QAS

I will look at it again.

I crammed five episodes in the last five hours. I had to weed through the episodes to get to the finale. The director and writer skipped a few scenes. They must have run out of budget. Zhuang was delulu to the end, seeing ghosts. 👻 👻 I began to wonder if Ruan Xiwen and Yuwen Changan were still alive all this time. 😂😂 Good drama with too much Zhuang Shiyang, overacting. He worked hard for his paycheck.

We got two kisses in thirty episodes. Bringing back the cast for the final scene was unique. I might have seen that in one other drama. Granny Zhuang and Chai Ling were missing. We never saw the Emperor, nor any court sessions with the Left and Right Ministers causing friction. 😂😂😂 Final rating 8.0

He was delulu to the end.

Thanks for the clarification. I would not describe Zhuang Shi Yang as an enigmatic villain, but my questions came to mind with every passing episode. I can't wait to see him fall. Does Madam Zhou know where he hides his secrets, to enlighten Fu Yunxi and Hanyan?

Did he try to use Fu Yunxi to weed out the corrupt officials, when he allowed Fu to marry the first daughter?

Have we seen the Emperor? Will he finally show up in the final five episodes? Zhuang Shi Yang's plot contrivance is diluted. All we see is him acting innocent and weepy, throwing occasional tantrums and side-eye glances, plotting to throw people around him under the bus.

More questions:
What is Zhuang Shi Yang's motivation? To get promoted to Prime Minister? He's received one promotion since the drama started.
Did we see all his ill-gotten gains; the gold and silver treasures that Director Pei had amassed?
Did we see him conspiring with the Royal Court members? Was Fu Yunxi hint at a conspiracy?
Will he redeem himself at the end, or will Hanyan serve him the Tea and THE dagger thrust to the heart? He should be beheaded. Madam Zhou and Yushan can follow him, if they want.

When Zhuang returns home, he will probably go after Mother since she was the only one who knew that her husband was poisoned.

I thought he was going to blame his mother. LOL I think Zhuang Shi Ying and Screenwriter colluded on the script plot. It is tiring to watch Zhuang Shi Ying's scheming drag out.

Good drama! Main male lead slept throughout the drama. LOL

He gives himself away when he does the side-eyed 😒 glances. 🤣🤣🤣

I also thought of A'Li from Eternal Love when I was watching Ling Zhi.

Or Legend of Hanyan!

She is seven years old. She was six when she filmed the drama.

Filming period: 2024-Mar-23 to 2024-Jul-12

I am with you. I haven't watched a 50 episode drama in four years. Even the 40 episode drama can drag. The 30 episode drama is good, but the director will still find the time to drag out the plot.

She also has the hairpin. LOL

Mother Fu is the most congenial mother I have seen in any costume C-drama. She is kind, even-tempered and considerate. She hasn't thrown any tantrums or belittled the daughter-in-law.

She wins the following contests;

Best Mother Award
Best Mother-in-Law Award
Best Grandmother Award
Best Senior Citizen Award

Only the little girl is getting the point across.

If they added ten episodes, they would drag out the Zhuang dysfunctional family storyline. The Pei insurrection plan or hidden agenda has only been theorized, as of episode 24. It appears to be all in the intellectual scholar Minister Zhuang's brain. LOL

Well said. I starting thinking if there were any righteous characters. I would have to volunteer Hanyan's maid and Fu's assistants, the Mu brothers. They are loyal to their master.

The character of Ling Zhi is written as an adult in a little child's body. I thought she is five years' old. She talks like a twenty years' old. Realistically, a five years' old could not have the intuition, vocabulary, instinct, maturity level that Ling Zki demonstrates, but the writer is using her as the anchor or conscience for Hanyan. The little actress is out-acting all the adult actors on the payroll.

🤣🤣🤣 So funny, but true!