Still don’t know anything about CZ backstory. Who was his mother? Why was he treated like that?
drama: his parents are actually his uncle (mother's brother) and aunt in law. since the mother had CZ out of wedlock, the uncle and aunt in law took him in under as their child to avoid shaming the family. mother died of depression/desperation. b/c of her actions, after her death, she was not place in the family shrine. flashback: aunt in law snidely remarked to CZ if he wants to put his mom in the ancestral shrine, he will have to be powerful enough to do so. ---that's what i got from the drama. too much screen time if drama dwells on his background and upbringing.
novel: CZ's dad is a womanizer and got his mom pregnant on one of his outings. the dad promised to marry her before he left to go back to the capital the mom's family wanted her to abort CZ and marry to hide her scandal. mom left her family to seek the dad, but was scammed and sold into a brothel. CZ was born at the brothel. mom became a prostitute, got desperate, depression and takes it out on the young CZ berating, hitting and blaming him. one of the patrons eventually brought words back to the dad about the mom (she always ask patrons about her love and hope someone knows and could tell him he has a son). dad sends for the mom and CZ. the legit wife send servants to retrieve the son but killed the mom. CZ witnessed the servants kills his mother.
dad is married with a legit wife (come from a prominent scholar family, but plain/unattractive) and have 10+ concubines. dad has 3 sons w/ the main wife. main wife keep all the concubines in check and make sure they don't bare any sons. main wife tried to kill CZ but failed...however, she tortured him at every chance she gets. the dad only likes CZ bc he is handsome like him. he brings CZ out to social events to show off. he doesn't care about his 3 other sons b/c he sees them looking/taking after the mom's plainness.
to be safe, CZ eventually met chancellor and became his student. due to chancellor's power in court, the main wife no longer could treat him bad or kill him secretly. however chancellor also wants to make him his successor bc/ he's one of his best/brightest students. XPT also likes him. CZ knows he's replaceable if XPT have a change of mind. CZ is annoyed by XPT's spoiled/entitlement but cannot do anything about it b/c he relies on the chancellor.
It's well explained though... On ep 1,Father He said to He yan "when you first came to He mansion with your…
it makes more sense if they are 1/2 siblings same father, different mother and explains why HY is treated as something that's disposable. children from the legit wife and concubines are treated differently in an elite household. it doesn't make sense for the drama to change them into stepsiblings.
novel: HY and HRF are tang siblings (their fathers are brothers). only the brothers and wives knows about the switch/secret. HY's first and second life use the exact same name. the second life HY is from a lower status family, raise by a widow dad (a guard at the city gate post) and she has a younger brother (who does the chores at home, sell steam cakes on the side to support the family).
whenever HY's name is mentioned, HYF and HY's husband would be reminded of the dead HY. the husband has more of a guilty conscience.
the drama is throwing all the timeline all over the place.
HY's exposure is before the sword duel with the faux HRF.
the celebration feast is hosted by the king with the queen in attendance. since it's a celebration of the court, the officials bring their family. the men sit at the front and the women more to the backside/behind the men. they don't go up to the court unless called upon. Xu PingTing is a combination of Shen MoXue (XJ's admirer/doctor who followed XJ to the military). even so, SMX instigated her male friend to present the complain to the king. XPT is jealous of YingXiang (her beauty and her being CZ's favorite/close maid) schemed to have YingXiang sent to the crown prince's residence to become his bed servant.
CZ and XPT was granted an engagement/marriage by the queen at the feast. the king granted XJ and HY's engagement/marriage.
the sword duel came later when wutuo send envoys for peace negotiations. she beat HRF as a woman there, claim her qing lang sword back from HRF (XJ wager his yin qiu for the duel). XJ exposed chancellor and HRF's treason at the welcome event. HRF is more smarter, scheming and calm than the drama version. it is his extra caution that is part of the reason for the chancellor's downfall and lost in power.
per novel: HRF is sickly and weak as a child. doctors don't think he will survive to adulthood. the he family…
the character development in the novel is very detailed and gives you an idea of their struggles, plight and choices. if they make this into seasons like game of thrones, you get the whole novel!
I rewatched the two episodes of today, and I had a funny thought about the fight scene between HY and HRF, I felt…
novel same...she meant to do it to show others she's toying with him and he's at her mercy. everyone assume HY is at a disadvantage b/c she's just a girl and a newbie...compare to the skill battle experience HRF. they were thinking HRF will just be a gentleman and let HY down 'gently'. HY's goal is to show everyone he's the one that should be pity on.
