Dang, Xiao Duo knows how to play the game. Aka Know How to Pick your Allies: Choose an In-Universe Shipper
I was howling with laughter at how he gets the Queen Dowager (Emperor Fu’s legitimate mother) to use the palace eunuchs to steal the scriptures, manipulate the timing of the situation and then publicly shame Yinlou.
“What is she doing here?... What gift could she possibly have?...It’s time for the abbot to recite the scriptures. We can’t wait any longer. Let’s go…Today, I’ll make it clear to you. Consort Duan is unchaste and ominous…I won’t let her go back to the palace.”
Methinks someone has a soft spot given their personal romantic history with their own fake eunuch.
Deng Huo has been fluttering in the penumbra of my radar kinda since Episode 6. Have I afforded it the same attention I have Xiao Duo’s ring? Nope. So I have most likely missed something.
I found it utterly hilarious in Episode 6 when Yinlou is hanging the lantern the Emperor gave her in her room, she raps Xiao Duo’s chest with the “lantern stick?” and he proceeds to knock its presence on him off with Deng Huo. Nope, no symbolism here. No, sly pokes at his agitation at Fu’s presence within his personal designs nor foreshadowing lineage usurpation here! Was I the only one laughing at this? I can’t have been.
Then when Xiao Duo walks in on the Emperor hugging Yinlou and telling her not to worry about her status as Consort Dowager, there is a close-up shot of Xiao Duo holding Deng Huo behind his back. Much like the close-up shot in Episode 1 on his ring when he is asking “Do you think I am not qualified?”. Only this time the shot focuses on his ring and Deng Huo. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to make of it - were these two symbols in contention with each other? But, it made me sit up and pay attention.
So, I was pretty much primed to be watching this sword for the rest of the episode. There is another close-up shot of his ring and sword together, when he places it on the table at the tea shop (if you aren’t distracted by the fact that his very presence made a child cry) Solid comedic misdirection from the director.
Yinlou and Xaio Duo (with intejections from Cao Chunang) then have a conversation about his sword. The three facts that I walked away from that conversation with were that it was gifted to him by Emperor Taizu, that it was not the only double sword that had been forged and that Xiao Duo would apparently make a killing if he joined a brothel as a stoic mime.
Fact 1: Emperor Taizu gifted it to him. Anytime the current Emperor gives something to the character that Story has mandated (and quite a few clues have pointed out) will be the next Emperor, you kinda pay attention to that item. And if it is going to have some sort of secret meaning or symbolism it makes me wonder if the previous Emperor had figured out Xiao Duo was his brother/half-brother (or nephew? Not certain if all the 17 dead princes are his brothers. I suppose you could have the same rank of Prince and be of a different generation). Still haven’t figured out who Xiao Duo’s mother is but I am banking on Consort Jing (so half-brother), where the Emperor’s mother was Empress Zhao. (Episode 21) (Not to be confused with his wife, who also has the last name Zhao)
Fact 2: There are other double swords. And because nothing is straight-forward we will most likely not be presented with another double sword. That would be too obvious. We are going to have to pay attention to individual swords.
Fact 3: Xiao Duo and the eunuch brothel. I would watch that show.
(I don’t know if this is the actually prop or something I am supposed to notice, but we have two instances of Deng Huo taking on a darker green tinge when it is wet. First when Xiao Duo keeps dissuading Yinlou from drinking tea at the tea shop in Episode 6 and then after they fall into the river (Episode 15)
And honestly I 80% forgot about it until Episode 13. It is just so ubiquitous that you forget to pay attention to the thing. Which means the director did his job.
There is a similarly styled sword on display in Shangqiong Palace aka the Emperor’s Office. We see it in Episode 13 when the Emperor commands Xiao Duo to escort Bu Yin’ge wedding entourage to West Shu. In Episode 15 when Wanwan serves snow fungus soup to the Emperor (Is snow fungus at all related to snow mugwort? “A few days ago I received news that Yuwen Liangshi sent someone to buy Wolf’s Bane and Snow Mugwort.” (Episode 19) Is someone in the capital providing the supplies for Xiao Duo to be poisoned? Does Eunuch Sun seem oddly concerned when he hears from the maids that Yinlou was poisoned and rather rushed to *cough* cover his tracks *cough* by reporting it to the Emperor.)
