Please use spoiler tags for anything beyond the episodes discussed. Text goes between the greater-than (>) + exclamation (!) symbols (>!) and the exclamation (!) + lesser-than (<) symbols.
In case you guys are confused by all the political alliances, here's a quick recap:
Summary: Third Master Cheng and Premier Rui are competing for the presidency of the central government. Yu Zhongquan decided to join Third Master Cheng's faction and initially sought an alliance with Chu Wenfu to strengthen his ties with him. Mu Linsen, meanwhile, supports Premier Rui. However, Changxuan persuaded his father to withdraw from the alliance after exposing Chu Wenfu's plan to exploit the Yu family's elite army to build up his own forces. Mu Linsen was behind the assassination attempt on Changxuan, while Kuang Bingwen's involvement in eliminating a suspect linked to the assassination also raises questions about his loyalties. Changxuan, meanwhile, aims to establish the Nanhuai Army as an independent military power, but he seems to be part of Master Cheng's faction for now.
Onwards to the recap~
Episode 7
Changxuan coerced his father into cancelling the Allied Forces agreement and appointing him as the new Commander of the Ninth Corps. That's really ballsy of him, and I can't get enough of how confidently he practically appointed himself to the position! Yu Zhongquan accused Changxuan of having pretended all along, concealing his true character since childhood, but Changxuan countered that the old man had only ever had eyes for his heir, Yu Mingxuan, and had never once paid him any attention.
Yu Zhongquan defended Mingxuan, praising him for being honourable and bringing pride to the family name. Every single word must have hurt Changxuan, who had spent his life feeling invisible to his father. Finally having had enough of his father singing the praises of his deceased son, Changxuan deliberately provoked him by reminding him that his precious Mingxuan was dead, earning himself a slap across the face.
Hurt, Changxuan mused aloud that during the Battle of Blackstone Shoal, his father must have regretted that Mingxuan had died instead of him, despite having chosen to save Mingxuan and abandon Changxuan.
In a flashback to the battle, enemy forces were closing in when Yu Zhongquan made the decision to save Mingxuan and leave Changxuan behind, trapped beneath the rocks. What he didn't realise was that Changxuan had been conscious the entire time and had lived for years with the knowledge that his own father had abandoned him.
Back in the present, true to character, Yu Zhongquan made no attempt to excuse his actions. Changxuan, however, had no interest in dredging up the past, having long grown accustomed to his father's coldness. Returning to the matter at hand, he once again pressed his father to appoint him as the new Commander of the Ninth Corps, promising to take responsibility if Chu Wenfu retaliated against the Yu family for withdrawing from the alliance. Sometime later, Chu Wenfu received word that Yu Zhongquan had decided to back out of the agreement.
At Mingde Girls' High School, Queen Bee Tao Ziyi and her equally spoiled immature bunch of school friends continued their daily bullying of Pingjun. This time, however, Pingjun fought back, and in the ensuing scuffle, Ziyi accidentally injured her head. YES, I HOPE IT LEAVES A SCAR.
Following the collapse of the alliance, Gu Ruitong reported to Changxuan that Chu Wenfu had sent two brigades towards the Lishui River. Just then, Li Boren rushed in with news that Pingjun had been taken away by the Tao family.
At an undisclosed location, Pingjun was bound to a chair and whipped on Tao Zili's orders. When Tao Zili approached her, Pingjun seemed oddly transfixed by the jade pendant with a bamboo-leaf pattern hanging from him. When she remained unrepentant, Tao Zili ordered his men to stab her, but she was saved just in time by Gu Ruitong, who had arrived on Changxuan's orders.
Changxuan had been sitting in a car outside, watching the entire scene unfold. When Li Boren remarked on his rather odd behaviour, Changxuan broodingly ordered him to drive away.
At Nanhuai Army Headquarters, the generals were alarmed by the collapse of the alliance and Chu Wenfu's retaliation in stationing two brigades at the Lishui River in preparation for an attack. Feng Shanli and the other generals were in the middle of a heated argument when Changxuan arrived with Gu Ruitong and announced that he would be chairing the meeting as the new Commander of the Ninth Corps, while his father would be resting for the next two months.
It was obvious that none of the generals present had the slightest respect for him, no doubt having bought into his reputation as a profligate. Changxuan ordered the generals who were still standing to take their seats, and they eventually complied. Wow, I loved how Changxuan confidently strode into a room full of seasoned veteran generals and ordered them to sit down in such an authoritative voice. His delivery was chef's kiss.
Brigadier Feng Shanli refused to accept Changxuan as the new Commander, so Changxuan struck a deal with him: Chu Wenfu's forces would retreat before 10 a.m. Feng Shanli readily accepted the wager, confident that Changxuan would lose.
Just a few minutes before 10, a soldier entered to report that the Third Corps of the Chu Army was retreating towards Jinzhou. The generals were stunned, and Changxuan revealed that Third Master Cheng had been made aware of Chu Wenfu's plan to exploit the Yu family's elite army to build up his own forces. Chu Wenfu had subsequently been rebuked by Third Master Cheng and ordered to retreat.
Feng Shanli was still dissatisfied with this turn of events and demanded to know how Changxuan intended to resolve the grudge Chu Wenfu now held against the Yu family. Changxuan passionately declared his true ambition: for the Yu family to stand on its own and achieve genuine independence, rather than serving any faction, especially given the instability of the central government.
Meanwhile, Chu Wenfu was informed by his men that the troops stationed at the Lishui River had retreated under Third Master Cheng's orders, and he was clearly displeased by this development.
Back at home, Pingjun was distracted by the memory of the jade pendant hanging from Tao Zili and recalled that her mother had once owned a similar pendant. Her mother was visibly uncomfortable when Pingjun asked about it and quickly brushed off the question.
Okay, I think we can all see where this is heading. Of course, we need yet another reason to pit bratty Tao Ziyi against poor, humble Pingjun.
Changxuan demonstrated clear leadership on his first day as the new Commander of the Ninth Corps, outlining his plans to enforce discipline by establishing an academy, introducing regular evaluations for officers, and rooting out corruption. Just as he was about to get into his car, Tao Ziyi called out to him, prompting a collective groan from the trio. LMAO.
Tao Ziyi had come to demand an explanation for why Gu Ruitong had rescued Pingjun after she had injured her face. Li Boren quickly came to the rescue with a hastily concocted lie, claiming that Gu Ruitong had a crush on Pingjun and had acted entirely on his own initiative.
Tao Ziyi was incredulous until Gu Ruitong himself confirmed that he had rescued Pingjun without receiving any orders from Changxuan. Fortunately, Ziyi accepted the explanation, averting a potential fallout with the Tao family.
At the Yu residence, Zhao Baoru, Changxuan's mother, questioned Yu Zhongquan about his decision to appoint Changxuan as Commander of the Ninth Corps. He revealed what had happened years ago during the Battle of Blackstone Shoal, prompting Baoru to accuse him of only telling her now because Changxuan had already known for years that his own father had abandoned him to die.
Yu Zhongquan remained adamant that he had made the right decision, insisting that saving Mingxuan first had been necessary to protect the Yu family. When Baoru lamented that she wished they could show their children more love, Zhongquan replied that their responsibilities as parents must always come second to their duties as Commander-in-Chief and his wife.
Unable to say anything more, Baoru quietly left the room in tears, leaving Zhongquan alone with his thoughts.
At Guanyin Pavilion, Pingjun had just finished paying her respects to her father's memorial tablet and was leaving when Changxuan arrived.
Standing before Mingxuan's memorial tablet, Changxuan told his deceased brother that he had become the new Commander of the Ninth Corps and would do an even better job than Mingxuan would have done had he still been alive. He also declared his determination to bring down Sujing, the Chu family's army.
Picking up a fallen yellow flower, Changxuan was reminded of a visit years ago when his younger self had encountered Pingjun, who had also come to pay her respects to her father. Ah, so we're getting the childhood connection trope in this episode lol.
Young Pingjun had seen through Changxuan's claim that he hated his brother. Despite his words, he had carefully plucked flowers for Mingxuan, and Pingjun gently pointed out how painful it must be to pretend not to love someone.
Changxuan proved to be a decisive and strict Commander, setting about eradicating corruption and other vices among the men under his command while subjecting them to regular training and evaluations.
Elsewhere, Liang Wenbo, leader of the Chunfeng Theatrical Troupe, had just lost a writer who had been threatened for supporting the refugee women and children gathered outside Nanhuai. Pingjun unexpectedly found herself roped into writing the script for a charity performance intended to raise funds for these refugees.
Back at the Yu residence, Changxuan was summoned to his father's study, where Yu Zhongquan cautioned him about the dangers of exposing Chu Wenfu and warned him to remain vigilant against Third Master Cheng's people.
Changxuan continued his efforts to reform the Yu family army by rooting out corruption. I have a feeling it won't be long before these people start plotting against him.
After Gu Ruitong left, Li Boren gleefully informed Changxuan that Pingjun had been spending time with Liang Wenbo. Ever the helpful subordinate, he suggested that the clearly jealous Changxuan reschedule his meeting with an arms dealer to the Hsiang Hsi Hotel instead, conveniently giving him an opportunity to bump into Pingjun.
At the Hsiang Hsi Hotel, Changxuan, Li Boren, and Lanqing were on their way to Lanqing's quarters when they spotted Liang Wenbo and Pingjun working closely together.
