YanXi Palace [Episodes 31-34] Recap + Review

[@dramarecaps4217]

In memory of Gao: kzbin.info/www/bejne/epCYq4KEf8hop9k (I would have just stuck this at the end of the video as usual, but WWE wouldn’t let me lol)

[@han-gi-chan7630]

I could not view this😭😭

[@cheryl8069]

@@dramarecaps4217 omg u are hilarious! I love it!!

[@poetrysinitial572]

When it comes to Wei Yingluo, you can’t tell me that the emperors doesn’t remind you of the little boy in kindergarten who picks at the girl he likes and then gets mad when she doesn’t like him BECAUSE he picks on her😂

[@yourbootyholeisyourbeautyhole]

you beat me to it! that's _exactly_ how the emperor is acting.

[@aonline_abridged]

Indeed except he is an adult and has all the power, literally on both counts. If YL reciprocated then I would be more forgiving.

[@imogencrusader6306]

Poor man literally cannot conceive of a woman he likes not liking him back and it's kind of adorable xD

[@alison4398]

Honestly, from the beginning, as much as the Emperor annoys me, he's a genuinely interesting and deep character. I think the show has done a great job of establishing just how dedicated he is to the empire, how seriously he takes his responsibilities, and how, although he can have just about anything he wants, he controls and restricts himself. At least when it comes to things like sleep, food, trusted confidants, etc. When it comes to Yingluo... Really, I think if the Emperor thought he could get away with it, he probably would have just had the Empress and no harem at all. It's not that he wants his concubines to be miserable (at least I don't think so), but he just doesn't have the time and energy to exert any extra effort towards them. He loves the empress, he wants her to be happy and healthy. But when it comes to the other concubines, it's like they're just NPCs- they're there in his mind, but not really *there*. They have 0 impact on his day-to-day life, except to make it difficult. But it's a callousness that appears to come from detachment and prioritizing other things rather than just not caring whether they live, die, or have miserable lives. Which is another reason why I think he has so many conflicted emotions about Yingluo. Their belligerent sexual tension (more on his part than hers at this point), his confusion over how to handle it (completely the wrong way), and I suspect his guilt over feeling disloyal to the Empress (probably not quite as much since he could technically take any woman he wanted with 0 repercussions since that was the culture) just makes him feel so confused and uncertain when it comes to her, and that makes him angry. Unlike every other person in the Emperor's world, Yingluo cannot be put in any one box. And he really doesn't like that. That's my take at least. And finally... I will honestly miss Gao. She was amazing, and I loved watching her. In my opinion, she was the most gorgeous of the concubines. She and the Empress were like the "Beautiful Angel" and the "Sexy Devil" of the drama.

[@amnal3983]

Really insightful comment and that’s my impression of the emperor’s feelings towards the empress too

[@ElaineArcana]

I love this era of Xian. 💖 If only she could have just stayed in this moral gray space. The way she ripped Gao apart was chilling! I love Xian's adorable little smile and facial expressions when her enemies realize that they totally played themselves and Xian manipulated them with their own corruption. It's sooo satisfying. And agreed, ew at Chun. Another weird, unlikely, and unsatisfying plotline ... 😂

[@cheryl8069]

Xian's actress Charmaine Sheh had a similar scene around 2003-2004 in a Hong Kong harem chick-fight drama. This Chun - Gao scene here is so reminiscent of that one, i wonder if the Yanxi writers had that in mind. Sheh was Worthy Lady Chun who went into the room of her competitor and threatened her. Sheh also grabbed the other woman by the hair and looked into the mirror. She delivered a chilling performance. Sheh was stellar in that role. The character was brooding an hovering on depression, and suffered from asthma. In the hands of a lesser actress, the character would have been boring. But Sheh played her so well.

