AleksandraSucur

what a great cast for a lighthearted story. Hope they won't be wasted, it looks entertaining for the time being

Thank you for your extensively articulated opinion, which I share in part, especially the part regarding unexcusability of several XJS's decisions/actions.
I've only skimmed through the novel and got the idea of a messy and different plot with more unstable characters. Drama writers certainly made the story more challenging and thrilling and defined characters in a sharper way. That's why I think we should watch it as a self-standing story.
That been said, I think we should also acknowledge the fact (of drama plot and characters being improved and made more interesting than in the original) is already a rarity in C-dramaworld. How FSG, FJX + the emperor, as characters are brought to life through their actions and interactions are certainly examples of success: their "definition" is clear, sharp and coherent throughout the eps we've seen till now and independantly of the challenges they've faced.
But not all the characters are written coherently. I can pass over Xiyang, I'm fine with what you've said she is the most similar character to the novel's Xiyang, so we can at least say she's coherent with the archetype of an unexperienced girl causing troubles to herself and to the others due to her naivety. But can we say so for XJS? He is a calculating hypocrite, saying one thing and doing the opposite, ready to sacrifice anybody around him if the tides turn against him. Why would he treat XY differently, ie. why would he keep his word to XY? For example, if XY remained in Susha as he asked her to do, he would have lost his head the moment he stepped in Jinxiu, because he broke the international peace treaty stipulated between two empires/emperors and based on his marriage. Escaping alone from Susha, he did not only defy the will of both emperors but committed treason against his state. His army would not have a reason to rebel. And for how much he may be needed as an army commander in chief - this is the opinion of the dowager, his brother is the one in charge of decision: he knows his brother wants him dead and would have a valid reason to execute him, so why did he asked XY to stay in Susha? Taking her to Jinxiu and maintaining the appearance his "peace marriage" still stands was the only chance for him to survive once he's back.
And then we have this MY, who didn't exist in the novel. For this character, I also sense cracks in consistency. I also see no reason for XJS to leave him his death warriors, they are his hidden weapons. With so many other characters and clues about them we're awaiting, this story may end in a rush bc. of the too extensive development of the Jinxiu subplot.

Well, if you put it in this way, I remember quite a few Chinese emperors who were killed and/or posioned (by their relatives most of the times), the last one at the beginning of 20th century (by a woman, btw, although not his lover but step-mother). Besides, by succeeding to his bro, the dynasty is always the same, doesn't change.
But lets put this aside, it's a secondary matter. We are here for a good story, not real history. I've wrote this half-serious initial comment for the same fear you have. Neither of us likes unconvincing stories or stories which at a certain point become stagnant only to be rushed at the end, pushing the event towards... not much believable. You've certainly noticed that yesterday, love confession apart, and today (the emperor illness and the revelation who's the masked man), we didn't progress much with the clues related to the core story. That's why I'm a bit distrustful versus this plot deviation to Jinxiu. As always, we'll see. ☺️

Ok, lets see how this diverted plotline in Jinxiu will develop further, but I'm not expecting much other than hardships and "paying the price", especially for the sister.
The audience likes this diversions ("she deserved it"/"no, it's too harsh")....

Ofc, but this drama is totally fictional and unrelated to real Chinese dynasties. In this story, his bro is a psycho with particular weakness for women married to his ministers. In this story, he keeps death camps in which boys and girls are trained as assassins since their childhood. Training a few girls, ready to die for him and pretty as FJX, in art of seduction etc., is more "feasible plan" to take the throne under the the logic of the story we are watching

I'd understand if he truly cared for his people and country. But he was ready to sacrifice an entire city, with the only purpose to put blame for the massacre on FSG. He doesn't care for the people.
Ofc., he cares for himself and the poison is a problem, but not an unsolvable one.
No, this entire Juxiu plotline deviation was thought (by the scriptwriter) to give hell to him (bc he is an a**hole) and miss brainless, bc. there were more logical paths from this character's pov.

