This article is full of spoilers so don't read further if you haven't watched the whole drama.
Imagine the ultimate Chinese chess and game, one with three-dimensional boards, each placed above or under the main one, with different characters making moves in their respective games but ultimately, like Xue FangFei/JiangLi reminded Duke Su--different paths, same destination. Each move by key players affect the games on different boards, but especially the Main Game, which is between Xue Fang Fei and her murderer husband, Shen Yu Rong. In this game, sacrificial moves is just a "block" as shown in Chinese Go, until the end.
The moves below will be a mix of English chess, Chinese Go, and Chinese chess plays.
First move, Main Board: Xue Fang Fei resurrected herself as Queen with the death of pawn JiangLi
First move, Main Board: Shen Yu Rong, imbued with power, moved forward, enjoying all the favors bestowed him as "Consort-lover," Scholar Emeritus, Principal Scholar (of school).
Other board First move: Duke watched Main Game, moved his two Guards into position to arrest Jiang Li.
Other board First Board Move: Counter move by Jiang Li, taking Duke Su's pawn (suspect).
Other board Second move: Duke Su retreated behind his two guards.
Second move, Main Board: XFF/JL made parallel moves against SYR: forward towards city, forward again towards Jiang Family, forward behind the Castle.
Second move, Main Board: SYR marched laterally behind his castle, guards, Queen.
Other Board, Third Move: Duke Su took one of JL's pieces (pendant), forcing her to play with him.
Other Board Third Move: XFF sacrificed one piece to get back her pendant.
Third Move, Main Board: XFF boldly moved forward to attack, taking major pieces of SYR (sister's Banquet scene)
Third Move, Main Board: SYR, having suddenly lost pieces without planning ahead, retreated.
Other Board Third Move: Duke Su attacked at the same time, calling XFF by name (Banquet episode).
Other Board Third Move: XFF retreated again, sacrificing another piece (failing to look nonchalant at Duke Su's test).
Fourth Move, Main Board: SYR went on the attack, preparing to stop XFF/JL's move towards school (his territory).
Fourth Move, Main Board: XFF sacrificed a piece to get a winning move, sending coded words to get SYR to think of their time together as husband and wife. She achieved her goal of going to school (SYR's territory).
Second Board Fourth Move: Duke Su decided to help instead of attack XFF. He created an XFF Pawn Piece in his Other Game (his personal one). He moved pieces around XFF--especially using Poison Princess.
Second Board Fourth Move, Major Shift to Main Board: XFF deliberately moved closer to Duke Su's piece, needing help to win Main Board game. She created a Duke Su piece on her board, forcing him to move his path with hers. They were starting to mirror each other on their boards (Different paths, same destination)
FIRST BOARD AND SECOND BOARD MERGES AS SIDE BY SIDE GAMES, pieces moving freely from one board to the other. Again, the theme of different paths, same destination.
Fifth Move Main Board: SYR (with the help of his Queen) started a competition duel between all pawns. He will judge his opponent, XFF.
Fifth Move Main Board: Duke Su countered with lateral move, placing himself in power position as judge.
Fifth Move Main Board: XFF captured all pawns. XFF power moved to take SYR's pieces with Magical CGI qin (LOL, now we're going all Dungeons and Dragons), again awakening memories to provoke/weaken her opponent.
Sixth Move Main Board: SYR let his piece be taken, allowed XFF all the way into his territory.
Sixth Move Main Board: XFF attacked, moving into Palace territory to trap Queen.
Seventh Move Main Board: SYR's Crazy Queen entered game with attack move (Arrow scene)
Seventh Move Main Board: XFF weighed the choice of whether to take down opponent there and then, ending the game.
Second Board, Sixth Move to Eighth Move Main Board: Duke Su moved his own piece onto XFF's Main Board, replacing his substitute piece she'd made. He'd entered her game willingly now. He blocked Crazy Queen's attack on XFF (with his fan).
Eighth Move Main Board: SYR retreated, giving his power base (Crazy Queen) Ninth and Tenth Moves to distract his opponent from her achieving her goal (revenge).
