A wicked woman is replaced by an even wilier one.
Notable Actors/Actresses
Notable Actors/Actresses
Director
Screenwriter
Cast
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| Tian Xi Wei: Wei Rao Jun Dai |
Yan An: Lu Zhuo |
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| Liu Xiao Bei: Qi Zhong Kai |
Pan Jun Ya: Bi Tao |
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| Wang Yi Nan: Guo Yu Feng (Wei Rao's aunt-in-law) |
Chen Zi Han: Wei Heng E (Wei Rao's aunt) |
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| Mao Lin Lin: Zhou Fu (Wei Rao's mother) |
Tian Niu: Lord Shou'an (Zhou Fu's mother) |
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| Yin Wen Xuan: A Man (Zhou Fu's maid) |
Li You Chuan: Huo Jue (Wei Rao's cousin) |
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| Zheng Hao: Crown Prince |
Dai Gao Zheng: Han Liao |
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| Yang Qing: Old Madam Wei (FL's paternal grandma) |
Kong Lin: Duchess of Ying (ML's grandma) |
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| Dai Chun Hong: Empress Dowager |
Jiang Kai: Duke of Ying (ML's grandpa) |
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| Cui Yi: He Wan Niang (ML's mother) |
Zeng Yi Xuan: Kong Ying Shu (ML's 4th aunt) |
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| Chen Si Si: Zhuo Cheng Jun (ML's 2nd aunt) |
Dai Jiao Qian: Ren Yu Zhen (ML's 3rd aunt) |
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| Zhou Li Jie: Liu Shuo |
Yang Yu Tong: Xie Hua Lou |
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Others: Su Xiao Tong |
| Wang Yi Zhou: Jie De (ML's servant) |
Mini Recaps
My goal is to pick ONE topic/highlight. It can be a major moment or the smallest little detail. You can share yours too ~
Will fill in the rest of the episodes later ~
The maid who gave her a peony for independence (i.e. how dare she wish her independence when she wants to get married)
The maid who badmouthed her.
Xie Hua Lou
Our ML. In Ep1!
Wei Chan, cousin.
Su Xiao Tong again
With a slap-throw
The people around Wei Rao's age aren't too nice either.
The slapping runs in the Wei family: Aunt-in-law Guo Yu Feng. I gotta admit, her one slap wins Tian Xi Wei's entire slapathon xD
[Ep3] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]
The moment Aunt-in-law lays eyes on A Chou, she’s struck by how eerily similar she looks to Wei Rao. She rushes off to confront the maid who was supposed to kill the baby and store the fetus in a pot, checking whether she actually did her job. There’s a baby skeleton, so A Chou can’t be who Guo Yu Feng suspects she is. Right? Ohhh. So A Chou and Wei Rao are twins?
Wei Rao, you cunning woman. She manipulates Lu Zhuo by hiding her self-inflicted injuries to save his cousin, making him think she’s faking them. Except she really did fracture her arm, and badly.
Lu Zhuo feels so guilty. (But, hun, you’re not wrong!! xD)
Lu Zhuo feels so guilty. (But, hun, you’re not wrong!! xD)
Hey, they've got some chemistry already ~~
Then Grandma Lu gives him a good scolding: “Bedridden like the living dead, and you’ve forgotten everything?!” Incorrect. He has no memories to forget. “If you treat Rao’er poorly in the slightest, then you are stone-hearted! Unable to distinguish good from bad! Ungrateful! Worse than dogs and pigs! And bound to suffer heavenly wrath!” LOL. Poor Lu Zhuo.
Bi Tao's soul nearly leapt out of her nostrils. She was that shocked Wei Rao dared to call Lu Zhuo back after they finally got him away from the dead body in the closet. (RIP Nanny Wu, whose poisoned soup meant to kill Wei Rao ended up killing herself instead, thanks to Bi Tao.)
But how could Wei Rao not call him back? He took her money! But wait!! Is that even legitimate currency? There are people having sex in all sorts of positions on those coins, lol. Jie De (Wang Yi Zhou) wanted a closer look.
P.S. I do have to include this wickedness from Tian Xi Wei's Jun Dai: 
[Ep5] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]The men around Lu Zhuo aren't helping his romance. Or maybe they are.
