u/dana_G9

You ever noticed that the Crown Princess’s nurse headdress has two curved tails at the back?

This little detail is actually a nod to 博鬢 (in Mandarin, ”bo bin”), a Song Dynasty headdress design reserved solely for 命婦冠服/ women with a conferred title, so think members of the royal family and others such as those who are married to very senior military figures… like a Marquis! More on that later ;)

https://preview.redd.it/xzlc47nr0ekh1.png?width=1184&format=png&auto=webp&s=747ce4e4b1a3971388245724cd5fe359408eab0d

Put differently, the bo bin/curved tails design is a sign of high status, and we actually see a full fledged version of it much later as part of Qianqian's empress look:

https://preview.redd.it/ibcav6kfzdkh1.png?width=1604&format=png&auto=webp&s=45e437f7be4228ef984d9bb512c959c372ecf001

Qianqian’s headdress and bo bin draws heavy inspiration from historical designs, such as the headdress worn by Empress Cao, the Second Empress of Emperor Renzhong.

https://preview.redd.it/hyttq2unzdkh1.png?width=537&format=png&auto=webp&s=ab6a10494093a66b44295f2fccf5ceeac7955fb8

Source: https://www.aihanfu.com/wen/3009/ (Chinese article with lots of historical details)

With that cultural understanding, the Crown Princess’s nurse headdress takes on more significance - it’s a hint at her status even when in disguise, which is also why that detail is missing from her maid/servant’s headdress.

https://preview.redd.it/tk1dppkwzdkh1.png?width=2328&format=png&auto=webp&s=c958087a644e30336d2454ea3e9d7d39ef927746

The rules around this headdress detail is also why, when Changyu appears as the Marchioness in Lin’an, you can see a similar curved tail bo bin as part of her headdress - it’s a design that she can now wear since she’s married to a Marquis :)

https://preview.redd.it/d82k0he20ekh1.jpg?width=1644&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d7164ce89552c26ce0f15e2a18c3205e52830732

Thus ends another little post about all the fun cultural details in this show.

Credit to 西陽靜兒 on XHS for pointing out this detail and its historical origins. Her post here has way more info about other characters but I just focussed on one small part and expanded it with my own research. It’s cool little details like these in PoJ that makes it so fun to rewatch. I’m learning loads about my own culture as I go. Thank you for joining me on this ride :)

Ok, ok... y'all know I love this show. But you know what bugs me a little? When Director Zeng breaks logic for aesthetics.

The one that people talk about the most is probably how in Lin'an paper windows are left open when it's snowing. Looks very romantic, but c'mon. It's winter in the northwest. It's a miracle people haven't died en masse from pneumonia!

And here's one from an otherwise nice scene when Xie Zheng and Changyu are sharing a kiss...

(Note: ball-shaped claypots are almost always used for brewing meds)

The Chinese in me: "!!!! OMGWTFBBQ that heat's on WAYYY too high on that 瓦煲 (clay pot)! It's killing the medicinal value of that brew!! Turn that down!! YOU'LL BURN YOUR MEDS!!!"

"But... look at the pretty puffs of vapour!" - Director Zeng, probably

/end rant

A lot of people have been recommending the novel and I promised a few of you I'd give an update once I got the chance to check it out. FWIW, I read the Chinese version so can't say how the English versions are like. Anyway, here are some thoughts from the first 10 chapters (up to ~episode 4 in the drama):

