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A Steady Downhill Plot
Caught in the middle of his smuggling deal by the magistrate’s office, Zhao Ling had no option but to lie his way through it. The salt smuggler boldly claim to be a court official on a covert mission to topple salt smuggling operation, posing as the son of the Imperial Salt Censor, which marks his first encounter with Fu Tingyun, the magistrate’s sister who then blew his cover. While trying to get even with the young lady, he got entangled in a scandal which almost cost the young lady’s life. Desperately clinging to life, she asked for Zhao Ling’s help. Thus, both embarked on a journey that was first forged by profit that later turned into sticking for each other in life and death.
The show carried itself high and mighty looking very promising up to the last 10 episodes where it fell splat on its face. The main characters failed to remain coherent with their personality and keep doing things in an absurd way. Like how FL with her supposedly brilliant mind would have the most important evidence that held the life of her fellow township figure but thought it would be wise to hold on to it and wait until her husband comes home from work at the end of the day to show it to him instead of rushing to hand it over like the whole northwest’s future depended on it? Yeah like that kind of stupid move. 😵💫🙄 it doesnt matter if it is useless because of the majesty’s decree, it still doesnt make sense that there is no rushing at all.
As for the romance, for the first half yeah i thought this gotta be one of Ding Yuxi’s great chemistry with his co-star after Fight for Love, but then power happened, and the relationship turned bland once he got fixated for it. They both keep doing things on their own, they rarely do any discussion and when sh!t hits the fan they go off mad at each other again. Oh god, somehow i wished for the couple to separate and have nothing to do with each other again even after they reconciled on screen. The misunderstanding trope is just too tiring to watch.
And for somebody who are set to fight the most powerful man in court, the ML and FL sure lack planning and strategy despite the story painting them as highly intelligent and perceptively shrewd. They both don’t plan or strategize but instead just wait to be handed a hand by the enemy then only start planning for a counterstrike. It’s like a fish on a chopping block, they only try to jump off while smacking its tail on the monger’s face when the blade has already been in full swing. The last arc was the same, had not for the conniving emperor, they both wouldve fallen to the Yu’s scheme. The second half of the plot tried hard to be one of those court politics genre but lacks the tactical planning and strategizing part. And too bad i picked this up after finished the brilliant of all brilliant court politics drama Six Flying Dragons, so this one looks too much of a childsplay when compared. The only reason i keep watching is to see the Yu couple gets thrown off their high perch with the poor tactical maneouvres by our mainleads. But then again that was also a disappointment. I didnt feel any satisfaction when they finally took down their enemy.
As for the mainleads’ story as a couple i truly could care less. They both lost the appeal after they keep crossing each other after they reached the Capital of their dreams, the relationship just got bland and boring to watch.
The show carried itself high and mighty looking very promising up to the last 10 episodes where it fell splat on its face. The main characters failed to remain coherent with their personality and keep doing things in an absurd way. Like how FL with her supposedly brilliant mind would have the most important evidence that held the life of her fellow township figure but thought it would be wise to hold on to it and wait until her husband comes home from work at the end of the day to show it to him instead of rushing to hand it over like the whole northwest’s future depended on it? Yeah like that kind of stupid move. 😵💫🙄 it doesnt matter if it is useless because of the majesty’s decree, it still doesnt make sense that there is no rushing at all.
As for the romance, for the first half yeah i thought this gotta be one of Ding Yuxi’s great chemistry with his co-star after Fight for Love, but then power happened, and the relationship turned bland once he got fixated for it. They both keep doing things on their own, they rarely do any discussion and when sh!t hits the fan they go off mad at each other again. Oh god, somehow i wished for the couple to separate and have nothing to do with each other again even after they reconciled on screen. The misunderstanding trope is just too tiring to watch.
And for somebody who are set to fight the most powerful man in court, the ML and FL sure lack planning and strategy despite the story painting them as highly intelligent and perceptively shrewd. They both don’t plan or strategize but instead just wait to be handed a hand by the enemy then only start planning for a counterstrike. It’s like a fish on a chopping block, they only try to jump off while smacking its tail on the monger’s face when the blade has already been in full swing. The last arc was the same, had not for the conniving emperor, they both wouldve fallen to the Yu’s scheme. The second half of the plot tried hard to be one of those court politics genre but lacks the tactical planning and strategizing part. And too bad i picked this up after finished the brilliant of all brilliant court politics drama Six Flying Dragons, so this one looks too much of a childsplay when compared. The only reason i keep watching is to see the Yu couple gets thrown off their high perch with the poor tactical maneouvres by our mainleads. But then again that was also a disappointment. I didnt feel any satisfaction when they finally took down their enemy.
As for the mainleads’ story as a couple i truly could care less. They both lost the appeal after they keep crossing each other after they reached the Capital of their dreams, the relationship just got bland and boring to watch.
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