"Clever" Jie De shuts the door because he thinks Liu Zhuo wants to read. Though Lu Zhuo didn't realize he wanted to see her until Jie De shut the door and she was out of sight. Lol. (It also gives Wei Rao some privacy to retrieve the letter she left in his pillow, detailing the identity switch. This was crucial evidence to protect herself from (Grandmother) Wei. But now that she’s safe, she pretends to argue with Lu Zhuo, takes the pillow with her, and gets rid of the letter before it can expose her as the fake Wei Rao. Now this is clever.)
Then there's Qi Zhong Kai (Liu Xiao Bei) making Lu Zhuo jealous for touching, lol.
[Ep6] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]Qi Zhong Kai knows Wei Rao isn't the real Wei Rao, because apparently he understands women better than Lu Zhuo. Please. Lu Zhuo only needs to understand one woman! I'm surprised this just blows over without Qi Zhong Kai exposing her to Lu Zhuo, given his loyalty to him. What gives? And he seems rather interested in this fake Wei Rao.
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| Qi Zhong Kai: "I'm looking for your foxtail ~" |
Yan An and butterflies this year.
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| Veil of Shadows |
My highlight of the ep is Wei Rao...being the target of Yan An's cute jealousy. Lol. And ou, look (if you can) at him pretending to be threatening at the end.
Lu Zhuo suspects Wei Rao's identity, but listen to this man's questions:
Chill, husband, chill. Did you forget what you were originally suspicious of: identity!
"What did you whisper in secret with thatmanHuo cousin of yours? Why were you in a rage and smashanother man'sHan family’s gift, ignoring and leaving the guests out in the cold? During the banquet, you disappeared for a long time, only for the servants to stumble uponanother another manQi Zhong Kai escorting you back to the feast. Andthis man againyour cousin cast etiquette aside to leave halfway through – just what on earth was that all about?"
But now
Wei Rao knows.
Exactly how to get under this man's skin. And so the next day she drops this:
"I'm interested in your bro."
I beg your pardon?
"I'm interested in Qi Zhong Kai."
"I'm interested in your bro."
I beg your pardon?
"I'm interested in Qi Zhong Kai."
FACE CONTROL, LU ZHUO. xD And speaking of that line, at a live event, Yan An was asked how he would reply to "I'm interested in your bro." His answer: "I'm interested in your bestie." Lol!
Grandpa Lu (Duke): Have you all no sense of propriety?!
Grandma Lu (Duchess of Ying): Attack! Attack them all!!
LOL. Look at the disdain on his face at his wife.
BUT LOOK AGAIN. Grandpa Lu's punch knocks the teeth out of the old prince, the Emperor's own brother. Propriety! 成何體統！Chenghetidong! xD
What a gut reaction Wei Rao had to her mother though.
My pitch on Wei Rao fall-ing in love with Lu Zhuo.
1) The disbelief and relief on Wei Rao's face when she hears that Lu Zhuo actually came to save her from Zhou Fu (Mao Lin Lin), the imperial consort who's boiling Wei Rao, as potentially boiling her own kid. (Insert Fan Chang Yu's 為啥先殺俺 Why you gotta boil me first?! We're from the same beans! LOL! This poem really stuck with me all because of her in Pursuit of Jade, and we can actually use it here too hahahaha). And Lu Zhuo saves her by fully taking her side and getting her the title of Noble Wu'an. HA. That's Tian Xi Wei's ex-husband Zhang Ling He's title in Pursuit of Jade too, hahaha. So Mao Lin Lin is now the mother of two Good Afternoons (Wu An also sounds like 午安).
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| The long pause where he takes a good look at his real wife ~ He no longer has to be conflicted about loving her. This Wei Rao was never the woman he hated in the beginning. This is the woman he's been falling in love with. He's absolutely certain now. |
(I like that We also learn from Lu Zhuo that Wei Rao had her own plan and didn't need him to save her. She knew Zhou Fu couldn't harm or kill her because she turned Han Liao (Dai Gao Zheng) into an angry dog stalking her every move. If anything happened to her under Zhou Fu, he'd report it to the Empress Dowager, who's Zhou Fu's mortal enemy. Wei Rao had already made herself too dangerous to touch, which is why they spent the whole night just boiling water. Not exactly a foolproof plan though if Han Liao is fooled by "Jun Dai pretending to be Wei Rao.")
The birth secret is revealed.
Empress Dowager (complaining to her daughter): 厚顏無恥 胡攪蠻纏 必是親生的無疑了。這母女倆一般的萬人嫌 Shameless and thick-skinned, impossible to reason with. These two must be biological (= she must have given birth to her). There's no doubt. This mother-daughter duo is universally hated just the same. Lol.