• Cold. The novel feels colder than the drama - both in terms of Xie Zheng's personality and Changyu's relationships with fellow Lin'an residents. eg. In the novel, the person who was responsible for making Changyu's wedding outfits wasn't Mrs. Chen but some random person, but it feels way cosier that Changyu has people like Mrs. Chen looking out for her who are a regular presence in the drama.
• On that note, I'm sad that the novel only had bit roles for so many characters we love in the drama!
• They changed the name of Lin'an town! Novel says 臨安 but the drama says 林安. Pronounciation is the same but the irony embedded in the original name got lost in the change, because 臨安 roughly means "peace cometh/a place where peace is about to descend" and of course, the irony is that a massacre happened there... ;'(
• There was funny line in the beginning that was so emblematic of the type of humour we see in the drama. On the state of the man she'd just saved: 治成什麽樣了，樊長玉不清楚，不過目前還沒斷氣就是了。 (loosely: "Changyu wasn't sure if the man had been healed (by Mr. Zhao) but at least he ain't dead for now.") It sounds funnier in Chinese (and also 'cos I'm not a professional translator so please bear with me) but it's the juxtaposition of something light/casual against a serious situation that makes it funny and I'm just so glad that the drama adopted this aspect of the novel and REALLY expanded it to the point it became a signature element of the drama.
• The novel seems to adhere more to the classic Chinese wuxia novel structure where the protagonists meet side characters and move right on, never meeting them again. It contributes to the colder feel of the novel, especially if you've experienced the cosiness of the drama first.
• The drama flows so much better based on the little I've read. eg. I couldn't believe that the novel skipped right over the actual moment of CY saving XZ in the snow!! That was such an amazing character building moment in the drama and told us a lot about Changyu and her motivations, etc. The novel also skipped over so many classic/signature moments in the drama (partly because in the novel XZ warms to CY a lot slower, which I guess is more realistic).
• The author had the sense to keep the windows in the bedrooms closed for invalids! THANK YOU!!
• Had an LOL moment when in the novel Xie Zheng thought: 天降大任於斯任也，必先苦其心志，勞其筋骨…… See, the line is in Classical Chinese so it's very refined and full of dignity, etc. (definitely not Changyu's vocabulary but very Xie Zheng), and the sentence loosely translates to "those who are destined for great things must first endure hardship and adversity of the mind and body". But... Xie Zheng applied this line to work up the courage to eat a bowl of large intestine noodles! Just funny what a big deal it was to him - especially because he'd been really enjoying the noodles until he learned that he was eating large intestines.
• So interesting that novel XZ did not use Classical Chinese when he first spoke to Changyu like he'd done in the drama! I'd written about the significance of the choice of Classical Chinese in that scene in this post but one thing I refrained from saying then was how odd/out of character it was for him to be doing that with the benefit of hindsight. It worked during a first viewing of PoJ and did build intrigue around this mysterious man, but once you realise that XZ's meant to have this vast intellect and is very savvy, the use of Classical Chinese here feels odd because he's not figured out where he is and using such a specific type of speech would give away his unusual station very quickly. I kind of expect him, even if woozy from a near death experience, to have the instinct to to lie low and talk like a normal person instead of like the highborn that he is.

Overall, just based on the first 10 chapters I by far prefer the drama just because it elevated the story in so many beautiful and funny ways, so I'll probably just pick out some key scenes in the novel to read but that's about all I can do at the moment.

Let's compare notes! Of those who've read the novel, which did you prefer: the novel or the drama? What were your favourite bits from the novel that they sadly didn't include in the drama?

Let’s talk about Jin Ye (aka Jin Yuanbao) today! I love this character and how he evolved as a person throughout the show.

One of PoJ’s strengths is that the side characters are vividly drawn out - we see that they have their own inner worlds, desires, fears, etc. and the characters’ actions and reactions to events bear a consistent logic throughout. For me, Jin Ye is a prime example.

When we meet him for the very first time, he seems to just be some bog standard ruffian. The second time we meet him is when he and his squad returns to Changyu’s home to search for the house deed and Yan Zheng confronts them. That’s when you see he’s a bit more than just “ruffian”. When he threatened to break Yan Zheng’s good leg, the way YZ placidly replied was not lost on him. As early as this very moment, you see he’s different from his crew. When the rest were busy jeering at YZ, Jin Yuanbao’s eyes narrow, and moments later he smartly declines YZ’s challenge, clocking that there’s more to YZ than meets the eye and it’s best not to mess with him.

Later, during the fake Marquis scene, we see that Jin Ye is yet again ahead of his crew and in fact is the only person smart enough to figure out something is amiss. When everyone’s busy pleading with “the Marquis”, Jin Ye is the only one who casts not one but two suspicious looks at Yan Zheng. He’s the only one there who realises amidst the confusion that it’s really strange for YZ to be speaking so authoritatively to the Marquis:

https://i.redd.it/qzin1uol57jh1.gif

In fact, he’s sharp enough in his observations throughout the show that I get the sense he’s basically one of those smart kids who got bored because they were understimulated in school/life, and developed a habit of being lazy precisely because they were smart enough to get stuff done without putting in much effort then eventually got mixed in with the wrong crowds and doing unethical but highpaying work. Which is how we found him when we first met him.

You also have to feel for him, because it’s clear that he catches feelings for Changyu. After Changyu was reunited with Yan Zheng at the army camp, Jin Ye was listless - to the point where the monetary rewards the butcher squad just received didn’t give him an ounce of pleasure.

