JJJ

In an alternative world, this is just Lanxiang building up her resume with all these "jobs" (servant, opera singer, playwright, etc.). 😅

Yes, ZHHZ's and LXY's characters' ship for the few episodes they had in that drama blew up on C-social media back then. There were tons of edits of them and people are still making edits of them using their characters from this drama. People even said they felt like LXY's character was cheating after the swap as JJY's acting didn't convey the same character. It was the role from that drama that got ZHHZ attention again.

Purchased the pot of plant just to destroy it too. Rich people. 🙂‍↔️

That's just how C-viewers jokes around lol. They make memes and nicknames of different characters. It is part of how they engage with the drama. 😆

Take him and all the potential conflicts his position will bring him. 😂

Sharing that Lin Jinqi has a funny nickname with the C-viewers. The characters in the drama tend to call him 林大爷 (Lin Da Ye) which means the eldest son (young master) of the Lin family. It ends up sounding like Linda爷. 爷 also means grandpa. Now there are tons of viewers calling him Grandpa Linda. It is also part of the joke how he is "old" and no one in the drama wants him (the ones that do don't have pure/romantic intention). 🤣

Yes, the drama is already showing her love for singing, opera, scriptwriting. She can definitely make a career out of it.

She did be a great mother. Just that husband wise, it would have been the best if it wasn't either of the two. I also think she is someone who can come to appreciate any good man and have a good life together. She is someone who makes the best out of the situation. If the man understands and treats her well, I can see her eventually falling for him.

It is more so someone like Jinqi who did have a harder time finding a wife that is like Lanxiang ("no background", in-laws not involved in politics, former servant so have no power to go against him, but also smart/educated enough to handle the household, etc.). The women who are involved with him on some levels are all scheming for something and with families that want to use him to get connected to the imperial court.

100 taels of silver is at least $8,000 based on today's prices. For a pot of plant. Manyi, take the man, just drop a fat check in return. 😂

It is just how the scriptwriting was set up at the end. Lanxiang is put in a lot of danger by being associated with Lin Jinqi/Lin family too (and we will see it more and more once she becomes his wife). As he is also involved in the military, the emperors can also execute them too for any reason. They can be protected for a bit as they can fight/has an army, but if the emperor wants to, their army can be removed, and the entire family too can be executed.

Realistically for Lanxiang to really have a "peaceful life", being with someone who isn't part of the academics (Han) or the military (Lin) would be the way to go. Don't get involved with the courts at all.

Yeah. they have to put disclaimers since there are things in this drama that mix and match different dynasties. There are definitely a lot of historical inspirations, but they are not to the exact detail nor are the characters actually named after the real person. Had they not put the disclaimer, the review standard would be way higher, and they might not even be able to air the drama if they fudge up actual historical information.

As servants/slaves don't know how to read/write, she assumed they won't understand the concept of freedom/independence either. She thinks the servants at Lin household have it good since they are "kind masters", offer a shelter, give them food, and reward them money when they "do well" (while also beating them when they "make mistakes").

It is why she also assumed the girls she picked to hopefully get knock up by Jinqi would be happy about it (because they can potentially be concubines and she thinks that is step up for them), when you have Xiaolian crying about not wanting to have babies with Jinqi as her mother told her with their backgrounds, they did have terrible endings. It is why she was shocked when Du Cuique laughed at her for saying what else can women do besides be married and what is wrong with women being married/help their husbands rise in ranks.

It is a combination of being out-of-touch and not seeing the servants as humans. In episode 1 when little Lanxiang asked what are slaves, her own father compared them to livestock. They are not expected to think/feel, just be hands and feet of the rich and should be happy enough to get some coins here and there. You have someone like Jiugao who was born into it too as his mother is one. He was just expected to work for the Lin household since his mother is working there too.

No, the forced marriage had nothing to do with that as Jinqi still didn't know she was from the Shen family then and the plot with Han Liang happens way later. It is also up to the scriptwriter at the end of the day. Had Han Liang been the ML and married Lanxiang, and their plotline was also a happy ending, then Lanxiang would be involved and made sure he won't have died. This plotline can then be framed as "breaking the curse" (even though it really isn't the same situation).

The situation was also very different. Yu Qian's decision saved the entire country and the common people. He was the only one executed and his family was exiled to a remote region. Some officials on the emperor's side tried to push for the family to be executed but other officials put a stop to that as everyone knew Yu Qian saved China with what he did. After 9 years, the next emperor after cleared Yu Qian's name, restored his rank, took back the properties taken and returned them to the family, and his son/family were pardoned and returned from exile and given back their ranks. Later Ming emperors elevated him even more.

Your English is great, thanks for sharing!

I think it was not a good creative decision for them to combine Cao Lihuan and Du Huamei. Their motives and background were different, so the drama result ends up feeling so off to a lot of viewers. Chinese viewers in depth have discussed this and questioned why the writing for Du Cuique wasn't as good as Zhao Xingtang and the outburst from Du Cuique really didn't match to her inconsistent motives in the beginning. Even the actress herself noticed the buildup for the character wasn't done well so the climax didn't hit as it should.

Yes, I know Han Liang was supposed to be technically Lanxiang's husband who ditched her in her previous lives and someone else, and the drama version also based him off of Yu Qian (a real historical person).

Ahhh! And that wasn't a friend, that was the other Lin brother. 😂

Yes. 😔 Han Liang seems to be set up to have a similar plotline with the same tragic end.

For some additional cultural context: The character Han Liang is based on the minister Yu Qian from the Ming Dynasty. He was remembered as a hero who saved China from collapse during the 1449 Tumu Crisis.

Back when the Mongol leader captured the Ming Emperor, he rejected the others' proposals to just abandon the city. Instead, he organized the defense of the city, placed the emperor's brother on the throne so the Ming emperor being a hostage no longer worked as a threat, and forced the Mongols to retreat. He was renowned for having a very strict honor code and against corruptions. When the Ming emperor later returned to power, Yu Qian was executed on false charges as a traitor.

It seems like she got sold to the brothel after the first attempt to ruin her and Scholar Han's reputation didn't work out. 💀 But at the brothel, she met Ji-er (who also got sold there it seems) and she helped out Lanxiang.

The new character is Duke Xianguo's youngest daughter (Zheng Manyi) and was raised in the palace. She is who First Madam wants as the Jinqi's next wife. As of episode 22, their families are in the middle of discussing engagement. 👀

I think the sisters admire her a lot after what happened with Du Cuique. Xiuwan seems to be growing up too. It is more so someone like First Madam who is a generation above them that might have a harder time coming around.

Eldest sister definitely has her own plotline coming up. I haven't seen the episode 25 preview yet. 👀

Jinqi's love rival: A nice scholar who he can at least have a conversation with and have upright values
Lanxing's "love rivals": punishes her, wants to kill her, and hurt those close to her

Lanxiang is going through it. 😮‍💨

Xiushu is so cute. She always has a smile on.