Seriously - what the hell was that ending - soooo bad!Beyond that, this is one of those dramas the I liked some…
novel is a rebirth surrounding FL's first life experience and 2nd life experience/changes. She tried to change what happen in her first life in her second life so she don't end up with the same fate in her first life. - mother's death/passing - keeping her distance from the step mother and gu lan and fighting against their schemes - keeping her distance from CXQ - keeping her brother safe - keeping YX from becoming a feared monster - keeping CYY from dying at 34. - realizing she missed out on CYY's love/care and finding how much CYY loves her.
do read the novel...it's much more satisfying and realistic compare to the drama adaptation. however, you might find the storyline hard to accept on some aspects.
ML and FL are 15 years apart. She's 15 when she married 30 year old ML. ML was married prior and have 3 kids before FL.
Chen Xing Qing is ML's first son with the first wife. That makes FL his step mother even though they are about the same age and she at one time was infatuated (unrequited love) CXQ.
Ye Xian is actually a weird/whatever guy. he's super carefree and doesn't think much about the society's expectations. he's sickly and was given dx that he would not live pass 10 years old. so he grew up without any type of emotional attachment to anything. his family doesn't pressure him and takes very good care of him due to his poor health. he doesn't die in the novel. he carried out his promise to FL to keep ML safe (when he was supposed to died in Szechuan on a mission). he sees GJZ as a confidante/friend. he likes to annoy his family or more like he felt his family is annoying. first life:
first life: he turn more sinister/dark when he was left to support the family after the death/downfall of his dad. he went from a young carefree youth to a high commander (2nd in power and on the same power status as CYY at court). he subjected the person who betrayed/killed his father to 'ling chi' (death by a thousand cuts) and wreaked havoc on people who treated his family bad after their downfall. on his way to revenge, he lost a part of his youth and sense of faith.
the drama left out a lot of details, side stories and info that may not connect with novel aspects.
I love the ML’s character. Although he’s calm, smart, and strategic, a major plot hole is how a civil court…
in the novel, he's a a 'wen yan' scholar only. he's not skilled in fighting/martial arts (wu jiang). he only knows simple skills to protect himself and have personal attendant/body guard and a shadow guard who protects him. even though he's not a wu jiang, he's still a strategist, but he have people fighting for him.
i know drama adaptation varies but this drama stray so far from everything in the novel. besides character's names, every one's story background, story arch and ending is different (or will be). so whatever happens for drama is up in the air at this point.
Does anyone know if Lin Mu Ran’s character is significant in the story? We know so far that ye li saved him…
it's hard to tell now b/c the drama stray so far from the novel. he plays han mingyue...in the novel: he fell in love w/ mxy's first fiance and betrayed when he was at his lowest.
novel: the father is a strong believer of prophecy/divination. the father sent FL away for 7 years b/c of what the taoist said something about her fire element will burn his wood element blagh blagh blagh. to avoid this, the taoist suggest sending FL away and pick her up when she is 8. the mother can't just leave the house/home on a whelm b/c she is the lady of the house and needs to manage the household and take care of the younger brother. the mother doesn't trust the concubine to leave her young son at home.
FL was brought up by her maternal granddaughter who loves and dotes on her. on her mother's side of the family, she was treasured and loved by the grandmother, esp being the youngest child there. FL just don't have a close relationship with her mom, but don't see it as abandonment. she's just not emotionally connected or depending on the mom. when she returned home, the concubine and 1/2 sister (gu lan) purposely got closed to her whereas the mom was mostly drain/sick and couldn't bond w/ her. due to the trust she have with 1/2 sister, she's often mislead to think like a nit and act on her love struck brain, often breaking decorum and propriety that is expected of a daughter from a legal wife status.
if was only in the second life that she see everything and everyone with clarity. all except ML. she always though ML married her bc of conveniency, not because of love.
the novel breaks down the complications of 1. family dynamics, rules and expectations 2. power play and schemes of the women at home 3. political power balance (not a lot of emphasis).
The good thing about this novel is that is goes into the family dynamics and the character's position and power...not too much about politics. it gives us an insight of how society dictates/governs marriages/family seniority and expectations.
dramas seems to always try to adapt it into a feminism theme when it's not always the case. villains get their deserved endings in the novel vs drama version where they get off easy.
in her first life: she was naive to think that the concubine and 1/2 sister treat her well with no evil intensions.
