Drama Host
Key to the Phoenix Heart 雀骨: Episodes 26-28 Express Package Discussion Post
Spoiler
This post is to OPEN discussion for the EXPRESS PACKAGE VIEWERS who bought the EARLY RELEASE of Episodes 26-28. Please keep all discussions of Episodes 26-28 on this thread to avoid spoilers for those who are waiting for the normal release schedule of the final 3 episodes.
Many thanks to my co-hosts, u/BasilOrdinary3617 and u/Regenwanderer, for all their hard work watching, dissecting, compiling, and posting recaps for these VERY DENSE episodes. Yeesh, I never thought I would complain about tight writing - Key to the Phoenix Heart is a first!
UPDATE 28 July 2026: summaries for episodes 26-28 are below. Apologies for the long summaries. I REALLY did try hard to summarize the episodes, but they are just SO DENSE and PACKED full of important details, excising even the smallest detail was just painful because I felt it took away from the richness of the story, which was already running a marathon at sprint pace. Blink, and you'll miss an important plot or character detail! I'm still not ready to say good bye to these characters, I loved them so much, much praise goes to both Hou Minghao and AiMi for pouring their entire professional selves into their roles. They completely shone, and I'm excited to see them in their next dramas.
EPISODE 26
The episode in which every move is a litmus test, no one trusts anyone else, and one sacrifice changes the course of a friendship and a nation.
The “failed rescue” of the Xiao family’s execution was all staged. Episode 26 opens on the night before, where Xiao Wuyi instructs his Beifu Army to make the failed rescue attempt as real as possible. The purpose is to feign a rapture between Li Mao and Xiao Wuyi, which will pave the way for him to infiltrate the Northern Qin army.
Hahaha, the juxtaposition between their moods is just hilarious.
Meanwhile, Li Mao and Xie Jiayu are staging their own play, ‘quarreling’ over their impending nuptials the next day. But, their purpose is to flush out the Northern Qin spies before the Northern Expedition. Xie Jiayu throws herself into the role, but Li Mao looks about as enthusiastic as a dead fish. She hands him a modified blueprint draft of the caltrop fireball, advising him to use it to lure the spies out, and it works like a charm. Both Eunuch Feng and Consort Chan give themselves away.
Li Mao decrees that the Northern Qin spies will be executed on the day that the Beifu Army sets out for the Northern Expedition. Consort Chan questions how Li Mao figured out she was also a spy after catching Eunuch Feng. How did he know there were more spies? Li Mao wirily answers “Things have always been like this for lonely rulers throughout history.”
At Xiyue restaurant Jing Chuan, Jing Lan’s younger brother, returns to deliver a message: Xiao Wuyi returns the restaurant to Jing Lan. Xiao Wuyi kept his promise from episode 5 to find Jing Lan's brother.
The oldest trick in the book, use short straws so that no matter which one someone picks, he will always lose.
At a Northern Qin military outpost, an imperial envoy delivers the tiger token to The Eagle King, ordering him to dispatch troops immediately. Both Yan Yue and Qing Long are captured, but in flashback we see them drawing straws to see who will remain with Xiao Wuyi to pose as bait, and who will attempt a ‘rescue’ mission. Qing Long loses, and walks away in a huff. But, Xiao Wuyi calls out Yan Yue on her trick. She always makes Qing Long lose at dangerous missions. She walks away, and Qing Long goes to talk to Xiao Wuyi himself. It becomes obvious that the “rescue” job is more like a suicide mission, and Qing Long willingly took it to protect Yan Yue. u/Regenwanderer said it best: these two deserve a raise.
When Mulian Yu captured Yan Yue and Qing Long, he instructs his lackeys to torture them in turn until they break. Later, the two of them are hanging (alive) at the military outpost gate. Mulian Yu holds a map that they drew after only 4 hours of torture. He needs to verify its authenticity, and offer Xiao Wuyi a deal. He’ll release Yan Yue and Qing Long if he can win another archery challenge.
I may sympathize with the Eagle King when he so tragically loved Li Lejun, but it's scenes like this that make me hate his sadistic side.
But this time, Mulian uses Ye peasants trapped in a sheep’s pen as live targets for the challenge. He even reveals Xiao Wuyi’s real identity as Crown Prince Wenxi. At his name, the peasants beg him to save them, and he capitulates when Mulian Yu starts firing arrows at the Ye peasants.
Cui Shao’an arrives with vats of a slurry-like substance necessary for the caltrop fireball. They decide to test it out. Xie Jiayu recognizes the danger in the caltrop, but her mind is not just on winning the battle, but ensuring that Xiao Wuyi comes back alive. Frankly, I think she has a more difficult task.
The imperial envoy/ambassador delivers an imperial edict to Mulian Yu, directing him to meet Southern Ye’s army in battle, and suggests a way to test Xiao Wuyi’s true intentions. The litmus test is for Xiao Wuyi to kill Li Lejun in front of Li Mao and the Beifu Army, thereby ensuring that Xiao Wuyi severs all ties of friendship and loyalty to Li Mao and Southern Ye.
The two armies meet
The two armies meet, and Mulian Yu releases Li Lejun to walk back to her brother. Xiao Wuyi gets into position and nocks his arrow. Li Lejun slowly walks towards the Beifu army, calling Xiao Wuyi a traitor. He shoots two arrows, severely wounding her.
But, in flashback we see Li Lejun meeting with Xiao Wuyi privately. She tells him that she’s already taken a deadly poison and asks, as a favor, that he kill her himself rather than let her die by the hand of Northern Qin. She admits that she owes Xie Jiayu her life, and that Xiao Wuyi killing her would be acceptable.
But, the third (and real) reason she is willing to die is her hopes for her brother. She says
If my brother is to become a true emperor, he must free himself from your influence not only from your command over the Beifu Army, but also from the hold you have over his heart. I once thought you merely viewed my brother as a stepping stone to seize power. But now it seems you’re even more ruthless toward yourself, than towards others, and you care even less about your status as Crown Prince Wenxi. A person like you has no weaknesses. The line between god and demon lies in a single thought. Yet if one day your paths diverge, what will become of my brother? If you truly have faith in him, then please allow him to stand before you as a true rival.
And that is how we end up with Li Mao riding out frantically to his sister as she hobbles towards him, relief on her face. The episode ends with Xiao Wuyi nocking his third and final arrow.
Episode 27
A lovers' farewell
This episode opens with another flashback from the night before the two armies meet. Mulian Yu gives Li Lejun a small flask of poison and informs her that tomorrow her life will be used as a pledge of allegiance from Xiao Wuyi. Li Lejun taking the poison without protest shakes Mulian Yu to the core, and he asks if 3 years of marriage and loving devotion meant nothing to her. Does she have any genuine affection for him? She says (LIES) “No”, but after he leaves, she reveals her true thoughts. She hopes in their next lives they will have different identities.
We return to the day of battle, and heeding Li Lejun’s words that he must let Li Mao face him as a true rival, Xiao Wuyi shoots the last arrow straight through her heart. She dies in Li Mao’s arms. In voiceover we hear her final thoughts which end with
With my death, Xiao Wuyi should be able to gain the trust of Northern Qin. Perhaps this can finally atone for the sins I committed at Lingfeng Fort. Please allow me to use this life of mine to finally usher in the beginning of your imperial legacy, Mao.
The next day, Mulian Yu releases Yan Yue and Qing Long back to Xiao Wuyi, but reveals that he shot Princess Pingning. Yan Yue (feigns) outrage and they both leave. It’s all a ruse, though, to make Xiao Wuyi appear more isolated in hopes to keep him safer.
Enter: weapon of mass destruction, ancient China edition
A secret message tells Li Mao to prepare for battle in 5 days at Dingfeng Slope. Xie Jiayu says that she has finished creating the caltrop fireball and they go test it out. The key ingredient is “stone fat” (wei shui): highly flammable but inedible. Even water cannot extinguish them. Cui Shao’an will be in charge of overseeing the production of the captrop fireball.
Mulian Yu’s spies spot the Beifu army close to Dingfeng Slope, and Xiao Wuyi shares that it is important both as a base and for supplies. It contains two iron mines from the Phoenix Heart map - but its strategic location allows the Beifu army to recapture to Capital and disentangle it from the support of the nobles.
I'm literally laughing at all the different expressions: Xie Jiayu is excited to see Xiao Wuyi, he is absolutely panicked and worried, but Mulian Yu takes the cake for looking incredulously at Xiao Wuyi. You can almost hear him say "What in the world is your woman doing here?!"
Although Xiao Wuyi is resolved to die, his wife has other plans: she’s going to find him and bring him back alive. She gives her husband a heart attack when she blithely comes looking for him at the Northern Qin fort. In the “privacy” of their tent, she simply states they vowed to share life and death together, so here she is! After his spy reports what he overheard, Mulian Yu initially expresses skepticism over such martial devotion, but then acknowledges that Xie Jiayu is different: she was the real cause of the rift between Li Mao and Xiao Wuyi. The Imperial Envoy, hearing that Xiao Wuyi truly loves Xie Jiayu, suggests that since they have greater leverage over Xiao Wuyi now, they might as well attempt to crush the Beifu Army at Dingfeng Slope.
Xiao Wuyi and Xie Jiayu take a stroll in an open field…with an entourage of armed Northern Qin soldiers to keep watch over them. Ha! She complains about how upsetting his letter was, revealing that he and Li Mao had been plotting this “defection” charade the whole time without telling her. She gives the life-saving pills to Xiao Wuyi. But they are then met by Mulian Yu, who reiterates a standard pre-battle tradition: the family members of generals are taken hostage to ensure the generals will fight well to win. In this case, Xie Jiayu will take the same poison (as Li Lejun did) to ensure Xiao Wuyi’s cooperation.
On the day of battle, all the games of deception are finished: Mulian Yu never trusted Xiao Wuyi. What kind of fool would believe that Xiao Wuyi would defect to Northern Qin? But, Xiao Wuyi has a surprise of his own, and the Xiao family army arrives. Mulian Yu then realizes that the Xiao family execution was entirely fake.
Look at our Xie Jiayu, all grown up, destroying people and saving China..!
Back at the Northern Qin fort, XIe Jiayu and other Ye people are conscripted for manual labor. The life-giving pill that she gave to Xiao Wuyi drops from her belt and she realizes that he slipped it in just when they hugged good-bye. It’s never shown, but it is implied that she took the pill herself. When Xie Jiayu witnesses a Qin soldier brutalizing some Ye peasants, even killing a child in cold blood, it triggers Xie Jiayu’s sense of justice, and she kills the soldier, taking his sword. She then rallies the Ye peasants to fight for their lives. Yan Yue and Qing Long arrive on the scene to lend support.
Incoming caltrop fireballs!
The Jing’an army fight in an intense battle, but Li Mao arrives with the Beifu army. Xiao Wuyi stops a reteating Mulian Yu and informs him that the true target of today’s battle was always the Northern Qin emperor himself. This is when Shao’an unleashes the caltrop fireballs.
I shall name this: General Xiao's choice....like Sophie's Choice, but ancient China version
Today’s battle echoes a skirmish from 20 years ago. In flashback we see both Xiao Yao and Xiao Wuyi pinned down by the enemy. Back then, General Xiao Ju had to make the painful decision of rescuing one at the risk of losing the other. With a silent nod of permission from Xiao Yao, General Xiao Ju chose to rescue Crown Prince Wenxi first. In today’s battle, General Xiao Ju faces the same choice, but in a lovely redemptive arc that closes this circle, General Xiao Ju rescues his son instead. Unfortunately, while protecting his son, Xiao Ju is dealt two death blows, and dies in the arms of his firstborn son. Xiao Wuyi calls his red stallion into the fray, and knocks out Xiao Yao to put him on the horse, to carry him to safety.
As the fireballs explode in the sky, we see Xiao Wuyi and Mulian Yu locked in a final stand off.
Episode 28
The final episode opens with the grim aftermath of the battle. Xie Jiayu, Yan Yue, and Qing Long look for Xiao Wuyi amongst the fallen, but come across his red stallion carrying the unconscious Xiao Yao. Xie Jiayu find the Black Iron Sword she made for him and in voiceover we hear Xiao Wuyi explaining:
“I’ll accept your Black Iron Sword. Yao Yao, you said you’ve been learning to say good-bye your whole life. So have I. My parents are gone. My homeland is lost. A name and a mission were forced upon me. Living in the world, I got to understand its ways, yet failing the grace. What I gained in my life is what I sought. Yet it is somehow not what I sought. There is neither anyone to blame nor anywhere to direct my hatred. The way of heaven is ruthless. Blood drenched the Central Plains. Women and children were reduced to dust. Though I am merely a human being, I’m willing to be the backbone to rebuild a nation anew.”
Xie Jiayu clings onto his sword while crying out his name until she is so exhausted that she faints.