And so right after a pair of mother and daughter talks about a pair of mother and daughter, Show gives you Jun Dai and Aunt Wei. So you're thinking, Omg, they're mother and daughter too!
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| Aunt Wei: "For you, what wouldn't I dare to do?" |
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| Aunt-in-law: "I already grew white hair. The only fortunate thing is that you've long since been unable to see it anymore." The "you" is her dead beloved-hatred, Aunt Wei's twin brother...? |
Han Liao is punished because of nursery rhymes (commissioned and mass produced by Wei Rao).
Han Liao: What you married is an evil snake. Sooner or later, you will die in her hands.Lu Zhuo: No need to be envious. In your lifetime, you'll never have the fortune of experiencing this yourself.
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| Smirk = You wish you married this evil snake. |
Go Lu Zhuo, capture your evil snake ~ Or be captured, lol. Either one works for me xD
Speaking of Han Liao / Dai Gao Zheng. Seeing his abs reminds me he was the Original Abs! Let’s just ignore those biceps drowning out the wife/concubine he killed on the side.
Wei Rao and Jun Dai find out their mother isn't their mother.
Disheartening that Mother Qiao (Wei Rao’s adoptive mother) sees her this way. Wei Rao has never received so much as a hug or a kiss from her, yet she’s risked her life time and time again and suffered for her mother and siblings. And what does she get? A mother begging her not to be cruel and hurt her children. My heart D: She wanted so little from this woman and still got nothing. I don't hate Mother Qiao, but there is someone cruel about human nature when love has its limits. Back in Ep2, when Wei Rao killed the man who almost r*ped her, her first instinct was to run, not kill him. It was only when he threatened to sell her sickly mother and sister into prostitution that she turned to murder and decapitation. She became cruel to protect her family. And now she's is asking her to spare her children D: Oof. The mother she fought for never saw her as a daughter. After all that.
Wei Rao, so vulnerable here T_T
Back-to-back-to-back betrayals. By all of her two mothers in two episodes.
And Bi Tao betrays too. Wei Rao really never had her guard up against her. She’s the one who switched the longevity lock that proves Wei Rao is Zhou Fu’s biological daughter. Jie De!!! Why didn’t you tell anyone about Bi Tao?! Qi Zhong Kai should be angrier at him for my sake:
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| Qi Zhong Kai: "WHAT IS WRONG WITH BI TAO?!" Jie De: "N-nothing." Everything -_- |
Every evidence is turned against Wei Rao, but the logic is on her side! And you can see Zhou Fu wavering.
Just as Zhou Fu, shocked and disbelieving, finally steps toward her real daughter, the menace walks in. That would be Jun Dai.
[Ep16] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]Wei Rao: Why did you lose sight of your biological daughter? And when she’s standing right before your eyes, why let a single leaf (something so minor) block your view? Why passively listen to their fabricated lies slandering her? Why.
But again, we have someone walking in for Wei Rao! Who? Grandma-in-law Lu? If her biological family isn't protecting her, she'll protect her grand-daughter-in-law??
Aunt-in-law Guo Yu Feng's ultimate goal was to inflict maximum emotional agony on Zhou Fu (Consort Lizhao). She designed her plan to destroy three lives: Wei Rao, Jun Dai, but most thoroughly, Zhou Fu herself.
The reason: A woman scorned. She was Wei Jin's fiancée, but he abandoned her because he loved Zhou Fu. Though I wonder if there's more to how that marriage was called off...
The deadly dilemma Guo Yu Feng served:
The reason: A woman scorned. She was Wei Jin's fiancée, but he abandoned her because he loved Zhou Fu. Though I wonder if there's more to how that marriage was called off...
1) If Wei Rao was poisoned directly, Guo Yu Feng wanted Zhou Fu to discover afterward that she allowed her long-lost daughter to die, leaving her to live with unbearable guilt for the rest of her life. A lifetime of psychological torture.2) But if Jun Dai died, as she did, Wei Rao would be blamed, forcing Zhou Fu to execute her own daughter with her own hands.→ Either way, Zhou Fu would unknowingly kill her own daughter. And the second option was the most cruel, which is why Guo Yu Feng had Bi Tao serve the poison to ensure it was Jun Dai who died instead. If Zhou Fu had both abandoned her daughter, and committed filicide, that was an unforgivable sin, one that would strip her of her imperial status and power.
先殺女後除母. First kill the daughter, then execute the mother.
Wicked. Guo Yu Feng is arrested, but walks out like a boss.
