Reviews

Playing chess

We finally get a short and sweet update of the Cui family. Twins🥳👏🏻 Mama has a good plan of one a scholar and one a soldier……just like mom and dad.😁🥰 haha I guessed right that the loyal lady will marry the decoy and Shulin can be the long lost sister. One big happy family. 🥳👏🏻 From this sweet scene we are seeing the delusions of Changqing. He has replaced XiHe’s guards and imprisoned her in her own home. Her men are now on a month stint away from the palace and are refused entry until it is accomplished. XiHe calmly tells them no big deal and to come back in three months. He disgustingly refers to Huayong’s child as his…..as if…😝🤬Everything seems in his favor but XiHe recalls her chess game with Huayong. She had played an excellent game as a general in battle…but what she failed to see cost her the game and gained Huayong wontons.🤣😂 Make a diversion to accomplish your real goal. Changqing is pushing a wedding…she counters a trip to a far off temple to introduce her child to Huayong. Changqing ruins the moment by commenting on how this Buddha did indeed bring together long lost spouses.😝😡His actions of ‘love’ are becoming more and more binding. His wedding invitations are like a zealot saying agree or die. He has real and/or fake charges read that are punished by execution. The only hopeful outcome is that the officials will get tired of his craziness and overturn his rebellion. Xihe has been called in and has received an edict declaring JunShu the royal heir- the true bloodline. Mummy Rong shows up to either detain or execute the witnessing officials, frame Xihe for frail health of emperor and endanger the unborn child. 🤬Prince Lie must be adopted because he is the only honorable one in this family. 😝Where Changqing is making quick progress with officials praying for emperor, Xihe has had much better results with the soldiers Consort Rong has in place to kill the palace women. They are reminded of their service and who put them there and took care of their families. They ended up kneeling at her feet. Consort Rong still thinks she has cards to play with the Shushan army. With the Bu token they are making their way to the palace. They are building up the intrigue and still no reveal of the actual poisoner yet. Huayong and Xihe are very well matched. She has equally laid it all on the line to root out the rebels and make way for Junshu to have proper place. I hope there is a closeup on poisoner’s face when true lineage revealed.😝

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An entire episode wasted on the (W)Rong family 😝😡

The episode starts with sincere mourners for HuaYong. It soon becomes the Consort Rong show as she shows up with three elder officials demanding the keys to the palace staff. 😡🤬 Right when they are getting ready to use force, Xihe pulls out an edict from the Grand Empress Dowager giving her the authority over the East Palace. It also gives her the power to execute anybody trying to assert themselves over the Crown Prince’s authority. Then there is the next attack by lil sis Gu. She is a psycho that needs to go. It is becoming more clear who her accomplice is, but they are dragging it out along with this Rong fest.🤬What is worth noting is that XiHe mourned the loss of her only Gu family. Things could have been so different. But the Gu sister could not get past her obsession with Changqing. Those two are equally matched for love/obsession/possession of the one they are determined to have no matter the consequences. The gold lock that was one of the last heirloom pieces of the Gu family was tainted with poison. She was hoping to take out XiHe and heir. A maid was sent with a letter claiming the Crown Prince knew about Changtai but said nothing. It was implied that even tho he saved the Emperor they were guilty. Consort Rong was sure she had XiHe taken care off but nope….didnt happen. After slapping the maid she confronted them with the crime of tarnishing the heroic efforts of the Ctown Prince. The emperor passed judgment and declared Gu received just recompense for her own actions and no one else would be held responsible. What is interesting to note is the gma is lowering her mask a bit each time. She is not happy with how things ended up and is most likely the reason the emperor has a steady cough and is sick. Changqing thinks he can step in and be hubby now. He even has a nursery prepared. One has to sympathize that he is guilty of loving his ex. But he did not protect her family and he did not try to let her make her own path. His love felt like ownership to her and she was more and more caged with his good intentions. His love for her did not extend to taking the time to understand her heart and dreams for herself. He never gave her credit for knowing her own mind and for thinking his choices for her her best possible life and outcome. He continues this thinking and even fasts for three days til Lie came in trying to rouse him. He tries to be the phoenix rising to be regent and take over for crown prince. He is actually a good man in many respects, but his sacrifice of an entire family for his political gain….shows how far short he falls compared to Huayong. His image is the mere shadow of a phoenix wishing to rise. He has the right features but lacks something in character that makes him fall just short of achieving his dream. I blame the mother they don’t rein in with her ambition. She is the taint of the Rong clan. The doctor has not accepted his new job but wants to go to the mountains to heal as many as he can. His study of medicine and commitment to finding a cure for the exotic poison are his chosen life’s work and XiHe gives him her blessing with assurance he was welcome back to palace and offered job if he ever changed his mind. The elite soldiers are collected with Rong family to demand Changqing accept his role as regent and kill XiHe because she was too smart and efficient. He not only refuses their command but tells them he will make XiHe his consort. 🤬🙄He just might have the power to cause this, but waiting to see how it is countered. It was a given that XiHe was going to get crap from the palace after Huayong’s death. What we really wanted to see was how Shulin and Cui are doing and see some support for XiHe. This Rong arc felt very wrong and extended. 😝🙄 But it is giving more hints to the true poisoner ….so there is that.😝One of the most poignant scenes was her making Huayong’s tea with all the meticulous precision he used to perform daily. That this touched his young guard with bittersweet memories along with Xihe was a well done scene choice. 👏🏻These two were his most important people and this scene reminded us of their bond. 🌹❤️

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Conflict of interest big dawg

They need me on this team i swear to god. Inspector a bitch for the love of the game. Like I need a really good reason for you not to like Lee thats not hes the son ofa murderer because what does that have to do with him, im confused? Like him and his dad are two different people i dont understand. Also I want more lore on the uncle because that was quite fun and I did enjoy that a lot. Uh yeah, inspector annoying as hell and hes this proclaimed guy but has the son of the guy who murdered someone working on his case, like thats a conflict of interest and lowkey not allowed. We stay pissing me off. Whatever, lets run this shit. 8.5 okay bye!