In Episode 17 we see it again when Eunuch Sun is dictating a letter from Xiao Duo to the Emperor and again in Episode 19 when he is telling him that Yinlou has been poisoned. It is important to note this is something that was there from the previous Emperor, as we see it in Episode 5 when Fu is in his office for the first time, getting that creepy “girls are shy” speech from Eunuch Sun. I don’t know if this is intended symbolism or not, but in several of these scenes the view of the sword (truth?) is obscured by Eunuch Sun’s presence, as he is standing directly in front of it. (We all know the symbolism of an object being placed at the right-hand of nobility/royalty or a person standing on their right-hand side).
And finally we actually see Emperor Fu interacting with the sword in Episode 21. He is polishing it in the outdoor pavilion when Wanwan is worried about Yawen being attacked.
In Episode 20, Xiao Duo’s speech after capturing General Zhao and arresting King Liangshi very much ties the concept of brothers to Deng Huo or double swords. This made my brain fly to a quote of Xiao Duo’s that very much stood out to me in Episode 6, “The Yawen brothers’ parents passed away when they were very young. They depended on each other and are very close.” This draws some powerful parallels between the Yawen brother’s and Xiao Duo and Ah Duo. (This combined with Cao Chunang’s commentary to Qilang in Episode 5 that “Godfather has already figured out the ins and outs of the entire Yuwen family.” and that Xiao Duo’s seal matches the Yawen brothers’ heirloom Jade have me on high alert whenever anyone is talking about these two sets of brothers.)
Immediately after this speech we see Xiao Duo is holding his sword to the King of Nanyuan’s chest and Liangshi isn’t looking at the blade, but the hilt. He recognizes it. Which is unsurprising, as the floral-esque pattern matches the dagger with the hidden compartment he tried to slip monkshood root to his little brother in Episode 6 in.
The only other blade I have noticed with this type of stylized handle is the sword Prince Liangxu uses against the Imperial Guard when he is trying to break out of Xiao Duo’s residence to return to his brother’s side after he was arrested. This affords 2 possible interpretations 1. This is his personal blade (a strong possibility since his brother recognizes the style, also weak possibility as I don’t see them letting him keep personal weapons as a political prisoner). Or he grabbed a sword to use from where he was, aka Xiao Duo’s residence. (This feels like the stronger possibility given you know he is functionally a Prisoner of War) I do not recall seeing a sword in the background in Xiao Duo’s room or office or the room Liangxu is staying in, but I might have missed it as I forgot to really look for it until Episode 13.
Did anyone see a sword popping up in the background at Xiao Duo’s house?
We certainly have the Zhao family crawling out of the woodwork these past couple episodes. ● We have General Zhao in West Shu. (Episode 20) ● We have Rong’an’s family name being Zhao. (Episode 22) ● And we have the previous Dowager Empress (aka the mother of Emperor Taizu [the guy who died in Episode 1]) having the family name of Zhao (Episode 21)
1. Xiao Duo is the exact opposite of Yinlou’s father, who used the silk pendant her mother made him a few times…
Nope, I have not read the novel. Have you?
I outlined a lot of my thoughts about their identities in my posts "Why it matters that Yinlou grew up in West Shu" (which if I recall correctly, you read), and "Xiao Duo’s Ring, Fish Immortal Necklace and the King of Nanyuan (EXTREMELY Long)"
10 (Not THE top 10, but 10) Thoughts from this Week's Episodes
1. Xiao Duo is the exact opposite of Yinlou’s father, who used the silk pendant her mother made him a few times before lying and saying he lost it. He is still carrying the madiao cards she painted of the two of them, he is wearing the boots she made, he is letting Ba Gonggong sleep in his bed and brought him back to the capital with him. (betcha he still has her hairpin also)
2. Xiao Duo is holding his sword to the King of Nanyuan’s chest and Liangshi isn’t looking at the blade, but the hilt. That is all I will say for now. (Okay, I will also say I find it very intriguing that Xiao Duo’s seal matches the Yawen brothers’ heirloom Jade).
