hvnlyangel

I was thinking about that too. This drama is like P&P except that they are married already.

Yuannang’s asks Xu Lingyi to giver her sister 体面 which is like dignity, or face. So by consummating their marriage that was a step for him to give her dignity I guess.
I don’t think that he had any romantic feelings for her then.

@ SnG
I agree with your points. I just want to elaborate on some of them and share my thoughts.
"men of that era must be sleeping with all the wives round their clock...“
Why is that necessary? Especially in regards to Houye’s personality and mentality. He already did his duty with each of this concubines except for Concubine Qiao. He has an heir and a spare. He has nothing in common with those women, he isn’t interested in them. He has more things on his mind, such as protecting his family, the sea ban to deal with, than his harem. Before he married Shiyinang he was stationed somewhere else and had only just returned to the capital. He was also annoyed with his concubines bickering so soon after the main wife Yuannang’s death. So does it mean of this era are all like Wang Yu, so lustful? I see Houye as someone who is very disciplined. Before, Shiyinang entered into his life he was very closed off emotionally. So far someone like that why would he pay attention to the concubines who as another person pointed out, he sees as a responsibility. To make it sound worse, probably a burden to him. And they don’t treat him nor his family sincerely. Concubine Wen wants business, material benefits for her family. The quiet concubine, sorry forgot her name, yearns for a child. Which is really sad and he can’t give her one anymore. Concubine Qiao has an obsession with him. He isn’t interested in them so why does he have to be intimate with them?
“ Bickering vicious car fights”
Not so bad as the palace dramas. What do you expect? You have one man and four women. I am surprised that the catfights aren’t worse. When I watch dramas and these women called themselves sisters, 姊妹, it is so fake and unrealistic. Especially if these women care/love their husband, there is only one man in their loves of course they will fight for his attention. That is way the practice of polygamy was so terrible.
The costumes
I actually like the costumes. Stylistically the costumes were nice. I liked how it was more tapered and slightly more form fitting , esp for Shiyinang’s character. If it it was
completely historically accurate it would be so cumbersome. I actually found a website that that Ming dynasty tried to bring back some Han Chinese style of dreshttps://www.newhanfu.com/12220.html
The costume designer maybe took some stylistic license but the style of the Ming dynasty dress did change of the course of the dynasty. The Ming dynasty was 290 plus years long the fashion must have evolved and the designer probably choose what styles and elements that she liked and would look good on the actors.

AvenueX also said that Wallace was too old. He is like Zhang Ziyi to me, very well preserved still looks young for their age if not youthful. They no longer have that youthful look but they still look great. How they look doesn’t bother me, he acts well and carries the story well. He actually looks great paired with Seven Tang, and age wise they are 10 yrs apart.

Inconsistent Ming dynasty etiquette
Hmm yea that I can kind of see. I was like why meet up Master Lin in a room alone. But Shiyinang was probably trying to keep other ppl from finding out her plans. Beging saved from drowning, I was thinking maybe she didn’t give her name or station to them they didn’t know, I am talking about Houye’s men. And she wasn’t in the major/capital city so her reputation didn’t get tarnished. Her mom, her maid weren’t going to say when she got home, I was abducted by an outlaw/pirate and fell into the water and a man put his hands on me to save me from drowning.

Those are just some points that I remembered from AvenueX’s review. I was actually looking forward to her review but she is very critical. I would still occasionally listen to her reviews on actors. Her review of Mulan was spot on, but I do not agree with everything that she says. She is very critical of alot of dramas that I liked, such as Go ahead, The rebel princess, and legend of Xiao Chuo. I feel that if she watches some of these dramas that she is so critical of all way through than she would like them more. Dramas are meant to be diverting in are not history lessons.
I will decide what reviews I watch of hers, she is very critical. I feel like if she is so critical maybe she should write a drama screenplay or adaptation.

Thanks for recommending that website. I actually don’t post much. I use to mainly read other people’s comments. This is an ongoing drama that I really love. I started reading comments to get spoilers. I am contributing to comments because I like to analyze and discuss plot points, characters etc. It is nice to get other people’s opinions for a currently airing drama.

Very well said.

I don’t agree with alot of her reviews. But she has her own opinions and is knowledgeable with some Chinese culture and history things. I actually liked some dramas that she couldn’t stand such as The Legend of Xiao Chuo. I feel that Avenue X drops dramas too soon and she doesn’t give these dramas a chance it seems.

