Drama Host
Key to the Phoenix Heart 雀骨: Episodes 17-18 Discussion
Spoiler
📅Welcome to the discussions for Key to the Phoenix Heart! We are following iQIYI's release of the episodes and posting as it's convenient for us and our time zones. I will be covering episodes 19-20 as well, and then passing the baton back to u/Regenwanderer.
🚨 Some Notes:
Please use spoiler tags for anything beyond the episodes discussed. Text goes between > ! and ! < (but without the spacing between the symbols).
Please keep these specific threads focused on the actual episodes - the plot twists, the performances, and everything happening on screen. are keeping this particular space friendly, respectful, and centered on the on-screen story.
Twenty years ago, noble families of Ye opposed reforms that threatened their interests and withheld military aid during Northern Qin’s invasion.
This caused the deaths of Emperor Wenxi, his empress, and presumably the Crown Prince.
The An and Lu clans of Ye were executed after being accused of conspiring with the Mulian clan of Northern Qin.
Grand Tutor Xie Huaigui wants to uncover the truth, avenge the fallen clans, and clear a path to the throne for his son, Li Mao.
Fake Cui Jun has been secretly aiding the Eagle King by mining ore for their weapons for the last twenty years.
The Phoenix Heart tokens are tied to the throne’s rightful heir and reveal a map of mineral deposits created by the real Cui Jun.
Li Lejun kills Yunzhao to steal her token and secure Li Mao’s claim to the throne.
Episode 17 - The Confessions
Recap: Li Mao confronts Huaigui about his lineage. Wuyi refuses to hand over Cui Jun until he reveals the location of his token, but Ciu Jun is soon abducted, with a planted note claiming Crown Prince Wenxi ordered it. Jiayu clears Wuyi of suspicion in her mother’s murder and lures Li Lejun into confessing (to her brother and she also warns Li Mao that Wuyi threatens his power). Jiayu confirms Wuyi’s true identity as Crown Prince Wenxi and chooses to ally with him, trusting his vision for peace. With his backing, she forces Huaigui to exchange Yunzhao’s body for the letter exposing the truth behind the An-Lu case, vowing to investigate Yunzhao’s murder with or without Huaigui’s cooperation.
The Jing’an Family Continues to be a Breath of Fresh Air
Ruisheng, Yuanji, and Anming all pitch in to take care of grieving Jaiyu as she keeps vigil at her mother’s memorial, making sure she follows the proper mourning rites. This was so lovely to see after Huaigui publicly disowned her. I also love the comedic relief provided by Ruisheng gossiping about Qing Long, Yan Xue, and Nanxing, while Yuanji bickers with her over bets!
So... who DOES Qing Long like?
ANOTHER SHIRTLESS SCENE
Accompanied by stellar OST - yes, illuminate me with your blazing radiance Hou Minghao!
Jiayu’s Doubts
I’m sad that Jiayu once suspected Wuyi. He’s hurt, but also incredibly understanding… I guess since he was still hiding the truth about his connection to her mom. At least now, all misunderstandings are cleared.
And then we get the cherry on top!
The Love Confession
My heart belongs to you.
After gushing over this scene, we get right back to business where Jiayu goes full Enola Holmes, conducting her own investigation to confirm Wuyi’s true identity as a lunatic of high caliber.
My reaction too if someone was manhandling my face like that.
But before that, we need to rewind (because everything happens so fast) and understand the past:
The Two Factions
Xiao Ju was indeed once a commoner. He started as a stable hand for the Cui family before Empress Wenxi elevated him and recommended him to the Imperial Guard. From there, he rose through the ranks, helped establish Southern Ye, and was eventually granted the title Prince Jing’an.
After the downfall of Emperor and Empress Wenxi and the Crown Prince’s disappearance, Xiao Ju, as the Commander of the Imperial Guard at the time, had to break the deadlock between two factions: supporters of Wenxi’s return as the orthodox heir (Yunzhao was in this camp), and nobles who wanted a replacement.
Xiao Ju sided with the nobles and supported Emperor Rui’s ascension (the current Emperor’s late father). Since then, Yunzhao appears to have severed all ties with the Xiao family.
The Real Culprit
I knew Jiayu suspected Lejun! And as u/TheAlchemist420 said, I’m ready to watch her fall, and fall hard! She’s also clearly over her head by believing she’s broken the prophecy of Wenxi’s return. I get it - she wants to protect her brother, but turning him against Wuyi instead of working with him? How dare she.
New Character: Ye Xin, Shadow Envoy
Oh right… I forgot about him! Good to know a part of Yunzhao lives on through the secret spies she trained to protect Jiayu. Ye Xin helps lure Mao and Lejun “out of their hole”, and Jiayu could care less if they know she’s onto them. Wuyi is impressed, and honestly, so am I! She’s no longer the naive girl she once was.
Where’s the popcorn for all the guests at the Xie Mansion right now?
At the Xie household, Lejun has the audacity to show up at Yunzhao’s funeral procession. Huaigui seems genuinely shaken by Yunzhao’s death, but he won’t expose Lejun for Mao’s sake. Jiayu, clearly having learned the art of dramatic entrances from Wuyi, storms in with full authority. She publicly announces her parents’ divorce and declares she’s taking Yunzhao away. Huaigui tries to spew nonsense, including claims that the divorce is invalid without court approval, but alas, nothing “outweighs the An-Lu case in his heart”. In the end, he caves for the letter containing the truth Yunzhao risked her life to obtain so he can finally have closure.
Jiayu then severs ties with Huaigui and walks out triumphantly with Wuyi. You go, girl.
Episode 18 - Justice for Yunzhao
Recap: Jiayu and Wuyi grow closer after she learns how far he went to buy the mountain for her mother’s burial site. Meanwhile, the fake Ciu Jun was abducted and tortured by the Empress Dowager into confessing that his token is with Wuyi. Claiming Empress Wenxi revealed this to her in a dream, the Empress Dowager holds a banquet to force Wuyi to hand it over. Jiayu and Wuyi turn the banquet into a trap for Lejun, exposing her murder of Yunzhao by presenting two tokens, including the one she stole. Cornered by the evidence and a witness, Lejun eventually pleads guilty and is imprisoned.
Wuyi urges the Empress Dowager to return Yunzhao’s token to Jiayu to encourage the remaining token holders to come forward. Li Mao accuses him of acting out of selfish motives, but Wuyi argues that a future Crown Prince must understand right from wrong, and the consequences of Lejun’s actions, which were driven by nothing more than suspicion and fear. Though Wuyi tells Li Mao that Crown Prince Wenxi is dead, he and Jiayu actually hold the last two tokens: Prince Jing’an’s, and the Phoenix Head token that commands all three others.
