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Same because though the mass suicide scene in episode 1 was meant to be moving, I didn't feel the impact as much as we didn't spend enough time with the Shen family to really feel the sorrow. But this drama isn't about them so I understand they had to move through her background quickly to get to the main storyline with the Lin family. If this drama was set at 60 episodes, then we would probably have some extra episodes with the Shen family getting to know more about them in depth before their downfall. But with the few scenes, we did at least get the gist that they were a loving family and the women got along well with each other.

Agreed, and it was also an arranged marriage. It was no different than what it was with ZXT, it was also a marriage of alliances/something to gain to begin with.

I guess there just isn't much from him right now compared to other characters so people not feeling him is valid (he is almost like a background character at this point). 😅 I don't think he is terrible (yet) though in the drama version.

I think the current arc is not really about him so he won't get much emotional scenes. He is also kind of detached from ZXT already so the affair really didn't elicit much from him, maybe just some mild contemplation of "what it could be".

The other potential wives will definitely have more of an emotional storyline since this is more of a female ensemble cast focused on women's POV/their struggles during this time period. I did see some preview clips of him getting more spotlight later especially his relationship with his sisters so maybe viewers will find him more interesting then. 😂

Kind of surprised people found ML to be cruel or unlikeable at this time (as of episode 8). Lin Jinqi is calculative (as is most of the characters in this drama for their survival/reasons), but he hasn't done anything "wrong" per se. He wanted a divorce and was able to get it as discreetly as possible (Zhao Xingtang refused to get a divorce and the Zhao family won't have accepted it either if their hand wasn't forced). 

He is using whatever/whoever he can at his disposal to meet his goal of getting an “amicable” divorce, even using Lanxiang as his spy. I actually find that better than him NOT using her because he somehow knows the script beforehand and knows she did be his future wife/fall in love with her so he should treat her special and not use the smart servant who is around ZXT daily. It just shows the reality of these servants who can get pushed around by multiple masters they are under for different agendas. 

I also don’t find it problematic that he was potentially looking forward to his marriage with ZXT and a good partnership with her. It is just this marriage was doomed from the start as ZXT had a sexual relationship with her lover already so he did have found out if they consummated and it would have led to a divorce either way (and her not being able to have kids which would have eventually led to him having concubines to produce heirs). 

As of now, he is more of a neutral character to me that is making moves to get rid of the restraints on him like the Zhao family. The other male seniors of the Lin family is still around too so he really doesn’t have full authority currently either.

Agree, he is making moves, but he hasn't done anything directly yet. He is just pushing things that have already happened even further like ZXT's affair and her embezzlement (couldn't get her nor the Zhao family if she was clean). He is calculative and smart for sure.

Agree, there wasn't anything immediate looming over her where she truly felt the need to have her own individual skills. Lin Jinqi could had died on the battlefield and that would have been perfect for her too.

Servants got to stick together. 🥲

Love the subtle moments between different characters so viewers can see the shift in the relationship dynamics.

The recent one between Lanxiang and Nanny Feng was done well too. Nanny Feng got soft when Lanxiang mentioned having her period (and being a young girl), Lanxiang making sure to say she went outside without permission (even though she got permission from Nanny Feng), Nanny Feng guiding Zhao Xingtang to stop Lanxiang's punishment, Nanny Feng letting Lanxiang visit her mom, etc. I really like drama writing like this. 😊

Haha the ML in "The Sword and the Brocade" had a first wife (FL's older sister) who passed away and also concubines (had kids with them too).

But a lot of the romance C-dramas these days do remove MLs having concubines and if they had a wife, there was no consummation as they know some viewers will have a hard time accepting the romance of ML and FL later on.

I remember he had a dialogue too of how the world is harsher on woman... just a bunch of pretty words but no action.

Yes! On the surface, her character seems like a woman trap in marriage and want independence to have the freedom to do whatever she wants, but her character is more so that she wants the freedom to be with her lover and away from her family.

She tries to be careful but also can't help herself and continues to make mistakes when it comes to her lover. There is no way she doesn't know what can happen if she is caught, but like you said, she can't fully let go. She might say words of freedom and resent not being educated, but her main motivation is not actually achieving true independence without a man, but the independence to be with her lover.

ML doesn't have concubines at this time. For that scene, I actually took it as he already knew what happened to the different maids (got swapped out for the Zhao maids) and Yuchen was just someone he used as an example to test Mr. Yang. Mr. Yang made it seem like Zhao Xingtang just swapped the maids out of the goodness of her heart (they were getting old, might not be loyal, etc.).

ML then mentioned Yuchen and that's when Mr. Yang freaked because he knows ML knows the maids were all married off to men who aren't exactly "good marriage candidates" (they were either very old, has some sort of disability, etc.). It then also brings into question where Mr. Yang's loyalty lies with him covering up for Zhao Xingtang's decision to swap the maids.

Personality wise I can understand why he is the way he is as the Zhao family "raised" the Qian family, so his family/him is used to being beneath the Zhao family and being subservient to them plus the fear of being kicked to death. But if he had the guts to continue the affair after her marriage instead of cutting off their connections cleanly, then he should have had the guts to own up to his part in the affair. 😔

I think she got overly dependent with having Qingxiang and assumed Qingxiang would be with her for the rest of her life. Before she got married off to Lin Jinqi, she probably didn't care as much since she was busy spending time with her lover. Episode 8 does show she prioritizes her lover (and their past) even above her own logical thinking.

Then during those marriage years, she had Qingxiang who she saw as her eyes so there was no need to learn herself as she didn't think anyone would be able to take Qingxiang from her (and seems like her spare time was again spending time with her lover). And she was right in the sense that the First Madam won't have removed Qingxiang if it wasn't because Lin Jinqi came back and found all the Lin maids got swapped out and then indirectly encouraged the First Madam to make her move.

Had Lin Jinqi came back later or didn't look into her, she would have collected enough money by then and flee already. Her downfall was her weakness for her lover, and she tied her freedom in being with her lover, not necessarily her truly wanting to be educated or be independent.

I do feel bad for Zhao Xingtang when Qian Shaoze put the blame on her. She was still trying to protect him and even used her body to protect him. Yet he outright said she was the one who seduced him... did everything for this man yet it turned out he didn't love her that much after all. Or just not enough to share the consequences of the affair.

Episode 8 is a thriller. 😰

I missed it at first too! I too was wondering why the scene lingered on this girl and then I realized the girl later on was the same girl but older now.

Yes! There is a lot but might be easy to miss without the cultural context.

Here is a vid of it: xhslink.com/o/1pu3mR590Ml