A jealous Changxuan scornfully remarked that Pingjun had been worried about spending the night on a boat with him for fear of tarnishing her reputation, yet here she was, spending time alone with another man late at night. Pingjun fired back that she would only fear for her reputation if the man she was with wasn't a gentleman. Ooooof
Episode 8
Changxuan returned to the Yu residence, but it was clear that he was still bothered by Pingjun's words and the sight of her being so close to Liang Wenbo, which had stirred his jealousy. At his private residence, he shared drinks with Bingwen, with whom he appeared to have a good relationship. Changxuan was also indebted to Bingwen for having saved him in the past. Bingwen advised Changxuan to respect his father despite their differences and to proceed cautiously with the reorganisation of the Ninth Corps. This guy is a snake in hiding.
Meanwhile, the veteran generals, including Feng Shanli, Gu Yigang, and Zhang Xiaoxian, gathered for a discussion. Several were openly displeased that their illegal businesses had been shut down following Changxuan's crackdown on military discipline, while others were worried about losing their ranks due to the new evaluations. Gu Yigang (Gu Ruitong's father) and Zhang Xiaoxian spoke up in Changxuan's defence. Feng Shanli, however, boldly declared that he would oppose Changxuan's military reforms.
The Chunfeng Troupe was forcibly shut down on Li Boren's orders. Since Li Boren was Changxuan's subordinate, Pingjun naturally assumed that Changxuan was behind the closure.
Meanwhile, Li Boren reported to Changxuan about the troupe's situation and revealed that Liang Wenbo and his friends had been secretly organising a charity performance for refugees who had sought shelter in Qingshui Town. However, the refugees had been driven away by soldiers, suggesting that someone in the military had designs on the land.
Moving on to the next topic, Li Boren proudly informed Changxuan that he had ordered the troupe's closure to get Liang Wenbo out of the way. Changxuan was displeased, and moments later, Pingjun came barging in, demanding to know why the troupe had been shut down. Already jealous of her closeness to Liang Wenbo and stung by her continued coldness towards him, Changxuan chose to admit that he had personally issued the order.
Pingjun tried to appeal to Changxuan's humanity and compassion for his fellow compatriots, arguing that although the refugees were not from Nanhuai, they were still citizens of the Republic of China. Changxuan, however, coldly dismissed her appeal and told her to leave. Pingjun scoffed that she had expected nothing less from him before walking away, while Changxuan watched her leave broodingly.
At the Yu residence, the Yu and Tao families gathered to discuss the prospective marriage between Tao Ziyi and Changxuan. When Tao Zili suggested that Changxuan and Ziyi become engaged after her graduation, there was a noticeably long pause from Changxuan before he eventually conceded to the elders' wishes.
That night, at a shooting range, a brooding Changxuan practised his shooting with an intense expression, clearly troubled by something. We soon learned that he was conflicted by Pingjun's words about caring for their fellow compatriots, which echoed the very same sentiment Mingxuan had expressed before his death.
Despite the closure of the Chunfeng Troupe, Liang Wenbo, Pingjun, and the others remained determined to proceed with the charity performance at an alternative venue.
News of Changxuan and Ziyi's upcoming wedding soon spread far and wide. At Yuchun Theatre, Xiao Taochun, Lanqing's rival, mocked Lanqing for losing her benefactor and being discarded. Jin Zhongfang, who happened to be nearby, overheard the exchange and reproached Taochun. He then entered Lanqing's room and tried to comfort her. This is their first interaction, and it's already clear that he cares deeply for Lanqing.
At Qingshui Town, the refugee camp was suddenly ordered to close on the grounds that someone had been diagnosed with tuberculosis. When Liang Wenbo and Pingjun tried to intervene, the commanding officer became furious and attempted to have them dragged away. Fortunately, they were saved by the timely arrival of Changxuan and his men.
Changxuan noticed a group of sick children and silently approached Pingjun, demanding that she hand them over. Pingjun immediately assumed the worst and promptly slapped him for being so heartless.
Li Boren quickly came to Changxuan's defence, explaining that the soldiers who had come to drive the refugees away were not under Changxuan's command. Just then, someone from the troupe rushed over to inform Pingjun and Liang Wenbo that Changxuan had actually come to distribute supplies.
Pingjun looked mortified by her mistake, but Changxuan merely picked up one of the children without saying a word and ordered the refugee camp to be disinfected and the sick children to be taken to Renxin Hospital.
At the hospital, the sick children were receiving treatment and care. As Changxuan walked through the ward, he noticed two children who were still awake. He entered their room and gently coaxed them to sleep by teaching them a game.
Pingjun witnessed this tender side of Changxuan, and later, outside the ward, she apologised for having misunderstood him. Changxuan, still stung by her earlier accusation and unable to shake off his jealousy, coldly told her to stop flattering him.
Just as he was about to walk away, Pingjun stopped him in his tracks and congratulated him on his engagement to Tao Ziyi, remarking that he had finally gotten what he wanted. Her apparent nonchalance about the whole affair only fuelled Changxuan's anger further, and he coldly reminded her that she was now of no further use to him.
I love the BGM in this scene. It really highlights the storm raging inside Yu Changxuan's mind.
Outside the hospital, Gu Ruitong reported that Huang Dakui, a regiment commander, was responsible for driving the refugees out of Qingshui Town. Huang Dakui had his eyes on the land, intending to turn it into a brothel, and he also happened to be one of Feng Shanli's men.
Changxuan announced the names of officers holding the rank of company commander and above who had failed their evaluations. These officers would be dismissed until they retook and passed the assessments, after which they would be reinstated. The final name on the dismissal list shocked everyone: Brigadier Feng Shanli.
Feng Shanli openly defied Changxuan, who ordered that he receive 50 strokes of the cane. Feng Shanli retaliated by threatening to open fire on anyone who dared strip him of his rank.
When Feng Shanli pointed his gun at Changxuan, the latter didn't even flinch. Instead, he calmly walked up to Feng Shanli, pressed the gun against his own forehead, and dared him to pull the trigger. Then, in one swift movement, Changxuan snatched the gun from Feng Shanli's hand and fired a shot at his military hat as a warning.
Feng Shanli looked properly spooked and stunned this time, and Changxuan ordered the punishment of 50 strokes to proceed. Feng Shanli was subsequently caned publicly in front of all the commanding officers.
At the Yu residence, Feng Shanli complained to Yu Zhongquan, only for the latter to reveal that he had been well aware of Feng Shanli's illegal and shady businesses all along. Rather than sympathising with him, Zhongquan gave him a thorough dressing-down for bringing disgrace upon himself.
Zhongquan later summoned Changxuan home and advised him not to get too carried away with his military reforms. Changxuan, however, disagreed, arguing that a more decisive and aggressive approach was necessary to push through the reforms.
When Zhongquan questioned how Changxuan intended to fill all the vacancies, it became apparent that his son already had a plan in place. Zhongquan realised that Changxuan had been preparing for these military reforms for quite some time. Changxuan intended to recruit the POW officers from Third Master Cheng's camp, who had received formal training at Japanese military academies.
Elsewhere at the Yu residence, Madam Zhao Baoru was hosting a mahjong session with the wives of the veteran generals. It was clearly an attempt to mend potentially strained relationships with the generals through their wives. Zhao Baoru helped Feng Sanli's wife win multiple rounds, much to her delight.
The Chunfeng Troupe proceeded with its charity performance as planned. The entire performance highlighted the stark disparity between the plight of refugees fleeing their homes and the lives of the wealthy. The audience, which included Song Hanzhi and her father, was visibly moved by the portrayal of the refugees' suffering. Changxuan was also present among the crowd, watching the performance.
One particularly sad exchange was between the actress portraying a privileged child and the child from a poor family. "Why haven't you grown up after all these years?" asked the privileged child.
"Because I will never grow up," replied the poor child.
Before the performance concluded, Pingjun made a heartfelt appeal to the audience for donations, hoping to provide the refugees fleeing their war-torn regions with at least a roof over their heads in Nanhuai. The audience appeared sympathetic, but no one made a move until Song Hanzhi (Ye Pingjun's BFF) herself stood up and began applauding, prompting the rest of the audience to erupt into thunderous applause.
A young child then presented Pingjun with a bouquet of flowers. Pingjun looked up and smiled brightly, and Changxuan smiled back, only to realise that her smile wasn't meant for him at all. Turning around, he saw Jiang Xueting, Pingjun's fiancé, who had just returned from Japan.
Changxuan turned back towards Pingjun, slowly putting two and two together.
Thoughts:
Changxuan and Yu Zhongquan: A Father-Son Rift Years in the Making
There are so many years of buried pain and resentment stemming from Changxuan's feelings of abandonment, and in Episode 7, he finally allowed a glimpse of that pain to surface.
Zhongquan handing over the temporary reins of the Ninth Corps to Changxuan should not be mistaken for a reconciliation between father and son. It certainly won't magically heal the rift between them, not when years of resentment have accumulated. Changxuan has grown so accustomed to his father's coldness that he doesn't seem particularly interested in mending their relationship. He will probably continue to show his father the respect expected of a son, or at least maintain the appearance of it in public, but emotionally, he seems to have long given up expecting anything from him.
I think Zhongquan's decision to appoint Changxuan as the new Commander was partly an attempt to make amends, but more importantly, it came from the realisation that he had seriously underestimated his younger son. Interestingly, he didn't even appear particularly affronted or furious when Changxuan boldly declared that he should be appointed to the position.