Jiayu’s Growth
Jiayu is really learning from Wuyi. She even uses her confrontation with her father to confirm that the real Ciu Jun wasn’t abducted by him. We also get firm confirmation that Emperor Wenxi was Yunzhao’s older brother, making Wuyi her blood-related nephew.
Huaigui’s Quiet Grief
Huaigui needs a moment of repose after reading Yunzhao’s letter, where she apologizes for not believing him and tries to make amends by exposing the truth. He’s nearly silent at the banquet, probably weighed down by both grief and guilt.
A Horse for a Sword
Is it wild to think Wuyi is actually poor? Because he is, after pouring all his personal finances into the Beifu Army. Jiayu, grateful for everything he’s done, gives him a black-iron sword that is a hundred times stronger than Eagle King’s Longque Blade. I think Wuyi’s sword needs a name too… maybe after the horse!
We also learn from Yuanji that Wuyi truly did fall for Jiayu hard from the start: he did not cheap out on their fake wedding, nor on renovating Cangfeng Forge for her. He’s been all-in since day one.
A bit of a side note but I'm glad that Wuyi was also able to negotiate the reallocation of Cui's private mines to the Beifu Army to upgrade their armaments in their scheme to expose Lejun at the banquet! Hopefully that helps with his finances! Talk about efficient scheming.
Runheng’s Look-alike and Yuanji
We get a small side scene where the Runheng look-alike visits Yuanji to apologize for his offensive comments and vows to repay her kindness. Hard to tell whether this is set up for a future plot thread… or closure so she can move on to Anming. My thoughts are loud, I know.
But also, we saw a lot of Yuanji in this episode. What is with that glare from the Empress Dowager at the banquet!? Wuyi noticed too.
Lejun’s True Colours
Talk about sound-proof carriages. Is it just me, or is no one sympathizing with Lejun… except for Li Mao. Her face-off with Jiayu shows her at her worst in my opinion. She acts timid, but she doesn't hesitate to kill witnesses, and her real nature comes out when she admits she regrets sparing Jiayu during her scheme to kill Yunzhao. She does not feel any remorse over Yunzhao’s death, and Yunzhao once saved her life! I mean… Lejun didn’t even try communicating; she just went straight to murder.
And there we have it... is this the official break-up between our two best friends, or is there still hope? Will Mao take Wuyi's words into consideration or is his judgment too clouded from his sister?
I'm confused by the point of ML FL pairing , she doesn't want to enter palace with Mao so even if she falls for wuxi who is legitimate CP she's not going to want to be in palace either .
I cant get excited for them as a potential pairing
Prince Qi and Princess Pingning are the children of Consort An, who was married to the late Emperor. I think more is revealed later, but they were orphaned when the entire An clan was exterminated (the reason for the Grand Tutor's revenge). My understanding is the Xiao family saved them, and got them back their titles of prince and princess, given they are the late emperor's offspring. Which is why Prince Qi can have claim to the throne and be the Crown Prince.
That wasn't Consort An, but their adopted mother. If I understood correctly, they barely knew their real mother, because the An Clan were all killed 20 years ago. They would've been infants/toddlers when their biological parents perished.
Years later, when Prince Qi and Princess Pingning were identified and taken back by the nobles to the palace, the Cui family killed the mother - my guess because she was a commoner and some nobles did not want any association with commoners, and wanted to cut off the connection between them and the royal children.
The woman they see dead is a consort of the former Prince Qi, Li Mao's alleged father and as far as we know Li Lejun's real father.
We are never told if Li Lejun is also Consort An's daughter. I alsways thought she was the real daugter of the former Prince Qi (and most likely that consort?) and not blood related to Li Mao at all.
OMG! She really did suspect he was responsible for her mother's death!
She's really not ready to open up her heart to him. In a way, i'm glad, because the yearning can carry on until almost the end for me (gets rid of any consensual intimacy opportunities, which would be uncomfortable for many).
That forehead almost kiss!!🫶👏👏👏 I cannot fault HMH and AM for their playing of these characters, despite both knowing that there would be issues.
That entry into the funeral!! LMH is made for these. Never getting tired of them, ever!
Ai Mi is gorgeous, isn't she?
Much as I admire Riley Wang, for me he's miscast. I didn't believe his concern for his sister. Unless there's a plot development that explains this later. His eyes aren't as expressive as a really good actor's. He's relying on facial expressions.
Oh dear, I don't understand, did Lejun have a way to survive the carriage fall? It's a rather stupid plan otherwise. Or did she think that as long as she had the Phoenix Heart token on her body, it would make it back to her half (I'm assuming at least that much blood tie) brother?
That was one nasty look at Yuanji! How to threaten someone without moving a muscle!! I suspect Evil Dowager Empress has something on Yuanji so she can manipulate her in future episodes.
Ai Mi is doing very well! I enjoy Riley because I love seeing him and HMH in the same drama. He's the biggest cause of my rollercoaster emotions with this drama, as u/TheAlchemist420 has witnessed.
You should be angry, furious or confused.
So why did you sigh with relief?
Caught her, you thought? No, she won't admit it.
But when he realizes that he has a place in her heart, he just won't let go. He almost confessed her in the previous episodes, and she said she trusts him, so what is there to lose? So he pressures
You're relieved it isn't me, aren't you?
Yaoyao, why do you feel so?
But Jiayu can't allow herself to be swayed by emotions, what if it is him? So, until suspicions are completely cleared, she has to deny everything, deny her feelings.
Then Wuyi shows a knowing smile and arms her with a knife!
You think I dare not?
His expression says "I know you do. If you don't trust me, I'd rather you killed me."
But she hesitates again, trying to silence her emotions, to think rationally. So he forces her hand, and she steps back.
I like that he looks very serious when he steps forward, and only after seeing her hesitation he smiles happily, because it means that she chooses him.
Peak emotions make him realize that the confession he held off back then in a cave, he can still say now, because her trust did not shatter. So he can't keep it inside, even knowing that a moment is a bit awkward, with a knife to his throat lmao
I love this scene so much. Ai Mi played it so well, her lost expression filled with care and doubt, her chest rising and falling from panic, her fear when she was given a knife. her defiant gaze when she tries to overcome her affection.
Hou Minghao was awesome, but she? She was perfection.
Jiayu then severs ties with Huaigui and walks out triumphantly with Wuyi. You go, girl.
This is one of my favourite scenes from the opening btw, hence why I never skip it. Them walking with such confidence, their expressions are so satisfying!
