tsuyoi_hikari

We have no idea since the drama is only half way. But in the novel, they did have lots of children -- someone told me last year. I hope they gave our couple a happy ending since they suffers too much.

No idea. But in the novel, they did have lots of children -- someone told me last year. I hope they gave our couple a happy ending since they suffers too much.

I think the next couple of episodes going to be more entertaining since Cang Cang finally get to know some of the truth. :D

As frustrating as the drama can be sometimes, I truly enjoy last nights' episode. My fave scene is the scene between Xiao Huan and Minjia when they tied him at the pole outside. Since I like how every words that Xiao Huan uttered mirrored what he truly felt deep inside his heart:

- First regarding the stargazing on how its been so long since he did them. It actually refers to the scene where he drink wine with Cang Cang on the rooftop during their Southern Chu days. So, its been 2 years -- so they have been married around 1 year plus.

- He also said he is happy 'just to be under the same sky' as her. This is actually what he really think since he wants to be with her but he wanted her to be free as well and not learning the secret behind her father's treachery and evil deeds. This kind of scene gets to me since this is what desperation looks like, that you are happy just for the smallest thing as to wish for something more is impossible.

- Minjia said he is so easy to please. Yes, thats why this man is just so heartbreakingly tragic to watch. He lights up the the smallest -- tiniest thing that Cang Cang did to him. So love-starved.. 💔😢

- Then he said 'I'm used to it.' That 4 words meant so much more when you realized what he actually meant. He didnt mean the weather or coldness of the winter -- but the suffering, loneliness and also the isolation that he has faced his whole life. Also, referring to the cold disease that he suffers -- so, this cold weather is nothing to him. We never know what is the things Xiao Huan experienced since he is so steadfast, composed and nonchalant in the surface -- but simple sentence like this give us the sneak preview on the weight that he has been carried around.

Thank you. 🤗 I also love reading your reply to me everyday. I usually just come here and post without reading anyone else's comments since the comments section in MDL can make me lose some braincells sometimes. :(

As usual, I agree with your analysis as well. Their image is just as performance to protect them. But it indeed served as double edge sword for their personal lives as well. I pity the siblings. I hope the future is kinder to them. At least with Qing'er, we know he is enjoying life. But Xiao Huan makes my heart break in each episode so it is tough to watch him. 💔

Thank you. 🤗🤗🤗

Yes, last night episodes are very enjoyable. As messy as the drama can be, I actually really enjoy it to the fullest! It really provide me the angst that I crave for.

Thank you! It made me so happy to read them. 🤗🤗

Thank you! 🤗 This drama is a mess in a way (as you & me know, not the usual script that we are used from RJL) but I actually really enjoy the characters and the depth they have.

I also love those petty fights. I wish they put it in every episode. Qing'er is a treasure. Because I totally get him. Who wants to be an Emperor despite all the power? Better slacking, eat delicious food, live in beautiful mansion and money still comes to you regardless.

haha I agree XD

She is not dumb as she is constantly being shielded information from everyone around her no matter how much she asked for explanation. There is no crack on the façade that her father and brother show to her so there is no reason for her to ever suspect them. Plus, even Xiao Huan doesn't have any evidence on her father's crime since he always used other people to do his bad deeds -- planting solid evidences on other people. Her response everytime is 'trauma response' so she cant see things clearly. But once she's out of the Palace later, thats when she is more clear headed.

Its a character flaw that remains consistent for Xiao Huan unfortunately. He tried to minimize everyone's pain. He thought 1 year lie (Xiao Huan) will hurt less than 20++ years of lie (Dad & Shifu) for Cang Cang. He obviously miscalculated since he didnt take into account how much Cang Cang actually love him. Even Princess Ying, he never tell her the truth since knowing her mother trying to kill her is worst. Or like Preceptor Du, he was condemned by the court for saving her but despite of that, he used his little 'pardon' power to do that -- to a stranger that he didnt know at the cost of his reputation.

A character flaw that needs to go, yep, I agree. 😑😤

Since Youku starting to air only 1 episode yesterday, it made me rewatch some episodes and want to highlight how I adore the surface level image that Xiao Huan & Qing'er show to the public.

