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(SPOILERS) I agree on AJTL, the deaths were foreshadowed throughout the drama. The whole drama was leading to that point! Just like Prisioner of Beauty was a journey of healing and letting go of hatred, the core ensemble of AJTL were cynical people who had their loyalty burnt of them and no longer believed in a cause... slowly healing and finding belief again, reaching the point where they cared enough about both countries to die for them. It was meaningful in AJTL that they could have left, retired, and survived but chose not to. They chose to sacrifice and this choice was the result of the changes viewers saw them go through. Both of these 2 dramas imo had themes of releasing past hatreds, choosing love, and being driven by the belief in something rather than only driven by resentment and revenge.

that's why an absolute monarchy is SCARY 😨 you can just use the wrong word in front of the emperor and oops he has an infected toe that hurts extra bad today, so he exiles you and your whole family! 😬

In the novel they're intimate from the start like you'd normally expect. he was VERY into it. In the drama, I think the writers added barriers to physical intimacy out wanting more obvious relationship STAGES (I mean, the desire to create obvious romance steps of crush > first kiss > romantic tension > consummated) This is just the writers wanting to delay things. We shouldn't read that as the characters not being mutually attracted.

I was following what you were saying, it was clear to me! You were trying to create explanations and excuses in your mind because you didn't want it to be true.

It's common polite way of speaking in that era. it would be considered very casual (or very rude) to refer to yourself as "I". You might not have noticed it in other dramas if the subs were not translated properly (like how subs often leave out "gege" and "jiejie" from dialogue)

I haven't watched the new episodes - did this plot already start in ep 13-14?

this is a big difference from the novel so idk. in the novel this plotline was at the end and it didn't last long.

Gao Shifu is so sus!!!! I don't want him to be, but he is.

Because before she literally thought he was a criminal lmao. Most of us would NOT consider dating a criminal no matter how attractive or athletic they are (... and then others of us would just risk it all. you know it's true 🤣🤣)

yeah that half sister is more the "traditional heroine" but only on the surface!! Underneath, she's a cruel narcissist. The best way to see who someone else is see how they treat those in lower social positions. the FL is kind inside and has empathy, does not think people of lower social status are disposable and their pain doesn't matter.

I don't see it that way. She has a curious and mischievous personality, which gets her into trouble. And trouble first started when she was forced to act and break convention to prevent an engagement to that loser. And then she continued to take action and interact beyond her family circle. It's that her world was "smaller" before - constrained in the noble household backyards. Now she's stepped outside. Now she's exposed to palace politics and grudges, plus she has a husband who unconventionally doesn't demand she stays at home to be A Proper Wife. So now she gets into trouble a lot - since she is never going to be someone with martial skills. But her husband is willing to keep saving her and supporting her rather than lock her away like a wangfei would normally be. 🤷‍♀️

well, sometimes they'll also give the title of "Wang" to a figure like the ML but just understand he's not a king like an absolute ruler of a kingdom. There's a (good) emperor in the story and the ML is his loyal general and a member of the royal family.

it's very sweet and cute. it's an amusement for light reading, not a serious novel with depth. as long as that's what you want, it's a fun time. I found it refreshingly different to have an arranged marriage novel where the FL and ML are obviously attracted to each other on first sight and like each other right upon marriage. Usually there are a bunch of misunderstandings and contract bs but the novel skips that and it's just moving slowly over time from physical attraction & physical intimacy into real love/emotional intimacy.

he's a prince

nothing like that in the novel (he gets 2 concubines but they're actually bodyguards and likeable; this avoids people stuffing women into the house)

I feel like they mutually are crushing by the wedding. Not in looooovveeeee yet but mutual crush. And then they're both falling in love over time. It's pretty even imo.

she really does NOT fight. this is a girly girl who doesn't work out at all 🤣.

Not to raise expectations lol, in the novel they have a healthy physical relationship from the start (I am annoyed by the "contract" addition to the drama). But it's all fade to black. We don't really get descriptions. It's "lovers to in-love" trope in the novel.

In the novel the FL is giving a "Legally Blonde" vibe - very feminine and focused on managing houshold and cares a lot about fashion. But this does NOT mean she's stupid. She is incredibly detail oriented and may notice things the ML does not. She's shown to be clever. She gets herself in some embarrassing moments. In the novel the ML is never phased by this. Basically, the novel author wanted to portray a FL who mostly adheres to social rules and is physically weak, not a girlboss or a tomboy or wanting to act outside her gender role - and that's ok, she is still smart and fun and can have adventures! The novel FL starts developing beyond being a pampered & sheltered young miss as she enters more and more of her husband's world - out of concern for him and wanting to be supportive. But she never becomes a girl boss or tomboy or warrior. I liked her in a novel a lot. I enjoy a variety of female representation.

yeah I totally understand why the drama screenwriter wanted to simplify the cast list, but imo in the novel it helps that there is another mean girl in the family living in the mansion (actually a cousin instead of a sister) and she does have a history of playing inner house tricks and competing against the FL out of jealousy BUT she is a person with moral limits and would never harm someone. So she actually sides with the FL when things go down. It is a good contrast to underline how the concubine sister Ming Chu is not awful because of her social position, she's awful because her mom spoiled her and she didn't have anyone who ever told her "no" or taught her to respect others. Like yeah the FL is pampered and privileged but she legit is such a girl's girl and is very welcoming to people of all social classes. She gives people back the energy they give to her, no matter who rhey are. Any rich girl character who justifies hating the FL because she's arrogant blah blah blah... it's just projection!