fine, but what did he wait till now to overthrow his bro? With his brother weakness, training a few assassin girls in death camps he kept was nothing. He could have trained even FYS, when he "freed" her from the camp, she was ready to die for him

what is his great plan? It could only be to take the throne and revenge against his brother and step mother. He doesn't care for the people, otherwise he wouldn't be ready to sacrifice an entire city. What did he wait till now in order to that? The dude kept death camps for so many years, training a few girls/assassins to seduce and marry to high officials is certainly not a big deal. From that point, it looks easy-peasy for a girl to enter the emperor's chamber, finish him and commit suicide. Once deprived of her legit son, the dowager is powerless, he can kill her after taking the throne and finding how to make antidotes. Maybe with some veeery painful poison.

I think it's far worse for his ego to be anywhere near his psycho bro. And it's not just ego, he's risking his neck, too

right

This Jinxiu seems like a shi**y place to live. Especially for a prince.
If he was truly clever, he would have stayed in prosperous Susha as an in-house son-in-law: with his brainless wife, he could have enjoyed riches, women, hang around with his ally Murong Yao, could enter PM's clique and have fun giving a hard time to FSG. He saved enough antidotes to give one to a profi farmacists to discover the ingredients and produce them on his own.
And if he wanted a revenge against his bro, he could have worked for the war from Susha. His entire army would have defected to his side, also bc they weren't paid from Jinxiu treasury but from Murong Yao, that's how they've survived without salary.

I suppose the scriptwriter(s) wanted his wife to face a reality check, that's why they ought to go to Jinxiu.

heh, in this case, FSG is acting like a hero and XJS like a villain.
Lets' hope he is an ecception to the rule and continues to live as a hero.

Neither do I understand the logic of becoming evil due to sufferings. Besides, FSG suffered too in his childhood, the only difference he was not poisoned.

yup

yup, my thoughts as well

I've also just started, I'm at ep 2- not a big kick opening like Fated Hearts but so far it isn't annoying either.

Me too. Their dialogues are definitely memorable

Come on, it was a rare attack of his honesty... She annoyed him, harassed him... now she'll taste a few slaps she never tasted and the audience is expecting

it's easy, just rewatch the scene she told her brother she'll change XJS.
No, he didn't say all these things you've ask for, but if your brother tells you there's smth off, then you see "your love" so concerned about another woman, will you not go just a bit more cautious, even if you're young and naive?

Interesting and well organised analysis - I agree totally but would add a few details which would maybe change your "predictions".
1. FSG and XJS are "specular characters". They've both suffered their good share of injustice, they've both undertaken a military carrier, they even both love the same woman and yet they are so different. FSG is ruthless and angered too (we've all seen the whipping, kicks etc) but has his bottom lines he'll never cross: death camps, using children as baits, shooting the person closest to you, sacrifying civilians and all other XJS' sh*t ... FSG's sufferings instead made him decisive and he'll rather die than give up his principles, while XJS is one of the greatest hypocrite ever written. "I don't kill women" was the phrase he told FSG's sister when she fell for him. The 2 sworn brothers and a sister sit around his table and eat with him bc. "there are no lowly persons in this world", yet, he was the one who owned the death camp they've survived and were freed to be his puppet-killers. And so on. Yes, he is poisoned and FSG isn't. We don't know when, why and how he was poisoned, but can you imagine FSG being posioned and making all these unredeemable things in life bc of it?
2. Xiyang. Lets not talk about things you've mentioned, let's talk about a girl who is just so self confident she'll change an adult and experienced man she knows nothing about, who openly told her (in his rare attacks of honesty) he'll never love her, who feels annoyed and harassed by her, and who will most probably pass her down to his debauched bro for his own self-preservation, what are her chances to contribute to his redemption? No, he'll do the opposite: he'll slap her, humiliate and use her (and we, the audience, won't even blink), no way he'll be moved by this brainless, pampered and a troublemaker girl. Eventually, we'll cheer if she is his doom (that would be a redemption for her), but they'll inevitably both die