PeachBlossomGoddess

Not only did she survive she actually had more character growth (from a low base no doubt) than both leads!!! Slaps forehead.

No actually this is the first period drama in a very long time where YM is dubbing herself. Most of her period dramas are dubbed by Ji Guan Lin. I rarely watch modern c-dramas but more often they record onset so in those I suspect she is not dubbed at all.

He is paranoid and going mad. And he believes that without the generals there will be no war.

I believe they are all dubbed but some of them including YM and XKC dubbed themselves.

Honestly its completely unfathomable.... my friend speculated she must be some rich dude's mistress or daughter that paid for the whole production.

I also like the novel ending; it is dark, sad and unforgettable. But I don't see that happening in the drama.

Tilan's story has been changed so much here that I can't tell where they go with it.

The spoiler above alleges that it will be Jianming's son in the drama that goes on to inherit the throne. In the novel it is definitely the emperor's son (bc Jianming is a eunuch). The mother is Haishi who becomes empress and regent.

The other way to do it is of course that it is Tilan's child but Haishi is still made empress and regent.

The book is very cruel - Jianming and Haishi's feelings are all unspoken, no kissing. The only hint that Haishi still thinks of Jianming is that her son the emperor wears Jianming's green ring.

In the drama, both Jianming and the emperor have been whitewashed to appear less dark. In the book the emperor started out good but he is going mad and in the end he turns into a tyrant and a despot. That is why Ji Chang was able to gather so much support to overthrow him. The book leaves it to the reader to decide who is good and who is evil. Some readers prefer the second book; ie. Tilan and general Tang's story.

Well the emperor ordered Jianming to eliminate all 6 generals that helped them put down the 8 year rebellion. Su Ming was the last one because Jianming begged the emperor to spare him and when Su Ming started to cause trouble, the emperor ranted that Jianming is too soft hearted (for sparing him). The old lady and her grandson that stabbed Jianming is seeking justice for one of those 6 generals, I think general Gao. The emperor is a tyrant and when Jianming was incognito as Fang Zhu, getting rid of the generals was one of his key tasks. Thus, in the final ending irony, when Ji Chang rebels, he has no more generals left to protect him. That is why the novel is told in two parts - Part 1 is Jianming and the emperor's story and Part 2 is from Ji Chang, General Tang and Tilan's perspectives and yes they are working together. Are they rebels/usurpers or freedom fighters?

The first part just recaps what we already know - that Jianming is living on borrowed time and he cannot be with Haishi. They become entangled anyway.
The commentator then predicts:
Jianming realizes Ji Chang intends to seize the throne. His first move is to take down Jianming to clear the path to the emperor. Ji Chang knows he can get to Jianming via Haishi and tries to take her into his harem. Jianming counters by sending Haishi into the emperor's harem, she is thus out of Ji Chang's grasp.

Impossible to tell - that is just an onset photo its not a scene clip so can't tell if he is even in a scene with the baby.

That would be really nice but the spoiler did say posthumous and that would exactly fit the novel ending except in the novel its the emperor's baby.

Yeah that part from the novel I just didn't see how they were gonna be able to pull off...

Jianming pushes Haishi towards Dixu because his health is failing. Dixu accepts her as empress but does not sleep with her. Instead he turns a blind eye to her affair with Jianming. Both MLs die leaving Haishi as empress. She bears a posthumous son (of Jianming) who becomes the next emperor. The end.

If this is true it is a much less sad ending than the novel but it is still not HE. Bittersweet.

Another interpretation that BL fans will have a field day with - Haishi is the surrogate mother for the two men's offspring. 🤣🤣🤣

Leaked ending spoiler. Can't vouch for its accuracy but do not open unless you want to be spoiled:

I genuinely won't mind and would be happy to do it if I am isolated that long...😄

Sadly it was not it was just painful... if its so bad its funny I actually give a much higher rating...

Lol... I am gonna be quarantined for sure bc I am going to the US for a month, the only question is what is the quarantine period when I get back, with 21 days being the max.

Its short - if I end up quarantined 21 days next February I may translate it.