That scene where Qian Hong Chu confronted the Khitan King at court and stabbed Zhang Yan Zhe is fictional right?…
Lol, I was thinking the same. Come on, you can’t be that stupid. There’s no way you could’ve made it out of this alive. But once again, ridiculous plot armor saved him, and now he’s getting VIP treatment in prison, lmao.
OOC? Why blame Lu Jiang for bravely fighting for what he wants?I don't think Lu Jianglai's character collapsed…
I liked your analysis a lot. It’s been 10 days and I still can’t fully let go of this drama. Every now and then I see videos or clips of Glory, and I click on them, lol. This drama really impacted me because I had very high expectations from the first 20+ episodes, and the later episodes were honestly a bit of a letdown. The biggest disappointment was probably the romance. LJL and RSB had such nice chemistry and understanding early on, but we didn’t see much of that later. A major reason is probably the script change after episode 22. There were some loose ends and loopholes because of that, but I still believe the writers tried to preserve the original intention.
After reading your comment, I tried to understand the romance from both RSB’s and LJL’s perspectives. For RSB, all she ever wanted was a functional family, because her own family was always dysfunctional. She doesn’t know what a happy family looks like—every previous generation left the household, and her grandmother is the worst person to build a loving home. She also didn’t understand romance before meeting LJL. After meeting him, she gradually came to care for him. At the end, she had two choices: her family or LJL. She could only choose one. It mirrors the moment on the bridge when she told LJL that as an official, he couldn’t be with her and keep his position—he had to choose one path. She isn’t as courageous as LJL to try for both. Or rather, she’s practical and thinks about future consequences. So she chose her family. Being with someone who will become a duke means she would have to leave her family completely. And she doesn’t seem to like people who are power‑hungry, so she fears LJL might become like that in the future. In my opinion, she should trust him more. But nobody is perfect. She isn’t either. If there is a season 2, I believe she will have a character‑growth arc. Her choice is clear: for now, she chooses family. But her heart still wants LJL. Deep down, she hopes he will follow her to Linji. She even made a silent bet with herself that he would. We can see this when she talks with LJL’s sister‑in‑law. RSB says she needs to wait until the current Duke gets older, and the sister‑in‑law replies that she won’t have to wait long. Both of them didn't consider LJL in the picture, and understood that LJL wouldn’t stay there forever. I want to believe she would accept LJL at any time—as long as he follows her to Linji, even if it’s 2–3 months or 6 months later.
Now, about her cold behavior toward LJL—I really can’t find a satisfying explanation. I think the writers tried to reverse the dynamic from the first 10–12 episodes. Back then, LJL deceived her for his own benefit. She knew he was deceiving her but still accepted it. I think the writers wanted to mirror that: RSB knows LJL can see through her lies, but LJL still chooses to accept them. Honestly, I didn’t like this. The two situations are not the same, and LJL deserved better treatment. I wish she understood that what she did wasn’t equivalent—it was simply wrong. RSB is not a perfect character. She needs major development. She clearly loves LJL, but she doesn’t understand his feelings well. This is consistent with her character—she never considered her sister’s feelings either, and LJL had to guide her on that. Maybe in the future, LJL’s love will help her grow.
As for LJL, I completely agree with your comment. All his life, he wanted a stable, happy family. He never had one. Before, he had two options: pursue his official career or build a small family with RSB. But after meeting his real brother and nephew, he faced a new dilemma. If he chose his birth family, the other two options would no longer be possible. RSB saw that too. It wasn’t like before, when LJL only had two choices—she could handle that. But the third option was too much for her, so she let him choose freely. For LJL, he experienced what his birth family was like. He grew fond of his brother, but his brother died. He didn’t want to create future conflict with his nephew. And he knew what his heart wanted. So he chose RSB and the prefect position in Linji. All he truly wants is to build a small, happy family with the person he loves.
One thing I disagree with you on is your take on not dumbing down LJL character. As you probably know, they changed the script after episode 22 or 24. They significantly reduced LJL’s role. In the original script, LJL solved the Governor case himself, with RSB helping only in some parts. But in the drama, everything revolves around RSB—she even does the law enforcement herself. This is a clear flaw in the story. But I don’t think the romance or the original character dynamics changed too much from the original script.
Well, that turned into a long essay, lol. I really hope there will be a season 2. Although I expected something more from the ending, Glory was still a very dear drama to me.
Damn! The drama—especially episode 8 is grand and epic. They really pulled off those war scenes and horse‑riding sequences better than some well‑known Hollywood war movies. I wonder how much they spent on producing something of this scale.
