Episodes 13 and 14 are definitely setting up for later happenings in the state of An. It also appears to telegraph possible ominous outcomes when things really heat up.
It doesn't look like the Emperor of An has much respect for his own offspring and is using an outsider to do his actual bidding.. He aims to embark on an expansionist agenda and yet I wonder what for and who for if his own sons are not likely to hold on to new territories for long given their short-sighted perspective. In fact, I imagine that they will be making competing claims. This of course plays into the hands of Li Tongguang who has a very different agenda. Or so he says. He claims to have a peacemaking agenda which is why he is eager to have some Wu presence in An.
The other thing that strikes me again is how both nations treat their operatives. The defeat of Wu is unfairly blamed on the foot soldiers and An also has a habit of disposing of their recruits and field operatives with no thought to their value as human beings. In her conversations with both Ruyi and Yuanzhou, Meiniang highlights yet again how disposable the Zhu Yi Wei are once they've outlived their usefulness. They are quite literally cannon fodder for the powers that be.
Best kissing scene ever. .:P LOL. I laughed so much that it brought tears to my eyes. An ancient confetti/bubble…
What Shisan says about falling in love with someone being the death of him. That sounds pretty ominous. I hope that's metaphorical and not literal. Because it would absolutely break my heart if he died because of a woman.
Best kissing scene ever. .:P LOL. I laughed so much that it brought tears to my eyes. An ancient confetti/bubble machine. Love it. The maple leaf was priceless.
Shishan isn't entirely a goofball. He is quite perceptive in his own way. His scheme did work. Perhaps not in the way that Yuanzhou expected. What it did do is force the leads to confront each other and communicate honestly which is essentially what they should have done in the first place.
Hilarity aside, that scene affirms that everything that happens is a team effort. Even the romance. This is about a team becoming a family. The romance isn't just between the two people, it is about all 8 building bonds over all kinds of events. It is a family celebration because if Mum and Dad aren't happy... Mum especially... no one will be.
Episode 13 is a laugh a minute. Lately I feel like I'm watching Journey to the West (especially in that brothel scene) and that Yuan Lu, Shishan, Qian Zhao and Sun Lang are like Monkey, Pig and Sandy in different ways.
I'm not sure what they trying to achieve with Li Tongguang. I appreciate that he's taken Chu Yue down a peg or two as she rather deserves it. I imagine he's trying to be menacing but he comes across as a smug schoolboy bully trying to be menacing. On other occasions I can't be sure what they're going for. The performance leaves me a bit cold to be honest.
4 
It doesn't look like the Emperor of An has much respect for his own offspring and is using an outsider to do his actual bidding.. He aims to embark on an expansionist agenda and yet I wonder what for and who for if his own sons are not likely to hold on to new territories for long given their short-sighted perspective. In fact, I imagine that they will be making competing claims. This of course plays into the hands of Li Tongguang who has a very different agenda. Or so he says. He claims to have a peacemaking agenda which is why he is eager to have some Wu presence in An.
The other thing that strikes me again is how both nations treat their operatives. The defeat of Wu is unfairly blamed on the foot soldiers and An also has a habit of disposing of their recruits and field operatives with no thought to their value as human beings. In her conversations with both Ruyi and Yuanzhou, Meiniang highlights yet again how disposable the Zhu Yi Wei are once they've outlived their usefulness. They are quite literally cannon fodder for the powers that be.
Shishan isn't entirely a goofball. He is quite perceptive in his own way. His scheme did work. Perhaps not in the way that Yuanzhou expected. What it did do is force the leads to confront each other and communicate honestly which is essentially what they should have done in the first place.
Hilarity aside, that scene affirms that everything that happens is a team effort. Even the romance. This is about a team becoming a family. The romance isn't just between the two people, it is about all 8 building bonds over all kinds of events. It is a family celebration because if Mum and Dad aren't happy... Mum especially... no one will be.
(More under spoiler tags)
I'm not sure what they trying to achieve with Li Tongguang. I appreciate that he's taken Chu Yue down a peg or two as she rather deserves it. I imagine he's trying to be menacing but he comes across as a smug schoolboy bully trying to be menacing. On other occasions I can't be sure what they're going for. The performance leaves me a bit cold to be honest.
And it's not romance heavy. The male camaraderie is just as good.
There's still Prince Danyang to contend with and he has plenty of supporters in Wu.
I imagine at this point even Yang Ying would be preferable.