PeachBlossomGoddess

I think at the time they decided to cure Cuique, they didn't know what happened to Xiuwan yet. And in any case, if they let her die, Gantang and Lanxiang could be guilty of poisoning her.

Idk it was speculation I saw on some Chinese site. I wouldn't have thought about it except her two younger Shen uncles are casted but so far have not appeared onscreen.

They were hereditary servants - passed down from one generation to another. They can buy their way out though.

Xingtang never stood a chance. Lady Du would have poisoned her. She is a very wilful and wicked villain but unlike Lady Du she is not smart and has no subtlety - you can see her coming a mile away.

I think Grandpa Lin's reaction was realistic for the times - his family's survival came at great cost to him and his legacy and name. The next generation's heir Lin Jinqi had to risk his life clawing his way up through the army after marrying a woman he didn't care for at all to save them. And this entitled airhead that almost undid everything they worked for was is throwing her teddy in the corner bc she didn't want to marry a Marquis? Both Jinqi and even Zhao Xingtang knew their duty and entered into marriages they didn't want. Xiuwan was super disappointing, she never got her wake up call. Although I think her tantrum was fortuitous bc Cuique would have exposed her to Marquis Yuan. But I suspect Xiuru already told Jinqi everything so that marriage was never going to happen anyway.

I don't think the chemistry is great either - they look visually mismatched. Similarly I didn't feel her chemistry with JBR either and dropped The Road Home. I personally still think TSY's best chemistry was with RJL. But I don't really care that much about romance so its fine with me.

Marquis Yuan's late wife was a commandery princess (junzhu, 郡主) so she can only be the emperor's niece and a cousin of the Crown Prince. Emperor's own daughters are always (gongzhu, 公主). But yes, the point is the Lins are indeed moving up in the world and they absolutely could not risk offending the Yuans. I know Grandpa Lin seemed cruel but he had no choice. Marquis Yuan was personally overseeing Cuique's trial - that crazy ass bitch with nothing to lose would have thrown it in his face that his wife slept with her dead brother. When it came down to it, I don't think he would have really killed his grand daughter. But she was not only wrong but incredibly defiant. She needed the daylights scared out of her.

He probably knew his mom is scheming to redeploy LX anyway. Can't have such a smart maid around when he marries again - something high on her agenda. Little does she know...

Yes I think old Master Zhao was an ambitious newcomer that wanted to climb fast. What better way than to bring up old grudges to get rid of your opponents and open up new spots for your supporters.

Yeah so I have all 3 names bc I have more than 40 first cousins on my father's side. We all have the same generation names by gender. I always know someone is from the mainland when they only have 2 names.

There is speculation that Jinqi or old Master Shen managed to save them.

Considering in another life she was engaged to him, I am sure she has looked at him and thought What If… And when she was one of his mothers designated baby machines she also must have considered What If… so I am going to say she isn’t entirely oblivious to him.

I don’t think it would have helped. I think Old Master Zhao meant to get rid of the Shens, oust the Lins from the capital and foist his disgraced granddaughter on the Lins.

What she wore is what a widow would wear when their husband dies, implying she was for all intents and purposes his wife. Of course her mom went ape shit.

He should be in the Old Master Zhao faction. I think he is the guy the ML was threatening for the coats and the new year pay.

She is a very modern beauty with very big teeth. 😅 I always find her and Zhang Jingyi out of place in ancient costume.

I think Grandpa Shen only expected the emperor to kill him and LX’s father but spare his other two sons who were not officials and the women. He didn’t expect the emperor to go as far as he did.

Definitely feel they were just scapegoats.

I am quite sure we never saw the other two Shen men.

It is required reading for mainland Chinese high school students. That is why it pops up so often in c-dramas - literally everyone knows the story. I will be honest, I appreciated many parts of it but I just never loved it. I didn't care that much about any of the characters and especially not the sickly weepy FL and the over sensitive ML. I just enjoyed the social commentary.