Groovykid

He has! Cannot wait to see Lingbo’s face.
She is lazy and bratty and then turns around and complained that Zhaozhao is more independent and treated better.

The arrogance of the Yun ladies - disliking Zhaozhao because Yuzhi likes her.
Ladies, she does not care. She is pinning for someone else. You cannot pay her to marry Song Y. The only reason she is not fighting tooth and nail against Zhou Y is because she respects the memory of her aunt who arranged the match. Why she did, I personally cannot what to find out there is a lie in the reason!

Am I just weird or is Uncle Yunke weird? Why is he hellbent on making FL hate ML? I can understand asking her not to associate with him, but I feel like there is more to his persistence. Much more than his hate/dislike from seeing FL’s aunt fall in love with a ‘demon’.
I am happy to be spoiled, btw.

Here I am spoiling myself. I have just finished ep. 2 and I am liking the FL. The fact that she does not want to fight does not mean that she cannot fight. And not gullibly or stupidly accepting everything ML says, makes me just want to clap for her. She has a brain and is very happy to use it. I just hope the writer gods keep it that way.
And what is it about the ML? I do not mind spoilers. He seems to have many many secrets. He always need and has an explanation for everything!!

P.S: From the synopsis, I kind of chose to watch because its martial arts plot line as those can be interesting and suspenseful when done very well, fight scenes and all. I am getting sceptical already though of the many secrets and obvious falsehoods. I just hope the ‘infighting’ makes the plot richer.
Ref: The wife of that uncle, mother of the useless bully (Don’t know their names yet) - I cannot understand how giving two young ones who have been attacked in your home, gold and treasures make any sense. Materialistic and lackadaisical at best, evil and demeaning at worst.

Thanks for explaining this. It makes better sense now, especially to a non-novel reader like myself. So concluding points for me:
1. So this emperor was emperor when Prince Duan died. And he just folded his arms when his older brother's family's clan almost got annihilated!!!
2. Still not sure how old the CP is, but Minister Cui was his tutor at the time of the massacre so it is possible CP was old enough to have orchestrated everything.
3. If CP was really the mastermind from the start, it makes even more sense that he now wants to get rid of the Cui family and the right Chancellor's vast network. But to then use Prince Duan's commander as the scapegoat just depicts profound evilness.
4. The Emperor probably 'knew', or had an inkling. But he is so spineless and prefers status quo, which just means the powerful became even more powerful. And he became even more cowardly, always choosing to either cover things up or choose the easy way out. (Case in point: His explanation to Consort Shu about why he could have executed her. Imagine the audacity!!)

I do not know if to wish for season 2. I guess it will be good if it delves into the CP arch of the story as it was quite truncated in the final 2 or so episodes with very little links formed. Even though LPY 'raised a glass' to him when she thwarted his plan, we still do not know to what she knows about the CP's involvement in the whole plot.

P.S.: Is it my modern mind but why are most of the CPs mad? The throne is going to be yours and literally no one is fighting you for it, so what is your problem?
Special shoutout to my favourite C-drama Emperor and Crown Prince in 'Love Like the Galaxy'. Both the initial and the latter CP were good hearted in their own way. Their father, the emperor brought them up well, like he did Ling BuYi.

Well written. This was my opinion too. They both were right and wrong. You only have to look at the scenarios in both of their perspectives.
LPY who is desperate for and consumed with vengeance, and does love XHJ and wants him safe.
XHJ who fearlessly loves PY and wants more than anything for her to be in peace and get justice for the past deeds.
Their 'life' before now just means they have to 'prioritise' different things and they 'think' in different ways. It is sad to see them this way, but hope they get past it soon.

Valid points made.
And I fervently agree about the useless emperor. At this point it is sad that the best foot he can put forward is that he is a useless coward. Notice him telling ML he is emotionless in today's ep. At least ML has emotions to forego!!
I personally dislike prolong angst especially with characters that are sold as smart or strong. Let's hope they both cease their "stupid noble idiocy" (in your words) soon and get on with making a good plan to bring down the villain (and the useless emperor).