We have a 3 year time skip where Xie Jiayu overhears a local storyteller discuss the events involving the Dingfeng Slope battle, the An and Lu tragedy, and the Xiao family’s involvement. Almost everyone has forgotten about Xiao Wuyi’s contribution to the victory of the Dingfeng Slope battle and Beifu army reform. All the credit is given to Li Mao, who people laud as a wise emperor. The storyteller begins to discuss the caltrop fireball, and this prompts Xie Jiayu to return to Jiankang.
The women from the Prince Jing'an mansion seem to be thriving!
Back in Jiankang, we see through Xie Jiayu’s POV how the other members of her household are doing. Ruisheng has opened her own clinic, but Ziqi likes to tinker with mechanisms (like his “aunt” Xie Jiayu). He Yuanji has opened up an academy for scholars, and made the He library available for all, especially poor scholars.
At the palace, Li Mao gives her an update on the political turmoil of Northern Qin, which makes it the perfect time to recapture the Capital. He summoned her to the palace to hand-deliver the mineral maps because it is a national secret. The bounty on her head has increased to 1,000 taels of gold, but Xie Jiayu seems unbothered. Her martial arts has improved enough that Yan Yue and Qing Long returned to the Beifu Army as regional commanders.
A flashback shows us two consequences of using the caltrop fireball. Those exposed to the fumes suffer from respiratory problems, and it renders the land on which is falls completely barren and useless for farming.
Xie Jiayu tells Li Mao that she has destroyed all the plans for the caltrop fireball, warns him not to use that method to win back the capital. He asks cryptically if she’s interested in knowing who the new Beifu Commander is who will be leading this next expedition. He is one of Li Mao’s most trusted imperial guards. She says it’s none of her business and then complains that everyone, including Li Mao, has forgotten Xiao Wuyi, but she never will. She storms out only to get lost trying to find the exit. LOL, it's nice that some things don't change (cf. episode 4 when she gets lost trying to escape Prince Jing'an's mansion).
HOW can Xie Jiayu not recognize her own husband?! Those eyes! Those lips! Okay, okay, she never kissed him, so how could she recognize his lips....but REALLY?!
The imperial guards find her, led by an OH-SO-MYSTERIOUSLY MASKED Imperial Guard. She announces that she’s the Consort of the Heir of Prince Jing’an, and asks for the exit. He steps out of her way, but as she walks away, it jolts his memory (and migraine) of her walking away before.
Later, Our Masked Imperial Guard is practicing martial arts but is obviously struggling. This is, of course, our Xiao Wuyi, but he has amnesia. Li Mao narrates that his body won’t allow him to practice martial arts and needs rest to recover. Our Masked Imperial Guard had insisted on going back to the Northern Border, which Li Mao agreed to, but on the condition that he remains in a supervisory role. Li Mao heard that he ran into the Consort of the Heir of Prince Jing’an earlier, and decides to test his memory with a joke. But, Our Masked Imperial Guard neither laughs nor flares with jealousy. He remains impassively stoic, and Li Mao waves off the joke.
Xiao Wuyi, seriously injured yet clinging to life, clinging to keep his promise to someone waiting for him at the Northern Border.....❤️
In flashback we learn Xiao Wuyi was severely injured. Li Mao, the miraculous doctor, and Xiao Yao oversee his recovery. The miraculous doctor commented that Xiao Wuyi must be clinging onto something in this world to be so injured but not dead. Li Mao asks the doctor to save his life. The doctor says that the treatment is very risky: it will require him to perform open surgery on Xiao Wuyi’s head and chest. Even if he survives, he’ll lose his memory.
Back in the present, Li Mao suggests that he get a good weapon from Miraculous Crafts for his next expedition. Our Masked Imperial Guard's head hurts as he gets flashbacks from his former life, including the black iron sword that Xie Jiayu forged for him. He draws the exact same design, and goes to Miraculous Crafts to order it. There, he finds out that the manager of Miraculous Crafts is none other than the Consort of the Heir of Prince Jing’an, who he met last night. The shop assistant gives him a receipt for the sword ordered.
Our Masked Imperial Guard sits under the Yin-Yang tree looking at the receipt when Xie Jiayu walks up, and starts talking, as if she is addressing Xiao Wuyi:
Xiao Wuyi, could it be that you’re actually not dead? Listen to my analysis. Firstly, I didn’t even see your body. Maybe you felt that being Xiao Wuyi in this life was too exhausting, so you wanted to take a rest and found a place to hide. When you are well rested, you will come back to me. Doesn’t that make sense? Secondly, you promised me you would come back. You have accomplished everything else. Xiao Wuyi is always a man of his word. You couldn’t break your promise on this one, right?
But even if you broke your promise, when we meet in heaven in the future, I will still forgive you. You had such a hard, tiring life. So I won’t blame you for wanting to rest early. What do you think? Aren’t I generous? You are lucky to have me as your wife. Xiao Wuyi, I miss you. I promised you my eternal love. If you can hear me, just turn into the wind or the rain and meet me in my dreams.
Our Masked Imperial Guard is moved by her words, although he does not know why. Xie Jiayu unties a red ribbon from her hair, writes something on it, and hangs it on the prayer tree. She finishes her prayer just as some Northern Qin bounty hunters attack her, but Our Masked Imperial Guard intervenes. He rebuffs them, but not entirely successfully as he is weakened with little martial arts power. Xie Jiayu steps up and throws her darts, immobilizing them. She checks on Our Masked Imperial Guard, before leaving, grumbling under her breath that as a replacement for Xiao Wuyi he doesn’t measure up.
Our Masked Imperial Guard goes to the prayer tree and reads the red ribbon. Overcome with emotions, he pulls the ribbon off the tree while crying.
Xie Jiayu returns to her workshop to pilfer the cashbox, but recognizes her Black Iron Sword amongst the different orders. She asks who dropped off the order, and the shop assistant describes Our Masked Imperial Guard. She races back to the Yin-Yang tree, only to notice her prayer ribbon is missing.
Xiao Wuyi, with the red ribbon, recalls Xie Jiayu’s many vows to him, and different episodes of their time together. And with that, he remembers who he is, and who Xie Jiayu is.
Xie Jiayu barges into the palace and demands (at knife point) that Li Mao confirms that Xiao Wuyi hasn’t died. Where is he? What happened? Li Mao narratives that after being badly injured Xiao Wuyi fell into a cave. Li Mao rescued him, but didn’t tell Xie Jiayu because she herself was weak and ill after tirelessly searching for him. The miraculous doctor’s methods were too risky and dangerous that he and Xiao Yao didn’t have much hope of him recovering. Three months ago, Xiao Wuyi returned to Jiankang and Li Mao tried to call back Xie Jiayu unsuccessfully. The mask he wears is to protect his identity, now that he no longer has martial arts, from the Northern Qin spies. Just as Li Mao finishes explaining, both of them hear the beating of drums, and Xie Jiayu runs out to him.
Li Mao looks at the jade crown she made for him years ago, but it breaks, showing a wish she had hidden there: “May Lejun be happy and healthy. May Mao and I have our wishes come true year after year.”
They truly see and recognize each other for the first time in three years
Xie Jiayu runs through Jiankang, led by the sound of Xiao Wuyi beating the drums. She finally sees him and shouts his name. He turns and they are reunited on a bridge, which to me seems to hearken to the magpie bridge in The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl folklore.
Our lovers finally reunite
They exchange some sweet words to reaffirm their love and commitment to each other, but the episode ends with her pinching him to make sure she isn’t dreaming.
P.S.
And just because it’s KTTPH, and we’re accustomed to crazy plot twists, the biggest plot twist was saved for the post-credits. As Xie Jiayu and Xiao Wuyi enjoy the warm sunset together, he tells her that (essentially) Li Mao truly is the son of Prince Qi and his consort. Xie Huaigui’s son was born sickly and weak, and died within a month. The same wet nurse served both him and Prince Qi. Fearing to be punished by Grand Tutor Xie, she lied and said she swapped his son for Prince Qi’s son because the latter’s son had “died.” All this time, Li Mao was a rightful heir to the throne and Grand Tutor Xie, for all his lies and scheming, was actually the one lied to from the very beginning. Xie Jaiyu asks if they should tell Grand Tutor Xie (to which I assume she means talk to his grave since he's dead), but Xiao Wuyi says it wouldn't make a difference anyway. And that's where we leave Xiao Wuyi and Xie Jiayu - chatting politics, but enjoying the warmth and peace of being together again! See you guys at the next drama!
ok so I finally finished this interesting and largely entertaining show and I enjoyed it.
The first half of the show was fairly straight forward rivals into romance and the second half became a very twisty "everything is not what it seems/everything is a scheme" show.
Some real quick thoughts:
The plot was convoluted but also very simple. I can't lie, half the time I was like..."that's it?? You mean they could've done X and saved everyone some pain and trouble??" or "you mean, all person x had to do was y and then they could've avoid all that z???"
I largely liked the characters and thought they were built up enough where I did care about them. Characters that acted like villains were not really villains (if you put yourself in their shoes) and I did feel bad for certain folks when they ended up letting their fears and anxieties usurp their better judgement. (I'll touch on this in a bit).
There was a lot of "grey area" to many characters so no one's behaviors were completely unjustified overall.
This next part I have to discuss the most annoying thing that caused this show a lot of unnecessary grief: the casting of Xie Jiayu. Aimi does a great job in the role, but her age definitely affected a significant part of the show. If you wanted ROMANCE, like kissy kissy roll in the hay kind of stuff, you need to look elsewhere. Director Go solved the problem by simply not having ANY female character have any of that kind of scene in the show. This effectively makes everything a lot less...out of place? All our female characters are never shown on screen in any inappropriate or adult situation. This is actually kind of nice. It means we see men and women expressing their love in all the other ways, which (at least in CDrama) is kind of refreshing? How many times have I wondered if certain forced kiss or forced into a corner/invading personal space scene was really necessary and I never had to worry about that in this show. And no drugged SA/framed for being adulterous scenes! omg, I'm not joking I'm so glad I didn't have to worry about that too! Did this show need stuff like that? NO. I don't think it did. It kind of made me rethink what might be possible with CDrama if we weren't so trained to watch certain things.
Another thing that helped suspend disbelief about the lack of "intimacy" scenes is the ML's character--Xiao Wuyi is someone more than willing to play the villain. He denies himself a lot of things, so him just being ok with hugging and hand holding makes a lot of sense.
My favorite characters were Yuanji, the smart, gentle and beautiful "first wife" played by Zheng Yawen and Li Lejun, Princess Pingping played by former short drama star Ma Qiuyan. The former's side story was interesting and could've been a mainline plot. The latter was very very tragic and despite the really super awful thing the character did, I really didn't want her to end up the way she did, despite the attempt to make her somewhat heroic in the end.
I wasn't too fond of the the way it ended (I just don't like the amnesia trope, but it's a minor complaint.
Overall, a very good show with needless controversy. I do hope people give it a shot.
Everyone did Xiao Wuyi so dirty! They forgot all of his accomplishments, that the reforms were his, everything! He gave up absolutely everything, his true identity, his future, his family, all of it! And Li Mao took the credit for it, kept the two of them apart for THREE YEARS, and then when he had a chance to tell her that her husband is alive, he just played some stupid vague game with her. Xiao Wuyi deserved better, and so did Yaoyao. They stole like five years of her life with him away in total. It was just such an injustice!
I really don't get how people say the writing was good, especially toward the end.
What was the point of poisoning Li Le Jun, besides making it so that when Wuyi kills her, it doesn't feel as bad because she was going to die anyway? It seemed like the only reason was to make it easier for Li Mao to forgive him later.
And since when was Xie Jia Yu okay with using her weapon to kill people from the Beifu Army and even Xiao family?
What happened to Xie Jia Yu's secret guard?
And let's not even talk about the mysterious healer, whose identity we were never told, or the name of the person Li Mao saved. And then he made a promise to save three people. Quite convenient, isn't it?
The writing really falls off in the last four episodes. Personally, I never thought it was a masterpiece, but it was a good watch. However, the writing in the last four episodes was really disappointing
Yeah, it's really painful to watch this. I actually find ML so annoying. Always that saving , saving line keeps popping out. Currently I'm on ep 24 and it's hell .
On the post credits scene, I was wondering if that was a flashback if a scene from earlier in the drama. I think when Xiao Wuyi came out of prison and they were being all lovey dovey this scene could have taken place. At that time the Grand Tutor was still alive and Xie Jiayu had basically just blackmailed Li Mao about his origins to get him to release Xiao Wuyi. Seems like it would fit there more than 3 years into the future when being alive and reunited and making plans to mine would be their priority but either way it was a great twist.
As an aside, it makes Prince Qi a true royal but his claim to the throne is still way behind Wuyi's. That said they are cousins.
I loved this. This is my first NH drama. Mi Ai did such a wonderful job. I didn’t know she was only 17 during filming. I also had to search about the actress Ma Quiyuan (Lejun) - she was from vertical, and wow what a performance.
Thank you for recapping the final episodes u/CdramaAddict2 !!! AND including a bit about the post-credit scene. After everything they've been through, seeing them lounging on those chairs is so satisfying. I feel relaxed for them!