Didn't "General" Faux-heng grow up sickly? Wasn't that why he was stuck in a temple and his sister learned…
per novel: HRF is sickly and weak as a child. doctors don't think he will survive to adulthood. the he family being greedy and not wanting to let go the marquis title, switched HRF and HY out at a young age. HRF was sent to the farm estate under HY's title and the family pretty much announced to society or make it known HY is the sickly child.
the He family didn't think it would be complicated and intend to raise HY as a guy throughout her life. when HY ran off to join the army and became a general, HRF got over his sickness and actually survived.
the He family decided to switch them back when HY returns from battle to see the king. that's when they switch back. at court, the real HRF took off his mask. prior to marrying off HY, HY taught HRF fighting and swordsmanship skills. HRF also need to like/dislike what HY likes when she was the fake HRF as to not give their switch away.
to avoid suspicion, HRF killed off all the generals/comrades that fought besides HY. without the people who fought and know HY during army time, there won't be any comparison of before and after the switch back.
in the novel, they were at the temple. the chancellor gave HRF some kind of life saving medicine to improve his health.
the novel has more details of their coverage and switch back.
they adapted that from the novel. In the novel in order to hide her swordplay she predominantly wields the whip…
man, that's one of the climax of the novel! the duel between HRF and HY was pretty awesome!!! HY's redemption and how she played him like a monkey for all to see. it's a pity to be excluded in the drama adaption.
his parents are actually his uncle (mother's brother) and aunt in law. since the mother had CZ out of wedlock, the uncle and aunt in law took him in under as their child to avoid shaming the family. mother died of depression/desperation. b/c of her actions, after her death, she was not place in the family shrine.
flashback: aunt in law snidely remarked to CZ if he wants to put his mom in the ancestral shrine, he will have to be powerful enough to do so.
---that's what i got from the drama. too much screen time if drama dwells on his background and upbringing.
novel:
CZ's dad is a womanizer and got his mom pregnant on one of his outings. the dad promised to marry her before he left to go back to the capital the mom's family wanted her to abort CZ and marry to hide her scandal. mom left her family to seek the dad, but was scammed and sold into a brothel. CZ was born at the brothel. mom became a prostitute, got desperate, depression and takes it out on the young CZ berating, hitting and blaming him. one of the patrons eventually brought words back to the dad about the mom (she always ask patrons about her love and hope someone knows and could tell him he has a son). dad sends for the mom and CZ. the legit wife send servants to retrieve the son but killed the mom. CZ witnessed the servants kills his mother.
dad is married with a legit wife (come from a prominent scholar family, but plain/unattractive) and have 10+ concubines. dad has 3 sons w/ the main wife. main wife keep all the concubines in check and make sure they don't bare any sons.
main wife tried to kill CZ but failed...however, she tortured him at every chance she gets.
the dad only likes CZ bc he is handsome like him. he brings CZ out to social events to show off. he doesn't care about his 3 other sons b/c he sees them looking/taking after the mom's plainness.
to be safe, CZ eventually met chancellor and became his student. due to chancellor's power in court, the main wife no longer could treat him bad or kill him secretly. however chancellor also wants to make him his successor bc/ he's one of his best/brightest students. XPT also likes him. CZ knows he's replaceable if XPT have a change of mind. CZ is annoyed by XPT's spoiled/entitlement but cannot do anything about it b/c he relies on the chancellor.
novel:
HY and HRF are tang siblings (their fathers are brothers). only the brothers and wives knows about the switch/secret.
HY's first and second life use the exact same name. the second life HY is from a lower status family, raise by a widow dad (a guard at the city gate post) and she has a younger brother (who does the chores at home, sell steam cakes on the side to support the family).
whenever HY's name is mentioned, HYF and HY's husband would be reminded of the dead HY. the husband has more of a guilty conscience.
HY's exposure is before the sword duel with the faux HRF.
the celebration feast is hosted by the king with the queen in attendance. since it's a celebration of the court, the officials bring their family. the men sit at the front and the women more to the backside/behind the men. they don't go up to the court unless called upon. Xu PingTing is a combination of Shen MoXue (XJ's admirer/doctor who followed XJ to the military). even so, SMX instigated her male friend to present the complain to the king. XPT is jealous of YingXiang (her beauty and her being CZ's favorite/close maid) schemed to have YingXiang sent to the crown prince's residence to become his bed servant.
CZ and XPT was granted an engagement/marriage by the queen at the feast. the king granted XJ and HY's engagement/marriage.
the sword duel came later when wutuo send envoys for peace negotiations. she beat HRF as a woman there, claim her qing lang sword back from HRF (XJ wager his yin qiu for the duel). XJ exposed chancellor and HRF's treason at the welcome event. HRF is more smarter, scheming and calm than the drama version. it is his extra caution that is part of the reason for the chancellor's downfall and lost in power.
the He family didn't think it would be complicated and intend to raise HY as a guy throughout her life. when HY ran off to join the army and became a general, HRF got over his sickness and actually survived.
the He family decided to switch them back when HY returns from battle to see the king. that's when they switch back. at court, the real HRF took off his mask.
prior to marrying off HY, HY taught HRF fighting and swordsmanship skills. HRF also need to like/dislike what HY likes when she was the fake HRF as to not give their switch away.
to avoid suspicion, HRF killed off all the generals/comrades that fought besides HY. without the people who fought and know HY during army time, there won't be any comparison of before and after the switch back.
in the novel, they were at the temple. the chancellor gave HRF some kind of life saving medicine to improve his health.
the novel has more details of their coverage and switch back.
XJ in novel is more forward. he's actually the romantic one compare to HY.
the audio book to the novel...one of the best audio book i come across for novels.
it's only in mandarin.