Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

 liddi:

Unfortunately, the only fare I can manage right now is Under the Skin 2. I watched the first few minutes  of Blossom because of Ye Zuxin and his impressive 2mins worth of screentime as the Crown Prince who faced  unwarranted vengeance before taking his own life rather than have his fate dictated by his enemies. Have not continued or watched any other snippets since then. What drew you to the drama? I might check it out when things ease up.

From the broadcast data, that drama is considered as dark horse of the end of this year. What I heard is people first paid attention due to some good shots in the teaser. Then it's said that the main leads give good CP feeling, cinematography was executed well and director did good job. 

 H19279:

Chapter 23, Jing's grandmother said that FF clain depended on Tushan clan. Therefore, they had taught and trained FFYY well. Moreover she was also smart and competent. So, her position and qualifications match well with the position of Tushan clan leader's wife. A partner who came from one of the big Four clans might be less orbey and loyal than someone who came from a less important family.

You make a good point. Personal skills and qualifications aside, her clan's reliance on the Tushan clan makes her the perfect candidate because pressure from her family will further ensure her obeisance to the Tushan clan. This is similar how royal consorts and concubines do their utmost to seek and retain favour with the emperor, since it also affects the rise and fall of their own clans.

 H19279:

The Tushan family had well interconnected with other bigh family in the Central Plain. Jing's grandfather from mother side was the ex-leader of Shen Clan (the biggest noble clan behind the  Four Clans) and Jing's mother's mother came from Chisui Clan. 

This reminds me once again how diluted the nine-tailed fox bloodline would have been by then, with the marriages with deities from other clans over the generations. Even Jing's mother, a pure-blooded deity, was descended from the Shen and Chishui clans, who were clearly not from the nine-tailed fox bloodline. I guess at that point, it was not so much how pure the nine-tailed fox bloodline was that mattered (Hou was also from the same bloodline after all), but their intricate ties to other noble clans of the Great Wilderness that determined a clan leader's suitability.

 H19279:

No, there is no sign of anyone who might have links to Gu art or that specific lovers' gu. The physician expert in Once Promised is Ah Heng. She gave treatment for people in Bai Li if I remember correctly.

Due to their low class, many Bai Li native people were forced to become slaves and taken away from their homeland. I guess the old woman who gave Xiao Yao the walnut was someone like that.

I agree. I don't recall the Lovers bug ever being mentioned in Once Promised - only the Bai Li culture  between lovers during the Peach Blossom Festival. Their desolation as the womenfolk waited for their men to come home from the Shen Nong-Xuan Yuan war was instrumental in A Heng deciding to lead the Xuan Yuan army and end the war once and for all.

A Heng's medical expertise came from the Seventh Flame Emperor's materia medica, which she then used to alleviate the suffering of the common people and have them pray in the direction of Shen Nong mountain in thanks as repayment.

 H19279:

From the broadcast data, that drama is considered as dark horse of the end of this year. What I heard is people first paid attention due to some good shots in the teaser. Then it's said that the main leads give good CP feeling, cinematography was executed well and director did good job. 

Sounds promising. Might check it out when I can, though my real motivation is to see more of Ye Zuxin's Crown Prince, who is rumoured to have more scenes in future episodes despite dying in the first two minutes of Ep1. Heh!

 H19279:

A partner who came from one of the big Four clans might be less orbey and loyal than someone who came from a less important family.

True. 

 liddi:

What is your impression of her relationship with Fangfeng Bei in the novel? I felt that she did not despise his lowly birth and had a good relationship with him, but was not above showing her disdain for his less than savoury companions. Certainly, she supported Bei and Xiao Yao's relationship, but I am more of the opinion it was due to the benefits of such ties rather than any actual consideration for Bei's happiness.

I agree with all of that. 

 liddi:

Also, what of Fangfeng Bei? Was there any affection for this fake sister of his? I don't believe he had any loyalties to her, but I am highly skeptical that he was serious about harming her for Xiao Yao. 

Hmmm. There are a few factors at play there. XL is not someone who would lightly murder a person who had been part of his life as a sister that he had a not-bad ( 不错) relationship with for 400+ years, let alone her innocent baby. But he's also not the type of person who goes around making offers that he's not prepared to follow through on. 

I do think that he made that offer with the expectation that XY would not take him up on it. But if, for some reason, she really did seriously take him up on it... I find it hard to picture XL taking the offer back. Since his offer was that he could kill FFYY and her baby for XY if XY paid him for it, perhaps he would name a ridiculous price. Something that he knew XY wouldn't be willing or able to give him. Or perhaps he would name a price that was valuable enough to him to outweigh the distastefulness of the job. Not money obviously, but maybe something like her promise in chapter 7 to do one thing for him, no questions asked. Or her promise in chapter 43 to live. Although, in the case of both of those promises, XL managed to get XY to make the promise in exchange for XL agreeing to do something they he already wanted to do... 

 liddi:

I wonder what he would have done had Yi Ying rejected him after the Lantern Festival when she realised that the man she loved was actually the one who harmed her fiancé? Would he have gotten rid of her the same way he did Lan Mei if she had become a threat to him?

I think TSH's willingness to throw FFYY under the bus to save himself in chapter 34 shows us that he would not have hesitated to eliminate FFYY if he had viewed her as a real threat when he returned to QQ back then.  

 HeadInTheClouds:

I liked both of these series. The episodes were short, but the atmosphere, pace and tension were well-done. 

Yes!  He's a director with a certain style and vision, but he also keeps the substance.

 liddi:

Unfortunately, the only fare I can manage right now is Under the Skin 2. I watched the first few minutes  of Blossom because of Ye Zuxin and his impressive 2mins worth of screentime as the Crown Prince who faced  unwarranted vengeance before taking his own life rather than have his fate dictated by his enemies. Have not continued or watched any other snippets since then. What drew you to the drama? I might check it out when things ease up.

The drama is airing now, so I can't say much yet. However, the first episode was so cool that it felt like I had watched the whole drama. The filming is amazing. I also caught myself thinking that the main character has a vibe similar to XL, especially in the first episode. And this isn’t even related to the gray hair.

You can watch this video and see what I mean. It’s not about spoilers; it’s just the beginning of the story and shows what it will be about.

 Meow:

Are you watching Blossom? I really recommend this drama. 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDRIm2EoL_Z/?igsh=OGJpb3ZkMzFqNzBz