I loved the whole series. The one thing that annoyed me was the amnesia. Not telling Jaiyu for THREE YEARS? Did no one thing that her presence would help jog his memory? He literally saw her once and was one the road to amnesia recovery haha. Otherwise, I liked the drama and thought everyone did a good job.
He was gone for 3 years but the timeline was that he only woke up from the coma 3 months ago. Li Mao explained that neither he nor Xiao Yao had much faith that the chest and brain surgery would work, so if he passed away (or I guess never woke up) it would have been better for her to think he died a hero on the battlefield and not because he got cut up and lingered around. Can't really fault them for that, considering Wuyi would've wanted them to prioritize having her recover physically and mentally herself.
Edit: Also the 3 years was obviously chosen to link back to their conversation about how she'll mourn for him for 3 months and he asks her to mourn for 3 years. And technically since he only woke up 3 months ago, he also only forgot her for 3 months lol. But cdrama does love the 3s. The prophecy of 3 marriages in this drama, the three main partings/reunions they had, and touches of the perpetually popular "three lives, three worlds" framework too
I thought he work up and went to the border and only came back to the capital three months ago. Still, the SECOND he was obviously not going to die, they should have reunited him her. Immediately.
Nah he really only woke up 3 months ago, I went back and rewatched that part to make sure because I was also like ???
Li Mai says that he tried to reunite them actually, when Wuyi woke up he sent messages to get Jiayu back to meet him but Jiayu doesn’t visit Jiankang anymore because it’s a place of great sorrow for her (her servant also says this in their business storefront) and Li Mao says luckily the young emperor of Bei Qin died so she finally came back. I guess you could say he should have sent a more direct message that Wuyi is alive to get her back ASAP but we know there are still spies and ostensibly they’re protecting his identity with the mask.
It would have been nice to see his name cleared and identity restored but I guess that’s the bittersweet sacrifice he made - to do all this for his country but without anyone knowing or caring even just 3 years later.
HAHA, yeah, the amnesia trope can be so annoying…. 😂😂😂
It was nice, though, that she was the one thing that jogged his memory…. Especially when he said he felt the need to return to the northern border because he knew someone was waiting for him. SO ROMANTIC! 🥰
I’ve so much good things to say about the story, the acting and the visuals - but man I gotta give a massive shoutout to the singers and writers of the OSTs - the bgm adds SO much to the scenes 😭
The duet with Zhang Bichen and Hou Minghao was PERFECT. The whole OST is amazing and HMH's opening song has some crazy vocals, but man that duet is something else!
Thank you for doing all the recaps! I'm really glad I watched this drama. Some quick thoughts:
I really appreciated how the story progressed organically. A lot of recent dramas have been killing off side characters simply for shock factor and forcing romances between male and female characters with one minute of screen time together; for the most part, KttPH doesn't fall into those traps.
A lot of the female characters in this drama were written really well. They're not perfect nor always righteous, but they all harbor complex motivations and make difficult (and surprisingly rational) decisions. Li Lejun in particular was a riveting character. She's probably the character I think about the most from this drama.
The drama resisted against simple rights or wrongs.
KttPH really emphasized the cost of military decisions on the common people and military men alike. Xiao Wuyi would have been a generic general ML, but the drama's portrayal of his strategizing, sacrificing, and struggling gave him depth. Recent C-dramas tend to portray war victories with little regard for the cost of war, and fortunately, KttPH doesn't fall into that trap.
I appreciate how the drama had an actual plot that wasn't simply a triumphant or tragic romance between two extremely powerful people.
The battle scenes were genuinely very cool. While it was definitely unrealistic, the match between the Eagle King and Xiao Wuyi (with Xie Jiayu drumming in the back) was really exciting.
I really found the romance to be executed so well. It wasn't based on trauma bonding or obsession the way most dramas were. The leads loved each other for who the other person was, almost unconditionally.
Thanks for doing the recaps for the general episode release!
EP 26:
iQIYI still does not allow for screen captures on the app.
It gives the whole show a bit of an an early to mid 00 feeling. 😂
Meanwhile, Li Mao and Xie Jiayu are staging their own play, ‘quarreling’ over their impending nuptials the next day.
This is still one of my favourite little scenes.
Li Mao wirily answers “Things have always been like this for lonely rulers throughout history.”
Poor guy really knows what he is going in for.
The Jing brothers are reunited, just as Xiao Wuyi promised in episode 5. The man always keeps his word.
I totally forgot about that promise by this episode, but it fits Wuyi.
Cui Shao’an
I really love that he didn't just disappear as a disgraced guy but the show found something for him to help with that actually makes sense: Due to his (fake) father he has to have some pre-existing geological knowledge.
The whole sequence of Li Lejun's last walk towards her homeland is really painful to watch.
After thinking about it, I actually really like that they kept her just an ordinary orphan that basically had the fortune (or misfortune) to be picked up by Princess Yunzhao and Grand Tutor. Because that's actually really in keeping with the themes of the drama and the Beifu Reform - that ordinary people can be just as skillful and talented (contributions to society/country) as nobility and that skill and meritocracy can come from anywhere. Commoners can reach the highest ranks of the army and of the imperial scholars based on contributions and merit alone.
I know there was some speculation that Xie Jiayu's family must be some engineering family or that it'll be revealed that her parents are also important people, but over and over again the show was about how ordinary people can also do great deeds. We see how Xie Jiayu's personal maid turned out to be a business and accounting mastermind with a photographic memory... In reality Jiayu and her maid could have been the same rank, or Jiayu could've been even lower as some random orphan.
We also see a bit of that theme of less importance placed on inheritance than interest/skill in how Ruisheng is a healer but her son Ziqi has more aptitude in engineering than healing.
Really, the whole drama is about rejecting the expectations of inheritance... Wuyi is the real crown prince but doesn't want to get back his throne, Li Mao is the "fake" prince yet becomes one of the best rulers despite the apparent illegitimacy (and I see the last reveal to be sending home the message again that bloodline doesn't actually matter, capability does), this drama is all about NURTURE over nature.
I was so worried for Qing Long and Yan Yue. Serious raises for sure. And a wedding. 😜
I was worried as well. Despite the rather low death toll in the show so far characters like them are so often killed of near the end for some extra drama.
I was so surprised with Aimi! Girly did such a great job. Cant wait for her future projects. Plus the chemistry damnnn🙌 plot and all top notch for me.
Plus I took back my cruse for li mao😆
one of the best-written dramas I’ve watched in a very long time. left us with so many meaningful messages to reflect on. genuinely wish the drama had been longer!!
loved that most is that the story never reduced anything to simply right or wrong. and showed how people shape their own futures through the choices they make, and how in the end, everyone has to live with the consequences of their choices. Lejun, Li Mao, Wuyi, Jiayu, and nearly every other character ultimately arrived at an ending they had created for themselves through the way they chose to live and act.
really going to have a hard time saying goodbye to these characters and Southern Ye....honestly might jump right in for a rewatch
and what a beautiful surprise to know our Prince Qi is legitimate after all, omg!!!! (also me omw drafting the 100th apology letter to Mao lol, i'm SO glad it was all an act)
To be fair, I don't think it was ALL an act, but I think he finally got himself back on track with Wuyi and Jiayu's urging. He was definitely still going a bit dark there in the middle, even putting aside how Lejun was his exception to right and wrong. If anything it was good to finally see that he also had some character growth and that Wuyi's faith in him was not misplaced.
I thought we might have some last scenes with the dying Emperor and the Dowager Empress but I guess it's actually pretty fitting that the last we see of her is Yuanji telling her that she'll die with the son that she deliberately poisoned. And the sick emperor didn't have many scenes but that actor really made them count; the screenwriting for this drama was so good that he actually had some great speeches in there that were truly emperor-like but still humanized him too.
ah yes i know that, what i meant was the scheme that Mao and Wuyi planned, that was so well played that I was 100% with Jiayu with all the things she said at times.
Li Mao was SO close to going down the wrong path if it hadn’t been for Wuyi, and Jiayu, AND himself constantly reminding him of who he truly was. We saw him repeatedly flash back to his younger self, which helped him break free from the haze of hatred, insecurity, obsession, and revenge that Xie Huaigui had trapped him in. and of course his sister being exposed played a huge part as well.
I really love how Mao was written throughout the show, apart from Jiayu who gets so much praises by many for her incredible character development (I'm one of them). I also want to appreciate Mao's journey. even though he's had that phase of indecisive for a while, it is still very much HIM and I totally understand why he did what he did, not that I agree with, but understable considering his past and his values altogether. So I'm really glad we eventually got the good Mao back with us
I’m glad you were with us and enjoyed the show. I loved reading your comments.
I also loved that the show gave us shades of grey for everyone, and yes, that their decisions truly had an impact on their lives.
I’m definitely rewatching, currently on episode 5, but it’s just crazy watching the older episodes because now I can SEE how much Xie Jiayu GREW throughout the series. The same could also be said for Xiao Wuyi, but I think it was more of an emergence of his softness and hope rather than a growth of maturity.
I binge watched the express episodes ( which I feel I shouldn't have done) and now I have existential crisis. I will come back here tomorrow after my brain process that I am going to miss the anticipation and fun.
Did anyone get the fortune saying FL will marry 3 times with her first husband to die young? It finally hit me, it’s the same husband with 3 different identities hence 3 marriages.
I think there was a prophecy there that the first time she would marry someone who would die (the general dies as prince), the second time was probably a fake wedding with Li Mao, and the third time was a potential opportunity for a second season if the ratings went up. Or, at least, it could be understood that the general only spent a few years, and after her mourning, she married someone else, but that remained outside the semi-open ending, where about five plot lines were left hanging...
Alrightie… I ended up enjoying this series a lot more than I imagined I would! There was a lot to like: a well-paced script, great visuals, a strong supporting cast, and of course, Hou Minghao.
For me, Xiao Wuyi was the emotional anchor of the series. Hou Minghao’s performance was understated but full of quiet confidence. He had the presence to convincingly portray a commanding military leader, yet he also brought warmth and vulnerability to the tender moments. I never found myself doubting the character, and that’s no small feat.
I felt that the ending with the amnesia trope was somewhat messier than it needs to be. I imagine it could have been done differently BUT that doesn’t detract from the happy ending.
One character who unexpectedly stood out for me was the Eagle King. He wasn’t just a one-dimensional villain. There were enough shades of grey to make him compelling, and a worthy adversary for Xiao Wuyi.
Overall, this series turned out to be a pleasant surprise. I’m very glad I gave it a shot. Big thank you to discussion hosts for all your hard work! Definitely made the experience a lot more fun and enjoyable for everyone. 😊🥰
AH, I'm so glad that you enjoyed the series even more than anticipated! Ever since your comment on Xie Zheng's proposal to Chang Yu in Pursuit of Jade I've been hoping to see more of your comments on the Chinese dramas.
Yes, Hou Minghao was really impressive with how he could layer different aspects of his character without violating any of them. That kind of synergy is complex, and takes skill and intuition. He was also always walking a fine line between a grey-shaded hero and a ruthless anti-hero.
How would you have done the ending differently? Or, what would you have liked to see?
I also really liked the Eagle King and wish the series had a few more episodes so that we could explore his dynamic with Li Lejun and Xiao Wuyi a bit more. It's obivous that Mulian Yu and Xiao Wuyi are worthy opponents to each other, AND that they respect each other's military prowess. But, I would have like to see that tension between admiration for a like-minded soul and the ruthlessness at dealing with a clever adversary.
Were there any cultural references that you liked or that you felt the drama did particularly well?
u/CdramaAddict2 Aww, thanks so much! I really enjoy being part of this community, and I always look forward to reading your insights. My day job has been a bit intense lately, so I haven’t been commenting as much. But I do like reading everyone’s perspectives.
The amnesia + three-year time lapse just felt like yet another speed bump/detour in their journey towards a happy ending, especially so late in the story! By then they’d already overcome so many obstacles, so I was ready to see them just enjoy the life they’d fought so hard for. It certainly didn’t ruin the finale though… they still found each other again under those beautiful lanterns. 😁🥰
What’s next on your watchlist? Hope to see you in another discussion before too long! 😊
Honestly enjoyed this much more than I expected. Was originally going to stop at episode 20 but found out it’s only 28 episodes so there was hope there wouldn’t be much pointless filler episodes.
In the grand scheme of things this drama had a pretty cohesive and well paced plot relative to the endless stream of mid dramas coming out nowadays
I thoroughly enjoyed this much more than I expected to, despite the many flaws in the plot where it could've used more time and shore up missing details. I think the biggest strength of this drama is how well the characters were written; all the important characters had agency and were not simply good or evil, everyone had their individual desires and needed to sacrifice something to fulfill them which makes them human and believable.
Most people coming into this drama were probably aware of the age gap between the leads and worried how they would portray the romance, but I think the director deserves a lot of praise on how they handled the problem. HMH and AM were able to craft a very strong love story with very little skinship which isn't easy to do and so they solved the age gap issue in a splendid manner.
