The Road to Splendor Episode 29
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The way Zhao Ling made Fifth Master Fu pay for what he did to Tingyun's mother was very satisfying. I have always had a soft spot for morally grey characters and vigilantes, and Zhao Ling embodied both with this one choice. 😏Though, I am upset that they are going back to him not explaining things to Tingyun. It's been proven a million times and more that communication is their key to success and, most importantly, to avoiding unnecessary misunderstandings... If only he would tell her his reasons for that choice and other choices she's questioning now. I think she would come up with a very clever plan on how to corner Lord Yu again... Ehh, Zhao Ling, Zhao Ling... 😔To be fair, I am actually hoping Chuan or Biao tells Tingyun, because I don't think Zhao Ling will. His understanding of what would protect Tingyun and what wouldn't has been quite questionable so many times before, and it seems he's not learning from his past mistakes. 🥺
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Sumin seems way more crazy than I imagined and I am afraid she might turn into a killer eventually. That woman doesn't care about anything other than ruining Jiwon's life. It's almost like an obsession! 🫣Jiwon's such a queen — milking Minhwan dry and then slamming him into the ground just like that! And in front of his own mother! Bravo, girl! And her plan to make his mother dislike her right from the very first second they met was so clever. Loved every bit of it! 👏😏Could Ms Yang's stomachache mean she's the one with Jiwon's illness now? Oh, no! 😟Also... I kind of ship her and Mr Lee. Her husband is yet another trash-of-a-man who doesn't deserve her, nor their daughter. 😤And Jihyuk... a man who doesn't like cats likes a cat who doesn't like people, and the cat likes him in return... Poetically beautiful! 🥰 And he even ensured he's taken care of after he's dead... aww 🥹
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Sumin getting desperate from not getting her way with Jiwon and starting to show her true colours... To be fair, she gives off a little psycho vibe, like she's a bit unstable in her mind. BUT, at least she and Minhwan finally crossed THAT line, which only brings them closer now... Jiwon's revenge is finally in motion. 👏😏Loved to see how Jihyuk supports and aids her. She needs that someone she can rely on and talk to about all this, because every step she takes is emotionally tough, as it reminds her of everything she has gone through. 😢🫂And he even has the stray cat! I was pretty sure it was the same one, but now he has confirmed it. So cute! 😌Their final lines of the episode... Uff, I expect everything is just going to escalate from now on, and I am super excited for that! 🫣🤗P.S. Aroused elks... mhm, if only. 🤭
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The Road to Splendor Episode 28
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Fifth Master Fu, you didn't! 😭 I was so mad at them for even thinking of that... And just to get Zhao Ling away for those three months for Lord Yu to get his plan through? 😠😤 Believe me, Fu Shichang, you arrogant fool, you were played and no reward will be coming your way! Ever. 😞🫵But, apart from the saddest thing they could ever decide to do, we actually got something good in this episode, too. Tingyun got Madam Yu rethinking how their family is operating and whether there is any love between them... which we all know — there isn't. It's only calculations, schemes, and a thirst for power, wealth, and status. I chuckled a little at her calling that dignity... 🤭And Concubine Wu does her part in the Yu family perfectly, as it really looks like she's slowly wrapping Jingxiu around her finger and I wonder how she will use that. Will it be just for her own benefit in the Yu family and to aid Madam Wu? Or will she use it to reach her ultimate goal — freedom from all her shackles? 🤔One of my favourite scenes in this episode definitely was Tingzhou standing up to his father, taking the banner and leading the delegation with Old Madam Fu's coffin to Huaying, while his wife explained to their children what filial piety should truly be."Filial piety is not blind obedience. It is knowing right from wrong. Righteousness is not empty fame. It is breaking old rules." ❤️😌
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The Road to Splendor Episode 27
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Oh, Zhao Ling gambling with his career, but it worked! Tingyun is so clever to think of that plan, and I had a feeling that the Emperor might be in on it. Love that I was right! And now they even have the Empress Dowager's favour! 👏🤗So satisfied that they walked out of the Yus' trap stronger, more respected, and more favoured than before. Everyone now wants to be friends with them! Merchants bringing gifts too... so abundant! 😅 Madam Wu is also planning something... Could she decide to look out for her own benefit eventually instead of aiding Madam Yu's plans all the time? I noticed she's planning to visit Lord Wang — is that the same person as Commander Wang? 😳But I am expecting the Yus' next plan to be even trickier to get out of. Zhao Ling's presence in court is like a thorn in Lord Yu's side, and for them to succeed with whatever they have been planning, they need to get rid of him. They might get desperate and that means — raising the stakes of the game and even considering killing him if nothing else works. 😬I still consider Miss Wu a potential ally to Tingyun, and she could help bring down the Yu family from the inside. With all the stories of the northwest and the other tricks she uses to get Jingxiu on her side, it seems to be working already, but we'll see how that continues. 🤨
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The Road to Splendor Episode 26
