Ohh, I love this discussion. Hi drama friends! I hope it’s okay to add my two cents to the discussion from sakuramoon1112…
:o I never thought about that! Wow … that’s definitely something to consider. I thought she didn’t want to be explicitly caught being unfilial so she sent a clue… but honestly that’s possible
I've been rewatching the drama from the start and the mother still pisses me off. I understand some of her fear:…
I agree, I think her relationship with her mother is a very contentious one for me. When I watched the show for the first time I was also a bit frustrated with SS because she does come across as scheming (I did't realize the extent of the abuse she experienced and how young she was when I felt this way). Even then I thought of the mother as unreasonable and harsh.
But now rewatching its even harder :(. The mother is extremely unreasonable and stubborn and doesn't open up her mind to something that the Third Aunt and the Empress picked up on right away. That this is a good person that is desperate for love, attention and guidance. Its also extremely frustrating for me when the mother constantly puts down SS without offering her any kind of guidance to help her navigate all of her "inadequacies" as she points out. Her father also frustrates me because I think he needs to have a very honest talk with his wife about why her behaviour is harsh. He disagrees with his wife's treatment towards SS but does nothing about it.
I think if anything SS has been very kind towards her parents given that they abandoned her and left her to be mistreated for so long. When she tested the Emperor and Empress (by complaining about Wang Jin) and they actually listened to her - this point was driven even more home for me.
Excellent point about food insecurity which is pervasive throughout CSS need for freedom of choice for herself.…
Yeah it's been really interesting rewatching (now with more context to frame the drama with the season two episodes). I think she may have never even thought marrying a wealthy person was an option available to her because like she was telling to QiQi, her mother didn't train her for military strategy to marry a general or with the etiquette to marry a nobleman. Plus with her pragmatic side maybe she thought even if she marries into wealth if she can't control her husband he may abuse her similar to how she was mistreated growing up.
I think thats why she wanted a husband who was easy to influence (like she was telling her third aunt) and why she agreed so quickly to Lou Yao once she realized he's a good person. She truly thought she couldn't do better and won't have any other options (with her self esteem being so low as well).
I’m rewatching the show too,in ep 2, when SS servant handed LBY a bag of hay and fabric, why did he say that…
ooo good question! My take on it was that it was a bit of a sarcastic comment, that was hinting at the opposite - at how she was not filial because she was willing to help them even more in implicating her granduncle to lead them right to the source of the embezzled money.
When one of his soldiers suggested she is looking to get on their good side to escape from the family, LBY said "Why would she, she already has her own plan to escape" - I think that has something to do with exposing the granduncle meant that he was angry (especially since the family couldn't help bail him out) and was willing to come and air all the dirty laundry of the family in front of her parents. Like how he did before he was exiled when he exposed the grandma for being negligent and the second aunt for using all the money the parents sent for her own use.I think that's what LBY meant in she was devising her own escape.
I could be totally off. Would love to hear some other thoughts on this.
Just realized while rewatching the show that her dad is a bit like Lou Yao. The first thing he did when returning home is to buy his wife her favourite pastries lol!!!
Also the first few episodes which shows how food insecure she was growing up and even being forced to starve really made me appreciate why she would have been even more put off by LBY trying to control what she ate.
Ohh, I love this discussion. Hi drama friends! I hope it’s okay to add my two cents to the discussion from sakuramoon1112…
Oh I love this assessment!!! You are so right, before even the show aired I kept hearing LBY falls for her at first sight so I tried to keep reconciling that with what I was seeing on the show. But they took a different take on it and he fell for her intelligence/personality first. I love how nuanced and delicately layered his feelings for her are, as you describe in your comment.
And its so special for SS whose had people all her life trying to correct her personality to find a man who appreciates her just as she is <3
As mentioned by @mimi0108 above... And if I may add this : LBY is a renowned general, we saw officials, their…
Yes!!!! Very good points. Really appreciate these inputs. I am rewatching from the start right now so its really nice taking this into consideration as I watch their scenes.