He’s evolved, and you realise that he’d been lowkey harbouring hopes of a happier outcome between himself and Changyu. But equally, he seems sufficiently self-aware to know deep down that she’s out of his league and so he keeps his feelings to himself. Jin Ye’s actor 李殿尊 (Li Dianzun) conveys all of this to us with his acting, and I love him for bringing Jin Ye to life.

And even when he realises that his feelings for her will always be unrequited, he remains loyal to Changyu and continues to fulfill his role as a protector as well as he can. And last but not least, we have him to thank for the paper window kiss. If he hadn’t insisted on toasting Changyu, Xie Zheng wouldn’t have felt compelled to drink on her behalf and then drag her away.

All in all, he’s a great character in my book - someone who's complex and intelligent... who also plays accidental cupid. ;)

What did you guys think of Jin Yuanbao as a character?

Here's something I never understood and I'm curious how others are interpreting it. In the Big Reveal scene where Xie Zheng gallops onto the battlefield and whisks Changyu away, the butcher squad watches them from afar and Mandi mutters 「完了……」 - literally "(something/someone is) finished/done for"; figuratively "oh crap".

The Netflix English subs translated it to "oh no". The Japanese subs say ヤバい, which in this situation translates to "oh crap" or "damn". But what was Mandi referring to exactly? I know he was shocked by the revelation, but the comment didn't quite make sense to me. So how did you all interpret his comment? What was he referring to in that moment?

A very minor observation but it did make me wonder about a broader point. For Chinese speakers, this next bit is obvious, but I never really know what the experience is like for others when watching this show. For instance, is it clear to those watching with English subs that within Xie Zheng’s Blood Cavalry, there’s a pattern to the names of the generals? Someone please tell me, because there’s actually a ranking in place.

Xie Wu literally means “Xie Five”, Xie Qi = Xie Seven, and Xie Jiu = Xie Nine.

And when Xie Zheng was in Lin’an, he mentioned to Xie Wu and Xie Qi that Xie Yi and Xie San had sacrificed their lives to help him escape during the ambush.

Xie Yi = Xie One

Xie San = Xie Three

In other words, when Xie Zheng was ambushed at the start and lost Xie Yi and Xie San, he wasn’t just mourning the loss of some of his Blood Cavalry but specifically the two most senior ranking soldiers he had, the ones he’d worked with most closely.

By extension, we see Xie Wu being Xie Zheng’s right hand man in the show only because he was promoted to it following the death of Xie Yi (presumably the most senior ranking of the Blood Cavalry). This could potentially also explain why Xie Wu sometimes makes these hilarious gaffes and says things before his brain fully processes them - he’s new to this role and didn’t actually have that much face time with his boss previously. (At least, that’s how I choose to interpret it)

And the broader point being: Sometimes I wonder about how the PoJ viewing experience differs between people depending on the language we experience it in. There’re definitely notable differences between the Chinese and English version. eg. in episode 1, when Xie Zheng wakes and first meets Changyu, according to the English subs he asks “where am I?” but in the original dialogue he actually says 「此乃何地」, which is a very elevated/elegant way of asking “where is this place?”

The minute you hear this as a Chinese speaker you understand one thing: this guy’s a highborn. Or, at the least, very well educated. Commoners don’t talk like that. Then when Changyu asks for his name he replies 「在下言正」. Though the subtitles translates this to “My name is Yan Zheng” the original line is actually a very respectful and educated way of introducing one self, something you’re more likely to hear in a palace. Suspicion confirmed: this guy ain’t no ordinary Joe. All this adds intrigue to his character but the implication is lost in translation because there’s no full English equivalent of what he actually said. There are loads of these little instances in the show that reveal a lot about the characters and their relationship to each other, etc.

There’s also a Thai dubbing and I’m sure the translators would’ve had to take a few creative liberties when translating, just like when they were coming up with the English subs. In doing so, did they create notable differences in interpretation of various scenes? How does that affect the story we understand? In short, I do sometimes wonder if we’re all getting slightly different stories because of linguistic differences.

The day of the wedding, Xie Zheng’s falcon delivers a small tube of medicine to him. This is what he was about to apply on himself later that evening when Fan Changyu walks in on him. You ever wondered why he seemed so terse when she arrived unannounced?

It’s because the medicine in question is 金瘡藥 (Jin Chuang Yao), which has a trademark red tint due to a herb (血竭/ Calamus draco) used in its formulation. Shown in the PoJ here.

https://preview.redd.it/sizg8vk02fhh1.jpg?width=2340&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4943741ba9116eeac823356346f483d64e5ea0d1

Jin Chuang Yao is highly effective for stemming bleeding and healing sword wounds but it was also very expensive back in the day due to its ingredients (eg. ground fossil bone). And though it was to a degree available to civilians it was primarily used amongst the military. That’s why XZ was on guard the second FCY walked in - he was still holding the medicine in its original bottle, which had the medicine label on it. If she saw him with it (expensive and hard to procure!) his lie about working as armed escort wouldn't hold and it would likely invite questions he didn’t want.