But I hope this isn't the end of her! She's so good at evil. I also totally relate to her line about her husband, the older Wei brother she married instead: 多看他一眼我都想吐. Just one more glance at him makes me want to puke! xD
Although Guo Yu Feng's plan failed, the damage was done.
Jun Dai died that night (okay, good thing). But so did Wei Rao.
Zhou Fu may not have killed Wei Rao with the sword, but I think a part of Wei Rao died when her mother pointed the sword at her. Maybe a lot of her. T_T After suffering her whole life, she realizes none of it had any purpose. She's completely lost. And instead of holding on to the love Lu Zhuo is offering her, she's pushing it away. She wanted love from these mothers, and they hurt her so badly that now she's struggling to accept love from anyone.
What I want from this show now is for all these grand/mothers who hurt her to earn her love back. And this mom too. I think she can understand how cruel her limited love was to Wei Rao now.
Although Guo Yu Feng's plan failed, the damage was done.
Jun Dai died that night (okay, good thing). But so did Wei Rao.
Zhou Fu may not have killed Wei Rao with the sword, but I think a part of Wei Rao died when her mother pointed the sword at her. Maybe a lot of her. T_T After suffering her whole life, she realizes none of it had any purpose. She's completely lost. And instead of holding on to the love Lu Zhuo is offering her, she's pushing it away. She wanted love from these mothers, and they hurt her so badly that now she's struggling to accept love from anyone.
(Okay but. Grandma Lu. Where you at? ETA?)
Lu Zhuo "resuscitating" our Wei Rao <3.
His unconditional validation: "No matter how many people try to persuade you, you have every right not to forgive. After all, they have suffered none of your agony, least of all do they have the right to tell you what to do."
Reigniting her fighting spirit.
Lu Zhuo: Then this title of Noble Lady Wu'an...Wei Rao: I will not yield it! This is something I fought and won myself. I won't give it up to anyone!Lu Zhuo: A female lord carries a thousand catties of responsibility on her shoulders. Countless people under your rule depend on your protection. You may feel anger, disappointment, or heavy sorrow, but you have only tonight to grieve. He shifts her from feeling like a victim of everyone else's betrayal to remembering who she is: a woman with power and agency.
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| His smirk the moment she said, "I won't give it up to anyone!" |
And now back to maternal coddling. The kind she never had. T_T
Wei Rao: What are you doing?*Gently patting her to sleep*Lu Zhuo: Coaxing you to sleep. When my biaomei (female cousin) was sick, that's how my mother coaxed her.Wei Rao: I'm not comfortable with this. Of course she isn't T_T. I also wonder if biaomei triggered something in her. It's definitely a foreshadow because biaomei becomes a (minor) sore point later.
Look at him manipulating comforting Wei Rao like a master. He validates the full spectrum of her pain: anger, betrayal, heartbreak. Her pain is real and justified. But he also gives her a deadline, because he knows she can't stay in that pain forever. Not everyone responds well to being told they have one night to grieve, but Lu Zhuo knows this woman. He's speaking to Wei Rao, our survivor. But he is definitely not forgetting the vulnerability beneath her armour: the little pats.
He lets her bleed for one night, so she can lead again tomorrow.
And then he goes and bleeds himself. Literally. He even specifically ordered sleeping medicine so Wei Rao can sleep the whole night while he kneels and gets whipped by Grandpa for neglecting his duties (for Wei Rao).
So why you divorcing him, WEI RAO! You love him back!
Is Wei Rao questioning whether she's the right woman for Lu Zhuo because everyone has, directly or indirectly, made her feel that way?
Or does Wei Rao see herself in Zhou Fu, who loved her father wholeheartedly every single day he was alive. Yet she moved on after his death. And now Wei Rao is looking at her own relationship with Lu Zhuo, wondering what her love will become.
Ultimately, Wei Rao loves Lu Zhuo, but I think she doesn't trust herself to be the woman who can love him without hurting him.
Grandma Zhou (Lady Shou'an) had said Wei Rao has the ruthlessness of Zhou Fu, but also the warmth of Wei Jin. Wei Rao may be afraid that she has inherited the dark part of her mother that hurts people, while perhaps underestimating the warmth she inherited from her father that she has the capacity to love and the worthiness to be loved.
Now Lu Zhuo needs resuscitation </3. This patient is suffering from acute divorce-induced hematemesis.
This episode airs on October 25, 2026, Yan An's 30th birthday. Tian Xi Wei is also an October baby.
