maryxiah

I do not enjoy the seemingly toxic relationship between the second leads either. I can understand the appeal because he's presented as the bad boy and she's a cunning lady trying to trick him, but their relationship dynamic is so toxic I'm equally turned off by it. I do watch their scenes, mostly with dread and wishing to fast forward, but I'm scared I might miss any infos on other people, ie Ziyu and Weishan. xD

1. Hmm, I see. I hadn't consider Gong to be a sect, that makes sense.
2. Yeah, I get the sense that they're guarding the back hill, I was wondering if there was an explanation to that. There was a brief mention about the miasma, so I was thinking they are either suppressing or guarding the miasma from falling out, and the Gong is guarding the front hill, which might explain why they can never leave the valley.
3. I vaguely remember Han Yasi giving Weishan something and said she'll be a Chi after this, and Qian remarked several times that Weishan has the wits of a Mei. So I'm making assumptions that she has to be demoted as Chi because Han Yasi was tasked to find a Chi for the mission. Kind of thinking Wufeng is placing strategic amount of low ranks so they can be disposable for those of higher ranks.

This drama is so addictive I'm almost all caught up in 2 days. Where is Ziyu getting all his lines? They're so cheesy, but kind of romantic at the same time. xD My favorite character at the moment is Zishang, girl goes after her man unabashedly and reprimand anyone who is remotely nice to him. xD But then again, all the girls are going after the guys in this drama, which is funny and entertaining. I want the world for Zishang, kind of torn between Xiao Hei and Jin Fan, maybe she should get both, she deserves it. xD

On a serious note, I was wondering about a few things and hoping someone can enlighten me.
1. Why are the elders of Gong not of Gong descendants? It's weird that the Gong family has to heed elders who are not even their family members.
2. Why must the Yue, Xue, Hua lineage stay at the back hill? Is it something related to the miasma at the back hill? Not sure if this was explained in earlier episodes and I missed it.
3. Not sure if I was confused but was Weishan a Mei demoted to Chi in order to go for this mission?
I think I have lots more questions but that's all I can recall at the moment.

Must be the editing because I missed the part where Mo Wan/Mo Xin bonded with Jin Yi and Consort Chen, they appeared close out of the blue.

That only slows down decomposition, her body will still rot at some point. I wish we were given more clarity as she doesn't look dead to me, her skin tone looks reddish as opposed to corpse who usually appear bluish, not sure if that's a technical error.

Ugh, I feel the same and considering to drop at this point. I was already uncomfortable with the romance in its early stage, now that Mo Xin has gone full-blown revenge mode with the second life and body she got at the expense of her sister's life, I'm completely turned off by her character. I'm mainly watching for Jun Qing, who's my favorite character, but I cannot bear to watch him pining over a girl who's undeserving of his love, poor boy suffered heartache twice for the same girl for no rhyme or reason. Mo Xin is supposed to be an intelligent and wise character but she's now dumbed down by the so-called revenge, I'd have preferred to see her taking down the emperor and everyone who did evil to her by plotting and helping Jun Qing to the throne. Wasted potential and characters.

This drama is selling the romance between the main leads, who are in-laws, basically romanticizing the male lead who's thirsting over his sister-in-law and vice versa. The emperor, on the other hand, is not. I'm not saying the emperor's action is not gross but it is presented as it is - repulsive, while the main romance is presented with rose tinted glasses and glamorizing forbidden love affair. Just like how some viewers here avidly avoid tragedy tag, it's not unthinkable how some would avoid cheating theme and questionable love affairs. If you are fine with the romance and like it, good for you, but not everyone may feel the same.

Because the emperor announced that she was dead. I thought it was weird that he didn't let anyone else see the body before the burial and it was revealed later in the episodes that he has kept her in another place. And she doesn't look dead tbh.

Same. I'm a little grossed out by the romance but I actually really like the leads. Wish I had known the premise before going into the drama.

Well, I know and I'm grossed out by it, that was my point.

I'm aware of the poisons but we were only shown of her coughing blood and not actually dead, and it was revealed in episode 9/10 that her body was kept in another place, so I assumed she was not dead but actually in a coma.

I understand your confusion and I think it's mainly because both actresses portray Mo Xin's character differently, Eva Cheng portrays her as a soft-spoken but firm and dignified lady, while Li Mo Zhi portrays her as a loud and playful girl to the point of crude, but essentially they're one character. Anyway, the empress fell in love with the emperor thinking he was her savior in a Lantern Festival, it was actually the brother (Jun Qing). Now that the empress in her sister's body lost all memories, she fell in love all over again for Jun Qing, the guy she was actually in love with all those years ago. I don't know about the book but based on the trailers, I think Mo Xin won't be returning to her old body and Mo Wan will probably die in that body. I like all the main characters, including the emperor for now, I just don't enjoy the romance between the main leads because I'm grossed out by the fact that she's his sister-in-law. I'm still watching for Jun Qing but I might drop it if it still bothers me a lot. It's a shame because I like this a lot but I just cannot get over the ick factor.

Hmm, I thought she's still in a coma? Mo Xin's body doesn't appear to be dead by episode 9/10.

In a coma in Mo Xin's body.

Mo Xin and Mo Wan switched bodies in episode one just before Mo Xin's body fell into coma from the poisoning, so technically Jun Qing has always loved the same woman - Mo Xin, he's unaware of the body switch and thinks he's falling for Mo Wan (who's actually Mo Xin in Mo Wan's body). Mo Xin lost her memories after falling off the cliff and doesn't know her real identity. The real Mo Wan is in the body of Mo Xin who's in a coma now.

You do know that's Mo Xin in Mo Wan's body right? She is married to his brother and is his sister-in-law, which makes her his sister by marriage, so forgive me if I find it gross.

Well, I'm okay with that because she married this guy and if she wants to sleep with him in order to exact her revenge, that's on her. I'm just uncomfortable with the budding romance between the main leads, who are in-laws, even though she lost her memories and is unaware, the ick factor is still there.

The main leads are cute together but the fact that they're in-laws is a bit uncomfortable to watch. I really like Ye Jun Qing and I want to root for him to get the girl but it feels so wrong, they're related by marriage and technically she'd be cheating, and no, it doesn't matter if the husband is evil. I like this drama but at the same time, I can't enjoy it properly.

Happy Birthday baby girl!

I love how the Witch's Brew becomes a symbolism of love between Lu Jin and Sheng Nan. He absent-mindedly requested it from her in earlier episodes but she refused to make it, now that she has made one for him, he isn't willing to drink other woman's Witch's Brew and made a point of telling Sheng Nan he can only get used to her cooking now. So sweet!