whitetara32

He even admitted that he knew she didn't have feelings for him. He just assumed that feelings would develop because they had a lot of interests in common. And then I guess he couldnt anticipate that he would be so successful but he wasnt going to have a lot of time on his hands to share their interests. as we know he would become an official, go off to court and land in exactly the same either place as JQ ... right next to the emperor. LX would not have been pleased.

haha. try to put yourself in her shoes and figure out what you would feel. She doesn't hate him exactly. not at all. But wouldn't you be incredibly angry (and then depressed probably) with no possible way out of something you didn't choose? For the rest of your life ... really try to imagine and feel that for a few minutes ... a person, a family and a whole life that you didn't choose ...

In your opinion ...

It's a tease. They did something similar when four characters left the military base on two horses. We didn't see JQ and LX riding a horse together but they must have. 🙂

Fair enough. Most historical cdramas allow their MCs to act more like modern people with emotions that can show. AtCs depiction is probably a lot more accurate but it's also more difficult for us to connect with and enjoy.

Please dont rant. They live in a different day and age than we do. They have different ideas about love and marriage and how to live a good life. And she is no ordinary woman. Consider the tragedy of her early life and you can see that JQs relationship with the Emperor is the last hurdle for them to overcome. The highest and most important one.

She can't love someone who does the Emperor's bidding. And you already know why. They can't even live the same life if he puts himself close to the emperor. Their two ways of living are to fundamentally different. If he keeps using imperial favour to his advantage, she wants nothing to do with him. If he keeps risking himself and his family by working in the line of fire at the palace, again, she wants nothing to do with him. But if he changes that one pivotal thing, then everything changes enough for them to move forward together. It's not a little thing. It's a fundamental thing.

She has already softened towards him and he knows this. She has already started to really forgive him because she's seen again that he really is a good man; one she can love. He has many redeaming features and she's seen that he'll never completely become an imperial puppet so they really could live a life together as man and wife.

He has even honored her parents and family by giving them a proper burial when nobody else even dared to say their names. Until then they would have been restless spirits wandering with no peace or entrance to the next life.

So there is no question that JQs palace career is the only remaining problem. It was all made clear to him and us during the discussion they had after the opera. If he leaves the king and comes home to her they will be married. Nothing else is stopping them after that. So when he does come home, there's no need for a long talk. They can just begin their life together on the right foot.

Then you just missed a few things I guess.

Raffaello has explained it beautifully, I think. But if you went in expecting to see a revenge drama, you may have read situations and heard dialog in ways that reinforce the expectation. Grandfather Lin didn't actually say the things you're remembering in the way you're remembering them. The Zhao marriage was necessary for survival since it aligned them with a confidant/advisor of the new rebel king who was willing to speak up and help save them. It wasn't just for gaining political influence. Meanwhile staying aligned with the Shen would have been a kiss of death. So, overall he didn't regret saving his family but he did regret what happened to his friend. Grandpa and JQ suffered from what you'd call survivors guilt. They don't explicitly say this in the drama but it's there between the lines if you aren't expecting a revenge drama. If you are you won't pick up the little references about what happened and you will fill in the blanks differently. At least that's my understanding of what happens when you're expecting the wrong thing.

But grandfather Lin didn't cause their annihilation and there was nothing he could have done to save them. The Emperor was responsible for the Shen's annihilation. He ordered it so he and Grandfather Shen are the only people who could have saved the day. But grandfather Shen chose not to capitulate the way that Grandpa Lin did. Grandpa Shen ultimately chose his integrity and honour over his family.

you can't state impossibility with such certainty and wife #1 doesn't really count because the marriage wasn't consummated, IMHO. 🙂

I think it was only a lingering guilt at that point. She had proven that she had forgiven him in so many different ways. There was a great understanding between them that they had overcome everything together.

but being forgiven, hearing the words even won't dispell the shame of knowing that you did wrong. Its good to know that the hurt you caused has stopped but the shame itself never goes away even if you know you've been forgiven. So they've been living, eating, sleeping and enjoying life together for decades and all she can do is to reassure him again that it's OK now. she doesn't realize at that moment, that he's about to die. but surely, in retrospect, with the knowledge that these are his last thoughts in this life ... it's best that he starts his next life free of his inner turmoil at having done wrong.

Red thread or no red thread, fate has already proven that it will bring them back together against all odds. Her forgiveness and his really, finally, hearing it, is the most important thing so that they start with a clean slate next time rather than him working to repay her thru yet another lifetime. Her words are more impactful than let's find eachother again'. There won't be anything to keep them from going straight to the sweetness next time.

oh yes please!!! that's an inspired idea !!!

lots of words, yes ... but good, well chosen words :-)

Too true, huh? it's major character development to admit mistakes and work on fixing them. And it's maybe less spectacular to watch but in real life it's equally impressive to hold back and forgive instead of actively doing something out of anger. One is making up for a mistake and the other is not making one. Retribution is a bad karma no no for Buddhists.

CL is a traffic actor? I thought he graduated architectural design, switched to acting and then languished in rejections and small parts until just a few years ago. But now he's suddenly a traffic actor? I think you guys have the wrong guy or you've just seen the one role ...

??? seriously ???
You mean I have a talent that I didn't know was unique?

Thats right. He said he was able to relate it to his own experience where he was forced to marry into the Zhao alliance ... which ended up derailing his career so that he had to switch to the military in order to get out from under their thumb.it's not quite on the same level as LXs loss of freedom but he was able to connect to the feeling of being manipulated and used and having lost a dream.So I think thaat admission showed that he really did understand what he had done wrong, the cost and what LX must have felt. He felt a lot of anger because of his situation as did she so it wouldn't have been too hard for him to forgive LXs backlash and understand his punishment.

Anne with an E is on Netflix. Ok. I read the books in school and saw the original Anne on some prime platform ages ago. Maybe will look up Anne with an E as well.

Happy weekend !

Hmmm. You are persuasive. I'm sitting her wondering what to watch on the weekend so maybe ... The Princess Royal and then double back to try Zang Hai again. :-) I looked at The Glory and remembered it. Very good drama !!!

I've enjoyed the chat too. This thing where different people look at different things from different points of view, is totally legit. I do like to look at the big picture, the forest not the trees so I sometimes miss the details and I definitely miss the finer points of literary critique. My grades even prove it. haha. So your way of seeing things is good to read if you are me.

When you say The Glory, is that the one with Neo in it? I don't think I've seen that one. I think I've seen the one called just Glory which was ok but not totally great or anything.

Also, does Anne with an E mean that you are Canadian? Or Japanese?