And on his birthday,Yan An Lu Zhuo is divorced!! I'm crying and laughing at the tragicomedy in typing this, but watching the scene, my heart was aching! Their romance has made a place in my heart.
And on his birthday,
Grandma Zhou (Lord Shou'an) calls Wei Rao dumb, for giving up a man who genuinely loves her, unlike her mother who uses them to advance her own interests. Zhou Fu reminds me of Wei Ying Luo. But Wei Rao corrects her grandmother. Not 放棄, but 放生. 放棄 (fang qi) means to give up or abandon something. 放生 (fang sheng) means setting a living creature free. Wei Rao isn't saying she no longer wants Lu Zhuo. She doesn't believe she's capable of loving him the way he deserves. Because (at Jun Dai's grave,) Wei Rao said, “If a person has never been treated kindly, how can she understand what love is? And how can she be qualified to love someone else?” Wei Rao is speaking about herself. Rather than hold on to a man in she loves, she decides to set him free from her.
My love letter to Wei Rao.
Dear Wei Rao,Your concern for Lu Zhuo, your willingness to put his happiness before your own, that's love, too. You already know how to love. Look at how you still care for Hong Xian (and Bi Tao,) even Mother Qiao, (who treats you like a stranger! T_T). Their betrayal hasn't stopped you from caring.And that's why you're unlike your mother, Wei Rao. You still have room in your heart for people who have hurt you, yet you push away the man who loves you most. You think you're setting Lu Zhuo free because you don't deserve his love, when the truth is that he's the one person you love too
On October 24, Yan An posted Lu Zhuo's character "iOS" (= inner operating system) on Weibo:
It's so Lu Zhuo!! >_< He tells himself not to openly pine for Wei Rao and look more desperate than he is, but his iOS is crashing. I especially love the tear-streaked face soaking through the toilet paper lol.
…Lu Zhuo really can't stop himself from visiting Wei Rao…
…only to find these dogs salivating around her with even less no shame.
Han Liao has stripped down and is literally on all fours. And Qi Zhong Kai goes even lower (imo). He's not debasing himself quite as spectacularly, but he is Lu Zhuo's bro, and he's sniffing around his heartbroken friend's woman, trying to make himself a contender.
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| When Qi Zhong Kai turned his back on Lu Zhuo, his smile disappears. I honestly cannot tell if the actor forgot to keep smiling or if that was part of the act. |
And as if this doesn't stink already, here come two more shit-stirrers: Wei Chan, and Wei Shu (Chen Yi Han), the daughters of Aunt-in-law Guo Yu Feng and His Pukeship.
Lu Zhuo's step-by-step campaign to win Wei Rao back.
Then Lu Zhuo faints, later admitting it was a ploy to get Wei Rao worried about him. How much of it is an act when he's still injured is up to interpretation. But Wei Rao, usually so sharp, walks right into a(mother) trap and ends up locked in a room with Han Liao instead. Un/fortunate for Han Liao. Having the honour of being beaten up by husband and wife.
I love that Lu Zhuo is so confident Wei Rao will come visit that when she doesn't show up, he immediately knows something is wrong. So he forgets his medicine, gets out of bed to look for... his ex-wife beating the crap out of Han Liao.
Then Lu Zhuo expertly covers for his perpetrator-ex-wife:
“I have declared time and again: as a couple separated by mutual divorce, we no longer share any connection whatsoever.”∘ ∘ ∘ ( °ヮ° ) ?“Whatever the state of my injuries, it has absolutely nothing to do with Her Ladyship. You and I should be avoiding suspicion.”∘ ∘ ∘ ( °ヮ° ) ???“My driving you out is precisely to prevent everyone from misunderstanding, to keep them from saying Her Ladyship (His Lordship!!) remains hopelessly tied to her ex-husband, her lingering affection not yet extinguished.”.·°՞(≧ᗜ≦)՞°·.“The moral conduct of my Lu family is strict and rigorous. Even if Her Ladyship is consumed by endless regret and seeks a mirror mended back together, it must still wait until I report to my Grandmother (ofc it's the grandparent who's definitely on his side). How could we act in covert secrecy, exchanging private favours?”(¬‿¬ )“Do not blame me for disregarding past affection. This is a matter of my untarnished reputation and Her Ladyship’s honour, a choice forced upon me out of absolute necessity. I must ask Her Ladyship to conduct herself with self-respect.”.·°՞(༎ຶᗜ༎ຶ)՞°·.Hahaha.
