When Little Madam Wei died, he never asked, “What killed you?” When Lin schemed to marry her daughter into a count’s household, he never asked, “How did things come to this?” But now that Minglan demands justice, he suddenly has the presence of mind to ask, “Why have you become this way?” As Minglan herself says, “Father, our family has always lived in a muddled way. Why ask so much now?”
I have to disagree with both you and Avenue X. There have been dissertations written about the mother character,…
So how does she fail to see that “if the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam will be crooked”? Everyone in that household was morally compromised. For her daughter to have survived and grown up at all was already a blessing. All she needed to say was something along the lines of: I know you had to scheme and be dishonest to survive until now. But now that I’m here, there’s no need for that anymore. From this point on, you straighten up, or I will use iron discipline on you. That would have aligned far more closely with her character as a general. And honestly, (I believe that’s what the writers were aiming for) it’s just a pity they failed to convey it convincingly. I guess nowadays it’s too much to ask for a drama with well-written storylines and relationship arcs grounded in realism. Or perhaps my definition of a well-crafted drama is simply different. Since this is a drama, dialogue and interactions can be heightened, but they should be purposeful: either to move the plot forward or to deepen characterization. The side characters, even by your own explanation, still feel instrumental rather than organic. Finally, depth that requires external explanation (even in the form of dissertations) does not negate a viewer’s experience of weak storytelling.
I have to disagree with both you and Avenue X. There have been dissertations written about the mother character,…
Thanks for engaging. Correct me if I’m wrong: the mother gives birth to twins, there is conflict with the mother-in-law, and one child (fl) is left behind. No trusted aide is assigned to protect the child, even though the mother knew the family could not be trusted. This is where the characterization starts to feel contradictory rather than complex (I assume the writers were aiming for a multi-faceted character but failed to fully realize it). She is gone for years, prioritizing maintaining her position in the army, which results in neglecting her child. When she finally returns and discovers her daughter has grown up “crooked,” her response is where I think the writing drops the ball. One thing I actually liked was that the mother could see through Niao Niao’s schemes. That part made sense. However, how she responded to the situation is the issue. Without making a direct drama comparison, but purely as a character reference, I would point to how Rong Shanbao disciplines her fourth sister in Glory (2025/26). Different people can respond differently to the same situation, but a character’s response should be largely (I’d say 99%) shaped by the pre-established relationship. Rong Shanbao was not stupid; she understood exactly what her sister wanted from her (a doting sister in place of a mother). Likewise, Niao Niao’s mother is certainly not stupid. We’re talking about a female general who survived and thrived in a deeply patriarchal society. She could clearly tell that Niao Niao exaggerated situations to get her way.
What I really loved about this drama is how well it handled show, not tell. A lot of rebirth dramas basically spell out why the main character deserves sympathy, ‘my previous life sucked, so of course I want a do-over.’ This one felt different. It wasn’t about justifying regret; it was about curiosity. ‘If I make different choices, will my life actually turn out better?’ That subtle change made the whole story feel smarter and more mature.
After dropping this drama when it first aired, I tried watching it again, but it still felt like trying to eat a boiled rotten egg. No matter how long you boil it, it just doesn’t sit right.
It wasn’t until I watched AvenueX’s review that I could finally pinpoint what had been nagging me; the storytelling and characterization were simply weak. The plot development lacked depth, and the characters felt one-dimensional and shallow; especially the side characters, who existed solely to bully the female lead.
This is particularly jarring in a cultural context where people are taught from childhood that their behavior reflects their family’s upbringing and moral standing.
The mother’s hostility toward the protagonist also felt unnecessary and purely driven by plot convenience. As AvenueX said, make it make sense. Give me a logical, in-universe reason that genuinely drives her actions.
I love it too. And yes you are right about legend of zhang hai because when I first saw her, i was like here is…
Well said! To sum up what RSB told her 4th sister: no one ever taught me how to be this perfect, gentle, loving older sister you want … so I can’t be that for you. I think the same applies to how she approaches love. With her grandmother constantly warning her since childhood about men’s traps, she grew up emotionally guarded. No one ever taught her how to let herself be vulnerable or simply trust her feelings.
