JPLH - through ep 19

[dangermousie]

I really am enjoying this spate of eps. They even actually made me feel for Four, which I earlier thought was an impossibility. Though I don't really ship him and Qing Chuan because together they are a bit dull for my taste, he did stick out his neck for her (and in a major, possibly suicidal way) which is unprecedented and a huge change. So yeah. If somehow it ended up Four/QC, I could be OK with it (though I know it won't). In another drama, I could pretty much go for "plucky, smart, no-nonsense girl changes ambitious bastard into a human" story.



Honestly, I loathe Four's wife. Not because she's possessive or even murderous with it (because it's par for the course for the period) but because she's just so stupid. If it wasn't for her, Four would be Crown Prince already, I swear. And expecting monogamy in a polygamous society is a bit of a high order so there so are many better ways to go around trying to achieve it than she does. I can't help but think being saddled with this obsessive idiot is the most fitting punishment for Four for using other people - he used her and now he's stuck with her. Enjoy.



I feel horrible for Two. Honestly, he's so not equipped for this life. At least, if Four and Eight go at it in the competition to inherit, it's a fair match. Two is completely outclassed. He's the one I feel sorriest for.



Even though QC/Eight had no scenes together, I loved seeing just how competent and formidable Eight could be when he put his mind to it. Unlike Four, Eight doesn't have issues to drive him to the throne or ambition for ambition's sake, which makes sense - unless one is naturally ambitious like Four or seeks validation through it, why bother? Even if he isn't an Emperor, as a member of the royal family, Eight would always have a great lifestyle. And even Four, with his paranoia, wouldn't have any interest in offing his siblings unless they were a threat. If all Eight ever wanted to do was sleep around and drink, I am sure Four would leave him alone and happily provide him with cash. But now Eight has a goal (getting enough power to protect QC), he's pretty darn effective.



This drama is gorgeous and its production values are to die for. I could just stare at it forever.





One of the reasons I love QC (and the drama for making her the heroine) so is that she can always rescue herself through her smarts. She ends up in a brothel and rescues herself, even becoming indispensable to Madam without having to sell herself.



Four's habit of dealing with angst while sword-practicing and drinking at the same time is either sexy or insanely dangerous. Not sure which.



My jaw dropped. Literally dropped. But I should have known, nobody in the Palace can actually be this kind. So Concubine De, who's all saintly and wants Four to protect Two etc, is actually doing it all scheming to get the throne for Fourteen. Because she wants Four to protect weak Two from Eight and that way there will be someone to checkmate Eight (and in best case, win, and then she can dispense with weak Two). So much for her talk how Two and Eight are like birth sons to her. Hah! I really loathe her now, not for her duplicity to Eight (who's a big boy and no fool and can take care of himself) but for using poor Two (who genuinely loves her as a mother) like this and for being like this to Four. Clearly she has two sons but only loves one of them. I could respect her if she was at least honest to Four but she kept preaching at him about not getting involved in dynastic fight/being brotherly not because she meant it but because she didn't want him to get the throne and use him as a guard dog for her other son. And she even fooled Four, who's pretty much untrickable. Ugh. Bitch. What kind of mother is she? She's more scheming and scary than Four on his worst day.



No wonder Four is like this when he finds out:






OTOH, he located QC finally. Honestly, I am sort of moved. Mmmm. I am alternashipping them for now.



God, how I loved this scene. Four knows he's in total trouble (knowing Kang Xi's temper, possibly capital offense) but he won't back down and is still protecting QC as his priority. My my my, we are turning into a Real Boy, aren't we?



This is so good.