themarchioness

Actually, I believe the first son's marriage was arranged between the two families, maybe her husband, or maybe even the generation above. I can't remember exactly but I do remember her explaining at one point that the Luo and Gu families had always been close, and the 3 children had grown up together as a result, and that's why she had always wanted Lady Gu for a daughter-in-law. However, her oldest son already had a marriage arrangement in place and so that's why she arranged for Lady Gu to marry her second son. I think she only had direct involvement in her second son's marriage.

That said, that was typical for society back then so I don't blame grandmother for arranging marriages for her children. On the other hand, what does impress me is that grandma learned from that experience and so now she seeks to prevent the same thing happening to the following generation, her grandchildren. That's why she did not promote a marriage between Yi Xiu and the Princess's son and instead advised Chen Lan to let the children follow their own hearts. That's a very modern way of thought, especially since I suspect back then, tradition would've overruled everything else and in reality, what was good enough for the prior generation would've been what was followed for the next as well.

At least in this drama, grandma was not going to keep perpetuating the problem.

It doesn't bother me that dad will eventually get whitewashed... because that's what always happens in the dramas and so I'm kinda used to it. What does bother me, though, is you have the first master of the Luo family who actually apologizes to Yi Ning. Yi Ning then counsels him that he shouldn't have treated his wife as he had in the past, causing her to lash out with all these villainous acts. But, you know, the same could be said for the second master of the Luo family, her father. He also mistreated Lady Gu in the past, favoring his concubine above all else, and while that may not have resulted in murderous events, the concubine was an accomplice and it set the ball rolling for a lot accompanying events. So where's his apology? Can we at least get that before he gets whitewashed? Instead, all we're going to get is a, "Take care of yourself." Hrmph.

It serves him right to have his other two children sent away -- thank goodness for Grandma, cleaning house, at last! And based on upcoming previews, it looks like once LSY passes his exams, he'll end up his father's boss. I can't wait for that day.

"Don't worry, I didn't poison it."

LOL

Gotta love stepmom and her straight talk.

As enjoyable as our exchange has been, I think it has to come to an end as we'll only begin talking in circles. You still haven't addressed why you feel LYN must confront LJX about the past apart from asserting that this is what she must do if she wants to maintain her truth-seeker image. Yet, I and have others have already explained why she logically wouldn't want to know. Humans are multifaceted and that is what makes characters interesting. We are not all consistent in our lives.

I disagree that this drama hasn't done a good job of fleshing out characters. I also think its various plots have been woven well together, so I'm not experiencing the flatness that you are. But any attempts to suggest otherwise would not budge you, so there is little point in engaging further. And if you can't see why the ML has fallen in love with the FL, I truly cannot help you. But you might want to watch more carefully as he injured his hand, not his leg, in that childhood incident.

I'd normally wish "happy watching" for the rest of the drama! But if it's paining you that much, maybe it'd better if you didn't. It's been a pleasure. :)

Omg that has been driving me nuts! People judging based on previews or before full plots have been revealed in the drama. I’ve just been waiting with crow in hand but I like your idea better! Lol

"So the answer on your question: "What do you think LYN clarifying the circumstances surrounding her 'attempted murder' would achieve?" is "WhatLYN claryfying her mother's murder is supposed to achieve?"

You know that asking a question to answer a question is avoiding the initial question, right? :)

Nevertheless, I'm happy to answer your question. I'm also happy to answer your other question, "why she cares about her mother's death?" The answers to both go hand-in-hand so I'm lumping the two questions together.

She cares about her mother's death because misinformation is being spread as to her mother's character and death. She also knows that's happening because of Concubine Qiao and with all that Yi Ning knows about the concubine, she's not going to let Concubine Qiao keep getting away with her misdeeds. She's reached a point in her life where she can fight back and hold Concubine Qiao accountable, so that's what she does. Except she probably didn't anticipate that Concubine Qiao wasn't actually the person who killed her mother. (Concubine Qiao's crime was that she knew about the circumstances surrounding her mother's death and kept that secret to herself.) Once Yi Ning opened that door, though, that eventually led her to her Aunt, Chen Lan. By exposing Chen Lan, that then resulted in Chen Lan lashing out and revealing Yi Ning's birth secret. So actually all of this does serve to move the plot along -- there is a purpose achieved by Yi Ning investigating her mother's death.

Having answered that question, I again ask: What purpose would Yi Ning clarifying her past with LJX serve for this drama? In other words, what direction do you want the story to move in? I still think that the only thing it would do is bind Yi Ning to LJX because he'd use that information to force her into something she doesn't want. Since neither Yi Ning nor the viewers want that, why take the story there? The script is thus fine without Yi Ning confronting LJX about what happened on the cliff.

