Lizzy

Hmm. Yeah we might just have to agree to disagree on this one. He’s slowing down because FTY is intervening on his behalf lol. I think both FTY and ZL are incredibly smart, but right now they aren’t seeing eye to eye and that’s their weakness. I’m not saying that either party is 💯 right, but if they were able to put their heads together, compromise and work as a cohesive team like Lord and Lady Yu (omg love them) they could accomplish a lot more. FTY and ZL are valid.

Eh, you could be right but I’d be careful about accepting all spoilers as fact. People can make any predictions seem genuine. Not that I would be surprised if there is more angst.

I don’t think she wants him to just say no to the Emperor (well, maybe in the very beginning when she suggested he call in sick lol), but more she wants him to proceed slowly and carefully because he could make a LOT of enemies if he goes radical. That’s why she orchestrated for a moderate political to work with ZL on the salt reform instead of a radical. If ZL went with the radical candidate, he would have shot himself in the foot by offending the Ganlin military people in the Northeast where he gained his merit. TY just wants him to proceed carefully and methodically and strategically. I think by now she knows that he can’t back down. But he CAN go slow and proceed carefully and delicately.

I also imagine that Capital / palace politics look a lot different than family politics, which is why she may be a little more out of her depth.

Oh absolutely, but I don’t think that FTY’s character has regressed. The Yu family just outdid them this time and got a victory. 🤷🏼‍♀️I also agree that she did set him on this path in the beginning of the drama, and I wonder if it will ever be brought up. I’ve been thinking about that for a while, because it was FTY that cornered ZL to basically work with the CP on the salt investigation when he originally didn’t want to. She encouraged him to join the military when he didn’t want to as well. Granted, ZL did choose to say yes, but TY definitely had a part in all of it.

It’s so interesting how differently we see these things. I think ZL is also in over his head and should be listening to her. She’s been warning HIM to act with caution, and with them setting up the theme of ZL climbing too fast (Lord Yu’s monologue about how he knows only to advance and not retreat), I very much see the show now as ZL heading down a destructive path and TY acting as his anchor to hold him back.

I hear what you’re saying, though, about TY also being ignorant to a degree, and I think what really needs to happen is they need to team up and work together. Each of them navigating this without being on the same page won’t be good for them in the long run.

Huh? How do you know this?

Regression? idk about that. ZL has also been keeping her in the dark about a lot of things — how was she supposed to know about the politics with the Emperor and the GED? idk.

That would explain all of the nervous looks ZL gave during the banquet for the GED.

I thought it was funny too. I really enjoyed it and thought it was needed to lighten the angst a little bit 😂

I am open to whatever may happen, and will probably enjoy the drama either way as long as the ending is happy. I would totally understand if Tingyun eventually leaves and moves back to Ganlin - I will also understand if she doesn’t. As of episode 29 Zhao Ling is still not listening to her, and unless something major happens to him (or her), I have doubts that he will step back.

It cements my theory that everything has been building up to TY leaving him. I have a feeling that he’s going to crash and burn and then finally listen to what she has been saying. I doubt the separation will last long though.

Episode 29 preview—

Probably sometime next week, yeah.

Story of Ming Lan is one of the best of all time.

I second this!! The Prisoner of Beauty is also one of my all time favorites. It has the same screenwriter and director as this one :)

I get the frustrations with them not being married, but I’m in the same position as you in that it doesn’t bother me at all. I can understand why they’re not. And I think I caught from one of the recent episodes that they have only been back in the capital for a short amount of time. It didn’t sound like they were living in the capital for months and months just stalling on the wedding. They haven’t been there long.

8 🥹

💯

Nah we are back up to two for now

The whole point of the last handful of episodes IS that ZL has been OOC. He has been off, acting strangely and different. He is also relatively inexperienced in dealing with politics despite the bravado he has been trying to put on since returning to the Capital. That’s why he needs FTY’s help. He’s been in over his head and fumbling a bit the last few episodes and that’s the point :)