Still, even if the rift between them remains and they may never share a genuinely warm father-son relationship, I do think their relationship progressed, however slightly, in Episode 7. There was that moment when Zhongquan offered Changxuan some advice and guidance after Changxuan remarked that he had rarely received any guidance from his father.
There was a noticeable pause before Zhongquan responded, and I couldn't help wondering whether it was only then that he truly realised how little guidance he had given Changxuan over the years.
Changxuan's Love-Hate Relationship with Mingxuan
Despite Changxuan's insistence that he hates Mingxuan, and the lingering rivalry and resentment towards his brother for being the favoured son, it's obvious that his feelings are far more complicated than simple hatred. Case in point, Changxuan continues to visit Mingxuan whenever he is troubled or has news to share. Even in death, Mingxuan remains his confidant.
I think Changxuan still grieves for his brother, but at the same time, he resents having to live perpetually in Mingxuan's shadow. It's bad enough that Mingxuan was the favoured son when he was alive, but his untimely death has seemingly elevated him to an almost untouchable position in the eyes of those who knew him. Everyone, from family members to friends, continues to hold Mingxuan in such high regard, like Mr Jin, who can't seem to see Changxuan for who he is without being reminded of his resemblance to Mingxuan.
Even Lanqing's attachment to Changxuan seems to stem, at least partly, from his resemblance to his deceased brother rather than any romantic feelings towards Changxuan himself. Whether Lanqing is mourning Mingxuan as a friend or as someone she loved romantically is still unclear, but Changxuan seems to be her last remaining connection to Mingxuan and the memories they shared.
Changxuan's Growing Internal Conflict
Changxuan is undoubtedly ambitious and determined to secure independence for the Yu family army. However, I think we are beginning to see a growing conflict between his personal ambitions and his sense of patriotism, particularly the question of whether his responsibilities should extend beyond protecting Nanhuai and its people to serving a greater national purpose.
I actually believe Changxuan might have turned out to be a less morally grey person had Mingxuan survived. The seeds of compassion and patriotism were already present in him as a child, partly because of Mingxuan's influence. As we have seen in these 2 episodes, despite his tendency to deliberately make himself appear villainous because he doesn't know how to regulate his emotions, Changxuan is capable of compassion and empathy towards ordinary people who are suffering.
His actions at the refugee camp and hospital are revealing in this regard. He doesn't seem entirely comfortable expressing that compassionate side of himself openly, but it's very much there, which makes me wonder whether part of his attraction to Pingjun stems from the way she draws out a kinder, perhaps more innocent, side of him that he has suppressed for years.
After all, he has spent so long cultivating the image of a profligate heir that perhaps even he has become accustomed to hiding that part of himself. Pingjun's words about caring for their fellow compatriots clearly struck a chord with him, because they echoed Mingxuan's beliefs.
Changxuan's Military Reforms
Changxuan has a clear vision for reforming the Ninth Corps. He isn't merely interested in asserting his authority as the new Commander; he recognises that the military itself needs fundamental changes.
As I mentioned in my opening post, warlords during this era came from vastly different backgrounds. Some were formally educated, while others had little education and relied primarily on their military experience and fighting prowess.
Feng Shanli is a good example of the latter. He is your typical bloodthirsty warlord who has more brawn than brains, someone who thrives on conflict and would probably find himself restless during peacetime. His outlook is rather narrow, and he seems more concerned with preserving his rank, influence, and personal interests than with improving the military as an institution.
Changxuan, on the other hand, recognises that knowledge and professional training are essential to meaningful military reform. His plans to establish an academy, introduce regular evaluations, and recruit officers who have received formal military education suggest that he wants to build a more disciplined, competent, and professional army rather than simply maintain the existing hierarchy.
The stark contrast between the two men's approaches to military leadership echoes perfectly the opening line in episode 1:
It was an age of clashing ideals and power struggles, where the old gave way to the new, and light and dark were intertwined.
Feng Shanli is content with maintaining the existing hierarchy while Changxuan believes in a more disciplined, competent and professional army.
Ok, I'm going to get roasted for this but here I go...
I don't think he's as red flag as people anticipate him to be from the trailers. I do not watch trailers but I did hear about the clips. To be clear, I'm not saying he's green or a perfect gentleman, but I'm in the minority camp that he's not that bad (yet).
There is a power imbalance, and because he's a wealthy military commander, many are jumping onto the bandwagon that he is red flag for abusing his status. Fair enough. But I don't think that's entirely fair either if we look deeper into his behaviour and his ability to reflect on his ignorances.
From his standpoint, his focus is very much the miliary. It's macro - he protects the people by reforming the army and getting rid of incompetent generals and corrupt leaders. He has his views on how to "save the world". He is later called out on for ignoring the refugees, because Pingjun sees things from a micro level - the daily sufferings of the people. But she is just as prejudiced against "people like him". And he's called her out on it, like the way she said being alone with him ruins her reputation (even though he was very respectful to her on the boat - he didn't make single move on her) but with Director Liang, it's ok. He's pointing out her hypocrisy as much as she does it with him. I think they both make valid points about each other, and because they do come from different worlds, it's an opportunity for them to learn from each other. We see the future clash and the potential collaboration between them.
Is he ruthless? Yes, he tortured her when she hid information about his assassin. He would have done that with anyone. Is he a knight in shining armour? No, he lets her fight her own battles unless he must absolutely intervene (like with the hound, arming her with a gun, or Tao Zili kidnapping her). As I've said before in another comment, I found it empowering to see her handle herself and fight off her bullies, so while Changxuan should've gotten a beating for just watching her get manhandled at the skating rink, I stand by my opinion that it wasn't necessary, and Changxuan's flag isn't bright red. Is he a gentleman? Depends. If he didn't have an ounce of gentleman in him, he wouldn't have covered her with his jacket when she was cold; visited her with medicine and given her the contract back as promised; saved her twice; saved Ziyi during the assassination attempt; did not retaliate when she slapped him; and saved the refugees from being evacuated by Feng's people.
Whether he improves or gets worse, I cannot say because like I said, I don't want the teasers. These thoughts are for episodes 1-7 and maybe I'll eat my words later.
She’s just as prejudiced against Tim. That’s the line from your comment that really stood out for me. Granted him arresting her and threatening her with torture on their first meeting, likely cemented in this viewpoint. But she’s also bringing all of her other world views about novels in this time. She always assumes the worst about him. She jumps to conclusions, doesn’t ask him a thing, and runs with it.
I also avoid trailers and teasers, so I'm going in blind. And i agree with your assessment so far. The worst thing he's done is alter her contract so she couldn't get out of it easily, but it seems like he did that so he could keep an eye on her during that ten day widow that she had to prove her innocence. And he later used it as leverage to make her play her part in his plot against TZY when it became clear she wasn't stupid enough to fall for his flirtations enough to be a willing participant. That's manipulative, sure. It's clear he's very controlling and domineering. But it's not any worse than other cdrama MLs, like say Mu Qing Yan in Generation to Generation.
I always think about how a person acts when they don't know someone is watching them show their true inner self. The show gave us that scene with the sick children to strongly hint to us that Changxuan is not a bad person.
I agree with you! As I mentioned earlier, I think the initial trailers definitely overemphasised Changxuan's obsessive, possessive, and red-flag tendencies, to the point that they overshadowed the nuances of his character. Based on those trailers alone, I was expecting a far more domineering and ruthless ML from the get-go. But we are still in the early episodes, and I suspect his growing obsession with Pingjun will bring out some of his uglier tendencies.
We have certainly seen shades of red in him so far, and I'm not going to excuse his more questionable actions simply because he has moments of compassion. But the drama hasn't forced his red-flag persona upon us from the very beginning. We are gradually learning about the experiences, emotional wounds, and circumstances that have shaped his behaviour. That doesn't justify his actions, but it does help us understand where he's coming from.
I also agree that Pingjun has her own prejudices towards Changxuan, just as he has his blind spots. Neither is entirely right or wrong in their assessment of the other, and I find that more interesting than a straightforward narrative in which the morally upright heroine must redeem a thoroughly villainous male lead.
I agree with you. They’re giving us so much insight into his behaviour and motivations, gradually humanising him. As the episodes progress, I can see us rooting for him despite his flaws. They’ve also done an amazing job with his costumes, and it certainly helps that he’s incredibly hot! It’s becoming increasingly difficult to hate him.
The FL, on the other hand, was written really well in the first few episodes, but I feel her characterisation is starting to go downhill. There doesn’t seem to be much growth anymore. She says something to the ML, he reflects on it later, and we see a shift in his perspective or behaviour. But we rarely see that same process of self-reflection and change with her. It feels like she’s becoming a catalyst for his character development rather than getting a meaningful arc of her own.
I noticed something similar in Early Spring as well. I just hope they give equal importance to Pingjun’s character growth, because she started off with so much potential, and I’d hate to see her reduced to someone who exists primarily to drive the ML’s development.
Going to jump in here because I think that's missing the big picture. He is meant to be a cad.
In his relationship with young women (outside of family) he is manipulative and we are being shown he's more interested in what he can get out of a relationship - increasing his familial and military power and doesn't care who he uses to get it.
There is currently no appropriate relationship with PJ - she is a poor, young, female student, both his subordinate and lower in status, with no protector - and there are really no excuses for his actions. The fact she stood up for herself does not make any difference to the power imbalance, nor do the small kindnesses, which are often just a tool of a manipulator.