In asking why Yi Ning cares so much about her mother's death, you also pointed out how Yi Ning and her mother don't really have a connection because Yi Ning's mother died shortly after her birth. You feel that since they don't know each other, her mother shouldn't matter much to her. A mother is a mother. She is the one who gave her life. That is already a connection and in a culture that follows ancestor worship and tenets like filial piety, it honestly doesn't matter that they never met. Yi Ning is being filial by clarifying her mother's legacy and figuring out who was responsible for her death; these are things that will bring her mother peace in the after life. Given the cultural context, it's also not weird from that angle that Yi Ning would care so much about her mother's death.

Now, obviously, revealing the truth of her mother's death has also opened other cans of worms... that is definitely a can Yi NIng did not anticipate! But before we judge whether the writing about the Duke and Yi Ning's mother (your points #2 and #3) is inconsistent, let's give the drama a chance to tell us their story first. In recent days, I've seen people jumping to make conclusions and passing judgment based only previews and whatnot, and then when the episode actually airs, what they thought was going to happen didn't happen. Let's not make that mistake here. Let's watch the drama and let the story and its secrets unfold in their own time; it's far more interesting this way. It's also hard to judge a script when the drama's not even done.

I didn't understand your issue with point #1 to address whether there's an inconsistency there, but for your point #4, I've already written extensively elsewhere on this board as to how I think the second lead couple's story weaves into the main couple's story. You can find those posts for the longer versions, but in short, I don't think the scriptwriter(s) have strayed from the main plot by including them. Rather, they served to push Chen Lan further to the edge, which would make her impatient, take action, and make missteps along the way, allowing her to be caught finally.

(I'm also putting this under a spoiler cut because our replies are getting long! But I am enjoying our exchanges. :))

You can relax. FL has never (as of Ep 27) entered the SML's manor or ever gotten close to it. The SML was princess carrying her in the prison after he grabbed her and I presume the ML did the same after fishing her out of the water (in that Ep where she threw herself off the bridge to get away from the SML), so I assume he's touched her as much as the SML, if you're really worried about that sort of thing.

As for what happens in the prison scene in Ep 27, the ML arrives to find the SML trying to break her out of prison. The ML asks him to hand her over and the SML pulls out sword threatening kill anyone who stands in his way. The FL calls for her brother, clearly worried about his safety and not wanting him to be harmed just to save her. The SML tries to pull power rank, like he's the only one who can save the FL, but the ML corrects him that he's already secured her release from prison through lawful means. The FL also points out she's not guilty so she's not worried and doesn't need his kind of saving. Finally the FL (after the SML had already put her down) grabs a guard's sword and holds it up against her neck. She tells the SML she'll kill herself first before lets him take her away. (Which really should be a clue for him -- that she'd rather die than be with him...) In the face of her threatening with her own life, the SML relents and the FL and ML then run out of prison together.

Neither the FL nor the ML are weak. I've watched Princess Agents so I know exactly what you're talking about, as I remember also finding the SML there more compelling and interesting with the FL than when she was with the ML. But that's not the case in this drama. At least not for me. I find her story with the ML very interesting.

In the trailer that includes interviews with the leads and the director, that's pretty much what Ren Min says. That she'll feel a little stunned at first, but then when she thinks back to their past interactions it's not so shocking. The director acknowledged there will be a need for her to process the information, but it doesn't sound like they'll drag it out too long. Fingers crossed.

I honestly don't know where you're getting any of this. The marquess does like to throw his weight around, but so far he's gotten nowhere with the FL and certainly he hasn't gotten her close to a bed. The ML would not allow that to happen and neither would the FL, herself.

As for your below comment that you said you read someone saying the ML was watching the SML carry the FL after saving her... I wonder if you misread? Or it was taken out of context? If it's a comment related to Episode 27, the SML was already carrying the FL when the ML arrived so it's not like the SML was trying to whisk the FL away from him while he just stood there watching. On the contrary, SML got word the FL was in prison and went barging in trying to steal her away. Which wasn't exactly the smartest thing as he was only relying on his power, telling the guards in his way that they could just come find them at his house if they had a problem with his actions. By contrast, the ML secured her release through lawful means first and then when he arrived, saw that the SML was trying to steal her away under everyone's protest - including the FL's.

The ML of this drama has never been weak.

Are we already going to blame the ML for scenes that haven't even happened yet? Based on the ending of 27, it looks like the ML is preparing to find grandma and bring her back home (which is, btw, something he's doing because he knows it will help the FL). For all we know the beating happens when he's away doing that. Let's not be so quick to judge, blame, and criticize before we even see what happens.

For anyone who needs the link to Ep 29 preview: https://youtu.be/m8en5eQTlnY?si=6w7z5E0B8HZmFrxZ

He could do those things as an older brother, but we (the viewers) know he did them because he also loves her. The OP had said they could not see any signs of interest from the ML and my point is - regardless of how others (in the drama) may perceive his actions - he has also shown us (the viewers) through action, not just subtle looks/gazes.

