PeachBlossomGoddess

It's kind of weird to hear them quote 3Kingdoms 围魏救赵 Zhao Wei strategies in a fantasy world dialogue!!!

The Purple Flower of Zichuan vs the Yellow Rose of Beizu.

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Actually I have (very very very reluctantly) come to the conclusion that Zichuan Xiu does love her. Like all the gifts he sent her are tokens of his moments of greatest hardship while in exile in YZ. When he is suffering, he thinks of her. He is like Canxing, there is what he says and underneath that there is what he really means. Unfortunately he did outgrow her and he is committed to a cause that is more important than love that won't allow him to be with her in the capital, at least not for the time being. If you watch carefully and pay attention to the dialogue and not let her childish personality get in the way, you will see what I mean. She is also not super smart compared to all the schemers around her but she isn't really that stupid either - she acts childish to cover up that she knows a lot more about what is going on that she lets on.

Have fun! I think a lot of them are now free online. And some of the cases like the Lacquer Screens and Red Pavilion were from books.
https://www.fadedpage.com/showbook.php?pid=20221113

Well they were written in the 1950/60s and his writing style is more pompous more like Arthur Conan Doyle than Agatha Christie whose writing style is more straightforward. And he makes the mysteries too detailed they are actually quite hard to adapt to film. But what stood out about them at the time were they were quite racey, very unlike both Christie and Conan Doyle. Lots of naked Chinese women and detailed erotic descriptions and illustrations. I think that's what made them quite popular. I used to borrow the books from the library and I was afraid my parents would see the illustrations.

Yeah his fatal flaw is he trusts no one - he should have kept Ge Yingxing. That said,, I think he is smart to take out Di Lin - the guy is smart and ruthless so he will one day inevitably take action against Canxing. To Canxing, Luo Minghai is loyal but expendable. I think he would like him to survive but he is ok if he dies taking down Di Lin. Neither of them are critical to his governance bc he answers to the 3 Elders Council anyway, That is why he keeps Di Lin away from them and he does not like how Di Lin has been purging his support base, whose corruption he has been closing one eye to. Luo Minghai is also expendable bc its obvious you can't run the war from the capital. It can only be fought in YZ, which is what Ge did for decades and now Zichuan Xiu will do. He only needs Si Yilin whose loyalty is unquestionable. Ning is the only future threat to Canxing bc only the Elders Council can remove him and the Chieftain role is inherited by bloodline.

He is only going to focus on Shenyang defense.

Yups I think that is the general feeling…

Yeah he is totally a sociopath and his decisive viciousness to the point of being borderline unhinged makes him potentially a danger to Canxing. He means to eliminate both his spies ideally by having them kill each other off. He doesn’t need them anymore now that Yang Minghua is out of the way. Si Yilin has taken up Yang Minghua’s job at the capital and Zichuan Xiu is the new YZ commander in Ge Yingxing’s place. Di Lin and Luo Minghai are gratuitous. I think they are both dead men walking.

I don’t think Xinjia is the target although she is probably collateral damage. Canxing feels threatened by Di Lin and wants to goad Luo Minghai into removing him.

Nope, as of ep 20.

I think that unless part 2 has tons of CGI they will drop it at some point bc it’s been shot already. But CGI costs a lot and the good CGI companies have long wait lists so there is a chance iQiyi won’t go ahead and complete it.

Talk about completely not understanding the audience!🤦🏻‍♀️

I have nothing against an empowered FL but the way they wrote her is an insult to female audiences. And they have no sense of proportion bc at this point she has had so much more screen time than Si Yilin and Di Lin that even if she doesn't appear in the next 6 episodes (fat chance) it cannot be rebalanced.

Finally speaking entirely for myself, I watch c-drama to watch MEN, not women. Its like these silly brokers used to offer me tickets to go watch women's tennis and I would look at them like they are bat shit crazy! Why the hell would I want to go watch women play tennis - go offer those tickets to the MEN for crying out loud!!!

The books are finally translated and I hate that the translator called Wong Yung Lotus BUT the books are still amazing and the translation is better than decent... As for the dramas unless its the 1983 version (which is so dated) I wouldn't bother with the ones in between. May as well wait for the Tencent Martial Universe one that is coming in a few months.

Thanks for the review - this is one I plan to watch at some point but not before I brush up on the history of that period.

I feel nothing but pity for anyone trying to adapt LOCH for a movie! I didn't realize you don't know the story. Maybe you should watch Martial Universe when it airs this summer - I think it is going to be the latest adaptation of the whole series.

Ty for the gift and hope you keep writing and commenting bc I enjoy reading your views too. I think this site is much better when more people share their thoughts.

Ty, I really wish I had enjoyed it more. Fingers crossed for S2...