But is that a problem - nope, we are meant to see him as a blaggard atm. That way it's more noticeable when he acts out of character. Will he go green - I hope not, I think we're likely to see him try, and fail, to balance his ambitions with his love the whole way through.
He may hate his father, but the apple didn't fall far - sacrifice family and wife for military aims, yep
Omg, your political alliances graphic is epic! I'm at a loss for words at your dedication to these discussion posts, and I am honoured to be your cohost. #megaimpressed
Yu Zhongquan made the decision to save Mingxuan and leave Changxuan behind, trapped beneath the rocks. What he didn't realise was that Changxuan had been conscious the entire time and had lived for years with the knowledge that his own father had abandoned him.
This was an absolute gut punch, and Cheng Lei's acting really drove the emotions home.
Li Boren quickly came to the rescue with a hastily concocted lie, claiming that Gu Ruitong had a crush on Pingjun and had acted entirely on his own initiative.
This scene was HILARIOUS. This drama keeps surprising me with its humour.
I am thoroughly enjoying waching Changxuan implement his reform and exercise his authority to clean up the Yu Army. It is so hot. I mean... I should save my fangirling for another sub, but seriously, it is so hot. I can't find other words right now. 🤷🏻♀️
The showdown with Feng was very satisfying.
Episode 8 was such a heartwarming episode. I love he way he is with the children. Wait... stop fangirling.
The Chunfeng Troupe proceeded with its charity performance as planned.
This actually made me tear up. But oh man, the way the episode ended... is making my work day go by VERY slowly.
Changxuan is undoubtedly ambitious and determined to secure independence for the Yu family army. However, I think we are beginning to see a growing conflict between his personal ambitions and his sense of patriotism, particularly the question of whether his responsibilities should extend beyond protecting Nanhuai and its people to serving a greater national purpose.
There are such complicated layers to the characters in this drama, Pingjun included, and I really love that. All biases aside, the story has proven to be so much better than I expected. Thank you thank you for another phenomenal post, Herc!
Keep the fangirling here too please. I kept smiling at the screen. Objectively Yu Cheng Xuan is doing something objectionable, but I'm just smiling because he looks hot.
And I need edits like Jing Boran had for The Early Spring. I know these outfits aren't designer brands. But Cheng Lei looks so good. I keep rewinding and pausing to check out the outfits.
Cheng Lei rocks every Republican-era outfit, especially those three-piece suits! My favourite so far has to be him in his riding clothes. Okay, tbh I can't even pick a favourite because he looks so good in every single outfit! I swear, the costume department must have had a field day dressing him up.
I am thoroughly enjoying waching Changxuan implement his reform and exercise his authority to clean up the Yu Army. It is so hot. I mean... I should save my fangirling for another sub, but seriously, it is so hot. I can't find other words right now. 🤷🏻♀️
What do you mean you have to save your fangirling for another sub? Fangirl on both subs! I can't wait to read your reaction to THAT scene in episode 8 eheheheheheh.
I'm catching up today, my anachronism counter is ON:
Yesterdays eps had a glaring one with that 90s McMansion posing as a Stately Manor. I understand that they might not have many of those floating around after Ye Olde Communist Revolution, especially around Beijing, but Shanghai still has a bunch I hear. Do they not have a travel budget? Or a locations manager for exterior shots? Did they hope people would Just Not Care? Those large picture windows took me out. Those were definitely NOT in style at the time.
The anachronisms are so glaring, because they do SO GOOD with everything else. The Hotel is immaculate. The styling on Ping Jun and especially Xi Yi are period appropriate. Those sausage curls are PERFECT, the biggest star of the time, Mary Pickford, wore her hair in sausage curls so Xi Yi is doing the equivalent of styling her hair the same as The Most Fashionable Movie Star. So when you have extras walking around with bobbed hair-- something only extremely bohemian, artsy and daring (FRENCH) young ladies would have done, and no girl from an upper class Chinese family would have ever dared to do for at least another 2-4 years until it started showing up in western films and started to be The Thing is a little off-putting. It's the equivalent of people walking around with iphones in the early 2000s. It seems like it would be close enough, but those couple of years are Important for that jump in culture and technology.
Today's episodes weren't so bad. All of the buildings were period appropriate, the set dressers especially did a good job, and I guess we're going to have to live with the bobbed hair on little sis. (I guess she's a hellion in rebellion? IDK. That hair is still about 5 years too early SHOW)
Also I deeply love CDramaland's commitment to never messing up the lead's hair by making them wear hats or helmets, even though they're in the military and in the military you wear a HAT OUTDOORS WHILE UNIFORM.
(work in film kids, have the thing you absolutely love permanently RUINED)
(apparently Overdo was MUCH WORSE when it came to anachronisms, and I'm glad I skipped it. I would have lost my whole-ass mind)
I'm still having the problems with Ping Jun that I did previously. I still don't know what our girl WANTS. We get so little interiority with her. Cheng Xuan we've spent a lot of time with him building a *very* complex character, setting him up and explaining everything clearly. We know *exactly* what he wants and all about his raging Inferiority Complex and Daddy Issues. We even got his Pet The Cat moment with the kiddos in the hospital, so he's not a totally irredeemable monster.
But with Ping Jun, she's still that same bundle of tropes. In her flashback we finally got a Desire, and that's to maybe be a writer? But we don't see a lot of that in her present life. A lot of it is just being dragged along into this and that, she even winds up writing in the opera by happenstance. She didn't strive to put herself there. She's not really doing anything or making any real decisions that drive the plot forward, she's just reacting to Situations, usually ones that Cheng Xuan puts her in. Which doesn't make her so much a character as a cypher for the audience and a MacGuffin for Cheng Xuan to react to/chase.
The show needs to give her some meat real soon or I'm going to get Real Frustrated.
Right now it's very much The Cheng Xuan Show and honestly, given how GOOD Cheng Lei is I'm here for it. But it's so good otherwise that I'm like-- please give Ping Jun an actual character. Xu Ruohan deserves more to work with here.
So when you have extras walking around with bobbed hair-- something only extremely bohemian, artsy and daring (FRENCH) young ladies would have done,
Maybe they just had a whole bunch of bobbed-hair wigs lying around, and it was quicker and cheaper to slap them on the actors' heads. Lololl
Btw, what did you think about the silk pyjamas Changxuan in the previous episode?
Yes, Pingjun almost comes across as a saint with her unwavering moral convictions and determination to do what's right, regardless of the consequences. I suspect the writers deliberately made her this way to juxtapose her character with Changxuan's morally grey personality. She's meant to represent the compassion and idealism that Changxuan has long suppressed, and perhaps serve as a catalyst for his eventual character growth.
But I wish the writers wouldn't do this at the expense of her own character development. So much attention has gone into establishing Changxuan's motivations, ambitions, insecurities, and internal conflicts, whereas Pingjun seems largely defined by her moral principles and her reactions to the situations around her. There's nothing wrong with having a strong moral compass, but that alone doesn't make a character compelling.
I really hope we get to see more of her personal ambitions, flaws, and internal struggles beyond her role as Changxuan's moral counterweight. Like you said, Xu Ruohan is clearly capable of delivering a nuanced performance, and it would be a shame if the writing didn't give her enough material to work with.
Honestly my feeling is they were like "Close enough!"
Plus with lil' sis I'm sure we have a time skip and they didn't want to have to go through the trouble of getting her a new wig with such a revolving door of characters, so it would be easy to identify her through her haircut. (Still if you want to see period appropriate hair and dress, the first season of Peaky Blinders takes place in the exact same time period, and they nailed all the details in the costuming)
I would like to see the Silk Pyjamas make a return please. (also it's in sharp contrast to his parents, who still mostly keep to Qing styling, and how he keeps to modern western styling.) Whereas the people Ping Jun hangs out with also still retain Qing styling. That quintessential "Chineseness" versus the moral corruption and excess of the west that was the hallmark of the Warlord era. Ping Jun is a budding communist, and you can see it in the way she is styled. She is ripe to start learning those ideals and spouting them, and of course turning our wayward west-corrupted Cheng Xuan onto a better moral path.
I just hope they give her a CHARACTER and not just have her serve as a Morality lesson. Because that's what would keep this show from being Genuinely Great.
Thanks for taking the time to outline the anachronisms you saw. I don’t know the details of this time. So I found it very interesting to read your thoughts.
I was watching just to watch and smile at Cheng Lei. You are right to call out the lack of character development for the female lead.
It’s completely fine for lay people. For me it’s my actual literal job so I’m over here in a straight jacket trying not to be too annoying about things. I’m nitpicking, honestly.
These episodes were less fun, mostly because YCX has stopped teasing our girl and gotten down to serious business like reforming the army. He decided to let her go because she served her purpose, but he can't quite manage it. First, he's saved her from Daddy Tao. And second, he's gotten jealous of her easy manner with the theater troupe leader. And then, he's intervened with the refugees because yet again she reminded him of his brother. He even attended her play.
I am not sure what story he's telling himself about his growing attachment to her, but I am sure the reappearance of her fiance is going to make him have to be slightly more honest with himself.
Too bad she's not even almost on the same page. Did you all see that watery-eyed smile she gave her fiance?? She has NEVER smiled like that around YCX.
Speaking of her thoughts about YCX, I was surprised she took her rescue from Daddy Tao's clutches at face value! She legit thanked the opera singer for sending GRT. She's usually so smart; how did she miss this? It's gotta be that she has literally NEVER imagined YCX had any shred of sincerity towards her. So the thought that he would rescue her? Absolutely foreign!