I'm curious (I know novel is different from the drama in terms of how this plays out). But in your perspective what was LBY's feelings towards SS before the lantern festival. For example he looks very intrigued in the carriage scene (when they first met) but i'm sure he's met interesting women before. What was it about SS that got his attention? Is it the fact she turned in her granduncle, her voice, her logic or her hand (how graceful it was etc.)
I know during the lantern festival he sees her clearly for the first time and falls for her but he seemed to have some feelings for her before as well. I'm curious what other peoples thoughts are?
Yes, I agree with you, but SS can also be scheming and cunning when the situation calls for it and that is not…
Agreed she needs to be a bit of both to keep up with LBY. I think SS when she grows older will be very similar to Consort Yue. Kind and soft hearted where it counts but also pragmatic and not easily bullied by anyone - and with what she's experienced I can also see her protecting others and also inspiring others to be their best selves.
One more thing I noticed in last episodes, when SS asked Emperor to punish WL who humiliated her previously, later…
Oh this is a very good assessment! I agree, I think she is testing the water with these elder figures in her life to see how much she can trust them. And it's fascinating that LBY picked up on it so quickly. He is so smart and aware not just of himself but other people as well.
Other part from WL interview Q: do u think the audiences will see Ling Buyi as a heartthrob?Wu Lei: I think he…
He's too tough on LBY's character haha - but it makes sense to me because everything i've seen of Wu Lei indicates he is a VERY caring and kind person and always taking care of his co-stars etc. so to him LBY's personality is probably too severe and overbearing.
i’m so confused when people talk about 5 years separate??? can someone explain 😭
Spoiler** I think LBY ends up breaking off their engagement to go pursue revenge (something to do with everything he's investigating right now) and then somehow they are apart for 5 years before he comes back to the Capital I think... I can't understand mandarin so I haven't read the books but based on spoilers i've seen they are apart for a while and he leaves SS heartbroken ...
But now rewatching its even harder :(. The mother is extremely unreasonable and stubborn and doesn't open up her mind to something that the Third Aunt and the Empress picked up on right away. That this is a good person that is desperate for love, attention and guidance. Its also extremely frustrating for me when the mother constantly puts down SS without offering her any kind of guidance to help her navigate all of her "inadequacies" as she points out. Her father also frustrates me because I think he needs to have a very honest talk with his wife about why her behaviour is harsh. He disagrees with his wife's treatment towards SS but does nothing about it.
I think if anything SS has been very kind towards her parents given that they abandoned her and left her to be mistreated for so long. When she tested the Emperor and Empress (by complaining about Wang Jin) and they actually listened to her - this point was driven even more home for me.
I think thats why she wanted a husband who was easy to influence (like she was telling her third aunt) and why she agreed so quickly to Lou Yao once she realized he's a good person. She truly thought she couldn't do better and won't have any other options (with her self esteem being so low as well).
When one of his soldiers suggested she is looking to get on their good side to escape from the family, LBY said "Why would she, she already has her own plan to escape" - I think that has something to do with exposing the granduncle meant that he was angry (especially since the family couldn't help bail him out) and was willing to come and air all the dirty laundry of the family in front of her parents. Like how he did before he was exiled when he exposed the grandma for being negligent and the second aunt for using all the money the parents sent for her own use.I think that's what LBY meant in she was devising her own escape.
I could be totally off. Would love to hear some other thoughts on this.
Also the first few episodes which shows how food insecure she was growing up and even being forced to starve really made me appreciate why she would have been even more put off by LBY trying to control what she ate.
And its so special for SS whose had people all her life trying to correct her personality to find a man who appreciates her just as she is <3
I know during the lantern festival he sees her clearly for the first time and falls for her but he seemed to have some feelings for her before as well. I'm curious what other peoples thoughts are?