ChineseDramaFan

I don't think the first wife is worried too much about the other "son", her planning is more for the incoming step mother who may have her own sons, hence replacing Xu Si Zhun as the "di" son. And about adopted children, you may be surprised how things actually work at that time; many emperors were not biological children of the empress dowagers :)

I'm not thinking the line you're thinking. According to Fu Po, the 2 concubines have never being "chong". I believe "chong" here implies being slept. Sure FL may have seen the kid somewhere when she visits her dying sister, but they have never been formally introduced. I don't believe Wen has a child before she marries into the Xu family. Fu Po says the 2 concubines have been with ML for a long time, implying that all these years, they have never had any children, so maybe one of them adopts a child from somewhere, we don't know yet. As for Qin, I've never said she has an affair, but it does show that she has had a child and lost the child, rendering her unable to conceive ever again. But if Xu has never "chong" her, we still don't know what has happened to her. Please don't put words in my mouth. :)

Yes, you're right. I think most people are so used to the 1 man 1 woman thing that this show takes us unprepared. However, polygamy is more realistic especially in wealthy and aristocratic families in those days. In this drama, despite having multiple spouses, he has no interest in women he doesn't love; he just needs to fulfill his duty as a husband. Poor chap!

It's a very common thing that wealthy families adopt children when the wives didn't have their own. The child only appears once. He hasn't even met FL yet as of episode 10.

Yes, I believe there is even more fierce harem fighting in Ruyi and Yanxi and this drama is no match in comparison. This story depicts the aristocrat households - this kind of consistent fighting is really tiring but very real - all because of the wives and concubines. I just sighed, men in those days getting themselves in so much headache for the sake of propagating their genes :D

If you don't believe me about ML's relationship with his concubines, go watch episode 8 again.

Hmmm! Go re-watch the scene after the wedding, FL asks her maid to gather info. She comes back and tells her that ML has been busy with battles and has never slept with the concubines.

- has 1 dead wife and 1 new wife FL (after his dead wife)
- 3 concubines
- he has only slept with his first wife and has 1 son with her
- he has never slept with his 3 concubines
- his mother is the one who takes in the concubines for him
- the Xu family is indebted to Wen's family, hence repay them by taking in the daughter as concubine (what kind of repayment is this?). she seems to have a son who calls ML dad (but no idea who the actual father is)
- concubine Qin used to be a maid for matriarch Xu, and is given to ML as concubine by the mother. Qin has lost a child before and cannot have children anymore (no idea who the father is)
- concubine Xiao is a relative who is in love with ML since she's little

Got up to Episode 10. So much bickering and in-fighting in the harems among all the households that it can get so tiring. This is my take:
ML

Well, that's the thing - it's inconsistent. On one hand, she cares about rules and customs, on the other, she's breaking all the protocols at whims, like she comes and goes from the palace as and when she pleases and no one dares to censure her. Don't get me wrong. I like A'Wu. I'm just confused sometimes for her character and others also.

Oh boy! Now I'm worried.

Despite your hatred for this drama, it is quite realistic in those days that most men, especially the wealthy, had multiple wives and concubines. Many married young wives, even younger than their own daughters, when their other wives got too old to satisfy their sexual needs. This practice was condoned even until recently. It is very hard to swallow how women being degraded to this level, but unfortunately this is the hard fact.

I'm having trouble with the term "rebel" too. Trying to do the right thing doesn't mean being rebellious. Despite its high budget production, I find the storylines and characters in many other lower budget productions even better.

I'm only on episode 3, and that's what I gather too: 1st wife wants to ensure the future status of her son before she dies. He doesn't love any of the women, but it's his duty to reproduce, like in most ancient Chinese families. So sad :(

I know he doesn't love any of the women, except perhaps the 1st wife before FL, but still he has an older son with one of the concubines. Men ! :(

Jeez! My one-and-true-love heart cannot take it :D

OMG! How many wives has he got?

Thanks for all the insights. I'm persuaded. Starting this weekend :D

Wallace Chung, OMG! My idol! It's been a long time!

How is this drama so far? Worth to pursue?

Hahaha! So true. I better turn myself into a shopping maniac to get my man great XD