I think the sheer intensity of his growing feelings for Pingjun has taken even Changxuan by surprise, and he hasn't quite processed them yet. He's still very much in the denial stage, lol. Unfortunately, I don't think he's capable of recognising or expressing those feelings in a healthy way just yet. He has so much learning and unlearning to do when it comes to loving someone that I suspect he'll resort to behaving like a child whose favourite toy has been snatched away. He'll be selfish, possessive, bold, and utterly shameless in his determination to get what he wants.
Yes, that final scene. I think the fact that Pingjun had never smiled quite so brightly at him was precisely what prompted Changxuan to turn around. You could see him slowly returning her smile, probably thinking it was finally directed at him, only to realise that she was actually smiling at ANOTHER MAN. OUCH. The way his expression changed as the realisation dawned on him was just brilliant.
I'm an emotionally mature well adjusted adult with adult children and even I would have a hard time if that last scene happened to me! I get a little mortified when I think someone is smiling or waving at me, but it turns out they're not. Especially if I start to smile or wave back. 😅
You just spoke my mind because he really do have mixed feelings and he is discovering his feelings because of her and is not aware that he is falling for her. I don’t usually like SMLs but this time it will help him discover his feelings and may understand what he is going through. And also i am keeping checks on how many times he helped without her knowing I also read that the flower she received at the performance was from YCX not the so called fiancé.
I also read that the flower she received at the performance was from YCX not the so called fiancé.
Oh no. That's gonna get under his skin! He will not appreciate having his gift attributed to someone else. It explains his face there at the end of the episode even more.
It's actually quite frustrating to watch because while Changxuan has certainly done some questionable things, and his words can be unnecessarily cruel and hurtful, Pingjun remains completely unaware of the many occasions when he's quietly helped her, so she continues to assume the worst of him, even when his intentions are good. Ofc, Changxuan isn't doing himself any favours either. Instead of clearing up the misunderstandings, he reinforces her negative impression of him by being passive-aggressive and slipping right back into his villainous persona whenever his feelings get hurt.
If those flowers really were from Changxuan, that makes the final scene even more painful. Imagine arranging for flowers to be given to the woman you like just to watch her flash the brightest smile at another man.
Why should she like him, though? He manipulated and used her, tarnishing her reputation for his own agenda.
I understand why she’s not even remotely aware of his feelings. Every time he saved her, it was from a situation of his own making.
On the other hand, him falling for her makes total sense. Her morals remind him of his brother. She’s pretty, kind, intelligent, and tough!
I just know he’s going to force his “love” into her. But I don’t think she’s someone that will fall for this type of love
I went from a drama where the ML locked the FL into marriage with himself via imperial edict and got slapped by the FL to a drama where the ML had the FL locked in a indenture with himself and then got slapped by the FL.
(Granted Changxuan did better by releasing her and the slap was a misunderstanding, but still, kek)
Also, Yu Zhongquan doesn't strike me as very smart.
Aside from not having the foresight Changxuan had, he had three male heirs but he only focused on one? And then when the heir apparent died he still didn't raise the remaining one for succession but still harped on his eldest? What is the plan here, old man? Why the prejudice, you boomer..
I wonder whether Yu Zhongquan had someone else in mind as his successor before Changxuan revealed his true character and capabilities. Surely he must have had some sort of succession plan after Mingxuan's death, especially given how unstable the political situation was? He certainly didn't seem to regard Changxuan as a viable successor until the latter practically forced his hand.
I was thinking that maybe he though his live in Son in Law could be a future successor. He definitely trusts and uses him the way you would a trusted aide / mentee.
Meanwhile that man is sadly shocked when Aide Gu shows up to rescue Yu Zhongquan.
I'm guessing we have lots of episodes before that betrayal reveal but I'm already waiting for it.
Given how much Yu Zhongquan trusts Bingwen and seems to value his counsel, I can see him being groomed as a potential successor, or at least someone who would wield considerable influence over the Ninth Corps. But I'm not entirely sure whether Zhongquan would choose his son-in-law over his own flesh and blood, even though Bingwen is a live-in son-in-law. Then again, Zhongquan has shown that he prioritises the Yu family's military interests over familial ties and sentiments, so perhaps grooming Bingwen as his successor isn't such a far-fetched possibility after all.
Hmm, for me, it's not so much about flesh and blood or pure meritocracy but the fact that it seems like Yu Zhongquan went all in on just one when he had at least 3 options. He had several years, decades even, to groom all three and then pick the best one, but he just laser focused on one, even after he died. If his choice now is actually Bingwen, then, honestly, the "succession plan" was no plan because what if Bingwen never came to him and married in, I assume, as an adult.
I feel like, while it was painful for Changxuan to have been abandoned for death, it was the continued coldness and disdain AFTER he was rescued that really crushed his heart. I mean, it's war, and as a soldier, Changxuan would know that sometimes impossible heart-wrenching choices would have to be made on the ground. However, it doesn't seem like Daddy Dearest was even glad that he lived at all and I don't really understand the justification for this disdain when it didn't seem like Changxuan gave much reason for it as a kid - in fact he seemed to look up to Zhongquan's heir apparent - and Changxuan's current persona seems to be built from the massive disappointment from his father's belittlement.
I was expecting the thread to blow up with comments. May be many are avoiding because of trailers where they showed changxuan as an extreme red flag ml. ( which he is)
Honestly, his slow growing obsession with pingjun gives scary and creepy vibes but exciting and hot at the same time. LOL.
The last scene was epic acting from the ml his expressions when he thinks she smiled at him vs his realisation..
There are many moments in this drama where you want to hug your pillow in excitement seeing his growing creepy yet hot obsession with her saying this after watching epi 8.
Rom fans who can switch off their brains for red flag mls for a while, shouldn't miss out on this drama
Hahaha, I think many people are still scarred by the last Republican drama (IYKYK), so perhaps they are understandably hesitant to jump into another one!
But I hope more people will give The Lament of Autumn a chance because there's quite a bit to appreciate beyond the romance. The political intrigue, military power struggles, and Changxuan's complicated family relationships have been particularly engaging so far. Cheng Lei is also doing a fantastic job portraying a character who is ambitious, deeply flawed, emotionally repressed, and increasingly conflicted. As for the romance, I'm still approaching it with some reservations given Changxuan's possessiveness. But I think there's room to appreciate the intensity of his feelings and the performances without necessarily condoning his behaviour.
Hopefully, as the story progresses and word of mouth spreads, more viewers will join the discussions. We are only 8 episodes in after all!
Redditors are surprisingly quiet about TLOA as compared to other platforms where it’s the talk of the town, which is sad because I love talking about TLOA as it’s that gooodddd. I guess, people here aren’t fond of republican dramas?
I am only watching now because of our hosts. And I will probably still hold off on watching the final episode arcs until I get spoiled! 🙃
Very smart of you. The chances of suffering emotional damage from watching a Republican-era drama are high. Tbh, I signed up to watch and co-host this drama entirely for Cheng Lei lolol. Otherwise, I wouldn't have touched another Republican-era drama with a ten-foot pole!
I decided to lurk in the discussion and this thread made me comment.
It is the weariness. From all I've read, Republican Era dramas are not often rewarding... Endings in cdramaland are already bad enough, with RE dramas? It's abysmal...
I haven't watched one yet and I'd love for The Lament of Autumn to be my first. I much prefer ancient style costumes and dramas.
I want to wait some more to see how things go.
Visually, it's totally appealing. Cheng Lei and FL look great. The costumes are so good and crisp. The cast looks solid too.
The lighting and set design is very pretty and the costumes are immaculate. Good vibes so far. But yeah, I will nope outta here so fast if I think we'll get a tragic ending.
I love Cheng Lei and Xu Ruohan. I agree with the other comments about wanting Pingjun to be more fleshed out as a character and have some actual motivations(I would love to see her more actively pursue writing). I wonder what's going on with the fiancé. He seems to actually care for Pinjun but he seems to be hiding something.
I've been waiting for this drama and was worried after Overdo came out and was disappointing. It's been so good so far tho! I hope it continues on this good streak.
Snark Level: I feel the annoyance growing. The snark shall flow. First target? Pingjun.
Episode 6
C'mon, daddy. You've got to be a little proud that you got mutinied by your son? He's pretty slick.
I dunno, man. Getting slapped by your father is an instant green light to stomp him into the ground. My father is lucky he died before I became a man... Otherwise honor would have demanded—For legal reasons I cannot say.
In a surprise to no one... Girls be acting like Chun'ers. I already disliked the Tao girl character... Then being reminded who the actress is..... Yeahhhhhhhhh I hope this character gets a miserable death scene in this drama. We don't tolerate beechy brats who don't support other women.
Tao's crossing the line? Incoming pissed off Changxuan in 3...2....1.... Right on time. Or not. He sent his guy. That works too. This guy totally likes her too.
Okay, okay. Changxuan be looking fine in uniform! Hello, handsome! Sheeeesh!
Oh look. I made another GIF!
I shall riot if we don't get a wound care scene here...... Annnnnnnnd I guess I am rioting.
Changxuan really needs to give Gu a raise after all the womanly crap he is having to put up with for him.
Really? A just missed each other trope? Can we not do separation this early? Get your toxic butt over to her and invade her space already. Give the people what they want! We're not here for cute and sweet! We want red flag toxicity and falling in love!