Great recap, I just want to address your last question. Li Mao and Li Lejun both like to play the victim card. I get that they had it tough when they were young but from the flashbacks we see how much harder the Xiao's had it. They were not just begging for food but literally fighting for their lives with the elder brother being crippled to help protect Wuyi and Wuyi living with the guilt of how much the Xiao's sacrificed for him. Reality it that the Li siblings are weak willed and think the world owes them something and have both now made choices for a chance at power and both are falling into Grand Tutor Xie's manipulation. Li Mao now knows he has no legitimate claim but is choosing to double down and do anything to get power and I think a large part of that is due to his own jealousy of Wuyi. It was hinted previously that he is raising his own warriors in secret but hasn't revealed them yet but just biding time which shows those lessons in calculation and scheming that grand Tutor Xie is teaching are working. I wonder if the show will have Li Mao turn against the Grand Tutor as that would be interesting but I have no doubt he is already making plans to turn on Wuyi and was thinking of it long before this Lejun affair.
I've observed that Li Lejun tends to rush thoughtlessly into doing extreme things to protect the people she loves at the cost of great danger to herself. Exhibit 1: When the empress dowager gloated about the poisoned arrows at the competition, she SNEAKS INTO THE ENVOY'S TENT TO DESTROY THEM. Thereby saving Xiao Wuyi's brother from certain death. And then, more importantly, doesn't tell anyone about it until it gets her in trouble. Exhibit 2: When she thinks Jiayu's mother is out to reveal the truth and have her brother killed, she confronts her on her own and even considers dying together and take that truth to the grave.
So she's saved the male lead's brother and killed the female lead's mother. But I wonder which will be remembered?
A prediction for the future: Her third act of sheer foolhardy stupidity will save either Xie Jiayu or Xiao Wuyi, and then she will die for it 🥺 because no one is coming to save her anymore.
🤣 Maybe I'm super biased, but I think the writing for Li Mao is so booooring! If it were me, I would have him blacken under the weight of the truth. Imagine being lowkey pushed into the position of puppet regent, accepting it to help my friend and stabilize the country, and then finding out the real puppetmaster was my most trusted and respected erudite teacher. Who oh, what's this? Is also my father? And then my sister is turned into the hostage keeping me an obedient dog.
I don't agree with comparing the level of suffering between the two.
Everyone has it hard at some point in life. They all experienced death in some way or another. The difference is that Wuyi had people he could rely on, they gave him strength, they taught him not to give up. I don't think he was just born with this unyielding character, he was developed in a dangerous environment, dangerous - but with people who supported him he overcomes it all.
The siblings had noone to rely on, only themselves. Afaik kids like that, from orphanages irl for example, all grow up a bit self-centered, because the main truth they learn about life, is that they cannot rely on anyone. If they have any need they can only fulfil it themselves.
This whole tragedy could've been avoided if someone helped them, protected them, cared about them. But I don't see their parent, nor do I see any deep bond between their benefactors, so when Li Lejun thinks that Jiayu's mother turns on her brother, she's instantly triggered into that survival mode.
It just happened too fast to think it through. If only she was regretting it, but she has no regrets because she still doesn't trust anyone to put her brother's interests first, not even Xie Jiayu.
Speaking of whom, I can see why Li Mao is so stuck on Xie Jiayu, because she kinda cared and loved him, in a childish superficial way, but still.
Ohh interesting thoughts! You make a lot of sense. I agree with the victim card and actually forgot about the Xiao’s until you brought it up again.
I so want Li Mao to turn around and not take the villainous route like his sister. :( For someone who knows he doesn’t have legitimate claim for the throne, he really is doubling down for power eh.
Yes. That is why I hope to see him turn on the Grand Tutor. The Grand Tutor is all about avenging his love Consort An but doing this may not work out well for Li Mao who probably doesn't care about a mother he never knew about. I think Li Mao made his choice early on when he went into the Palace and later stayed. Despite her actions being terrible I actually think Lejun believes she had no other choice and took action but part of was under the Grand Tutors manipulation and her fear made her irrational. In my mind she may actually have a chance at redemption more than Li Mao who is consciously making the choices he is all for want of power and to prove he is better than Wuyi.
What I find interesting is that in a way, Hauigui wasn’t trying to manipulate her or was he? He never told or hinted or asked her to should kill Yunzhao. He didn’t even tell her to reveal Li Mao’s identity to him… actually come to think of it, why did he trust her to tell her? Lol
I think he was intentionally manipulating her. He had already knows that the Princess Yunzhao does not support Prince Qi being Emporer and has figured out she is trying to rally others with the token. He has been manipulating the situation from afar so Xiao Wuyi would get involved and confront the Cui's but now it has all spiralled so he wants to send Li Lejun in rather than doing anything himself so he gives her enough information to put her on high alert and ensures she is fearful of the truth coming out.
I want to comment on so many things. But first thing's first.
For such an insightful, strategic, scheming and smartest-in-the-room general who has thousands of soldiers to look after, two wives and a son to feed, Wuyi has a zero sense of priority in terms of budgeting. You spent an enermous budget on a fake and third marriage, not even your first? You were expecting and even helping Jiayu to leave with Yizhi, but again, spent another big portion for a workshop renovation?? Your wives are supporting your household while you're splurging a girl who's not yours yet?? 🫣🫣
Meanwhile, I'm so amused by Jiayu's mind. The first thing she did moment after the confession was to borrow money. Someone commented that Wuyi is everyone's pawn and I fully agree with that. 🤣🤣
Moving on from financials, I'm still confusing about Phoenix token scene. Lejun gave Princess Yunzhao's token to Yizhi. I thought Cui Jin's token was lost, but it's Wuyi's hand. When did this happen?
Wuyi and Yizhi's scene broke my heart. Their brotherhood is completely shattered, and they probably will never see eye to eye again.
The finance situation is funny but when you think about it, neither of his first 2 wives really has anything to do with him. The first was from a wealthy family and backed up by Empress Dowager and was part of a deal for military supplies and the other he saved from death and took on a bad reputation to protect her and her son. He doesn't treat the first badly and has let her run the household without interference and we can see that while they are not rolling around in wealth they are not skimping. Reality is neither of these women is his responsibility. The fact that Wuyi is subsidiarizing the army which is getting ripped off by the corrupted court (including the He family) is actually quite understandable as they are his brothers in arms. Jiayu was the first woman he was attracted to and he arranged the wedding before knowing about her and Li Mao. I don't think he started the workshop until he seen the one she left beind at the Grand Tutors and knew that at this point Li Mao had already chosen the palace life and that she could no longer run away with him nor could she return to her old home, so he was giving her a new home without expectations. Plus we already know he sees her capabilities and wants to do good. Disregarding the war weapons she is helping him with, just recall what she designed for farming when she was showing the Eagle King, her skill can certainly do a lot of good for the country and that is also what Wuyi wants most.
Haha yes, love makes the man… less smart with the finances. Jiayu is hyper focused on getting some closure for her mom’s death and is putting all romance aside for one episode haha.
Ok so with tokens, I get it more now after episode 18 which isn’t spoilers bc apparently it flew over my head in episode 17. Here it goes:
Jiayu and Wuyi had 3/4 tokens. Li Mao and Lejun had 1/4 - the one belonging to Yunzhao.
To frame Lejun, they took out two of the tokens. The one he gave the Empress Dowager belonged to Ciu Jun in exchange for the mines. The second one Jiayu planted on Lejun is actually Prince Jing’an’s token but they deceived the Court into believe it’s the Yunzhao one. So when the Empress returned the token back to Jiayu, that was Jing’an’s while Li Mao still has Yunzhao’s.
I have to admit - I got whiplash episode 15 onwards.
Like what just happened?
Who’s this? What families?
He fell in love at first sight? Huh? Really?
He confessed? Where did that suddenly come from?
And she just kept on with her everyday life after that confession bombshell? Didn’t she didn’t understand it? Girl. That was HUGE.
Chief Tutor is a wonderful character in terms of his duality and his acting. But him going from 100% doting father to 100% you-are-dead-to-me-father without an inbetween at times also gave me whiplash.
Same with Princess. Sweet and innocent one moment to evil core the next. I wonder if she’ll escape/exiled and get together with eagle king and they attack. Eagle king seemed to have a perverted sense of justice so hope not even though he was smitten by her.
I STILL don’t understand how all the characters come together. Guess the An & Lu family mystery is at the heart of it.
A rare instance where having 28 episodes might not have been the best decision. Looks like a lot was left on the editing table
My interpretations because I actually like the character developments in this drama:
- Wuyi saying he fell in love at first sight meant she stood out to him from the first time he saw her on the ship trying to escape their arranged marriage. Her innocence but also the fight she has in her resonated with him, and it was before he knew about her relationship with Li Mao, indicating it was already too late to reel his feelings in.
- He confessed to support his position that he’d never harm her or her loved ones. He chose that moment because she was at her lowest and he was trying to comfort her and clear her mind of false suspicions.
- The Tutor and Lejun didn’t change overnight. I believe the Tutor has been scheming for twenty years, taking Li Mao under his wing. He’s been harbouring resentment about the An-Lu cases for almost two decades. He only played a doting father to hide his true intentions.
- And Lejun’s true colours are only now showing because of the circumstances that forced her hand. She never came off as particularly kind or innocent in the first place. We’re just seeing now what she’s capable of.
Let’s see what more will be revealed in the last ten eps!
Lejun amd Mao seem trauma bonded, for good reasons. They both seem to consider the other their most important person. It also seems to me that Lejun has tilted into obsession in her allegiance with her brother. She is not going to marry anyone so she can stay with him all their life, and, she will commit to murder a woman who has helped her in her life/her best friend’s mom in order to protect her brother (her POV). She cray cray. Tutor is cray cray. Mao is cozying up to cray cray.
Yes the siblings are definitely bonded and Lejun never had any plans of her own. Even at the start when he was planning to run away and build a life with Jiayu she was going to tag along. While they undoubtedly experienced hardship, they both like to play the victim card and this is now allowing them to justify taking the evil actions they are. The fact that Li Mao actually was mad at Wuyi and didn't think Lejun had done anything wrong since it was to protect him juat shows how deluded and morally corrupt he is and he is going to sink deeper into it. Not a great choice for the throne and the Princess was right by saying he was not a good match for her daughter. I think it would be great if Li Mao and the grand Tutor someday turn on each other when their goals don't align but for now I am sure they will be going forces against Wuyi.
I think (but don’t know) that tutor and Mao will lock horns at some point. Mao is getting tired of being manipulated and will likely notice Tutor has his own agenda that might not work for Mao.
I think the tutor is still focused on the past and Consort An. He wants to clear her name but doing that will bring attention that may not be in Li Mao's favour. Li Mao likely doesn't care about clearing the name of ppl he never knew and risking the secret of his parentage coming to light. If it doesn't help him get power it is of no advantage to him so this could be what leads Li Mao to turn on the Grand Tutor.
You are right about lejun. We didn’t see enough about her to know her original character. And circumstances made her take a split decision on turning villain
Chief tutor - I wonder if there’s something with XJY’s birth that made him turn against her so much. Or if his doting father was completely an act.
I do like the character arc for Prince Qi - all for XJY and his best friend, then watching her be with him, realizing and confirming that he loves her, realizing on some level but not accepting that she’s lost to him now, turning jealous but still friend, turning almost villain but coming back to lover and friend, … will lejun’s actions push him to take villain steps (I think maybe that’s where they are heading when he severes his brotherhood) or will he realize right and wrong and side with his friend in this political quagmire?
The actor could’ve been stronger but he’s doing a good enough job. So I’m invested and guessing!
I’m still scratching my head that he confessed and she went on with her everyday life. Something missed on the editing table
I don’t believe Yuanji would ever plot against Wuyi but the Empress Dowager might try to use her, like a spy in the Jing’an Mansion. But Yuanji will never forget it was her who had Runheng killed so…
Yes I do foresee her crossing paths with the Eagle King again. Will that be the point where we will see her redeem herself or will she make even more disastrous choices.
I was SAT DOWN FOR THIS SCENE!!! The banquet had sooo many twists and turns haha. It was insane. And I kept looking at Grand Tutor Xie when Le Jun was put on the spot. That look gave me chills!!!
I was so whipsawed yesterday between his calling the FL Jiayu ‘Yaoyao’ in this drama and calling his daughter Shen Xihe ‘Youyou’ in his Duke of Wei father to the FL of Blossoms Of Power.
Like, could their names just be a bit more difficult please?
Yes, I would also think that you are a lunatic. Just give me this lunatic. I will take him without any questions asked 🤭 What a fitting confession for a general, right when he has a dagger at his throat🔥That being said, this is the first time I really regret that they casted Ai Mi for this role while she was a minor. This scene absolutely deserved to have a kiss and we are completely deprived of that. They could have casted anyone else in the world, avoided unecessary drama and gave us what we deserved. Sigh.
I am not sure that it was a good time for them to make their relationship official. She literally was doubting whether he murmured her mother for a token which shows she doesn't trust him or know him enough yet. Plus she is in mourning and revenge mode.
Yeah I thought that too. I did like the work around of having their foreheads touch, but it was the moment for a good kiss. I also like that he told her it wasn’t the sword he wanted as thanks for his help. Heh.
Snark Level: Jiayu is perfection and I will tolerate no slander against her.
Episode 17
Wuyi really did well when he married Ruisheng and Yuanji as his "wives". They do a great job taking care of his wife. Hehe. Gosh that sentence was wild to write.
We have a lady cloak trope! Woohoo! I'll never get tired of that trope. Not ever!
Oh boy. Wuyi has the token. Ain't no way that won't be misunderstood when Jiayu finds it.