LLJ and RSB: LLJ will continue working for the people of Linji, while RSB will take charge of the Rong family.…
Yeah, it’s sad what happened to him. It was very disrespectful too. I don’t think HMH will agree to return unless his agency forces him. If they really want to make a season 2, they probably can change the actor for LJL character. We’ll see. It seems like YZ is really interested.
After reading the translated farewell messages on X from various actors and staff, the way they worded their goodbyes…
LLJ and RSB: LLJ will continue working for the people of Linji, while RSB will take charge of the Rong family. They see each other as their lifelong partner and want to walk the same path. Neo mentioned wanting to protect his “small family,” which most likely refers to RSB and a future child. So it’s very likely they will get married and build a happy family together.
Rong YunXi (2nd sister): She wants to move forward with the people she loves—most likely her daughter and the child’s father. She will remain with the Rong family.
Cousin Sister: Formerly known as Shen Xiang Ling, she has now changed her name to Rong Yun Ling. She takes over her role as the Rong family’s fourth sister.
Rong YunYin: Previously the 4th sister and now the 5th sister, she will focus more on tree plantation work.
Rong YunShu: Previously the 5th sister and now the sixth sister, she will marry Scholar Bai. The two of them will move to the capital, where Bai will serve as an official. She will open a Rong Family Tea Shop in the capital and manage Rong family business there. She will be extremely ruthless toward her business rivals.
Butler Cheng: He will continue to follow and support the eldest lady with unwavering loyalty.
My takeaway: I believe this was the ending planned in the original script. If there is a second season, they will most likely follow these same endings. It’s a pity that the production team wanted to stretch the drama into multiple seasons, because in doing so they completely ruined my two beloved characters, LLJ and RSB. They made RSB unnecessarily cold and heartless just to set up a character arc for season 2. As for LLJ, I have no idea—YZ just seemed determined to mess with his character. It’s sad. Anyway, I don’t think there will actually be a season 2, but if it does happen, I would definitely welcome it.
After reading the translated farewell messages on X from various actors and staff, the way they worded their goodbyes makes it seem like there’s a strong possibility of a season 2.
From their messages, I picked up several hints about the future direction of different characters if the story continues. I’ve compiled those below.
My YouTube and X feeds are still full of Glory clips, so I guess I still can’t move on from this drama, lol. Maybe after a few days the clips will disappear and I’ll finally be able to forget about it.
I had such high expectations for this drama and really thought it would be one of the best of the year. But then the script change happened, and the whole thing just didn’t feel the same anymore. During pre‑production, Yu Zheng even said that LJL would have more screen time than RSB, and that LJL was a strong character who never cries. But look at what happened—his character did a complete U‑turn. He basically became a supporting character in the second half.
I absolutely love RSB, but even her character stopped making sense later on. She was always reserved and serious, but she was more lively and still had playful moments in the first half. Later she turned into this cold, all‑knowing figure. People try to excuse it by saying the situation changed her, but honestly, everyone knows it was because of the intentional script changes. And those changes left so many loopholes in both the story and the characters. We can try to justify it, but a lot of things still don’t match.
I’m still sad about it. I really wanted this drama to be the best, but it just didn’t happen. I can accept what happened in the later part because at least the ending was happy, but it didn’t give me the satisfaction I expected. I want to know more about them—what their future in Linji looks like. I watched a livestream on YouTube where the directors said that in the future, RSB and LJL will rule Linji—RSB with her wealth and LJL with his power. I want to see that. Bai is now a deputy magistrate, and I believe Lang Zusheng will become the magistrate of Linji. The Rong family is basically going to rule the whole place. I want to see that story.
I wish there would be a season 2, but I don’t think Neo will accept the role of LJL again after what they did to his character. It felt like a total betrayal from the production team. Even if we don’t get a season 2, I hope they at least publish a novel. I want more of their story.
Episodes 1–24 were great, but Episodes 25–36 were an utter disappointment. The last six episodes were completely unnecessary. I blame the production team entirely for this. I’m thoroughly disappointed by how Neo’s role was handled — they really did him dirty. Nazha was excellent in her role, and I’ve genuinely become a fan of hers. I’ll definitely be following her future projects.
Honestly, I’m just glad the drama has finally ended. I spent too much time on it, and now I can finally move on.