In addition to the warm/fond gazes that LYS gives LYN -- which are also filled with restraint given that he knows she doesn't know the truth about their relationship (great acting, ZWY!) - he gives her so much help and support. He is always saying how he wants to protect her and he lives up to that by helping her with the investigations into her mother's life, preparing a dowry for her in case he dies, helping her set up the shop, etc. I could keep going on... it is baffling if others are missing how much the ML cares for the FL!

Ah, I think I have a better understanding now of why you think there is a disconnect in the FL's character. First, to your question about why the FL would be so hard into investigating her mother's death and not clarifying the circumstances surrounding her own "attempted murder," that's comparing apples to oranges.

Just because one isn't able to move on from one event doesn't mean that person will never be able to move on from any event. As others and myself have tried to explain above, you only can't move on when something still matters to you. LYN's mother's death still matters to her because when LYN returns home to the Luo family, she overhears servants gossiping and they are painting her mother in a bad light. Given how her mother's courtyard was treated after her death, etc., and the fact that LYN has always felt her mother was unfairly treated, with this new piece of information, she feels her mother has suffered an injustice and wants to clear her mother's name/memory.

By contrast, LYN does not want to get back together with LJX and that would be the only reason she'd need to clarify his intensions back then. I agree that the drama doesn't spell out for us why LYN fears LJX in the present and avoids talking about their past. That vague-ry probably has a lot to do with the liberties the drama necessarily took by removing the transmigration aspect from book in order for the drama to pass censorship review, but the drama has given us enough for us to put 2 and 2 together to "speculate," as you put it, and come up with the most likely answer.

I won't rehash what they are here because you already know what those speculations are. Instead, I'll ask, "What do you think LYN clarifying the circumstances surrounding her 'attempted murder' would achieve?" Or what do you hope to see from that?

Let's say she does find out from him that he didn't want to kill her back then... then what? What is LYN supposed to do with that information? Is she supposed to get back together with LJX? Because that's not what she wants. On the other hand, by admitting to him that she is his Mei Mei from the past, that is almost certain what would happen... because for someone who is as obsessed as LJX is, do we think he'd let LYN go once he receives confirmation? (He won't even let go now and he's only mostly certain he's right...)

Times were different back then. Yixiu fell into the water and was saved by the Han guy and her mother was ready to use that to force a marriage between the two, and as crazy as it sounds, it probably wasn't for back then because just showing one's ankle - even by accident - was enough to be considered a scandal at that time.

I bring that up to point out, from the flashbacks we've seen, LYN and LJX were all huggy and stuff. Given that history, I could very easily envision a space where LJX would want to use that information, expose it, create a scandal, and force LYN into a marriage with him.

LYN, as you've noted, is a smart girl and so she's probably figured that out too. Sure, she engaged in ill-advised behavior in the past, but she was young and sheltered and starved for company then. Now she's older, she's been through various experiences, and it's different. She's got a head on her shoulder and because she can see through people - as you put it - she knows what bad news LJX could bring for her. Which is why I don't think it's counter to her character to avoid him (which includes not clarifying the past), but rather, it's the very correct thing for her to be doing!

Because they are not actually siblings. They have different mothers and the ML finds out in Ep 8 (if I recall correctly) that she has a different father than him and the rest of the family, including the FL will find out in Ep 27.

Because the cast list for this drama on MDL is still a bit of a hot mess. The correct entry is the one with Chen Si Che.

The convo between LSY and grandma in Ep 14 actually suggests that he may not have been living with the Luo family for many years. Because grandma recalls that how he ran away from home after his father scolded him for wanting to go to school with the other Luo family boys, and LSY replies that was when he he met his master who gave him a new life. Then the grandma responds that she didn't know he'd had such an experience and surmised that he returned because of the testimony. LSY then responds that he returned to repay 2 favors: 1) the kindness Lady Gu showed to him and his mother, and 2) the grandfather obtaining the testimony that would help clear his master's name.

Given that the master's death/testimony are more recent events, grandma's comment about him returning for the testimony wouldn't make sense unless he'd been living away from the family until he needed to return to the Luo estate in order to search for the testimony.

No, it was not a translation error. What he said was: you used your grandfather’s power to force me to marry you, I refused….

So he’s not saying that they actually married, only that she tried to make the marriage happen. But you are correct that he never says “tried.” We just understand in Mandarin that’s what he meant. Context clues help! 😅

LSY and Shao An are like a comedy show duo. I love their scenes.

Hard to say from a preview. It could, for example, be because he wants to remove Lady Gu’s tablet from the family ancestral’s hall and Yi Ning fights him on that and so he punishes her.

NOT that that would make it okay. Truly I don’t think he should beat her at all, but I do hope it’s not just because she’s not his daughter. Yi Ning is innocent after all.

But let’s see how it unfolds so we know how to be mad at him when the time comes. 😝