Platinum Fox

Yes, I first saw her in Ashes of Love and to be honest do not remember her or the story. When I watched her in this one, I immediately went to see what other things she was in, Lost You Forever being one of them. She is great in that one as well.

I understand what you are trying to say. Yes, in these dramas female empowerment is usually shown through them owning a business, being a fighter, or catching the eye of a powerful person. But, for me, the writers are saying empowerment is more than that. It is about the ability of a person to make choices about his/her own life. Even though Mu Dan is indebted to JCY, she is still free to make her own choices about what she does with her life. On the other hand, Liu Chang, who represents the male oppression, is not free to make his own choices. His parents decide everything for him even down to whom he will marry even though it doesn't benefit the family at all (Mu Dan).

Had the princess and LC been able to marry when they were in love, we would not have the story we have today. Every character in the story is bound by rules, traditions, customs, and rituals. Some of these are good for a culture, but some need to be looked at and changed.

Dramas are a powerful way to change mindsets. Hollywood has been doing it for years. This drama is a social commentary on the power of choice and the worth of person's life. For me, the meshing of old and new is very important for future outcomes. Traditions, customs, and rituals are good, but when it hinders a person's right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness", then it is time to rethink that tradition.

Thank you for the discussion. You have helped me better understand this drama.

Yes, this drama is so real. My heart went out to Shengyi and Mu Dan when they were with Wang Qing.

Truth or Dare, Wrong Carriage, Right Groom,

Not at all, welcome to the conversation! I love a good discussion!
Exactly, we all need someone to lean on (even the king) when times are tough. We can't do things solely on our own. I think that is what this drama is trying to say. When should parents, friends, lovers, business people share the responsibility of something and when should it be solely one person?

Yes, the advice she gives him at the tavern is some of the best advice he receives in the whole drama (I have watched to episode 30). What he does with it determines what kind of person he will become. But as you watch always keep in mind his goal, to become an official through his own merits, not through who his family or wife are.

Thank you for the discussion. I am happy to discuss even further if you like. Happy watching!

Even JCY teases her about her love of money, does that make him a bad person as well? Liu Chang only looks down on her as a lowly merchant when he is forced to marry her. Once he goes through his redemptive path, which he does in this season, does he realize that all she wants to do is grow flowers and spread joy. This is something very different than how he was raised. Money in the Liu family means power and prestige. Mu Dan does not want any of that. LC doesn't want that either. He wants to be recognized for his own merits.

Thank you for the discussion.

You're right. At first he felt that way. He only started to love her when he saw her watering and taking care of the peonies that were brought out of her garden to please the princess, his beloved. At that moment he realizes that she is "free" even though she is trapped at his home. He wants that same freedom as well.

With that being said, when and why does he try to rape her (not that I am excusing him for this)? When Mu Dan asks for the divorce and says she will gladly move aside for him to marry the princess. By this time he has fallen in love with her and again realizes that she has more freedom than he does. She can escape his family; he can't. At the time of the rape Mu Dan is the one thing he has control over being her husband. Tradition says she must obey her husband. His parents blow this for him when they try to kill her and she runs away. But already he has realized his mistake and is now on his redemptive path. His redemptive path is what he has always wanted the freedom to start from the bottom and work his way up.

Why does what he goes through make him a tragic character? If you are going to say that he is a tragic character, then you must say that Mu Dan is as well. Both have tragic things happen to them, but neither one of them allow the tragedies to define who they are.

Thank you for the discussion. Happy drama watching.

I understand what you are trying to say. What I am saying is he already understands what Mu Dan went through as he experienced it himself with Mu Dan and now the princess.

I apologize if I offended you.

I see where you are coming from now. Thank you for explaining it. Since I don't know where you are in the drama, I do not want to spoil things for you. But let me ask you, what would be the best way for him to redeem himself and gain real world experience?

I apologize if I spoiled anything for you. But I am like you I would love to have a historical drama that really delves into the historical and cultural significance of things like tea making, brocade making, and embroidery. They do to a certain extent, but then starts to become more about politics. You have a nice day as well. Gen Z is the only one I can think of.

