noor1234

Well said.

I'm not liking this, that's no sacrifice or building up from zero. ML has his money from his hard work & near death experiences. The guy has walked on fire! FL also had a terrible time in Ganglin. But she has flaunted money from maternal side (!) - she could've asked them for financial assistance in Ganglin too btw, why didn't she?

That's why I'm saying he should get it - because the potential for drama is more if he gets it! ML & Shameless will have to work together, & of course SML will try to sabotage ML.

Ep. 22: No matter what is happening right now, I think it will be quite interesting WHEN Shameless/ SML becomes Salt Censor and has to work with ML in doing Salt Reforms. There's potential for great tension & intrigue hi-jinx if they are forced to work together.

SFL's stupidity knows no bounds: getting back at Wei lady as if she's going to take any back stabbing against her lying down! I can now see clearly HOW that Wu niece will end up as SML's concubine / 2nd wife - because she represents Anzhou salt merchants & Yu lady will be forced to take her to avoid scandal against her family (that her d-i-l tried to entrap Wei husband) and also to create a powerful group in salt reforms.

The stress & pressure is clearly taking a toll on ML and his relationship with FL. Their scenes together have a current of unpleasantness. She is telling him she doesn't want to grow distant & wants to help, but he has to balance out all the courtiers & special interest groups & is isolated. They may get a wedding, but there's nothing else other than tea between them. Let's see if she remains understanding of him & he doesn't feel burdened & alone......

BUGGING THE HELL OUT OF ME TROPE: of making FL soooooooooo rich that she not only bought the expensive house on expensive street BUT is also the owner of shops - if she was this rich & could make these moves 7 years ago - as her mother wanted her to - why did she offer marriage to ML & go to Ganglin. She had gotten the 'household registry' from crown prince. So she could've easily gone with this same ML to capital, have these same shops, have the same house, even, and make ML work at these ridiculous shops. ML didn't really need to be in the army. They could've lived off her 'wealth' or her maternal family's shops. Now she's offering money from these shops to this d-i-l married to some cousin-brother - and she's living a lavish life, that she didn't work to get. She even told the real estate person that many army wives would want to settle in the capital - look at the poverty of all those army women who descended from the carriage to meet her - I doubt anyone of them can afford a place like her!!!! Even ML doesn't live like this.

This is against the entire premise of the drama - that 2 people down on dumps work their way up.

Well said.

👍

Boy, are you in for a surprise! I've seen a scene on twitter/x & it has concubine/ niece going to that Wei lady's under-husband (whose dad is the grand secretary about to retire) & Wu makes it appear as if this was done because of Yu family (remember Wu wants to get her niece installed in an influential family AND get back at Yu lady), so Wei will go after Yu's & my guess is Yu's don't want to make an enemy out of Wei family, so Yu lady will accept niece as son's concubine - an arrangement that will ensure that Wei doesn't come after Yu fam. & ALSO guarantees support of Anzhou merchants for whatever Yu decides to undermine ML.

The pawning etc. gift failed to work because she's not really from these circles - IF m-i-l had really coached her & seen her as part of her son's success later on, she would've fared better. SFL has failed in this family, primarily because m-i-l had it against her from the get-go. A young woman may do some dumb s**t but it is the job of elders to guide properly. Not excusing her slander against FL but SFL never had a mother & she grew up being envious of everything FL had. I think Lady Yu's lack of respect towards SFL & taking her as an enemy (not giving her proper wedding, not giving her separate household budget, not allowing her to keep gifts, brainwashing son against her) & then use her dad's books as a free lunch is far worse than anything SFL did.

lol!

Beard shows passage of time - maybe 5-10 years have passed.

Yeah, I'm done guessing. My guesses are usually wrong - I was certain there was no ML + concubine plotline - and voila! there was one!

I'm not going to guess about this clip because my guesses are usually wrong. BUT the mustache shows passage of time - it's not because he 'couldn't shave' because he's in mourning - ML has aged, he's spent a few years in court - probably 5-7 years, if not 10, hence the mustache. As to what else is happening, why he's sad, black cloth etc. I'm not guessing. But mustache is due to passage of time.

As long as it's not the 3 musketeers who have been with ML since - well, since Ep.1!!!

Oh! I thought Sen was going to end up married to Gen. Mo's daughter as per webnovel? If Mo dies, how will that happen?! Anyway, as long as Sen & those 2 old buddies don't die (or Sennaing & her husband don't die at the hands of poor ML), & remain part of the leads' family, it's fine with me.

And btw, Gen. Mo was part of king's men when king was crown prince.

Who is the best friend? Kindly don't tell me he kills Sen or one of his old-time buddies from salt days who are now his bodyguards/ in military. Anyone else, I'm okay with.

People change when they have much to lose - motivations change when you are in a circle of constant intrigue, life & death & conspiracies. ML has already experienced this when he signed off on those heads he didn't earn to keep his friend's lie & get ahead- maybe Yu lady & that chess-playing husband of hers were warmhearted once, and have turned ruthless pillars of corrupt souls because in court, you need to survive & have power & alliances & eradicate threats to your power & competition.

He's his own competition - metaphor for he's so good at this 'game' no one can beat him but himself.

Yes, but how did she get sooooooooo rich to afford a house near imperial academy? That's wrong to show - because her mom's family would've helped her financially, but only a little, yet she is shown as owner of a shop & then owner of this large house on expensive street. You don't make this kind of money remaking military uniforms! ML has a good position in court, & his lodgings were shown to be old wood.

Yup.

Look, I consider Yu family to be self-serving opportunists who will do anything for advancement - I believe m-i-l was just using SFL by asking her about her dowry. M-i-l hadn't given ANYTHING to SFL - remember her wedding banquet? Where only 3 people were in attendance because m-i-l wanted to teach SFL a lesson? And the nerve to then ask the same SFL / d-i-l for her dad's priced collection. What's the difference between selling them for money or giving them to a crown prince? Ultimately you are giving them away for advantage right? So m-i-l didn't think of the books in high regard, she just knew their value would get her a bigger deal with the next king for her son.

Also, m-i-l has not given SFL her separate money, she gets an allowance from m-i-l - these are important points - SFL's son was lead by m-i-l, not the actual mother. The gifts - all expensive - were stored in 'family' warehouse not SFL's separate unit. SFL is totally at the mercy of this vicious family.

I think M-i-L should've taken SFL under her wing instead of treating her like an enemy from day one. I've said this before, she is the reason why her son got disinterested from SFL on his wedding night - she knows how to manipulate him. Why weaken your own son's marriage? Just to get even with a girl you didn't select and to keep her in 'her place'?

And the constant appraisal of FL - I don't know why this m-i-l has such an obsession with 'the one who got away' who would've been perfect for this household. SFL is pedantic & materialistic because she wants to feel important. She has not been given the confidence by anyone in her inlaws house, not by her husband or this powerful m-i-l or f-i-l. In fact, these people are lonely narcissists who back stab each other. There's a reason why top scorer Shameless/ SML is so self-centered & self-serving.

And I don't think m-i-l was being nice to SFL by telling her to take more care of herself. She should've had a 'talk' with that son of hers, about what he is doing, & why.