I also feel like people are so focused on the “roles” the actors are supposed to play that they miss the actual logic behind the characters’ motivations. RSB grew up having to hide her thoughts and schemes to survive. LJL, meanwhile, despite everything he went through, never lost his faith in the world or in himself. He throws himself into everything with reckless confidence, believing that no matter how hard it gets, he’ll overcome it. We saw that when he was willing to ditch a wedding he fought so hard for just to run off and fight the prefect’s corruption. Even though he explained later, he knew deep down she would understand his choice.
With RSB, though, I think what unsettles people is that her motives are always hidden. Even after we see the results of her decisions, we don’t always get her inner reasoning. Maybe that’s partly subconscious on her end, and honestly, that still fits her character, but I hope the writers don’t lean on that explanation too heavily.
Somebody enlighten me on how a female-centric drama became an issue when the story’s focal point is the female lead’s journey to greatness—or whatever you want to call it. Why are people acting surprised that RSB is making her own schemes and doesn’t consult the male lead? Or did you want her to be described as smart, cunning, and scheming, only for every plan she hatches to fail so the male lead can bail her out?
I’ve watched plenty of male-dominated stories, and God forbid the female lead’s role exceeds two-fifths of the series- SHE immediately gets bashed. If you want a male-dominated story, go watch something like The Legend of Zhang Hai. There, the female lead is reduced to nothing more than what passes for a “regular FL” in male-centric dramas.
Hence, for once, I actually like this shift in narrative dynamics.
ha, who's the fisherman in this metaphor? I assume LJL is the bait and RSB is the fish. Actually, maybe LJL is…
I was ready to agree with your conjecture until I watched today’s (13th) episode. Now I’m having doubts that RSB might be both the bait and the fisher.
does it have love triangles or sml / sfl in this drama
It does! An annoying prick of sml. At some point in the story, you despise him so much that when he’s on the screen it feels like roaches crawling on your skin.
7 days to rewatch 73 episodes.Rating remains 10/10
I presumed the adjusted rating after rewatching would be 11/10! Cause surely this tv series is of a cinematic brilliance and the more you rewatch the bette it gets!
What did the Su Family do to get killed by LC in the previous life or was the Su family framed? If they were framed,…
Quick answer, “1. LC first born son turns out to be the product of infidelity between Shangguan Ya and SRQ’s brother. 2. LC found out about it, thus castrated SRQ’s brother, prompting SRQ’s brother to commit suicide out of humiliation.“ He actually wanted to behead the whole Su family but the princess intervened, thus changed the punishment to castration!
I saw a video saying SRQ was forced by LC to poison LR. Is this true and can someone tell me why and how did LC…
He was never forced per se, it’s just that — events in chronological order: 1. LC first born son turns out to be the product of infidelity between Shangguan Ya and SRQ’s brother. 2. LC found out about it, thus castrated SRQ’s brother, prompting SRQ’s brother to commit suicide out of humiliation. 3. Many years LC + Shangguan start to poison LR 4. SRQ finds out, but due to the fact that his nephew is promised the crown prince’s position, he condones their actions. 5. And at last, he even feeds her the last dose of the poison.
It’s common for grey and villian characters to always get lots of hate comment. I don’t hate SRQ and I believe…
Also, I doubt killing her in their previous life and then hoping to have her in the present life, without feeling remorse whatsoever, can be described as truly loving her. P.S: In case you didn’t know, he participated in the killing of her in their previous life.
When Little Madam Wei died, he never asked, “What killed you?”
When Lin schemed to marry her daughter into a count’s household, he never asked, “How did things come to this?”
But now that Minglan demands justice, he suddenly has the presence of mind to ask, “Why have you become this way?”
As Minglan herself says, “Father, our family has always lived in a muddled way. Why ask so much now?”
Just of my favorite scenes that cuts deep.
All she needed to say was something along the lines of: I know you had to scheme and be dishonest to survive until now. But now that I’m here, there’s no need for that anymore. From this point on, you straighten up, or I will use iron discipline on you. That would have aligned far more closely with her character as a general. And honestly, (I believe that’s what the writers were aiming for) it’s just a pity they failed to convey it convincingly.
I guess nowadays it’s too much to ask for a drama with well-written storylines and relationship arcs grounded in realism. Or perhaps my definition of a well-crafted drama is simply different.
Since this is a drama, dialogue and interactions can be heightened, but they should be purposeful: either to move the plot forward or to deepen characterization. The side characters, even by your own explanation, still feel instrumental rather than organic.
