noor1234

Watch the scene where ML leaves the venue again - there's a fat guy behind the guy who vomits on Zheng's son & goes into the carriage undetected. That's the crown prince.

In that scene all I thought was why didn't Jier step forward & say I rescued her, she went that way - especially since after head madam got beaten up, she was certainly going to take it out on Jier. So her best chance was to speak up to her former master & introduce herself. And she isn't the timid kind to hold back. So I think it was lazy writing, done simply so that FL sets Jier free from the brothel, not ML.

Yup. Even I felt bad for ML.

Ep.23-24: What was ML's original plan on getting FL to marry him? Because it's obvious from Ep.24 & Ep.25 trailer, that the new king (of course the roly poly crown prince) granted him the decree for his service in rescuing him (& getting him in time to the palace / throne, basically). What would ML have done without this decree? Or this situation of 2 princes fighting over a crown? I mean, he's literally going to snatch FL from her parents & that Scholar & everything, so what was his original plan to get her to marry him?

Also, after that scene of (poor, angry) ML standing outside her house listening to the 2 'lovebirds' singing in tune, I'm wondering, whether FL would have married Scholar? Proposal was about to come on her dad's return, would she have married Scholar because she liked him or just to please her eager beaver adoptive parents? Maybe not right away but somewhere down the line - perhaps after Scholar had completed his education?

Yup, on all 3 points I agree with you. ML most def. collected the bodies - for a while I thought it was grandpa, but it has to be ML, for FL to see that he did not really abandon her or her family at their hour of need. I also love the way she isn't moping around thinking 'oh I was to have such a fine life' or 'all my family is dead!' - she loves the adopted parents & has accepted her life as a commoner. She knows how to survive & make the best of any situation.

I actually want her to be with Scholar - no, I'm not suffering from any SML-syndrome - I just think her life will be peaceful, everyone will be together, & comfortable, without being in the same-old dynastic politics where courtiers conspire against each other, household women have petty quarrels & king can order an entire family annihilated overnight! That is ML's life.

But I know that's not the story. What's true is that FL would be as asset to anyone who hires her, works with her or marries her. She wins for everyone, not just for herself. She shares her winnings too. She makes the world better for everyone, not just for her own 'family'.

Me too. I think he hates the fact Lins abandoned Shens. He even made a snarky 'cannot trust' comment to ML.

She knows. When FL first entered the Lin house with other maids - in the scene maids are taken to the crazy first wife & ML's sitting there - FL glanced at him knowing he is the former fiancé - that's why she peeked - & then in the next scene ML goes & sits with his mom for dinner / lunch & FL serves them & leaves in a sombre slow motion shot.

But she hasn't been shown thinking about past or her past family in Lin household except for in the 'library (wife caught red-handed) scene' she was asked by Xie Academy big scholar where she learnt the hexagonal thing & she thinks of her grandpa teaching her about it. Other than these instances, she has just done her job.

'she must be connecting him to the guy who dropped her the minute he heard they were in trouble...' - You are right - but he didn't have any choice - he had to follow elders. Have you seen the grandpa & idiotic women in Lin family? It's a wonder how they have survived this long!

Thank you, I've been saying the same thing & crucified by trolls for saying so!

Thank you for saying this!

Good grief! I think you are trolling now! Or maybe English is not your first language! It's ok to have an opinion & to not agree with someone's comment - you can read other people's comments who you agree with or who agree with you.

I know there's no chance of them ending up together. I just think they are a better fit & well-suited than FL & ML.

I said Scholar & FL are of similar status - & you guys are saying they are not because of Shen background. And all of you want her to end up with ML simply because they are of similar 'class'. That is what I'm responding to: to say that she is of noble birth is wrong. She's not. She was part of a so-called 'noble' rich family. That does NOT make her blue-blooded. Her good heart does. FL's adoptive parents are more blue-blooded & honorable than Lins, Shens & Zhaos & Zhengs combined.

You also said FL's entire education, grooming etc. was to manage a powerful household. She was raised by Shens like cattle, to fit in an arranged marriage with another powerful family. Is the purpose of education, refinement & having a good heart that she should waste it on women quarreling over petty things in rich household and be around men who decide whether any girl in the family should live or die or be in a family that arranges marriages for their only son again and again for political ends?

I sympathize with him too. But Scholar & FL have the chance to rise together peacefully surrounded by loving, supportive families. Lins & other courtier families will never have that. And ML technically can always get killed along with family over some conspiracy or slight against king / crown prince etc. Why should FL go back to that cruel world?

@corey @yellowfruit @madyush I don't like the idea of a person being rewarded for the accident of their birth - she was born noble, but her family was full of idiots, same is the case with Lins & Zhaos - they are powerbrokers who think women are cattle, to be brokered, even ML didn't bat an eye when a widowed 32yo navy cmndr wanted to marry a 'pure' 16yo cousin-sister, he just said yes, without even discussing it at home (!) And Zhaos never once considered their daughter's happiness. Nobody asks ML whether he wants to get married either. And his betrothal to FL was also arranged by families. There's nothing special about that previous non-existent 'bond.'