Mostly, I love that Wei Rao stupidly falls for Lu Zhuo wincing in pain every single time. I think he's genuinely hurting, but he's also milking it just enough to keep her worried.
Competition's over, boys. Because Lu Zhuo has Wei Rao within his palms coughs. I'm liking the Weibo posts as well:
Tian Xi Wei: Shizi, how did you become the "rightful and legitimate one." Crosses arms
Yan An: Through continuous learning. Reads cat manual
Wei Raor! is back! Fierce. Love.
Wei Rao: Could it be that you never thought of being the Empress?
*Gasp* She's not just asking her mother to help take down the Empress. She's telling her, I'll make you the Empress. Her mother knows exactly where this is coming from and tries to rein her in.
Zhou Fu: She is merely a maidservant. If you like, I can bestow a hundred or a thousand of them upon you, but you must not put yourself in harm's way.Wei Rao: In everyone's eyes, she is merely a lowly maid. Yet it was she who stayed by my side through my most anxious and agonizing days. In my heart, she is closer to me than you – my own birth mother. Oof. The person her mother considers replaceable is more irreplaceable to Wei Rao than her own "mother." Truth.
Immediately. Wei Raor's schemes are already in motion. Her fight with Liu Shuo, her half-brother, is a show to get close to Prince Duan's mother, her sister Wei Shu's mother-in-law.
But her best partner in crime isn't her brother.
Qi Zhong Kai? Hell no. As Wei Rao said, he doesn't know her.
It's Lu Zhuo. And I must mention Lu Zhuo's expert-level ex-husbanding. How is he so consistent in getting Wei Rao back on her feet (e.g. Ep17). Ah, right. Because he knows her. He gives her a (few) night(s) to grieve, then gets her moving again, out to plow the field. And then, a cute little dog to be her companion. He knows when she needs a push and when she needs to be cared for <3.
It's Lu Zhuo. And I must mention Lu Zhuo's expert-level ex-husbanding. How is he so consistent in getting Wei Rao back on her feet (e.g. Ep17). Ah, right. Because he knows her. He gives her a (few) night(s) to grieve, then gets her moving again, out to plow the field. And then, a cute little dog to be her companion. He knows when she needs a push and when she needs to be cared for <3.
But the real reason Lu Zhuo belongs in this highlight: When everyone else (maybe except bro) warns Wei Raor not to go up against the Empress, Lu Zhuo gives her his full support. And that she doesn't have to do it alone.
Lu Zhuo: The things you desire, Qi Zhong Kai cannot help you acquire. After all [...] it is not yet his turn to take the helm. I am different. In all the world, I alone know what your heart truly wants, and I alone can lend you a helping hand.不要再猶豫不決了，你想要的一切我都有，你需要我就儘管來，我甘之如飴。Hesitate no longer. Everything you desire, I possess. *Whistles* Whenever you need me, simply come to me. I'd gladly bear the hardship, and do so with pure joy.
Lu Zhuo gives her space. Like 10cm from the 2cm. "Now it is your turn to choose."
Wei Rao: Do I even have a choice left? Right! You can't just tell a woman you know her heart better than anyone else, offer her everything she wants, promise to bear whatever hardship comes with it, and then push her away to let her "choose." LOOL <3
The contrast with Qi Zhong Kai makes it even better. Wei Rao returned all his jewelry (except the gold peony hairpin Lu Zhuo chose for her. The one she now stares at, remembering the marriage proposal he made just last night). So Qi Zhong Kai tries again with a fancier necklace. Wei Rao takes a (superficial) interest and Lu Zhuo promptly snatches it away. *Glares*
Lu Zhuo: Does Wei Rao look like such a shallow person? Haha. Yes! No, lol. But also yes. She did name her/their cute little dog Jin Zi (金子) = Gold.
Qi Zhong Kai is still trying to figure out what Wei Rao wants, while Lu Zhuo already knows, has her love, and gets to tease her about being shallow.
[Relationship progress: forced-kiss, mutual kiss, marriage proposal. (+ Revenge + Murder mystery)]
Wei Rao’s ultimate targets: the Empress and Han (Liao).
And she's playing on all fronts:
And she's playing on all fronts:
A) Her mother’s backcourtB) Her own backyardC) The Empress’s backcourtD) The Emperor’s court
1. Wei Rao is being neglected by her mother again. Except it’s all an act. Every part of it from the moment the Emperor was attacked. Except it’s all an act. Last episode, Liu Shuo’s shifty eyes already gave him away. Now we see that Zhou Fu is/was in on it too, all to fool the little spy planted by Consort Zheng. (For reference, Zheng’s title, 婕妤 jieyu, is two ranks below the Empress, while Zhou Fu’s 昭儀 zhaoyi is one rank below.)