Umm.. how can she tell her husband to care for Concubine Qiao. At the beginning Houye didn’t care for Shiyinang much. Even if she did, her husband didn’t like Concubine Qiao. All Shiyinang knows is that her husband isn’t into any of his concubines. She doesn’t know what happened with them to make their relationships that way. She isn’t there to be w marriage counselor. Also as the main wife, having a husband care for one’s concubines isn’t what main wives prerogative. What women in their right mind would want their husband caring for another women. Granted she didn’t care for her husband at the beginning herself but I am sure her head mom, Madam Lou would tell her to stop and think about Zhonge’s future.

Shiyinang was kind to Concubine Qi, because that Concubine treated her with respect and seemed sincere and kind.

As for Concubine Qiao, would confessing that she messed with Yuanang’s medicine really make Houye like her? He doesn’t like scheming women.
I doubt that Concubine Qiao would’ve been a better person with Houye’s love. She is a very entitled, spoiled person. If she got Houye’s love she probably wouldn’t have been satisfied and schemed to get rid of Shiyinang, to get the head wife’s position, and hurt Zhonge because any children she and Houye would’ve had would come second to Zhonge.

Concubine Qiao becoming a better persoj isn’t on Shiyinang. Concubine has to realize her wrongdoings herself, and she did after she got sent to the nunnery. She is a type of person who wouldn’t have been content until she had everything she felt she was entitled to. I am surprised that she actually changed when she was sent away. I felt that, that was fast change in her personality. But I am glad that she seemed like she was redeemed. I half expect her to team up with the Ou family to bring down the Xu family. I am glad that she stopped being calculating and let go of her wants.

I think that Shiyinang is a good person. She is not s saint but I do not see her as selfish.
Yes at the beginning she kind of blamed her sister for her mother’s death. Because according to her rationale if her sister didn’t scheme for Shiyinang to marry Wang Yu, her mom and her wouldn’t have had to leave at different times. Ernang schemed first and kept on telling her to not talk to Houye and be happy with her new position as the soon to be wife Wang Yu.

Shiyinang after hearing what Ernang said is totally justified in giving her portrait to the matchmaker. Wang Yu was the one who came and raised a fuss and assaulted Ernang. He demanded to marry her and since he treated her that way basically manhandled her, if word got out that she was kissed and grabbed by a man, I am not sure other men from good families would have wanted to marry her.
Ernang had to marry him, her head mom and father demanded it. Children obeyed their parents, Fleeing a marriage was really bad. If she left she would have no prospects. She wasn’t talented like Shiyinang to support herself.

Also, Shiyinang was powerless to help her. What could’ve she had done?
Sorry but Ernang made her bed. It was really unfortunate for her, if she didn’t trick Wang yu things might have been different for her.

Shiyinang told Houye about her sister and Houye got Wang yu to stop treating so badly for awhile. And Shiyinang tried to help her sister after her sister’s husband died. But her sister was easily manipulated by the Ou wife that she didn’t even appreciate anyone in her family’s help. There is only so much you can do for family. She helped as much as she can, her sister rejected it.

I don’t think that she manipulates people either. She only calculates against others if she is schemed against, for example finding justice for her sister.
Shiyinang’s calculations didn’t harm anyone’s life. Scared them yes, but it was because Concubine Quia felt guilty. Shiyinang reminds me or Ruyi, from Ruyi’s royal love in the palace. Both woman don’t go put to scheme or calculate against others, but will only do it to fight back or to find answers, or to seek justice.
She isn’t just going to sit around and turn the other cheek. Her nephew/stepson’s life was being threatened, her life was being threatened. If she has the ability to preserve herself should she let bad scheming people get away with it.

Shiyinang isn’t a bad person not is she a saint. She is kind and loyal to those who are good to her. She isn’t perfect, but she is definitely not as bad of a person as you make her out to be.

Haha Hou ye fan’t divorce his own mother.

I think that the MIL acts the way she does is because she has seen alot of infighting between di and shu children.
Alot of times this happens is the way these children are treated.

Well technically he has one main wife who is sick plus two concubines. Concubines weren’t considered wives. But yes there 3 women in his life plus two kids. This was very common for the time period for rich, noble families.

The voice that Seven had in under the power isn’t her real voice. In this drama Seven has her own voice.

Thanks for posting the spoiler. Is there another link for ep. 38. Youtube says that it isn’t available in my country, I live in the U.S. by the way. Thanks!

Seven dubbed her own voice I believe. Wallace’s voice is dubbed because he is a native Cantonese speaker though he speaks Mandarin well, they probably wanted to make sure his accent doesn’t show.

I got used to it. I really like the voice actor’s voice they used, it’s very smoothing. They used same voice actor as Ye Hua from Ten mile of peach blossoms.