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The wedding night was so beautiful! And I loved how wholesome, trusting, and supportive they are again. I missed them like that! 🤗🥰 If only there weren't all these problems caused by the Yu family and Madam Wu. But I know our beloved and strong couple will get through it and find the best solution... 🫣And Tingyun actually already has found out what the issue with the Emperor's favour decreasing is — about where the Empress Dowager's place of eternal rest will be. But knowing the reason is already halfway to finding the solution, right? 👆Also, another problem of finding a way to balance support for both the drought victims and the northwest border. 😔Well, Yake and Jingxiu's relationship seems completely shattered now. I can only hope she will learn from everything Jingxiu said to her, yet I kind of doubt it. She really is turning into a version of Madam Zuo, only Madam Zuo was more skillful with her schemes, I think. 😒Watching how Miss Wu kept eating and eating, probably not being allowed even one-tenth of what she had on the table... That really made me tear up. 😢 I hope she will be able to find happiness and her place in the world, as long as she abides by one condition — not at Zhao Ling and Tingyun's expense! 🤨🫵P.S. Could those little fish in a bowl be an Easter egg for Moonlight? 🫣😏
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The Road to Splendor Episode 25
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I think I have never cried so much at anyone's wedding as I did at Zhao Ling and Tingyun's. That was so beautiful and touching! Him ensuring that her mother could attend and that Tingzhou came as well. All those tears of joy in Tingyun's eyes... I can't even explain. 🥹💖And then Commander Wang and General Mo also arrived, and before that, Zhao Ling and Sen reconciled... This episode was pure joy — not even Fifth Master Fu or Madam Yu could ruin it! 🤗But one thing actually got me thinking a little. And that is what Lord Wei was saying — about Master Zhao not being present, and no one from the palace coming either... The music just added to that feeling that something might not be right there. The reason why Master Zhao wasn't there was plausible, but the Emperor not sending anyone... I don't know. Maybe that wedding gift he gave at the Empress Dowager's banquet covered for the fact that no one came. 🤔Also — is Miss Wu in Jingxiu's room with her consent, or is she forced to be there again? I noticed how Jingxiu's eyes stopped at her for a very brief moment while she was watching the wedding delegation from the balcony, and I know her looks are supposed to be somewhat similar to Tingyun's. So, could she be to Jingxiu's liking as Tingyun's replacement? 😳
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How is Huayong alive? I am super confused. Where has he been all this time? He was mourned and I suspect even buried... so... huh? I had made my peace with him being dead and leaving all that legacy for his son, so I am not sure if his miraculous return was really necessary... 😳 I can only hope they explain that in the special extra episode. 🤨BUT, if we don't count that, the rest of the episode was really decent. Cui Jinbin and Bu Shulin got married and she became a staff officer, the little emperor was such a wonderful child and had so many of his father's traits... 😅 And Prince Lei was the only prince who ended up alive, which is great because he was the most decent one after the Crown Prince.I can't really say much else, actually, because the confusion over the Crown Prince being alive a bit overshadows my thoughts on anything that happened in this episode. They could have easily left him only in Xihe's and other people's memories. 😞As for the special episode, it was lovely to watch their little family dynamics and sweet moments. Their son has inherited all the most noticeable traits of his parents — Huayong's mischievous personality and Xihe's great mind. 🤗🥰😂But I would have loved to get a better explanation of what really happened with Huayong. As far as I understand, it was all planned, but damn... I really had made my peace, and this plot twist set me off the rails a bit. 😞 And of course, looking back at how the drama went, there were some solutions where they only revealed how they did it after they had solved the problem, but I have mixed feelings about whether that was the right way to handle something that happens in the last minute of the last episode. 🫤Other than that, I love happy endings — yet this one didn't quite land for me.
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The opening of the episode was awesome — Bu Shulin taking over the Marquis of Shunan's army, Cui Jinbin at her side, and then the arrival of Xihe's brother... pure epicness! 🤩Not sure what Prince Lei was trying to achieve by impaling himself on his own spear, but considering what happened afterwards, I wonder if Prince Xie injuring him and sending him to prison was his way of getting his little brother out of the way and into safety. He was locked in his room after all, but somehow got out... 🫣But about Prince Xie himself... I didn't expect that it would all be an act on his part to help Xihe secure her position even more... BUT his ending relieved me a little that my giving him the benefit of the doubt wasn't a complete waste. Throughout the story, there were moments when I felt some sympathy for him, like during those episodes when he bonded with Huayong or when they showed us his tragic love story with Qingzhi. 😳😌However, he did his pretending a little too convincingly — so, was it really true? Maybe he would have been satisfied with any outcome — either he got Xihe by force and manipulation, or if the plan failed, he could just say he was trying to secure her a more stable position...? 🤔🤷♀️As for the reveal about Huayong being Prince Qian's son, I have no idea what dots I connected, but I jumped to that conclusion after the Emperor and Xihe's conversation in the previous episode. Maybe I was just a little hasty with it, lol! 😅 BUT, I never ever suspected the Empress Dowager... That was a huge plot twist for me! 😳
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This episode tested my patience once again. Prince Xie has gone beyond any redemption and is just allowing his obsessions and delusions to consume him even more. And Noble Consort Rong acts like she owns the place. To be fair, I wouldn't be surprised if she was the one behind the poisoning of Huayong. 😠😤I wonder what was the plan of Xihe's that needed her to create a distraction by going to that temple. Could that be a secret way of sending someone a message from right under the nose of Prince Xie? 🤔 There are still allies outside the Imperial Palace — Bu Shulin and Cui Jinbin, Xihe's father and brother, Tian Yuan and the doctor... Maybe Prince Lei gets out and can do something, because how hard could it be for a warrior to smash walls/doors that are made of wood and paper? 🤨🫣Very intense episode. I am just grateful the ladies could change the minds of those guards... 👀P.S. Happy for Lin and Jin having twins. And the theory proved to be true — Huayong wasn't the Emperor's son.
