DramaAjumma

Not everybody hates her but I'd agree that she doesn't get enough credit for what she brings to the table because on some level she is a fairly typical optimistic, cheerful FL. However, in light of who the male lead is and what he's like, she is exactly what the doctor ordered as an antidote to his lonely dreary existence.

I love the FL too. I always have. In every way possible she's the right kind of companion for Qi Yan. She certainly in large part why this show really works for me. She might not have the same level of political savvy as the "chess players" but she does catch on quick.

But here on MDL compared with other C dramas, it's not got the same sort of traction. Personally I think it's better than the Long Ballad and that's a show I liked as well.

Thanks for saying that. One can only do their best. :D

No, he doesn't thankfully. Her name's Li Zening.

It's been a while since I've watched such a lengthy C drama and it doesn't leave me feeling that it's being drawn out unnecessarily. A lot of C dramas suffer the middle drag but that's really not the case here. It continues to be suspenseful and leaves me on the edge of my seat. The psychology of the characters are right on the money and the FL's development has been steady and consistent. The romance is very well incorporated into the larger story in terms of how it impacts the outcomes of different events and other players in this crowded chess game.
I have to give the leads their due for making their devotion to each other so believable that I'm sucked in hook, line and sinker despite the fact that rationally speaking they should be far more cautious than they are. There's a lovely moment in Episode 41 where Qi Yan cups the left side of Yu'er's cheek. It's an intensely intimate gesture and she responses by revelling in the moment. Her eyes closed as she feels the touch and warmth of his hand. It feels as if a deep longing is satisfied.

I think it's very underrated because it's not being seen by as many people as it should. The storyline actually has depth and complexity even if there are the usual editing issues. Furthermore, the characters are superbly drawn and acted. This is one of the better stories that I've seen this year.

But that is her super power so to speak, to make people like her and trust her. That's the whole point of her character. Anyway, sending her out was Qi Yan's idea.

I am once again struck by how little people outside his inner circle understand Qi Yan. Because they begin with the assumption that he illegitimately usurped the throne and aided Qiu Ziliang in his efforts to clean up after the Morning Dew fiasco, it colours their perception of who he is. This is where the romance becomes really helpful. Even though it might be on some level wiser for Qi Yan to be less demonstrative of his affection for Yu'er, his unreserved devotion to her wellbeing does make him a rather more sympathetic figure. In turn she is the one who understands him best because she can see through his heart with crystal clarity because she's gained his trust. She's even beginning to be able to read his mind.

I do like the cat and mouse game. I appreciate the fact that Qiu Ziliang is wily and commands a seemingly infinite number of resources. But it is heartbreaking to watch everyone's efforts go to dust because he has seemingly numerous people at his disposal who can't wait to gain his favour. It's about time that those who want to oust him work together. They don't have to like each other and they really have no choice as Han Yue's failed attempt to shake things up has proven to be futile. Changing the emperor solves nothing.

I don't rely on titles when I watch C dramas. They tell me almost nothing about the drama. Some of the titles don't even make sense. At least this one does.
That said, I wonder why they didn't translate directly from the Chinese.

Re: Episodes 27 and 28. Terrific gambit that puts adversaries in an awkward position and on the back foot. A great showing by the sisters -- both the strategist and the foot soldier. Qi Yan doesn't think he needs to rely on women and yet repeatedly women have come to his aid. Whether or not he likes it, they will feature strongly in the overall scheme to break the power of the eunuchs. I don't think it's his call to make.

A lot of praise has been heaped on Yanzhi for her intelligence and her maneuvering skills and deservedly so but let's not forget who was instrumental in its execution -- Cheng Ruoyu who was courageous all throughout. She might not have political savvy but she has plenty of guts. I appreciate the division of labour here.

The last few episodes have confirmed to me more than ever how important the romance is here especially as to why Cheng Ruoyu was chosen as the sword bearer.