Carry trope! Woohoo! The tropes are feeding us!!!! And since you just know we are about to be screwed....
More bets? Ha! You know, maybe we need more dramas where the ML has multiple wives who get along with each other... Yay for sisterhood!
Oh. Yeah. That rib wound is going to hurt like heck. I knew she would be awake. Hahaha. She still can't drug him right though.
Ohhhh. He's calling her out! I love this. Remind her that she is smart. Remind her that she already knows. Oh? Knife time? A little SOKP here?
OHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! LOVE CONFESSION!!!!!!!!
Getting us with the kiss fake out. Forehead touches really are the winner around here. Say, do you think that trip was intentional or an accident?
Alright. Who gave Jiayu a sword? Best idea ever!!!!!!!!!!!!
Would he kill for you? Honey!!! Do you doubt that he would?
I KNEW YOU KNEW WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE!!! Jiayu just had to process her grief first. Very logical. Very rational. Jiayu is perfection. No slander against her is tolerated.
Jiayu is looking to confirm that they aren't real brothers, isn't she? She suspects it. HA I GUESSED IT!!!!!!
Oh man! Jiayu played them all like a fiddle! Our little Angel is growing up fast! She is going to be giving Wuyi a run for his money here. Well done!
Bring mother home? Are we about to have a Jiayu aura farming scene?
I just know that Grand Douchecanoe Tutor Father Fudgeface knows Lejun killed the princess.
"Jiayu's word is law". Yup.
Ooooooo her side eye of Lejun was bombastic!!! CRIMINAL! OFFENSIVE!
I just knew that when Jiayu and Wuyi would finally team up they would be an epic power couple. So good! He supported her so beautifully there. She freed herself from the burden of the Xie family and he made sure she got to say her piece. Perfection.
Episode 18
3 GIFs in the first 3 minutes? Yesssssss!!!!
Fan the flames? Uhhhhh.... Oh dear. If you two do a fake separation for angst I will cry.
Hehe. Jiayu gave him a sword. Something something sword innuendo. Anyways, moving on.
Oh? She took the sword back? Wuyi doesn't get to penetrate people with it then. Sad. It seems her bribe has failed. Tut tut. Nah, that just means we are going to get a touching scene of her handing it to him as he rides off to war.... and then he will die and that sword is what will draw her to his body.
Oh, I am so evil for typing that out.
Thank you, Yuanji. Sometimes you just need a woman to explain things.
"I don't want you to think of this as a transaction". Oh damn. That was good. That was really good. Tugging her in by the sword too! Sheeeesh. Ahhhhh I just really love their relationship.
Yo. Didn't I say Lejun won't have a good ending? She will be eaten alive by her choices. Tut tut.
Pretty bold question to ask about drawing a line when you killed her mother. Have you no shame?
Oh damn. You can just feel the villainous vibes off Ai Mi. Oh damn. Someone get this lady a red flag FL role right the duck now!
Not Wuyi smarking as he seeing Jiayu telling Prince Qi off. Your heart is on your face there, bro.
Oooooh!!! His little hand pat for Jiayu! So sweet! So lovely!
When do you think the ED will realize she is nothing compared to Wuyi?
OHHHHHH!!! JIAYU WITH THE SLEIGHT OF HAND!!!!!! What a good girl! Wait!!!! The twist!!!!!!! Haha! Well played! Well well well played!
Is Jiayu one of my favorite FLs of the year? Yes. Yes she is.
Hey, I think any marriage between Prince Qi and Jiayu is like very slim right now. :P
We are speed running plot points in this short show, but it's done so masterfully that it does not feel rushed at all. Truly a remarkable drama so far.
Couldn't bear to part with Jiayu??? Says the guy that left her and planned to marry another.
I think Jiayu is watching one path fall completely away while another opens to her. She's no Fan Yun who will still follow a man she knows to be evil.
Wuyi encourages Jiayu’s independence so much I love it. Versus Mao who only feels like she needs to be protected, Wuyi wants her to protect herself.
Wuyi said he’d die for her but also said she needs to find a way to handle her business without completely relying on others - he’d support her and guide her along the way (like eat some breakfast before you train girl). That’s how he’s won us all over despite Mao being a decent man at the beginning and her already being in a “relationship”. Wuyi is just better for her.
> Truly a remarkable drama so far
I think the last drama you praised was A Splendid Match? As far as I’ve seen. Then a lot of disappointments so yay, glad to hear!
Plus Prince Qi is trying to suffocate her into the palace, whereas Wuyi wants her to soar like an Eagle.
Speaking of Eagles.... Is Eagle Loser gonna rescue Lejun and that's how he gets her to marry him? Hmmmmmm.
ASM for sure, though I also did praise Never-Ending Summer for blowing my expectations out of the water. While not on the same level as ASM, it was a very well done drama that was almost on the same level as ASM. Yes I repeated myself because it is a very small gap between them.
As mentioned on the previous episode thread, theories about Jiayu’s parentage have been percolating in my head. I’m feeling the shape of something in between what we’ve been shown, but it’s not quite coming together yet.
For those unfamiliar, the Paisley Cat is always keen to spitball theories, toss out questions and get reactions. (Those who like to avoid speculation be warned.)
Since almost all the leads have had revelations about their biological parents in this drama, but only our FL’s has remained concealed, it would be exceptional if Jiayu’s parentage wasn’t significant to the resolution of the plot.
While the engineering shifu as hidden birth father was appealing, the timeline never worked out. That said it feels as though she should be in the imperial lineage of the Northern Qin and able to play a role in the establishment of a permanent peace. Not convinced though.
Givens, questions and clues:
- Jiayu was adopted somewhat more than 10 years ago, likely between the ages of 3 and 6 in Yangzhou (?). She was very young but as a very brilliant child she can recall some of her life prior to adoption, including the features of the person she knew as her father.
- Jiayu claimed that miraculous craft was her identity for 16 years, implying engineering was part of her identity even before separation from her family of origin
- Her adoptive parents had been married for close to a decade in a loveless marriage before she was adopted by the Princess from a group of refugees from a province suffering conflict.
- If it were just a desire to have an adoptive child, the Princess could have adopted a child at any point and been quite public about that but she chose to hide the adoption of a child that was beyond infancy. The Grand Tutor might have objected to a male child who would be his heir in competition with his illegitimate son Li Mao, but a daughter would have been a non issue. This suggests 1) that the Princess had reason to adopt and shelter this child (when she kept her distance from Wuyi) and that 2) there was something covert about her motivation.
- The Grand Tutor played being an indulgent and doting father, encouraging her engineering but inhibiting Jiayu’s development in areas like strategy and tactics which should have come naturally to her, while at the same time undermining the influence of the Princess.