[@LittleClarinetPlayer]

Yuan and Yinglou difference is that Yinglou had people who loved her whereas Yuan didn’t. Imagine if she didn’t have her sister or the empress? She would have become just like Yuan. I love the reference about Xian saying even the precious flowers need *hit to grow. Chun is like… dude he said 4 words to you. What scared me the most is how she turns from crying to perfect stone cold smile. A monster is born from no love. Frankly, everyone here wants sincerity and love, but politics make it nearly impossible 😢

[@SolitaryBee-wd5wf]

Loved Yingluo's words about the restrictions women faced in traditional Chinese society. Gao's downfall was tragic but not unexpected once her enemies really started to come at her. One scene I wished was shown was when Gao, in a last and karmic 'fuck you' to her father and step mother, kills her step sisters.

[@Arianah192]

Wait did this happen? Did she kill her step sisters? That's cold and heartless towards them but a justified move towards her father.

[@cheryl8069]

Wait what? Did Gao kill her sisters? Yingluo was spot on in what she said about women.

[@TheTCMfan]

⁠@@Arianah192 idk the proof that Gao was behind maybe part of the cut scenes but all we r left with is in the beginning of ep 34 some maids saying after Gao died her sisters followed her in death..

[@SolitaryBee-wd5wf]

​@@Arianah192 Yes, it did happen. After Gao passed away, while not shown in the drama, it is reported that in either deleted scenes or the novel that her step sisters died suddenly from poisoning on Gao's orders. Probably both to ensure that they won't have Gao's mother reburied in a mass grave and as stated, as a giant 'fuck you' to her father, which could not have come at a worse time for him when he is soon after stripped of his post of governor general for his mismanagement of the floods happening in the southern parts of China and leaving his post to attend Gao's funeral without fixing those problems.

[@imogencrusader6306]

@@SolitaryBee-wd5wf Emperor really just tolerated him because of Gao and once he couldn't keep that control (and respecting Gao asked him not to take her half siters as concubines) he just cut him loose

[@sierrajohnson717]

Seeing a random clip on KZbin of Gaos accident and aftermath a year ago was what made me NEED to watch this show! It’s the most cruel assassination/ attack I’ve ever seen in any media ever. It’s worse than acid! At least acid wouldn’t give you sepsis! Wounded, blood poisoned, and disfigured- ALL AT ONCE. I fear these writers

[@alison4398]

You should watch it- these recaps are great, but they can't cover everything since it's just a recap, and the actual show is soooo good.

[@TheTCMfan]

As evil as she was Gao asking the emperor why he didnt love her she was so sad and pitiful. I love the emperor’s monologue because it shows he is human and has personal struggles not just as an ruler he is not blind to the fact that some of the women r sincere who do want sincere affection and even love back from him even if he can’t give it

[@andtheneverythingchangedwh5234]

I love the scene of Xian mounting her palanquin after just destroying Guo. She's such a savage and I love her for it.

[@盧璘壽로인수]

