Reviews

Weapon smuggling

JinZhao mourns her while listening to the melancholy music and Rong clutches his mom’s memorial tablet grieving. Rice is going up in price because of difficulties in transporting. Ji’s ships have brought in more grain and keeping the prices the same so the people aren’t dealing with price gouging. What is uncovered is the southern gang using Ji’s ships to smuggle weapons. They plan on using the grain convoy to transport them to the capital. Chen and aide have been keeping eyes on them. Rong also knows who these men are from his gambling associates. He warns Yao and they stage an argument to get closer. It is clearly the gang and Rong discovered weapons in the grain sacks. Yao knows it’s a felony to smuggle weapons and they make plans to get help and keep the convoy from leaving the city. Chen is also leaving to investigate. One of the leaders kidnaps JinZhao who is making good points on why she is not going to be helpful to him as a hostage. Chen shows up and negotiations start. Chen gives up his sword but does an excellent throw with JinZhao’s hairpin. In spite of his valiant effort, all three end up going over the cliff. Fortunately, it’s not a high one and there are no major injuries. While he is massaging her tendon back into place he wants to know why she is interested in Shanxi. JinZhao has decided that after her gma passes she will go to Shanxi to work. She will declare herself permanently single and a businesswoman. They finally get around to dead guy. Here I was expecting her to retrieve her hairpin, 😝 They find silver notes and correspondence from Xiao. JinZhao recognized the doctor that wrote a script for her mom. She also described the man they’d been looking for down to the growth on his ear. He has hidden himself in the Marquis’ home and serves as YeXian’s mentor. They will be brought up on charges if working with the bandits to smuggle weapons. Chen doesn’t see how to rescue YeXian without evidence of his innocence. JinZhao and servant ride off to warn him before it’s too late. She is convinced that if Ji and Chen houses not implicated, it’s safe to warn him. Chen has asked his men to replace the bandits and have the delivery go to the prince’s residence as planned. Ye Xian and crown prince are having a chat and ye Xian finds out he has been called because Chen is unavailable. There are conflicts and the crown prince wants one he trusts to know about hidden passages in the palace. He entrusts YeXian to protect him in the event of any trouble. He also gives YeXian food for thought when he said Chen believed his family the only trustworthy ones that would not betray the crown prince. JinZhao arrives timely and gives YeXian the news about his mentor. He is irate and refuses to believe her. He asks his aide if he thinks it is true. He can neither confirm or deny about Xiao, but he is convinced that Ms Gu would not lie. This Ye Xian also believes to be true. This time he is thinking and asking before doing. Maybe progress is being made. I am really despising Chen’s mentor. Even if innocent he fully intends to implicate the Marquis whether guilty or not. He thinks while everything peaceful and the coffers are full he can raise new soldiers to take his place. 😝Good men tend to take the brunt of political schemes. I am sure Nie’s family is still waiting compensation for FengMing’s sacrifice. There is no ‘good’ side with these two faction leaders. They both need to go. What is interesting is that Xiao and Marquis are also taking notes on the weapons movement. This seems more a case of spies duplicating mission without the other one being aware rather than the Marquis colluding to commit treason. JinZhao returns home to find out her father has become a drunkard in the taverns and Lan is left to head the household. She begs for the right to control who she marries like JinZhao and Rong can. Here I wish they would have kept the sisters allies instead of JinZhao giving her the cold treatment like her mother did. I am not happy that Lan is left on her own and JinZhao fully aware of how little help her step sis has. But at the same time she is brutal with justice and Lan was integral in bringing about the circumstances that resulted in her mother’s death. So she may just view this as justice served with the Gu family. JinZhao and YeXian meet with Chen. It is clear Prince Glorian is plotting. He has boxed the Marquis in so no matter if he gets weapons to defend or advances without receiving weapons he looks guilty of treason no matter the choice. It is agreed that the crown prince is to be protected and moved if necessary. Chen does say there is a way out for the Marquis but it will be very dangerous. And of course this is where the episode ends. 😝