Ninth, Tenth, Several Moves, Main Board and Second Board: SFF gathered a new army of pawns as she moved onto Duke Su's board and stayed close to him (her trips to Luyang and Huixiang). SFF helped Duke Su with HIS Principal Game (gold mine). Duke Su moved his pieces back and forth playing a strategic game with his new "pawn," now no longer an opponent. SFF advanced, taking down Cave Jis (Crazy Queen pawns, so a SYR BTS move).
Eleventh Move Main Board: SFF attacked with all her pawns, taking down multiple SYR pieces in court--Crazy Queen, Cave Jis, the Abbess). Every SYR piece was cornered. SYR made another retreat, sacrificing Crazy Queen (denial of XFF being his wife). Crazy Queen is moved back to her own board (Time Out!).
Twelfth move Main Board/Side Board is a lot of off board obsfucation/obstruction. Crazy Queen attacked from outside.
Twelfth move Main Board: XFF attacked and suffered major loss of important piece (Tong'er). Defeated Crazy Queen's special piece (Knight--Imperial Diviner). XFF retreated behind her Castle.
Second Board Nineth and Tenth moves: Duke Su did side maneuvers, take down more Crazy Queen pieces (removing some of Cave Ji's and her power by showing the Long Wu army's teeth).
Fourteenth move Main Board: SYR went on the attack, blocking all XFF's moves to advance against him (her trying to perform for King Chao).
Fourteenth move Main Board: XFF countered, moving in front of SYR, exposing SYR's vulnerability by using memory callback again. Her one move gained her two--she got accepted to perform AND to perform with XYR.
Fifteenth moves Main Board: SYR moved pieces to trap XFF, using his castle to evoke memories; XFF managed to trap SYR (face to face encounter at celebration party, unexpected help from Pawn Ye ShiJie). SYR in trouble (jail), no escape route.
Sixteenth move Main Board: Crazy Queen freed from her own board made an unexpected attack for SYR (XFF's brother).
Sixteenth move Main Board: XFF trapped, made lateral move by sacrificing herself to save pawn (brother). XFF was jailed while SYR moved out of jail (into Crazy Queen's arms).
Seventeenth move Main Board: SYR planned double whammy--replace his Crazy Queen with Queen XFF.
Seventeenth move Main Board: XFF countered SYR's second trap with new attack (fake pregnancy meds).
Second Board Eleventh-Thirteenth Move: Sneak attack, retreat to advance, Duke Su moved to tempt both Crazy Queen on her board and then SYR on his board (the Emperor's Army Fish Thingie), offering his special army at her service.. Both SYR and Crazy Queen made alternate traps on their Boards.
Second Board Fourteenth Move: Duke Su had secret Third Board! (Army of Allies) He moved his new pawns into place.
Eighteenth Move First Board: XFF attacked Crazy Queen. Crazy Queen had to return to her own Board (marriage to Younger Cave Ji).
Eighteenth Move First Board: SYR made secret move to gain power (making deal with Crazy Queen Board powerful Knight, King Cheng).
Nineteeth Move: Endgame coming. SYR made triple attacks against 1) XFF 2) his own Crazy Queen 3) Duke Su
Second Board Fourteenth to Eighteenth Move: Duke Su attacked Crazy Queen's Brother Knight on several fronts, showing new allies: Poison Princess Army, his own grandfather, his disguised armed guards, Black Market General and his Army.
Second Board Nineteeth Move: Endgame coming, seeing attack on XFF, Duke Su retreated to sacrifice self (going to draw Emperor's Army, now under SYR, away from city).
Twentieth Move, First Board: SYR conquered Crazy Queen, removed her (death/endgame), imprisoned XFF to move her into his Queen Position. Grandfather Knight/Black Market Army moved in front of SYR Queen Position (saving XFF).
Nineteeth Move, First Board: Endgame, no more secret attacks, XFF, surrounded by help, countered loe savior move by Direct Attack on SYR (arrow).
Twentieth Move: Checkmate. XFF toppled SYR with direct attack. No other move, SYR jumped off from on high. He died, along with all main pawns on his board.
Winner of three dimensional chess: XFF and her "Queen," Duke Su. :)
LucianYaz:
