Idk man these palace intrigues are too deep that once you jump in them you can't turn back and you start losing…
Oh I am not a fan of general/prince dramas, too much fighting & killing all for some kingdom (they seem propagandist to me).
I thought the drama would show this family of strangers who live & work together (as it was in Ganglin) & they stay together in capital too - there has been no scene of Sen, no one has eaten together (remember his bodyguards / buddies from salt days) & there has been no news of any one's life moving forward either. No warmth from olden days.
I also do not like the trope of 'shops' being introduced as source of income for FL - FL had nothing other than county register name & shops are owned by her mom's family - none of whom have we seen here in capital, except her mom. But she has bought an expensive property - I thought ML+FL were going to 'make' their way in the world. If she could've been THIS RICH 7 years ago, why did she go to Ganglin?
As for future: ML can only be in the army (back to lead northwest troops?). If he leaves army, he can be a business owner (salt?). Fine, they can do that. But without some form of power or status, they'll be used & abused (which is a lesson ML knows all too well).
He still thinks he's not quite good enough for her so he doesn't understand why she would be angry just because…
Well, king & FL both gave him option of army - which would've improved his prospects - he was a smuggler & would've been caught or died at someone's hands in any case. Army was supposed to secure his future & give him a name. The problem is he learnt power would make his loved ones safe. And there is a cost of power: which is loneliness, and being fearful of plots against you all the time. I think the dark path & different ideas of FL & ML will lead to confrontation. They are on different pages, because she doesn't want to separate from him & have a peaceful life, and he's a workaholic who wants to do some good on king's commands, which means bending even relationships publicly. I can totally see FL becoming a Lady Yu in 20 years and ML becoming another censor-in-chief playing chess by himself!!!
Ep. 21: First of all, kudos to all commenters who were saying wu woman concubine stuff & I was the one in disbelief that it could actually happen - of course the trailer was misleading but not all that much.
Today's episode has left me feeling empty. What stood out was the spine chilling statement by Yu Lady to her loyal maid that FL reminded her of her young self - which made the hair on my head stand - because I can totally see FL & ML becoming a cold, machiavellian couple in this place / court who will do anything for survival. Even Sanniang points out that ML & FL only meet as colleagues & for work.
ML's heart is in the right place - all the grand gestures in front of town & FL's expletive-dad, but this reunion between this couple has been all business. And they have 'known' each other for 7 years (5 of which were apart) so their meetups should've had a bit of intimacy or romantic understanding, instead they are talking politics, merchants, concubines, and how to get rid of them all!!!
I think it's also because of what happened before - he was slapped, belittled & saw people being killed just…
I don't believe that. I think FL has shown she'd adjust anywhere in any kind of circumstance and aspiring a quiet peaceful life does not mean 'power' in court or getting king's approval. But ML's only roadmap out of poverty & life of crime & humiliation was to get military merits - he's doing exactly that. He can always leave court, capital & military and settle down in another town as a legitimate landowner or businessman. But he doesn't have money or privilege which he can only make if he stays and does what king wants him to do.
Remember, FL was raised to marry a 'noble' family and noble family her grandmom had selected was a scholarly family, where son was studying for imperial exams & father was chief censor in capital. She was not going to end up in a military family or with an 'intelligence' officer whose job entailed arresting, interrogating & maybe killing people. Which puts the husband / officer & his family in danger too. That's a very stressful life. FL was not raised for a stressful life. I don't think she wants this life. She is walking this path only because ML is already in it.
Seems like she will try to be a wife or concubine of Zhao Ling
Oh ok, thanks for clarity, but in that case - drama better have a VERY good explanation how a woman with no real money or worldly connections or status gets married into Yu family - again - at least SFL's dad was a renowned scholar & Shameless/SML wanted to marry her, but for the so-called powerful Yu family to keep getting their son married to nobodies (or merchant class) would be weird.
The trailers don't do justice to the episodes at all; from the trailer, I couldn't feel much about the whole 16-heads…
I think it's also because of what happened before - he was slapped, belittled & saw people being killed just for merit, humiliated just because someone could, FL was attacked by men 3 times I think - as a salt smuggler he could tackle unjust people because he was lawless himself but to move within a system where connections mattered, truth didn't, he knew his chance of fair appraisal & advancement were limited AND everyone was in danger all the time - including FL. His rogue background provided the perfect foil to Gen. Wang of troops, and now to king to get things done ruthlessly. He's a tool, he knows it, but also knows unless he has power everyone he loves will be food chain material. I think drama is headed towards ML losing his humanity along the way in some way. He may even be dead by the end of it all. I know the webnovel but things are getting darker in drama's third act.
Seems like she will try to be a wife or concubine of Zhao Ling
Let's see what happens. I am not buying the theory that she tried to be ML's concubine & FL thwarted her (I think the hair pin scene refers to something else - directly related to FL or an offer of collab, not ML. Plus, I don't know how someone with no money & connections can suggest a concubine to an unmarried woman - in county register - engaged to a 4th rank cmndr / assist. censor. The leads aren't even married yet!