And that is why he only let her in after he disguised his medicine in the original medicine bottle.

P.S. Today, Jin Chuang Yao in its original formulation is no longer made in China, because about a century ago, they realised that a key ingredient in the medicine is... oracle bones - the very thing that carries the earliest forms of written Chinese (3,000+ years ago!) and so are an essential piece of cultural history. Once oracle bones were listed as a national treasure, they could no longer be used for medicinal purposes. And so, the true formulation of Jin Chuang Yao exists now only in historical memory - and in period dramas like PoJ.

P.P.S. Credit to 只在雪雲西 for highlighting the significance of Jin Chuang Yao in this scene. BTW her scene by scene analysis of PoJ on XHS is fantastic so to those who read Chinese - would highly recommend going through her whole PoJ series if you’ve not done so already. Her analysis on their parting scene in Lin'an was so wonderful it made my heart ache. I’ve linked to her essay series above.

What are your favourite little details from the show that add to your understanding of the characters?

Source

Saw this a while back but only just thought to share. The breakdown/additional "lines" are fabulous. I almost died laughing. And perhaps unusually, both the Chinese and English subs for it are decent (at least, the English subs are a reasonably good translation of the Chinese original). It made an already hilarious scene even funnier.

When did you fall in love with PoJ as a show or decide it was awesome? For me it was this moment when Mr. Zhao chided Fan Changyu for trying to give a donkey’s dosage of meds to a dying man.

The humour is the heart of the show for me, and this was such a classic moment of what the show does so well: slipping in a random bit of hilarity in an otherwise solemn moment. The delivery of that line was so perfect that you could feel so many things at once: Mr. Zhao’s urgency and exasperation (you could just see him thinking ”how is it that I have to tell you that the dosage for a donkey and a man isn’t be the same?”) but also the way he said it conveyed warmth, like he was chiding a dear daughter and he couldn’t believe her naivety.

Conveniently, the scene also told us something about FCY - that as capable as she is, she can also be a bit of an airhead, which makes it a bit more believable later in the show when she spends so long in the dark about Yan Zheng’s true identity (or at least, suspect that he’s someone rather important, especially given all the signs at the army camp).

But yes, I just loved this moment. It made me laugh out loud, feel the warmth between characters and also how vivid the side characters were (definitely a key strength of the show for me) and was just a very random, ridiculous moment in an otherwise serious situation. Mr. Zhao is also one of my fave side characters in general. He’s just so lovable and brought warmth to all his scenes. Amazing performance.

If Fan Changyu’s rise from a civilian to a general sounds too unlikely to be true, you need to be introduced to the real life female general who, according to PoJ’s author, was the inspiration for FCY’s character.

When reading up on her incredible life, I found myself deeply moved by her courage, integrity, and loyalty over a long and stellar military career. But I haven’t seen any mention of her here so I’d really like to talk about this legendary general today because there are a TON of hidden parallels within PoJ.

The real life/historical figure that served as the inspiration for FCY is 秦良玉 (Qin Liangyu). Yes, the 玉 (yu, meaning "jade") in her name is the exact same character in "Fan Changyu". But the similarity in their names is just the tip of the iceberg.

Qin lived during the late Ming Dynasty, about 400 years ago. Just like our Fan Changyu, she lived during a time in Chinese history where there was much political upheaval, when warring factions tried to wrest power.

Qin’s family were Miao people, an ethnic minority group with strong warrior and martial arts traditions. Though she was born into an era when a woman’s roles were clearly defined and tied to the home, and being subservient to the husband was considered a great virtue, Qin’s father was unusually progressive.

He raised her as he raised her brothers: teaching them all to read and write so they were literate and educated. He also taught them horse riding, archery, and military strategy, all of which were deeply unusual for a girl of that time.

In PoJ, FCY’s unusual strength was probably inspired by Qin, who was said to be incredibly strong herself. One indicative incident from her youth: once, as a child, Qin had gone to gather firewood in the mountains with her older brother. On the way home, her brother slipped and nearly fell off the cliff. He was only saved because 12-year-old Qin managed to grab him in time, her other hand grabbing a rock crevice to keep them both from falling.