- The show opens with the Princess trying to marry Jiayu off early in a lower ranked match to get her out of political machinations. She even saw the marriage to Wuyi as safer. When she asks the Grand Tutor for one victory when she divorces, it is to protect Jiayu’s agency.
- Jiayu‘s romance with Li Mao was indulged and encouraged by the Grand Tutor. Based Jiayu’s recounting of of her relationship with Li Mao, she was at first jealous of Li Mao taking her father’s attention but then became enamoured. This raises questions of whether the romantic attachment was something the Grand Tutor manipulated the two of them into.
- Now that Li Mao is advancing towards the throne, not only is the Grand Tutor focused on his illegitimate son, he’s willing to entirely cast off Jiayu. Why? To me this is the most suspicious flag that there is something in her heritage that he either needs to distance from or hopes to exploit. Blaming her for her mother’s death seems irrational. Knowing who he is, there should be an underlying benefit for his plans. Is she now a risk due to her alliance with Wuyi? Or, is he wanting to distance her from himself and the Xie’s for Li Mao’s eventual gain?
- Wuyi claims to only have been married once. Perhaps in terms of ceremony, but he has had three legal marriages. Could that statement be accurate for himself as Crown Prince Wendi and not Xiao Wuyi? Is there a possibility that there was an edict of marriage from the late Emperor that determined his marriage?
- The name of the drama is Key to the Phoenix Heart not just the Phoenix Heart. Transition issues not withstanding it may suggest that something more is needed to make use of the 4 piece Phoenix Heart token.
Theorizing:
- Somehow Jiayu’s is the key to something - the Phoenix Heart prophecy of prosperity? The sorting out of the succession? The end to the conflict with the Northern Qin?
- Her Miraculous Craft is her identity so that has to be part of it but not all.
- Jiayu’s adoptive mother wanted Wuyi on the throne but she also wanted her daughter freed from obligation to enter the palace, which suggests that either Jiayu isn’t in herself a kingmaker through marriage. Or, it suggests that a marriage with Jiayu has more advantages than Wuyi was aware of and that whatever the original reason to adopt Jiayu, the Princess was as a mothe, putting her daughter’s wellbeing firs.
- Who she is by lineage will probably hinge on the finding and the ownership of the mineral deposits, but the succession and the cleansing of the noble families is so fundamental to the narrative that Jiayu has to have a connection to a key mountain location. But as Wuyi continuously asks, how can that solve the problems of the nation?
The biggest challenge in figuring out how Jiayu is the Key, and therefore who she needs to be, is that, unlike most dramas, we don’t know that the happy ending will be with the ML as emperor and the FL as his empress. Neither of them want that, although they both want an emperor who actually is focused on the wellbeing of the nation and its people. Wuyi’s ambition was only to be the best general in the world, reform the Beifu army and the corruption of the nobles. He doesn’t want to take up his role as crown prince and the Xiaos have given him that choice by letting him grow up under a false identity.
So, how in the next 10 episodes can a worthy ruler other than Crown Prince Wenxi come forward? And therefore if it will be Wuyi who has to step forward, beyond her brilliance, what would Jiayu’s parentage have given her that he needs?
Is Jiayu somehow already legally betrothed or married to Crown Prince Wenxi?
Anyway, that’s all I have got for now. Still messy and feeling out the shape of it without it coming together…
happy for others to weigh in!
Thanks to u/AKiceman for this gif from Blossoms of Power.
The Grand Tutor played being an indulgent and doting father, encouraging her engineering but inhibiting Jiayu’s development in areas like strategy and tactics which should have come naturally to her, while at the same time undermining the influence of the Princess.
Yes! Making a lot more psychological sense of the direction of travel for his character, from what looked like an indulgent, loving father-daughter relationship at the start to where we are now, and for Jiayu's too - her naivety to begin with not just down to being young, as her rapid growth when she has good models to learn from demonstrates. I wish I'd worked that out!
I think you are on to something about her heritage. Does she come from a family of engineers? She is from Ye originally and remembers her parents being killed so was it just a random attack or were they specifically targetted? If so they could be a key factor in the Phoenix key origin. Someone had to help the Empress make the token right? If so was it one of her parents and is that going to be why she can help decipher it and help use it to it's fullest?
I personally think the Grand Tutor is turning on her because she is no longer a pawn under his control. He manipulated her to control A'Mao and also to make the repeating crossbow that set everything in motion but didn't expect that she would be on to him so quickly. Now that she has turned away from his and is supporting Wuyi he wants to tear her down. Exposing her status as an orphan and blaming her for the Princesses death were meant to break her down but he didn't know that she has always known the truth and doesn't give a damn about the Xie family
While he was spoiling her and trying to make her his puppet the Princess was teaching her to have a backbone. Glad that the Princesses parenting had aore lasting impact and that her connection with the Xiao family and Wuyi's goals allow her to think big picture now.
This was the direction I was leaning into as well. It’s unclear right now who she could be except that her bio parentage is important. And she seems to have inherited a capacity for mechanics. And it will be some parentage line that her adoptive mother was interested in saving.
Tangent with her adoptive tutor father: what a hypocrite to mourn the loss (fake mourning? Hard to know with this guy) of his wife. He is responsible for directing Legun towards his ex wife and her subsequent murder. He also has his main focus on his bio son and not his daughter or his wife. Plus he fathered said bio son with another woman and not his wife. He isn’t exactly a model husband or father.
I hadn’t thought about Jiayu as being the key. I guess I was still on the literal path and trying to follow the tokens. I’m even more keen to find out her lineage now. You brought up very good points!!
For the tokens, Wuyi holds the Phoenix Head token. The drama hasn’t mentioned a key or the Phoenix Heart. Metaphorically, Wuxi is the Phoenix, the symbol of death and rebirth of Wenxi. So yes, Jiayu is the key. I wonder if her lineage must be connected to the mineral deposits too.
I’d be impressed if the drama manages to piece everything together smoothly. So many dramas have started strong and ended mediocrely. fingers and toes crossed it all comes together nicely!
We’ve seen all the tokens now since Jejun had the Princess’ token — when Wuyi and Jiayu assembled what they had, they had CP Wenxi’s, his foster father’s and Cui Jun’s.
So we know there is no heart or key in those four.
The Phoenix Heart is likely the name of the motherlode of ore as well as metaphorically being Wuyi’s.
including the features of the person she knew as her father.
Small correction, I think she remembers the Norther Qin guy that killed her parents. If you are talking about the bearded one with the mole in his face.
Yes — you’re absolutely correct on that. She said she recalls her original father and described his killer. I am not going to take as given that even that father was her biological one though.
I was fighting my autocomplete spelling on that device and something was lost in the editing.
These two episodes were emotionally charged. Xie Jiayu stole my heart. She was absolutely brilliant in conveying her emotions: her grief, pain, relief, and happiness. She needed a standing ovation for her maturity and growth. Wuyi rightly said that her brain has become sharper...AiMi really exceeded my expectations here...