Notes: wip ?.1. the official name of "萬紫千紅" is *打樹花 (dashuhua lit. "beat/hit(ing) strap lichen/cartilage lichen* [genus Ramalina]") , basically the *poor man's version of a fireworks display with the main component is waste iron* (only the rich & the imperial family having the means to procure gunpowder with spectacular displays), and is *one of China's UNESCO intangible cultural heritage* , though it is currently endangered as the *remaining performers are all in the senior demographic* , perfectly summing up the interaction between the boy and his father [one such aging Dashuhua practitioner did perform the craft in "The Story of Yanxi Palace" ep. 32] ?.2. during the Dashuhua performance *Shushen recites a verse from "秋浦歌十七首 (Songs of Qiupu)"* , a collection of 17 couplets by Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai in honor of Qiupu, Anhui province. Li Bai records the Tang Dynasty predecessor of Dashuhua (itself a Ming Dynasty-era "invention" which is performed similarly *but the iron thrown against the fortress wall* ) in couplet 14: 爐火照天地，紅星亂紫煙 赧郎明月夜，歌曲動寒川 The furnace fires shine over heaven and earth The red stars conclude with a purple mist Flush-red laborers in the bright moonlit evening Their songs move and ripple the frigid river [my simple translation based on the Viki English subs and at least 2 English translators; 亂 in literary Chinese meant "conclude/finish/end", 郎 had a dated term variously meaning "people with occupations" or "poorfolk"] ?.3. not just a mistake tho, *Gao Ningxin did move close in all of her hubristic glory* ?.1. the euphemistic term for poop water was *"金水" (jinshui lit. "golden water")* ; and it's just as disgusting as "plum/apricot", referring to the royal/imperial poop ?.2. the implications of the poop water: *Gao Ningxin's wounds will remain infected, debridement or not, and she will đıę of septicemia* ?.3. when asked if she was the culprit, Shushen had the audacity to say basically "yes but actually no" and add *"[...] the culprit was actually merciful enough to spare your face."* ?.4. Shushen even digs in deeper much worse than Gao Ningxin did ?.4.1. *"Even the most beautiful of peonies need manure"* (remember ep. 1) ?.4.2. "What would the Emperor think every time he sees your black scarred back?" ?.1. Gao Ningxin refused to see her older brother Gao Hang (in this drama Ningxin's full-blooded brother, sharing the same mother) ?.2. Gao Ningxin's final performance ?.2.1. she performs the opera *"The Palace of Eternal Life (長生殿)"* , written by poet-playwright Hong Sheng (洪昇) during the early Qing Dynasty: about *Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty and his paramour Noble Consort Yang Yuhuan* ?.2.2. over the 50 or so acts of the opera, she performs "埋玉", the main scene being *Xuanzong's regretful imperial order of Yang Yuhuan's execution by strangulation* ?.2.3. you can watch an actual performance on YT, here's the URL code: *aVphhiMkONQ* . Gao Ningxin's performance is @23:51 to @25:09 (Zhilan is in the role of Yang Yuhuan's eunuch-in-waiting) ?.3. Qianlong describes Gao Ningxin's eulogy and then grants her the title of Imperial Noble Consort but no honorific title ?.1. after Gao Ningxin's death, there is a scene where Wei Ying'luo's fellow Sinjeku mates were discussing the fates of Gao Ningxin's step family ?.2. TIN: prior to her "swan song", Gao Ningxin sent a letter *ordering her two younger half-sisters Ningxiu (寧秀) & Ningxiang (寧香) be brought in to Chuxiugong Palace and were then fed poison-laced tea at the moment of arrival* ?.1. Qianlong moved out because he heard Wei Ying'luo slip, hence the "Is the annoying ghost gone away?" ?.2. the heartfelt conversation between Wei Ying'luo & Qianlong had inspiring quotes (will come back to this later) ?. Su Jinghao was actually writing *"春和" (chunhe)* , historically *Fuheng's courtesy name (字)*

[@imogencrusader6306]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who felt for Gao. I know she was evil, she had her vengeance coming, but it was still such a horrific way to go out and her character development had really started to get me. One of those villains who still isn't redeemable but you also totally get how they became how they are.

[@yzhang5944]

10:50 Fuheng's pen name was ChunHe (春和) so she was indeed writing Fuheng's name! Note that his Chun is the word for spring while her Chun is pure (纯)

[@MusicGirl881]

8:07 I remember watching this scene for the first time and burst out laughing cause I did not expect for him to still be there waiting for Yinglou to come out.

[@imogencrusader6306]

They are the petty otp xD

[@TeroTheShortOne]

I think the reason so many of the women get caught up on FuHeng is that along with being handsome, the ones who see him the most (Chun, ErQing, MingYu) see how kind and loving his relationship is with the Empress. The times being what they were, it's highly likely that a man with a good relationship like that with his sister would be kind and gentle with his wife/wives, and makes it more likely he would stand up to his family if they were cruel to her. That goes a LONG way. The connections, power, and wealth that come with that handsome face are the whipped cream and sprinkles on the FuHeng sundae. Chun I think was plotting so that he would be married to someone she was related to so there would be more reasons for him to come see her with his wifey.