It is well established that Xian Huan wore a ruthless façade in front of everyone. Except of Prime Minister & Qing'er, everyone actually buy this façade that he put in front. Thats why when he schemed the plan where he gambled to save the 2 cities, Empress Dowager is confused why he did this since in her head, she really thought that Xiao Huan just want power and never care about his people. But then, we know how Qing'er understood why his brother play this game of power because 'Xushou people is also people, his people.'

But even that, there is also layers to that surface on how much Qing'er actually know his brother. Since he probably think that his brother didnt actually love Cang Cang that devotedly. Thats why when Xiao Huan said he wanted to go personally to save Cang Cang, he didnt believe it since he trust more of his brother's calculating side which he actually want to go to get hold of Jiangzhou army. With this, I love how Xiao Huan's deepest desire always being shielded with his political ambitions -- which he actually use plenty of time to mask his real intentions.

Then, we go to Qing'er and what is the deal with this amazing guy? In the surface level, he sell the image that he wants the throne, so everyone basically had that perception about him. But looking at his lazy behaviours and action, its only a mask since what he wants to do is just living a relaxing lives, protecting his sister and mother. This very apparent when he wanted to save Cang Cang out of the Palace. We all know the real reason he did that because he wanted to help Zhong Lin. But what is Cang Cang reply? It was due to his political ambition to make Xiao Huan weaker at the court. And again, Qing'er agreed to her assessment since like Xiao Huan, their political ambition always shielded them from people knowing their true desires.

This mask that they wore actually benefited them against their enemies but its actually like a poison for their loved ones. Since anything genuine that they did, can be interpreted as well as only 'political moves' from their side. So, its a double edge swords that put both of them in disadvantage position in front of their loved ones.

I also loved how the writer used foods as a metaphor. Like Xiao Huan gifted Cang Cang the candy so she can eat them everytime she feel sad since 'the sweetness of the candy can overcome the bitterness in her heart'. Or how they show Qing'er is eating grape with skin which differ greatly from his mother's way -- to show that these 2 people are absolutely different from each other. This 2 scenes are not filler scenes but scenes that add depth to both of their their characters.

There you go, another long comment. Congrats if you managed to reach the end lol.

Yeah, he wanted to plant the doubt that he has no feeling for Cang Cang. Prime Minister could never verify this despite he is convinced that Xiao Huan did love her. However, all his action proved that he didnt love her the Birth Control Tea or etc. So, that narrative that he didnt love her still stand. Thats why the clue is what he uttered during the chess game 'I dont have soft spot for women' which made Prime Minister expression changed.

Thus, when his lack of care to save Cang Cang (Prime Minister probably waited more than 10 hours outside of Xiao Huan's room), this is where the doubt comes inside Prime Minister's head. This guy, Xiao Huan, truly didnt love Cang Cang lol. And there is no way Prime Minister would chose Option 1 since he will lose either way, so he really cant risk it.

Xiao Huan is definitely on another level now, esp his mind games. I'm so impressed.

Thank you! 🤗🤗

Xiao Huan is a really flawed character despite his 'good' attention thats why he is so compelling to watch. We understood his reasons, his overprotectiveness and how he is caught between 2 things that he really love so all he can do is minimize the damage. Thats all he can do, since this 2 cant co-exist together as long as the Prime Minister is alive.

I cant blame Cang Cang either since like you said, she is so sheltered. What we see is whole picture where the Dad is scheming behind her, her brother manipulating words when he talks to her. But she has no reasons to doubt this 2 people at all. No crack at all to their double personalities. Try to put ourselves if we are in her shoes, seeing nothing and when asked, being denied the answer. How can she see when everything around her didnt even give her any clue. All she could read is how Xiao Huan is sometimes very nice to her, then he pushed her away again to protect her. It can be very confusing despite his expressions show otherwise.

Regarding Jueding, he is a pawn as well. Not only Cang Cang. He is raised and born for the Dad's military power and to continue their bloodline. Prime Minister only care about himself apparently.

Oh no, we dont know yet even from the latest episode. But it was obvious it was a chess move by the Prime Minister for him to stage his death.

lol!! XD

He did it because Prime Minister instructed him. But he indeed so extra about that lol.

Regarding the conversation between Xiao Huan and Prime Minister which Qing'er overheard in the shadow, it actually answered my question on what Xiao Huan meant as 'he dont have soft spot for women' in last episode's conversation when he play chess with the Prime Minister.

