fyra

Progress.

Our couple is finally teaming up and they're a perfect duo. They understand each other and play off one another so well without many words. I love their little undercover mission to the gambling den. One of the most intense episodes yet.

Fun.

I love this little play that Jiang Taohua and Shen Zaiye are putting on for the wife and concubines. You can see how disgusted Zaiye is by the level of cringe in these little displays of affection and how much Taohua enjoys torturing him with them.

10/10

Not a fan of Shen Zaiye constantly choking and trying to kill Jiang Taohua, but this was a thrilling episode packed with a lot of action. I like that Taohua isn't the type to sit around and do nothing when the people she love are in danger.

Intense & thrilling.

There is nothing romantic about a husband constantly trying to murder his wife, but my god, these two have so much chemistry. I can't wait for the day they fall for each other.

A game of cat and mouse.

Not only do Jiang Taohua have to be weary of Shen Zaiye, but she also have to watch out for his wife and concubines. Usually, I am not a fan of "harem politics", but I am enjoying the way they are written into this story. A suspenseful episode with high stakes and dirty schemes, 10/10

Survival of the fittest.

Surrounded by enemies from all sides, Jiang Taohua only have one goal in mind: to survive. Her original arranged marriage to Prince Wuxia might have been sabotaged, but she is determined to stay in Qi state knowing that to be forced out will mean failure and failure will lead to death if she returns to Beiyuan. I love that although there are many threats to her life, she still manages to evade them all with her wits and schemes.

From the mouth of a tigress, to the den of wolves.

With limited time, this episode managed to establish the close bond between Princess Jiang Taohua and her brother, Crown Prince Changjue of Beiyuan. You can see the dire danger the two siblings are in, feel their fears and helplessness, and understand why JTH is willing to throw herself to the wolves (Qi state) in order to protect her brother from the tigress (Empress Lu, her stepmother.)Political intrigue, dirty schemes, danger, and an arrange marriage gone wrong - this was a pretty solid first episode, 9/10.

Our girl makes it to the next stage.

I wish that there is better communication between our leads instead of all this "I'll keep you in the dark for your own good" nonsense that is so prevalent in cdramas. So far, you can tell that the main girl already have some kind of crush on her shadow. I personally do not see the chemistry, but we shall see.

Slow episode.

This episode was a bit draggy. A lot of info dump. This is also a very cut-throat cult, so much rivalry going on here.

Strong first episode.

I love that she is a fighter and she refuses to just give up and submit to the circumstances she is forced into. I'm invested in her survival now and I can't wait to see where her journey takes her.

Painful.

The hardships our girl have to endure for the sake of peace, and it's only the beginning of her marriage. :(

Most heartfelt episode yet.

That battle at Panyi was one of the best. I've lost count of the number of times I rewatched that scene.

The devil you know is better than the devil you don't.

In this episode, we get a good look at who Manman is as a person. Do you sit back and watch or do you stand up and fight even if you are alone?

So much tension!

Both of them have a different take on how to handle things, and just when you think one of them is more cunning than the other, you're proven wrong.

Excellent introduction to the backstories, the characters, and their ambitions.

Immediately hooked from the start. They did a great job giving you just enough info to keep you wanting more.