AleksandraSucur

I think my initial theory still stands. Murongs and Zhuangs are not rival noble families, they somehow work together. They've probably conspired together against FSG's mother. Being at the border, Murong the father had ways to fabricate evidences from an enemy state, cities, their archives and stamps were changing hands. Later, it is in his army that FSG gained his first credits as a teenager, but at this point of the story, he is too powerful and a direct threat for both families: if he becomes the next emperor, he'll certainly dig deep to dismantle that conspiration.
Notice also that the SML got poisoned by his brother, not by Murong Yao, Susha people has no control over him, it's just a partnership. I suspect that the great plan of MY mentioned by XJS is actually a coup, with liquidation of the current emperor and all the rest.

yup, she'll recognize his carriage

I think the same. Actually, they are a pair of wolves

The only good thing Hypocrite A**hole did was to shot her down from the cliff: the amnesia was her fortune. It erased the A**hole from her brain, leaving space for a man who truly understands her and cares for her.

I call her Brainless Princess from the start. I feel she'll directly harm her brother giving the token to that Hypocrite A**hole

yes, and you've noticed well she often teases him. Actually there's a lot of bickering and boasting between them, which keeps their interraction in a constant tension and wave movement. The undulating movement we know from physics, deriving from the "energy fluctuating from physical bodies" (well, in this case, human bodies), sexual energy has this form as well stimulating hormones (sc. "chemistry"), apparently unreasonable, even insane.
Anyway, if I told my mum I've had similar experiences with a man, (well, she is insane enough) she'd reply: ok, when will you present him to us? And if my son were to tell me smth similar, I'm insane enough to ask him the same thing.
The actors delivered well this dynamics, that's why nobody complains about "red flags"....

I enjoy it a lot, too. Beside, they've shared interesting experiences: S/M (sado-maso), including mutual whipping, bites, insults etc., toying with knives, hairpins and similar piercing objects, applying medicinal creams on their back or dressing wounds, heavily drinking, sword-dancing, cheek squeezing, teasing each other even after they've survived a boat explosion. They are continously close to each other, both physically and mentaly.

I'm dying 😂😂😂
Btw., not only in the same drama, in the same episode!

that's a constructive perspective, LOL 😂😂😂👌

A line from "Seduction Vade Mecum"

Mosquitos are nothing compared to his brazen provocation of the emperor. The emperor asked him: would you really divide our family for a foreign general? His response was a heavy slap: you tacitly allowed them to kill my mother, implying "you were unable to protect my mother, but I will protect my woman despite all the odds, you included"
After such an animated argument with the emperor, everybody in the capital will know that girl simply can't be touched.
He doesn't want that clot in her brain to burst

you're wrong, she isn't ignorant. That move towards him and a close whisper: "I know what you're thinking" wasn't to make him feel uncomfortable out of blue, it's a deliberate seduction move. She already tested his reactions many times, actually from the first moment in the pool she was putting an extra effort to read the emotions on his face

Yes I do. One sided love is doomed from the start. It's already difficult for couples with deep mutual feelings, but if the other person feels nothing for you, it will only bring you pain and insatisfaction, so it's better not to start such a relation

FSG doesn't care about XJS army or properties. Her brother was against the marriage because it will give an enemy's state leverage over HIM, she can be used at their wish to blackmail him. Then - if the marriage must take place - he tried to keep them in his state. She can marry her one sided love but won't be used to force him to do what the enemy wants.
XJS is marrying a woman he doesn't love, he'll feel resented in any case, in any place/country. I truly don't understand how can you think one sided love can overcome anything. And a girl who's about to marry, for how young, thinks also about other people she cares for. Juliet, who was only a pawn to her family, cared more for them and talked with Romeo how to solve their families' enmities. This one doesn't care of anything and anybody, except the person she met once in her life and that person was her family's enemy for years. Simply brainless

Juliet met Romeo during a ball, had a MUTUAL romantic story with Romeo, talked with him, was meeting him and had time to know him better, even married him secretly. Her position in Capuleti family was completely different than the position of this brainless princess, Capuleti were opposing Romeo, not only because of the unsolvable feud between the two families (and which will be solved with deaths of the two) but because they've promised her to another powerful person. She was a classical pawn in a power struggle among the nobles, while HY is a treasured daughter and sister, at least her brother doesn't perceive her as a pawn. She is also free to marry whoever she wants. Juliet didn't represent a weakness to any other person in her family, while HY is her brother's weakness, the only person an enemy could use as a leverage to control him.
For how much we can relate with her youth and naivety, we all know her romantic story doesn't exist at all, and after witnessing her "hero" has feelings for another woman and not only doesn't exchange her feelings, he doesn't even remember their only meeting, she should at least be more cautious if not fully aware of the fact he has no feelings for her. Maybe it's too much to ask from her to reflect on the reasons why her brother opposes XJS and how will her far away marriage reflect on her brother, but the facts I've exposed above are sufficient to call her stupid or brainless

I agree PM is cautious, but he knew his foster son sent assassins to kill FSG, he admitted it to his nephew when they were paying respects after FSG killed him. In that occasion, he implied he would deal with FSG in a different way... after that, we've seen JS receiving the imperial decree on marriage, which means PM Zhuang has a secrete open communication channel directly with the emperor of an enemy state, but from other details (purchase of the oil, JS's minor servant going to the Zhuangs) I think the Zhuangs must have direct connections with JS as well.
Maybe I've missed the moment in which was shown the masked man has an antidote, I should rewatch their meetings... Ofc., I've heard of the Murong clan and know of their real reign, but think this story is a pure fiction and doesn't follow any real historical reference. In this story, yes, now I agree with you, we still must see if they are rivals or allies with Zhuangs.

You are truly a treasure, thank you! 😘😘😘
(from "whoever finds a friend, finds a treasure", Bible, Sirach 6:5-17)

could you translate, more or less, pls. what did they say to each other on that cliff?

you wrote "I think both the masked man and Jingshi have agreed to help each other ascend the throne in their respective countries. But after that Jingshi will be his vassal unless he can kick the poison."
Masked man MUST BE connected with Zhuangs, bc Zhuangs provided the Feng's battalion movements and plan of attack on Pingling through the "merchant" (masked man), Zhuang the nephew provided oil for the boat and now is in hiding in case FSG manage to track the purchase of oil up to him and so on. Zhuangs have their OWN candidate for the throne: PM's grandson, ie. FSG's younger brother. Murongs can't beat such a strong claim.
Coming to who poisoned JS... heh, it's tricky. He and WR said they were awaiting for antidote to arrive with the marriage procession, but they were talking to the FL, so they may have lied, beside the fact he intentionally skipped one pill bc he wanted to appear weak in front of the FL... But it could still be a half-truth (ie., he was poisoned by someone from his own court or family), bc I don't see any reason for Susha traitors to poison him. He is their ally, a person with whom they've had a deal to annihilate the Feng battalion, if they've put more pressure by poisoning, it could have turned against their plan, what if he exposes them, what if he kills himself... how will they achieve their goal (to destroy FSG's army)? Ok, that plan failed for the well-known reasons but he is still useful for Zhuangs' party which wants him married with the brainless princess, ie. the only real FSG's weakness. Besides, it looks like he was poisoned a long time before his dealings with these people from Susha

the emotion I've read in that flashback wasn't fury. Upset, shocked or smth like that. But, yeah, you're right, I've seen the extended clip of the scene on the cliff, she was indeed shooting towards smth/so down there when was shot