Some of the comments on here make me think of people are getting the story line at all. Why you expect LJL to…
I’m not sure we’re even watching the same thing at this point. Maybe it’s because once I heard about the script changes halfway through the drama, everything suddenly made sense. If you look closely, there’s a very clear shift in the second half. RSB was more lively in the beginning—still reserved, but she talked more and even had playful moments. Now she’s just cold. And LJL, who was always loyal to her, suddenly feels more like a puppy following her around.
There are original script excerpts floating around on X, and in those, LJL was the one who solved the Governor case. But in the new script, his role in the second half was drastically reduced. The whole drama suddenly became all about RSB—she solved every case, she became this sudden ‘superwoman,’ and the story ended up with full of loopholes that don’t make any sense. They even made RSB colder and almost heartless, just like the grandma. Don’t tell me you can’t see those changes.
This so frustrating, the original makes more sense.
I feel sorry for HMH, but I feel even worse about the drama itself. I invested so much time in it, and the last few episodes felt completely out of place. It’s not the same drama anymore, and it’s just sad. I just want to finish it quickly and move on to other things. Thankfully, the final episodes are tomorrow.
This actually ties into what Kiwis were complaining about during filming. I knew this drama was about him but…
Well, I don’t know the details of the complaint you’re talking about. I was just checking X and saw what happened with the script. No wonder the second half of the drama feels so different from the first. They added a lot of twists, but if you think about them properly, many don’t make much sense. Suddenly RSB is involved in everything, and her character feels colder now, as if she’s too busy with all the chaos, and romance isn’t her priority anymore. She used to be more lively, and I liked that version of RSB more. After seeing all this, I don’t have much expectation for the drama anymore. I just want to finish it quickly. It’s a shame. The drama started so well, and now I don’t even know where it’s going. And I feel sorry for Neo. He deserves better.
This so frustrating, the original makes more sense.
Now that I’m seeing more posts on X, it looks like this happened multiple times in the drama. They cut a lot of LJL’s scenes and gave them to RSB and other supporting characters. But HMH never complained—he still did his best and participated in promotions as the main cast. It’s really sad. How can any big star ever trust that production team again?
Dang, that’s why the last few episodes felt so awkward and complicated. It seems like LJL was originally supposed to be the one who took down the governor, but they changed the script and gave that role to RSB instead. (From X) https://x.com/ncybear/status/2011165689944687091
After reading your comment, I tried to understand the romance from both RSB’s and LJL’s perspectives. For RSB, all she ever wanted was a functional family, because her own family was always dysfunctional. She doesn’t know what a happy family looks like—every previous generation left the household, and her grandmother is the worst person to build a loving home. She also didn’t understand romance before meeting LJL. After meeting him, she gradually came to care for him. At the end, she had two choices: her family or LJL. She could only choose one. It mirrors the moment on the bridge when she told LJL that as an official, he couldn’t be with her and keep his position—he had to choose one path. She isn’t as courageous as LJL to try for both. Or rather, she’s practical and thinks about future consequences. So she chose her family. Being with someone who will become a duke means she would have to leave her family completely. And she doesn’t seem to like people who are power‑hungry, so she fears LJL might become like that in the future. In my opinion, she should trust him more. But nobody is perfect. She isn’t either. If there is a season 2, I believe she will have a character‑growth arc. Her choice is clear: for now, she chooses family. But her heart still wants LJL. Deep down, she hopes he will follow her to Linji. She even made a silent bet with herself that he would. We can see this when she talks with LJL’s sister‑in‑law. RSB says she needs to wait until the current Duke gets older, and the sister‑in‑law replies that she won’t have to wait long. Both of them didn't consider LJL in the picture, and understood that LJL wouldn’t stay there forever. I want to believe she would accept LJL at any time—as long as he follows her to Linji, even if it’s 2–3 months or 6 months later.
Now, about her cold behavior toward LJL—I really can’t find a satisfying explanation. I think the writers tried to reverse the dynamic from the first 10–12 episodes. Back then, LJL deceived her for his own benefit. She knew he was deceiving her but still accepted it. I think the writers wanted to mirror that: RSB knows LJL can see through her lies, but LJL still chooses to accept them. Honestly, I didn’t like this. The two situations are not the same, and LJL deserved better treatment. I wish she understood that what she did wasn’t equivalent—it was simply wrong. RSB is not a perfect character. She needs major development. She clearly loves LJL, but she doesn’t understand his feelings well. This is consistent with her character—she never considered her sister’s feelings either, and LJL had to guide her on that. Maybe in the future, LJL’s love will help her grow.
