JoJe

Novel not that spicy but more to meaningful words
But that only my opinion

When I said, Chill, be a bit more patient. That actually what I said to myself too 😂😂

Yup, you're right
Storyline wise they follow the novel so mutual love come late. And you're very right after happy episode there will be she love him but he running out time, then he mia for recovery

Story detail wise, drama indeed make it feel push and pull, repeated. One think that I don't know why scriptwriter choose so, make me a bit frustrated too. Because in novel, though mutual love come later but in my opinion there is still some progression in their relationship plus some politics and third couple. I mean simple word like 'growing old with you', 'share fortune and misfortune', 'not showing jealousy doesn't mean I don't care' from FL mouth better than no feeling, no romance repeated

Then again, drama choose give more screentime to Prince Xin with his delulu when they should work more on main couple

Chill, be a bit more patient 😆
In novel mutual love only start coming at final third. So maybe in drama episode 25+

From clip, teaser, Reuters or whatever it is, at least I saw
- kiss initiated by her
- a quite hot kiss scene
- bath + kiss scene
- bed kiss (bite) scene
Maybe more

And I'm still waiting from novel she is the one who said to him 'let's have a child'

Yup, and she actually speak it up clear, not keep in her mind only

😂😂😂
At the time she love him back, it will bit her about he running out of time

Yeah, me too feel that way. They should work more to show her unique character. They can have 40 eps rather than 36. She not cold then full stop. The gradual changes in her perspective of love because of his never ending dovoted shameless love is something good to see, too

Background
As Gu Qingzhi, her coldness come from this. GQZ grew up see her mother love her father deeply but her father only respects her mother and couldn’t give the same single-minded devotion. When GQZ 9 years old, at her mother deathbed, she told her that one can do anything except let their heart fall for a man, only by utterly detached can women live freely and happily. And just like that her mother die from melancholy because of emotional attachment

As old Shen Xihe her coldness come from this. SXH born prematurely very weak. She often sick, she cannot often go out because she would catch cold, simple cold could turn worse. She doesn’t make friend and socialize because a bit argues or betrayal from friend could make her heart hurt and simple emotional turmoil could cost her life. She used to be alone, detach from emotional up and down

So, as new SXH, beside some life experience, she also inherits those two types of history

About her relationship with Xiao Huayong
- Xie Yunhuai know SXH first in novel. So, first time XYH treat XHY illness is because of SXH ask him to. As much as she said she choose him because of his short life, she then also pays attention to his health and wish him well
- When SXH said she don’t know what is love, she passionless only want mutual benefit. She also explains “Wouldn’t mutual respect be good? When we marry, I’ll respect you as my husband, you’ll respect me as your wife. We can be like close family – you won’t betray me; I won’t leave you. We’ll treat each other well and grow old together.” This show she picturing grow old with him, she wish in process that poison finally not cost his life
- One time, SXH deliberately go outside capital to find a kind of flower call winter jasmine although danger lurking. This flower blooms once a year and bloom only such short moment before wither. In short, SXH wake all night in wilderness only to watch the flower bloom at right moment. This flower could nourish lungs which XHY lungs being one area most severely damaged by poison
- At lantern festival when XHY give jade hairpin. She said she will be a good Crown Princess but still no romantic feelings. Novel explain further that SXH heart stirred slightly and inside she said she would never forget XHY’s joy at that moment like a spring breeze causing flowers to bloom across the city
- One time, SXH & XHY went outing, their enemy start to make a move. Despite XHY’s careful preparation, there was 3 tigers almost kill XHY & SXH. Both get some small injury, make XHY feels guilty. To him SXH said “I told you, when I chose you, I would share both fortune and misfortune with you.”
- One day, Emperor start to suspect XHY and want to test him. In short, XHY got kidnapped, tied in the bridge, below is fast flowing river. Then XHY was shot by an arrow. SXH get angry and shot back, kill the archer then said “Don’t hurt him. That arrow just now was payback. If he suffers even the slightest injury from you or your men again, I will desecrate your corpse inch by inch; if he falls from here, I will have your bones ground to dust, denying you peace even in death.”
- Then, there is Tibet Princess come to seek marriage alliance. She eyes XHY. SXH show no interest. In her point of view, she trusts XHY more, why debate. XHY quite disappointed by her indifferent attitude. But then SXH explain “Your Highness, I am a woman who doesn’t understand romance. I don’t know how to be passionate about someone, I only know how to be sincere. Some of the jealousy you want to see – I might never show you in this lifetime. If I care for you, I’ll trust you even if the whole world doubts you. Therefore, not showing jealousy doesn’t mean I don’t care about Your Highness.”