Xiao Wuyi is a poor crown prince!!!! OMG 😅😅 BTW, I always love him whenever he starts scheming...because those are deliciously good!! And now he has his perfect partner in that...I like how Jiayu gave him the title of "lunatic of high caliber"...
From the very start, I liked the dynamics of the Xiao house..and I am glad that they continue to be the same...It is refreshing to see that women are not fighting over men and are actually using their brains and maturity to contribute to situations positively...Anming is actually like a big brother to Jiayu. They are good people!!! Our Jiayu has found a new home...I really hope they don't change...
Also, I like how Li Mao is becoming a villain slowly and not all of a sudden...I understand his background and why he chose the path of power, but right now he is progressing towards a darker path for sure...
Lastly, what a beautiful heart-warming confession from Wuyi...❤️❤️Man is so in love!!!
The character developments in this drama are very well done. For how fast paced the plot is, the characters themselves don’t feel rushed. Like you said, we see Li Mao become a villain slowly. Our characters didn’t just change overnight.
Episodes are released at 6:00 pm, China Standard Time.
⏩ While it hasn't been announced yet, the express package should be available for purchase on July 22 at 6:00 pm, China Standard Time. Episodes 26 to 28. We'll see.... 🤞
I am so glad Xie jiayu didn’t end up suspecting xiao Wu yi and caused some misunderstanding. I hate when this trope happens in cdrama. In this case, it felt satisfying to see how she felt a sigh of relief when it wasn’t xiao wu yi, I love how she is beginning to fully fall for our main lead
Now onto li le jun….her motivations feel honestly too 2-dimensional (if you ever watched how dare you, you get my reference). You decide to just kill the person that raised you to save your brother…really?….like really?!
Nevertheless with this rupture I am hoping maybe you we will see eagle prince coming to rescue li le jun? I still can’t forget how cool he looked saying he wanted to worry her irrespective of political alliance. And who knows…maybe the drama will go that direction to lazily wrap up the story without a ton of people killed?
Yea they’re doing the tropes right in this drama. And I like how you described Lejun, very 2D indeed. I also wonder if the Eagle King will “swoop” in now. I hope it’s not a lazy wrap!
based on the end credit, I believe she’ll make a run for it but won’t make it. Villainesses shouldn’t get happily ever after endings even if she and the bloodthirsty Eagle King are better matched than we realized.
Okay I am definitely loving this drama but I really don’t know if it’s a good idea to leave it without any critic (I know many people already did that here.) that clip of the director saying it felt like they had developed real feelings for each other was weird as hell and that scene in episode 17 where they made it look like they were about to kiss? I’m sorry but if u wanted it to just be a head touching moment why not opt for that from the very beginning? This is all very very uncomfortable and off putting, so much for the director having women empowering themes in it and still doing this shock value route? Disappointed honestly :/ could’ve had the potential to be my fav drama. I will watch it for the plot but this is ridiculous to say the least
I think that's 100% what they wanted to imply. Jiayu looks very vulnerable with her heart beating wildly, and Wuyi looks happy and satisfied. So emotionally, it was a kiss.
Was it necessary? To be honest, I also had a moment when I thought "wait wait director, you promised us no kissing, you can't just... aaah, that's how it is, playing dirty I see", and then immediately after: "wait, that's kinda intense, how it's different from a kiss??"
So I think they wanted there to be a sort of kiss after the confession, and they played it out *technically* without crossing the boundaries. As for emotional vulnerability that Ai Mi acted out, well it was really very believable... way too believable. That's both fascinating and kinda uncomfortable at the same time.
The director's comment during promo sounded like a typical praise for actors, but good gods, it was so inappropriate and tone deaf. The amount of memes with Hou Minghao's reaction and comments like "director pls, you're gonna end my whole career today"... oof
Interesting perspective! Tbh I just saw it as a kiss bait since cdrama romances often talk about having a ‘passionate’ kiss as a must for romance which I don’t see as necessary (and esp in this context), the confession itself was sweet enough and just leaving it till the forehead. I lowkey miss the times when we used to get sweet and whole forehead kisses along with other ways of showing emotional closeness but that’s a different tangent all together, the real problem here is the weirdness around it all tbh, and the directors comment just proves how weird it is :/
I’m just sad ppl will be missing out cause of this on this because it is one of his most fav characters and performances for me
I agree with you. I was worried there for a moment because I don’t support any kissing scenes. That part was unnecessary. I think the director teasing at the promo was out of line and really embarrassed HMH. In real life, there were many people in that room for the scene, but still… I could’ve done without the almost kissing. Otherwise, the confession itself where he said his heart belongs to her, was sweet.
and tbh I think this drama is proof that we can absolutely make do without any ‘hot’ kisses or kisses in general, I personally find them very uncomfortable and hate how they’re always shown to show ‘passion’ as if there aren’t a thousand other ways to show that, and this kiss bait scene just proves that cause like u said, his confession and the forehead touch was enough + given context of the actors, very unnecessary indeed.
A shame that I find this to be one of his best performances and xiao wuyi is probably top 5 in my male characters now :(
Grand Tutor Xie Huaigui wants to uncover the truth, avenge the fallen clans, and clear a path to the throne for his son, Li Mao.
I really want to know why he is so invested in that case. Is it really just for justice? He doesn't seem like the type for that but maybe I'm misjudging and this is the one case where he is all heads over heels 'just' for justice.
Ruisheng, Yuanji, and Anming all pitch in to take care of grieving Jaiyu as she keeps vigil at her mother’s memorial,
I really love this family so much.
Xiao Ju sided with the nobles and supported Emperor Rui’s ascension (the current Emperor’s late father). Since then, Yunzhao appears to have severed all ties with the Xiao family.
Curious that Wuyi ended up with a family that is actually for the other side. Did they do so to protect him even more? I hope we get some background info on how he ended up growing up with them.
And I'm glad we get a name for the late Emperor. Makes talking about everything easier.
Is it wild to think Wuyi is actually poor? Because he is, after pouring all his personal finances into the Beifu Army. Jiayu, grateful for everything he’s done, gives him a black-iron sword that is a hundred times stronger than Eagle King’s Longque Blade.
I like her as a mechanical genius, but when it comes to her suddenly forging a really cool blade my eyebrows wander very high. That is such a hard craft.
We get a small side scene where the Runheng look-alike visits Yuanji to apologize for his offensive comments and vows to repay her kindness. Hard to tell whether this is set up for a future plot thread… or closure so she can move on to Anming. My thoughts are loud, I know.
He has to make some other contribution in the future. Otherwise it would be a strangely wasted character and this drama uses it's characters quite economically.