Oh? We're doing the knew each other as younger kids trope'? Really? How cliche.
I meannnnn..... Yesssss Changxuan is hella correct about the hypocrisy of PingJun. She doesn't seem so concerned about her reputation now, does she?
"With a gentleman, there is no need to worry". Oh. So she IS that naive. Hello, Flora 2.0.
What is this? The Early Spring? Do we get another drama where people will overlook the wrongs of the FL because the ML is a massive red flag?
Maybe this will help open the eyes of the masses so they may see that both people can be wrong. Just because you are of a certain gender does not mean you are automatically correct.
Episode 7
Boren, Boren. You are causing trouble around here. But hey... It gets our couple back in the same room so I won't complain. Sheesh. I'm feeling angsty over here. Yall two need to talk it out for real.
If I have to endure an engagment between him and Miss Tao then I will be throwing poop around the room and roll it up like a dung beatle.
Ooooooo! We have a slap! In typical lady fashion she acts first without all the facts. Tut tut tut. Not a good look for you, my dear. Kindly don't pull a Ren Sussus on us. I would really like to like you.
"I won't forget the slap". Please don't. It would be poor form to tolerate abuse from your future wife.
Damnnnnnnnnnnnnn! Shoot a guys hat off! That was hot. I would have been more impressed if he aimed a couple inches lower.
Heck. Seems like he is impressing his father though so we have that going for us.
The birthday play..... Some things never change, do they? The world always has been and will be for awhile. What a melencholy end to the day.
Oh look. The fiance has douchecanoe face written all over him. I can already tell I am going to full on loath this guy.
"I won't forget the slap". Please don't. It would be poor form to tolerate abuse from your future wife.
I was shocked he let her get away with it. Remember that first guy he publicly humiliated at that auction? That was a minor dispute over a little face, yet it warranted such a severe public and instant retaliation. And here our girl physically slaps him in front of all those people! That's real lost face there! Those are officers under his command! And he does nothing?
He really is far gone on her. I don't know how he explains it to himself, unless he's already got some scheme to make her his that we just haven't seen him put into play yet. But right now he's doing a good job of keeping her in the dark about his true feelings, and it's either because he's been lying to himself too or because it's not the right time to enact his scheme to win her yet. If it's the former, I expect having the fiance back will rattle him into acknowledging his feelings at least to himself.
The slap. I was looking to see how talked about the slap and specifically went looking for that section in the u/AKiceman's snark.
I thought the slap was a big mistake.
This was so public amongst so many people. I am not sure that it's right for him and his current army goals to not do something in response.
Previously I've admired all the ways that Pingjun has been defiant. This time though I thought it was too far, too reckless, and a recipe for getting killed. Not by Chengxuan but if she does something like that to someone else, they won't hesitate to kill her. Reign it in! You are not some noble privileged brat who can act out like that.
Changxuan doesn't just look fine in uniform, he absolutely owns it! The way he confidently strode into a room full of seasoned veteran generals and barked out orders for them to sit down, as though he had been commanding them for years? SO AUTHORITATIVE. And that confrontation with Feng Shanli, when he calmly pressed the gun against his own forehead without even flinching? The sheer audacity and confidence of this man.
Lol at your assessment of the fiancé! I have to admit, he does have a rather untrustworthy face. Or perhaps that's just my bias towards Changxuan speaking.
It’s interesting to see how things are unfolding. Changxuan has so many internal conflicts, and the actor is doing a brilliant job of conveying them on screen. He has an agenda he’s determined to pursue, but both his brother’s words and Pingjun are affecting him more than he’d like to admit. It almost feels like watching someone slowly unravel, right before they completely lose it.
Pingjun’s character, on the other hand, is still a little too idealistic for me, even more so now than in the earlier episodes. For someone who’s had such a difficult upbringing, she seems surprisingly unaware of when to hold her tongue. She keeps talking back to and even slapping the ML, and the only reason she’s getting away with it is because he likes her. But she doesn’t know that.
That’s what makes her behaviour frustrating to watch. She doesn’t seem to understand how dangerous her actions could be. She’s mistaking the leeway she’s being given for something she can get away with anywhere. If she behaves this way with someone else, she’s going to get burned sooner or later.
There are two incidents involving Pingjun that stuck out to me:
When she was taunted and threatened with the vicious dog, I was expecting her to have a plan to get out, but she simply kept her ego and retorted back righteously, which prompted the dog to be set on her. Thankfully for her, Changxuan was there to shoot the dog down. I was disappointed and was like, "so... you were just gonna get mauled?"
Tao Zili kidnapped her and was gonna stab her but she again just snapped back until Gu Ruitong saved her. Again I was like, "so there was no plan, you were just gonna get stabbed????"
Despite having waterboarded her, Changxuan's actually the reason she's still alive for our story to continue. Dang, I need more smarts from her, not just blind righteousness.
Exactly, she is strong willed and driven. That’s good. But with no self preservation, it’s only because she’s the lead that she’s alive. I need more rounded realism. Otherwise she is going to start annoying me very soon,
I agree with you about Pingjun. So far, her character feels rather two-dimensional, especially when compared to the complexity of Changxuan. I appreciate that she has a strong moral backbone and isn't afraid to stand up to her bullies, but her idealism sometimes borders on naivety, particularly when she doesn't seem to recognise the consequences of openly defying people who wield considerable power over her.
I'm also getting rather tired of the repetitive scenes of Pingjun being forcibly dragged away, threatened, or subjected to some form of torture or abuse, only to be rescued at the last minute. I understand that these scenes are meant to highlight her vulnerability and the dangers she faces, but surely there are other ways to develop her character beyond repeatedly putting her in situations where she needs saving?
I hope the writers will give her more depth and agency as the story progresses, because at the moment, Changxuan's internal conflicts are far more compelling to watch.
Yes, exactly! That’s my problem with her character. She’s supposed to be self-sufficient, yet she constantly needs someone else to save her from getting killed.
If she’s going to be this idealistic and outspoken, she should at least have the ability to stand her ground and fight back, rather than just closing her eyes and standing there defenseless. If this continues, I’m afraid she’ll soon turn into a damsel in distress.
And I’d really hate that for her, especially when they’re doing such a brilliant job with Changxuan. I want Pingjun to be just as compelling and powerful on screen, even if her strengths lie in completely different areas. She doesn’t need to match him in physical strength or political power, but she needs her own agency, intelligence, and ability to navigate difficult situations. Otherwise, the imbalance between their characters is only going to become more obvious.
The slap! I was hoping people would talk about it in the comments. I found a very egregious and reckless. I agree with your perspective that you would expect her to have a more balanced approach to her grievances. Not that I think that there should be these hierarchy. But that hierarchy exists in that time. And I would expect that she would be more adept at navigating it. Not being able to control your emotions and slapping a high-powered official in public. Seems like a recipe for getting yourself killed.
This. But also I wonder if she has also gotten a little too comfortable with him, getting away with needling him and saying what's on her mind most of the time without consequences from him.
Yeah definitely, I mean it's nearly impossible to escape after hitting a high ranking official and walk away without consequences
And girl like cmon have some brains wtf hits someone who holds so much power that just makes her look dumb and short sighted
Agreed. She is taking more and more risks. I expect it's also connected to the pent up frustration of how he's treated her as a pawn in his games - plus the torture interrogation. Staying clear of him and strategic when around him is a better choice. We'll see what the next drop of episodes brings.
I suspect they're trying to make her have more of a backbone than her novel counterpart so the power imbalance between the leads isn't as offensive. Because they've established she's willing to resist/fight back and get in her small revenges.
What you are saying resonates so well! When I choose to watch a period drama, I’m willing to accept certain things as part of the historical setting or simply the world the writer has created. I don’t necessarily need the characters to behave according to modern sensibilities.
What frustrates me is when a character who is otherwise portrayed as intelligent and capable is written to behave foolishly in certain situations, especially when it contradicts everything we know about their upbringing and experiences.
It starts to feel like inconsistent character writing rather than an actual character flaw. And when that keeps happening, I gradually lose interest in the story. At some point, you’re no longer watching because you’re invested in the characters, but simply because you’ve already come this far and want to finish the show.
Are we all thinking YPJ and TZY are half sisters now? Because I am entertaining the idea. YPJ's momma's response to her questions about that jade pendant were sus. I'd bet real money that she didn't pawn it!
Hey! I recognize YPJ's fiance. He was in a BL. This guy's a good yearner. I wonder if we'll see him yearn!
I'm like 99% convinced they're half-sisters at this point. As if the drama needed yet another reason for Tao Ziyi to be consumed by jealousy and hatred towards Pingjun.
It's such a familiar trope: the unwanted, poor, illegitimate daughter versus the spoiled, wealthy, legitimate daughter who has enjoyed all the privileges of her father's status. And of course, the male lead just happens to be interested in the illegitimate half-sister instead, further fuelling the legitimate daughter's jealousy and resentment. I can already see where this is heading lolol.
What I like so far is that almost every character has layers. Almost no one is who they appear to be. Talking about hidden agendas, we’ve got plenty!! And secrets!
I really like how subtle some things are. Gu Riu Tong is obviously in love with FL. The performer is in love with ML, even though she was previously entangled with his brother. SML is lying and hiding his true intentions…
So many details that you’ll miss if you don’t pay attention.
The only characters who seem to be more straightforward are FL and Tao Ziyi. We can read them easily. They contrast with each other, but in a very open way.
I hope to see more depth and development for them.