3. I am waiting for Xiao Duo to snap. That is going to be the last wall he has. When Yinlou actually sees what he can do, either directed at her or in front of her.
“It was smart and knew to be obedient to gain your love. Whenever it revealed any bits of its feral nature you had it beaten within an inch of its life. Once tamed, it’d be exceedingly obedient and let its owner have its way with it.” - Xiao Duo to Rong’an, Episode 5
There is going to be a sharp contrast between this and Bu Yinlou’s reactions when he reveals bits of his feral nature.
4. Love a flirty Xiao Duo, “Yes, it really hurts.” I love that he called her out that she had been messing with him about the jiuwei acupoint.
5. The most underappreciated actor in these episodes is: Ba Gonggong. His increased comfort with Xiao Duo (since they were now sharing the same room and sleeping together), his reprimanding Xiao Duo after he takes him back out of the chest, his flinching when he throws the boots. I don’t know much about training animal actors to get manufactured responses and how many takes you can get out of them, but Circe’s Barnyard - Ba Gonggong your talent was underappreciated in these episodes!
6. Me in the corner egging Rong’an on: “She took your toy Rong’an come on, drug her with incense! Do it!”
Remember in Episode 4 when Yinlou is detained by Rong’an’s niece? She is rather alarmed upon seeing the incense burner and puts it out immediately. She has also read a book on counteracting the effects of incense, which is how she helps Xiao Duo overcome his impulses in the Episode 5 flashback.
I want to see Xiao Duo’s face when Yinlou gets a rash and reveals her identity! He’ll understand what it means about her heritage and no one else in the room will.
7. I had actually been wondering if Xiao Duo would teach her any basic self-defense maneuvers . Glad to know he has Yinlou’s back. (Episode 22 Yinlou vs. Rong’an)
8. When Yinlou says she wants to be Empress, to be at the top of the ladder and never be manipulated again - he only asks one clarifying point “What about me? What am I to you?” because he (as a male claimant of the Murong line and one of the 17 dead princes) can actually give that to her, he just wants to know that she has feelings for him AND to not be manipulated or controlled. (What was he about to confess/reassure her of earlier when he said she was worried the Emperor would harm him?)
The questions Xiao Duo is asking Yinlou when she tells him she did like him, but needed to make a choice, reveal a maturity that he understands people are not one-dimensional and have conflicting desires, motivations and loyalties. a) Her desire for one does not negate her desire for the other b) Just because something starts one way does not mean it can’t evolve (after all, didn’t he have ulterior motives and extremely different designs on her at the genesis of their collaboration?)
9. Princess Hede’s reaction when Yinlou reveals she has Xiao Duo’s ring is hilarious. So, why didn’t they also show Liangxu’s (the comedic relief character in that group) reaction?
Prince Liangxu is much shrewder than he is given credit for or that he paints himself to be. He is cross-dressed, trying to convince Princess Hede of his feelings and being dragged from the premises. The scene is less than 2 minutes, yet he gets a better read on Yinlou and Xiao Duo than even they themselves have at the moment. (Episode 10) When she tells him she is at Dream House to learn in Episode 11, his initial reaction before he corrects himself is “Aren’t you Chief…”. “My junior and that damned eunuch are so lucky. They must be so carefree in Jianguan City.” - He probes at Wanwan in Episode 16 to see if she is aware of the relationship. “Being with the person you like, it sure is nice.” Yinlou laments. He asks her: “By the way, didn’t the damned eunuch return to the capital? You’ve been locked up here by His Majesty. Why hasn’t he come to get you out? Aren’t you two best friends?” (Episode 24)
This is why he forms a friendship with Yinlou: he believes they share the same philosophy concerning love at all costs (despite societally or politically mandated boundaries) and why he is so eager for her guidance on wooing Princess Hede, even pursuing her advice over that of Meng Jieyu, because he believes she is a true ‘love master’ to have won over and maintained a relationship with an eunuch (a relationship based purely on love).
