ChineseDramaFan

At that point, no one cares whether she lives or not because she's being pardoned, and no more a fugitive. If you're still in doubt, re-watch the last episode carefully, take in all the hints and use my rationale to explain what you see, then you may come to the same conclusion as I did.

We're neighbors :D

Shoot! No matter how we look at the whole thing, it's still pain, pain, pain :C

Actually there were a lot of hints telling us she didn't die. Every event, gesture, word, scene in the last episode told us so. The writers just didn't want to make it too blatant that it's a HEA ending, but it was.

Shen Lige realizes that her husband is planning to give up everything and run away with her. He arranges for the disappearances of her mother and brother, and her "si xiong" and "si di" so that they won't be killed should she disappear. Then he receives the pardon from the Emperor, so her family can return home even when Shen Lige is gone. Liu Yikang continues with his reforms. Once he's done, he goes to join her at their hideaway place.

Don't let the wine scene fool you. The wine is not poisonous and she hasn't killed herself.

When we see Shen Lige drinking some wine, we straight away think it's poisonous wine. That's a wrong conclusion we jump into. A lot of things cannot be explained had Shen Lige died by killing herself, but with her still alive, then everything falls into place.

First of all, before the wine scene, Liu Yikang has been delegating all the duties to his brother, Shen Lige finds her parents' home empty, her "si xiong" and "si di" are gone. She realizes something is going on: her husband has arranged for all these disappearances, and he's planning to run away with her. She's drinking her wine, thinking through things, and making her decision. She doesn't want him to give up everything for her because so much blood has been spilled and he has been fighting for the reforms all these years. Instead, she decides to leave alone so that the reforms would not be jeopardized, that's before he receives the pardon from the Emperor. Liu Yikang continues with his reforms. Everything is back to normal: her brother gets married and his wife is expecting, Liu Yikang goes to her parents' home for meals etc. Note, there's no mourning or anything to indicate that Shen Lige is dead. By the end of his reforms, he goes to their hideaway and they live together happily ever after. I believe by the end of the drama, it's also the time he was demoted to a normal citizen in actual historical record.

Actually I love the ending. I think it's brilliant. The writers have been playful with us.

I know what you mean: if it's turning bad, we want it real bad, as bad as it can get like stabbing us in the heart and makes us bleed all over, so that it stays in our memory forever, just like Goodbye My Princess.

Yeah, I guess it's all business for them by the time she has a child. We really need to pat each other on the back when we finally finish watching this drama.

Do you think it's going to happen?

Oh no, literally?

Hahaha! He looks different also when he's serious and deadly, totally different from when he's silly and adorable XD

I absolutely agree with you. The current synopsis is misleading. Maybe you need to write to the admin to ask them clarify this. I believe many don't watch the drama therefore not aware of its discrepancy. And they always prefer a source they can trust, unless you can convince them.

Yes, I like this drama over Dating in the Kitchen too. I find this one has more depth, and the jokes are not blatant. One has to catch them between the homophones, hidden gestures etc. I simply love this drama.

Another painful experience for your Sifeng baby here T_T

Exactly! This is my most favorite airing drama at the moment.

What happens to the sudden huge drop in rating?

You're absolute spot on with the acting of both main leads. That's why I can't say I like Helan Mingyu despite of the sacrifices she has made and her love for Xiao Chengxu, precisely for how she is treating both men: the one she doesn't love but married to and the one she loves but can only look at from afar. Her expressions in both cases are the same. There's no yearning on her face when she looks at Xiao Chengxu privately/secretly. There's too much tenderness and affection when she's with Xiao Chengrui. I really wish she has the same demeanor with Chengrui as when she's with her grandfather - respect at a distance. But then again, I don't know if this is not unintended. What if the scriptwriters and directors want precisely this emotion from Helan Mingyu - her indifference - because she's going to be the Mother of the Nation? She has to hide all her sufferings silently. No one should see or know how she feels. To protect the ones she loves, she needs to have some kind of power or have influence over the powerful ones. Therefore, she needs to show certain level of affection towards her husband, and she may need to produce an heir eventually to maintain or garner more power.

As for Xiao Chengxu, I feel Cheng Yi's acting is perhaps better in terms of showing the viewers his emotions during those pivotal moments. I can't really feel his affection when he is with Mingyu in the old days, but I can feel his pain when he comes back to find her married, thinking she has moved on and doesn't love him anymore. I can feel the betrayal he's experiencing. After her marriage, I can also feel the hidden torments he is undergoing whenever Mingyu is present. I do feel the coldness he has towards his wife until at some point he softens only hardens again when he finds out what she has done. This is a very difficult character to play. On one hand, Cheng Yi has to show his torments to the viewers, on the other hand, these torments have to be hidden from the eyes of those around him, in particular, from the King.

Like you have said, let's see how the chemistry between the two after the King is dead and he's entrusted to guide the heir, and in frequent contact with his old flame. We're only 1/3 through our story, let's not jump into conclusion too soon.

After I finished this drama, I was in awe. I've never thought romance can be expressed this way. This is the most beautiful romance I've ever seen, well surpasses most heterosexual romances.

From the recent discussions and plotlines available, we now know that Xiao Chengxu will die in battle. We have seen all his sufferings over the years. But in the end, who do you think suffers the most? To me, Helan Mingyu does. The living one usually suffers and sacrifices the most. She has to continue living for the greater good of all, hiding her pains and emotions.

Dang! This drama is unbearable!