He is one of the most charming character that I have ever read. He is mysterious, sharp, dangerous and deeplyyyyyyyyyyy…
from novel: he is amused/intrigue by her and her wits and merciless character in the beginning...but he started falling for her before they parted----she w/ her family to the frontier and him as general to fight the invaders. she was drunk on the night he came to see her off at the inn...and in the drunken stupor, she kissed him (pretty much stole his first kiss). he left to fight the invaders as a guise for his fake persona to die in battle and to resume his true identity: the prince of liang.
he's a big tease and flirt with her after they reunited the 2 year separation. those chapters and their interactions are funny and cute. he named his white tiger after her (nickname: jiao jiao)
- mother's death/passing
- keeping her distance from the step mother and gu lan and fighting against their schemes
- keeping her distance from CXQ
- keeping her brother safe
- keeping YX from becoming a feared monster
- keeping CYY from dying at 34.
- realizing she missed out on CYY's love/care and finding how much CYY loves her.
do read the novel...it's much more satisfying and realistic compare to the drama adaptation. however, you might find the storyline hard to accept on some aspects.
ML and FL are 15 years apart. She's 15 when she married 30 year old ML.
ML was married prior and have 3 kids before FL.
Chen Xing Qing is ML's first son with the first wife. That makes FL his step mother even though they are about the same age and she at one time was infatuated (unrequited love) CXQ.
Ye Xian is actually a weird/whatever guy. he's super carefree and doesn't think much about the society's expectations. he's sickly and was given dx that he would not live pass 10 years old. so he grew up without any type of emotional attachment to anything. his family doesn't pressure him and takes very good care of him due to his poor health.
he doesn't die in the novel. he carried out his promise to FL to keep ML safe (when he was supposed to died in Szechuan on a mission). he sees GJZ as a confidante/friend. he likes to annoy his family or more like he felt his family is annoying.
first life:
first life: he turn more sinister/dark when he was left to support the family after the death/downfall of his dad. he went from a young carefree youth to a high commander (2nd in power and on the same power status as CYY at court). he subjected the person who betrayed/killed his father to 'ling chi' (death by a thousand cuts) and wreaked havoc on people who treated his family bad after their downfall. on his way to revenge, he lost a part of his youth and sense of faith.
the drama left out a lot of details, side stories and info that may not connect with novel aspects.
novel:
the father is a strong believer of prophecy/divination. the father sent FL away for 7 years b/c of what the taoist said something about her fire element will burn his wood element blagh blagh blagh. to avoid this, the taoist suggest sending FL away and pick her up when she is 8.
the mother can't just leave the house/home on a whelm b/c she is the lady of the house and needs to manage the household and take care of the younger brother. the mother doesn't trust the concubine to leave her young son at home.
FL was brought up by her maternal granddaughter who loves and dotes on her. on her mother's side of the family, she was treasured and loved by the grandmother, esp being the youngest child there. FL just don't have a close relationship with her mom, but don't see it as abandonment. she's just not emotionally connected or depending on the mom. when she returned home, the concubine and 1/2 sister (gu lan) purposely got closed to her whereas the mom was mostly drain/sick and couldn't bond w/ her. due to the trust she have with 1/2 sister, she's often mislead to think like a nit and act on her love struck brain, often breaking decorum and propriety that is expected of a daughter from a legal wife status.
if was only in the second life that she see everything and everyone with clarity. all except ML. she always though ML married her bc of conveniency, not because of love.
the novel breaks down the complications of 1. family dynamics, rules and expectations 2. power play and schemes of the women at home 3. political power balance (not a lot of emphasis).
The good thing about this novel is that is goes into the family dynamics and the character's position and power...not too much about politics. it gives us an insight of how society dictates/governs marriages/family seniority and expectations.
dramas seems to always try to adapt it into a feminism theme when it's not always the case. villains get their deserved endings in the novel vs drama version where they get off easy.
in her first life: she was naive to think that the concubine and 1/2 sister treat her well with no evil intensions.
he's a big tease and flirt with her after they reunited the 2 year separation. those chapters and their interactions are funny and cute. he named his white tiger after her (nickname: jiao jiao)