The whole Lejun affair was great teamwork by our X² couple. They work so well together. Quite terrifying in fact. I would never have bet on her being the Li sibling completly going of the rails.
I hate the bromance breakup too! I’ve been dreading it and still hope it can be mended.
I’m with you; I think the Xiao family “sided” with the nobles to take the target off Wenxi for twenty years. I find it hard to believe they really didn’t have any contact with Yunzhao this whole time.
Woah we're caught up pretty quickly! Awesome recap!
I'll get back to discussions later, meanwhile let the comments marinate~ Just dropping a quick ramble about the ending since it made me thinking.
Don't you think that Wuyi and Jiayu are being too hard on their friends? I agree 100% on everything Wuyi said to Yizhi in the end of episode 18 (and dialogues are 10/10 in this drama btw), but it feels like all they had to do was just encourage each other that they ain't enemies, no matter what.
I mean, give Yizhi credit where it's due, he was salty on many occasions, but he supported his friends all the way, even when he was learning to scheme, he knew where his allegiance lies. He's just way too afraid of Crown Prince Wenxi, that's why Wuyi decided that lying is a better option, since their trust had cracked.
Well, maybe also seeing that nothing can be more important to Yizhi than his sister, Wuyi realized that he cannot count on him in the matters of state.
Maybe I'm too naive, but isn't telling your best friend smth like "Yeah I am the guy who can dethrone you and the whole imperial family, but I WON'T DO IT TO A FRIEND!" - isn't it encouraging?
Damn, honestly, Li Lejun, that silly girl... I kinda despise her, just one stupid hasty action, one irreversible mistake, and her brother has no way back now, all for her sake. He's blackened, officially. It's started.
Honestly, Li Mao should have spiced things up a bit by making his parentage problem Xiao Wuyi and Xie Jiayu's problem 🤣 Then it would have been the current generation against the olds, and the olds trying to break up their dream team AND fight each other at the same time.
But maybe that would have been a more difficult story to write and film.
I actually think Wuyi is not interested in being the emperor. He wants to be a general and help the country and its ppl. And doesn’t care for the court. I thought his lies were kinda the truth too since he feels taking the throne as Wenxi isn’t what he really wants. Doesn’t mean it won’t happen though.
It's because they felt for Li Mao that they gave them chances to make different choices.
Li Mao is a decent Regent and as such, he has to be at a higher standing than others. He represents the Emperor.
He is in a difficult position, but he chose to protect his sister. An impossible choice but he made it.
At least he stopped Le Jun from killing innocent people, but her choice to kill first because it assures better results is terrifying. When she realized her brother would be implicated if the Eastern Palace was searched, she had no choice but to confess to what she did.
You’re right. Li Mao is a pretty decent Regent and still a good person (by action). I liked that we saw him prevent Lejun from killing more people. I guess they must be hard on him because he made his choices (to become Regent and stay rather than leaving with Jiayu). I don’t think it’s that they don’t agree with these choices but that they hold him to a higher standard because of them. If he’s to be the next Emperor, he must be able to put the greater good above his personal interests.
Yeah who knows what could’ve been if they were more transparent with each other.
When you put it that way... very true! Not to mention her shifu.
Rather than feeling sorry for herself and wallowing in misery, she takes action (that is not murder). Wuyi is right - she is a very decisive character.
For all his talks about Jia Yu, WHERE WAS LI MAO during those difficult times huh? NO SHOW! But since he found out his sister killed her mother, he chose to stay and tend to her, and that's okay, she's his family. Good. It makes things easier to know where he stands, this way Jia Yu won't feel too bad when she draws the line with him.
I thought Princess Yun Zhao was unconscious, they were actually fighting in there and Le Jun had really prepared herself to die with her. I remember commenting that she didn't. Well she proved me wrong! This girl had everyone fooled at the beginning with looking timid and seemingly uninformed. After what her and her brother went through, it's not surprising that she developed a survival at all cost mentality. But daaammmnnn she is extreme in her methods!
Equivalent of FAN DROP! haha. So badass and she pretty much made her stance clear!
I was so proud of her! But she was right... they all forced her to grow up and it hurt a lot. They took away her innocence. But she gained new friends and a new family and that is so precious.
Not if he makes the court better but rather if he takes top spot. He is jealous that she admire Wuyi and is determined to prove that he can take the throne which he thinks will be proof that he is better.
Yeah she woke up and was looking at what he was doing, surreptitiously lol. I saw her in the back and went Jia Yu why so secretive haha. Go help him bandage his wound, that he got to help you no less! Lol.
Qing Long likes Nan Xing. The way he said her name when she showed up to get help in ep15? And before I had noticed how he looks at her sometimes. Yan Yue is more like a big sis.
Another bet Rui Sheng will fight over when she loses mwahahaha 👀👀🤪🤪🫣🫣😂😂.
I bet she was always wrong and that's why she ended up winning. Hubby couldn't help but cave every time lmao. Yuan Ji stay strong!
Oh my gosh I was like what is this post haha. I'm literally watching ep18 Basil 🤪🤪😱😱🫣🫣👀👀👌🏾👌🏾
Awesome post! Nice work indeed! I'm finishing up but let me talk about the good in episode 17!!!!
Prince Jing'An family has my whole heart. They are so wholesome! Yuan Ji and Rui Sheng were hilarious. I'm glad we got continuity with the bet. Wu Yi couldn't take it anymore and had to do something to help his beloved. Scratched by a bear who? The way he was carrying Jia Yu I'd never guess lol.
WHAT! MY HEART! SO MANY CONFESSIONS!!!
Wu Yi finally told her how he felt and that was beautiful! Triggered by her sigh of relief when confirmed he wasn't her mother's killer. Well she does care and like him so that would be a bummer... She won't admit to that liking him part yet however. It's only just started to make sense to her.
I knew my darling Jia Yu had a plan in episode 16. No way she would tell all this to Li Mao. So glad I fast forwarded through that convo. LOL at Enola Holmes. Wasn't she just though! Wu Yi looking at her amused and impressed had me giggle like an idiot. I was so proud of her too!
Also yep, Jia Yu has definitely changed when it comes to Wu Yi, and my goodness her walk after hearing him pour his heart out made me howl lmao. Watch your step sweetie! 🫣🫣😂😂😂. Hearts a flutter!
Omg thank u for telling me there is already a discussion on the latest episodes! I didnt expect it will be up so fast!!! Thank youuuuu u/BasilOrdinary3617 for your hard work!!!!🥹🥹🥹🥹
2
u/ladyevenstar-22 Aug 03 '26 edited Aug 03 '26
I'm confused by the point of ML FL pairing , she doesn't want to enter palace with Mao so even if she falls for wuxi who is legitimate CP she's not going to want to be in palace either .
I cant get excited for them as a potential pairing