2. Consort Zheng’s desire to sabotage Wei Rao and Zhou Fu becomes the very weakness our mother-daughter pair use against her. The evidence, a spy-maid’s testimony, is actually flimsy. But in the wider political landscape, with the Empress (+ Han family) and other consorts ready to exploit any misstep, Consort Zheng is vulnerable. But Wei Rao and Zhou Fu do not want an enemy in her (at the moment). They position themselves as her allies, with the goal of supporting Prince Duan’s claim to Crown Prince.
3. Liu Shuo. This bro’s entire life in the palace seems to be an act, lol. He can fight off bandits to protect his sister, but here he crumbles into a coward who needs his mother’s protection. Zhou family genes are all sly!! With Zhou Fu enjoying the Emperor’s favour, Liu Shuo plays the carefree, useless prince to avoid attracting unnecessary enemies (too early). I’m curious how Wei Rao and Zhou Fu plan to maintain this alliance with Consort Zheng. Is Zhou Fu genuinely content to remain the Emperor’s favoured concubine to keep her children safe, or has she been quietly lining up her own pieces long before Wei Rao came into the picture?
Ge Jin (maid), Han Liao’s spy, tries to pin embezzlement on Wei Rao. Except the scheme backfires spectacularly. The land belonged to Han Liao, as did the underground tunnel. So Wei Rao and Lu Zhuo plant armour from Han Liao’s own battalion, turning the accusation into evidence against Han Liao for secretly stockpiling weapons. Spectacularly backfired. This evidence is more substantial than his abs.
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| Are we done with the maid-mutder-mystery. |
Since Consort Zheng loves her superstitions, so why not turn that talent against the Empress instead? Enter the celestial spectacle: cranes supposedly paying homage at the Empress’s residence.
D) The Emperor’s court. Everything comes together here.
1) The consort alliance. Zhou Fu (and Wei Rao)’s advice to Consort Zheng was to keep quiet about her own son and let the Empress’s faction continue pushing the Emperor to name a Crown Prince. The Emperor isn’t in a hurry to decide, and the harder they push, the more annoyed he gets.
2) Wei Rao’s backyard discovery comes before the court, and Lu Zhuo turns it into a direct attack on Han Liao for the unjust he and his men suffered on the battlefield.
Lu Zhuo: May I ask, where would a loyal and virtuous minister acquire mountains of gold? How could a righteous and benevolent official embezzle from the common folk and feed off corrupt corvée taxes? Unloyal as a subject, un-benevolent as an official, Han Liao, you deserve ten thousand deaths!Han Liao: This is plainly the Lu family harbouring grudges to wreak vengeance and eliminate those who oppose them!
Two men yelling accusations at each other and giving the Emperor a headache. Who does he believe?
3) The heavenly endorsement. Prince Jin (Empress’s adopted son) arrives to report that the heavens have blessed Jiaofang Palace. Bad timing, bro. The Emperor is already irritated by the Empress’s faction pressuring him to appoint Prince Jin as Crown Prince. Then there's evidence against Han family for stockpiling armour. And now son, you're saying the heavens is endorsing you? Oh dear, lol.
Emperor: Is Heaven commending the Empress’s benevolence, or boasting about you...? Your Han family secretly stockpiled armour and forged an auspicious omen, all to prop you up as Crown Prince? Strip Prince Jin of his princely robes! Imprison him alongside the Marquis of Xiting and his son, Han Liao! The Empress shall be confined to Jiaofang Palace. Without an imperial decree, she shall not be released!
Neither the stockpiled armour nor the auspicious omen alone were enough. Together, however, they give the Emperor grounds to move against the Han family and the Empress. It also puts the Empress Dowager in a very awkward position if she wants to protect her niece (Empress).
Prince Jin: Imperial Father, your son is wronged! Indeed, lol.
Crown Prince (Duan) and Wei Shu
Wei Rao just helped pave the way for a monster to become the next Emperor, and now they have Hong Xian. Is it time for Wei Rao to ask Liu Shuo this time, lol. “Could it be that you never thought of becoming the next Emperor?”
While Wei Rao can outmanoeuvre an entire court, she struggles with one man: Lu Zhuo. She was supposed to honour her end of the bargain after they brought down their mutual enemies. Except she still hasn't gotten over her love problems, and now she's chickening out (so how do you have the right to chase chickens and chase them with Qi Zhong Kai. Excuse me. Why did I need that scene).
