noor1234

But in that way, can't the maternal clan collect all of FL's eventual land & wealth in their own name - if they are also as nasty as paternal ones (one of the things salt permit lady told FL was that without a man her property could always be collected by her relatives)?

After what was done to Royal Betrothal, I'm not holding my breath for any adaptation anymore - that too contradicted the theme of the novel AND drama by turning the refugee/orphan FL into a princess in the last leg of the show - and then she drops everything - including the king she's married to - to become a teacher!!!!!! I mean, Gawd!

But I hope ML stays a commoner who doesn't have so-called high-end family & has a checkered / criminal past who rises the ranks by working hard (& because he had good advice from FL), like they have shown till now.

And women enabled it. There was no reason for grandma to get those 4 arches to get higher status. But once you have those arches, you use them to secure the lives of your clan - grandma did nothing, none of the women worked, none of the men worked - one guy had a shop, that's it. They got a high ranking tutor to teach the girls, but the girls are used as ladders for more power. Men did not create this system - grandma did. These women didn't need those arches but wanted the arches to not do anything in their life. So I'd blame the women too. It's very easy to blame men but women are a big part of this kind of life.

Yup, especially since he is technically a relative of Gen. Mo - his sister is a concubine - but he still has time & energy to go after a newbie who isn't even a properly trained army officer! It is a cheap plot device, but it also shows that people will try to bury you if you aren't strong, for no other reason than to just enjoy seeing your downfall. Some people like being nasty just because they can get away with it.

ML is close to Sen, the kid, who is like a brother/son to him. And they have these kinds of scenes together where ML tells him his thoughts. I guess it's to put a scene of them together as well as get someone else to know what ML is thinking because ML doesn't really share any of his own needs verbally, he just has done everything for other people. Even taking over the identity of that famous salt smuggler was a way to survive with his gang of bros.

FL's advice & reasoning is always right, logical, but does she think of ML as a man? I don't think so, she thinks of him as a nice loyal kind guy who hasn't taken advantage of her & takes care of many people, so it's in their mutual interest to band and stand together as a 'couple' - she thinks of marriage as a chore, without womanly affection - she cares for him like she cares for everyone else around - that is what ML was hinting at, when he tells her 'I still feel there is space between us' because they aren't connected in heart / feeling. Now that he has to think of marriage, he wants a marriage built on love for HIM, not a design, plan or chore for mutual advancement.

Do you remember where FL got the name Xie from? Was it the fake identity FL+ML had to nab the salt permit couple? Or is it the clan name of her mom's?

I like the fact that ML & FL are ordinary vulnerable people who have no one to fall back on - not some long lost prince hiding his identity, or some secret heiress who will get her money back!

The drama IMO is about struggle of 2 people - one commoner smuggler, another fallen noble woman - both of low status because both were banished by their families - who rise to status & wealth through hard work & good nature. And she accepts his loyal guy friends as her family. So no one in this household is dependent on lineage, heritage, favors. They'll make a name for themselves without being from the privileged class. That's the story. There are subtle romantic scenes in it, and I hope once they open up more to each other & relationship progresses, that there are more direct intimate scenes, but of course it doesn't have a drooling ML (like the poor crown prince in Blossoms of Power) or aggressive FL. I think it's refreshing.

How do you know what will happen in future episodes?

Why would he get a concubine? Isn't he ML - hero? And in the webnovel, he was affected by what had happened to his mom. Plus, in the drama ML is shown to be fair, kind & loyal to everyone. Concubine stuff wouldn't be fair or kind or loyal.....

I really thought the horse was going to get shot / put down after that injury.....

They 'consummated' their attraction/relationship half-way in the webnovel, around his coronation, then he married her, then he gave her wedding ceremony & half the kingdom. They are shown to be 2 equal rulers of 2 parts of kingdom & because she has a mind of her own, there's balance of power. She's not just his wife or lover, she's Empress in 2 ways - as his wife & as the leader of a part of kingdom totally under her control. Plus they had a kid. The end. How difficult is that to adapt for screen?!!!

Ep. 11 - Ep. 12 trailer: Can someone explain what the hell is wrong with that widow Zuo? Yes, her life was tragic, but she obviously got out of that household & is a hardnosed tutor for girls (& can see men too). Lady Yan obviously has arranged for her to be in this town.

But what is Zuo's beef with FL right now? In this time and space where FL is still alive, living her days with a former salt smuggler. Why does Zuo have this much hatred for FL to destroy or ruin her? Shouldn't Zuo just go back to her hometown & kill grandma instead?! I don't get the hatred. Or did Yan lady tell Zuo to get even with FL on her behalf?

Btw, the actress playing the role of Zuo is a carbon copy of K-actress Shin Min Ah.

It was a good drama with a gentle pace. Old world charm too.

Yeah, and SML has to get his comeuppance also because he was the 'ringleader' who arranged FL's downfall & for-sure death ( he was ok with her dying! And was surprised when he found out she was alive!)

I got busy after Ep. 12, so wanted to catch up, & skipped straight to the last episode & was gobsmacked! WTH!

Ep. 10: There should be a special place in hell for mothers who cannot stand a woman in their son's lives & drive a wedge between a newly-married couple. I'm no fan of idiotic SFL or narcissistic SML - but to ruin her own son's (non-existent) relationship with SFLon first night just because Yu m-i-l wants control over the son, teach d-i-l her place & thinks of the son as her property / extension of her ego. She is never with her husband, and has constantly interfered in the son's life on the pretext of his 'great future'. Frankly, with mothers like these, you don't need an enemy - even if you do have a dumb inferiority complexed wife.

These sort of mothers ensure that their son has a miserable life & he ends up alone. South Asia is full of them.

Don't mind it, because you are obviously passionate about it, but the ending is very lame. Going against a webnovel / source material to come up with an arc that makes no sense with what FL wanted to be (a leader for the kingdom, having worked very hard for it), what ML wanted to be (an emperor for the kingdom who gives half of it away to her so she's the ruler of it) & them working together as a team for balance of power. FL was shown to be shortsighted & dumb in the end, & ML was doormat in Ep.32. The story was not about random girl empowerment, it was about this young king who finds one woman who is not afraid of anything & will always stand up for what is right, no matter what - that was the webnovel. They ruled the kingdoms & were openly in love as husband & wife.

The drama turned her into a 'princess' by the end - just to create 'equality' & 'nobility' in her to make her 'worthy' to be a king's companion - which is extremely racist IMO - when the story was about a refugee / orphan who makes it in the world through determination & gets the top guy & a kingdom because she's good at leadership & is brave. That was the webnovel. In the drama, till the end ML & FL were never really a team & that's a shame. Plus, 20 minutes of sand dunes in a 39-min. episode means director / writer had NO IDEA how to end this drama!

It was a cop out. The ending / Ep.32 made no sense. And it veered away from webnovel totally!

ML, FL, SML, & FL's co-worker/bro were very good in their roles. That was not an open ending - it was as if the director / writer spat on viewers faces. Seriously!