Then, the young girl managed to haul her brother, who was reportedly over 20 lbs heavier than herself, back to safety. When their father learned of the incident, he was reported to have said that the girl would leave her mark in the future, and thereafter became particularly strict with her training as he believed in her potential.

Before we get to her military career, we need to introduce one other key person: Qin’s husband. The story of how they met is a fun one. As Qin grew and came of age, her reputation as a strong and skilled fighter spread, so much so that one day, a man by the name of Ma Qiancheng comes asking for her hand in marriage.

Qin’s father says he’d grant Ma permission to marry his daughter on the condition that he was able to defeat his daughter in a fight. On the day the two met for this, Ma showed up with a long spear and Qin showed up with two swords. At this point in my research, I had to stop and laugh. Don’t we know a girl in PoJ who fights with two swords and also some dude who fights with a long spear? ;)

https://preview.redd.it/g0n5ze3fhneh1.png?width=2066&format=png&auto=webp&s=30aa55aaeeb85d5427a46a2d86033edf5a496fa1

Qin and Ma then fought for over 30+ rounds as it was difficult to tell who truly had the upper hand. In the end, it was Ma who conceded defeat, telling Qin: 秦姑娘武藝超群，千乘甘拜下風，願以一生真心相待。The last part of that sentence is a bit tricky to translate as the original form is simple yet poetic, but it's essentially a marriage proposal and a promise to love Qin wholeheartedly all his life. And whilst Xie Zheng didn't use the same words during his proposal to FCY in the army camp, that proposal bore the same DNA of Ma's proposal to Qin.

Once wedded, Qin didn't just “retire” into domestic life though she did give birth to a son, Ma Xianglin (who joined his mother in army training from a young age and was quite a badass himself). She then raised an army called 白杆兵 (”the White Pole/Spear Army”), who would go on to become one of the most well known armies in Chinese history.

How was a woman able to raise an army? Well, the army was initially raised through local community ties and a network of kinship, and not via formal conscription. Her husband’s official role as a pacification commissioner also lent legitimacy to the army, though responsibility for training the army was reportedly split between Ma and Qin herself.

And here, another Easter egg in PoJ… one of the things that the White Spear Army was famous for was the use of a unique spear designed by Qin herself, bearing a hook and a ring, that was engineered specifically for battle in Sichuan’s mountainous terrain.

Though no authentic spear survives to this day, it was said to have:

• a long, narrow spearhead,
• a hook or blade near the head,
• a ring or cap at the end, and
• measuring 2.7 to 3.5 metres in length.

If that sounds familiar to you, it’s probably because you’ve seen a very similar spear in PoJ. Though many characters in the show use a spear to fight, only one character's spear echoes the historical White Spear in design: Xie Zheng's.

A dramatised version of the White Spear

Xie Zheng even uses the spear in the way it was used historically, using the hook to drag one Sui Yuan Qing down from his horse. I thought it was a cool touch, a way of imbuing the drama with a realistic, historical element.

The moment the spear hooks onto Sui Yuan Qing before he's dragged down from his horse

Coming back to Qin, her legend perhaps grew the most after tragedy struck. When Qin was 39, her beloved husband was framed by palace officials and arrested, ultimately dying in prison before his name was cleared. Following his death, Qin resolved to continue to fight on his behalf, and led her White Spear Army through many legendary battles, where they were able to secure victories against some of the most formidable millitary forces of their time. In PoJ, there was the obvious parallel: FCY taking to the battlefield in her husband's stead.

Another possible PoJ Easter egg: prior to each battle, Qin was said to have a habit of giving a red piece of string to her soldiers as a symbol of a safe return (red, presumably because it’s an auspicious colour). This did make me wonder if FCY’s styling as a general was influenced by this lore associated with Qin.

https://preview.redd.it/eliwo8c8gneh1.jpg?width=1780&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=723e67c93999b887da0e862d76025c92fa3bbca5

Also notable was the tremendous respect and loyalty Qin had garnered amongst her soldiers, with some reported to have died in battle saying: 秦奶奶，來世還當您的兵。 ("In my next life, I'll still be your soldier.")

Though Qin’s army had scored many victories over the course of 40+ years, one particular loss is notable. This happened towards the end of the Ming Dynasty, when the Manchurians (who would go on to found the Qing Dynasty) gained strength.

In the Battle of Hun He, Qin’s older brother was killed in action and a younger brother lost an arm. The toll of that battle was significant for Qin, but after grieving for a full night, she defiantly declared, “I may have lost a brother and another lies gravely injured, but so long as I’m alive, the banner of the White Spear Army will fly!”

