noor1234

lol!

Beard shows passage of time - maybe 5-10 years have passed.

Yeah, I'm done guessing. My guesses are usually wrong - I was certain there was no ML + concubine plotline - and voila! there was one!

I'm not going to guess about this clip because my guesses are usually wrong. BUT the mustache shows passage of time - it's not because he 'couldn't shave' because he's in mourning - ML has aged, he's spent a few years in court - probably 5-7 years, if not 10, hence the mustache. As to what else is happening, why he's sad, black cloth etc. I'm not guessing. But mustache is due to passage of time.

As long as it's not the 3 musketeers who have been with ML since - well, since Ep.1!!!

Oh! I thought Sen was going to end up married to Gen. Mo's daughter as per webnovel? If Mo dies, how will that happen?! Anyway, as long as Sen & those 2 old buddies don't die (or Sennaing & her husband don't die at the hands of poor ML), & remain part of the leads' family, it's fine with me.

And btw, Gen. Mo was part of king's men when king was crown prince.

Who is the best friend? Kindly don't tell me he kills Sen or one of his old-time buddies from salt days who are now his bodyguards/ in military. Anyone else, I'm okay with.

People change when they have much to lose - motivations change when you are in a circle of constant intrigue, life & death & conspiracies. ML has already experienced this when he signed off on those heads he didn't earn to keep his friend's lie & get ahead- maybe Yu lady & that chess-playing husband of hers were warmhearted once, and have turned ruthless pillars of corrupt souls because in court, you need to survive & have power & alliances & eradicate threats to your power & competition.

He's his own competition - metaphor for he's so good at this 'game' no one can beat him but himself.

Yes, but how did she get sooooooooo rich to afford a house near imperial academy? That's wrong to show - because her mom's family would've helped her financially, but only a little, yet she is shown as owner of a shop & then owner of this large house on expensive street. You don't make this kind of money remaking military uniforms! ML has a good position in court, & his lodgings were shown to be old wood.

Yup.

Look, I consider Yu family to be self-serving opportunists who will do anything for advancement - I believe m-i-l was just using SFL by asking her about her dowry. M-i-l hadn't given ANYTHING to SFL - remember her wedding banquet? Where only 3 people were in attendance because m-i-l wanted to teach SFL a lesson? And the nerve to then ask the same SFL / d-i-l for her dad's priced collection. What's the difference between selling them for money or giving them to a crown prince? Ultimately you are giving them away for advantage right? So m-i-l didn't think of the books in high regard, she just knew their value would get her a bigger deal with the next king for her son.

Also, m-i-l has not given SFL her separate money, she gets an allowance from m-i-l - these are important points - SFL's son was lead by m-i-l, not the actual mother. The gifts - all expensive - were stored in 'family' warehouse not SFL's separate unit. SFL is totally at the mercy of this vicious family.

I think M-i-L should've taken SFL under her wing instead of treating her like an enemy from day one. I've said this before, she is the reason why her son got disinterested from SFL on his wedding night - she knows how to manipulate him. Why weaken your own son's marriage? Just to get even with a girl you didn't select and to keep her in 'her place'?

And the constant appraisal of FL - I don't know why this m-i-l has such an obsession with 'the one who got away' who would've been perfect for this household. SFL is pedantic & materialistic because she wants to feel important. She has not been given the confidence by anyone in her inlaws house, not by her husband or this powerful m-i-l or f-i-l. In fact, these people are lonely narcissists who back stab each other. There's a reason why top scorer Shameless/ SML is so self-centered & self-serving.

And I don't think m-i-l was being nice to SFL by telling her to take more care of herself. She should've had a 'talk' with that son of hers, about what he is doing, & why.

👍

Oh I am not a fan of general/prince dramas, too much fighting & killing all for some kingdom (they seem propagandist to me).

I thought the drama would show this family of strangers who live & work together (as it was in Ganglin) & they stay together in capital too - there has been no scene of Sen, no one has eaten together (remember his bodyguards / buddies from salt days) & there has been no news of any one's life moving forward either. No warmth from olden days.

I also do not like the trope of 'shops' being introduced as source of income for FL - FL had nothing other than county register name & shops are owned by her mom's family - none of whom have we seen here in capital, except her mom. But she has bought an expensive property - I thought ML+FL were going to 'make' their way in the world. If she could've been THIS RICH 7 years ago, why did she go to Ganglin?

As for future: ML can only be in the army (back to lead northwest troops?). If he leaves army, he can be a business owner (salt?). Fine, they can do that. But without some form of power or status, they'll be used & abused (which is a lesson ML knows all too well).

Well, king & FL both gave him option of army - which would've improved his prospects - he was a smuggler & would've been caught or died at someone's hands in any case. Army was supposed to secure his future & give him a name. The problem is he learnt power would make his loved ones safe. And there is a cost of power: which is loneliness, and being fearful of plots against you all the time. I think the dark path & different ideas of FL & ML will lead to confrontation. They are on different pages, because she doesn't want to separate from him & have a peaceful life, and he's a workaholic who wants to do some good on king's commands, which means bending even relationships publicly. I can totally see FL becoming a Lady Yu in 20 years and ML becoming another censor-in-chief playing chess by himself!!!

Please don't tell me he kills SEN! OR one of his buddies-now-bodyguards from salt smuggling days.

Ep. 21: First of all, kudos to all commenters who were saying wu woman concubine stuff & I was the one in disbelief that it could actually happen - of course the trailer was misleading but not all that much.

Today's episode has left me feeling empty. What stood out was the spine chilling statement by Yu Lady to her loyal maid that FL reminded her of her young self - which made the hair on my head stand - because I can totally see FL & ML becoming a cold, machiavellian couple in this place / court who will do anything for survival. Even Sanniang points out that ML & FL only meet as colleagues & for work.

ML's heart is in the right place - all the grand gestures in front of town & FL's expletive-dad, but this reunion between this couple has been all business. And they have 'known' each other for 7 years (5 of which were apart) so their meetups should've had a bit of intimacy or romantic understanding, instead they are talking politics, merchants, concubines, and how to get rid of them all!!!

I don't believe that. I think FL has shown she'd adjust anywhere in any kind of circumstance and aspiring a quiet peaceful life does not mean 'power' in court or getting king's approval. But ML's only roadmap out of poverty & life of crime & humiliation was to get military merits - he's doing exactly that. He can always leave court, capital & military and settle down in another town as a legitimate landowner or businessman. But he doesn't have money or privilege which he can only make if he stays and does what king wants him to do.

Remember, FL was raised to marry a 'noble' family and noble family her grandmom had selected was a scholarly family, where son was studying for imperial exams & father was chief censor in capital. She was not going to end up in a military family or with an 'intelligence' officer whose job entailed arresting, interrogating & maybe killing people. Which puts the husband / officer & his family in danger too. That's a very stressful life. FL was not raised for a stressful life. I don't think she wants this life. She is walking this path only because ML is already in it.

👍

👍