susuworld

I rarely ever cried at dramas - might get a tad weepy for a minute and then I gather my senses but not when I watched the last 6 episodes (broken up but all in one day), I just kept grabbing tissues. I don't think I can name a single cdrama in the last decade (or ever) that I've watched (I've watched a lot) where both ML and FL are dead. Usually one lives at the very least. Somehow, I had hoped LYZ would survive, he would live with RY after the war was won. Once I saw his ending, I knew RY wouldn't live on with herself.

Despite all the tissues and puffy eyes - I felt each character's tragic ending did them justice. I didn't feel the war was rushed. I came into this drama with absolutely no hope because I thought LYN didn't measure up to LSS's star power. But I gave it a try, not to judge a drama based on casting. I was blown by first episode. I'm also blown by Alen Feng's performance. He didn't impress me in Long Ballad but this carefree personality (deep down he feels lost more than anyone else) really shined. And he goes out with a bang, literally.

My mind keeps replaying the last seen that all 5 of them were together - it was when LYZ was getting ready to leave to return to find RY after they rescued their emperor. It was a scene where LYZ didn't think he would be alive to see his friends, his friends thought the same. Never did any of them think that they would all die before LYZ. From there on, Alen Fang carried the weight of his character to be the one with reason, to make decisions for the group and ultimately, he was the one who buried his friends until he was the last one before reuniting with LYZ.

My guess is that it's the imagined ending for all we loved who died. They would have wanted a boy and a girl with two surnames and named after their most cherished friends.

I bet no one could have watched ep 35 and 36 without a box of tissues.

My biggest fear is that Emperor Wu would self-sabotage his rescue due to his cowardness

He's shinning so well. As I have expected, he will do well if he's not overshadowed by other MLs as he has in the past.

100% agree. I love how the stoic face of Qian Zhan doesn't make him a complete idiot to reading the room. I like how he keeps referring to Ruyi as "cousin", rather than her alias name that others use. His eyes say so much when he's looking here and there.

I also see the maturity in NYZ and Ruyi talking about what they want in life and their outlook. What really gets me is NYZ isn't easily deceive with all the demands for wanting a child (he knew it wasn't what she really wanted but that someone wished that she did). We almost forgot that before these adventures started, NYZ was ready to reside himself await from politics and everything. He was done and he had his charisma about it.

While I like seeing a lot of backstory being explored for Ruyi in contrast with NYZ (which in typical c-dramaland, it's the reverse), I'm not getting the picture of why NYZ is the way he is. They alluded to him rising through the ranks at a young age and he talks about always being in the shadows but the whole story about him being forced into the army because someone betrayed him (that part wasn't fully flushed).

Thanks for the spoiler that I didn't ask for

I was referring to Ruyi

She needs a proper title if she is to directly interact with the Marquis. Just being a maid servant is not enough.

I can see why this drama is going to be 40 episodes (so far, the episodes are at 50 mins each) is there are too many side characters that I can't seem to get invested in and nor do I even care. I just find when they talk about the other princes and consorts, I just want to fast forward to our lead couple or at least to their envoy. As for the fight scenes, I enjoy it for what they are. If we are to be too critical, I notice the choreography is very similar across certain actors (in their fight scenes) and it is almost too many big moves but not necessary. Sure it looks beautiful.

100% agree with you. His past dramas have him in 2nd/3rd male leads and overshadowed by other actors. Finally, a drama where he is the ML and he can shine in his own light. I love the styling for him. Seeing him interact with Alen Fang reminds me of their days in the Long Ballad where they starred together but didn't have a lot of interactions.

Liu Shi Shi is a very famous actress. She had numerous memorable works including Scarlet Heart. I had been following her for years. She got married to Nicky Wu several years ago and they have a son. My guess is that she stopped acting after she gave birth to her son. She has starred along side equally famous male leads. I'm interested in seeing her in this role. She tends to do a lot of period/costume dramas.