And so her military career continued through the years. According to historical records, which carry far more weight than lore, Qin led her army (by now numbering 30,000+ soldiers) into battle well into her 50s and 60s, waging successful campaigns right through her sunset years until she finally retired from the front lines at age 70.

Such were her accomplishments over an astounding 45 years in the military that she was eventually awarded one of the highest ranks in the land: 從一品 (senior 1st ranked official). Even the Emperor personally composed a poem for Qin - an extraordinarily rare act of honour and a reflection of her importance to the kingdom. Worth noting because in PoJ, we get a similar scene, where the Emperor personally writes a few lines as a compliment to FCY.

https://preview.redd.it/ozmmxcv1cneh1.png?width=1326&format=png&auto=webp&s=449b50d4729edba88ad30930a523db8bab65060c

Qin lived right through the final days of the Ming Dynasty, and was eventually annointed Marquess/Marchioness. And though the winds of fortune changed, bringing with it the dawn of the Qing Dynasty, she never wavered in her loyalty and served the Ming dynasty to the end.

It is said that when Qin died at age 75, there was a tremendous outpouring of grief and word spread that 48 tombs had been built for Qin in an effort to throw off grave robbers from finding her real tomb. But this piece of lore is unlikely to be true, because Qin died during a time of great turmoil. It is very unlikely that there were enough resources to build four dozen tombs, but the sentiment behind the lore was likely true: that the people were anxious to protect the final resting place of an important and beloved commander.

Today, her main tomb and at least two others tomb still stand, nestled in the forests of Sichuan.

https://preview.redd.it/v6yp9sw6bneh1.png?width=1728&format=png&auto=webp&s=e7290745a1863fdef779bc68b9e979319e807944

Throughout China’s long history, the names of the most influential female figures of every dynasty are recorded in a document called 列女傳 ("Biographies of Exemplary Women”). But if you were to look through this document today, you would not find Qin’s name there.

For there is another document: 正史 (”the Official Histories”), a massive document spanning 24 volumes and 3,000 years of Chinese history, meticulously compiled by each successive dynasty to serve as a continuous and authoritative ledger of the heroes that lived.

This is the document where the most, most important figures in Chinese history are recorded. As you could guess, records of such people are almost all men, and the mentions of women are exceptionally rare.

Yet, this is exactly where you will find the record of Qin Liangyu, the only female name in the section for generals and ministers across the entire ledger of the Official Histories spanning 3,000 years.

Qin Liangyu was, in short, a woman who defied convention and shattered the glass ceiling that had held many women back during a particularly patriarchal time in China, and one could devote far more words to talking about her incredible life. But perhaps it is enough to know that FCY was not created from pure imagination, but inspired by history, and that such a woman had lived, had fought, and was - without reservation - legendary.

Currently working on a big post but it's a deep dive on a key character and has to do with history so it's taking longer than I expected to finish. In the meantime, let's talk villains!

Who was your favourite? Sui Yuan Qing gets my vote. He really gave off villain vibes: unstable, cruel, bloodthirsty, ruthless, mad, and manipulative. He was wreckless and stupid at times, but also knew how to twist the knife into people's hearts and say the most heartbreaking things. Every time he was on screen he absolutely stole the limelight for me.

Kudos to the actor (Lin Muran) for such an excellent portrayal. And to think he was only 19yo when he filmed PoJ!!

Who was your favourite villain?

It's just a humble 1 Series, but I think that's perfect for a first car. Especially happy with the colour - it looks so dark it's almost black in certain lighting, but green or blue in others.

After the Lin'an arc, Changyu bumps into Jin ye and his squad whilst she's in prison. But how did the latter even end up in prison (as prisoners) in the first place? Weren't they drafted into the army?

Was that ever explained? I know the show needed her to reunite with them for plot purposes but that part doesn’t make sense to me. Did I miss something?

Let me just put it out there: I LOVE LOVE LOVE this scene. Yes, it’s a really short scene and there’s hardly any dialogue in it. But it’s easily one of my absolute favourites in this show (which is saying a lot as there are loads of contenders). I just wanted to take a moment to breakdown the scene and discuss why it works so well.

First, the scene works because of all the scenes that came before it - all the teasers we got where Changyu almost finds out the truth about Yan Zheng helped build towards this climax. eg. The scene where they were reaching out towards each other’s silhouettes, and when they finally meet at camp amidst the group of injured soldiers, and when the Crown Princess gets introduced to CY’s husband, and of course there’s the fake Marquis scene, and the bit where XZ forgets that he’s supposed to just be YZ and talks about rewarding someone who’d saved CY’s life (his own tutor LOL), etc.