Look at how FL's adoptive mom thought about FL's marriage, versus how cousin-sister's mother / Zhaos & the entire Lin household thought of marrying their daughters & son. There is zero heart & empathy in their lives. Zero bond too, btw. Fathers are absent, mothers are squabbling with maids or getting them killed.

Plus, it's racist IMV to say that Scholar & FL are not of same class simply because FL was born noble. She has a different identity now. To go back to that world, of Lins etc. means a woman should end up with a wealthy man to secure her future. Which is my pet peeve from Asian dramas btw - they always show a woman ending up with a besotted tycoon. Why shouldn't FL be happy with her new humble life? Why should she go back to cruel world of families getting massacred over slights from 20 years ago? Is marrying a noble the ultimate reward for a lead female character living in poverty for 6 years?

Ep. 21: I think Scholar is the right fit for FL - I think peachblossom (a commenter here) mentioned that they are of the same class/status, both are educated, they are neighbors, their families (especially MOTHERS) get along well and most importantly, FL's adoptive parents will get to see their grand kids grow up. Everyone will rise together, there will be no power imbalance or rich-poor divide or imperial politics that can get their families killed. They even have a secret language: knock on the wall!!!! It's a very natural, very comfortable existence. I think he is a very good match for her. And she should accept him.

I'm not with ML on this one. I don't think he's the right fit for FL. I hope FL tells him she liked the scholar & never considered him.

Also, I pity the ML a bit: his mother sure knows how to select the harshest looking, influential women for her son! One look from 'dowager-raised' duke's daughter 'Lady Zheng' is enough to frighten me! This guy has had 3 family-approved matches before the age of 25: 16-yo daughter of grand secretary, 16-yo daughter of Lord-'within-ear-of-king'-Zhao, and now 18yo (?) daughter of some Duke who has been personally raised by king's mother!

Don't get me wrong - ML is nice and has made his name through hard work in battle & has not relied on family's name or fame. BUT he's not the right guy for FL. Just because you are in love with someone does not mean you are the best person for them.

Btw, what an awkward exchange with third scholar & his servant! For ML to be humiliated like that by poverty-stricken people. And there is a story there - I think third scholar was on Team Sheng versus Lin 6 years ago.

OMG. I really liked her character (& features - which were supposed to be 'plain') over the second one - she was great in it - and she had chemistry with the ML more than the second one. She was I think in just 2 episodes but she had more chemistry with the ML than the actual lead actress.

Yup.

Yup. Very well put. That's why I want FL to stay with her parents who have never been free or relaxed (unlike FL who was 'born free') & enjoy life with them for 2-3 years before any marriage happens, but everyone here is signaling 'forced marriage trope' with FL separated from her parents.

I actually wanted a gap of 2-3 years, so that FL could be with her parents with all of them enjoying being free people. FL was born free but her parents have known no other life but serving others in poverty. So I want them to enjoy relaxed life with her. But commenters over here are saying she'll be separated from her parents when he's going to go 'marry' her.

The drama has not given any indication that FL is thinking of her past life with this family, except for when she first came - when ML was still 'married' to 1st wife - she did glance at him & saw him happy with his mom somberly. BUT her adoptive parents told her to focus on here and now when she wanted to kill herself on boat, and she's done exactly that for last 6 years to get ahead in life. She's not thinking about Lins or ML. They are technically her past at this point even as LX (former maid/slave).

I think the pacing of the drama is perfect.

I know, I know ML is a good guy - responsible adult - BUT does he in the back of his mind like FL because of the following reasons?

1) He's tired of arranged marriage with upperclass women.
2) He doesn't want to be in a constant competition with / hostage of yet another snobbish upperclass wife / in-laws.
3) He thinks a FORMER MAID / mere commoner will not be rude like his first wife & will live in gratitude that he provided her with love, fully staffed mansion & status - as opposed to a rich girl who probably already has everything there is to have & won't appreciate his 'benevolence'.
4) He feels a sense of entitlement that he can have whatever he wants & if he wants her, he'll get her.
5) Since FL won't accept second-class status / 'concubinery,' he'll make her his first 'primary' wife. His dad has a wife & concub., so I think ML would think 'I'm in love, let's get married to her, who knows who I may end up second-marrying in 10 years time'.

Because military commanders don't get married to maids (or commoners with no wealth & connections) - they either use them or turn them into child-producing factories aka concubines. Won't ML be a laughing stock in even his own platoon for marrying a servant? This kind of action is likely to make his position in court less secure (because wife is a nobody).

I know he's going 'against the current' too but love is not that big a reason for someone in his position to pursue a former maid. What do all of you think?