He adamantly defends that she is a loyal woman (it is Wanwan’s misunderstanding as to who). He even cuts Yinlou off before she says too much in front of Princess Hede. While the girls are criticizing Qilang he (Liangxu) is the one who “inadvertently” clarifies the situation and even offers Qilang a consolatory pat on the shoulder, because he understands the man was just following orders and is stuck between a rock and a hard place.
When his petitions to Xiao Duo to help him meet Princess Hede fall on deaf ears (this request also afforded him the opportunity to see Xiao Duo’s face while he was describing his feelings for Wanwan), he turns to Yinlou because “[She is] the only one who can help [him] now”. “Right. You don’t mean much to Xiao Duo. How could Xiao Duo agree to help me just because of you? I shouldn’t make things difficult for you.” he antagonizes her. (The camera is careful not to show his face whilst she is passionately declaring that of course she means something to Xiao Duo. After Xiao Duo (pretends) to turn down her petition as well, Liangxu comforts her in her upset that he rejected her.) (Episode 12)
“Why are people from the Zhaoding Bureau here?” he asks Yinlou, ready to follow her play in front of Wanwan. He not only goes out of his way to tell her that the Emperor is suspicious and she needs to un-implicate(?) Xiao Duo, but he knocks Rong’an out before delivering the message. (Episode 24)
He has his “little sister”’s back and I can not wait for them to find out they are related.
10. I find it adorable that Xiao Duo gave Yinlou his ring because she stomped on his foot when his subordinates did not listen to her when she dismissed them. He’s just like - ‘Well, let’s keep that from happening again.’
Anyone else excited to have Rong'an back (and what she will accidentally reveal)?
Jealously breeds action, be it designed or impulsive.
Remember in Episode 4 when Yinlou is detained by Rong'an's niece? She is rather alarmed upon seeing the incense burner and puts it out immediately. She has also read a book on counteracting the effects of incense, which is how she helps Xiao Duo overcome his impulses in the Episode 5 flashback.
She took your toy Rong'an, come on drug her with incense! Do it!
I want to see Xiao Duo's face when Yinlou gets a rash and reveals her identity! He'll understand what it means about her heritage and no one else in the room will.
1 
“What is she doing here?... What gift could she possibly have?...It’s time for the abbot to recite the scriptures. We can’t wait any longer. Let’s go…Today, I’ll make it clear to you. Consort Duan is unchaste and ominous…I won’t let her go back to the palace.”
Methinks someone has a soft spot given their personal romantic history with their own fake eunuch.
I found it utterly hilarious in Episode 6 when Yinlou is hanging the lantern the Emperor gave her in her room, she raps Xiao Duo’s chest with the “lantern stick?” and he proceeds to knock its presence on him off with Deng Huo. Nope, no symbolism here. No, sly pokes at his agitation at Fu’s presence within his personal designs nor foreshadowing lineage usurpation here! Was I the only one laughing at this? I can’t have been.
Then when Xiao Duo walks in on the Emperor hugging Yinlou and telling her not to worry about her status as Consort Dowager, there is a close-up shot of Xiao Duo holding Deng Huo behind his back. Much like the close-up shot in Episode 1 on his ring when he is asking “Do you think I am not qualified?”. Only this time the shot focuses on his ring and Deng Huo. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to make of it - were these two symbols in contention with each other? But, it made me sit up and pay attention.
So, I was pretty much primed to be watching this sword for the rest of the episode. There is another close-up shot of his ring and sword together, when he places it on the table at the tea shop (if you aren’t distracted by the fact that his very presence made a child cry) Solid comedic misdirection from the director.