Finally, depth that requires external explanation (even in the form of dissertations) does not negate a viewer’s experience of weak storytelling.
Correct me if I’m wrong: the mother gives birth to twins, there is conflict with the mother-in-law, and one child (fl) is left behind. No trusted aide is assigned to protect the child, even though the mother knew the family could not be trusted.
This is where the characterization starts to feel contradictory rather than complex (I assume the writers were aiming for a multi-faceted character but failed to fully realize it). She is gone for years, prioritizing maintaining her position in the army, which results in neglecting her child. When she finally returns and discovers her daughter has grown up “crooked,” her response is where I think the writing drops the ball.
One thing I actually liked was that the mother could see through Niao Niao’s schemes. That part made sense. However, how she responded to the situation is the issue. Without making a direct drama comparison, but purely as a character reference, I would point to how Rong Shanbao disciplines her fourth sister in Glory (2025/26).
Different people can respond differently to the same situation, but a character’s response should be largely (I’d say 99%) shaped by the pre-established relationship. Rong Shanbao was not stupid; she understood exactly what her sister wanted from her (a doting sister in place of a mother). Likewise, Niao Niao’s mother is certainly not stupid. We’re talking about a female general who survived and thrived in a deeply patriarchal society. She could clearly tell that Niao Niao exaggerated situations to get her way.
This one felt different. It wasn’t about justifying regret; it was about curiosity. ‘If I make different choices, will my life actually turn out better?’ That subtle change made the whole story feel smarter and more mature.
It wasn’t until I watched AvenueX’s review that I could finally pinpoint what had been nagging me; the storytelling and characterization were simply weak. The plot development lacked depth, and the characters felt one-dimensional and shallow; especially the side characters, who existed solely to bully the female lead.
This is particularly jarring in a cultural context where people are taught from childhood that their behavior reflects their family’s upbringing and moral standing.
The mother’s hostility toward the protagonist also felt unnecessary and purely driven by plot convenience. As AvenueX said, make it make sense. Give me a logical, in-universe reason that genuinely drives her actions.
To sum up what RSB told her 4th sister: no one ever taught me how to be this perfect, gentle, loving older sister you want … so I can’t be that for you.
I think the same applies to how she approaches love. With her grandmother constantly warning her since childhood about men’s traps, she grew up emotionally guarded. No one ever taught her how to let herself be vulnerable or simply trust her feelings.
I also feel like people are so focused on the “roles” the actors are supposed to play that they miss the actual logic behind the characters’ motivations.
RSB grew up having to hide her thoughts and schemes to survive. LJL, meanwhile, despite everything he went through, never lost his faith in the world or in himself.
He throws himself into everything with reckless confidence, believing that no matter how hard it gets, he’ll overcome it. We saw that when he was willing to ditch a wedding he fought so hard for just to run off and fight the prefect’s corruption. Even though he explained later, he knew deep down she would understand his choice.
With RSB, though, I think what unsettles people is that her motives are always hidden. Even after we see the results of her decisions, we don’t always get her inner reasoning. Maybe that’s partly subconscious on her end, and honestly, that still fits her character, but I hope the writers don’t lean on that explanation too heavily.
I’ve watched plenty of male-dominated stories, and God forbid the female lead’s role exceeds two-fifths of the series- SHE immediately gets bashed. If you want a male-dominated story, go watch something like The Legend of Zhang Hai. There, the female lead is reduced to nothing more than what passes for a “regular FL” in male-centric dramas.
Hence, for once, I actually like this shift in narrative dynamics.
“1. LC first born son turns out to be the product of infidelity between Shangguan Ya and SRQ’s brother.
2. LC found out about it, thus castrated SRQ’s brother, prompting SRQ’s brother to commit suicide out of humiliation.“
He actually wanted to behead the whole Su family but the princess intervened, thus changed the punishment to castration!
1. LC first born son turns out to be the product of infidelity between Shangguan Ya and SRQ’s brother.
2. LC found out about it, thus castrated SRQ’s brother, prompting SRQ’s brother to commit suicide out of humiliation.
3. Many years LC + Shangguan start to poison LR
4. SRQ finds out, but due to the fact that his nephew is promised the crown prince’s position, he condones their actions.
5. And at last, he even feeds her the last dose of the poison.
P.S: In case you didn’t know, he participated in the killing of her in their previous life.