[@Winter74575]

I agree with your analysis on the Fuheng Sundae situation here😅

[@dramarecaps4217]

That is a really really good point about his relationship with this sister! And overall he's a really emotionally open person. I know he gets a lot of flak for being 'stonefaced' but I don't totally agree. He's never embarrassed about crying or being open about his feelings... It's definitely hard to find in their world

[@charliesenkunn]

i love every time you use those voice effects😭 they’re so funny. also, we aren’t talking enough about Xian’s last conversation with Gao and how deep it was. Xian really knew how to literally terrify her by speaking of beauty and the importance of physical appearance. great recap as always!

[@dramarecaps4217]

Thank you! And yes, Xian tailors her evil villian speech perfectly for each victim lol, she knows just what to say to cut them to the bone 😭

[@IMP14914]

Was not expecting Gao to go out so soon! A true villain lost😢

[@Winter74575]

She was Never a true villain, most of her plans actually weren’t even her own ideas , remember Shu was the true plotter that kept falling, Gao was just rude and used her position to be violent to who was weak in power. Xian is a much stronger villain as she uses intelligence to plot and win whilst Gao acts without proper thoughts.

[@fatcat1399]

I love that dancing scene so much. It’s so well done.

[@anujkalra6145]

Honestly it was so satisfying to watch Gao’s downfall and to see Xian stand victorious over her, gloating!

[@qtunicorn2123]

I think the women in these dramas fall so hard for men that don't like them back because so much of their lives is decided for them by society, who they love is the only autonomy they have.

[@Winter74575]

It’s still happening today in real life, Rejection makes a person pines for the other more.strange but true,sadly.

[@moonstarstories1298]

Ugh, Chun's backstory is so frustrating! It's one of the few times where I genuinely have a problem with the drama tbh, not just the character. Because this is ridiculously non-sensical. Chun has been married to the emperor for about a decade and the reason she fell in love with Fuheng is because she saw him, literally just saw him. I get Fuheng is handsome and when you see him you could easily develop a crush, but holding on to said crush when you're married when the extent of your interactions with him is looking at him and pleasantries is just . . . what does Chun expect? She's a consort, it is physically impossible for her to be with Fuheng. And know feelings aren't rational, but is a surface-level crush based on seeing someone even worth holding onto after marriage and you know you can't be with them?

[@lakaperse6995]

Yes , Chun became super weird after that .

[@MLdverdecool]

Creo que más adelante nos explican que le hacen creer que su amor fue correspondido y ahí cae aquella fijación tan fuerte. Aún así, yo realmente creí que su cariño hacía la emperatriz era sincero :(

[@annisakamilah]

Exactly! And she confessed her feeling in front of dozens of maid and eunuch... Super weird and reckless. What if emperor found out? Sounds like disaster

[@cheryl8069]

This is one of the reasons why i don't like this series all that much. Consort Chun til now was shown to be so complex - extremely knowledgeable, skillfull, eloquent, reasonable, and mysteriously sinister leaving me wondering about her motives when she intervened with Yu's dead chef when Gao was trying to get the fifth prince killed. She had so much depth, her character had so much promise. But they just had to throw it away by tracing it to her childhood/tween or teenaged crush on Fu Heng? Come on..... Give the girl some credit. I was so much looking forward to her backstory and further development, and if she's bad, then i expected deft duplicity....but no.... she's an emotionally stunted woman. It is frustrating. I really love they styled Consort Chun in this series - she's beautiful and elegant. (The actress who played her in Ruyi's RLITP is very pretty but they styled her daily look to frumpy grandma style, she looked great when wearing ceremonial dress with the chaoguan on her head, so definitely could have looked better. Her character there is maternal and simple minded but she could still have looked more elegant. The historical Consort Chun's portrait shows a very beautiful woman, one of most beautiful in my opinion of all Qianlong's members' portraits.) Consort Chun was a Han girl whose family wasn't in the Manchu banner system until she was joining or joined the harem and she rose in the ranks and gave the Emperor multiple children. I thought this series, that had set her up as a brilliant woman, was going to develop her story but no.... they relegated her to a pretty girl with an unrequited crush. And she became a flat character after this. It is so frustrating. Did they invest so many ideas on Wei Yingluo, Hoifa Nara Su Shen, and Yuan Chunwang that they had none left for Consort Chun. This is such a shame 😢😢

