vesca

the life hasn't been lost thanks to FX intellect and CPP good will... imagine that he wouldn't ask First Prince to take palace guards for the training or didn't deliver a black knights dispatch book to FX ;)
and FX being a bit slower in sorting out the riddle ;)

it was great screenwriting :)

Ep. 22 and 23.... mind blowers... Emperor is such a good chess player - he believes to have control over all the pawns on the board (and he nearly has it) - but humans are humans and FX's popularity is definitely growing. I have a feeling that he will really need everyone's support by the end of this season.

well, PM since he heard from FX how the investigation order has been given understood who is behind it, and from the moment when his most trusted aide made fake assassination he knew that Emperor wants to get a rid of him and that case will be pinned on him... The only way to save his head was to retire, he kept his net in his hands as the life policy. To explain to his supporters that FX is not really a person to be blamed for his retirement and also to keep emperor reassured he left Dabao in the Capitol and living with FX.
Old geezers knows each other very well, so they can read other side moves and intentions.
PM crossed the line during the corruption case making a move which showed up that he can control CP aides - and put him into danger.
Plus forthcoming marriage between FX and Wan'er... so PM couldn't really hold his position.
All these events were orchestrated by Emperor, he did control some details but mostly he wanted to see FX capability to avoid traps, test his loyalty and if can stick to his moral backbone.

I think he was the spy but planted by Emperor pretending to be Eldest Princes man planted by her at the side of PM... so black knights were following him up - either to kill or to protect him from being abducted by someone else... Emperor wanted to be sure his master mind plan will work out.

Thanks :) that's what happened in the novel ... but it might not in the drama - I will re-watch that scene later as I had impression Gao Da was mimicking to FX that it wasn't him.

these are exactly the reasons why we haven't seen Wu Zhu so far...
I was thinking about the scene at the gate when we could see black silhouette flying in the air and the explanation was it was either uncle Wu Zhu or Shadow... but then it came to my mind that if it would be really Wu Zhu why Shadow would ask FX if he knows if Wu Zhu is back to capitol?
so I think it was Shadow who killed the horses as protecting FX on CPP's order
if Wu Zhu did that - Shadow would be sure he did back to capitol so he wouldn't need to ask. At least this seems to be logical.

It is hard to do not help if family is in trouble... so this way FX won't have any sort of pressure related to his father in law court position :)
Imperial Examination wasn't just a trap made by Second Prince, it was also a test given by Emperor - he wanted to see if XF can resist the pressure from CP, PM Lin and other officials and find a solution to make this year exams free of corruption.

I am also keen to see how screenwriters will keep this plot running :) it is hard to guess now what will happen in the future. She might not be the main villain after all... but if she still is the one - she is a real deal Black Widow ;) (she was wearing black dress in the ost video that's why that nick name)

when he married her he already had plenty of concubines... She wanted to be a main wife - so as such she took good care of his son and kept all the harem ladies with a short hand. She allowed him to add new ladies into harem and keep his former life style. That's it :)

As Eldest Princes is the main villain - screenwriters are keeping her out of our view - so it will be a surprise when viewers will find out she is sitting in the dark place like a proper spider and weaving the dangerous net and awaiting for the tiniest mistake on FX side.

thats really funny...

I have an impression that best dramas are also the most criticised too... why is that happening? Season 2 is focused on court politics - so some viewers will find it boring - some were expecting much more action or romance - which was never part of the novel. So these viewers will be dissatisfied with S2 when they could still appreciate season 1.
If they could read the novel or the topic about novel vs drama, they would have know that screenwriters already did a good job in terms of replacing/rewriting some heavy and boring arcs from the book.
In season 2 FX is trying to clean up as much of corruption in capitol as Emperor is willing to be done... He has to stay alert all the time as Second Prince is trying to find any opportunity to stop his marriage which will put Neiku into FX hands.
We can see how complicated court mechanisms are and imperial examination arc is just amazing... and personally I am sitting with translator opened on my mobile and watch the latest available episode this way as I can't wait to see what will happen next!
So if someone says this drama is not good enough for them to watch it... what can I say?
Just don't watch it... no one is forcing you to do so
But if you dare to write a review and you believe you are writing an honest one - at least wait till last episode otherwise for me it doesn't count!

I can understand why he is doing that - FX is already powerful official and will become even more as he is going marry Wan'er and take a control over Neiku just after Emperial Examination. Emperor is pretty aware of support given to FX by his shifu as well as a pressure - so he is trying to avoid power concentration in PM's hands and won't allow him to manipulate FX in the future. So PM Lin can't either have such a powerful son in law or can't be PM.

no matter which eunuch did that - it was an Emperor's order as he wanted FX to investigate old imperial exam cheating cases and ultimately make PM Lin to resign from his position and retire to his hometown.

no, he died due to his frivolous life...

Well, he forgot about one thing - its always easy to die from emperors hands but dead man can't do anything anymore for his country, so at his age he should know when to bend a bit and stay alive for a greater good - assuming you don't cherish your life anymore.

knowing emperor - its most likely he did that...
He send the oldest son to the border and raised him up as a general, the guy stays away from court politics and will most likely support father and defend capital in case of rebellion.
now he just needed to make second prince being a threat to CP so both will compete and scheme against each other...
So Emperor now can pull strings when he wants and watch them struggling and ofc to play his own game.

it was either Wu Zhu or Shadow - Gao Da was mimicking to FX that it wasn't his doing but they had to give an explanation to Prince...

it's definitely her mother - so whatever she has told to Wan'er made her crying... I think you can watch Eldest Princes leaving room with Wan'er behind her back on the OST video...

thank you :) I am planning to read the novel after season will finish airing