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The return to TongZhou

The one thing this episode proves is that even in burlap JinZhao is beautiful. Lord Chen arrives and offers words of comfort from his family. Yao gave her comfort about not calling her mother before she passed. He remembered two incidents in particular when JinZhao was four and had visits, she not only addressed her as mother but also as mom. This was to prevent grief and remorse from taking root in her heart that it had never been said. Outside the mourning area, Rong and Lan were fighting about YuPing’s return. Rong indirectly was used to find her whereabouts. JinZhao informed them she had plans to sue their father. If done, 40 lashes were endured by the child bringing forth the case. Rong agreed to accept the lashes since he was also responsible. Yu ping was found and confessed before Lord Chen and JinZhao. The two servants were at odds and the conflict was between them not the peripheral nobles. Chen helped her get a signed confession. He had also been gathering sources of cited cases to provide defense in court to rescind the 40 lash requirement of children suing parents. Daddy Gu overheard his children talking and decided to end things prior to punishment. Reluctantly, JinZhao’s maid rescued him. JinZhao had a contract made where he would not be able to remarry without her permission, could not interfere in his children’s marriages, and agreed to an amicable divorce with his wife. He was given the choice to sign or she would sue him. After signing, she could return her mother’s body to TongZhou with no interference from Gu family. Ye Xian assisted by providing ten guards to accompany them. He also brought his wingman white kitty.🤣😂 These two have an understood friendship. He wants the idea of more, and she understands being subjected to family expectations. They help each other out when fate brings them together. I think from the moment they met fate intertwined their destinies, just not in the way YeXian hopes. I see it as a complementary alliance to weather the political fray between merchants and nobles. The two political factions are arguing about canal and sea routes for shipping. The storms are causing chaos with overflowing rivers and Chen’s mentor will deny help to ease difficulties of the flooded areas, thus pushing the agenda of sea routes. Chen uses this to his advantage by returning to TongZhou to pay tribute to his family. It will also get his mother to TongZhou and incidentally accompany JinZhao’s funeral procession. He is again surprised that YeXian has provided ten guards and has his men make room to house them. As the storm increases JinZhao is overseeing the protection of her mother’s coffin. Chen notices and plays her a sad soothing song on an ocarina. She follows the music and tells him she changed her mind about suing her father and further reflects if her own actions resulted in the early death of her mother. He doesn’t offer unsolicited advice but asks if there was a song she wanted to hear. JinZhao is returning home come hell or high water.

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A very eventful episode. First off, Su Mang's…

A very eventful episode. First off, Su Mang's pregnancy becomes publicly known and rumors that it is Zheng Chu's are flying. He wants to transfer to another team to create separation to protect her from rumors but she insists on facing things straight on so won't let him. This all seems fine ... until the two Tang siblings just mess things up so awful. First, Tang Guo Guo barges into Su Mang's office and starts a terrible argument with her and refuses to leave. Zheng Chu shows up and tries to escort her out but she gets crazy physical and pushes a weekened Su Mang down to the floor - which angers Chu so much he actually slaps TGG!! This is something that is probably years overdue but unfortunately will have repercussions. Su Mang feels like she needs to avoid Chu to protect HIM now and tries to go to the hospital without him but Chu is persistent and follows her there and is there for her to see the first ultrasound images of the baby. This is all super sweet again ... until he has to go meet with Dr. Idiot, Tang Ming, who is furious that Chu slapped TGG. Chu lets Ming beat him up. This scene just adds one more reason to dislike Tang Ming who just continues to be an absolutely stupid, idiotic a**hole. Earlier in the episode he did pretty much the lamest 'apology' to Yan Xiaoqiu and now he does this. He doesn't take into consideration that maybe there were _reasons_ why his sister got slapped. He just throws punches. He's a horrible, stupid blockhead about so many things, how can the show writers expect us to like him? Yan Xiaoqiu deserves a better man than this jerk.

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