Theories/Clues?

I think concubine is doing exactly what she was told to do and eldest brother is still alive and hiding in the back of the mountain. We will see more plot revealing in next episodes - but I believe that father really has died...
Someone implemented that mei token to make a break between cousins even bigger... Anyone can be that spy which stayed hidden for over 20 years - also that person stayed unnoticed for such a long time - why would they give up now or made up a suspicious story about leaders death? So I doubt the spy is actually second wife...

btw.  in episode 5 when they were confirming background of FLs - and I've heard a message from  YWS mother - I thought immediately of her raven - and same when she was talking to Ziyu and told him: my mother told me to do not trust anybody when I will be in the valley...  
So somewhat he told her to take a good care of Ziyu? any way thats my guessing
There might be also some fight for power in the Wufeng as well... I think atm anything is possible  - just can't wait for rest of the plot!

 mparthur:

The older brother has died as we saw the corpse in a coffin.

We are saying this because of pictures we have seen in the bts/photos that have been taken. Also, we saw earlier with that one person that HYQ "killed" that some "deaths" aren't exactly what they appear to be. 

Other interesting things from today's episodes:

1. SGQ panicked and wanted A'yun to go along with the plan she came up with, A'yun refused remembering what her raven told her. Additionally, the smoke scene where A'yun told SGQ to fake pass out with her. 

So far it seems all the "mistakes" A'yun makes are intentional. She's a lot of aware of her surroundings, does not underestimate people, and does not easily trust/follow others. She only does so, after deeming that their suggestions are probably the best course of action given the options. 

Another thing I noticed is the SGQ and ZiYu are similar in some sense, while A'yun and GSJ are similar. 

 Sirry Usly:

Oh also, new theory from Twitter: some people think that Gong Huan Yu was pretending to be a caring older brother. I doubt that tbh. But since I'm putting clues and theories in here, I thought I'd mention it. 

We never really know tbh. I expect everything from everyone at this point xD it is feasible if Huan Yu was pretending.  From today's episode we know ShangJue was the one who finished the Trial of the Three Realms first, but Huan Yu was the one selected to be the Young Lord. So I think the part where he was "pretending to be nice to ZiYu" is actually because ZiYu holds no threat towards the position of the next Sword Wielder, nothing else. 

 Sirry Usly:

The reason I don't buy this is because it seems to me that this test is something that occurs when you become older and also, if ZiYu isn't a threat to him, then why would he need to pretend to be nice? I just don't see that being the case. I do think he's more cunning than what we saw in the short time but the whole pretending to be nice thing just does not seem necessary. Especially because in the same theory, I left this part out, people are saying that Huan Yu could be a double agent. Which to me, does not make sense. But honestly just like you said, we don't know anything for sure yet. So I could be wrong. 

Oh , I am  by no means saying he indeed is, we still do not have enough info to deduct and piece the puzzle together. I was just theorising possible ways this can be played if it were true. It probably did not come out as I intended it to be.

 I am also on the opinion that Huan Yu does not need to "pretend" to be nice to ZiYu, hence the quotation marks I have put.  We are racking our brains but some things are not as complicated as they seem, and I'd like to think that these people are just making the simple brothers affection complex and twisted. 

I really do see this situation right now as a test for GZY, GSJ and GYZ, to determine if they can work together to protect the infinite heat as the next batch of descendants of the Gong family. 

I think if ZiYu is a legitimate son which was just born premature - that GSJ will accept him as sword wielder when he will pass trials as he seems to care most about rules and family tradition. Like he told to his little brother that man has to learn how to yield.
But GZY has a long way to go to became a real sword wielder and that's not going to happen in 1 night - I think we will be watching him growing up due to bitter lessons the life is going to teach him. The woman he just started to care about is actually an assassin, he doesn't have really anybody who could back him up - just his bodyguard and playing a weirdo sister...
He cant trust his cousins for sure - and there is sort of rivalry between him and GYZ - they will have to start cooperate if they want Gong family stand up against Wufeng - as atm only elders and whoever is living in that mountain can help them. 

Hello !

Just to add another theory here : in the first or second episode, the sister of Gong ziyu said that she wanted to meet/see a red guardian and Jin Fan looked at her like he knew something about it. So maybe, well maybe Jin Fan and the red guardian are the same person. And why red guardian ?  It it related to the fire that they must protect against WuFeng ?

 serhine:

He's most probably still alive. If you noticed in ep 5, he was the first one to suggest for GSJ to investigate ZNY's family himself. So everything seems to be planned, and he's still alive and he wanted SJ out of the residence that night and there is a reason why GZY, despite not being that strong, has to be the current sword wielder. 

Maybe has to do with ZY's supposedly questionable bloodline? 

But my question is why now? What's the trigger to start all of this? Or maybe the trigger is the bride selection since after all the last one was supposedly 20 years ago or something. So there is no better timing than now, but for what exactly? Dying to find out

Maybe it has something to do with that infinite heat thing. That also popped up just as the bride selection was underway. So somehow they have to be connected.

Could Anonymous and lead side of the mountain Gong person, be one and the same?  

Why big bro wanted ZY to be current SW because he knows ZY is of real Gong blood? No rumors no anything. He wants him to be strong too and unite the Gong family against assassins creed (who I think may be still alive and part of Gong family but if not she was killed by assassins Creed and not Gongs).  

Also I think Prince Yue is part of the 3 trials ZY has to face. I'll be honest, I hope ZY passes the 3 trials in a month not 3 just to rub it in SJ's face. It's so petty, they really need to focus on the big picture not just who's got the bigger balls.