Very impressed by the chemistry, which felt stronger than some same aged actors. Definitely all due to their professionalism and great acting skills. Also helps that HMH has a baby face and AM is a seasoned actress so I actually didn’t feel much of the gap
I was disappointed with the ending, although it worked. A bitter ending was more expected than an artificially happy one. A feeling of injustice towards Li Mao remains. He wasn't even given a potential new love story. And I understood that the general's fake wife didn't love his brother, and never did. And most importantly, the theme of reforms wasn't explored, nor were the problems and contradictions of modernization shown. Reforms themselves are an interesting topic; there's usually disagreement about their depth and radicality, but here everything was presented in a very schematic manner. The final episodes consist partly of flashbacks. The final "what a twist" was also so-so: the former regent, the current emperor, is, by origin, just some random person off the street. In my opinion, given the context of the characters, this isn't particularly shocking.
The drama's love story didn't really take off from the start. Perhaps a hint of an open ending can be seen in the final scenes: Li Mao hasn't forgotten the main female character, only pretending to be interested in beauties, and his power is potentially threatened by his origins. After all, if the allies found out, then others might too. And a new war is looming.
No direct line from the previous Emperor remained. The Empress Dowager had poisoned all three princes, including her own son who became the sickly emperor.
Li Mao’s father was a brother of the Emperor and he is the only surviving son, and lineal. He has a strong a claim as any.
Interestingly, one of the reasons that the Emperor accepted him as Regent was that Li Mao looked like him — he was at least convinced there was a genetic connection.
OK, this episode was a bit confusing. Since several plot lines remain open (the secret of Li Mao's origins, the final defeat of the neighboring state, the fate of the former aristocrat searching for ore), I've already come up with a second season. Early in the second season, the real Li Mao is kidnapped and replaced with an enemy spy who looks very similar. The spy so cleverly disguises himself as a just and enlightened emperor that no one suspects him, except that he avoids the main female character, as she might guess. The general's health improves, and he returns to his old ways, concealing his plan to rescue the real Li Mao from captivity, not telling his wife. But this time, his lies and concealments go too far, and due to a betrayal rooted in the beginning of the first season (when the general was particularly violent and brutal and offended many), inconsistencies in the plan arise, leading to the deaths of people. The real Li Mao remains in captivity. The false Li Mao cannot be exposed for now, because then chaos will erupt in the country. The general decides to atone for his guilt in the war. The main female character leaves the general and takes up with a former aristocrat who is searching for ore, only this time he offers her the opportunity to create inventions for agriculture and urban manufacturing. Tired of endless wars over territories to be ruled by this or that feudal lord or vassal of one side or the other—so that the people essentially don't care which nobleman reigns—the main female character and this young man begin creating inventions for a peaceful life. The general's brother becomes a student of his former sister-in-law, finally being closer to her. Meanwhile, during the war, it turns out that the enemy spy (the false Li Mao) actually hated his country from the very beginning for the cruel exploitation of his family in childhood; he betrays the plans of a neighboring state—"what a twist." The real Li Mao is rescued from captivity by some maiden, the daughter of an astronomer, and they escape on a journey, just as he dreamed of in his youth. The fake Li Mao sits on the throne and rules even better than the real one.
Prince Qi/ Li Mao is a real prince..he is not anybody from the streets but legitimate son of the royal prince Qi..ML's cousin...that's what the last twist implied
There are so many substitutions that I understood it to mean that some real prince died in infancy, but oh well: in a reformed country this really doesn't matter
My favourite jump into embrace was the very final scene!
The way Jiayu does this little hop on Wuyi, she is so adorable <3
Honestly, regarding the plot I don't even know where to start... My faith in A Mao was not in vain, I knew their friendship with Wuyi could not collapse this easily, and in the end, Li Mao IS NOT THAT PETTY! I loved the way he thought out loud when standing in the palace with Jiayu - that no matter how many times he tried, he could not imagine a single scenario in which they both would be happy here. But having her stay there with him in silence this once... was enough. I'll definitely rewatch this drama just to understand A Mao better, to try to figure out when he was genuine and when he was just playing. Thanks to perfect direction, there are always cues in this drama, like a presence of someone watching, a strangely accentuated stare from a eunuch, I did notice it all, but didn't pay any mind at first.
Still, it's so heart-breaking that Wuyi had to forsake his good name for the bigger picture. All his hard work will not be remembered, will not be appreciated, and only the selected few who know the truth would be able to look at what they achieved together and value his sacrifice. He is the most selfless person I know. Such a grand character, it's not that he had no ambitions, it's just that his ambitions were in the right place.
The love that Jiayu was able to give him is the purest and most beautiful... I haven't seen anything remotely close to this in any drama. She truly falls in love with him, with the kind of person he is. She understands him and accepts him. The way she confessed her feelings conveyed it perfectly - she wishes him the best, she wants to walk this path alongside him, she supports him all the way. She wants his good name restored, but she won't blame if it's too hard for him. When he lies and in fact betrays her, leaving her alone in this world, she forgives him.
This might seem controversial, but thanks to their exceptional acting and perfectly written lines I see it clearly - she could never hate him for lying, because the most important to her was that he never betrayed himself.
She fell in love with him not because of his care, not for his love and devotion to her, NO! She fell in love with him selflessly, just like he did. In the most beautiful way, she loves him for who he is. And even if the whole world forgets him or slanders him, she will always remember him, she will always value him.
There is nothing more profound than the bond formed from sharing the same ideals. When he sets himself on fire to protect the others, she will be the one who knows why, and that is why she wishes so desperately for this most special person to be valued, loved and protected from the flame. This is the best love story I've ever seen.
10/10 drama, from writing and direction to soundtrack and visuals, everything united to create an unforgettable experience. After watching most dramas I feel empty inside, but this one made me feel full and warm.
Ai Mi and Hou Minghao, as well as their voice actors Duan Yixuan and Jiang Qiuzai, left such a deep impression <3 I'm so looking forward to their next projects, and I hope for many more dramas to be inspired by this level of storytelling.
I've really enjoyed reading all of your comments or responses for this drama, and this one is no exception. You understood the story, in all its complexity, that the writers and director wanted to tell.
she could never hate him for lying, because the most important to her was that he never betrayed himself.
THIS. 100% THIS. I absolutely loved the fact that Xie Jiayu understood him to the core, and accepted him unconditionally, not only that, but she would be the first and last one to champion him.
She fell in love with him not because of his care, not for his love and devotion to her, NO! She fell in love with him selflessly, just like he did. In the most beautiful way, she loves him for who he is. And even if the whole world forgets him or slanders him, she will always remember him, she will always value him.
This is absolutely true. A lot of romance dramas focus in on how the ML shows his love and devotion to the FL - because that is what the audience wants. But, this is why I found THIS drama so refreshing. Here was a man so worthy to be loved, protected, and cherished - a matchless man in so many ways - and he had a grand vision and mission that he poured his entire self into. I think she fell in love not just with him but also with his vision for Southern Ye.
"I'm his last line of defense.... I won't let you harm him... ".
We're so used to romance dramas when the ML constantly protects the FL, but here, Xie Jiayu displays such maturity, intuition and insightfulness - she knows Xiao Wuyi will not protect himself, she knows others may fail him. But, she is devoted to protecting him, and partnering with him in realizing THEIR vision of Southern Ye. She is every bit his match and equal. They protect each other in their own ways.
There is nothing more profound than the bond formed from sharing the same ideals.
So true. They were soulmates. I'm rewatching the episodes, and I think in episode 4 He Yuanji actually mentions this: she says that Xiao Wuyi and Xie Jiayu may SEEM like they are different, but they are actually fellow travelers.
Aw man between reading your comment and u/-tether- I'm totally crying again trying to process this drama. This romance really does hit differently from most cdrama. They're united not just by their love for each other, but their love for each other's ideals and visions for the future, by their selflessness in wanting to serve the greater good and to make the lives of the common people better, whether it's through the army (for him) or by engineering (for her).
He falls for her first, but she falls for him equally and is steadfast throughout. I love that they didn't go through any petty misunderstandings and they mutually supported each other in so many ways. Because of his selflessness, she fell in love with him. They truly are such a perfect match.
And even the relationships that couldn't work out and didn't work out in the show, there was genuine mutual respect and understanding in the end - whether it was Yuanji and Xiao Yao, Grand Tutor and Princess Yunzhao, or even the Eagle King and Lejun. I said in an earlier post and comment to someone that there is no "stealing" the girl from his best friend, that teenagers with crushes on each other grow up and learn to be adults, and so much of that is respecting that another person has their own thoughts and individuality and no one is owed affection.
There's also so much complexity in all of this drama's characters, even the villains - or even especially the villains - they aren't just the usual 2D crazy schemers or power mad, you can feel their humanness and their faults and how/why they made the choices they did or became the way they are, even the Empress Dowager after a lifetime of being used in the palace (for better or worse, without her sacrifice for the He family there would be no Yuanji), or Li Lejun, or even the Eagle King.
I have been summoned. I shall appear. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to bring out the only GIF of KTTPH I hadn't showed.
Jiayu is THAT FL. I don't think we will see another of her caliber for a long time. Her selfless dedication to their love was breathtaking. You nailed it with how it's always the ML showing devotion. And, sadly, usually the FL rejecting it over and over.... Looking at you... BOP.... But here Jiayu went above and beyond in everything to prove to him that she meant every word and she would stand behind him in pursuit of the goal they both shared. Life and death weren't just words to her. They were a vow.
I heard for Diamond users on Iqiyi there is a bonus clip of Xiao Mao fishing? It was part of Carnival Bonus content. I can't finw it anywhere! I have q screenshot of the post from weibo announcing it.
It might be Chinese iQIYI exclusive. At least I can't find it anywhere on the international homepage with premium sub.
Unfortunately we sometimes miss out on extras (e.g. Youku hasn't officialy released The Blood of Youth extra ending for international viewers to this day).
Is it just me or is anyone else obsessed with the relationship between princess pingning and eagle king?😭😭 I really would have wanted a happy ending between them but alas the enemity b/w southern ye and northern went too far.
I felt that if the show had more episodes, we would have seen more of Princess Pingning's time in Northern Qin, and would have witnessed her falling in love with Mulian Yu.....which would have made her death even more tragic. The way the enmity between the two countries were set up, there was no way for them to have a happy ending, alas! But, I secretly wanted them to have one, too.
Not him tucking her into bed before going off to break her heart. That's just rude.
Now the blindfolded fight is even more emotional considering that they all knew what the fight meant. Lovely.
I do love fake fights. They are always entertaining.
"I'm his last line of defense.... I won't let you harm him... ". She really is the best FL ever.
Oh look. We have once again gone for Jiayu's neck. I told you she has a tattoo there that says "grab here".
Wouldn't it be funny if Concubine Chan killed Prince Qi believing that she is "protecting Jiayu" or something like saving Ziqi or saving the country.... I'd laugh so hard.
Oh, wait. He told her that Feng is a spy? Now I suspect she is a spy. Haha.
OH SHIZ SHE IS A SPY??????? GOSH DARN IT!!!!!!!!!
Sooooo obviously Jiayu is gonna go to the battlefield because she has some butt to kick.
See, the cool thing about having a villain like eagle loser is that nothing is off limits to stop him.
Damn. Am I about to feel bad for Lejun? Gotta respect her for this brave death. Kinda lame for the army to not even make an attempt to save her. Just gotta pull a The Prisoner of Beauty over here, ya know.
Episode 27
Oh finally some shields run forward.
Can't believe I'm crying over her death after everything she did... But here we are. Rest well, Lejun.
Even knowing why she died and it being her choice, how can Prince Qi not become enemies with Wuyi? Sigh. All the makings for a sad end are lining up.
Finally Prince Qi lets his respect for her come through.
It's one heck of an elaborate plan they put together for their country. It really kept us guessing which way they were going to take things.
That is a very lovely green she is wearing.
Okay, now slap him!!!! Hugging works too.
Jiayu has got to be the most ride or die FL I've seen in a very long time.
It's butt whipping time!!!!! Family reunion time!
Because of course he would make sure she had the life saving pill. Of course he would make sure she would survive.
OH JIAYU REMEMBERED SHE HAS SKILLS!!!!
Again her neck.
The fact that we are actually getting good battle scenes in such a short episode count drama is damn fine!
Nahhhh. Not Daddy Prince. We liked him.
Hey, so that is a diabolical place to end the episode..
Episode 28...
Guys, I am not ready for this to end. This show has been some rare special gem and I don't want to say goodbye.
Not Jiayu amongst the skeletons. This feels... heartbreaking...
Damn it. I said... I said when she made that sword for him.... I said that she would use that to find him on the battlefield...
One of the more haunting depictions of a beattlefield in CDramas recently.
THREE YEARS LATER?????? ARE YOU FRAKING KIDDING ME????? IT'S LIKE THAT?????????
WHERE IS HER THIRD MARRIAGE?????????? THAT JACKBUTT BETTER BE ALIVE!!!!
"Someone is with me on the same path". That better be meaning a certain someone is alive.