If I have to find one eye stabbing issue, is that while I love seeing Dr. Gu chasing after SWA to pursue her. I'm finding it tiring now that I'm near the end that he seems to be the one who's putting nearly most of the effort into this relationship. I personally would like to have seen SWA do more things for Dr. Gu and to be his support. The fact that he had to convince her to agree with his change of research when her best friend told her that she should stand in Dr. Gu's shoes and understand him. The words of wisdom from the best friend really nailed it for me. I don't feel that SWA has done much for this relationship. She runs, Dr. Gu chases. Her mother doesn't really approve, Dr. Gu does all the work to convince the mom. His dad doesn't approve, Dr. Gu yells at his father.

If you want to say that she got hurt for him twice, that was much early on and she likely do it for anything in Dr. Gu's position at that time. And no it's not a contest but someone can't constantly be giving and giving in a relationship and not be receiving much.

I don't think you have it right. I know enough about Chinese dynastic history to tell you in general who is the heir apparent. It's not Li Ni's father. I know you don't know enough when you said Crown Prince position is not fixed and is changed quite often. I will tell you that history (even in dramaland) Crown Princes don't change very easy. Once one is crown prince, the emperor doesn't change his mind unless there is a legitimate and strong justification to do so. Often it would be if they committed grave errors in their duties as crown prince and deemed unfit to rule as the future emperor. To change crown princes on a whim shakes the core of the royal family.

As I had said, the child is the only legitimate heir apparent because he is the only surviving son of his direct family line where his father was crown prince. We know his father is the crown prince because his mother is titled as the "crown prince consort". If there are 2-3+ more children of the crown prince then obviously he isn't heir apparent but one would be selected from the children of the crown prince. That's why when usurpers are in play, they go after the crown prince and all his children.

If you noticed in this drama, no one is explicitly saying the child is not the heir apparent but that he is too young to rule a nation that is politically unstable. No one is denying his birthright. And even if everyone thinks that the child's father/grandfather was incompetent, that doesn't make the child as incompetent and unfit to rule.

paternal grandfather

Dr. Gu also appears to show genuine care to his grandfather as opposed to his older brother. He takes his mother's maiden name that's why his surname is Gu and not Du.

My guess is that he is actually a reputable and well accomplished doctor. He's not just a doctor but he teaches and conducts lab research. That's because they keep jabbing at how his older brother isn't a doctor and saving lives and yet their father is like the chairman of a hospital (so he obviously favors a son who is a practicing doctor and not just a private corporate boss for pharmaceuticals). One is more about making money and another is more into saving lives. It can't be for their personality because clearly Dr. Gu runs accordingly to his own principles and he cares less about what his family thinks while the older brother who tries to please the family is not favored.

It was sooo refreshing to hear a man actually think about the future of his children by being afraid of what the power grab would do to them. I've only seen this expressed by women in these dramas but what a nice twist.

I think Li Ni is still stuck on thinking that he can just go back to where he came from, be that nameless general of a fort city and live out his life like one but unfortunately, he's marked himself on the path to the throne when he decided to lead the resistance and essentially made himself a name in the royal court. He can't go back to his carefree lifestyle.

The child is the only legitimate heir apparent if not for Sun Jing killing off the royal family. The child doesn't have to be crowned in order to get the throne- he just had to be the only surviving son of the ruling Li family. Li Ni's family is not the ruling family and his father is now emperor only because he proclaimed himself as one and he's the only surviving senior member of the royal family. Li Ni isn't wrong when he said the child is the rightful heir (by inheritance) but not by merit. Chinese emperors weren't always crowned based on skill, intelligence or merit but more so on their bloodline.

The whole dilemma does premise on whether the child can even survive that long. The only person who wants him alive is Li Ni but everyone else is an enemy. Then there is the issue of whether Li Ni can get his father to abdicate the throne for his much younger nephew and the only foreseeable possibility is the Li Ni would have to rule as regent. I can't see him putting himself in the sidelines as easily as he thinks he can. He's too involved, made himself a reputation beyond which he could not easily just remove himself from. And as Cui Lin said, there are many people pushing him towards that path that he doesn't want to go to the throne . I think what will get Li Ni to change his mind is when he realizes he now has to shift his focus to ensure his safety and the safety of the people he cares for (namely, Cui Lin) and to do that, he has to reach for the throne to protect her.