Any of thoses instances could’ve been when the truth was accidentally discovered, and those near-misses add so much tension to the whole situation. ‘Cos we all know: the longer Xie Zheng tries to hide the truth, the wilder it’ll be when the truth can no longer be contained.

Also, all these scenes implicitly pose one question: HOW exactly will CY find out? That question alone is a big teaser and plays prominently in the audience’s mind.

And that brings us to… the scene right before CY goes into battle. I dunno if I’m thick or what, but I didn't anticipate her plan to drug him at all. It all seemed so natural, because in the lead up to it, she’d already been giving him bowls of soup/tonic/medicine etc., and this bowl of medicine didn’t seem out of the ordinary.

It was only when she gave him all these anxious looks as he was drinking that I finally clocked that something was up. If this was the average viewer’s experience, then the director did a great job withholding this revelation from people right until XZ himself realises the problem.

And this moment of “OMG she did not!!” is laced with so much conflict and drama: she’s doing it because she loves him, she’s doing it because she still thinks YZ is a nobody in the army but… SHE JUST INCAPACITATED THE MOST IMPORTANT GUY IN THE ARMY RIGHT BEFORE A BIG BATTLE!! The stakes are now sky high and we have no idea how badly she has messed things up for everyone.

Then we get the battle scene, where she takes down Shi Hu. Hurrah! But wait! It’s not over yet because THIS is the moment they choose for the reveal and the execution is sublime.

You hear him before you see him: there’s a thundering of hooves and soldiers cheering that the Marquis is here at last. Cue JJ Lin’s gorgeous song (which takes this scene to another level), and now from CY’s perspective: through the smoke we see the calvary arrive. She’s already on the verge of fainting from relief and shock of her first battle, but she makes an effort to stand, to take a better look at the famed Marquis, because there's something familiar about him that pulls her to her feet.

Now imagine her getting an even bigger shock as she finally learns the truth: that the person they call the Marquis is also the person she calls “husband”. One is in full battle regalia, a legend in the flesh, flanked by soldiers and radiating power, whilst the other (in her mind’s eye) cuts a gentle, frail figure in plain white robes (when they first meet properly, after he woke in Lin An). The contrast could not be bigger.

From the audience's perspective, it's also this huge contrast that makes this scene so satisfying. CY could not have learned the truth in a more dramatic fashion.

And of course: there’re the complications. CY isn’t the only one who’s angry here. Xie Zheng is rightfully pissed because, well, he just got drugged by someone he trusted and it could’ve gone very badly for the whole army because of that one rash act. And you see this in his face as he scoops up CY when she tries to flee.

But for the audience, the moment is beautiful and glorious because it’s so rich with contradicting emotions. I imagine he’s pissed, relieved (that she's safe and that he doesn't have to hide the truth anymore) and simultaneously knows that he’s in deep shit with the missus. And she’s a mixture of anger, heartbreak, disbelief, hurt, and more anger - and rightfully so.

I love that all this is conveyed through subtext, making dialogue completely unnecessary. We can imagine what they’re feeling because the scenes prior did all the heavylifting, and the lack of dialogue here is all the more powerful because we’re left to our imagination, to absorb the weight and complexity of this moment in our own, private ways.

The best directors know that silence can tell a dramatic story, and Director Zeng here is no exception.

What did you guys think of this scene? What were your favourite elements/directorial decisions?

PoJ likes to throw in foreshadowing/half hints at the true nature/fate of certain characters and some scenes are more interesting on a rewatch, like this one. Changyu’s tutor (陶太傅/Grand Tutor Tao is examining Changning’s face as he knows physiognomy. He then declares:

>這丫頭往後的命格是太富貴了 壓不住啊
(Roughly translates to: ”This kid’s fate later on is going to be of incredible wealth and status. Irrepressible!”)

By the end of the show, what do we know? Changning is on her way to becoming arguably THE most well connected character in the show: her sister is a legendary general, her brother-in-law is a Marquis and served as Prince Regent.

And most importantly, let’s not forget what Grand Tutor Tao said in this same scene. He tells CY that it’s destiny that she would be Changning's protector, and reminds CY:

>她及笄前你一定要把她帶在身邊就是了
(”Before she comes of age, you must keep her by your side.”)

Why? Because when Changning comes of age, she goes on to marry Bao’er and will become the Imperial Consort, thus fulfilling her destiny of incredible wealth and status.

