noor1234

Lady Yu is not a classy anything - she's a vicious self-serving woman who only wants power & wants to hold on to power - her husband & son are the same. They are clout-chasers. I have not liked that woman since Ep. 1, a person who thinks she's better than the rest, can pick anyone up, can destroy anyone - she is no.1 reason why her son is detached from his wife - she is further isolating his wife - what kind of mother plays these sort of petty games just to maintain her ego & control? She is not a smart woman either, making your entire family miserable - son & d-i-l - is not smartness. She doesn't even live with the husband. Her son & husband are just like her. They are not good people either.

I think everyone incl. sidekick could see that taking merit for civilian kills by a ruthless dead officer (whom he had seen being bad btw) and putting it on ML would lead to disaster for ML & his 3 friends in army. This was a weak plot point. The sidekick was too intelligent & not really that desperate to fall for this kind of fakery. I don't see how that sidekick makes it out alive from this 'confession.'

The bottom line is they are on their own, no one will come rescue them, no one is asking about them, no one cares - king & his secretary don't.

That's a nice line: best revenge is a life well-lived. Okay!

T.S., I hate to break this to you but ML is NOT being 'personally groomed' for anything. Prince's secretary gave him an LoR, that's it. It's the equivalent of modern 'To Whom It May Concern' letter. Have you seen anyone inquiring about ML from the capital? No, right? He had that LoR with him the first day he waited 4 hours to just be introduced to head of camp. It was a 'calling card' even then - it only got him a job, that's it. That is what that card was for anyways. ML/FL are alone & fighting for their lives every single day.

He is not the only guy that Prince 'rewarded' - I am sure prince routinely gets helped by plenty of people & gets his secretary to arrange appropriate rewards. You are making this couple sound like something special, that prince - now king - would remember them from today to next week.

Prince-now-king needs men in his corner, but he is not going to call ML or FL. They are nobodies he met along the way. They may come in handy IF their paths cross again OR IF they are needed for an assignment. The secret letter FL got was most probably from her uncle in capital OR her mom OR some other connection - it said prince is now king & she should get ML in capital asap. It most certainly was not from king's secretary or king. King & his secretary don't have time for people sitting in border towns. They have courtiers to manage.

As for ignoring ML's connection / LoR from prince-now-king, yes, everyone has ignored it. That LoR was only good to get him through the door - to get a job - not a guarantee for safety or advancement. Head of camp had prepared his name for promotion - BUT son of a sitting minister - who himself is a 3-exam topper/ scholar in imperial exams - came & took an issue with ML. Head of camp is not going to pick a fight with or go against the son of a sitting minister just for ML - ML has no backing - everyone looks at their own self-interest. You say ML has prince-now-king as a connection - no, he does not. Prince-now-king has not deputed anyone to ask / inquire about this couple. They are alone. And it is entirely up to them to get out of this town in one piece alive! No king or secretary is going to come rescue them.

I'll give you another example: remember Shameless/ SML said to ML that if king finds out FL is actually Fu & ran away with a smuggler while betrothed to a minister's son, it will damage FL & ML - he was right. It can damage their rep because king is not going to take their side in a court full of 'honorable' men who look up to king to uphold customs. It's another story that this will never be revealed (king only knows that this couple 'were in love,' he doesn't know she eloped/arches stuff, lady Yu was a would-be M-I-L). ML & FL's position is very weak, socially, status-wise, in food chain & even as man & woman.

Shameless SML & SFL don't deserve death - they deserve ruin, at least Shameless does. SFL is digging problems for her own self, so she is punishment for her own self.

Ok, but I wanted her to suffer. I didn't mean FL should take revenge, I just wanted to see her suffer.

? He didn't get to Zuo widow's bro in these episodes, it was Zuo herself who first threw him in jail & then killed him.