All of that happen before their marriage. At same point with drama. Yes, she is cold and cruel. Her word is sharp. But, it’s not that she is completely heartless. She shows sincerity. She realize that XHY is someone important in her heart and do care for him.

May I defend a bit of FL based on novel. This is my personal opinion only; drama indeed do some injustice in picturing her character. I found in novel that FL is way colder and more ruthless but I still could relate to her way of thinking. Only open spoiler below if you want to know novel

A partner who share same level of intelligence?
At this point drama indeed make it way more unbalance

Forget about the exact chapter they did it but BSL told SXH in chapter 682

I love it that in drama CJB know BSL is woman earlier. Maybe because BL won't pass censorship. Novel delay it until very much later, even when they accidentally got intimate after drunk, he still not 100% sure and she try hard to hide the fact by proving otherwise

They alive. Good ending for them too

In the eye of everyone, he is a dead man. He said this to his son "The Emperor cannot have any blemishes. Even the misconceptions in unofficial histories cannot start with your mother and me.”

Actually, Female lead not Empress but Empress Dowager

I read the novel.
Unfortunately, he did not become Emperor. However, here still give different story than usual trope you said 😊

His poison really cost him much near the end that he had to staged his fake death in order to leave for treatment faraway from capital

However, his son did and FL become Empress Dowager. His son be Emperor at age 6 months, so basically it is FL who rule the empire.

Only after 8 years later ML back to reunite

There is ML point of view in extra that I love : who didn't want to roam the world with his beloved. But for now he won't. He and FL will protect and accompany their son. Even when their son said just leave, he have series of good people on court (Prince Xin, CJB, XYH, etc). But, ML still said no, because every children need their parents and their son is the most important for ML&FL

Don't worry, novel has happy ending. He'll back after treat his poison
And there are some clip from filming show happy family

Her logic different from us 😂😂
She want good and powerful ally but not someone more powerful than her

She afraid if someday Crown Prince got tired and hate her because of his unrequited love or because of other things, she couldn't overturn the condition. Worst case is if it implicate her family because of her

She not yet trust that Crown Prince (or anyone) could love in such an unconditionally & timelessly

Honestly it confused me too when she said to Emperor that she wants to marry based on love. Because it's not her cold personality should be, at least not now. Unless she consciously lie said that to Emperor part of her scheming or to delay time when she still not sure to choose whom and to faster get agreement after she choose CP. But it's out of her personality.

While in front of CP she said it's political, that's more to her personality in my opinion. She is cold but straightforward. She won't lie and give false hope. You want it then I'll be a good Crown Princess. You don't want, we could walk peacefully on our own until our interest cross.

She wants power, she wants the world in order no one could harm her family. She need to be at the most top. Now it is still uncertain whether CP will ascend the throne after Emperor. His Prince brother also eye that position. She thought her ally with CP will be balance, she'll help him to find who poison him and together work to secure Emperor & Empress position before he die. If something suddenly happen and they argue she still confident to get upper hand of future condition. She even think if that formidable person behind tagara incense took action opposite to her, then she and CP could join hand to face him

In this while she might think that the only person that she not confident enough to fight against with is the one behind tagara incense. She admired his power to disguise as many powerful figure at capital and only means he is above all that powerful figure. Now suddenly she knew that formidable person is CP himself. She always think give and take balance. The logic if CP love her so he will endlessly help her to achieve her goals is out of her brain. Plus what if because the fact that she not love him, one day CP will tired, hurt and turns against her. One day before his natural death. So she thinks it's better to draw the line now than later. At least, if they walk separate way now, she still could calculate pro cons, they could compete as equals. If one day she loose against CP leading to any disadvantage to her northwest family that because she not smart and strong enough but she had tried her best. But if they married, CP hurt due to unrequited love, revenge to her then with CP power destroy her northwest family... She really couldn't accept that.

Yeah, the most quite with hidden agenda
In novel, it only reveal at 800+ chapter from 850. So, maybe in drama it will be at 1-2 last episode

Something funny pop up in my mind
Why not analogize New Shen Xihe as Purple color. Then Old Shen Xihe would be Blue and Gu Qingzi is Red 😄

Purple is new color that came from mixture Blue & Red as basic color. There won't be purple without blue and red. Just as blue or red only won't become purple

It just happened that new Shen Xihe is in capital with all danger and scheming so Gu Qingzhi personality seems dominant but inside there is still old Shen Xihe too with love & worry for her northwest family, including freedom being raised in northwest. That's why the first time 5th Prince Xin meet new Shen Xihe in temple while collecting pinzhong leaves, he said she cannot be Gu Qingzhi. If, I said If, new Shen Xihe wake up still in northwest, maybe old Shen Xihe personality will still dominant while Gu Qingzhi personality only make new Shen Xihe not that timid and make she readily join her father & brother to defend northwest