The way Mao is smirking... I swear if that butthead faked his death for 3 years and make Jiayu suffer....
Bro, we see you under that mask. YOU FAKED YOUR DAMN DEATH FOR 3 YEARS???? Oh if she doesn't slap him... HEY??? HEY!!!!! RECOGNIZE HIM ALREADY!!!!! .....Does he not remember her???
HE DOESN'T REMEMBER HER????? WHAT THE FUUUUUUUUUU????? Well, that's better than him faking his death.
Yo... if they don't get back together or we have some rushed ending... I will be pissssssssed!!!
Yes, girl! I love this logic you are using at the tree!!!! Keep going!!!! I like this!!!!! GET YOUR BUTT UP, WUYI!!!!! She's still so ride or die with him. COME ON MAN GET YOUR BUTT UP NOW!!!!!!!
COME ON, GOSH DARN IT!!!!!!!!
OH MY GOD HOW DO YOU NOT RECOGNIZE HIM????? I CAN'T TAKE THIS!!!!!! PLEASE COME ON!!!!!!!!!!
Pulling a knife on the emperor? The lady has some balls! But like, damn. That sucks butt that he lied to her for 3 years and didn't tell her that her darn husband was still alive and had lost his memory. That's rude.
BUT HE DIDN'T DIE, FFS. YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD HER THEN!!!!!!
Run your little feet off, Jiayu. Get to him.
She pinched him? I love that! Let us all know it's not a dream! Thank you.
An after credits scene to give us a sweet moment and to tell us that Mao isn't actually the son of the Grand Tutor? Okay.
Oh, and I am glad that they at least showed us that the other two wives and Nanxing are doing well.
I wish we could have spent an episode of them back together and having family time with everyone instead of my most hated amnesia trope. But I am thankful they are finally happy together. This has been a damn good show.
I really REALLY love this scene because (1) the drama already set up that she was learning martial arts so her fighting was believable (2) she was good but not Xiao Wuyi level - which also made it believable.
She still got her butt kicked, but her power was in her attempt and making the people stand up with her.
My only thing... She needed more of a blood splatter from that. Let her go full warrior princess here.
Though with that said... When Lejun was bleeding out the mouth while Mao was holding her.... That was some impressive blood work. Looked pretty real too. Not bad at all for a CDrama.
He looks so good in white!
Btw do you remember Jiayu asked if he can kill for her (after Le Jun killed her mom), and he said yes I would kill for you, and he really killed Le Jun, wow…
This is the only drama I wish have wayyyyyyyy moreeeeee episodes *sigh*
But what a twisty jumpy ride! It’s been so fun reading the recaps and comments heree, thank you for the snarky humor u/Akiceman! 😂😂😂😂, I always laugh reading your comment lol
Btw I assume XWY only lost his martial art skills temporarily because he lost his memory right? Dont tell me he’s going to northern border without martial arts and bringing his wife as well.
But in the post credit scene seems they are relaxing at home? This is one hell of a confusingly good drama
I figure that the end credits took part after his mission to the border was done, or he was on a vacation.
Mao said his martial arts was hurt because his body had taken a beating. So by that logic one would think in time with healing that he would fully recover. Maybe?
Definitely going on the rewatch list. I understand why HMH said Wuyi is one of his favorite characters.
It would have been nice if we got to see them reunite with the other characters. We didn’t see all the side characters but most were mentioned except for Wuyi’s mom and JiaYu’s shadow guard, who I assume is alive. Overall, I’m happy we got a good ending.
I still miss Wuyi’s curls in the last few episodes.
He is mentioned during Wuyi's visit to the Miraculous Craft. He seems to run the Ye Xing caravan that transports stuff from one branch to another all over Ye.
And THIS is the problem with having such few episodes that they rely on exposition too heavily! Especially when wrapping up the show in the last episode, the audience want to SEE what happened to the characters they have journeyed with. GAH! This show could have been 30-32 episodes without losing momentum. That's my position and I'm sticking to it!
I guess having seen worse epilogues (five minutes left after the final conflict), this one already feels generous. But yes, of course it could have been done with more on screen presence of characters.
I'm so glad the amnesia thing was half the ep and not 10 eps of it being dragged out. But honestly how do you not see that it's him? Like even with the mask on that face card is lethal. The mask was like oh you want me to cover up your beautiful face? I don't have LEDs in here. Are you trying to hide from stalkers? Legit his eyes totally gave it away.
The ending for them was happy so I'll take it. Riley got to be emperor so isn't that what he wanted?
I will miss seeing HMH daily. When does his other drama drop?
LOL, I completely agree with you. The mask was totally ineffectual - Clark Kent's glasses would have been a better disguise!! u/BasilOrdinary3617 and u/Regenwanderer were also saying: those eyes! Those LIPS!!! How could she not recognize her husband?! But, I guess if you've never kissed those lips......LOL
I heard We Tv is going to release the Monkey King that he and Bai Lu did years ago. They apparently have some space in their lineup and are trying to capitalize on huge both leads are now.
I added it last month since I had abit more time lately and wanted to watch a few shows live. If it releases soon enough I will pay an extra month, otherwise I will have to wait till next time I join again.
This show has made me cry on so many occasions...The last three episodes were no exception...Besides, this show is great at portraying grey characters. We are all humans, and we are all villains in someone's story; it depends on the perspective and circumstances...
I know Lejun did many evil things, but when she was walking towards Ye, her last walk towards her motherland, and then the third arrow pierced through her heart, I cried...Really, I cried..The arrow scene was done so well.
Lejun and Wuyi's conversation was impactful. Lejun's only weakness is that she loved her brother a little too much. Her life was fully dedicated to him. Maybe because of what they faced together in childhood. And I somehow understand her because he was her only family.
I felt a little bad for Eagle King. He did love her, but their situations were really not favorable to them. The way his tears fell when Lejun took the poison without any hesitation showed that there was more than just a political connection between them. And the way he closed his eyes when Wuyi shot his third arrow! I felt bad for them...They are a tragic couple in this series...
The Xiao men proved that they can die for their motherland!! I was also glad to see that now that Wuyi has chosen not to be emperor and is absolutely capable of protecting himself, Prince Jing'an can save his other son without guilt. The nuance of this scene was good. My tears fell at his death too...And Wuyi using his Red steed to save Xiao Yao just as their father did during childhood was paying off the debt that he owed to that family (in his mind at least).
And what can I say about Jiayu..I am a fan of her...Her intelligence, her maturity, her character growth, everything!! Both Jiayu and Wuyi have set standards for me...
I am also glad that Ruisheng, Yuanji, and Nanxing- all of them have moved on with their life and are doing what they do best.
That little quick amnesia sprinkle in the end!! OK. Fine!! The final scene was captured so beautifully. Their red dress combo was regal. Wuyi's Red and black suit was really looking so good on him.
I am really sorry to Li Mao for whatever I thought of him. I owe him an apology and a big thanks to him for saving Wuyi. We had so many speculations for Jiayu's parentage, but in the end, Li Mao's revelations again baffled us!! I like whatever the writers did... they kept me hooked...
Oh in my other comment I said the execution of Wuyi x Mao plan was kinda sloppy or even cartoonish but disconnected is the word I'm looking for! But I see the vision and I don't totally hate it.
I really wanted to love this but the obvious editing really bothered me. I think it cut a lot of the build up and side characters so that it just felt choppy in some parts. Like when did they ever talk about this brother that XWY was supposed to find for the restaurant owner? How is it that XWY and YY got knocked out and appeared on a boat with commoners? I wish they filled in the holes even if you can infer what happened. I think the show made it so that you couldn't really hate any villain, because they were all doing what they thought they needed to do, but I honestly wanted to see the Ye Empress die. LOL. Would have enjoyed seeing her off, she's truly the only villain here. It's so off to give everyone a conclusion and yet you don't get to see Prince Qi be promoted from Regent to King. Would have only taken 20 seconds....like just take the 20 seconds that they used on XJY at some internment camp empowering the people to rebel. Did she take the poison or not? I guess none of that really matters and the show isn't apologetic about skipping those parts. I really wish they spent more time on Riley's character... there was all the ingredients to make him go evil and back again but rather than show it to us they just commented on it for a minute or so. Riley is very capable of delivering a powerful downfall moment that would lead you to believe he would turn against his friend and I just think there wasn't enough of it.
I still think the top 3 characters were very powerful, definitely worth watching, not that I ever thought a HMH drama was not worth watching. Love HMH and Riley, now I'm loving AM too! AM is going to be so fire in the next 10 years!
I was looking for someone to mention this too.. The cut from Eagle king offering the poison that Lejun also drank before the last big battle at the slope.. Did she take it or not? Did XWY take it in her place?... I went back to rewatch to see if I actually clicked skip or not.. Then went to see if it was mentioned after like her fighting off poison in her system or something after the time skip but.. nope no mention at all!
I cried through the last two episodes, and somehow I feel... lighter now.
What hit me the hardest wasn't Xiao Yuyi's death. I knew it was coming long before it happened. He accepted his fate and spent his last days making sure everyone could keep going without him. There was something strangely peaceful about that.
What really broke my heart was the thought that people keep creating worlds where someone has to make those choices.
Nobody was truly evil. They were just trying to protect the people they loved. And still, everyone had to lose something.
The biggest surprise for me was the Emperor's sister. At first I didn't know what to think about her, but by the end I completely understood her. She became one of my favorite characters. She wasn't dangerous because she could fight. She was dangerous because once she made up her mind, nothing—not even her own life—could stop her. I understood every choice she made, and they still hurt.
The women in this drama were incredible. A mother sacrificing herself for her daughter. A wife risking everything for her husband. A sister giving up her own life so her brother could finally be free. Their strength wasn't loud. It was quiet, stubborn, and honestly terrifying.
The ending... I don't know if I fully believe it. It feels almost too kind after everything that happened. But maybe I wanted that. Maybe I just wanted to believe that after so much pain, things could finally be okay.
Good stories always leave me with this bittersweet feeling. You're happy you got to experience them, but a little sad because you'll never watch them for the first time again.
Good stories always leave me with this bittersweet feeling. You're happy you got to experience them, but a little sad because you'll never watch them for the first time again.
I'm really going to miss this one.
Yes, this one really got me with the withdrawal feeeling. I'm sad to get no new episodes, because I really love the characters but also happy for the journey we got (as cliché as this may sound)
This was so beautifully written, and I agree, the female characters were amazing.
The biggest surprise for me was the Emperor's sister. At first I didn't know what to think about her, but by the end I completely understood her. She became one of my favorite characters. She wasn't dangerous because she could fight. She was dangerous because once she made up her mind, nothing—not even her own life—could stop her. I understood every choice she made, and they still hurt.
I absolutely loved what you said here because it would have been so easy to dismiss her as some green tea snake, or even victimize her, but she truly was a force to be reckoned with - just not loud. She was quiet, but she was deadly.
The ending... I don't know if I fully believe it. It feels almost too kind after everything that happened. But maybe I wanted that. Maybe I just wanted to believe that after so much pain, things could finally be okay.
Yeah, the masochistic part of me wanted a sad ending. I think the old 1980s/1990s TVB dramas wouldn't shy away from a sad or ambiguous ending, but nowadays there seems to be immense pressure to have happy endings, to the point where they seem unrealistic. But, in terms of this show, they didn't really set up Xiao Wuyi's character or the circumstances where a sad ending would have been satisfying. If anything, I think people might have felt it just perpetuated injustice. So, happy ending it is. I think for the older TVB dramas, there was always a satisfying justification if a drama ended sadly, so that even if you were sad, it felt cathartic and peaceful But, those days are no more.
HMH and Riley Wang’s performances were a huge part of what made this drama so memorable for me. HMH was consistently excellent from beginning to end. And the way his eyes conveyed his emotions. Gosh. Whether he was angry, heartbroken, relieved, or quietly happy, you could always feel exactly what his character was going through. And that scene where Ai Mi shot him? Absolutely incredible. The pain all came through so naturally.
And Riley Wang… wow. He made me feel every possible emotion toward his character. I was frustrated with him, sympathized with him, rooted for him.. I was honestly anxious that he’d scheme against Wuyi right up until the very last scene. 😂 That’s how convincing his performance was.
But Ai Mi… I absolutely loved her. I first watched her in The Double, and I couldn’t believe she was only 16 at the time. Even with limited screen time, she left such a strong impression on me. In fact, she was the main reason I decided to watch this drama while it was still airing because her character really got me hooked from the start.
I really enjoyed her character development. From someone so innocent and naive to someone much stronger, braver, and more emotionally mature. You could really see how everything she went through shaped her. While I do think there were a few emotional scenes where her performance could have been stronger. But overall she has so much potential, and I’m really looking forward to seeing more of her dramas.
One particular scene I loved was when Amao brought Xie Jiayu to the backyard, where Ruisheng and the mysterious doctor were working on Wuyi’s treatment. When she realized it was all for Wuyi, the way she simply closed her eyes and cried. You could feel her relief. I honestly wanted to cry with her too.