I really enjoyed 25 and 26. 26 especially because it is so densely packed. The complexity in the storytelling with all the competing agendas allows the show to have plenty of mileage. The deployment of shifting alliances in the narrative works very well with characterization.
If this keeps up, this could end up being one of the better C dramas this year.

Good o'l C drama editing. Some episodes seem to be worse than others.

Even while saying all that I have, I still think that Qi Yan is a pitiful, tragic character. But some... not all... of his misery is self-inflicted. While he's constantly saying that he doesn't need to rely on a woman to win, he is in effect relying on a woman to meet his unstated emotional needs. The irony is rich in that regard. There's no doubt he will be needing the help of more than one woman before the fight is finally over. The set-up has prefigured all of that.

Oooh... I like this writer... he/she has a very wicked wicked sense of humour.

Thanks for the response. You did a better job of presenting my position than I did. For a few seconds there I was thinking that maybe I'd read the situation wrongly but only a few seconds. :D

From your comment I especially liked your observations about how Yanzhi can be more objective about Yu'er compared to Qi Yan because he's far more emotionally invested in Yu'er. The burden of expectations that he has for her is much higher because she largely fulfills a need that he has. But because of the "push" nature of their relationship she is unaware that she occupies such an important position in his heart.

After watching it a second time it was much clearer to me that he was in a sense setting her up for failure on some level. She was being tested and she didn't know she was because she was coming into the conversation from an entirely different perspective. She never thought this was about her and he thought this was completely about her.

Reminds me quite realistically of marital conflict.

I agree that everything he does has a reason but I'm not sure I agree that he's always clear about his intentions towards Yu'er. She's certainly not always clear about his intentions towards her. HIs mouth says one things but his body language says another.

I'm not saying he's the bad guy here. Far from it. I'm just saying that he has his weaknesses too. Whether he's right... or wrong... perhaps Yanzhi is right... depends on whether he wins or loses.

I don't think it's about trust necessarily because she didn't know his intentions. We are privy to his thoughts but she isn't. But she remembered the last time that Cheng Xi kept secrets from him, she was punished and demoted. This time it would be something much much worse. No doubt she naively believed in her ability to change Cheng Xi's mind to make things right. While she did lie about Prince An, she did ask him for time to think things through before saying anything because she wanted to "fix" things. She wasn't trying to betray him (although that's how he perceived it), she was trying to save Aunty. Her perception of the situation is totally different from his.

Anyway, it's just a thought.

I'm not saying who's right or wrong. All I'm saying is exactly what Cheng Yi said. Everyone has their reasons for doing what they do.

I think we should be careful about over-empathizing with Qi Yan. He knows exactly how the game is played. The only difference is here is that this is a woman he's in love with. And yet, he himself constantly denies that there's anything romantic between them and it's just a relationship between monarch and subject. He tells her that repeatedly as well even though his actions say otherwise. So Yu'er has had to talk herself into thinking that it's all just platonic. In fact, if he took an objective view of Yu'er's dilemma he should have been far more understanding. In fact he once asked her that very question -- if she had to choose between him and aunty, who would she choose? She said she couldn't be sure. And he said that he liked she was speaking honestly. The fact is, he's been meaning to send her away anyway because he's constantly worried about her safety because being around him puts her in jeopardy. But love makes him indecisive where she's concerned. He already knows that Yu'er cares about family and that's not a bad thing ordinarily. If Yu'er can so easily betray the people who saved her life and raised her up so well, then she wouldn't be the woman he fell for. It would mean she has no principles. The fact that she understands loyalty and has principles is why he fell for her in the first place.

The thing is he allowed himself to be manipulated by Li Zening who knows his weakness. She knows exactly which buttons to push because she herself let him down once. If he had been really less emotional, he would have waited and given Yu'er time to come to him on her own because she would have eventually after what happened at the Violet Bureau.

I think it's progressing quite well actually. We know much more than we did in the early episodes.