Character Chart and Plot discussions (spoiler alert)

First Character Chart I made. I deposit it here so I can remove it from the main post.

I am wondering about what the Qi Families (Wu BaiQi's mothers family before marriage) dynamic was like. (I am guessing they were called Qi, I remember WBQ saying sth about taking his moms name)

WBQs mom (I would like to use a name but I have none) is the twin sister of Consort Duan.
Consort Duan is married to the Emperor while her sister (WBQs mom) is married to Zhang YaoCheng (Duke Xin Du). Her father does not let her go empty handed and gives along with the dowry the Feng LaiYi shop.  She ends up working herself sick, supporting the whole family while Duke XinDu who had promised to not remarry takes another wife (who bears a son) and hires her family as housemaids. WBQ grows bitter over how his father treats his mother and after her death, he cuts ties (pretty radical).

That makes me wonder, does her twin sister know about any of WBQs mothers struggles?

Consort Duan  and her son are very close with Duke Xin Du. When Duke Xin Du took in WBQ's relatives as housemaids, that means  they are also Consort Duans direct relatives (being twins and all).

 rosana777:

The family of Wu Baiqi's mother is called the Wu family, not Qi~

Thank you<33

That makes  a lot of sense, thanks for filling in the blanks! Consort Duan does of course need someone on the outside to help her (and her son). She seems to have a very positive attitude towards WBQ, even after his fall out with his father. I guess she must know ... something? Hmmm. 

Before I didn't like Duke Xin Du but now I really can't sand him. His character took a suddenly turn for me. Doing shady business in politics is one thing, but also mistreating your family (maybe even killing your wife, who knows), that is just too much. Doing one of the things makes you an evil character, both, rotten.

 rosana777:

Exactly how Xu Ping has gotten scummier and scummier.

So true! About Duke Xin Du, we get his character revealed bit by bit, learning what an awful scum he is but Xu Ping... It makes me really wonder. Is he just going nuts now and we see him sliding into madness or is he just this horrible a person lacking all empathy? Not only was he ready to have that poor woman raped  (who they didn't even let  in on the scheme and pay her, she was clearly unwilling!) but also he just instructs someone else to blow up a mountain (!) killing people! Dudeee

Is it a new thing to have the 2ML not only be the love rival to the ML but also be the antagonist of the story (flashback to Love and Redemption)? XD I am not mad, this way I surely wouldn't develop any unnecessary 2ML syndroms XD

 rosana777:

I have a soft spot well-written villains

Me, too, but it is so rare to come by!!1 I understand your disappointment in the 2ML now better. I never even expected anything from the evil of this show but you might be craving some good villain only to find out that the big evil of this series is just a guy with mother issues... I want back to 'Love and Remeption' haha One villain more cruel than the other and everyone has a billion layers to unravel... Ever since then I have been starving for some well writte villain UnU

I´m really looking forward to how Xu Ping will develop but tbh, now to me he kind of lacks actual content - his actions and revenge miss actual evidence and plans, it looks like he sometimes just does actions in his anger, rather than from a plan

 rosana777:

This is so true lmao. I think with the temple and mountain he bombed, he wanted to get his brother (and Xu Jin I think as well tbh) to remember the great injustice that was done to his mother... and come clean about it? But when neither of them remembered he became even angrier and is now full-on revenge.

The thing is tho....has he ever tried to approach Xu Jin about the matter? I'm trying to remember but I don't remember ever seeing them actually talking one-on-one. He's only ever asked the Emperor about it, so I don't really get why he has to include Xu Jin - who, as far as he knows, was a literal Child when his mother died. Xu Jin probably doesn't even know the fire he caused killed Xu Ping's mother! (if that's the case...I'm thinking maybe her death wasn't so accidental...)

I mean whenever they meet there is a ridiculous amount of ~tension~ but you know how some kind of men get,,, they don't talk when it's actually important to talk

but can you explain, how blowing temples will help in bringing the truth out ? I mean how?