Rachel

I think it was necessary though. There was no reason for the enemy to spare Gu Yu. He is a powerful general with a very loyal army. But of course, as a viewer, I would want Gu Yu to live 😭.

I saw it on weibo too 🥺. Cheng Yi is truly so sincere and such a respectable good person 🥺🥺.

Uncle Long, though. I kind of expected his betrayal but did not have any basis for it. It made sense why he was so supportive of Huai An. He needed Huai An to accomplish his and Tiemo people's goal.

Agreed. Cheng Yi did really well in this drama. From the start, Cheng Yi was the first actor announced for this drama even though Cheng Yi himself had not agreed to it. The platform, producer, and director really wanted him as Xie Huai An and he delivered. Everyone else were also amazing. The drama's success is the combined efforts of everyone indeed.

Very harsh indeed. It reflects reality.

Gu Yu's last scene was really sad but memorable. Ye Zuxin did really well in this show. Gu Yu was such a good character. His death will definitely impact Huai An a lot 😭. Never thought this show would keep on shocking me. I had guess that the imprisoned man, Wu Zhong Heng, was from Tiemo, but I never expected him to be the King? It's been 20 years since some of the Tiemo sleeper agents invaded Chang An. I really wonder how Xie Huai An and his remaining allies are going to protect Chang An. There's never a dull moment in this show.

He's not dead.

The person who was dressed in red was most likely Xiao Wuyang, the now missing Emperor. Or it could be Xiao Wuyang's father, the founding Emperor I'm not sure. Basically, Chancellor Gao is an extremely loyal subject and in his dying moments, he still worries about the Emperor. Or it could even be guilt towards the Emperor.

I don't know why you're scolding me because I'm not trying to insult the general. My comment was a reply to the other person. I even put "stupid" in quotation marks. And I don't even know if you understood my comment in the first place. I fully understand the general.

His sister is an independent person and not his object. She already said that when she wants to stay, she stays, and when she wants to leave, she'll leave. After her master/teacher died, her family in the countryside was worried about her, and so she wants to return to her family. Chang An is the place that is the MOST unstable and where the Huben Army's shadow guards are everywhere. Even Ye Zheng's crush, the seamstress went back to her hometown by herself. The problem isn't whether Bai Wan went back alone or with some guards or stayed by Xie Huai An's side. The problem is her identity as Liu Li. No matter what, she would've been killed as long as her identity was known by Yan Fengshan. Xie Huai An ended up realising that their plan has all along been exposed to Yan Fengshan and that they kind of fell into YFS's trap. This doesn't mean that Huai An is stupid? It just means that the opponent was smarter this time?

Tbh, I don't know what you expect. Do you expect a Gary Stu and a OP protagonist that wins 100%? Because this show is like chess, even the most experienced and skillful chess players will lose many pieces before winning, especially if it's against a strong opponent. Yan Fengshan is not your common street villain, despite being a general, he is also a master strategist. Why else do you think he can control Chang An for years? If he was outsmarted by a much younger and less experienced strategist so easily then it's ridiculous, isn't it?

Well, then shouldn't it be that General Gu Yu is "stupid"? Based on Xie Huai An's initial plan, they could most probably all escape. But, Gu Yu is a general and soldier foremost (not a strategist), he wants revenge for his fallen soldiers. Gu Yu also suffered terrible humiliation by the enemies, being paraded around the street like that. He is emotional and vengeful and Xie Huai An understands that because he also sees himself in Gu Yu. Most likely, Gu Yu would have refused to leave unless Xie Huai An can come up with a plan for him to have his revenge. Technically, this plan would've worked but Wang Pu always wears a hidden armour lol which left him still able to command the Huben soldiers.

In sum, emotions gotten the the upper hand over logic for Gu Yu. And honestly, I can understand that if I was in his shoes. It was a wrong decision and wasn't a foolproof plan but it wasn't completely stupid.

Yes, she's Wumei, Gu Yu's bodyguard.

Haish it's because nowadays people get bored easily if they don't see flashy scenes and aesthetic visuals. People don't use their brains to watch dramas, which is fine (because drama watching is supposed to be recreational for some), but then they go on to insult the drama saying no logic. They want dramas where everything is explicitly shown and told to the viewers. They want characters that are simply either black or white, morally grey characters are difficult for them to understand. They want a plot where the MC is OP and wins all the time (which I understand because it's satisfying but it lacks depth).

^Not insulting anyone but this is indeed the market trend. That's why in China, a lot more people are turning to short dramas. The Vendetta of An really surprised me. I didn't expect such a unique script and plot to emerge.

Same tbh. When he and the temple guy were discussing to rat out Xie Huai An, I was like, "Hah! I knew it." And then it turned out that he was actually on Huai An and Chancellor Gao's side. He looks like the stereotypical bad guy but I'm so glad we were proven wrong!

This also shows that Chancellor Gao's judgement of people is rarely wrong, like what Gu Yu said in an earlier episode. Chancellor Gao was ready to abandon Gu Yu because he hasn't fully trusted him. For him to keep Commander Wang by his side for so long, it means that he is sure that Commander Wang would not betray him.

Yes ikr! There are quite a few storylines that revolve around other characters but are also central to the plot as well! Was pleasantly surprised with Gu Yu's and Xiao Wenjing's storylines. The writer did well to weave together the different storylines with the main plot.

Oh yes this too!

Yan Fengshan is prideful. The first words that he said to the shadow of Xie Huai An was "White head, do you yield?" It seems like more than killing Xie Huai An, he wants Xie Huai An (the only remaining Liu Clan member) to yield to him. He wants to prove that Liu Ziwen was wrong while he, Yan Fengshan, is correct. Also, Xie Huai An is a rare, exceptional talent just like his father. Yan Fengshan finds it a waste to kill him immediately. I'm not sure if Yan Fengshan feels like he could use Xie Huai An because there is definitely a bigger enemy/villain.

I think it was mentioned very briefly that Huai An has a lot of secrets that Yan Fengshan is interested in. I think the secrets could be referring to Liu Ziwen's/ former Huben Army's secrets because it seems like Yan Fengshan does not know everything. He is not aware of Cangshui River.

At least these were what I understood 😅 May need someone else to help explain further if I'm wrong hahaha

Which of his previous dramas did you watch and complete may I ask? I want to know which previous characters of his that you are referring to for comparison. Because a lot of his expressions and acting in this drama are completely foreign. He has never shown these expressions in his other dramas before.

Even in chess, I believe a perfect game where you don't lose any pieces is not quite possible, especially if your opponent is also very intelligent and with more experience.

Chang An is now fully under Yan Fengshan's control. And actually before Xiao Wuyang's short reign, Chang An was in Yan Fengshan's control for years. For Xie Huai An's side to eventually win, sacrifices have to be made. I don't know what other plan could Huai An devise when the situation is so dire. Few allies, limited information network, no military power, Chang An under YFS's control with many shadow guards etc. 😓 Gu Yu hiding in the canal in the palace was already a last ditch effort. Getting out is even more difficult with all the guards watching + he paralysed.

No problem! Glad to have clarified!