As for LJL, I completely agree with your comment. All his life, he wanted a stable, happy family. He never had one. Before, he had two options: pursue his official career or build a small family with RSB. But after meeting his real brother and nephew, he faced a new dilemma. If he chose his birth family, the other two options would no longer be possible. RSB saw that too. It wasn’t like before, when LJL only had two choices—she could handle that. But the third option was too much for her, so she let him choose freely. For LJL, he experienced what his birth family was like. He grew fond of his brother, but his brother died. He didn’t want to create future conflict with his nephew. And he knew what his heart wanted. So he chose RSB and the prefect position in Linji. All he truly wants is to build a small, happy family with the person he loves.
One thing I disagree with you on is your take on not dumbing down LJL character. As you probably know, they changed the script after episode 22 or 24. They significantly reduced LJL’s role. In the original script, LJL solved the Governor case himself, with RSB helping only in some parts. But in the drama, everything revolves around RSB—she even does the law enforcement herself. This is a clear flaw in the story. But I don’t think the romance or the original character dynamics changed too much from the original script.
Well, that turned into a long essay, lol. I really hope there will be a season 2. Although I expected something more from the ending, Glory was still a very dear drama to me.
Rong YunXi (2nd sister): She wants to move forward with the people she loves—most likely her daughter and the child’s father. She will remain with the Rong family.
Cousin Sister: Formerly known as Shen Xiang Ling, she has now changed her name to Rong Yun Ling. She takes over her role as the Rong family’s fourth sister.
Rong YunYin: Previously the 4th sister and now the 5th sister, she will focus more on tree plantation work.
Rong YunShu: Previously the 5th sister and now the sixth sister, she will marry Scholar Bai. The two of them will move to the capital, where Bai will serve as an official. She will open a Rong Family Tea Shop in the capital and manage Rong family business there. She will be extremely ruthless toward her business rivals.
Butler Cheng: He will continue to follow and support the eldest lady with unwavering loyalty.
My takeaway: I believe this was the ending planned in the original script. If there is a second season, they will most likely follow these same endings. It’s a pity that the production team wanted to stretch the drama into multiple seasons, because in doing so they completely ruined my two beloved characters, LLJ and RSB. They made RSB unnecessarily cold and heartless just to set up a character arc for season 2. As for LLJ, I have no idea—YZ just seemed determined to mess with his character. It’s sad. Anyway, I don’t think there will actually be a season 2, but if it does happen, I would definitely welcome it.
From their messages, I picked up several hints about the future direction of different characters if the story continues. I’ve compiled those below.
I had such high expectations for this drama and really thought it would be one of the best of the year. But then the script change happened, and the whole thing just didn’t feel the same anymore. During pre‑production, Yu Zheng even said that LJL would have more screen time than RSB, and that LJL was a strong character who never cries. But look at what happened—his character did a complete U‑turn. He basically became a supporting character in the second half.
I absolutely love RSB, but even her character stopped making sense later on. She was always reserved and serious, but she was more lively and still had playful moments in the first half. Later she turned into this cold, all‑knowing figure. People try to excuse it by saying the situation changed her, but honestly, everyone knows it was because of the intentional script changes. And those changes left so many loopholes in both the story and the characters. We can try to justify it, but a lot of things still don’t match.
I’m still sad about it. I really wanted this drama to be the best, but it just didn’t happen. I can accept what happened in the later part because at least the ending was happy, but it didn’t give me the satisfaction I expected. I want to know more about them—what their future in Linji looks like.
I watched a livestream on YouTube where the directors said that in the future, RSB and LJL will rule Linji—RSB with her wealth and LJL with his power. I want to see that. Bai is now a deputy magistrate, and I believe Lang Zusheng will become the magistrate of Linji. The Rong family is basically going to rule the whole place. I want to see that story.
I wish there would be a season 2, but I don’t think Neo will accept the role of LJL again after what they did to his character. It felt like a total betrayal from the production team. Even if we don’t get a season 2, I hope they at least publish a novel. I want more of their story.
Honestly, I’m just glad the drama has finally ended. I spent too much time on it, and now I can finally move on.
https://x.com/PpZakaria/status/2011622714453475552
There are original script excerpts floating around on X, and in those, LJL was the one who solved the Governor case. But in the new script, his role in the second half was drastically reduced. The whole drama suddenly became all about RSB—she solved every case, she became this sudden ‘superwoman,’ and the story ended up with full of loopholes that don’t make any sense. They even made RSB colder and almost heartless, just like the grandma.
Don’t tell me you can’t see those changes.
https://x.com/ncybear/status/2011165689944687091