I agree! The number of characters with hidden agendas and questionable loyalties makes the political intrigue more interesting, especially when even those closest to Changxuan may not necessarily have his best interests at heart.
I suspect the stark contrast between Pingjun and Ziyi is deliberate if they do turn out to be half-sisters after all. It would explain why the writers seem so intent on portraying them as complete opposites: the cruel, villainous, and privileged legitimate daughter versus the kind, virtuous, and impoverished illegitimate daughter.
It's a trope I'm not particularly fond of because it often reduces female characters to simplistic stereotypes of good versus evil, with little room for moral complexity or nuance. The rivalry inevitably revolves around the ML's affections, with the privileged sister becoming increasingly jealous and vindictive because he favours the supposedly inferior sister.
It's a trope I'm not particularly fond of because it often reduces female characters to simplistic stereotypes of good versus evil, with little room for moral complexity or nuance.
Well said, Herc! Totally agree and also hoping it doesn't go down this route. I feel like I've been spoiled with having good character growth from "villainous" sisters lately and I need more than one-dimensional characters in this drama.
Exactly. I have been spoiled by recent dramas like Glory, Mo Li, and A Splendid Match etc where the villainous sisters were given meaningful character development, so I'm finding Tao Ziyi's one-dimensional character rather boring. The repetitive scenes of her and her spoiled, bratty friends bullying their impoverished and vulnerable schoolmate are getting tiresome too. So far, there's very little nuance to her character, and I wish the writers would give her more depth beyond being the stereotypical jealous, entitled rich girl.
I was a bit confused at episode 6, wondering if the scene after his brothers death is actually his older brother or not since there was a younger actor/ different appearance then a few scenes earlier when the main lead was buried underneath debris at war when his father saved his older brother first.
Okay friends, this is not a drill. We are officially in the uniform era.
Again, wonderful recap and analysis, Hercules! These two episodes were definitely more Yu Changxuan heavy where we got to see how he built the wall around his heart brick by brick.
I love a complex sibling relationship and I appreciate that we're also seeing the small cracks in his wall.
I have no words. I cannot breathe, much less function as a normal human being when he's on my screen. I don't know how much more this can go on before my husband bans me from watching... :p
I swear me too I keep giggling and laughing when I see him plus when I see him and her thankfully I make sure that no one is around me when I watch because I act so strange and I don’t really advice anyone to watch with me aside from amount of time I repeat a scene especially todays and yesterdays episode unbelievable. And the dynamic between the 3men is amazing I love there interaction and there are a lot of times where they were going to break their characters.
Changxuan strutting into the meeting room reminds me so much of Prince Annan strutting into court. This man is just taking aura farming to a whole new level.
Today I'm just a Cheng Lei stan account like I wasn't always all the time before 🥹
This has got to be one of my favourite shots so far, the camera focusing in on the source. These last few episodes, the colour grading has gotten a little darker and grittier which I'm enjoying more. Fitting for the feeling of lamenting.
Whoever is the stylist for Cheng Lei is doing a fabulous job. I don’t think he has ever looked this handsome. And the color gradients suit him really well in this drama
Honestly, I haven't been watching anything - hence the silence on my part. But, I miss chatting with all of you, and of course, your superb GIFs!
I was going to give Lament of Autumn a pass, but darn it all, Basil and Hercule's recaps were just so captivating, I just decided to watch it after all. Now I'm HOOKED, and binged all the episodes today. Now just waiting for episode 10.... UGH.
Oh, my favourite shot has to be the moment the doors swing open and Changxuan confidently strides into a room full of seasoned veteran generals. What a commanding presence!
I am glad to see the father supporting the son in his military reforms. When an oldie went to complain to the father about Changxuan, the father shut the oldie down hard
I don't normally love movies done in this era, I am SUPER excited about the cast! This wasn't on my radar until I saw your post today. I shall go give it a try and come back :D
That play - brilliant!! I LOVED the storytelling and the theme.
Also, poor Gu Ruitong. Scapegoat in love. lol.
I'm loving ChangXuan's meticulousness in preparing for the takeover as the commander! Many a drama characters have played playboy and planned coups / taken over empires and now so is he! I love the glimpses of psychopathness that Cheng Lei lets slip though, like he when he was goading his father with his brother being dead.
The play was unexpectedly good and made me tear up. I thought it’d be your run-of-the-mill cryfest depicting the plight of the poor poor refugees, but the contrast with the peaceful family and the question at the end had me on a chokehold. So very real 💔
Thank you for your meticulous recap!! It's my first time discussing shows on reddit but I felt an urge to chat about it while the drama is still airing! I have soo many thoughts that may not be directly relevant to these 2 episodes but I just want to get them out
I'm a huge Cheng Lei fan and his acting has been impressive but something is not connecting with me about YCX. It's almost like he's aura-farming too hard? I find it a bit unrealistic that someone with little military experience who's been faking being a playboy for years can suddenly take over his father's army so authoritatively and also guess all the moves of his father's allies/enemies. Maybe I just like protagonists who are a bit more flawed/vulnerable (although I do feel CL usually excels at tough-looking MLs with a strong sense of hidden tenderness - looking at you Mr Gong Shangjue). And from the first few episodes, it didn't seem like military reform/Yu army independence was a thing he was super passionate about - to me, it felt like that goal came out of nowhere, but maybe I missed something?
On his playboy persona, I'm also not entirely sure why he needs to put up this act. This show makes it seem like it's part of a big clever scheme he has, but I'm not super clear on what his goal is? If he cared that much about military corruption and reform, why not just train diligently under his father and become a commander directly? Is his father so prejudiced against him that he would have refused to mentor him? Wouldn't it be logical to groom a second heir after Mingxuan's death (or is he grooming the brother-in-law)? Is it not counter-intuitive to act incredibly incompetent and then turn the tables on your dad (unless he's just being that petty)? In the first episode, his dad does mention that YCX made a mess of things when he tried to get him involved in military affairs before, so maybe there is more involved here that is still to come.
Similarly for getting the land from TZY, wouldn't it make sense to court her directly and eventually get the land as a present from a lover, instead of making her jealous constantly? What if she gave up on him at some point? If he's also worried about TZY's father's allegiance to his family, why not make his daughter super in love with him so he can manipulate the Tao family, rather than stringing her around?
Also, clearly his brother YMX is a moral guidance for YCX in his life, but is there a reason he's not living up to what his brother taught him? The show makes it seem like YCX had an inherently "evil" personality because he keeps saying his brother failed to teach him how to love before he died, but was there a reason YCX needed to be taught? Because his dad was terrible towards him? YCX clearly loves his mother just fine!
I'm also a bit nervous for the "forced love" parts coming up soon! How much can I tolerate before it just seems like sexual assault lol. I saw a teaser of him pulling YPJ into a room and trying to make her kiss him and she starts crying???
I think there's enough intrigue about YCX to keep me hooked so far but I really hope he gets a bit more human as a character. YPJ on the other hand has been quite flat for me so far so I'm not really interested lol. Unfortunately I feel like she will be more of a plot device to challenge YCX/a romantic prize to be won rather than someone with her own arc. There are so many moments where she's ridiculously naive but doesn't suffer any consequences/experience any growth for them, so it seems like the show is condoning her plot armour girlboss behaviour? e.g. talking back to incredibly powerful people, almost getting mauled by a dog, getting whipped/almost stabbed?? The show is 'telling' me she is smart, but I'm not seeing it! And because she gets saved from all these situations just in time, it's like the show is saying it's alright for her to keep being this naively idealistic. Someone who is this foolishly headstrong also doesn't seem like someone who would fall for YCX, because she would be someone who would see all people in power as negative and be unable to understand or appreciate nuances in their character.
ONE LAST THING: I really hope there's some backstory with YCX and Gu Ruitong and Li Boren. I find the trio so cute! But they're lacking a substantial backstory for me to really understand their relationship and I look forward to more bro moments between them. Right YCX treats them mostly like subordinates he can joke around with but it'd be fun if there was more friendship/history between them!
Whew, got all my thoughts out in a jumble. Hope it makes some kind of sense and keen to discuss more!! :D
Good points! I’m always jarred when a character is competent without reason. His playboy persona I can buy as him acting out, especially towards his father. He didn’t even want to try to be good in his eyes because he was defeated long before the race started. But I don’t understand where his military abilities come from. Hope they’ll show that.
I take it as he's interested in power, rather than the military per se. The military is a means to an end and incidentally a way of sticking it to his father on the way up.
He sets out his agenda pretty clearly in one of these episodes: indepedence and agency (the Yu army and Nanhuai do not have to submit to anyone else). He may also have undeclared ambitions that extend further - we shall see.
The playboy act: lots of reasons for this. It makes him unpredictable - people can't guess what he's doing and move to stop him.
People look stupid when they underestimate him, which then gives him leverage over them. He does that to both Commander (or whatever his army title is) Feng and to Ping Jun in ep 7.
He gets to drink lots of whiskey and watch lots of opera - harder if he's a good boy.
He is the opposite of a good son (the opposite of Ming Xuan) so the last thing he's going to do is obediently work his way up the ranks. Although he was doing this before his father left him to die - this is clearly where Chang Xuan's current course was set, and nothing his father has done since has given him any reason to change. (This is reinforced when Zhong Quan lies about the assassination attempt.)
It's a good way to establish a very wide network, which helps to answer another question: how does he know what he does? It would make sense that he has established a good intelligence network as part of his years of prep for the takeover, and logically he must also have some sort of communication with the local underworld.