It really would make no sense. Not to me anyways if she really was the mastermind. I mean, maybe that is looking at this from the 'current' time. Which is when she does not have a child of her own and has now raised FL for 15 years.
From the outset (as in 15 years ago), if she was as power mad as her brother, who knows, I guess it is feasible!
From the start to finish of my small comment, I have a complete U-turn. We shall see!

I assumed most of the cases were unrelated. And their only common theme was that they all occurred in or around the palace, so the Palace Investigation Bureau, hence LPY, had to be in charge.
I think it is okay for the main plot to be separate, at least from most of the plots. This way, we can see FL as a character whose parents raised to be strong and kind, and she maintained that despite the tragedy that occurred which then became her drive. Thats the way I see her anyways.

I’m sorry but this Emperor always came off ‘evil’ to me. The way he picked up and discarded women nilly willy just felt wrong to me - didn’t portray a ‘loving’ man. And his ‘benevolence’ in committing his daughter - FL’s best friend (whom he had only seen 3 times in her life) to the same fate twice in quite blatant disregard and driving her to her death made it even more obvious.
These were his ‘closest’ relatives. I remained sceptical of his ‘love’ for FL when these portrayals kept repeating itself, and I still do. He is definitely not a family man. Everyone can agree to that. So why ‘favour’ FL so much?
Best case scenario is that he is one of those cowardly Emperors who just like to turn a blind eye when something horrible that may implicate them happens.

I thought FL’s father is older brother to the current emperor

I started to have the same thought - FL being too self-reliant and not utilising the partner she’d found. But quickly reprimanded myself.
I am certain it is very uncommon to have a FL this independent and self-reliant and it appears we, as viewers, have been conditioned to expect some dependence or interdependence with the ML, even for the strong and independent FL roles.

ML did stay muddle-headed for most of the story arc in the capital. Too emotional about the family drama especially his brother’s attitude and violence. But if we cast our mind back to FL’s initial approach to her sisters. She was also kinda muddled with her approach to them - just let them be until they did something very wrong. In both situations, they both subtly pointed out what the other was failing or refusing to see.

I think I liked their interdependence. They also, in their own way, always reassured each other even when they didn't fully carry each other along.

For all the theories about Steward Cheng, he was just a jealous bystander that cowardly bullied ML with the random bits of info his position allowed him access to.
How frustrating his life will get (if it were real life, I can imagine LJL continually poking fun at him 😄)!

RSB’s punishment for the Xue sister princess was satisfying. I knew from the start that the water was for her but I didn’t expect that delivery. 😁😁😄

I’m watching Ep 32 and the way RSB is using her sly smile to make the Duke’s family members uncomfortable feels me with pride. (Couldn’t stop anticipating and laughing out loud when it happened)
Why bring her there to boast of how great you all are and how she should ‘beg to worship you’?

I didn’t expect the ML’s background story in the final 6 episodes. Quite a rollercoaster.

P.S.: I hope I am not just being pessimistic and too suspicious. But isn't it odd that the lady Xu came back with a random dying beggar that seems like an important person!! He seemed to not want her to touch him.

New mystery that is starting to unravel - The conversation between Minister Xu and his daughter when they were leaving was odd. They both knew he would be kind and want to repay his kindness to the minister, but they never broached the topic of them marrying each other. The father and daughter only said he'd have no one to back him after the minister dies. Another odd statement was from Minister Xu to LJL about not going too far when he had the first breakthrough in the Wei case and the minister wanted him to stop digging. I just hope the capital faction involved in the case does not include the Xu family.

I think there was mention before of his 'grand-uncle' being married into the Rong family but he died young and childless. But it is probably all fabricated lies.
I mean just like someone mentioned in a YouTube short comments - "where are all the mothers and fathers?" Surely that is not normal and it shows how horrible the grandma really is, in a way.
Also, grandma did ask her chief-maid when his character was introduced if he resembles someone. So, definitely yes, there is more to his sub plot.

Can I be cheeky and add that I do not believe that blind sister is really blind? She surely is faking it!!!