vesca

that's a good piece of wuxia suspense drama - I hope it will stay like that till the end.
I love the climate, visuals, characterisation and ofc veterans actors performance

I would say there is maybe 30% of resemblance...

and they are good dramas in overall

there is no issue to make someone looking skinny like that with current technology ;) I am sure nobody asked a child to starve

I am hoping for a good wuxia drama

Well, it will be amazing Empress Dowager :D

we can blame screenwriters for how her story has been executed - but she couldn't divorce husband at ep 1 like some of you guys suggest - Fu family with that chastity arcs would definitely kill her but not allow a divorce. If I am not mistaken to have a legitimate one there was still husbands signature required. Only man could give a woman divorce paper and send her back to her family with purgatory letter.
Also her material possessions could be taken over by her family - brothers, uncles etc. as woman needed a man as a head of the household.
Despite that musket moment - Madam Fu still said he won't touch her etc
From our audience perspective we can question why she didn't move out to ZL mansion / or with her son - or why she wrote divorce papers knowing she will infuriate her husband... so, yes that feels a bit like sloppy writing, as from our perspective there were better solutions and story development.

this way she shows off her position as wife of grand secretary

or her brothers family - if he dare to kill mother he could do more evil in the future for a promise of some court position

so he won't poses any kind of threat in the future also as repayment...
we will see if it was a trap - but unlikely - also I am sure Master Yu wouldn't leave anything truly compromising him - se these letters would prove anything valuable

And that was actually a push ZL needed to fight a war till the end.
I believe that Emperor's beads has been given to him not as the reward but as a tool to build up a pro emperors faction.
He has been on a throne for a short time and has no real back up yet,
Yu family is like an old octopus with long and wide spread tentacles and it won't be easy to get a rid of them.

that was very satisfying one and next Madam Yu is coming back home and her husband tells her she choose bad time to get sick and to make some plans

you can easily say that Master Fu was not in great mental state after his wife death, and accident happened. Also FT cut off her connection with Fu family, they weren't in contact etc. Like without proving that he killed madam there was no motif to kill old mad man.

Why ZL didn't tell XT about it? he feels guilty - as if he wouldn't investigate Yu family corruption his mother in law would be most likely alive.
I bet he is blaming himself for early marriage too - they were waiting for such a long time - they could still wait couple more months.

well, there was no signs that master Fu could be a danger to his wife life, that plot was successful only because no one was suspecting that he could harm her.
ML even didn't think for a moment to look for her death cause - without that toxic comment from Master Yu the truth would never come out.

I can recall YJX asking Lady Yu if someday she would have to make a choice between him and his father career what would she do?
Her answer was: come out first in imperial examinations as no one will discard the winner
I think she will still do fathers bidding and sacrifice her son

Honestly - I can't stand him...
Yeah, great idea - let's kill the guy so I can have a girl? You are so delusional boy, she will rather rip your throat then became your woman

10 years of studies wasted as guy has no morals at all... and even amnesia as he clearly forgot that he nearly got FL killed... saying that you wronged her is not enough boy - so YJX... karma is a bitch so hopefully you will reap what you sow man...
Oh, so now he wrote letter of confession and thinks he may pursue her?
well.. I was looking for a good description of top grade scholar - despicable shameless little shitty villain

Bu Shu Lin could really come and take her man back :D

🤣😂😅 He has lost his way clearly

first of all she agreed to that marriage and got benefits from it, so she knew what means to be a widow and keeping chastity... she wanted better standing for her younger brother and marriage with FL which was an absurd - you pay a price for a marriage above your standing
now Yake pays for her scheming too

if you don't want to ruin your experience just don't watch over 30 episode as you definitely won't like the ending...