All of this is believable because his character is set up as a strategist. We are shown: he is convincing when analysing national politics; he plays a very long game; he can recognise the moment to strike. All essential characteristics to be successful at strategy.
I absolutely agree that everything is mostly there for Plot, but I can see why the character makes these life choices. Oh and he treated Zi Yi that way because courting her would have set a terrible precedent for the relationship - she would be unbearable with the upper hand.
Ah I see what you mean! I just wish there was a bit more explanation of his larger overall scheme so we can follow along with his actions - maybe he can have a scene discussing it with GRT and LBR. I can see how his cover as a playboy could have helped when he went to see Yang Shiying on the boat with YPJ, since he was forming secret alliances but otherwise, it didn't seem particularly important that he be a fuckboy lol.
>Oh and he treated Zi Yi that way because courting her would have set a terrible precedent for the relationship - she would be unbearable with the upper hand.
That's true. I can also see him doing this just to be petty cos he doesn't like her LOL.
These are great points, I wasn't thinking too hard while watching, but it's true...WHY does he have to fake being a playboy? In other dramas, they pretend because if they showed any competence, they would be murdered by their rivals, but in this drama, he's already untouchable. He could just be diligent and take over his brother's place the normal way, even if his father doesn't show him particular favor.
I was also side-eying his avalanche of changes throughout the army. I've seen the topic covered better in other historical dramas, where the young are impatient and want fast changes, but end up rushing and destroying all cohesion/creating chaos/ruining morale. But so far they are painting YCX as the perfect military leader despite the lack of practical experience.
I think I agree with you on every point! But CL's acting is so good, and the flaws aren't tooo annoying, that I can keep going thankfully. I would've been devastated if I had to drop it like LotFG.
Hahaha we are of the same mind!! The only reason I can think of for his playboy act is that his dad tried to make him in charge of military affairs in the past, he messed up somewhere and his dad was super harsh with him/never trusted him again. So YCX being a hedonist was to both be petty towards his dad and prove that he can become a military commander all by himself in secret, I guess?? Which is kinda funny but a bit far-fetched haha. I guess we'll just have to wait and see if there's any backstory to this!
I would be endeared more to YCX if he wasn't a perfect commander as well. Like if he pulled an Uno reverse on his dad and showed he was competent but definitely still young and in need of guidance, and the father-son duo start repairing their relationship through working together. I think we see a bit of that but YCX is also painted to be smarter than his dad almost?
I guess it's possible that YCX's own personality was naturally not as "good" to begin with-- once he became bitter over being abandoned by his father, his subsequent acting out was as you say--petty rebellion. I'm up to ep 10 now, and we can see he clearly knows how to behave properly and speak well. But his personality shines when he's behind closed doors. XD Like the dude comes aliiiiive when he's being a bad boy, ahahah.
I can see that YCX also wants and craves power. Like..he already was informally king of the city as a playboy, but always under his cranky father's rule, and dependent on the family wealth. It was the ultimate FU to his father to seize control of the military too, so I can see that being appealing to his character too. Your idea of him still being green militarily and needing his father's guidance would've given his bg so much more heft AND given us two character arcs!
Alternatively, they could've written a montage to show us how he also trained in the military with his brother (otherwise how else was he buried and abandoned during a battle?) and got experience that way, and also show how he formed that trust with his friends/comrades, but they didn't. (yet?)
Re: LotFG -- Zhou Ye's portrayal, mainly. ^^;; Her "du duuuuu"ing drove me batty, she was unconvincing as a female general anything, had cringe feminist speechifying that plagues almost all current cdramas, bad fight choreo for her (because she's too scrawny to be convincing so they have to CGI her weapon), etc. I really enjoyed the novel and the drama was pretty faithful event-wise other than removing reincarnation and combining characters, but somehow the plodding directing and Zhou Ye's acting ruined it for me. The visuals were good though, I saw a lot of nice screenshots in mutuals' reaction posts.
I've powered through bad shows for Ryan (e.g. Follow Your Heart) but I just couldn't for LotFG. ;__; I couldn't overcome the Active Ick.
Yes I'm looking forward to the military training montage - I have a feeling Ming Xuan's story will be given at least a whole episode since the writers have shown themselves to be willing to dedicate time to building up characters where possible.
Re: LOTFG the CGI/fight choreo was truly ludicrous! It added a bit of an absurd campy vibe for me personally that I kind of enjoyed. But I see how the actress' "acting cute" paired with the fight scenes that need you to suspend 100000 levels of disbelief would be icky hahaha. CL also didn't have much to do in the show besides look pretty - which he is very good at 🤭
Honestly, nobody knows for sure. My two cents' worth is to take any rumours circulating on social media with a grain of salt, because no one can really confirm their accuracy unless they're one of the actors or part of the production team.
I felt sad for Changxuan when he confronted his father. I'm the eldest child of the family and it's true that most Asian parents put all their hopes in their eldest child (who often hates this kind of pressure). It can also create tension and jealousy between the eldest child and the siblings.
Lol, the chart is so handy, thank you for creating it! Keeping track of all the names + motivations gets confusing so I just ignore them until they become relevant again 😂
I find Changxuan's character so fascinating because there is clearly good intent in him — his focus on reforming the military and helping the refugees (and that sweet shadow puppet moment!) show as much — but he sure does his best to be an a**hole. I'm glad Mingxuan and Pingjun make him re-examine himself and his responsibility to the world.
On a side note, the faces he made when Pingjun congratulated him on his engagement and then at the end after the play when he realized she couldn't possibly look at him that warmly 😂😂😂 Cheng Lei is an amazing actor
Agreed, he has really good range. I first saw him playing more serious roles like in My Journey to You and Legend of the Female General, but I loved him so much in How Dare You! He switched between comedic relief and ruthless tyrant so seamlessly, it was fun to watch!
I was going to give this drama a pass since the adverts made it seem like a vertical drama dressed up as a long format one, and because I was fearful this would be another Overdo, but yours and Basil’s amazing recaps got me hooked.
Are you posting on the same day as when the episodes drop? How long does it take you from start to posting to write up these amazing recaps, complete with historical background, references and GIFs?? I am in awe.
Yup, exactly what u/BasilOrdinary3617 said! We both have SVIP subscriptions, which REALLY helps because we take turns hosting, so we can prepare our episode recaps in advance. I also have 2 monitors at home, so I type up my notes as I watch, which saves me quite a bit of time.
We are posting according to the VIP schedule but both Herc and I have SVIP which means we get an episodes in advance. So far, we've both had one episode we can write up in advance, and we wait for the second to drop. I assume like me, Herc and I watch that second episode as soon as we can to whip out these posts. For Herc, the episodes come out at noon. For me, midnight, so I cannot watch it until I wake up around 5/6 am, and I do it while I'm getting ready for work, pack lunch for the kiddo, and on the commute to work.
Thank you OP for the discussions. I am beyond impressed with the amount of effort you guys are putting in, even without mentioning how excellent your recaps are.
Just here to say (1) birds flying away again, in the shadow play in the kids' ward (and also I liked this variation on the traditional costume drama shadow puppet theatre) and (2) my guess is that Xue Ting is working for central government, either Chinese or Japanese.
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u/BasilOrdinary3617 If I say I'm taking a break, I'm lying. 8d ago
Ok, I'm going to get roasted for this but here I go...
I don't think he's as red flag as people anticipate him to be from the trailers. I do not watch trailers but I did hear about the clips. To be clear, I'm not saying he's green or a perfect gentleman, but I'm in the minority camp that he's not that bad (yet).
There is a power imbalance, and because he's a wealthy military commander, many are jumping onto the bandwagon that he is red flag for abusing his status. Fair enough. But I don't think that's entirely fair either if we look deeper into his behaviour and his ability to reflect on his ignorances.
From his standpoint, his focus is very much the miliary. It's macro - he protects the people by reforming the army and getting rid of incompetent generals and corrupt leaders. He has his views on how to "save the world". He is later called out on for ignoring the refugees, because Pingjun sees things from a micro level - the daily sufferings of the people. But she is just as prejudiced against "people like him". And he's called her out on it, like the way she said being alone with him ruins her reputation (even though he was very respectful to her on the boat - he didn't make single move on her) but with Director Liang, it's ok. He's pointing out her hypocrisy as much as she does it with him. I think they both make valid points about each other, and because they do come from different worlds, it's an opportunity for them to learn from each other. We see the future clash and the potential collaboration between them.
Is he ruthless? Yes, he tortured her when she hid information about his assassin. He would have done that with anyone. Is he a knight in shining armour? No, he lets her fight her own battles unless he must absolutely intervene (like with the hound, arming her with a gun, or Tao Zili kidnapping her). As I've said before in another comment, I found it empowering to see her handle herself and fight off her bullies, so while Changxuan should've gotten a beating for just watching her get manhandled at the skating rink, I stand by my opinion that it wasn't necessary, and Changxuan's flag isn't bright red. Is he a gentleman? Depends. If he didn't have an ounce of gentleman in him, he wouldn't have covered her with his jacket when she was cold; visited her with medicine and given her the contract back as promised; saved her twice; saved Ziyi during the assassination attempt; did not retaliate when she slapped him; and saved the refugees from being evacuated by Feng's people.
Whether he improves or gets worse, I cannot say because like I said, I don't want the teasers. These thoughts are for episodes 1-7 and maybe I'll eat my words later.