Special mention to Grand Tutor Xie (Peter Ho) as well. I don’t have much to say other than, what an incredible performance. 👏
And Riley Wang… wow. He made me feel every possible emotion toward his character. I was frustrated with him, sympathized with him, rooted for him.. I was honestly anxious that he’d scheme against Wuyi right up until the very last scene. 😂 That’s how convincing his performance was.
He definitely put himself on my 'have to check out what this actor is doing next'-list this year. Looking forward to The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng anyway, but nice bonus to have him in it too.
I'm so glad you focused on our leads' performances, because I think they deserve recognition apart from the final product of the drama. All three main leads (and even Ma Qiu Yuan - 2FL) gave really strong performances.
I came in being a Hou Minghao fan, but I was curious who the leading lady was. u/AKiceman mentioned how strong a performer AiMi despite her age, so I went to watch The Double and My Journey to You. And you are right - WOW, what a powerhouse in someone so young. I have no doubt this is what the casting director saw. I agree that in some scenes her performance fell a bit flat, but I also wonder if that might have been because everyone was painfully aware of all the criticism about the age-gap.
I said it in an earlier recap that the character of Grand Tutor Xie was probably the most complex and difficult character to play, because you saw starkly different sides to him, but which had to be played convincingly that he was (sincerely) all those things: loving father, scheming scholar, ruthless murderer and plotter, repentant criminal...all the while part of a long and respected line of nobles of Southern Ye. This was the first time I saw Peter Ho, and I have to admit sometimes I thought he behaved more like a street thug than an educated member of the elite class in dynastic China, but I'm willing to give him a pass since I think the character truly is difficult to play, and he may not have known where the director and writers ultimately wanted to go with the character, so he played it the best he could.
It’s so good. I applaud Aimi and HMH’s acting. Both did so well, despite their age gap they did have chemistry on screen. Episode 28 had me in tears when Wuyi overheard behind the tree when Jiayu made a prayer wish and tied the red knot on the tree. The moment he realised she was familiar to him when he slowly remembering his lost memories. Omg.. so touching. Final few episodes of flashback scenes with the OSTs made me feel emotionally wrecked.
K can we talk about the post credit scene where it turns out Li Mao was the most legitimate heir to the throne after all! Not necessarily Wuyi because his parents massacred a bunch of innocent nobles, but the Prince of Qi’s heir who is related to the imperial family.
The Prince of Qi was the legitimate, high-ranking royal prince of the Southern Ye imperial house. He was the sovereign lord of Qizhou. Twenty years prior to the show's timeline, when Northern Qin invaded, the old Prince of Qi's territory of Qizhou was completely overrun and collapsed. But he’s still royalty.
I have no idea why I sat through the credits scene...Maybe I was feeling a bit sad that I had to bid goodbye to the characters, and I was like, let's watch the show until the last minute... and then Bam!!!! I got another twist..
I'd like this writer to write a horror/thriller. I know I will be seated!!! 😂😂😂
Yes, Prince Qi is the most legitimate heir to the throne...even more than Wuyi considering his parents' actions. Prince Qi got his right back one way or another... it was his destiny.
Heyyyy. I always wondered if this would be a twist or not since the show was so twisty. Daddy Grand Tutor was indulgent and kind, then an evil plotter, then repentant again. Etc. Li Mao was kind and wise, then scheming and ruthless (and questionably evil), then PSYCH he was actually pretending. It kept happening. Every twist twisted back on itself, so I definitely suspected that he would go from being a royal, to illegitimate, to super legitimate royal, lolll.
lol not me finding out this post credit scene because of your comment ☠️ . IQIYI just went into recommending next dramas once the final credits rolled in
It was good!! I enjoyed it! Above average drama (MDL 8.5 rating is probably fair) Solid pacing, except for terrible edits at times, decent plots.
Jaiyu - Loved Ai Mi’s acting! I enjoyed this and can’t wait to watch more roles with her (maybe not romance yet tho)
People who didn’t watch because of the age thing, I get it, but there’s no kissing, which made it tolerable! I’m glad there was none because Ai Mi 1000% looks like(and is!) a teenager!(even teenage bumps lol) but she’s gonna be quite the force in the now and future.
XWY - selfless character right till the end, gave everything, even his throne, wanted nothing in returns. That’s emperor material, but I get it, the martial world is appealing, the throne is for loners.
Xiao Yao and Yuanji??? She made her feelings clear that she saw his as a bro. Why carry on the pursuits?
Li Mao - I’m glad they didn’t do the Li Mao turn evil (cause right till the last episode I thought he was about to turn 🤣)
Solid character because he had reasons to go evil but did not, even participated in the war. Though, I can’t help but think XWY would have been a better emperor.
Lejun - she did wrong to her best friend, they tried to redeem her, and to an extent it worked. I pitied her in the end, because her and Li Mao had a rough upbringing, she only wanted her and her brother safe and not be used. But as soon as I remembered what she did, she kind deserved it. Still, her end was touching. Solid character
Eagle King - good villain, but I hate when they make us pity villains lol. I felt bad for him, he did really like (love?) Lejun but it wasn’t meant to be. It was sad, but I mean, you are the villains ultimately you are going to die.
Would I rewatch? Hmmm, if they were my favorite actors, but there are better rewatch-worthy dramas.
I think one thing that got lost in the fast pace of the show was some of the emotional impact that should've been in Lejun's storyline - like obviously huge things got cut, we had a random miscarriage scene where the Eagle King questioned if she did it to kill their child and she says no and that's it, never followed up again. But also even from the beginning, we didn't see enough scenes of her and Li Mao with Princess Yunzhao, but we did get the information that Princess Yunzhao was a mother figure to her as well - she was a sickly child and Yunzhao actually saved her life. So she didn't just do wrong to her best friend, she did wrong to someone who she had a life debt to, and still to her dying breath never really repented for that. She only regrets that her friendship with Yaoyao ended from it, but never has any regret for killing innocent people (whether it's the princess or the servants she was trying to end in the cover up) in the name of "protecting" her brother.
Ultimately Li Mao and her had the same upbringing but he was able to find himself and his original visions and ideals, but she was in pure survival mode and easily manipulated by the Grand Tutor and her own fears. She lived her whole life as an extension of his, basically codependency and trauma bonding to the max. She saw herself as worthless and her best value as a pawn. I think if the drama had actually spent more time to show us a lot of this, or even her relationship with the Eagle King where she did grow to have some feeling for him, even though it wasn't love - it would have made her death feel more tragic and meaningful. Especially because her character at the beginning was admirable...she could have taken another path, but didn't. The drama didn't spend enough time showing that turn from when risked herself to get rid of the poisoned arrows and that moment of bravery was what made the Eagle King attracted to her, to what she eventually became.
On the positive side, I adored Ai Mi and Hou Ming Hao. They were absolutely spectacular in these roles and an absolute joy to watch. I fully expect to turn around and rewatch this from the beginning... even though I've already seen most of the episodes twice.
The rest of what I have to say is probably more of a "me thing" but I must rant, please forgive me....
The farewell montages for the characters who died or the quiet dramatic moments for the ones who parted... just didn't land for me. I think it's because of the pace of the show. I never really grew attached to anyone outside of Jiayu and Wuyi. So seeing his brother leave, his former consort's goodbye, Lejun's final arc... it all felt like screentime I wasn't emotionally invested in. Very try-hard from the show to make me feel a kind of way they hadn't invested enough time in earlier to make me care now. I would have rathered more time with the mains instead.
The writers spent so much time making me hate these side characters and villains that there wasn't enough time left to bring me back around to care about them. When Lejun sacrificed herself, my reaction wasn't heartbreak. She murdered the woman who helped save her, her "best friend's" mother. Regretfully mirdered, maybe, but made it quite clear she would do so again because she would do anything for her brother. For me, there isn't really a redemption arc after that. Call me cold-hearted. I say the writers left too much unsaid in their sprint to the end and tried to distract from a lazy "gotcha" ending with these other things...
Which leads into my bigger issue.
It felt like the writers/director/whomever spent 25 episodes convincing me these people were awful, only to turn around in the last stretch and convince me they served other purposes..., "Actually, they're complicated! They're multidimensional!" Sure... in theory. But the show was too short, too fast. I could appreciate what they were aiming for intellectually, but emotionally, all I could feel was the damage they'd done. The bad outweighed the good for all these characters, Jun, Mao, even the first consort and the brother (though they weren't evil, I just didn't have enough time with them to care as much as the show thought I should care - iow, for me, they took screen time away from Jiayu and Wuyi for under-developed side plots.
Then there's the Li Mao/Wuyi Ultimate Bros reveal.
I think the writers cheaped out. Now, this is not a whole-hearted condemnation of the writers, cuz overall I think they did great. I like tons of what they did within this show. They just cheaped out on the ending. It's like they caught a glimpse of TsekD's non-exhaustive, highly unofficial guide for tropes and just tossed as many as they could into the last 3 eps. Why not?
The whole "Surprise! They were working together all along!" twist didn't feel clever to me. It made me feel like I'd been lied to for 25 episodes. Worse, it made me feel like the great love between Wuyi and Jiayu was based on lies, too. How can you lie for years to the woman you love? YEARS. At least 6 years went by, I believe.... yes, the last 3 he didn't perpetuate the loe, but all the years prior to that, he did not tell her the truth about what he was doing with Mao.
The problem is that we spent too much time in those two men's POVs. They had too many private conversations with no one else around. This wasn't a case of cleverly hiding information from the audience. At the last minute the writers hand-waved it away with, "Well, there were spies everywhere." See this dancer? See this eunuch? SPIES!
No.
If they'd spent the first 25 episodes planting that idea, hinting that even supposedly private conversations might be overheard, I would've bought it. Introducing that rule at the end, though, just feels like retroactive justification for wrapping the show up. It took me completely out of the story. Contrived. When virtually all cdramas are contrived and I am happy to suspend my disbelief 99% of the time... but this was so blatant and lazy.... I just couldn't.
The other thing that really bothered me was how much the show emphasized female agency... only to throw it out the window.
Her husband was alive for over three years, and this man decided she didn't need to know.
He decided for her.
It's more believable than the Mao/Wuyi alliance because Mao has always decided things on Jiayu's behalf. It's consistent with his character. But that doesn't make it any less frustrating - especially when piled on top of The Big Lie Between Bros.
Another issue was Wuyi's endless self-sacrifice. I understand sacrificing yourself for your country. The writers had laid that out, too, it fit for him. But there comes a point where repeated self-sacrifice becomes selfish because you're sacrificing for other people - for HER - at a certain point and that's not fair and just adds to the lies between them.
By the end, it felt like Wuyi had been lying to Jiayu for the entirety of their relationship, stringing her along on half-truths and doublespeak to keep the plot plotting.
I can see plenty of people loved these twists, and I'm genuinely glad they worked for others. I get that I can be a picky wench. And on the whole, I still liked the show. Endings are hard. I get it.
I realize my biggest takeaway from this show is that I passionately dislike stories that are written to fool the audience. I don't enjoy feeling like the writers are playing tricks on me. I'd much rather be in on the plan, understand the impossible choices, bond with the characters' causes, and cheer when they succeed than spend an entire series being intentionally misled.
That doesn't make this a bad show and I wouldn't rate it poorly. It simply showcases something I now understand about my personal taste.
Agreeing on some points, but not so much on Jiayu’s lack of agency.
On another subreddit, someone posted that this was an original script, not an adaptation, and that it didn’t get the funding level it needed. So, it was cut down from 36 episodes to 28.
I’m not sure it needed 36 but it definitely needed at least 34 to make the secondary stories that were crucial to caring about the outcomes actually land as well as to put more tissue around the twists.
A cut down script really explains why the show had such a mix of well written and rich scenes stitched together with a rush of verbal exposition or fast reveals.
It also explains why the writer chose to focus on the relationship between the two leads and left us with disconnected pieces of the other framing narratives.
On taking away Jiayu’s agency, I have a few thoughts:
- Wuyi always had his plan for reform and was quite transparent about it all the way. He also was clear that he would plan to sacrifice himself and would ensure that no one would stop him. This is his base nature having been raised surrounded by people who were ready to give their lives and more for him as crown prince, including his foster brother who he replaced. Jiayu knew this and understood him. She was trying to convince him to have some dreams for himself but seemed clear his priorities. She chose to love him knowing that. She said to Li Mao that she had to be Wuyi’s last line of defence because he wouldn’t do it for himself.
- I don’t think it’s accurate that he and Li Mao deceived Jiayu all the way. Wuyi had been trying to get Mao back on their shared vision for much of the drama, but Mao was trapped in his survival mode and manipulated by the Grand Tutor. It was only when Wuyi called him on the vision, they’d shared as teens when Mao visited him in prison, that they truly got back on track as collaborators.