[@alison4398]

I thought what they were trying to say was she'd been in love with him for years as a child. When they showed the flashbacks, Chun and Fuheng seemed to clearly know each other. There was no introduction or formal greeting- I took it as she had been infatuated with him from early childhood, through her friendship with the Empress, and it carried over to her marriage. Which makes more sense to me as to why she would be so upset. But I agree, I really started rolling my eyes when Chun joined the Fuheng Fanclub as well. Mingyu and Erqing, sure, they see him all the time, he's handsome, from a good family, etc. When Chun got thrown into the mix though... felt fairly forced. Makes for good drama though, so, what are you gonna do.

[@rockdocandlittlebird]

I LOVE this part with Xian. The mask comes down and she's not playing. I watch these sometimes with my spouseal unit, and I said "oh, watch, Xian plays the LONG game." He didn't get it until the very end. See, this is a bit of why I hate Erqing.

[@TeroTheShortOne]

Qianlong game. (Sorry😅)

[@rockdocandlittlebird]

@@TeroTheShortOne You win the internet.

[@Sirah1981]

I have to be fair to Chun a bit. She was originally an acquaintance/friend/playmate with Lady Fuca before both entered the palace. So she didn't suck up to Empress ~only~ in the palace for Fuheng, she sucked up to her way before palace times, which was how you'd do as an aristocratic Manchu girl, because the Fucas are a top family. THAT was Xian's mom's gripe, because her husband wouldn't suck up to superiors and her daughter didn't mingle with the more well-off young ladies.

[@dramarecaps4217]

Hmmmm... that's a good point about her motivations from the beginning, but I do think her motivations changed over time. Otherwise why would Chun so quickly stop visiting with/supporting the empress after her falling out with FH? The FuCha's are still a top family, RongYin is still the empress, the only change there was FH shutting her down

[@Sirah1981]

@@dramarecaps4217 Oh yes, her motivations changed, her former friendship is faded and overtaken by her hatred towards anything Fuca-named and as we learn when Chun goes nuts, she can be quite petulant and vidictive. Not in a "I'll have you in the end while looking like a picture of nobility, Gao"-way like Xian, but like, "F you and the prince you gave birth to and the Mingyu you cherished as well!"

[@phthalojohan]

Honestly at this point in the show, I was still “good on her” to Xian Gui Fei for her revenge.

[@Backtoalonica]

Yess lol turns out Chun was so interesting and mysterious all because of fuheng lol that was disappointing. I was expecting some deep story but it was just a delusional crush for fuheng. Everybody loves him and its getting funny

[@cheryl8069]

Yes this is one of the reasons why i don't like this series. They threw away Chun's character after a great start.

[@MLdverdecool]

Amo la conversación entre el emperador y Yingluo, podemos ver que él está muy ocupado y tenía una idea superficial de las mujeres en el palacio. Pero a podido escuchar y entender, realmente me gustó. Yingluo las entiende, vivir en el palacio no es simple ni tan gratificante, tampoco fuera de él, las mujeres viven en reglas sociales y no son libres en ningún momento realmente. Algo que la emperatriz le comentó antes, supongo que el realmente extrañaba conversar con alguien sobre sus preocupaciones.

[@Egggyyyyy]

Just finished my GCSEs exams today, can't to watch this series for 3 months on holiday!!!

[@dramarecaps4217]

Congratulations! Hope your hard work pays off 💪

[@bassantisamess4279]

Yess I was waiting for Xian and Gao showdown!! Do forgive my rants but I've got alot of thoughts to share

[@Winter74575]

I Feel like you’ve stolen all my thoughts from my head 🤣 I agree 💯 with everything you’ve said including Yuan and Yinglou and I personally never liked or trusted Chun from day 1, her smiling when she speaks is freaky to me 😅

[@bassantisamess4279]

@@Winter74575 omg yes her smiles too 😭😂 I knew disaster was brewing whenever she smirked 😂😂😂 glad I'm not the only one irked with Yuan Chunwang lmao

