noor1234

Well, it cost a lot to get educated by the kind of tutor he had....but people did take these exams, rich & poor. So he would've been capable, no matter what. His problem is, he's shameless, cruel narcissist who doesn't give a real damn about anyone. Such a person would be extremely bad as an official, as a husband, & I'm sure even as a son. He'll backstab everyone.

Shameless /SML hasn't fallen for anyone in his life & never will - he's a narcissist. He just wants his way, no matter what it is, no matter who he tramples, or how many get affected or who gets killed.

Based on main trailer, marriage carriage comes in front of a LARGE house, so ML has to be in a big post by then - I'm hoping they get married around Ep.18-19 before he goes to war, so that she is secure once & for all. But C-dramas usually take forever to get couples together, so t.s.johnson may be right.

Actually I understood it as he got someone to tamper with the stable because Shameless SML had ordered 'inspection' in 3 days (meaning stable had to be cleaned & ready in 3 days - too little time to clean it) so ML decided to tamper the roof, so that it falls 'during snowstorm' so that there's natural dust everywhere, & no one has to 'clean' the stables. ML didn't want to do as Shameless had ordered. ML thought he'd come after 3 days, not that same afternoon.

I cannot believe it either, because it was soooooooooo obvio that the lecherous officer Dufua was killing civilians & claiming credit. I think this is the last that we will see of this guy, because there's no way you make a false claim against a senior (merit for deaths!!!) & still live / survive / stay in the army.

ML & FL are small fry in the larger scheme of things. 16th prince (now king) simply told him to join army - & btw, he refused in front of that prince, it was only when prince's secretary spoke to FL who then convinced ML. Secretary arranged the LoR for ML to get IN the military - ML is an uneducated smuggler with no connections - so LoR got him in the military, that's it. LoR is not a carte blanche for what happens during military service & is not a guarantee for advancement in military career.

Shameless (SML, I call him Shameless) is the son of a minister so even though he visited this town with his superiors, he is followed / given more respect because of his father. That's why ML/FL are facing new problems.

Actually without the Yu name he would still be the top scholar - who topped all 3 exams. So his arrogance does not just come from the status, but also his own hard work (10 years of study). No, I don't think he believes he's fighting the good fight. He's a petty small-minded man who doesn't care about right and wrong.

There is no 'unhingeness' in ML - he knows how to protect loved ones when push comes to shove.

Ep. 15: The most satisfying kick of the year was the one given by ML to SML (I'm calling him Mr. Shameless from now on). If only Shameless had seen what ML did to that lecherous officer in Ep.14, he wouldn't have messed with him. ML is no pushover. The level of audacity & cringe Shameless has displayed in this episode boggles my mind!

He tried to destroy FL's reputation AND get her killed. Then tried to destroy ML's reputation AND get him killed. He's just began his official duties but he is going to ruin his career because he went after ML - with no good reason other than envy at his life & fiancee'. The entire Yu family is full of mentally ill, egotistical narcissists. He doesn't realize how easy it is to manipulate him (just get mommy to say she likes something & he'll do the opposite).

I loved this dialogue:
"If you'd known Young Madam didn't like them, you might not have brought old books home."
"Had I known, she might never have become Young Madam."

I did not like: Grandma's uneventful sendoff - at least show her dying a miserable death alone or in pain!

What I've noticed in ep. trailers so far is that nothing is as indicated and everything gets resolved fairly quickly. I believe 17-18 are misleading & being read the wrong way. Only separation arc IMO will be due to war.

I wanted the same thing - get married quickly - BUT then I thought that the obvio reason for not getting married right now is because of what ML has already indicated - love & being able to provide the kind of status FL belonged to before being a refugee. But the less obvio reason is that I think drama is showing that instead of ALL of her family, ALL of other nobility & these 'military' people who wanted FL as a decoration piece to further their own interests, one person understood her worth & worked hard to marry her as she should've been married a long time ago - with dignity, fanfare & without exploitation.

I don't think there is any separation arc, except for war. Trailers are misleading as always.

well said!

I personally think both ML & FL are wooden, ML more than FL. But I'm enjoying the drama because of the story & yes, despite the lack of histrionic talent, am enjoying both the lead actors too! This is the first time in a long time that a prince/general is not the hero & girl is not aspiring to be married to a prince/general & opening a shop or training for martial arts, & stakes are not 'kingdom / life of a prince or princess' but rather just having a good, warm life & rising through the ranks without political /courtier intrigue. Breath of fresh air story & side characters.

lust.

I don't feel sorry for her at all - she had a new second chance at life - she could've even married - but she decided to be side piece of a powerful administrator, teach girls 'virtue' & nothing else, & came after a girl who was nearly killed by the same grandma who ruined Zuo's first half of life......I'm not even sure whether she truly hanged herself, because with these kinds of malevolent people, you never know. Maybe she hanged her maid & ran away! (she killed another maid too before)

In closeup were, most def.

No. ML is dep. cmndr. Gen. Mo is now cmndr.

Yup.

Ep. 13-14: I didn't think ML would kill him but I'm so glad he did - it was a very good scene too. It's ironical that the dep. cmndr had treated those civilians like dog (the ones he killed on outskirts) & then he got attacked by dogs & got put down like an animal too. Everyone acted really well in that scene, it was tense & shocking. I can see a change in ML - or rather this is the first time we've seen him ANGRY. Even FL contrived a bloody scheme to thwart dep. cmndr.

I also liked the scene of Gen. Mo with his wife & kids, & wife being snippy at the table & in the bedroom but crying later on.

And the fact that they shot on location in an actual desert / mountain is also good - recent dramas have all had CGI of desert etc. (Royal Betrothal, Ashes to Crown, etc.)

Usually dramas lose their mojo around this time, but this drama is only getting interesting. Bring it on SML! & eat dirt!

FL should've started a family register with a fictitious name to have no attachments & to be independent & to safeguard her eventual property/wealth etc..... in fact the way that scene with prince played out I thought she had asked for a register under a totally new name.