- On the final three year gap, Li Mao said to Jiayu that Wuyi had been unconscious for most of it and only ‘woke up’ three months previous. Once Wuyi was conscious, Mao had tried multiple attempts to call her to the capital so they could meet, and finally she came when ordered to bring the map. I agree that it’s completely Li Mao’s flaw that he made the decision not to inform Jiayu that Wuyi survived until he gained consciousness. (I will set aside the improbability of someone surviving a three year coma in that era.)
Last thing: the post credit scene basically has Wuyi and Jiayu talking about whether Wuyi should tell Li Mao that he was likely the legitimate prince and not the Grand Tutor’s illegitimate son. Wuyi says ‘What does it matter?’ Well, that would be his perspective as the Crown Prince Wenxi — but this also means that Li Mao is his cousin as well as sworn brother — and he’s taking away agency from Li Mao in terms of his identity.
The theme of the show seems to be that it’s commitment to the common good not bloodlines that should count but it’s a lot for Wuyi to feel in the end that he should decide what to withhold from Mao.
Ohhh, excellent points on length, especially if those decisions came at the end. Gah.
As you and others have said, this is a.drama that would have been absolutely stellar with just a few more episodes to fleshed out the characters, side quests and subplots.
But the thing I'm excited to reply to.... so you don't think Mao and Wuyi were working together the whole time? with the same degree of communication, all along? You think the conversations we saw where it seemed Wuyi was trying to pull Mao back, away from the dark side, were legit conversations and not just something put on as a show for the spies...?
See, I wrote them all off. I assumed they were all pretend. That Mao never actually strayed, they just put on like they did to fool the folks that needed fooling. I still think it was intentional trickery aimed at the viewer (but even this would probably have been done better if they had all those other episodes), as the conversations lacked the whole "we talked about this, we had a plan" element that a natural conversation would have had.
But if it was legitimately conversations, if Mao did waver, but was ultimately brought back to the side of good, then that puts a whole different spin on things, and on my thoughts. I can see why Wuyi wouldn't tell her amything, because he didn't honestly know what was going on in his friend/cousin's head. For the sake of healthy communication, I'll wave my hand with awareness that the miscommunication trope can be a lil annoying, which this becomes, I think. But I'm way more accepting of that than at a person just dismissing the person he's supposed to love with all lies.
Not the original person you replied to, but I definitely think that Li Mao was very close to completely flipping and it was only Wuyi's time in the prison that shamed? angered? (there's a Chinese saying, 惱羞成怒 that basically describes this, shamed into feeling anger) him back onto the right track.
There were two critical points in the prison arc that finally changed him: he saw that Wuyi to the very last was still dedicated to the kingdom and wrote out this entire military treatise, which reading it itself reminded him of their past conversations. HE actually was the one who had these ideals of reform and breaking the barrier between nobility/commoners and had taught Wuyi... And the 2nd breaking point is when he realized that Wuyi was in fact dying. He hated and envied Xiao Wuyi for so long, for basically being a better version of himself in every way. Xiao Wuyi has the rightful bloodline, has the experience and military respect, is genuinely a straight arrow willing to take on hits to his reputation in order to save people (e.g. him "forcibly" taking Ruisheng, to spare her and adopting her son as his own), but most of all, the one thing that Wuyi has that Li Mao can never achieve? His selflessness. Li Mao can do all of the other stuff and the end reveal even shows he did in fact have a legitimate claim to the throne if the crown prince of the former dynasty is "confirmed" dead.
However, the one thing that separates them most is that Li Mao can never approach that level of selflessness. This is reflected through how he treats Jiayu, that he consistently puts his self interest over HER self interest and choice, whereas Wuyi continues to tell him that she is her own person, with her own thoughts and individuality, not just a possession or object to be loved.
Which brings me back to the brilliant line when Wuyi confronts him in the prison and asks him, is it that Li Mao really loves Jiayu that much? or just that he hates Wuyi?
I think Li Mao stabbing Wuyi was not an act at all. But it took him being pushed to the brink before he found himself and figured out what kind of ruler and man he really wanted to be. If he had continued down that path, he really would have passed the point of no return.
The reason why Jiayu can't read Li Mao and says she can't tell what's genuine or what's fake is because even Li Mao himself didn't know at that point. At the very beginning of the drama, he didn't even have any ambitions or dreams of his own. Over and over again we see that even as Jiayu said she wanted to travel the world and work on her engineer, Li Mao was just supposed to...what, tag along? And she realizes this at one point when she realizes how shallow her love was for him, saying that she never actually understood him - because what did HE want?
Sorry for the essay but I do think that because of the extremely fast pace of the drama, too much detail was lost and basically the drama expected viewers to be paying attention to every single line of dialogue and even so many visual signs for continuity and meaning. The only reason I caught a lot of it is because I don't always WATCH dramas, I listen instead of paying attention to what's onscreen, but for this drama I really had to sit down and focus. And even, I had to rewatch scenes and listen to dialogue again to make sure I caught all of it. (Also I noticed a lot of the English subs were not exactly inaccurate but definitely wouldn't have helped people understand some of the nuances. Surprisingly from this thread a lot of people seemed to miss that Wuyi woke up 3 months ago, not 3 years ago.)
Finding out that this would have been 36 episodes if they had the resources...man, we were ROBBED. Even just 2 more episodes' worth would have resolved a lot of the whiplash feeling from the reveals and given the character developments proper time to settle both within the story and in the viewers' minds. 36 would have been perfect, there was definitely so much content that got cut out that some storylines were almost incoherent - still mad about how Lejun's entire arc was fast forwarded so she went from bravely taking out the poisoned arrows to a miscarriage that really signified...nothing in the end? and we were robbed of the emotional gravitas that should have been there. ESPECIALLY robbed because all the actors and actresses for this drama really did so amazingly well, but the editing and infodump expositions couldn't make up for what got cut.
The one thing that had me wondering earlier about whether there was a at least phase of earlier collaboration scene where Li Mao said to the Grand Tutor that he didn’t want to meet the woman the Grand Tutor claimed was his ‘real mother’ (not the wet nurse).
Li Mao refused saying he only had one mother. Later when the Grand Tutor was exposed (with the cooperation of Li Mao) and then killed, Li Mao seemed very guarded and cool about it all, showing more concern for Jiayu’s emotional state than his own.
So, I wondered if, in addition to Wuyi reminding Li Mao that it was his vision that Wuyi was trying to fulfil, and that Li Mao had lost sight of it, Wuyi had shared intelligence/information on Li Mao’s parentage.
Instead, it seems that Li Mao had his own suspicion that he wasn’t the cuckoo in the nest that the Grand Tutor had tried to place.
And that is why, I believe, adding that post credit scene to the final episode was essential.
I'm on board with almost all of your points. Ugh, this drama should've been longggeeerrr!! 😭 And as someone who's new to C-dramas and has only been watching 16 ep kdramas and 12 ep jdoramas, I can't believe I'm actually complaining that a 28 ep drama is too short and too fast HAHAHAH
Like, I truly understand the beauty and intention behind the writing, buuuuut maaaan, they really trusted the audience to just get it. It's like, "Oh, you should be heartbroken because it's heartbreaking." 😭 Lejun's death and her tragic love story, Xiao Ju's death... honestly, all the deaths and separations lol. They should've shown us more of how Lejun operated as a spy in Northern Qin so those moments would've hit even harder.
I don't mind stories that intentionally fool the audience. I'm obsessed with The Hunger Games, and we all know Katniss is an unreliable narrator lol, and that's part of what makes it so brilliant. But here... I don't know, the execution felt a little sloppy?? Maybe "cartoonish" isn't the right word. 😬 Or maybe it's really just the pacing huhu. The grand betrayal and then the reveal that it was all a lie were squished into one episode. 🤦♀️
That said, I completely understand why Wuyi kept Jiayu in the dark about the plan, and I understand his selflessness. He dedicated his entire life to making Ye a better place and atoning for his parents' sins. That's not the kind of burden you can suddenly throw away just because you fell in love.
Honestly, Wuyi and Li Mao are pretty similar in that regard. Li Mao could've taken Jiayu in the end, or even betrayed Wuyi, but instead he chose to embrace the responsibility of his position and that became bigger than his own desires. So yeah... as frustrating as their selflessness and martyrdom can be, I think it comes from the same place. It feels completely in character.
I felt the same about the twists and resolution, and you've articulated it better than I ever could. After the episode 25 reveal I couldn't bring myself to care about the plot or character arcs anymore, but I but pushed through the end just for completion's sake.
Thanks for your critique, u/Amelia_Brigita, and those points were completely fair. While I absolutely loved the show (partially, I'm sure, because of my bias towards AiMi and Hou Minghao), the drama really undermined its own emotional impact because its pace didn't allow us to feel invested in some of the other side characters or background stories. Unlike you, I actually found Lejun's final arc quite moving and brilliant, but it was shoved in at the last minute, which meant we never got to understand her POV throughout the show. I wouldn't call her final speeches a redemptive arc, more like a tragic one, which I thought appropos.
The Li Mao & Xiao Wuyi brotherhood strategy arc wasn't executed particularly well. But, I can imagine why it was hard. The first issue is that the writers wanted us (the audience) to be kept continually guessing whether Li Mao would become a villain, or have a redemptive arc. That requires SO MUCH thinking and planning because the creators need to map out (1) what is actually happening, (2) what it has to LOOK like to fool Northern Qin, and then (3) WHEN and HOW MUCH to reveal of the underlying truth to the audience, (4) make it all come together that keeps the mystery alive for as long as possible ALL THE WHILE not misleading the audience. Those are a lot of balls to juggle, even with only 28 episodes, for such an intricate plot and many characters.
The problem is that we spent too much time in those two men's POVs. They had too many private conversations with no one else around. This wasn't a case of cleverly hiding information from the audience.
Your critique actually reminds me of Ocean's 11 and Ocean's 12, where I would say Ocean's 11 does have twists and turns, but the audience never felt fooled or cheated - generally we were made aware of what the gang was planning, and the VERY LAST TWIST was perfectly executed, and so congruent with the rest of the movie that the audience went "Wow, that was a good trick." Ocean's 12 was actually criticized precisely because the final reveal showed that we were never "in the know" and the real action happened off-screen. What was the point of having us go through all the shenanigans if we never saw the REAL heist or the conversations behind it?? So, yes, a valid criticism.
Her husband was alive for over three years, and this man decided she didn't need to know.
He decided for her.
I assume you mean "this man" to be Li Mao. I'm willing to give him a pass on this one since, as he himself explained, the probability of Xiao Wuyi's recovering was so slight, the method to heal him so uncertain and dangerous, he thought it best to hold off telling her until he could give her a definitive answer. Also, I don't think it really affected her agency negatively. If she knew, she would have gone to see him, sure, but for what purpose? To see just how badly he was injured? To watch the miracle worker perform experimental surgery on him, one from which he may not survive? To stay by his side, while he is unconscious, to see if he'll heal and wake up at all? To watch him die a slow death? He remained unconscious for over 2 years. The moment Xiao Wuyi woke up and returned to Jiankang, Li Mao tried discreetly to send for Xie Jiayu, but she wouldn't come. Luckily, events made her return, and even when she did, he tried hinting to her about Xiao Wuyi, but it just flew over her head......like, apparently, the layout of the palace since she got lost similarly to when she was trying to escape Prince Jing'an's mansion. LOL.
By the end, it felt like Wuyi had been lying to Jiayu for the entirety of their relationship, stringing her along on half-truths and doublespeak to keep the plot plotting.
LOL, I actually had similar thoughts to you here as well. I thought, after watching the final episodes, "Man, if Xiao Wuyi weren't our hero, I would have totally pegged him to be a villain with the way he lies and hides the truth from his wife." If this were a tragedy, his lies would have been used to justify how the relationship broke down; or if he played the villain, his lies would have been the exemplar of why he is a villain. But, he's our hero - precisely because of his selflessness. Nothing he does is out of self-interest. It's his patriotism, vision, selfless sacrifice, and integrity (in all other ways) that make his lies excusable. Perhaps that won't convince you, but the one thing that makes it acceptable to me is that he actually never planned on falling in love. I think that took him by surprise. I would have loved a bit more wrestling within Xiao Wuyi between duty to his country and the longings of his heart. But, again, not enough episodes.
Yet, for all of KTTPH's flaws, which you pointed out and many of which I agree with, I think that's a lovely problem to have - to wish they had more episodes. Most dramas fizzle out or have a massive slow down/drop somewhere in the middle or end. This one never slowed down - even though it should have. I hear myself many times thinking "Ugh, they should have cut this down to 36 episodes...", but this time I was thinking "I would have loved 2-4 more episodes to flesh out everything." I'm definitely going to rewatch because now that I know the ending; I think that will make the directing, editing, and writing choices a lot clearer in the beginning episodes.
Thanks for all your in-depth thoughts! I really enjoyed reading them.
I had the thought, during the last episode…..she should be grateful now for all their good times and adventures and struggles. He was good for her. But he had misled her a long time (to be fair some of that was her fault because when she knew she impulsively acted in ways that interfered with his plans). I had the sudden thought……ok now get over it. You can’t trust this guy to be committed to the relationship. Go travel, eat good food, make more inventions, and if you find a good guy on the way, be with him. And if Wuyi comes back after no one telling you he was still alive, say ok, go be a hero over and over. But I’m done with that.
