Namelezz:

@ VincentGoh  Thanks for the reply.

1. I don't know where I missed the CP info, I will re-watch to understand the scenario.

2. Sorry "Empress Dowager took YQM possession during the assassination of YQM by her brother (Empress's father)"

Kinda confused here. YQM was assassinated by the current Qing Emperor (FX father) right?
Empress Dowager's brother would become the current emperor's uncle.
Empress's father would be grand emperor to the current emperor?

perhaps like this :p 

@Anthony Thanks for the reply. 

Yes, I did visualize that flow chart while trying to understand it. I shall watch the drama to know how it uncovers.
Also, as mentioned above, it was Fei Jie who unmasked the shadow. FX doesn't know who he is. 

@VincentGoh. Thanks again.

I got the clear picture. I remember YQM saying some powerful force was following her and preventing her from going out of the Divine Temple. Guess its the other masters like Wu Zhu.

The emperor is extremely cunning and self-centred. Poor YQM should not have loved him.
Yes thanks to Anthony for the flow chart. Will be helpful for many.

 Namelezz:

@VincentGoh. Thanks again.

I got the clear picture. I remember YQM saying some powerful force was following her and preventing her from going out of the Divine Temple. Guess its the other masters like Wu Zhu.

The emperor is extremely cunning and self-centred. Poor YQM should not have loved him.
Yes thanks to Anthony for the flow chart. Will be helpful for many.

did YQM really loved the emperor?

like sure, they both must have some sort of hmm kind of romantic feelings for each other, but yeah, well mostly i thought, they were more or less, just using each other??

like, they probably both wanted a child for their own reasons, and of course, probably she was a gorgeous beauty, and the emperor in his youth, was a good looking prince, so the sex must hopefully be good for both as well (like nice side benefit. Biz partners with sex benefits?). but it was not the main reason.

back then, even then, they were just plotting around, she helping him to sit on the throne, and him helping her for the foundation of the overwatch council and so on?

mutual beneficial relationship, until, well, the power balance was shifting, and the royal family could not let a commoner girl /woman get too powerful.

 VincentGoh:

The identity of Shadow is he is Si Gu Jian younger brother. Shadow did not die with CPP. During the execution of CPP by Qing Emperor, CPP sends Shadow to protect Fan Xian.

Thank you. Looks like have to wait for S3 to even see who Si Gu Jian is since S2 cast did not have him listed.

Did Lin Ruo Fu ever learn in the novel that FX had a hand in killing his son Li Gong?  I do not remember that being the case. Is this another creative variation by the screenwriter? 

Another has already  noted  that the rescue of Fan Sizhe by DuoDuo on his way north does not happen in the novel.  This “new” event in the drama leaves the clue to the world the FX has connections to 9th level masters which FX can call upon to help him.  With this, LRF guesses than FX had access to a 9th level master who did the deed.  If that is the case, not quite sure I like this added storyline (for the sake of drama or is it filler)  but I think it is a nice piece of creative writing. 

 Anthony Tumiwa:

i remember in S1, when FX unmasked him, FX said "it's you" , FX never met Si Gu Jian, moreover his younger brother, how can he recognize  the "Shadow"?

because the one that unmasked is fan xian's teacher fei jie lmao rewatch it i think its ep 40 sth

 SoloHan:

Did Lin Ruo Fu ever learn in the novel that FX had a hand in killing his son Li Gong?  I do not remember that being the case. Is this another creative variation by the screenwriter? 

Another has already  noted  that the rescue of Fan Sizhe by DuoDuo on his way north does not happen in the novel.  This “new” event in the drama leaves the clue to the world the FX has connections to 9th level masters which FX can call upon to help him.  With this, LRF guesses than FX had access to a 9th level master who did the deed.  If that is the case, not quite sure I like this added storyline (for the sake of drama or is it filler)  but I think it is a nice piece of creative writing. 

No. He never knew in the novel.  The relationship is quite similar with them, drama and novel. Great choice of casting.

This is correct. Fan Sizhe never had an assassination attempt. And the Saint haitang aka duoduo never came to save him. FX exchanged letters and she became his confident  (no romance). He asked her to take care of his brother and she did but in north. To have her in south territory was a provocation unless she had a good excuse which she will have when he will travel to the west to take over the revenue position and his mother business.

The screenwriter could not explain the complicity with the letters, so he added this arc.

 An chuxia:

because the one that unmasked is fan xian's teacher fei jie lmao rewatch it i think its ep 40 sth

 But he has a third identity as well ;)

@ender1979

YQM was a free spirit. She refused to marry him and she refused to be a concubine. Fan Xian was an accident and she left him a letter that kids are burden and abortion is the best. So she was definitely not maternal. Her goal was to change the world and family business was getting in her way. She never submitted to the emperor. She did what she wanted.

The emperor was not with her when she had FX. The empress had the future crown prince at the same time. But when he received the news, he was happy. It was clear that the empress was something expected but not wanted.

Both the emperor and YQM love each other but in a very selfish way. Both using each other to achieve their goals. That is my interpretation anyway because I didn't read anything romantic. The emperor loved her but was also afraid of her. She was not from this world. She was THE love of his life but also his biggest treat. Very complicated. His mother convinced him she was a treat to get rid off. So his feelings were real, yet his complicated personality and ambition messed their relationship. 

This is my interpretation. It doesn't mean I am 100% right ;)

@period_addict: 

well in one point we do agree: 

they were both sort of loving each other, just not the typical romanticized version of love a la Romeo & Juliet, (I WILL DIE FOR AND WITH YOU!!!!! LIFE WITHOUT THE OTHER HAS NO MEANING! WAHHHH! STABS / GUNS DOWN MYSELF) 

i mean, who said, love has to be mutually exclusive anyway? people can do lots of things parallel, they love each other and use it each other at the same time. love can be romantic, it also can be a romantic business relationship. 

I didn't remember the first part, where you wrote that YQM said, FX was an accident, but then, its been 5 years with me, since i read it. so well, if you remember it that way, iits probably right.  not wanting to be the emperors concubine seems like her, although well, she did have a kid, so she must liked the sex anyhow, since we are hopefully all sure, he did not raped her. or drugged her, or coerced her.  Or was the sex that a means to an end, for some other purpose? and as a byproduct, FX came along.

@ender1979

The emperor had a painting hidden in his private rooms and he looked and talked to her alone. Like when FX married. He said something like… you would have loved this lively event. You always loved everything lively.

He also sent priceless gift to his wedding, regretting to not be able to recognize him as a prince and have the grandiose wedding he deserved

So he loved her and he loved him…. But his personality and ambition and fears got in the way. He said at the near end of the novel that FX was his favorite son. He disliked first prince and second prince. Crown prince was too kind for his taste and third prince too young for him to care.

PEOPLE WHO HAVE READ THE NOVEL PROPERLY I WANT TO ASK


FROM WHICH EP OR ARC DID STORY STARTED DEVIATING OR WATERING DOWN THE INTENSITY/BRUTALITY OF PLOT PROGRESSION ND IN TERMS OF CHARACTER RUTHLESSNESS???? 

DID THE NOVEL HAD MORE FIGHTS IN THIS PART OF THE STORY FROM EP47-82 (ep1-36).

can you pin point out how much % of action was reduced nd where it was supposed to be compared to the novel part