Historically yes they most likely would’ve consummated their marriage on their wedding night. That was the expectation because men needed heirs.
However if you watch and understand the ML’s character and how he is depicted, waiting for her makes sense.
He already has a heir and a spare. He has a brother who’s wife is pregnant.
He doesn’t need any more children. His wife is young and unexperienced and on their wedding night she obviously didn’t want to be intimate with him. She is 10 yrs younger than him. Also as he slowly falls in love with he wants her to love him back. Forcing someone who is not ready is not the way to make someone love you back. Plus they only been married for a few months.

In regards to the female lead, she is young and unexperienced. She doesn’t want to be pregnant. It was dangerous back then to give birth. The Chinese saying is that giving birth is like taking a walk or something death’s door.
She doesn’t love him yet, she had a mission, she also doesn’t want that kind of life. Why would she give herself to him?

I like their interactions and they are getting. He loves her already but before episode 28 she isn’t quite aware or sure of her feelings yet.
I actually like this slow burn romance more realistic in my opinion.

Their huge misunderstanding was that she thought he shot an arrow at her mother and consequently killed her. She was led to believe this because of the false witnesses that the SML found for her.
Then at the embroidery shop the FL tried to stop the ML from hurting the Sm by placing a pair of scissors to her neck. She stepped backward and tripped on a spool and in order to break her fall, the ML grabbed her. Unfortunately she stabbed the ML by accident.


Before he left for his task , the ML wrote her a hi li book, a amicable divorce in order to protect her from his mother.

The FL let herself be kicked out of the Xu household. She and Houye pretended to get into a fight back at her Father’s house, because Concubine Qiao had spies in her father’s house.
Since FL was kicked out and ML started treating her better, Qiao believed that she would be the next main wife of the Xu family. In order to tie up loose ends, she wanted to kill the servant who she told to mess up Yuannang’s medicine, leading to her illness and death.

Concubine Qiao decided go to farm and kill that servant. Fl was there and accused her of killing her sister. Concubine Q admitted to it and sent men to kill the FL. At this time the ML leaps out to protect the FL.

Concubine Q admits that she was wrong. She said that FL was also wrong too. But ML had two witnesses that attest to Concubine Q’s crimes.

Later on, Concubine Q wanted to see the Ml and a huge fuss for him to see her. She told him that only she was good enough to be by his side. His first wife didn’t understand him and the FL isn’t born well enough to be by his side. The ML said that it’s not about one’s status at birth but one’s character that is important.

Concubine Q was originally sent away to a farm but she got sent to a nunnery. Her mother pleads to Grand mother Xu to let stay in the household but she was rejected.

Concubine Q’s mom visit her daughter and told her that she can take her away. And if they get they will just get ppl to get punished in their place. Her daughter said for her to let her stay. She already gave her all to fight for what she wants and now she has no more wants.
Her mom apologies to her for teaching her how to be conniving. She forgot to teach her that some things you can’t manipulate and connive to get.

The ML and FL go to her father’s house and they bring gifts to apologize for the huge ploy. Fl’s headmom finds out what happened to her daughter and is got a stroke.

Hi! Can you post a link for the clip that you saw please? I love spoilers, I can’t wait to know what happens.

And Ou, the SML, addresses her by her name. That is probably what set the ML off to, since he drew his sword on him. Later on, at the farm he does address her more formally when her husband is around.

But I think that the SmL followed her to the farm is that he felt guilty over what happened. The witness he found was unreliable, gave false testimony. He caused this huge misunderstanding, the ML got stabbed indirectly. Therefore, he had to make sure that the FL is okay. Plus maybe he still harbors some feelings for her. He isn’t going to act on it but hopefully those feelings are not more platonic.

But yea him getting too close to her can all sorts of rumors to happen. And can definitely be grounds for divorce if her husband’s family suspect some sort of affair between the two. I am glad that by now Concubine Qiao is kicked out otherwise, Shiyinang would have been treated far worse by her MIL.

I think that the wedding scene were they are tied with red strings are part of a promo video depicting how they are tied by fate, the red strings.

In other videos you see them in red and the FL is wearing a phoenix crown I believe, that is when they are going to court. I believe they are both being rewarded or she will be conferred into nobility and given a title.
In the storynof Minglan, Minglan gets a because her husband’s work for the country.
In other videos I saw I think that fifth wife and Grand Madam Xu have similar outfits with the same type of headress.

Sui chi is divorcing a wife which I believe to be disgraceful and shameful for the family.

He li is like an amicable separation. From watching Sotry of Minglan, Minglan’s cousin was threatened with a sui 休書.
At the end they ended up he li and she got to keep part of her dowry. She might have been able to keep all of it but that was her ex husband’s terms.
But with he li a wife can leave without any difficulty. She is not disgraced and unwanted basically. Being sui is essentially saying we don’t want u etc.

But after a woman separates amicably by he li she can remarry.