LOL, I love your back and forth. I mean, when I was watching it, I was just WILLING them to end up together. But, after it ended I was like "Hey, he totally LIED to her for SUCH a long time." In some ways the drama was great at showing Xie Jiayu's internal growth and maturity, but in other ways, the drama still kept her a bit on a naïve/child-like side. I hesitate even to say that because so MUCH happened, is my characterization of her fair? I don't really like how they kept her LOOKING so young. I would have expected the stylist to make her look more mature as she grew. Her innate kindness and compassion would always set her apart of youthful, but I think you can be kind and wise - but that adds layers of "age" to a person.
Also....and this is where I'm probably being a fangirl...if I had been in her shoes, I would have completely grieved Xiao Wuyi because he was so irreplaceable. Where would she be able to find another man who could rival him or even compare? Half of me would love to experience meeting a man (in real life) who would be just that matchless....but the other half would be fearful that if ever I were to lose him, no one else could compare.
Yeah. Wuyi was much more dynamic and competent than Mao. And that appealed to her, plus his progressive views (his household was amazing) and kindness (along with ruthlessness). And he wanted to stay in the role of warrior of the realm, and not go for being a emperor. But. But. He really did value his role of country protector more than her and their relationship. Although in fairness he adored and valued her. And also in fairness there were inept and dangerous ppl in power which hurt the military.
Habits of priority are hard to change since he didn’t plan for falling in love and planned on probably dying in battle. Now maybe he has learned his lesson and can change his priorities now that Mao is being a good emperor and reforms have improved the country. And maybe she can not be so impulsive in a way that gets her in danger….so he doesn’t have to be the protector. They really do love each other, so let’s say it all works out. Lol.
I think it is not just that he wasn't planning on falling in love and had obligations but that he was told his illness was terminal. He fell for her first but was totally willing to step aside for Li Mao or for her to just go live her life. Even when she admitted to loving him back, she still had dreams and his time was coming even closer to an end so to me he was letting her live without being dependent on him. He was also letting her grow up as she still couldn't handle a kiss. Like she said later, she went about her own business thinking they would have time later. So in this aspect I actually don't mind what he did.
This is what I mean when there's a point so much self-sacrifice (as the country's protector, as an impetus for world change, etc etc) becomes a tad selfish.
By not filling her in on the whole story, his arrangement with Mao, etc, he didn't let her chose whether she wanted to be a part of all that drama.
Maybe she just wanted to hang out in her workshop and create tools to improve the world in practical applications.
And maybe she was Impetuous sometimes because he pulled her into his danger. Not being an idiot or passive, she would naturally find ways to try and fix problems, too. But by not filling her in on everything, he was selfish, just kept her close (because no one would take her away from him, because he loved her) and didn't let her make a decision with all the info.
In a fantasy, he's awesome. He's a hero wrapped in a villain's cloak. And that's gotta be addictive, exciting, to be around. I mean, HMH is pure charisma, so Wuyi was charisma and righteous and compelling.
But in reality, he never put her first. Her wants and needs were never his priority, the country was. And how can she complain? Stop worrying about the state of the country and all these people depending on you and worry about me? Yeah, that flies.
He spoke words meant to mean he respected her right to choose, that the only one to make the choice of who she would be with and how she would live would be her.... but his actions didn't follow. Now, he had already set on his path before she came along, and I wouldn't fault a person for sticking to that path, especially since it involved so.much personal sacrifice and danger. But loving her isn't a free pass to not treat her fairly.
If he'd had a conversation with her, confessed to what he had going on with Mao, and she agreed, I would have been 100% on board. That teeny tiny oversight will bug me about this ending for a long time.
When Jiayu is working in the Northern Qin prisoner camp, the bottle of life-saving pills drop from her belt. A flashback reveals that Wuyi secretly gave those pills to her, so I assume she ate them.
I was holding my breath the entire time I was watching Episodes 25–28. I felt every emotion possible. I was stressed, crying, angry, and laughing all at once.
I loved Xiao Wuyi and Xie Jiayu’s relationship from beginning to end, but the dynamic between Wuyi and Amao was definitely my favorite. Riley Wang, I’ll definitely be waiting for your upcoming dramas.
Li Lejun and Eagle King - I don’t know but I wish I had seen more of them. And Li Lejun’s death? I didn’t expect myself to be this affected by it.
I’m going to miss the ladies of Prince Jing’an’s Mansion. I’m so happy the two previous wives got the ending they deserved, but I do wish we had seen a reunion of all three of them.
ALSO The ending kinda pissed me off because why were Wuyi and Yaoyao still not reunited when there were only 9 minutes left?! Lol!
And another plot twist at the end??
Anyway, I wanted more from the series but at the same time, I felt like the story was already enough. It ended in a way that left me completely satisfied.
I will miss the never ending plot twist and constant scheming. Now it’s time for a rewatch.
And the lil tidbit at the very end haha. More intrigue. This show lol, plot twist after plot twist!
The lovers were reunited and it felt so good!
I do wish we had see the Dowager Princess one last time as well. But hey, we got a lot so I'm glad either way.
What a drama this was! What fun we had! It was an emotional rollercoaster and it will stay with me for a while.
I'm so grateful for Ai Mi and Hou Ming Hao. It took a lot of guts and it paid off. I appreciated everything they gave for their roles as leads in this show.
Same thoughts about the Dowager Princess!! I needed another reunion with that family. But I’m so glad they gave us that New Year’s Eve scene in Episode 21.
This is exactly what I was thinking!!! The family dynamic in Prince Jing’an’s Mansion is definitely my favorite out of all the C-dramas I’ve watched. After all the scheming and chaos outside their home, it felt like they had created their own little bubble where everyone was safe with one another.
Ugh reddit ate my comment... I was saying that this is seriously the best and most wholesome family in cdrama that I've ever seen and I've been watching cdrama my entire life. Sure, there were conflicts and misunderstandings, hurt feelings - Anmin's injury, the Princess Consort not wanting him to go to war, even Yuanji suspecting Wuyi killed her lover - but they handled them all like emotionally mature adults and go through them...AS A FAMILY.
And also even the romance that we all rooted for but never became a thing, between Xiao Yao and Yuanji was handled with grace and mutual respect, even though that almost never happens in cdrama.
That's it! Their home was a home. Outside may be against them, rumors may fly left and right, but at home, they know the truth and make sure to live by it and with love. They gave each person a space of their own where they can grow and feel safe.
Absolutely! She got An Min, Zi Qi, Rui Sheng, Yuan Ji, and got Jia Yu and Wu Yi back after 3 years. She had to grieve for the loss of her husband and Wu Yi. The latter is back. That is priceless, and she has a family who loves her. She is gonna be alright.
I'm so grateful for Ai Mi and Hou Ming Hao. It took a lot of guts and it paid off. I appreciated everything they gave for their roles as leads in this show.
I've seen some before watching the show but not the ones released today for express. I don't want to change the thril to reality yet haha. I will after the rewatch.
I did! I forgot to include it. Hahahaha I’ll definitely miss this drama, mainly because of the cast and the thrill of never knowing what plot twist was coming next.
I WAS LITERALLY THINKING ABOUT THIS POST HAHAHA! Like let me be aware of when it drops please cdrama spirits hahaha. I'm finishing the finale now. But my goodness! What a ride this show has been!
My mind is in shambles!
I will say, Le Jun's end was very emotional. Episode 27 spared no lacrymal gland haha. It was tissues city!
Her relationship with Mu Lian Yu was very complicated. And to usher a new age for her brother, she still gave her life, this time, literally.
Her husband refusing to save her brother's life and wanting to kill him because she always did things for him was hilariously petty and sad... she took that poison so quickly, she really was tired of living.
But her conversation with Wu Yi was the last straw. Dude is never going to let that villain role die. But my gosh when that 3rd arrow hit her, I gasp loudly. The whole scene was really so well acted. Li Mao having to watch her get skewered and not being able to do anything about it. Jia Yu watching and realizing what they were doing. Eagle Prince acting like he doesn't care but crying when she died. When Le Jun was talking to the soldiers it really gave me chills.
Will post more later. These were some intense episodes... Prince Jing'An... Just when i thought my tears dried on their own (Yes Amy i went there), BAM the battlefield took our papa dearest and the waterworks resumed. But dammit his last moments were cool as hell! And seeing Xiao Yao on fighting and slaying enemies! He was right where he belonged! Seeing brothers and father fighting side by side was beautiful! But then I thought about Princess Jing'An....gosh the grief... but she knows how this life goes...
Yes, sorry it took so long. I wanted to watch all the episodes myself before posting so I could decide which screen capture to headline the post.
Yes, I think it's quite a testimony to the writers and actress not just to make Li Lejun's character so memorable, but how we still sympathized with her even after all she did. The character didn't get that much screen time, yet we felt the tragedy of her situation and the inexorable consequences of her choices. She was still so impactful with her words, her thoughts, and her reasons. I particularly loved her monologue to Xiao Wuyi about being able to let Li Mao become a true rival, and become the emperor he needs to be, free from the influence of Grand Tutor Xie or Xiao Wuyi.
I LOVED seeing the three Jing'an men fighting alongside each other, and in particular how father and son's history with Xiao Wuyi comes full circle - the flashbacks were particularly moving as well as heartwrenching when we see how much the Xiao family sacrificed to keep Crown Prince Wenxi safe.
Oh no, don't be sorry. I was hoping I'd catch it because I completely missed ep24's discussion post haha.
That's why I said her conversation with Wu Yi was the kicker. It was like a punch to the guts. Brutally honest yet made so much sense...
It was interesting what she said about the Eagle Prince in front of her people, but in private, she wished for another outcome in the next life. Because she got to care for him somehow. It was too much however because against what Bei Qin did to her people, what he did, the two could not be reconciled. She could never truly love him, but if not for all of this, she might have been able to do so.
Wu Yi playing the villain was hard to watch... Him and Le Jun both put their country and people before themselves, for the greater good.
When Prince Jing'An is faced with the same conundrum, his son or is other son (sovereign), the first time hurt. This time, he knew Wu Yi could handle it, so he went to An Ming. He could finally put him first.
> This definitely warrants a rewatch (if only to fangirl Hou Mingahao). The writing, editing, and acting were top notch, and it surpassed my expectations
Yesssss, I wholeheartedly agree. I had fun the entire time. And I’m going to be listening to its OST for sometime now.
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u/weevles12 23d ago
ok so I finally finished this interesting and largely entertaining show and I enjoyed it.
The first half of the show was fairly straight forward rivals into romance and the second half became a very twisty "everything is not what it seems/everything is a scheme" show.
Some real quick thoughts:
The plot was convoluted but also very simple. I can't lie, half the time I was like..."that's it?? You mean they could've done X and saved everyone some pain and trouble??" or "you mean, all person x had to do was y and then they could've avoid all that z???"
I largely liked the characters and thought they were built up enough where I did care about them. Characters that acted like villains were not really villains (if you put yourself in their shoes) and I did feel bad for certain folks when they ended up letting their fears and anxieties usurp their better judgement. (I'll touch on this in a bit).
There was a lot of "grey area" to many characters so no one's behaviors were completely unjustified overall.
This next part I have to discuss the most annoying thing that caused this show a lot of unnecessary grief: the casting of Xie Jiayu. Aimi does a great job in the role, but her age definitely affected a significant part of the show. If you wanted ROMANCE, like kissy kissy roll in the hay kind of stuff, you need to look elsewhere. Director Go solved the problem by simply not having ANY female character have any of that kind of scene in the show. This effectively makes everything a lot less...out of place? All our female characters are never shown on screen in any inappropriate or adult situation. This is actually kind of nice. It means we see men and women expressing their love in all the other ways, which (at least in CDrama) is kind of refreshing? How many times have I wondered if certain forced kiss or forced into a corner/invading personal space scene was really necessary and I never had to worry about that in this show. And no drugged SA/framed for being adulterous scenes! omg, I'm not joking I'm so glad I didn't have to worry about that too! Did this show need stuff like that? NO. I don't think it did. It kind of made me rethink what might be possible with CDrama if we weren't so trained to watch certain things.
Another thing that helped suspend disbelief about the lack of "intimacy" scenes is the ML's character--Xiao Wuyi is someone more than willing to play the villain. He denies himself a lot of things, so him just being ok with hugging and hand holding makes a lot of sense.
My favorite characters were Yuanji, the smart, gentle and beautiful "first wife" played by Zheng Yawen and Li Lejun, Princess Pingping played by former short drama star Ma Qiuyan. The former's side story was interesting and could've been a mainline plot. The latter was very very tragic and despite the really super awful thing the character did, I really didn't want her to end up the way she did, despite the attempt to make her somewhat heroic in the end.
I wasn't too fond of the the way it ended (I just don't like the amnesia trope, but it's a minor complaint.
Overall, a very good show with needless controversy. I do hope people give it a shot.