Mailyn

@pamgees: I had to laugh. "...specially her father can never trust his characters." That's what I thought, as soon as I saw him.

Safer sites: possibly Dailymotion and Bilibili ( I haven't looked, but dramas usually end up there - but might not stay there too long, so watch as the episodes are uploaded.) Kiss Kh. Not as safe, but the drama will be available long-term.

You are welcome. Have you figured out how to use Daily motion? Several people can upload the same episode and some will be better translated than others (depending on which version they uploaded). But some episodes can be removed very quickly and if you don't keep up, you'll find the last episodes are missing when you go to watch them. Many of the same long dramas are also on Bilibili (no ads) and more web dramas are on BB than DM.

Because of censorship, Chinese dramas can not show gore and major violence in certain scenes. Poisoning someone gets round that issue Also in some historical periods (worldwide) it was the most common way to kill - being safer and easier.

Have you tried Kiss kh; Dailymotion, Bilibili? I used to use the last two all the time before I discovered the first one. (If its not on Viki, that is.)

Okay. Thank you. I personally have not even tried to watch this drama. I was just trying to be helpful to someone else.

I read some comments elsewhere about episodes from a different drama not being aired for that reason - so it was just a guess.

Thank you for your reply. It just seems...different. But why not?

Just a thought: could the episode scheduling be held up because it is Chinese New Year?

Could somebody please explain to me if this is a drama about China but with Japanese actors and dialogue? I see that this takes place during the Northern Song Dynasty - but what is the connection with the Japanese - or at least the Japanese characters in this drama? I mean, they are not playing Chinese characters, are they? I wondered if they just filmed in China (for the varied landscapes) by why bother to mention Northern Song if they are referring to a Japanese emperor? Thanks.

Thank you. I don't mind (too much) when women bully other women in a historical drama - as long as it is not the female lead doing the abusing. I need some one to rail against besides evil ministers and dastardly princes, and the like. But I wouldn't want it in a modern drama.

You're Welcome.

If you are interested, there are many short history videos on the various aspects of the lives of Ming and Qing Dynasty concubines on You tube - some better than others. And yes, I can name at least three dramas where this happens.

Concubines in the Ming dynasty were far worse off. If they had not given birth to a child they were killed and buried (in their hundreds) with the emperor on his death. This only stopped when the eighth emperor of that dynasty put a stop to it.

Yes, but in those days, the aristocratic class and the quasi-middle class males had to be responsible for women whom they had 'tupped' (especially if they were pregnant) by taking them into their home to live as part of the family - not that it worked, necessarily, or was a good idea by modern standards - but that was the moral attitude towards responsibility for women at that time. If you think about it, he did not discard her (by said standards) - he elevated her social position which brought her (to their way of thinking, that is) social standing and security. That was the prevalent thinking of a patriarchal society. No emperor would have spent a lot of time visiting his concubines. But yes, I get your point - by today's standards he used her and dumped her. But in our world, generally speaking, a woman can refuse a man. But you try getting a modern man to take responsibility for every woman (or even one woman) he had a one night stand with (whether she was pregnant or not).

Less truncated?

What episode are you on?

Finally - somebody who realises, well hang on, is he really an evil King? Does he really not deserve the throne? Does he really need to be killed and replaced? We have not seen what he was like before being, deceived, betrayed, drugged, and poisoned by his closest minister - so we cannot make that determination, can we? (In one episode we did see a flashback of the King and the Grand Prince as a child which gave a different impression of him.)

Actually, I would call his brother a jerk. Being a very superficial character, he could never be accused of having a complex personality with hidden depths. What you see is what you get. Somebody like him could never be redeemed - in life or in death.

Also, I don't use words that I don't mean. Had I written the wrong word by mistake, I would have edited my post. Having spent years as a copyeditor/proofreader, I still habitually edit, and re-edit everything that I write.

(With my tongue firmly in my cheek and my mind not quite in the gutter) I would have to say, it depends on what you mean by...ahem...'study'. Yes, I too, would rather be up close and personal with a Prince Charming - much more fun and much healthier - but the scientist in me would like to see how his mind works.