Well, it cost a lot to get educated by the kind of tutor he had....but people did take these exams, rich & poor. So he would've been capable, no matter what. His problem is, he's shameless, cruel narcissist who doesn't give a real damn about anyone. Such a person would be extremely bad as an official, as a husband, & I'm sure even as a son. He'll backstab everyone.

Shameless /SML hasn't fallen for anyone in his life & never will - he's a narcissist. He just wants his way, no matter what it is, no matter who he tramples, or how many get affected or who gets killed.

Based on main trailer, marriage carriage comes in front of a LARGE house, so ML has to be in a big post by then - I'm hoping they get married around Ep.18-19 before he goes to war, so that she is secure once & for all. But C-dramas usually take forever to get couples together, so t.s.johnson may be right.

Actually I understood it as he got someone to tamper with the stable because Shameless SML had ordered 'inspection' in 3 days (meaning stable had to be cleaned & ready in 3 days - too little time to clean it) so ML decided to tamper the roof, so that it falls 'during snowstorm' so that there's natural dust everywhere, & no one has to 'clean' the stables. ML didn't want to do as Shameless had ordered. ML thought he'd come after 3 days, not that same afternoon.

I cannot believe it either, because it was soooooooooo obvio that the lecherous officer Dufua was killing civilians & claiming credit. I think this is the last that we will see of this guy, because there's no way you make a false claim against a senior (merit for deaths!!!) & still live / survive / stay in the army.

ML & FL are small fry in the larger scheme of things. 16th prince (now king) simply told him to join army - & btw, he refused in front of that prince, it was only when prince's secretary spoke to FL who then convinced ML. Secretary arranged the LoR for ML to get IN the military - ML is an uneducated smuggler with no connections - so LoR got him in the military, that's it. LoR is not a carte blanche for what happens during military service & is not a guarantee for advancement in military career.

Shameless (SML, I call him Shameless) is the son of a minister so even though he visited this town with his superiors, he is followed / given more respect because of his father. That's why ML/FL are facing new problems.

Actually without the Yu name he would still be the top scholar - who topped all 3 exams. So his arrogance does not just come from the status, but also his own hard work (10 years of study). No, I don't think he believes he's fighting the good fight. He's a petty small-minded man who doesn't care about right and wrong.

There is no 'unhingeness' in ML - he knows how to protect loved ones when push comes to shove.

Ep. 15: The most satisfying kick of the year was the one given by ML to SML (I'm calling him Mr. Shameless from now on). If only Shameless had seen what ML did to that lecherous officer in Ep.14, he wouldn't have messed with him. ML is no pushover. The level of audacity & cringe Shameless has displayed in this episode boggles my mind!

He tried to destroy FL's reputation AND get her killed. Then tried to destroy ML's reputation AND get him killed. He's just began his official duties but he is going to ruin his career because he went after ML - with no good reason other than envy at his life & fiancee'. The entire Yu family is full of mentally ill, egotistical narcissists. He doesn't realize how easy it is to manipulate him (just get mommy to say she likes something & he'll do the opposite).

I loved this dialogue:
"If you'd known Young Madam didn't like them, you might not have brought old books home."
"Had I known, she might never have become Young Madam."

I did not like: Grandma's uneventful sendoff - at least show her dying a miserable death alone or in pain!

What I've noticed in ep. trailers so far is that nothing is as indicated and everything gets resolved fairly quickly. I believe 17-18 are misleading & being read the wrong way. Only separation arc IMO will be due to war.

I wanted the same thing - get married quickly - BUT then I thought that the obvio reason for not getting married right now is because of what ML has already indicated - love & being able to provide the kind of status FL belonged to before being a refugee. But the less obvio reason is that I think drama is showing that instead of ALL of her family, ALL of other nobility & these 'military' people who wanted FL as a decoration piece to further their own interests, one person understood her worth & worked hard to marry her as she should've been married a long time ago - with dignity, fanfare & without exploitation.

I don't think there is any separation arc, except for war. Trailers are misleading as always.

well said!