The whole conversation is to plant doubt on the Prime Minister that he actually didnt give Cang Cang his antidote. Cang Cang was saved using 'other' antidote that he has. I wondered why he utter that word at that time and his scheming in this episode made complete sense. Thats why the Prime Minister convinced that Xiao Huan has no love for Cang Cang. Why? Notice how he purposely delay in seeing him? He wanted Prime Minister to see he has no plan to save Cang Cang. Instead, he will use this opportunity to use Jueding since he knew Jueding will go all out to save his sister -- whether he win or lose will benefit Xiao Huan politically.

Prime Minister has no way to verify whether Xiao Huan going to do this but the 1st option, he lose no matter what happened. He cant take the risk. Thats why he agreed on the 2nd option (with Qing'er as regent) since he could still win. NGL, Xiao Huan's mind games is excellent.

The icing on the cake is he gets to do what he want which is to save Cang Cang personally (his real motive XD) and getting back Jingzhou's army using his own hands.

You are absolutely right. That one move indeed achieve all of this 4 goals. You nailed it when you said he appeared like a victim. Looks how he cry when he see the fire lol. When initially, he gave XianXue the nod SMH.

I actually really enjoy how consistent are the characters in this drama.

Xiao Huan has 2 things he put as a priority which is his People (duty) and his love for Cang Cang. This 2 things cant co-exist together thats why he always need to chose the lesser evil when situation asked him to chose between this 2. When it involved the safety of the nation, he has to give Cang Cang the Birth Control Tea despite it is killing him as well. And when nation is no longer in threat, he himself go all out to save Cang Cang at the expense of his life (he shorten it when he ate the pill). His hands are always tied so all he did is to minimize the impact on both every time even when he become the collateral damage as a result. That man is love-starved -- he lights up everytime Cang Cang did small nice things to him which kind of heartbreaking to watch.

Cang Cang in the other hand is pure and innocent as it can get. Unlike Xiao Huan which can be grey sometimes, there is no in between good and evil for her. Xiao Huan perfectly know this thats why he never want her to know the truth about her Dad. While Xiao Huan can pretend not to love her, she cant no matter how much he hates him. It was in the little things she did -- how she smile automatically when she know he is no longer sick, when he get the the cure medicine or etc. So for someone like her, knowing she need to kill her Dad for all the evil things that he did, will be the death of her. Since she is pure as a snow.

The Prime Minister is truly a grand manipulator. Imagine having a daughter as pure as Cang Cang and a righteous son as Jueding fighting for the country yet he is so rotten to the core. I know the son is also in the dark with how his character is written so far. Jueding is just like Cang Cang -- pure and innocent as they can get. I knew from the bat how the Prime Minister treat everyone like a pawn. I knew he never has any compassion towards Cang Cang so his action in episode 10 is not surprising at all since I actually expecting it.

Regarding Prince Qing, both of Xiao Huan and Qing'er are royal blood so they are thought Confucius teaching since young. So thats why their moral is aligned. What I like about the writing, is how consistent and very easy to read the characters despite their surface might be different. I knew Qing'er gonna be on Xiao Huan's side since the beginning despite he is a slacker and always fighting with him. It was in the detail on how he also has the same moral as Xiao Huan. Thats why Xiao Huan asked him to be a regent since he trust he wont ever abandoned the people, just like him.

For XianXue. As evil as he is, he put the stop when it comes to Cang Cang's safety. He completely have no idea about Cang Cang poisoning and the Prime Minister knew he wont agree with it thats why he took another person to do it for him.

Also Princess Ying. Why we all like her since the beginning despite all she utter is how she wants to kill Xiao Huan -- since we know she did it out of trauma yet she is innocent and pure inside. Her eyes tells us that.

I really enjoy watching due to how consistent are the characters. They didnt do out of behaviours things thus you can predict how they are going to behave in every situation.

Same. I also dont want him to act in kind of characters anymore. I had enough of his tragic characters. I also cant take it anymore lol. My poor heart can only take so much. T___T

Thats why when RJL finished filming the drama last year, he said Xiao Huan is a ''lonely'' character. When he said that, I knew right that moment its gonna be a hard character to watch. But I didnt know its gonna be this hard and this tragic. T.T

Ohh reading that made me happy! 🤗