Luv Peony

just finished blossoms of power and here's hoping MZY would be able to pull a different acting for the FL...the time period is similar so it will be quite identical or like others say 'playing' the same genre FL all the time...

please share from the novel...

there's not much flashback on what or how his body was retrieved before being buried in the royal masoleum. wish they would be more thorough showing what and how he came about to be poison free.

i thought that part was pretty rush....it's like come on, we're not convinced he's dead dead dead. LOL

Keanu Reeves need to cast him in John Wick...a spin off or something!

a new fan and looooooove SO JISUB!!!

i would say she just have the advantage of her tragic first life to guide her to change her fate the second time around. i would say she's adaptive and schemes well.

from the novel or drama???
definitely not from the novel, so the drama plot may have change.

Back then, brothers and their families stay together under one household.
it's optional if they split and go their own way after the parents died. this is call 'fen gia' dividing the house/family by branch (each sibling is considered a branch).
for the ren family, they only divide branches, but not family/property/business/money) which is why there's a east wing and west wing. the property is divided by a wall with a door connecting both sides.

if they live together, the kids are numbered or go in the order of how old they are in the family. kids from the men's family are seen as tang brothers/sisters since they share the same family name, just different branches.
kids from the mother's family (aunts or uncles) are consider cousins.

oldest ren - residing in the east wing at ren residence
old master and madam (ren yaoqi's paternal grandparents)
Son #1 and wife (ren yaoqi's uncle and auntie in law)
kids: son (1), son (3), daughter (2: first to marry out, to another city), daughter (ren yaoyin)
Son #3 and wife (ren yaoqi's parents)
kids: Daughter (3), ren yaoqi (5)
with concubine kang
kids: twins: son (forgot his place in the family) and daughter (9)
Son #5 (youngest son and favorite of madam ren) and wife (surname Lin) (these are cousins and grew up together, daughter in law is madam ren's niece)
kids: daughter (8), son (forgot his place in the family)
Daughter (who married madame ren's sister; the lin family; second branch son) - Ren yaoqi's paternal aunt/her dad's sister

this makes up ren yaoqi's family branch.
her grandfather is the leader and the main executioner in the family when it comes to business and family decisions. her grandmother oversees the household but ultimately, the bigger/political like marriage alliance gets decided by the grandfather. her uncle #1 is groom to take over as the next household leader. her auntie (uncle #1's wife) runs the household and reports to madam ren.

2nd master and madam - residing in the west wing at ren residence, ren yaoqi's grand uncle and grand aunt in law.
Son #2 and wife
Sone #4 and wife
***don't remember the kids from this branch b/c they are not as important.
(ren yaoqi's grand uncle and aunt)

if you read the chinese novel (or want to practice), there's audio book that you could read along the novel.

i concur...the father is supposed to be what the men in the old society supposed to act in terms of husband, father and family obligations. he is the only father character that follows Confusius teachings.

he doesn't treat his son better, more like he has expectations for his son since he's the only male to succeed him. he doesn't spoil or have preferential treatment towards the son. if it wasn't for his mother arranging a concubine for him, he would be fine with his wife and daughters.

i think it's best to not hold the drama dear to the novel haha...i love the novel and i don't want to have the anticipation of the drama unfolding in another direction, which seems to be the case with adaptations.

not enough...

LOLOLOLOLOLOL

from the novel, yes. she's a modern woman or more correctly, a woman with a military training background. the novel doesn't explain much but will have tidbits of her previous life memory. so it's time travel and transmigration in the body of ye li.

you may sit down <____>

yeah most novels are long and very rich in characters, esp the build up and growth of the characters. it's a good read if you the time. it would be a soap opera if this was film in multiple seasons like american daytime soap opera.

i read/listen to the audio. the novel storyline and plot is pretty good. this is possibly the only ML that i come across that doesn't like/annoyance of his firstborn son....he also have a fierce unyielding love for FL. when he thought FL died, he was ready to pull the world (at least that part of china) into chaos even if it's at the cost of innocent lives (the citizens of the different ruling regions). when the son was a baby, he was talking to him : your dad/prince will cherish/spoil you if you do not fight me for your mother's love. know your place and you will be the most loved child at the manor.

ML's son caused the demise of prince Li. it's sort of funny and evil of the father and son dual.

FL's maternal side of the family:

great grandfather - the chancellor of the previous dynasty, he killed the king so the city doesn't get slaughter/annihilated. the dynasty was pretty much at its end with the king choosing to not abdicate and rather let the gates break down
grandfather. b/c of their actions, the great grandfather kill himself after presenting the king's head to the invading troops. he also left a will to future descendents of the tsui to not take up a political post. since they cannot take political post, they take up on education and teaching at the li shan college.

grandfather - a highly respected scholar for his wisdom and knowledge
uncle 1 : married with 3 sons
- principle of li shan academy/college

uncle 2 : married with 2 sons
- a small post at the censorate bureau (basically a department that takes/process/investigate on the behavior of other court officials, your modern human resources), no power in this position.
FL's mom

FL's mom died of sadness/disappointment and neglect from FL's dad.

all the men are bright smart and handsome men. even though they are not politically involved w/ the court (due to great grandfather's will and also to avoid the king's suspicion/wrath), they are very popular and well respected. they all partaked in the imperial exam and got place in the top 3 spots.

ML's paternal side of the family:
grandmother - widow who raised and supported ML's father through school
father - a poor studios scholar who won a 'jin' shi title from the imperial exams, secretarial post, secretly serves the queen dowager

stepmother; madam wong - FL's father's concubine who he favors, comes from a less educated background. she was elevated to the primary wife after FL's mother dies. once elevated, her children are now the primary kids, not a concubine's level children.
father w/ stepmother's kids:
older half sister (married to the king as a concubine, zhao yi)
younger half sister (stole/seduce the prince Li at the encouragement of father/grandmother, married to prince Li)
younger brother - about 12 years old and simply spoiled rotten by the grandmother/mom

concubine zhao - she leaves with the help of FL in the beginning part of the novel due to madam wong's schemes to abort her unborn child
younger half brother

paternal side of the family loses power when the dowager queen was kicked out of the political struggles between the king and prince li. relocated to the north west frontier after dynasty (forgot the name) was invaded. they relied on FL to live a simple life. father felt regret with his greediness for power and only seek to live a simple life...but constantly being driving nuts by his mother and wife.

question: is attire for wedding events casual? i noticed guests (here and from other korean friends weddings) comes pretty casual.