[@Winter74575]

@@bassantisamess4279 😂😂Do you remember the scene ( In the show’s future) when Yinglou did impersonations of the other consorts and the Step Empress? Well when she did Chun I almost died from laughter because she did the talking with that stiff smile and the crazy blinking eyes 🤣🤣. When Youn touched his lips when Yinglou said she would feed him soup if he got sick just like he did for her was when I really got weirded out about this dude calling himself Brother😏

[@bassantisamess4279]

@@Winter74575 HAHAHA I do!! She was spot on I love this scene even the way she imitated the Empress "Your majesty don't worry I will investigate" line was hilarious 😭😭 I kinda saw it when he started to force her to call him brother, even though I understand why he's so detached and evil and I love him as a villain but it didn't work with Yinglou, they aren't meant for the long term it didn't click with me lol

[@Winter74575]

@@bassantisamess4279 yessss 😂 “I will investigate “ omg hilarious.🤣 that scene is just Chef’s Kiss 💋 Brother is such a brilliant villain and his collaboration with Step Empress was so well done because he actually outplayed her brilliant. Nah I just wasn’t feeling him with our Yinglou most of the time especially because he’s so possessive and didn’t want her to thrive simply because of his own personal hatred towards, You know who. I hope you will be here in the following episodes so we don’t spoil too much 😂. I love this show, this is my fourth watch 🫣and I still find it satisfying especially these midway episodes 🌸

[@ik.-.]

Ok but Xian is such a girl boss ngl

[@dramarecaps4217]

I couldn't help but read this as coming from Annie and that cracked me up lol， one boss to another 😂

[@specialsmithchick]

Love your recaps. Loathe how all of them get hijacked by commercials.

[@dramarecaps4217]

Are there a ton? :( In all honesty I use AdBlock 24/7 so I never see them. KZbin took away the ability for creators to choose when/how many commercials to put in our videos late last year, which sucks so much

[@Monica-by4me]

Hahaha these twist villains suddenly put that crazy face it’s hilarious

[@aonline_abridged]

Y&Y all the way! I also love that friendship.

[@lolabigcups7121]

Eirqin split personality was the biggest surprise. Never saw her coming.

[@Winter74575]

Never trust the overly quiet ones 😂

[@LarissaFerreira-r8p]

Yaaaaaay, omg i live following the videos

[@ellie.starsky]

the wildest thing about xian is that she is still not faking it! she is as completely devoted to the emperor as she's been from the beginning, and spoiler alert that part of her won't change ever. she just changed her approach from being content with any crumb of goodwill from the emperor like a generous upright and modest person she wanted to be to actively seeking his attention and affection. after all, she doesn't really want power and favor for the sake of it, she is guilt-ridden after the downfall of her family and is now basically trying to do what she should have done earlier to be able to protect them and at the same time to get revenge on everyone who wronged them (or so she believes). what she is faking is that she is still the same selfless and moral shushen that she used to be.

[@Winter74575]

I disagree completely. Remember Shun is one of the original concubines from Hongli was still a prince, yet she doesn’t even try to understand him really. The moment she entered the game of power it’s been self serving. If she truly loved him, why encourage Chun to get pregnant for him when she wasn’t doing so herself? She’s quite happy to play him by pretending to be the most loving mother figure ever and that is only to push her own agenda.( The Empress is the mother of all the harem children even when they’re not biological) I don’t dispute that she didn’t love him but I think she knows that it’s one sided and she decided to start playing the game for revenge and you can’t win without ultimate power which can only bestowed upon her by The Emperor. You mentioned up to the end but in her words at the end proved that her motivation was actually driven by hatred because he failed to love her regardless of all she’s done, which again is a delusion as she did all those things for her own self benefits. I can’t say too much without spoilers so I’ll leave it here for now 😂

[@ellie.starsky]

@@Winter74575 i didn't say she really loved him as a person but she was always faithful to him as his spouse and his subject. she sees him more as an institution than a human being, yes, but she is a big fan of institutions