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Changtai’s failed last stand and final loving embraces

Changtai came way too close in actually pulling off a coup. Huayong throws him off taking the blade intended for the emperor. After that, he kept his sword on his father demanding the truth of his poisoning. Here the Emperor soundly denies it and offers to die by his sword if thought guilty. There is a sweet embrace of father and son as HuaYong recounts his memories of his father staying by his side tenderly hovering over him with love and support while doctors searched for a cure. He then leaves the building to find XiHe. She and the other ladies were barricaded in and while most screamed in panic, she collected sachets and prepared a dose for the guards should they break in. She reminded the ladies that hairpins were excellent weapons and others armed themselves with vases and heavy decor to clock an intruder. Changqing shows up to find the ladies had done a good job of defending themselves and XiHe ran out to find Huayong. Huayong’s trusty guard managed to signal all guards outside so they could enter as defense. In between the attack sites imperial guards and Lie combined with embroidered guards to finish off Changtai. Even at the end Lie could not outright kill his brother. He listened to the lament and urged him to turn himself in. Changtai decided to stab himself and join his wife. While he was arguing with his dad, he did not get the recognition he dreamed of. He was reminded that all things asked of him were the demands placed on would be emperors. He was so sure he had won when Huayong intervened. He was certain he had broken their bond and just couldn’t accept it. XiHe and Huayong find each other in the aftermath and it’s very clear both are a bit worse for the wear. He spoke so lovingly to her and they embraced as they could with their injuries. ❤️We waited 27 episodes for their love to take root and when it finally did, it blossomed beautifully.🌹 Theses last minutes together said everything about their love and commitment to each other. Next episode shows Changqing laying claim to what is not his to claim. 😡🤬 He deserves whatever consequence comes for this foolishness. For now it is time to mourn the main couple and wait to see that all is well with little goldfish who will be named Junshu regardless of gender. Dad and gpa have paved the way to ensure the baby’s rightful place as much as they were able. Mom and dad are remembering the red maple trees and their wish to see them together. 😞😭

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Shifting winds and mandarin duck feathers

I am stunned by how everything changed in this episode! From a relatively peaceful palace life, we have moved to such a high-tension, action-packed situation. I am a little afraid of how it all will go from here, but I also absolutely loved the shift! 🤩Firstly, we have ShaoShang who is confined in Changqiu Palace, but with the help of the Empress, she escapes to search for the truth of her father's fate. Even though with her actions the Empress defied the Emperor, she is willing to be ShaoShang's shield in the back rather than a barrier that hinders the resolute and steadfast girl she loves almost like her own daughter. Amazing woman, and I can only applaud her for such a brave move! 👏🥹Secondly, once again, I can be grateful to Yuan Shen for interfering and thus helping ShaoShang with her reckless plan to visit her family with the fake badge. But the Grandmother... she really doesn't stop with her overdramatic ways! At least she brings some comedy. 😅And, finally, the main star of this episode, ofc, was BuYi. Not only did he convince everyone to think his shoulder pads were made from mandarin duck feathers and not from chicken feathers (because ShaoShang said so), but he also single-handedly dealt with the Shouchun army and opened the city gates for his army to enter the city and arrest Peng Kun... And the combat scenes, and BuYi's moves — phenomenal! Pure cinema! 🤩👏 Additionally, a perfect, yet only semi-expected, moment was that the armor ShaoShang made for him actually saved him from getting pierced through his heart... 🫣😌But now I wonder, what is BuYi's father's link to the Gu City massacre? Was he among those who plotted and acted to destroy that city and General Huo Chong? If he was, then why would he do that? BuYi said his parents were on good terms once, so, maybe this specific reason is what drove them apart and not BuYi's mother's mental state? 🤔🤨

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So tired of the stupid, contrived, 'misunderstandings'

This show is an exhausting exercise in how a script writer can go way, way overboard with absurd, contrived 'misunderstanding' plot tropes. We are 9 episodes in and the characters do not behave or communicate anywhere close to the way normal human adults do and so fall into one stupid 'misunderstanding' after another. And there seems to be no end in site as the episode ends with what is obviously yet another misunderstanding as Shuyi obviously mistakes Shi Yue's weichat address for that of Shi Yan's. Speaking of Shi Yan, this ia a good point to talk about what an absolutely crap character he is, that the writer has handed off to be played by the (then young) Dylan Wang. I can't blame Dylan at all. The character has clearly been scripted to be have like a 12 year old petulant, moody child with the _worst_ communication skills and that is exactly who the character has been straight through these 9 episodes. There is almost nothing 'likable' about him so far yet in this series and so it is extremely difficult to root for him as the romantic interest of Bai Lu's character. Yes, I'm sure that the writer will magically transform this jerk into a great guy by the end of the series. But it's just so stupid and unrealistic. People can't really change THAT much and he has way too far to go to become a likable character. This whole 'cold, emotionally stunted CEO' that falls in love with an changes just for Cinderella is just so tired and over-done in C-Dramas. Who on earth finds such characters to be 'attractive' as the male lead? Shi Yan screams, "toxic!" in every way. Oh well. I like a lot of the rest of the cast and I will grit my teeth waiting for the show to finally turn over and away from these two stupid, annoying plot tropes and hopefully become something more. The many positive reviews can't all be wrong, right?

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