💔 may refer to FL's father saying no to marriage with ML & ML telling FL he won't marry her till all proper 'filial piety' rituals are complete (because he has always said he'll marry her as she deserves to be married) & FL will get mad at him for it.
Where has this rumor come from? I've seen no evidence of this, in drama or trailer.
Red herring. They are talking about something else.....NOT about being a concubine! How can a random woman (Wu) with no connections or money, come and say this to an unmarried woman - FL - who has 3 recs from county register - and is betrothed to king's favorite new employee?
Where has this rumor come from? I've seen no evidence of this, in drama or trailer.
Sometimes commenters make up an issue when no issue exists! I don't understand how such a scene in trailer can be taken as a concubine maneuver towards ML!!! ML is not a prince or general and this isn't that kind of drama.....
Where has this rumor come from? I've seen no evidence of this, in drama or trailer.
Come on people! That Wu woman was talking to FL & most probably sent by her aunt to 'blackmail' FL over something. It would've been great IF the drama showed some scene of some woman trying to get friendly with THIS ML - because his interactions have always been with men, not women..... at least that would lighten the mood because right now the drama is very heavy.
We usually start historical shows where the male lead is already introduced as a ruthless general or a cold court…
And he has just been given a carte blanche by the king that he doesn't care how he does it, he just wants results!!!! So he can be cruel doing what king wants him to do, & still get executed by the king for being cruel!!! Really terrible game of power.
I also look at the older people in this drama who have seen all kinds of decades and intrigues, & survived, & ML + FL are very young. Who knows what they'll be in their 40s and 50s - maybe they'll be as jaded, contrived, self-serving, distant & alone as the Yu seniors are.
WTH??? I thought you guys said that Ms Wu will be YJX concubine? what is that preview then? our couple isn’t…
Are you guys talking about Ep.21 trailer? I don't know where this rumor about Wu woman being 'attached' to / whatever to ZL has come from, but it's ridiculous to even think that. How can ZL be attached to anyone or be offered something like that? He does not even have meddlesome mom/dad like Shameless/ SML. I think FL is angry in trailer because of filial piety - he went to her dad and not her mom for hand in marriage, that sort of thing, or he refused to get married till he gets her dad's approval, etc. That hair pin that Wu woman brings has to do with FL's past, not ML's IMO. These two are never fighting over another woman FGS! (at least not in this drama).
I thought the drama would show this family of strangers who live & work together (as it was in Ganglin) & they stay together in capital too - there has been no scene of Sen, no one has eaten together (remember his bodyguards / buddies from salt days) & there has been no news of any one's life moving forward either. No warmth from olden days.
I also do not like the trope of 'shops' being introduced as source of income for FL - FL had nothing other than county register name & shops are owned by her mom's family - none of whom have we seen here in capital, except her mom. But she has bought an expensive property - I thought ML+FL were going to 'make' their way in the world. If she could've been THIS RICH 7 years ago, why did she go to Ganglin?
As for future: ML can only be in the army (back to lead northwest troops?). If he leaves army, he can be a business owner (salt?). Fine, they can do that. But without some form of power or status, they'll be used & abused (which is a lesson ML knows all too well).
Today's episode has left me feeling empty. What stood out was the spine chilling statement by Yu Lady to her loyal maid that FL reminded her of her young self - which made the hair on my head stand - because I can totally see FL & ML becoming a cold, machiavellian couple in this place / court who will do anything for survival. Even Sanniang points out that ML & FL only meet as colleagues & for work.
ML's heart is in the right place - all the grand gestures in front of town & FL's expletive-dad, but this reunion between this couple has been all business. And they have 'known' each other for 7 years (5 of which were apart) so their meetups should've had a bit of intimacy or romantic understanding, instead they are talking politics, merchants, concubines, and how to get rid of them all!!!
Remember, FL was raised to marry a 'noble' family and noble family her grandmom had selected was a scholarly family, where son was studying for imperial exams & father was chief censor in capital. She was not going to end up in a military family or with an 'intelligence' officer whose job entailed arresting, interrogating & maybe killing people. Which puts the husband / officer & his family in danger too. That's a very stressful life. FL was not raised for a stressful life. I don't think she wants this life. She is walking this path only because ML is already in it.
💔 may refer to FL's father saying no to marriage with ML & ML telling FL he won't marry her till all proper 'filial piety' rituals are complete (because he has always said he'll marry her as she deserves to be married) & FL will get mad at him for it.
I also look at the older people in this drama who have seen all kinds of decades and intrigues, & survived, & ML + FL are very young. Who knows what they'll be in their 40s and 50s - maybe they'll be as jaded, contrived, self-serving, distant & alone as the Yu seniors are.