Yinlou and Xaio Duo (with intejections from Cao Chunang) then have a conversation about his sword. The three facts that I walked away from that conversation with were that it was gifted to him by Emperor Taizu, that it was not the only double sword that had been forged and that Xiao Duo would apparently make a killing if he joined a brothel as a stoic mime.
Fact 1: Emperor Taizu gifted it to him. Anytime the current Emperor gives something to the character that Story has mandated (and quite a few clues have pointed out) will be the next Emperor, you kinda pay attention to that item. And if it is going to have some sort of secret meaning or symbolism it makes me wonder if the previous Emperor had figured out Xiao Duo was his brother/half-brother (or nephew? Not certain if all the 17 dead princes are his brothers. I suppose you could have the same rank of Prince and be of a different generation). Still haven’t figured out who Xiao Duo’s mother is but I am banking on Consort Jing (so half-brother), where the Emperor’s mother was Empress Zhao. (Episode 21) (Not to be confused with his wife, who also has the last name Zhao)
Fact 2: There are other double swords. And because nothing is straight-forward we will most likely not be presented with another double sword. That would be too obvious. We are going to have to pay attention to individual swords.
Fact 3: Xiao Duo and the eunuch brothel. I would watch that show.
(I don’t know if this is the actually prop or something I am supposed to notice, but we have two instances of Deng Huo taking on a darker green tinge when it is wet. First when Xiao Duo keeps dissuading Yinlou from drinking tea at the tea shop in Episode 6 and then after they fall into the river (Episode 15)
And honestly I 80% forgot about it until Episode 13. It is just so ubiquitous that you forget to pay attention to the thing. Which means the director did his job.
There is a similarly styled sword on display in Shangqiong Palace aka the Emperor’s Office.
We see it in Episode 13 when the Emperor commands Xiao Duo to escort Bu Yin’ge wedding entourage to West Shu. In Episode 15 when Wanwan serves snow fungus soup to the Emperor (Is snow fungus at all related to snow mugwort? “A few days ago I received news that Yuwen Liangshi sent someone to buy Wolf’s Bane and Snow Mugwort.” (Episode 19) Is someone in the capital providing the supplies for Xiao Duo to be poisoned? Does Eunuch Sun seem oddly concerned when he hears from the maids that Yinlou was poisoned and rather rushed to *cough* cover his tracks *cough* by reporting it to the Emperor.)
In Episode 17 we see it again when Eunuch Sun is dictating a letter from Xiao Duo to the Emperor and again in Episode 19 when he is telling him that Yinlou has been poisoned. It is important to note this is something that was there from the previous Emperor, as we see it in Episode 5 when Fu is in his office for the first time, getting that creepy “girls are shy” speech from Eunuch Sun. I don’t know if this is intended symbolism or not, but in several of these scenes the view of the sword (truth?) is obscured by Eunuch Sun’s presence, as he is standing directly in front of it. (We all know the symbolism of an object being placed at the right-hand of nobility/royalty or a person standing on their right-hand side).
And finally we actually see Emperor Fu interacting with the sword in Episode 21. He is polishing it in the outdoor pavilion when Wanwan is worried about Yawen being attacked.
In Episode 20, Xiao Duo’s speech after capturing General Zhao and arresting King Liangshi very much ties the concept of brothers to Deng Huo or double swords. This made my brain fly to a quote of Xiao Duo’s that very much stood out to me in Episode 6, “The Yawen brothers’ parents passed away when they were very young. They depended on each other and are very close.” This draws some powerful parallels between the Yawen brother’s and Xiao Duo and Ah Duo. (This combined with Cao Chunang’s commentary to Qilang in Episode 5 that “Godfather has already figured out the ins and outs of the entire Yuwen family.” and that Xiao Duo’s seal matches the Yawen brothers’ heirloom Jade have me on high alert whenever anyone is talking about these two sets of brothers.)
Immediately after this speech we see Xiao Duo is holding his sword to the King of Nanyuan’s chest and Liangshi isn’t looking at the blade, but the hilt. He recognizes it. Which is unsurprising, as the floral-esque pattern matches the dagger with the hidden compartment he tried to slip monkshood root to his little brother in Episode 6 in.