[@Winter74575]

@@ellie.starsky yes but all the consorts are loyal to the Emperor and they would be even more if they had been given the opportunity to become the head of the harem. I honestly don’t see her loyalty for anyone except for herself. Every time the emperor loses a consort it affects their families and it weakens the relationship between them and the emperor (Empire) and she is responsible for the lost of a few tbf so no I don’t see her loyalty to the Emperor and the empire he’s trying to maintain as she allows her own personal feelings to blind the reality of what and how the empire functions and keeps functioning successfully. Jealousy is a dangerous thing and Shun is very jealous, she just uses the others to do her dirty work.I do prefer this version of her than the portrayal of her in RRLITP 😅

[@Winter74575]

These 4 episodes are amongst some of my favourite episodes in the series. Loved the conversation between Yinglou and Emperor / Emperor to the Empress ( Himself). Gao’s exit was perfect and befitting of her character ( I thought it was very well written) I personally thought The storyline given to Chun is also done well as what happens in the future makes sense for the her arc. The scene where Yinglou told Yuan that she would feed him soup if he was sick and his reaction when she walked away is important as we now need to wonder if yuan sees her as his sister or if he’s having more of a intimate feeling towards her??? It could potentially become a problem as we can see some potential obsession brewing. Loved your review of these episodes and your attention to details, I can’t wait for the upcoming episodes. P.S.You mentioned in your previous reaction that this show appears light but has darkness underneath IT’s surface ( well I think that’s what you were saying) but yes, I agree, The characters here are not necessarily all evil nor are any( including) Yinglou all good and I love that, i also loved that you mentioned the Emperor’s backstory and emphasising with him as he’s quite complex but at least we can try to understand him and his actions better unlike other Emperors that are terrible with no real explanation as to why. ❤️☮️

[@kandicefranky3253]

I think Hong Yang is falling in love with Consort Xian. She's not the prettiest woman in the harem, but her being capable and confident makes her beautiful. This is the story of a Nara woman pushed too far. Her years in the harem have made her scheming almost spotless. Plus she knows her husband and the other women like the back of her hand. She's a dangerous, experienced enemy.

[@aonline_abridged]

YL/Fuheng has not 1, not 2, but 3 strong enemies, it is a wonder they even made it past this episode.

[@MiyuMotou]

I still think Erqing becoming a villian was kinda out of nowhere, or well, she hid it well

[@sierrajohnson717]

The second Mingyu chilled out, Erqing took over

[@MiyuMotou]

@@sierrajohnson717 Mingyu: I like Yingluo now!! ... Erqing: Now this is where I come in.

[@imogencrusader6306]

not much of a spoiler now so I'll say it. It's later revealed that Erqing has been quietly manipulating alot of things behind the scenes pretty much since YL came to work for the empress.

[@littleprettypatetic497]

I am very sorry for Gao's death.... But honestly, if all he wanted was to vindicate his mother, couldn't he have asked the emperor beforehand and saved himself the whole I'm-a-super-bad-bitch-with-the-harem act?

[@sheherezahade]

Your videos are amazing

[@Sorrow653]

Gao the remarkable clown~

[@cheryl8069]

@sireneyes10 the scene where Xian went to visit (for want of a better word) Gao in her chamber reminds me of this scene that Charmaine Sheh played in 2004 (from 17:45 of this clip kzbin.info/www/bejne/hovKpKl_hsuAiac) where she appeared in her enemy's room and gave her a piece of her mind and threatened her. That was one of the most powerful scenes in that series for me.

[@lunamoonspell1496]

It would have been better if Consort Chun was actually in love with empress.

[@dramarecaps4217]

Sounds like you need to get started writing this fanfic! :D

[@staceymac9016]

Something still bothering me…how did Consort Xian get burned by the same molten iron mixed with feces as Gao but her injuries aren’t progressing like Gao’s? I can suspend disbelief most times, but……shouldn’t she have the same infection?

