whimsybee

Prince Yan? Or do you mean Prince Han?

I think we had many male villains now, but they aren't prominent because we are watching LX's story and her experience. Because of her status as a maid and later as a commoner, she's more exposed to the dangerous schemes of the ladies as oppose the various male villains operating in the background against the LJQ. Prince Han, Duke Zheng (or whatever his title was), and I think even the Zhao father and son duo were all plotting to kill the current crown prince. Du Zheng in the previous arc was a villain in how he manipulated LJQ's sister and ultimately trying to kill the LJQ. There was the guy behind the attempt to frame LJQ for the winter coats incident.

It would be interesting to see the drama from more of LJQ's perspective, we would have experienced a completely different story of the larger political conflict and machinations between the various male officials.

That said, I was also struck by Grand Father Lin's reaction when he found out about what happened between the second Lin sister and Du Zheng. He calmly said that she had to die to protect the Lin family's reputations. A chilling statement echoing a previous conversation between LJQ and Zhao Xing Tang's father when they discovered her affair. They discussed her "sudden illness" and death with her kneeling beside them listening. Her father's objection to this suggestion wasn't to save her but to save face because it would look suspicious if she wasn't allowed to be buried within the Lin family tomb. So while we haven't had prominent male villains per se, I am interested in how the misogyny stemming from that era/society's gender roles impact the female characters of the story and almost feel like a separate villain manipulating all the characters' actions and decisions.

No, not yet. I suspect they may never reveal it. Between his and the opera singer's backstory, the show is highlighting how unexpectedly commonplace FL's background is - how many official or military families were destroyed when the late Emperor took power. How many survivors like her are out there quietly living their lives in the aftermath of the regime change, silently grieving with no hope of justice, just survival

It echos what FL's mother had said that she repeated to Jier earlier - when Gods fight, mortals suffer.

Hahah, we all watch too many melodramatic cdramas. I hope this show continues the great writing and defy all the tropes! I believe in Scholar Han.

I agree with most of that, except the last point. I think he didn't confess or propose to her beforehand because of your previous point that he didn't think someone of her station would say no. That and maybe there is still a part of him, despite his admiration of her intelligence and capabilities, still sees her as beneath him whether because of that society's view of women as a whole, or his previous relationship with her as master and servant. I think all of those factor combined meant that he simply didn't consider her thoughts to any of this. In focusing only on his desires and schemes to bypass his family's objections - he made her into an object for him to posses.

There's misogyny, classism and hubris behind his actions. I'm not saying this in a critical way, or judging him as an awful person because of that. I'm just admiring how nuance the character building has been in this show.

Lots of tears watching eps 26 today

I think the original novel was a rebirth story that they cut out for the drama

the "we helped too" was also because 3rd sister warned FL to beware of CuiQue and told FL about the suspicious interaction between Clique's maid and the maids carrying bathwater. That's how FL realized that CaiQue was poisoning people

yeah, who was behind all the expensive gifts? Did she con it from another wealthy family before? Or was it gifted to her by someone who wanted the Lin family dead?

Nanke was standing behind the ML when they met outside. So by that time Nanke had already told the ML about FL's suspicions and they must have already handed off the sample of poisoned water for the physicians to evaluate. So ML knew by then that DZ's sister was poisoning his family and that meeting outside where the he had guys grab DZ was a test to see how DZ would react.

I think the point of the story is that it's impossible to be free in this society as a woman, regardless of social status. When she was Shen JiaLian, she was of a noble family well respected for their integrity and high in social stature, but met their demise overnight.

Zhao Xing Tang is another example, she's the daughter of a powerful family but her family refused to educate her and forced her into a loveless marriage where she felt caged and grew bitter overtime. When her father and the ML discovered her adultery, one of the options they discussed was her "sudden death" - her father rejected that idea not because he cared about her but because it would look suspicious if she wasn't allowed to be buried in the ancestral halls of the Lin family. She had no choice but to sit that there in silence while they coldly negotiated over her fate and possible death.

Ultimately, regardless her place in society - any sense of security and freedom are all facades that could be rip away in flash. Instead, what is real and comforting are the bonds that are being forged between her and the other maids, with her Xu parents and their neighbors.

Novel readers - when and how will the ML find out her real identity?

Please mark as spoiler!

She could have died afterwards from her injury. No one would have bothered to treat an indentured servant accused of stealing.

it has a muted earthy tone. I'm really enjoying the cinematography, it feels grounded and real as oppose to the overly bright and filter feel that are so common with idol dramas. Very fitting to the story.

How was he responsible? It sounded like both Lin and Shen family angered the Emperor. While his family didn't warn the Shen family and choose to live by giving up their principles, the Shen family already knew about the danger and decided stand behind their principles and integrity, which ultimately led to their demise.

I hope so. But at this point I think Li Meng is in a league of her own in this show, she's so fierce, embittered and cruel in this show. It won't be the same once her character is gone.

I'm enthralled by this show. It's so compelling that I don't even care about the lack of interactions so far between the leads. I will happily watch this slice of life show that finally reveals how servants /slaves are carefully navigating through the treacherous waters of serving their masters who see them as chattel , not humans, being punished or sold on their masters' whims. The show is masterful in creating dimension and personality to all the servants, even the small jealousy and pettiness the other maids show towards the FL are logical developments because of the circumstances that they are all in, and not just plot conveniences to make the FL look better.

Li Meng is mesmerizing as the cruel and bitter mistress, she's might be pigeonholed into playing the villainous woman role. But she is so fierce, embittered, tortured and simply mesmerizing. I can't help but sympathize with her even while witnessing her cruelty. The scheming and interplay between her and the ML create such compelling atmosphere of danger and tension, like a cobweb that our FL is caught up in and desperately trying to pick her way through to survive.

Thanks! This was the first time I seen her and she was incredible in the first couple of episodes. I hope to see her in more shows going forward (hopefully in roles that will continue to showcase her talents)

Li Meng is a guest star? Does that mean she's only around for the initial episodes? I suppose that makes sense given how the story is developing, but she's just a fierce and enthralling actress and I'm most intrigued by her scenes so far. I hope the story line and rest of the series is just as good once she's gone.

Is this cast list correct? Who’s the actress who played the younger version of FL in the episode 1-2? She was amazing. Also, where’s actress for the ML’s wife?

Honestly, forget the scheming since this show is terrible at developing logical plots. I rather watch 30 episodes of the crown prince trolling SXH’s family and playing on his helplessness to make her fall for him. My favorite parts of this show is him coughing dramatically while his future brother in law huff and roll his eyes in exaggeration.