The only other blade I have noticed with this type of stylized handle is the sword Prince Liangxu uses against the Imperial Guard when he is trying to break out of Xiao Duo’s residence to return to his brother’s side after he was arrested. This affords 2 possible interpretations 1. This is his personal blade (a strong possibility since his brother recognizes the style, also weak possibility as I don’t see them letting him keep personal weapons as a political prisoner). Or he grabbed a sword to use from where he was, aka Xiao Duo’s residence. (This feels like the stronger possibility given you know he is functionally a Prisoner of War) I do not recall seeing a sword in the background in Xiao Duo’s room or office or the room Liangxu is staying in, but I might have missed it as I forgot to really look for it until Episode 13.
Did anyone see a sword popping up in the background at Xiao Duo’s house?
● We have General Zhao in West Shu. (Episode 20)
● We have Rong’an’s family name being Zhao. (Episode 22)
● And we have the previous Dowager Empress (aka the mother of Emperor Taizu [the guy who died in Episode 1]) having the family name of Zhao (Episode 21)
https://mydramalist.com/699391-fu-tu-tower#comment-12168255
I outlined a lot of my thoughts about their identities in my posts "Why it matters that Yinlou grew up in West Shu" (which if I recall correctly, you read), and "Xiao Duo’s Ring, Fish Immortal Necklace and the King of Nanyuan (EXTREMELY Long)"
2. Xiao Duo is holding his sword to the King of Nanyuan’s chest and Liangshi isn’t looking at the blade, but the hilt. That is all I will say for now. (Okay, I will also say I find it very intriguing that Xiao Duo’s seal matches the Yawen brothers’ heirloom Jade).
3. I am waiting for Xiao Duo to snap. That is going to be the last wall he has. When Yinlou actually sees what he can do, either directed at her or in front of her.
“It was smart and knew to be obedient to gain your love. Whenever it revealed any bits of its feral nature you had it beaten within an inch of its life. Once tamed, it’d be exceedingly obedient and let its owner have its way with it.” - Xiao Duo to Rong’an, Episode 5
There is going to be a sharp contrast between this and Bu Yinlou’s reactions when he reveals bits of his feral nature.
4. Love a flirty Xiao Duo, “Yes, it really hurts.” I love that he called her out that she had been messing with him about the jiuwei acupoint.
5. The most underappreciated actor in these episodes is: Ba Gonggong. His increased comfort with Xiao Duo (since they were now sharing the same room and sleeping together), his reprimanding Xiao Duo after he takes him back out of the chest, his flinching when he throws the boots. I don’t know much about training animal actors to get manufactured responses and how many takes you can get out of them, but Circe’s Barnyard - Ba Gonggong your talent was underappreciated in these episodes!
6. Me in the corner egging Rong’an on: “She took your toy Rong’an come on, drug her with incense! Do it!”
Remember in Episode 4 when Yinlou is detained by Rong’an’s niece? She is rather alarmed upon seeing the incense burner and puts it out immediately. She has also read a book on counteracting the effects of incense, which is how she helps Xiao Duo overcome his impulses in the Episode 5 flashback.
I want to see Xiao Duo’s face when Yinlou gets a rash and reveals her identity! He’ll understand what it means about her heritage and no one else in the room will.
7. I had actually been wondering if Xiao Duo would teach her any basic self-defense maneuvers . Glad to know he has Yinlou’s back. (Episode 22 Yinlou vs. Rong’an)
8. When Yinlou says she wants to be Empress, to be at the top of the ladder and never be manipulated again - he only asks one clarifying point “What about me? What am I to you?” because he (as a male claimant of the Murong line and one of the 17 dead princes) can actually give that to her, he just wants to know that she has feelings for him AND to not be manipulated or controlled. (What was he about to confess/reassure her of earlier when he said she was worried the Emperor would harm him?)