[@dramarecaps4217]

Great point! I think it's just the sheer size of the burn. Gao's entire back was practically soldered off while Xian got a small splash on her upper shoulder. We've been able to deal with infection since before antibiotics... Not totally reliably but Xian certainly would have had a fighting chance if she followed the doctor's treatment. Or maybe I'm giving too much credit and it was just lazy writing lol

[@TheTCMfan]

9:37😂 same here

[@emberjoy6739]

*Warning: Thic comment has spoilers* If you do not want spoilers, pleae leave this comment alone *Cracks Knuckles* I feel so bad for the villagers. They have to suffer because Gao wants to impress. This isn't firecrackers or fireflies. This is molted metal fying in the air. No proper training and punished if they fail. Er Qing... I kind of feeling bad for her heart being crushed. However, you can't force love. And dirty tricks won't work and will make him hate you. And makes everyone else hate you. Gao... *Insters a bunch of insults and curse words*. I get you have family problems but your anger shouldn't be pointed at innocent lives. Consort Xian may be ruthless in this scene, but still. You had this coming. If not the citizens, then the consorts and concubines you provoked. Not to mention, refusing to take the medicine. That's the dumbest thing to do. However, her death was perfection and just as Gao wanted to go. One final preformance for nobody but herself. Her own sense of release. Chun... F*** you. All the kindest and loyalty for a man colder than a glacier?! Really? My god, that's so annoying. Why is everyone after this man? Why? There are literally hundreds upon thousands of guards; how is he a magic man? However, I woner... is it because of his good looks... or because his sister is the empress? Hmmm? Yingluos love for the empress is everything. It also explains her actions in the future. I just love how much she loved her. I have this type of relationhip with my mother.

[@Winter74575]

Fuheng is Hottt though 😂 Remember that Chun actually knew him before they entered the Palace as she use to visit The Empress ( before she was empress) at their home.

[@Backtoalonica]

Never liked Erqing not even when she seemed like a good girl lol but only gets worse. It’s like she has the personal challenge to make everyone hate her

[@LarissaFerreira-r8p]

Ahhh i will miss Gao and i cant blame Xian too. BUT I HATE ERQING, she is way too delulu

[@MiyuMotou]

This is more on the difference between the way Yingluo and Yuan Chunwang, have been treated in the palace, maybe is a way to say karma will be better for you depending on your motivation (?) Yingluo entered the place to avenge her sister, who was like her mother, maybe we can see this as a filial piety (?) Yuan Chunwang, spoiler... ... ... ... ... ... but he's bitter and his methods are more brutal what he wants is the power and status he was denied, meaning that what he wants is for himself. This is just speculation.

[@flowermagnolia4551]

Yuan chunwang definitely had it harder than yingluo. He had no one looking out for him whilst yinglou always at least had some protection. She was meant to glow whilst he was to remain in the shadows; unnoticed.

[@MiyuMotou]

@@flowermagnolia4551 ye, she had love, he didn't, it shows in the way they do things

[@charitywilliams5288]

🎉🎉🎉

[@TheTCMfan]

7:40 😢 Hua Fei kzbin.info/www/bejne/hXauaXt-gdqNepIfeature=shared

[@dramarecaps4217]

Oooooh LOVE this edit!

[@TheTCMfan]

@@dramarecaps4217 me too! When I found this year I was so excited this channel has some amazing edits I’m hoping for one dedicated to all the unloved consorts in future but we’ll see

[@honeybunchesofoats1006]

am I the only one who is super confused why Gao’s younger half sisters also died?? Like did they commit suicide too? I thought they hated each other?

[@dramarecaps4217]

I've seen a few comments saying Gao posioned them because she didn't want them replacing her, I can't totally confirm as I haven't read the novel yet 🧐

[@honeybunchesofoats1006]

@@dramarecaps4217 oooooo that would make sense!!

[@MaadiiM]

​@dramarecaps4217 you should read the novel and recap them to us too

[@observingreality7452]

Call me crazy but….Gao father knows about scheming. Why would he suggest this to his daughter? Doesn’t seem shady at all. 😅 *cough* (sarcasm)

[@missemma559]

🎉🎉🎉