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Not them showing the Crown Prince in all these little memories... My heart can barely survive that! 😭💔Qingshu gone, and by the poison she brought herself, was a great death. That lady won't be missed, not even for a millisecond... 👏🥳Prince Xie is letting his obsession over Qingzhi/Xihe consume him. At one point I really hoped I could give him the benefit of the doubt, but I guess we are running short in the villain department... And then there's Noble Consort Rong, who's on my suspect list again for many past schemes that haven't been revealed yet. 😒
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This was terrible, to say the least... 😭💔 Four episodes left and he's gone? I still hoped my suspicions of his looming death were wrong... And if the Emperor wasn't the one who poisoned him, then who was? Who's still on the list? 😫😭I hated this episode, even if it was amazing in many other aspects.
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The Road to Splendor Episode 24
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They are finally preparing for the wedding! FINALLY! 🥳The most valuable person in this episode was definitely Madam Xie. Not only did she find a way to get to court in time to protect her daughter, but she also acted against her husband's wishes — a man who didn't even know Tingyun's birthday to start with (no surprise there) — and gave Zhao Ling the parents' blessing to marry. 😌👏"What does "a parent's command" truly mean? It means I bless my children and wish them happiness, not that their happiness requires my permission." 🥹I already liked Tingzhou when they were still in Huaying, but now he showed that he had stood up against the Fu family in his own quiet way — by intentionally failing his exams because he didn't want to follow in his father's footsteps into officialdom or use the Fu family arches as his stepping stone. But he's still so bound by filial piety that he can't openly stand up against his father, because that would negatively affect the reputation of his wife and children. 😢 I am glad his wife heard his drunken mumbling and assured him she would rather choose a good man with strong principles than one with a successful career but low morals. 😌Madam Xie has raised two wonderful children who can tell right from wrong and see the real values of life... 🥹👏I am relieved Madam Wu didn't agree to go along with Yake's scheme, but what are she and Madam Yu planning now? Why do they want to involve the Empress Dowager in the whole Fu family drama? 🤨
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The Road to Splendor Episode 23
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That was super satisfying to watch Madam Wei and Yake's clash! Coordinated or not, Tingyun, Miss Wu, and Madam Wei did well to save Miss Wu from that unwanted marriage. Well done! 👏And I just love Grand Secretary Tian. He's so funny, always bringing up his health issues and old age at the most convenient times. The Emperor used that very well to stall the decision on Zhao Ling and his post. 😅 "Wasn't I asleep just now? How did I help you? You were all making such a commotion. What were you arguing about?" 😂 (I don't care if he pretended or not, but this was definitely funny!)But I don't like what Fifth Master Fu is doing to his daughter and Zhao Ling, and actually to his whole family. Like locking his wife in her room so she wouldn't tell the truth in court? He's been mostly absent from family affairs for the last seven years "mourning" his mother and not even acknowledging his daughter, like ever, and yet he makes himself out to be such an authority figure. 😒😤And Yake, as a bitter woman who has finally learned she lost her husband's affection to Tingyun, of course revels in those rumours caused by the Fu family's old maid. 🙄
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The Road to Splendor Episode 22
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And the competition for the post of Imperial Salt Censor has begun. So there's Yu Jingxiu, who was nominated by the Wei/Tian family, Shen Congsi, who was nominated by Master Zhao (and the Wang family/Tingyun), and someone whom Zhao Ling has put on the list. I just hope it's not Tingyun's father, but if it is him, I hope Ling tells the Emperor beforehand that it's just for appearances for smoother marriage talks and that he shouldn't actually give the post to that delusional man. 😬🤔But overall, I miss how wholesome Ling and Tingyun were in Ganlin Town. I would love to see them return to that happy place and not worry about court politics at all... 😔Sen having eyes for Second Miss Wang and her also having feelings for him was so cute! 🤗 I giggled at her reaction to the bow he gave her. 🤭And Yake is trying to implant Miss Wu into the Wei family because there's more than one person on the list for the Imperial Salt Censor's post? Well, I'm not sure if Madam Wei will be very pleased with her. Also, Yake's "great" plan might backfire because Miss Wu has had a change of heart about what she wants from her life, and that might become a huge obstacle in her scheme. 🫣😏
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