Rachel

Regarding YFS's death, I thought it was really well done because it showed that XHA ended up killing him using psychological tactics and schemes, rather than a glorious battle or some grand plan. Probably nobody expected YFS to die like this, not even YFS himself. XHA understood YFS very well. He knew that YFS won't kill him immediately because he liked control and liked XHA submitting to him. He knew that Wang Pu's death was a regret of YFS. His conversations with YFS were all to make YFS lower his guard and actually believe (for a moment) that he was really seeing Wang Pu.

Although sort of anticlimatic, I ended up appreciating how YFS's death was executed. He deserved dying to a scheme that he never expected.

Love his character! I don't think I ever seen a warrior/general Emperor who is also quite intelligent before. An Emperor who usurped the throne but doesn't actually want the throne.

I think another person already replied you but the logic in that is he had to kill Wang Xing if not Xie Huai An would be exposed when Wang Xing manage to run to Hidden Soldier Valley. That is the logic and not a justification, once again. This show is filled with morally grey characters and morally grey decisions but this does not mean that all (or most) characters were born evil/bad.

Ikrrr 😭 One interesting fact about this dialogue. I saw people posting that scene's original script on weibo. Originally, Huai An was supposed to say "I know" in reply to that but Cheng Yi changed it to "I owe him nothing."

They have so much money to spend on buying black trending searches and smear campaigns too. If they really are who I'm thinking of, I can only say that these people are too obsessed and absorbed in their sick fan culture that they're losing their lives.

Yes!! He's so cool in this drama 🤩

What?? I can't believe people would do this just to sabotage a drama. Genuinely, do people not have lives? Is it so important for them to ruin a drama...

It was a moment of impulse which was caused by built up frustration and jealousy that Zhang Mo can be free while he, Xiao Wenjing, cannot. XWJ for most of his life have been living in a cage, controlled by Yan Fengshan in the past and then now under the control of Xie Huai An. At that moment when he killed Zhang Mo, he was mentally unstable. Imagine being kidnapped and forced to change your face and before that, he was starved. Even before that, the palace was under attack and we also don't know how YFS treated him all these years. Also, growing up as a royal and under the control of YFS, he was probably not taught to value the lives of people of status lower than him. So when he (XWJ) hears Zhang Mo saying that he (ZM) gets to go home and be free, it may have triggered him.

NOT giving a justification for his actions but this is what I understood about him. He committed a very terrible wrong (no excuses for it) but I don't believe he is inherently evil/bad.

He's alive.

Emperor Wuyang is not killing the four commanders just to stay on the throne. He wants to prevent them from partnering with Yan Fengshan or giving their military power to Yan Fengshan. And this is not because Xiao Wuyang cares for the throne or power. It's because under Yan Fengshan's rule (through Xiao Wenjing), the country was not prospering and the people were not living well. The four commanders may have built the country with the founding emperor years ago but they seem to put their interests before the people/country.

Haha no worries, we'll see if the show will come up with a timeline in future!

I get your point. But greed is part of human nature. Look at our world's history. How many countries started war because of wanting more (e.g., land, resources, oil etc.)? Why should the Tiemo King stop now when he can get Chang An's land and resources for his own country and people to prosper? The Tiemo King is a good and caring leader to his people, yes. But probably only to his people.

We know that the General is not a good person. But a person's gratitude is not necessarily given to a good person, but a person who is good to them. Why should she care whether General Yan was a bad person who betrayed Liu Ziwen? Does it concern her? If General Yan had treated her well, why should she care if he treats others badly or kills others? Like you said, General Yan isn't a good person, then do you think Chen Zhiying is a good person? She's not going to think like a good person.

Actually it may not even be half a year. I was browsing through some fanmade videos on bilibili and cnetz were saying that it's less than half a year since Xie Huai An entered Chang An and there were already three emperors 😂I'm Chinese myself so I went to rewatch the scenes + use Chinese subtitles to verify if I'm hearing and reading correctly. I think HZL has been in Hidden Soldier Alley for maybe a month or less. It's possible to form a friendship with Di Lu because he's friendly and he's the one in charge of taking care of newcomers! HZL and Huai An also form a friendship despite interacting for only a brief period. But yes I agree that the timeline is kind of confusing 😅

I'm guessing now it's time to unite against the foreign enemy. Chang An can be taken by Yan Fengshan but it must never fall to invaders. Old enemies may (temporarily) work together with Huai An hopefully.

Oh nevermind I found it! It's in Episode 11, around the 37 minute mark. Han Ziling was lying to Wang Pu because Wang Pu was suspicious of him. He said that before coming to Hidden Soldier Alley, he worked as a trash collector for 7 years. This is a lie because he is a renowned scholar and not a trash collector haha

Huh wait what did I miss?? 7 years?? But I saw some cnetz said that it's only been half a year. I don't know about Han Ziling being a trash collector for 7 years but translation was definitely wrong in the Commander Wang and Wang Pu scene. I just went back to see, Commander Wang said "我和他们一起待过三五日". That means 3-5 days not years.

Do you remember which episode Han Ziling mentioned that? Maybe I can double check 😅

Yes! He's so charismatic. Can't hate him much even though he's the villain...

Yan Fengshan's actor, Zhang Hanyu, is amazing. His achievements are really impressive. To have so many veteran and accomplished actors in this drama is such a treat. Kudos to all the cast again! We're 3/4 there!

Xie Huai An's father is Liu Ziwen. Liu Ziwen is known as an extremely rare and talented genius. He had numerous merits including many strategies that had protected the country. Xie Huai An is his son, there's a saying, "Like father, like son (有其父必有其子)". Although Huai An's time at the grand academy was short, he always topped the class and was acknowledged as being very talented himself. (Keep in mind that only the sons of nobles or royals attend this academy. So Huai An really stood out if he topped the class.) Also, for Huai An to be able to escape Yan Fengshan and Huben Army for 15 years, from him being a 10 year old child to 25 years old, that's a crazy feat. This show doesn't mention stuff explicitly to the viewers 😅, but it can be understood if you catch the details. If you are confused about the show at any point of time, you can ask here!

I thought it was obvious enough. It's not misplaced anger. Chen Zhiying wants to avenge her general. It's not misplaced at all because it was indeed Xie Huai An that killed Yan Fengshan. She said that she wants Xie Huai An's life in return for Yan Fengshan. Although Yan Fengshan is the bad guy in our eyes, he is probably a good leader, a benefactor, and possibly family to Chen Zhiying. Like Wang Pu, Chen Zhiying may be an orphan or saved by Yan Fengshan.