What do you mean? He already understands what Mu Dan went through. Now its time to enact his revenge not on JCY and Mu Dan but on his parents, princess, and Prince Ning.

By forcing him to marry the princess, Prince Ning has taken away Liu Chang's chance for happiness and his meaning in life. Prince Ning is no different than Liu Chang's parents. Next season he will go after his parents and Prince Ning.

For me, that is the illogical part of this whole drama. Why would the Liu family want their son to marry a lowly merchant girl? It brought them no power or prestige. It is because she brought a handsome dowry that they stole. Liu Chang wasn't ashamed of her; he just didn't love her nor want to marry her. He doesn't consummate the marriage to rebel against his parents forcing him to marry someone he didn't love. He falls in love with her when he sees her watering and taking care of the peonies. She is doing something that she enjoys and loves. That's all he ever wanted was to be recognized for his own merits, not who his family or wife were.

Why does Liu Chang have to be a villain just because he has become attached to the princess and Prince Ning? Also, how is he a shallow character just because he is weak?

Yes

I respectfully disagree. Every drama that I have watched about female empowerment, the lead female always meets a powerful official who just happens to be connected to the emperor. In the end, the female is always recognized by the emperor as being a pure and virtuous woman worthy of marrying the high powered official. This show was no different. Everything that she has, she has because of him. Did he try to control her life, no, but it was his money and position that allowed her to have what she has. When she tried to make it on her own (the Wan Qing arc), she was physically abused and robbed of everything that she had. It wasn't until JCY stepped in and began to protect her did she begin to flourish in her business affairs and as a person. Is this realistic? How many higher officials today protect the commoners? Realism is not a big factor in these dramas.

A wild blooming peony brings joy to no one unless someone sees it. It will grow and blossom on its own withstanding heat, cold, drought, and flooding. However, if taken out of its environment, it must be fertilized, nurtured, and protected in order to flourish and bloom. It will die if it can't stand on its own (Shengyi arc). Mu Dan is much the same way. No one recognized her talent until she divorced Liu Chang. Then two people saw her worth LC and JCY.

Thanks for the discussion.

You're welcome. I have no doubt that if the parents and princess had not interfered with his life, he would have become a high ranking official on his own merit. He enjoyed being a scholar. He enjoyed solving problems. He was not some lazy playboy. The parents, however, because the father couldn't become a high ranking official on his own, wanted a short cut to power and prestige through their child. In episode 28 poetic justice is served to the parents.

I understand what you are saying and have to agree. I feel like I have seen this same drama many times except with a different focus. But I guess it would not be interesting enough if they just focused on the flowers. :(

If you think that Liu Chang is worse than the princess, then you have missed the point of his whole character. The point of his character is to show that even males at this time were treated like how women were treated. Remember he was forced to marry Mu Dan. He didn't want to have anything to do with her until he saw how "free" she felt when she was taking care of the peonies. She was doing something she loved. He was a decent guy and didn't consummate the marriage because he didn't love her, but he grew to love her. When she asked for a divorce, he realized what a prize he got and was going to lose. All he ever wanted was be recognized for his own merits, not for who his family or wife were. He wanted to be a high ranking scholar who could help people. He even had a great flood control plan that was tossed aside because the powers that be said since he was the husband of the princess, he didn't need to do anything. How would that make anyone feel? People need to feel that their lives have purpose or meaning. Because of his parents and the princess, the whole meaning of his life had become meaningless. Both Mu Dan and Liu Chang just want to be their own person, not a pawn used by other people.

As for the princess, I wouldn't be surprised if it came out that she actually poisoned or killed her past husband so that she could be with Liu Chang. She is not a nice person. She blames Mu Dan for everything that has gone wrong in life when in reality Mu Dan tried to give her what she wanted. The princess is so spoiled that she can't take responsibility for her own actions and her father is the same way. He can't take responsibility that he raised a spoiled and selfish person who wants to hurt someone who is innocent.

For me, this drama is geared towards a more mature and thoughtful audience. It is saying that parents should allow their children to marry and be whomever they want to be, whatever that entails.