Lu Zhuo: It seems you were merely coaxing me with sweet lies. Her Ladyship speaks honeyed words with a dagger in her heart, acts double-faced, and breaks her word, even rushing to burn the bridge before you've fully crossed it.I, too, possess my dignity (really), and I will not pester and cling to you in a hundred different ways (REALLY LOL). Rest assured, I shall never bring this matter up again, nor do you need to avoid me as if I were a venomous snake or scorpion.Unless you come and beg me yourself, I will never bring up the past again.
Hopefully Duan Files will make her beg for his help. But wait. Why is Lu Zhuo barging in himself. Dignity!
DIG–
Who am I kidding, hahaha. He isn't going to let her wriggle out of the deal, but I actually want her to "beg." I want to see what that looks like lol.
[Ep24] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]
[Ep25] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]
[Ep26] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]
[Ep27] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]
[Ep28] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]
[Ep29] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]
[Ep30] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]
[Extra] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]
[Extra 2] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]
[Extra 3] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]
Remarks
[First Impression]
First few episodes, it took a bit, but Tian Xi Wei has won me over with her Wei Rao, especially by Ep5/6. She makes Wei Rao and Jun Dai distinct when they're so similar, and she can't be relying on makeup/clothing differences, nor can she play one as the nice one, because they both share a wicked streak. Wei Rao is cunning and seductive because she has to survive, with a conscience beneath all that wickedness. Jun Dai is cruel, reckless, and nowhere near as capable of the calculated scheming Wei Rao pulls off. Wei Rao's wickedness is weaponized to survive, rather than someone who's simply cruel by nature.
[Cast&Crew]
| ᴅɪʀᴇᴄᴛᴏʀ / sᴄʀᴇᴇɴᴡʀɪᴛᴇʀ / ᴏʀɪɢɪɴᴀʟ | ||
| 🎬 | Yang Long: | Ashes to Crown The Glory Sword and Fairy (1) My Little Happiness A Love So Beautiful (Shen Yue) |
| ✍️ | Zhou Mo: | The Story of Yan Xi Palace Glory Lucky Strike (Vertical) Perfect Match Legacy (Qin Lan) Royal Feast |
| 📕 | Xiao Jia Ren: | Be My Princess (Xu Zheng Xi) The Blooms of Ruyi Pavilion |
A glorious crew. It's the screenwriter of Glory meets the director of The Glory. But apart from the English title connection, there's no connection.
📕 嫁金釵 (Jià Jīn Chāi) means marrying a gold hairpin. It is adapted from a novel of the same title by Xiao Jia Ren 笑佳人 (= laughing beauty).
🎬 Yang Long was on an upswing after directing The Glory, then dropped big time with Ashes to Crown. At least visually, he's consistently making a statement.
✍️ Because screenwriter Zhou Mo is involved, I'm scanning the credits for Yu Zheng (Huanyu Film). Every drama Zhou Mo has written was for a Yu Zheng drama. Either there's a subsidiary company I'm missing here, or Zhou Mo has escaped the Yu Zheng Universe.
Yan An's first ML drama. Formerly a member of the K-pop group PENTAGON, he's been building his acting resume, mostly through Guo Jing Ming dramas. (And so, I'm also scanning the credits for a Guo Jing Ming connection.)
Filming wrapped on April 4, 2026. Post-production is getting faster and faster.
🎬 Yang Long was on an upswing after directing The Glory, then dropped big time with Ashes to Crown. At least visually, he's consistently making a statement.
✍️ Because screenwriter Zhou Mo is involved, I'm scanning the credits for Yu Zheng (Huanyu Film). Every drama Zhou Mo has written was for a Yu Zheng drama. Either there's a subsidiary company I'm missing here, or Zhou Mo has escaped the Yu Zheng Universe.
Yan An's first ML drama. Formerly a member of the K-pop group PENTAGON, he's been building his acting resume, mostly through Guo Jing Ming dramas. (And so, I'm also scanning the credits for a Guo Jing Ming connection.)
Filming wrapped on April 4, 2026. Post-production is getting faster and faster.
[A Highlight]
[Review & Rating]
Rating: /5
Recommendations
Preliminary recs are random / a peek at the list. These may be updated if drama is completed
| Powerful | "Reborn" | Big FLs |
|---|---|---|
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→ Go to October 2026 post
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