ibisfeather

ep28
great open to the episode

plastic shoes!!!
the KNIFE!!!!!!!

It is reflection time -- a second couple to reflect/refract the main, once the worst of the angst is out of the way (maybe!)...

We had the operatic dark couple refraction of XZ by QiMin, a beautiful structure from cdrama costume, and now we go for the rom-com cdrama moderns' reflection of the 2CP, Gongsun Yin and Qi Shu, with that technically sophisticated balance of charm and humor, sweetness cut with utter goofiness.

Over and over again in this show from this director I feel as if generic self-referential moves come off not as ironic but weirdly joyous.

He doesnt come from a long-form background -- he has done movies and the sort of short-form dramas that are somewhere between chopped-up short series and long movies if you take out the credits.

If we had met Xie Zheng before he was ambushed, then I assume he would have been cold, strategic, violent and a dork who has never been interested in marriage or women.

But this drama has us begin with Xie Zheng very ill and in hiding. So we see him calculating, and cold; suddenly catapulted into a warm household just when he really needs human contact, he is vulnerable to happiness. Quietly he finds a new self.

It is no mistake that when he feels desire he half-closes his eyes as if he is hiding inside of them. The shot of 1/4 of YZ' face when he asks her if she would like a taste of tangerine candy...just that one, still, half-closed eye.

But YZ doesnt know what to do with happiness or with the gift of being able to find a new self within his old personality. He cannot connect. He compartmentalizes his public life as the commander of the army and holds his new self as a homebody separately.

He thinks he can leave LinAn behind. He cant. He thinks that he can release himself and her from the bonds of their affection. He cant. Absurdly, when she shows up in his world on the mountain he sets up a limited version of his life with her in a private tent, and still keeps her separate from his 'real' life.

When he finally starts making sense and communicating clearly with CY, he stops looking hunted, guilty and secretive. He starts actually looking brave, handsome and forceful. In short not the tsundere guy he was before the ambush. Not the rawly happy invalid of Xigu Alley, but, rather quickly after all his internal struggles over it, an amalgam of the two.

He looks much healthier than before, very manly. Wounds starting to finally heal? Or just gained some weight..

CY wants to rebuild Lin'An; the Lin'An closest to the northwest border region and rebellious crown princes is close to the Bohai sea, but there is a much more famous Lin'An much further south which was the capital of the Southern Song.

My guess at an imaginary time period of 10thC puts the drama in later tang/messy kingdoms/northern Song, so the ref to the later dynasty could be a funny nod to the future of the fictional past.

I am really happy that Grand Tutor Tao agreed to adopt ChangYu at the Marquis' request (in order to protect her from bullying gossip).
I think if ChangYu and JiuHeng follow through on their plan to rebuild and live in Lin'An then Tutor Tao would fit right into the family.

The rebel prince Changxin is from the imperial family, but he either adopted Sui Yuan Hui or he was tricked and his own son was 'replaced' by QiMin -- the royal name of SYH.
But QiMin/Sui Yuan Hui's dad by blood was the crown prince under the previous emperor. He is closer to the throne by that connexion.

same

When did it finally stop snowing? last episode?

WATER
emotions
water running under the village water wheel
always at night?
Until (ep27) today the pair on horseback splash through the shallow edges of a river
and
the true reconciliation happens at the base of a waterfall in the middle of the night

Good, you have said everything I thought of to say, so I can just bow.

I forgot the most important point, as usual.
Bao'er is a direc t imperial heir, through his dad, who is the grandson of the previous emperor.

Li, Wei and Xie are 'noble' families, with some members intermarried with some royals.

LI
Grand Tutor Li is a member of the imperial court. As such his family is as grey as the imperial family. Their actions are governed by politics, not by righteousness.
We do not know much about his family except that his grandson Li Huai An is considered to be from a suitable family to marry the Grand Princess but GongSun is not.

Xie
The family of Xie Zheng. A righteous military family.
His father, also a general, died in the seige of Jinzhou, along with the crown prince of the previous emperor.
His mom was a Wei, sister of the current Chancellor, Wei Yan.
She killed herself after the death of her husband.

All of the other Xie men you see scattered around are retainers, mostly part of the Bloodguard Cavalry. It is considered a clan affiliation so they bear the clan name, although they have private names too.
The mdl list seems a little incomplete -- Xie Qi and Xie Wu are listed but Xie Jue? Who is he?

Wei
Chancellor Wei's family. He is a member of the imperial court so grey by definition, currently looking very black because he appears to be working against the Marquis.
The Marquis was brought up in the Wei family after his parents passed.
Wei Xuan, Wei Yan's son. Degfinitely black, out of jealousy? Cousin to the Marquis.
The other Weis seems also to be retainers.
My favorite Wei Sheng is thus probably just a henchman of the Chancellor, not blood?

There many summaries along the line here, but I feel like giving it a try. But this is based on the drama only, and only up to today, post ep 27

Imperial families -- Sui and Qi.
Sui
Previous emperor was Sui, Prince Changxin is distantly /cousinly related to both. His eldest 'son' is not his blood; QiMin is the grandson of the previous emperor. Possibly Prince Changxin does not know this. The Eastern palace in which QiMin was burned holds the key to that.

But/So
Prince Changxin's son by blood is the 'younger' son, Sui YuanQing, and he is lknown as the 'heir.'
Prince Changxin's 'elder' son, QiMin is actually a possible heir to the imperial throne of Dayin, his father was the previous Crown Prince, the very one whose guts were hung out to dry on the walls of Jinzhou along with the Marquis' Dad.

Qi
Current emperor is Qi Sheng. I do not know but would guess he is a cousin of QiMin.
His sister is the Grand Princess Qi Shu.
Their Mom or their Grandmother is the Dowager.

Since the action does not occur in the capital these things are not laid out. You may know more than the POV of ChangYu, but not much more.

Flixpatrol listings uses both sets of data. When I say top ten that is what i refer to.

Ratings, schmatings.
POJ is a great show that most people are watching on IQIYI, it seems.

Even though POJ hasnt shown up on the Netflix/flixpatrol global top ten list (and no, the non-english list isnt even remotely similiar) NEVERTHELESS
POJ has consistently been ranked in the midteens (12th-16th) globally, which is to say that on Netflix the show is really only a few slots away from actually appearing on the Top Ten.

Just not yet.

I keep saying that. no one listens. oh well.

The awkwardness of having the entire camp figure out he lied to his wife and got a private tent to do it in.
Luckily, a battle is coming at Lucheng, after which the particular troops at Beigu Mountain Camp will not remain (probably) in the Yanzhou army, the Marquis' own picked troops.
So hopefully the transition into a public couple will be easier than otherwise.

I think we are seeing a shift in talent from film to tv -- to understand art, follow the money!

for sure.

I do the same