TaliaToo

It's a strange dilemma. There is a ten years thing going on with this revenge, so even if the ML led the army as a 16 year old, he would be 26. But the woman general mentioned she joined the army 13 years ago, so she couldn't have left at 12 or 13 (assuming she was a year or so younger than the ML)! So I'm just as confused as you, LOL. The CP, especially, should have lots of concubines by now since he wasn't "crazy" like ML was.

I had been tempted to watch Love In The Desert because the colors were so beautiful. Is it really that rapey? ML doing it?

I'm ancient. So ancient...,LOL.
I'm a big fan of old wuxias and strong FLs who took care of business without ML's coddling. Today's Liu Shi Shi's character in JTL is just homage to those old wuxias. I think there was one in the 2010s that was totally a copycat homage but I can't remember the title or actress--I see many clips of this drama on YouTube. Same idea, a woman in a veiled hat coming into town for vengeance and her martial arts was above everyone's EXCEPT this actress was not trained at all and they used a lot of too-quick camera work and CGI. I watched these clips because of the reference to the old Cheng Pei Pei version of this kind of Wulin Female Martial Artist but didn't choose to continue because the fighting was not interesting at all--the actress swirled her sword and ten guys laid on the ground dead, gah. WJY here did a better job 200%.

So red it was black! I wanted to burn him!

Not sure whether it will break your heart. The Double's writing is wayyyy above but this drama is binge-worthy. MRJH is a twisty and dark prince with a certain soft spot for his assassin--at least, that's how it seems for the first ten episodes. FL is very, very capable -- smart and able to do martial arts like nobody's business, but her revenge methods is different XFF's. XFF knew who to target, how to go about it, and was very eloquent in court. Mei Lin did not seem to know who to target, her investigation is very business-like and of course, she didn't play court games. Just a very different dynamic. The chemistry between this drama's protagonists is good--it's more raw than XFF and Duke Su's--but I must say I seem to prefer the Double's double entendre and word play as they flirted through their revenge. Nonetheless, I'm invested in Mei Lin and her man right now :).

I was thinking the same thing! The eye lovemaking!

You haven't been watching Chinese dramas and movies since the 60s. They were still little trollet cells when Cheng Pei Pei lit the world with her balletic martial arts moves. CPP pioneered the kickasz FL entering town on a horse, wearing the big veiled hat, white robed and quiet and graceful as she remained silent. She was one of the first FL who would sit to order food at the restaurant and then wipe out the bullies trying to make fun of her without spilling a drop of tea.

When I was a kid, I would ask my grandma to buy me a plastic sword and using my mom's see-thru window panels, I would put it over my paddy hat. Then my poor brother would suffer untold humiliation because little Talia Pei Pei would beat his behind. :) So please don't talk about "raising the bar," little one. There are elders here who have watched and studied the art and history of KickAss female leads in the old wuxias. I might be talking about the LAST century, but that was how great wuxia FLs were before. I could also bring up the 70s TVB wuxias or the 80s and 90s Michelle Yeoh FL characters or the 00s Zhang ZiYi, all of whom had raised the bar far, far above Liu Shi Shi (although I like her too).

Sorry, the post was for the OP about "raising the bar." I'll repost under her post. My mistake.
And oh, yes, the patronizing tone was deliberate, but not to you :). This is the third? post today about Liu Shi Shi's character as the best ever.

Unfortunately, wuxias often don't have a good ending. Let's hope they will break this "rule."

***Somehow replied under the wrong post ***

Double lol

It was an HE in the novel. So, not dead.

Can you imagine XFF listening to that whisper in the dark?!

It was one special thread, pointing to the direction of the hidden characters made in the wood frame. She looked a little long enough and played with the threat enough to know that one threat was different.

Don’t read it. I wanted to burn the book. Alas, it was a digital book l

😂 No one can top Su Guo Gong’s Ah Li in that sexy persuasive voice. Hahaha.

Right? I do think there is a missing scene because of edits.

yes, I rewatched too. It was the way she said it that made me think if she were referencing the one year.

But it also makes me laugh that he wanted to protect Mei Lin. My goodness, man, SHE protected you. She saved you twice. Give it up, man. Girl could fly over rooftops (even if you didn't know this). Girl could take whippings without a scream. Girl could take torture. Dude, give it up.

She mentioned herself as a "dying" person. There was no scene of ML telling her that the seeds only gave her one year. I wonder if she knew about this.