Reviews

Ye family mysteries

Going back to the Ye household is unleashing memories for Ye Li. She and her mother failed to hide the decree and her father betrayed them to hand the edict over and keep quiet about it. Once it is lost to the Ye elders, her mother sent her to execution site to tell the Prince they had failed and for any last requests. Her father is making cranes as a gift. He is haunted by guilt for his misdeeds. Both princes make an appearance. Jingli thru his zither playing and XiuYao via messenger and gift. The uncle knows something is up with Ye Li but can’t get her to talk about the vision she sees. The gma still thinks she is her daughter in law and uncle’s nemesis shows up for justice. Xiu Yao’s servant figures the best way to keep the peace was to take uncle and general to the prefecture to have the case heard by a third party. While this is going on JingLi gets drunk and tries to hurt himself. Ye Li discovers him and bandages him up. He tries to chat with her thinking he was in a dream. She gets away from him and he collapses in a stupor on the bed. Xiu Yao is closing in on the group suspected of killing Yuan Fang. This news gets to JingLi who gets to the scene to rescue the leader and escape. Jingli has some unexpected skills. He has accepted the villain role while still appearing the debauched wastrel prince with no expectations from or for him. Xiu Yao counters by locking down the city. The Ye sisters are having their own misadventures at their home. Ning is warned about Jingli because YeLi was well aware of the man behind the mask. Ning argues with her and finds herself in the pond. They do not show how she was rescued but do find a skeleton at the bottom of the pond. The dad of course thinks it’s his wife back to haunt him. The previews of next episode show that gma may also have a hidden side few know about. I am hoping by the time this gets sorted, Xiu Yao and Ye Li will find common ground. They will work much better together than scheming from two separate camps. There continues to be a lot going on at a quick pace. Waiting to see how all these tangents mesh.

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Catholic guilt is real

As both a Catholic and a community member, this episode resonated deeply with me. The dynamic between the characters is compelling: Barth is remarkably raw and authentic, while Tanrak acts as his opposite, yet remains completely transparent to Barth. Tanrak’s existential crisis—where his growing attachment to Barth forces him to question his core faith—is depicted with profound realism, mirroring struggles I have personally faced. The emotional payoff at the end was devastating, and I was moved to tears when Tanrak finally surrendered to his desires. Moving forward, I hope the series further explores Tanrak’s internal psychology and details how he will navigate the aftermath of this breakthrough.

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I am shocked beyond reason

We started off so well with Hailou and the "Cousin" returning to Nan'an... Their dynamic on the investigation cases was quite funny, and "Cousin's" sharp nose could fill the missing bit of Shrimpie's sense of smell. 😏😂When their investigation led to the third class, and we had seen Haixia in there just a few minutes prior, I was so looking forward to a reunion... 😍 Encountering that scene made me so excited! But then the last 10-ish minutes started and OMG, I can't even explain how I feel now... 😭💔Haixia never actually met Hailou, yet he sensed his presence there and put two and two together to realise the guy marching through the level with a dead body was actually Hailou's friend. ☝️ Haixia tried to reach Hailou, fought, and then hid, but his fresh injury exposed his hiding place and he was... what... KILLED?! 😱🤯 He cannot be dead... right? There will be something that saved him and Haixia will be alive and well... He must be! 😭🙏

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Rivals, alliances and countdowns

Once again, I absolutely loved Chu Tang! 🤩 She did incredibly well defeating that arrogant scholar in both the weiqi game and the calligraphy contest. Who says women cannot be as good as men—or even better? 😂👏Deng Yi, Xiao Xun, and even Yanfang are now being heavily pressured by Chu Zhao. 😏 Deng Yi feels the most threatened and suspects he might be the first one to fall, so he chose a bold move to target Yanlai, calling for his execution for disobeying imperial orders. 😟 However, Yanlai is smart enough to buy time for his investigation by asking for a six-month countdown to bring back the Northern Desert King's head. At least now he has a solid reason to stay in the North and investigate. ☝️🧐The tension is real, and all the fragile, double-faced alliances are barely holding together now. 😬

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The empress being kind??

Ying ying is such a pitiful character, always sacrificing herself for the sake of her family. And the saddest part is that her family truly does love her in return. I just wish she could see their flaws more clearly. Funnily enough, she's now in a situation very similar to Fu Yin's now.I'm genuinely touched by the Empress's kindness toward Rou'er. She's sincerely grateful to her, and that's a quality I can truly admire. On the complete opposite end of the spectrum is Demon Zhou, who continues to disgust me every time he appears on screen.I also feel bad for the Crown Prince. It feels like the writers are deliberately sabotaging his character just to make a man who is literally an abuser look better by comparison. At least he has a son now. And honestly, I'm willing to accept that he forgives the Crown Princess, I do believe her regret is genuine.Finally, I'm so happy that Rou'er asked for the villagers to be helped. Moments like these are exactly why I continue to root for her despite all the frustration this drama puts me through.

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A little happiness

Setting everything else aside, Lu Qi is genuinely good to Fu Yin. Compared to Demon Zhou and Zi Fang, he's a much kinder man to the woman he loves.That's also one of Chu Mu's greatest qualities, and it's why his relationship with Rou'er works so well. They have such a strong partnership. And they're finally married! Oh my God. It may not be official, since it wasn't arranged by their parents or a matchmaker, but in my heart, it absolutely counts. I'm also hoping this finally keeps everyone else from harassing her.I'm really curious about Chu Mu's plan. Part of me wonders if he thinks that having a child together would somehow solve their situation.Also... just when is Demon Zhou going to die???As for Chu Ling and Princess Xin Nan, I absolutely adore their relationship.Thankfully, Consort Yan isn't nearly as irrational as the Empress; otherwise, everyone's lives would be in complete ruins. I actually think she's someone who genuinely believes in love, and that's something I can admire, even if it shows itself through her unwavering support for her completely unhinged son.And Fu Yin getting to know Aunt Lu was heartbreaking. They're both kind, selfless women who love their families deeply, which makes the whole situation all the more tragic.

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