whimsybee

I hope so. But at this point I think Li Meng is in a league of her own in this show, she's so fierce, embittered and cruel in this show. It won't be the same once her character is gone.

I'm enthralled by this show. It's so compelling that I don't even care about the lack of interactions so far between the leads. I will happily watch this slice of life show that finally reveals how servants /slaves are carefully navigating through the treacherous waters of serving their masters who see them as chattel , not humans, being punished or sold on their masters' whims. The show is masterful in creating dimension and personality to all the servants, even the small jealousy and pettiness the other maids show towards the FL are logical developments because of the circumstances that they are all in, and not just plot conveniences to make the FL look better.

Li Meng is mesmerizing as the cruel and bitter mistress, she's might be pigeonholed into playing the villainous woman role. But she is so fierce, embittered, tortured and simply mesmerizing. I can't help but sympathize with her even while witnessing her cruelty. The scheming and interplay between her and the ML create such compelling atmosphere of danger and tension, like a cobweb that our FL is caught up in and desperately trying to pick her way through to survive.

Thanks! This was the first time I seen her and she was incredible in the first couple of episodes. I hope to see her in more shows going forward (hopefully in roles that will continue to showcase her talents)

Li Meng is a guest star? Does that mean she's only around for the initial episodes? I suppose that makes sense given how the story is developing, but she's just a fierce and enthralling actress and I'm most intrigued by her scenes so far. I hope the story line and rest of the series is just as good once she's gone.

Is this cast list correct? Who’s the actress who played the younger version of FL in the episode 1-2? She was amazing. Also, where’s actress for the ML’s wife?

Honestly, forget the scheming since this show is terrible at developing logical plots. I rather watch 30 episodes of the crown prince trolling SXH’s family and playing on his helplessness to make her fall for him. My favorite parts of this show is him coughing dramatically while his future brother in law huff and roll his eyes in exaggeration.

Have you seen First Jasmine? I was very pleasantly surprised by that drama. Some viewers complained about the slow pace and thought the romance between the leads lacked passion, but I thought it was perfect for the story. It was definitely a unique and well-written drama. Highly recommend if you haven’t seen it yet.

yeah, what is that suppose to be - an incense that he eats to change his voice???? Nothing really makes sense in this show, but what is hell is that?

It's honestly not that great. I'm not saying this to be a hater because I'm actually enjoying this show. But the plot is incredibly contrived and full of holes, the cast is gorgeous but acting is subpar (not that the script gives them much to work with). That said, if you go into it with low expectations and for the eye candy only, then it's enjoyable.

Given how contrived the plot is, I’m sure his poison acceleration is just a plot device to create some angst and maybe make the FL realizeher feelings for him. And I’m sure they will conveniently discover the cure for him so they will have a HE. This is definitely not a drama that you need to worry about a sad or open ending.

This is definitely one of those turn your brain off and just enjoy the parade of pretty people floating across your screen. The plotholes are big enough to fit an airplane, nothing actually makes sense and people just conveniently appear in places sprouting key pieces of info that ultimately either brings the leads together, make them seem incredibly smart or the FL’s magical hound nose picks up some randomass scent that outs one of her suitors’ dastardly schemes.

And yet somehow I’m enjoying this, mostly because I’m a sucker for HeYu, his cleft chin, his sassy smirks, dramatic coughing fits and all the cringey yet mesmerizing bath scenes. I also love the banter between him and his little sidekick. That said, I wish they picked a different voice actor for him, it sounds like he’s constantly whispering. I disliked this voice actor in Blossom and he’s more ill-fitted for HeYu.

As for Meng Ziyi…I’m a fan of her in variety shows, she’s just naturally hilarious and undeniably gorgeous. As an actress, she definitely fit the role of a beauty that has all these princes chasing after her. And I suppose it’s good that she has a superpower nose that helps deus ex machina her way into solving all schemes against her because otherwise I don’t buy her as this genius manipulator. Still, I’m enjoying her and HeYu’s chemistry together (tbh, I don’t know if they have chemistry in the show or if I’m just shipping them bc of their appearances on variety shows and bts clips).

This is a shallow but enjoyable summer show. Don’t think too hard, don’t expect too much and just enjoy the pretty leads making doe eyes at each other while all the side character fall to ruin as they get their Chinese censorship dictated punishment for their inexplicable crimes.

I don’t think he’s alive. I think the scene in the upcoming previews where Ye Li was introducing everyone to A Yao was another hallucination, and he might be just humoring her to not freak her out.

Everyone on LiShan died except for her (maybe starvation, or plague, we shall see). Ye Li probably watched them die, buried them with the dawning horror that she will be left behind on her own. As other said here, she's beyond traumatized, suffering through PTSD and dissociated mentally to cope with the grief and loneliness of living up there on her own, fending for herself and probably getting attacked by the animals. The stories she tells of LiShan scholars and her grandfather living peacefully on the mountain and the hallucinations she has are "real" to her, and allowed her to live all those years alone. She probably starting talking to the deceased LiShan folks to cope with her loneliness, broke mentally one day, started seeing them and gradually believed that her hallucinations are real.

She also has multiple personality disorder of some sort . I think QingShuan exists as way for her process and compartmentalize and suppress her feelings. Qingshuan feels the fear, sadness and worry that Ye Li can't feel because of her mental state. When Ye Li comforts QingShuan she's talk actually talking through her own fears and "storing" her feelings with in Qingshuan so Ye Li can continue with her mission/list. Zhu Fuzi (the swordsman) is there to protect her from danger obviously.

But for her to get there, she probably need to realize that everyone she loves is dead and integrate the other personalities first. I can’t imagine the angst that’s about to happen

Basically that everyone on Li Mountain died over the years (unsure of the cause, could be starvation or sickness) and she was the only one remaining for who knows how long. She developed dissociative/multiple personality disorder because of her trauma. Her stories of the scholars and her grandfather living in peacefully in seclusion to fix books and study were all figments of her imagination. She’s incredibly traumatized and truly believes the stories she tells. Qingshuang and the sword master are split personalities she developed to protect her selves. I think Qingshuang helps to protect her from overwhelming grief and loneliness, and the sword master personality obviously protects her from danger. All the letter she wrote to Li Mountain was never sent as all the recipients are dead. But her mind is protecting herself from reality because she believes Qingshuang is sending them out, but in reality Qingshuang is dead and all the letters are just in that box still

I’m curious to see if there are other personalities hidden within her

I didn't read the actual novel, but have read summaries of it. Basically, her father was the cousin to the actual Fan ErNiu. I believe he was orphaned and was being raised by the grandfather alongside the original Fan ErNiu and the uncle. But the family was poor and they sold FCY's father. He ultimately became a skilled soldier under the Wei Yan (ML's uncle) and was renamed Wei Qi Lin. WQL married FL's mother who was the daughter of another famous general that was involved in ML's father' death (this history will caused some conflict between our leads in later part of the drama). Due the conspiracy around the death of the ML's father, the royal family and WY - the FL's parents ran away to Li An. The original Fan ErNiu had passed away by then, so WQL took over his identity.

plot armor armoring hard until it's time to fail.

how did it go in the novel?

what's this bear plot?

The latter, she didn’t free SYQ. Just threatened to castrate him if his generals didn’t send food.