Brennnndda

Episode 14 made me respect the mother a little more.

She is against the marriage because she knows her daughter doesn't love him. She's very hard on CSS, but she still wants CSS to have a marriage filled with an abundance of love..like what she has with her husband.

I think the drama is doing a very good job at portraying the mother-daughter relationship. I think the tension would still be there regardless of whether her mother raised her. Seeing them reminds me of the fights I had with my mother when I was a teenager.

I beg to differ. I didn't think there was any romantic chemistry in The Long Ballad at all between Wu Lei and Dilraba.

I think ZLS is just one of those actresses who have chemistry with all her costars.

I respect that he wants to respect her decision. It's not noble idiocy..it's just noble. He probably knows that he can't give her a stable life since he is always on the battlefield. Plus, there's his whole backstory that we don't know yet..which makes me wonder if that is also holding him back.

The grandma's dislike for the mom is so annoying. She hates her because she was previously divorced...it's been over 20+ years since CSS's mom married into the Cheng family..get over it already, sheesh

Literally don't need any of the men to keep the women down in this patriarchal society since the women are doing such a good job keeping each other down -__-

In the trailers for the next couple episodes, Ling Buyi narrates that SS has found the right man and will be happy and safe now..while SS says in later episodes that it doesn't matter how Ling Buyi feels because she never got any proposals from him, but she did get one from Lou Yao so she's not going to let a good match escape her grasp.
This tells me that if she had the choice between the two, while she doesn't particularly love either right now, she would've considered her options. But because Ling Buyi wants to respect her decision (after overhearing what she looks for in her marriage in episode 9-ish), he's willing to step aside if Lou Yao is her ideal marriage match.

I think it's more just the lack of knowing how to communicate with her daughter. I don't particularly thinks she means to be so harsh but both mother and daughter are extremely stubborn so when each is pushed into a corner, they snap back.
It's not right that she treats Cheng Yang so endearingly and essentially ignores Shao Shang ... but sometimes it's easier to be kinder to people who are not as close in relation to you. I have no doubt that if both girls were in immediate danger, that the mom would save Shao Shang and not Cheng Yang.
However, for what it's worth, from the character BTS of Shao Shang, it seems she'll find a mother figure in the empress so we'll have that to look forward to.

I suppose that would make sense. Trailers up to 18 have come out and she's still engaged to Lou Yao. The drama feels a bit more slow paced so I'm just hoping the first half isn't slow because it'll force the second half to speed through things.

If he is innocent..I wonder if that makes us as viewers more cynical lol

I've seen comments of viewers doubting Cheng Yang and her innocence..and I myself doubted Uncle Wan when Ling Buyi was asking for the map of Shu..if they are truly good people, maybe we've all become too scarred and doubtful from drama watching lol

This is in other dramas before but it feels more blatant in this one: the socialite women desire a man/family with status but don't seem to comprehend how these men got their status.

Ex: when the grandmother was willing to let her son (CSS's father) use his title to help out the uncle from the embezzlement case without hesitation. It wasn't until the other lady came and specified how he nearly died saving her that the mother realized her son actually fought with his life on the line and thought to look at his scars. She said something like "I wanted you to gain merit, not risk your life" ... what exactly did she think he was doing when he and his wife left their infant daughter to fight in a war?
And this princess who's obsessed with Ling Buyi...obviously she doesn't like him because she actually knows him. It's more for his looks/reputation/status. But if she saw him kill so ruthlessly..would she still want to be with him?

Not everyone can be a Ling Bu Yi lol

I'm thinking season 1 will end with this break up and part 2 will start after the time skip

She's going to go nuts to learn there are THREE guys fighting to be her daughter's husband hahahha

Is this Wu Lei's first onscreen kiss?

If Cheng Shao Shang is 15 at the start of the drama, how old is Ling Bu Yi? I'm assuming he's many years older considering he's already a general (and ranks higher than her father).

The mom is literally saying Niao Niao's behavior is bad because she was barely raised by Madan Ge...but we see that the brothers are exactly the same from their playfulness to their cleverness. Her behavior is just like them so it's how she was born, not how she was raised. We also see that Niao Niao is really smart..just more hands-on and not book-smart (but how can you be book-smart if you were barely taught to read?). Rather than a scholar, she's more suited to be an engineer.

It's hilarious that she lingers on his mind yet she's never given him a second thought hahahah

I'm thinking the 2 other engagements probably won't happen in the drama though

She keeps criticizing her daughter's behaviors but we see that her brothers are exactly like her. Her playfulness and cleverness is definitely genetic..guess mom doesn't like seeing a mini her running around.