me over. BUT THEN!!!!!! Qi Sheng sends assassins to kill Zhang Peng Peng. He seemingly has second thoughts when she escapes with his younger brother (who's in love with her) bc Qi Sheng chases after them and is like "she can't die," but... that doesn't change the fact that he sent assassins after her, what the f*ck? He also then berates her upon finding her with her dress all torn up bc she had been trying to save his younger brother since he was injured and sickly and then Qi Sheng kisses Zhang Peng Peng against her consent to like "mark his territory" and tell his brother to back off or whatever 🙄.

So I was already tired of Qi Sheng at this point but oh god it gets worse!!!! Qi Sheng and Zhang Peng Peng reach this cordial agreement where they clear the air about the assassination attempt, and there are like little moments to insinuate that she's falling for him and he has brief moments where he's like vaguely sweet. But then he finds out she's still friendly with his younger brother and Qi Sheng has an explosive meltdown where he THROWS A TABLE. Qi Sheng then starts being cold and aggressive to Zhang Peng Peng and invites Lady Jiang (who has been pushed out of the family at this point) to be a servant in his residence bc it's a stupid power play where Qi Sheng is hoping to make Zhang Peng Peng jealous. Zhang Peng Peng doesn't respond in the way he wants bc she's concerned he's going to kick her out of the position of Empress and she's trying to be a proper demure lady now. After a few episodes of this, Qi Sheng gets confirmation that Zhang Peng Peng and his younger brother are conspiring against him and Qi Sheng then gets super drunk and in that drunken rage he goes to Zhang Peng Peng's residence with his sword and screams about how he's about to kill her because "I've been nothing but nice to you" and "how dare you treat me like this" and when Zhang Peng Peng and Qi Sheng's servants both try to plead for Zhang Peng Peng's life, he raises his sword to kill them for daring to stop him!!!!!!! SO AGAIN. WHAT THE F*CK???????? Zhang Peng Peng tells the servants to leave bc she can't bear the idea of them facing harm to protect her and then she asks Qi Sheng to drop his sword, which he does, and he rapes her. The show tries to gaslight the audience into finding it steamy and we even see Zhang Peng Peng wake up the next morning with a huge smile on her face as she reminisces about it. But then the show admits it was rape bc Qi Sheng comes by and he's like "sorry I forced you last night" so...... the show is just straight up romanticizing rape.

After this, Qi Sheng acts detached when around Zhang Peng Peng and she basically becomes obsessed with trying to get him to show her affection and at one point she even tries to drug him with viagra to get him to have sex with her again... Like, I am appalled and astounded that this was written by two women. She completely alters her behavior - pretending to be stupid and helpless so Qi Sheng will be closer to her to either teach her how to do something or to do it for her. This nonsense continues for a few episodes before Qi Sheng has to leave to fight in a war. Qi Sheng's younger brother plans to strike at this point and kill him, with Zhang Peng Peng STILL plotting with him. As Qi Sheng is ahead of their schemes, he sends a letter back to the palace claiming that he has been poisoned and is near death as it's a test to see if Zhang Peng Peng will really choose him. Zhang Peng Peng is distraught by the news - EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS PART OF PLANNING THIS, LIKE MA'AM WHAT DID YOU THINK WAS GOING TO HAPPEN??????????????????? - and insists on making the trip to deliver the antidote herself. And then she's only mad for like 2 minutes after learning that this was him manipulating her. And then the remaining few episodes are all about how deeply in love they are and how they're willing to die for each other and I don't care I don't care I want them both dead at this point.

Is this the worst show I've seen? No, because I at least enjoyed some of the show when it wasn't about this absolutely godawful romance. But it's pretty atrocious and after having some fun in the first half, it became an excruciating watch in the second half. This show got pretty heavily censored due to current censorship regulations in China and... a broken clock is right twice a day, what can I say.

ALSO THE NINTH PRINCE DID NOTHING WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!