The questions Xiao Duo is asking Yinlou when she tells him she did like him, but needed to make a choice, reveal a maturity that he understands people are not one-dimensional and have conflicting desires, motivations and loyalties. a) Her desire for one does not negate her desire for the other b) Just because something starts one way does not mean it can’t evolve (after all, didn’t he have ulterior motives and extremely different designs on her at the genesis of their collaboration?)
9. Princess Hede’s reaction when Yinlou reveals she has Xiao Duo’s ring is hilarious. So, why didn’t they also show Liangxu’s (the comedic relief character in that group) reaction?
Prince Liangxu is much shrewder than he is given credit for or that he paints himself to be. He is cross-dressed, trying to convince Princess Hede of his feelings and being dragged from the premises. The scene is less than 2 minutes, yet he gets a better read on Yinlou and Xiao Duo than even they themselves have at the moment. (Episode 10) When she tells him she is at Dream House to learn in Episode 11, his initial reaction before he corrects himself is “Aren’t you Chief…”. “My junior and that damned eunuch are so lucky. They must be so carefree in Jianguan City.” - He probes at Wanwan in Episode 16 to see if she is aware of the relationship. “Being with the person you like, it sure is nice.” Yinlou laments. He asks her: “By the way, didn’t the damned eunuch return to the capital? You’ve been locked up here by His Majesty. Why hasn’t he come to get you out? Aren’t you two best friends?” (Episode 24)
This is why he forms a friendship with Yinlou: he believes they share the same philosophy concerning love at all costs (despite societally or politically mandated boundaries) and why he is so eager for her guidance on wooing Princess Hede, even pursuing her advice over that of Meng Jieyu, because he believes she is a true ‘love master’ to have won over and maintained a relationship with an eunuch (a relationship based purely on love).
He adamantly defends that she is a loyal woman (it is Wanwan’s misunderstanding as to who). He even cuts Yinlou off before she says too much in front of Princess Hede.
While the girls are criticizing Qilang he (Liangxu) is the one who “inadvertently” clarifies the situation and even offers Qilang a consolatory pat on the shoulder, because he understands the man was just following orders and is stuck between a rock and a hard place.
When his petitions to Xiao Duo to help him meet Princess Hede fall on deaf ears (this request also afforded him the opportunity to see Xiao Duo’s face while he was describing his feelings for Wanwan), he turns to Yinlou because “[She is] the only one who can help [him] now”. “Right. You don’t mean much to Xiao Duo. How could Xiao Duo agree to help me just because of you? I shouldn’t make things difficult for you.” he antagonizes her. (The camera is careful not to show his face whilst she is passionately declaring that of course she means something to Xiao Duo. After Xiao Duo (pretends) to turn down her petition as well, Liangxu comforts her in her upset that he rejected her.) (Episode 12)
“Why are people from the Zhaoding Bureau here?” he asks Yinlou, ready to follow her play in front of Wanwan. He not only goes out of his way to tell her that the Emperor is suspicious and she needs to un-implicate(?) Xiao Duo, but he knocks Rong’an out before delivering the message. (Episode 24)
He has his “little sister”’s back and I can not wait for them to find out they are related.
10. I find it adorable that Xiao Duo gave Yinlou his ring because she stomped on his foot when his subordinates did not listen to her when she dismissed them. He’s just like - ‘Well, let’s keep that from happening again.’
Also - Finally! Getting my 3 Musketeer scenes.
https://www.reddit.com/r/CDrama/comments/107yesh/a_catalogue_of_xiao_duos_facial_expressions/
Remember in Episode 4 when Yinlou is detained by Rong'an's niece? She is rather alarmed upon seeing the incense burner and puts it out immediately. She has also read a book on counteracting the effects of incense, which is how she helps Xiao Duo overcome his impulses in the Episode 5 flashback.
She took your toy Rong'an, come on drug her with incense! Do it!
I want to see Xiao Duo's face when Yinlou gets a rash and reveals her identity! He'll understand what it means about her heritage and no one else in the room will.