Like I said, some scenes have an extra kick on a rewatch.

Let’s talk about the bathtub scene today! A lot of people have probably noticed that XZ and CY are dressed in black and white here and this overhead shot of the swirling motion looks a lot like a yin and yang symbol. Cool. But beyond that, there’s something interesting going on with the shape of the bathtub. It’s octagonal, which, as bathtubs go, is an unusual shape.

But when you couple it with the yin & yang symbolism here, it’s almost certainly intentional. See, something else in Chinese culture is often octagonal in shape and carries quite a bit of cultural weight: the luopan (羅盤).

The luopan is a geomantic compass often used in fengshui practice and is essentially designed to be a map of the universe itself. Yin and yang is just one of about 5 concepts integrated into the luopan. It also symbolises the connection between heaven and earth and a concept we call 順天應人 in Chinese. This phrase essentially represents the foundational idea that people thrive best when we align our actions with natural/cosmic forces, rather than imposing our own will on things at random.

Underlying this concept is the idea of fate, which I personally found to be quite significant in this scene, as we know from the show (and the alternative story that was shown at the end) that XZ and CY are two lives fated to meet and intertwine romantically. So using imagery that evokes ideas of a luopan/cosmic forces/fate is very apt considering the subtext of this scene: that XZ and CY are finally consumating what was fated from the start.

The level of detail in this show makes it so fun to dissect. Just thought I’d share x

Was randomly browsing when I stumbled upon this fun trivia (sorry, couldn't find the original source of this image but variants are making the rounds on the Chinese side of the web). So the logo actually contains:

1. A cute pig
2. Xie Zheng's hair ribbon
3. Falcon/bird
4. Chengyu's hair pin
5. Butcher's knife

Personally, the falcon's a bit of a stretch (looks more like a snake to me) but really cool to find out about the rest!

The attention to detail is really what takes this show to another level <3

In the scene where Changyu and her gang are begging fake Marquis for mercy and not to be punished for kidnapping Sui Yuan Qing, Xie Zheng shouts them down and immediately, the three minor characters are indimidated into letting up, putting down their hands (ie. withdrawing their plea to be punished) but Changyu and Jin Ye keep their hands up, asking to take the punishment.

I loved this little detail because it was such excellent characterisation. Jin Ye by this stage in the story is someone with conviction and tremendous loyalty, so him keeping his hands up made a lot of sense, and it was a lovely contrast to the rest of the gang, who (whilst loyal) have less conviction in what they're doing than him.

It's all these little details that make it so much fun to rewatch this show. The level of detail even on the minor characters add such depth to the show.

I do have a question about this scene though: clearly Xie Zheng coming in asking to take the punishment instead was a deviation from the plan. So why did he do it? Sure, it seems that Changyu and her gang protesting the punishment wasn't anticipated and the fake Marquis seemed at a loss as to how to proceed. But this seemed like a drastic intervention since Xie Zheng was in no physical condition to actually take a few dozen strokes for punishment, and in any case that would've been overkill when his goal was to simply deliver a warning to Changyu and her gang not to overreach/take matters into their own hands again.

So why did he do it? For dramatic purposes, it made the scene funny as hell, especially once the Crown Princess also turned up. But in-universe, I can't see a truly convincing reason for Xie Zheng to intervene the way he did.

Also, apologies if some names here differ from what people are used to. I watched this whole show with Chinese subs so I'm just converting the names to English in my own head.

UPDATE: to summarise the comments, there are two competing schools of thought. Some people think that Xie Zheng had planned to take the punishment in her stead from the start; others think it wasn't planned and was just a spur of the moment decision as the situation developed. Personally, the idea that he'd planned to take the punishment from the start doesn't hold water, because if that was planned, Xie Zheng would have given poor Xie Jiu (who was tasked to play the Marquis) a heads up so that everything could go smoothly. And no, the idea "he didn't tell them because they'd be reluctant" doesn't hold water either, as explained here.

Instead, you can see from everyone's reaction to Xie Zheng's entrance that his intervention was not anticipated at all. So from the moment he entered, they'd already gone offscript. This then leaves the possibility that it was unplanned and I think u/super_bluecat said it most succinctly: he felt like punishment was the right thing to do but "when it came down to it, he realized that he couldn't go through with it and had to intervene."

This leaves an open question: what on earth did Xie Zheng think would be the endgame once he committed such an impulsive act (volunteering to take punishment when he was already injured)? Thank god the Crown Princess played the Reverse Uno card on him (to quote u/Donxxuan), ultimately forcing a resolution that saved everyone involved.