Aramintai

Possible, but rather far fetched. Also, doesn't explain why he decided to trust FL's mother over duke Hua. What, her father could have verified the edict's authenticity better? And edict's authenticity wasn't even mentioned when he talked to her. She simply tried to assure him that Lishan faction will help him through their power held in court. But duke Hua also held power, so again, why switch plans on a maybe? If anything, he waited for duke Hua simply to consolidate military power.
Also, besides duke Hua I'm sure there were lots of other people in court who had credentials to authenticate the edict. Guy looks like simply pulled the trigger too early, lol.

Yea, like, mind your own business, woman, I have my own military plans with duke Hua or whatever. Why switch horses midway?

It's just lazy writing as usual. Didn't think this edict thing through thoroughly, I think. But it becoming the crux of the conflict between the leads was obvious from the start.

Hmm, good point. But then again, was duke Hua coming at all? Was he sent another edict to return as well?
And also, why fear anything and get yourself arrested along with all your army when you have an official edict? He knew the marquis will likely investigate him and kill him. Why play into his hands at all?
He could have just went straight to the crown prince's faction to help them.
Or he could have waited for the duke Hua outside the city.

She swallowed it and then vomited it via vomit inducing drugs. It was mentioned.

I was actually thinking the same. Here's hoping she's alive, one of the nicest characters here.

FL's mother didn't want to present it to the dowager alone, but when grandpa and other scholars would come down from the mountain as a faction. But still, nosing in other people's business with no clear plan always leads to fk ups.
As for ML's brother, I just can't figure out what the ef he was thinking here. Hence my post above.

Tell me about it. For such a crucial plot device they had to think of everything about it to a T. But nah.
Also, they didn't even deign to extrapolate how FL got it from under the cushion after she was framed for killing the princess. What, nobody searched the room during investigation? It was also dumb af, they arrested drugged FL instead of that Su bish being present at the crime scene, at the very least they should have arrested both.

Yea, looks like it skipped a generation.

I dunno about head eunuch, but he looks to be working for the empress dowager loyally, and it wasn't in her best interest for ML's brother to come help the crown prince's faction.
The old emperor was already dead by then.

You think they gonna allow him to check what's in the coffin?

Excuses, excuses...🙄

Yea, we have a little group here who are still in denial and wanting the princess to survive. And there's some hope that she could have - the marquis's son got stabbed to the same place with way bigger blade and survived. It missed his heart by a hair. So why not her?

I hope they'll still show Sui Zuidie getting what she deserved.

Agreed, those looked flat and unenthusiastic. On their own these two characters shine better doing their own things, but something's off about their romance presentation in general.

Don't make excuses. There are cdramas with way better kisses, even these actors can do better. Heck, even in FL's previous drama ML got some flak for being rather stiff in the beginning, but even there they had better kisses, lol.

Things known about it:
1. ML's brother and his army got captured at the capital and tried for treason, because he had no edict commanding him to return.
2. He couldn't present the edict because his case was investigated by corrupt marquis who could have destroyed it.
3. ML's brother was already in jail when FL's mother visited him about the edict. He already stashed it somewhere earlier.
4. The emperor being alive wasn't required for verifying it. They verified it being genuine easily when FL presented it.

Question: Why didn't he have the edict on him when he just arrived at the gates? Why couldn't he have shown it right there officially before witnesses? He had an army with him, nobody could have forced it out of his hands quietly.

Nobody was investigating him yet, but he already didn't have the edict. He didn't have the edict, so he was investigated.

And btw, they didn't deign to explain how the consort forged a fake edict to give to the marquis. It's capital punishment to forge these, probably hard to find the means and people to do it.

Since people are talking about how FL's mother was stupid, can somebody help me figure out how ML's brother was not stupid and explain the circular logic of the missing edict? I was thinking how it was a potential plot hole before, and it's still not resolved with anything extra shown.

Go to the top shows section on MDL.
For my personal ones can look up my watchlist.

Judging by her schedule back then what she need the most was rest. She was even given a proper vacation in who knows how many years.