pewpewmew

saw some clips from weibo...

-a big battle is coming up with HZ and QX is heavily injured, his army lost
-Hu Guang Lie (the hotheaded but super loyal right-hand man to XQ) dies in battle
-the two children we've been seeing in the opening/ending theme (one boy and one girl) are NOT their children - they were being held hostage by HZ and they called out to XQ as "uncle" (so as some people guessed, they are likely children from soldiers that died in battle)

Please don't click if you don't want to be spoiled for the upcoming episodes (42-51)...

it was general song's name

I absolutely love XQ and his look! He's the perfect general - rugged, sexy, ALL man. Having been on the battlefield for half his life, he's supposed to look a bit rough around the edges.

I think General Song was involved in the scandal as we see later on he hides a box of jewels. I think this is the beginning of him turning against XQ.

Are you talking about the scene in episode 38, roughly 12-13 mins in?

That conversation is about corruption scandal. XQ was investigating corruption among some government officials and in one of the logs (where the corrupt official was recording their deeds), it listed General Song's name (that was the page XQ ripped out in the earlier episodes).

XQ was testing General Song and the latter was denying it. It wasn't about Awu.

Same! I think something will happen at the wedding.

I don't think YX the maid will turn evil because Su Jin'er already went down that road (love 3rd Prince, willing to betray Awu for him). If anything, I think YX's loyalty to Awu will be a sharp contrast to Su Jin'er.

The wait for next Thursday is sooooooo long.

The woman and the girl, Wang Qian, are relatives of Awu.

They moved into XQ's house on advice of the Empress - they have bad intentions.

Wang Qian was selected to marry to Helan Zhan's tribe but she doesn't want to go. Since the Emperor already agreed, there's no way out. The Empress advised Wang Qian to seduce XQ - that is the only way she can avoid the marriage (by seducing XQ, a high lord, and ruining her own reputation in the process). The Empress even gave something to help with the seduction (the scene cut out before we can see what it is; I assume it's either medicine or incense that can make a man super horny (like what happened to the Empress + the Emperor, back when he was the Crown Prince).

Thus they moved into XQ's house.

When YX risked her life to save Awu and and the Empress Dowger, XQ decided to reward her.

The reward is to become XQ's adopted sister. That way, YX 1) gains rank and doesn't have to worry about people bullying her in the future and 2) gains rank and can marry General Song as XQ's adopted sister (vs as a maid). So now they all become a family - XQ's adopted sister (and Awu's beloved maid) married to XQ's most trusted right-hand man.

XQ submitted the paperwork to the emperor and he agreed. That decree was the official announcement.

Basically, when Awu miscarried, the doctor told XQ that Awu's body is very weak (starting from when she got hurt during her kidnapping, the stress from her mother's death, etc). It would be hard for Awu to get pregnant again and even if she does, the pregnancy might be life-threatening. Doctor only told XQ so no one else knows this.

XQ loves Awu too much and doesn't want to take the risk of a future child. He decided to give her medicine that prevents pregnancy (herbal contraceptive medicine lolol). If Awu takes it consistently (more than 2 years), it will render her barren.

Having worked in the palace for so long, she's dealt with this medicine before and when she smelled it, she realized what it was. She doesn't know why XQ is giving this to Awu. She's also conflicted because she knows XQ loves Awu. She's 100% dedicated to Awu and told PG (the shadowy bodyguard) to investigate XQ. In the meantime, she switched out the medicine so Awu is no longer drinking contraceptives.

I love this perspective!

The way I took it is that "Awu" is her at heart vs Wang Xuan is her to the world. In her intimate moments with XQ, she is Awu - as he has mentioned before (when she was drunk that night) - to XQ, she will always be that cocky girl with the smart mouth at the street fair (when they first met), the one that isn't afraid die on the bridge (when she was held hostage). To him, she is Awu - an intimate name that only close friends and family can know.

I hope they have an explanation soon because the scene is a bit out of place (within the story) - we saw him with the kid once and then it wasn't mentioned again.

She slept with the 3rd prince, but he felt guilty about it and as of episode 31, they haven't gotten together (in fact, he seems to ignore her). However, the maid is fully in love with the prince and is plotting with the Crown Princess to get the prince to return her affections.

Based on the trailers, think he will get some development and become involved in all the politics.

Yes, so basically it's like a variation of the argument they had around episode 18, when Zitan came to "save" Awu and tell her to leave with him, etc. In episode 26, he's again talking about their love and how he risked his life to come into the palace and be Zilu's hostage because he was worried about her and would rather die with her, etc. Awu's response was that she has more things on her mind other than romance (with him), that as a 3rd prince if he really had ambitions to save her, he shouldn't have been so stupid and reckless to come into the palace but instead should have plotted from the outside how to save everyone.

So again, another example of how Zitan is not equipped to protect Awu/his people - he doesn't have a strategic head but rather is just doing romantic gestures.

i mean raw up til 31

I think it was episode 28 or 29, when it was raining and Xiao Qi was waiting for A'wu to come out from the palace. Then a soldier informs Xiao Qi that they found the person he was looking for (a woman) and Xiao Qi quickly goes to this woman and we see him enter her house and hold a young girl child (there was also another man there). Then the scene ends. Does anyone know who the child is?

For anyone who watched the raw episodes...question below

if you're in the US, you can watch in on China Zone's Youtube channel; you just have to join their membership for $5USD/month and you get access to episodes earlier. However, the episodes are not all subbed yet - but if you know Chinese or watch it on your desktop, you can auto-translate via Youtube.

i think huai'en has a crush on Awu and that might make him ambitious and turn against Xiao Qi. like, you can sorta see huai'en's infatuation in little moments throughout.