IMHO the emperor was suspecting & hoping after the events in Hua (sp?) County where LB and CSS saved each other. The emperor was probably at 99% as soon as he heard that LB saved CSS again.

This is Cdrama not Kdrama.

Yes but what baffles me is neither taught her basic etiquette to meet the Emperor, especially seeing the Chengs received an invite. They didn't think there was any chance NiaoNiao would come into contact with the monarchy? Not just the Emperor, but the Empress and Consort Yue... It seems they want to her to embarrass them...they set her up with ignorance. She's fairly bright so if they would have told her how to act she would remember and give them face.

@@arilu89x While CSS is a clever girl she would need the level of "courtesy" you're thinking drilled into her. I doubt a 5 minute lesson or reminder in a carriage would work for her. My thought was that the Emperor and the other highly important people don't mingle as much so CSS didn't need any specific lessons. On the other hand if you were teaching her engineering principles then a 5 minute lesson might be 4 minutes longer than needed :)

@@erutherford I understand your reasoning but it seems like they didn't even tell her. This is the same thing they did before being summoned with her to the palace later. Her mother is focused on what she's lacking she's not actually preparing for the world she'll have to inhabit.

Which episode?

@@morshidmorshida7157 23 may be

That hand movement at the same time was so cute. The same as when they had their little moment about misunderstanding the quote about the universe and the Empress explained.

Even at the end of the series the dad was like "hey don't be kissing my little girl" ... I loved the dad and he was a much needed counterpoint to Mom. The great thing is the series earned that with the explanation of the backgrounds & such.

JMO, her love for A’Yao was that of brotherly love and a sense of her escaping her family’s mistreatment on her (aka mainly her mother). So basically, it was one-sided for A’Yao. At this age (15), she was still naive, innocent, and carefree. She didn’t care about marriage at all. She wanted freedom and independence and probably thought marrying A’ Yao would solve that. General Ling had since admired her from the beginning for her sense of justice especially outing a relative who was doing criminal acts. General Ling’s admiration grew to loving her wholeheartedly as she was different from the evil princesses throwing themselves at him.

@@cuttingonions_lifeisdrama Well said.

Not only one-sided, but also devious. Here he has already started giving her signals that actually are deceiving. In hindsight, saving her from the pagoda frankly feels a lot different the second time around: the first time I thought he was there to spy on a conspiracy. Rewatching it, I know that he was actually in on it. So by telling her to forget what she'd seen he wasn't just protecting her, but also himself and his plan.

@@pirimpallopirimpalli4932 It was more to protect the third Prince I think. It was the third Prince, Ling, and the third Prince uncle.

@@annaangol1748 that doesn't make much of a difference. She could very well presume he was protecting her *from* a conspiracy, but in truth he was *also* protecting the conspiracy. Which he actually was part of, because he was plotting to depose the Crown Prince and replace him with his buddy. His buddy who, for all his uptightness about what is right and what is wrong, doesn't feel like high treason to put himself in power is much of a moral dilemma, apparently, so pardon me for keeping my reservations about Mr. "right is right and wrong is wrong" 3rd Prince.

of course, he's been waiting for Ling BuYi to get married and now he *finally* is showing interest, he's thrilled.

I dont think so because LBY needed her coconspirator to shut up thus he rushed the marriage. Remember when later SS n her father visit LBY, YSJ went to visit LBY too, n princess wangling accused SS of meeting with a man secretely n it was found out on the spot that the man was YSJ.. n LBY sense that YSJ likes SS too.. thus on their next meeting, LBY asked the emperor n announced to everyone that he wanted to propose to SS.. LBY just dont want to lose her anymore knowing YSJ pursue her too n LBY had lose her once (when she enganged to Luo Yao), thus the rushed bethoral

Ep 22

Nope. He got injured because of the arrow that got on his shoulder in episode 11. He is still recovering from that but he saved Niao Niao again. That is why it recurred again.

@@salomeannm.trocino6461 yes, but there was no need to save niao niao again...he was just pretending na? Pretending to save her, and pretending to be injured? Or pretending to save her, and purposely got injured?

@@khushiparikh3074 No. On this episode it is after that Niao Niao was hiding from the enemies because she heard that she shouldn't have been before. She ran and wanted to hide but she doesn't know where. That's the time that Ling Buyi saved her by going to the window and balancing the two (2) of them so that they won't fall. Because of the pressure that he is holding Niao Niao, his wound that supposed -to-be healed has been recuured again due to the pressure that went through.

@@salomeannm.trocino6461 have you not watched the whole series? Later it is revealed that there were no enemies...the people niao niao heard talking were ling buyi and his best friend. That's why there is no reason to jump the window....he was only pretending.

@@khushiparikh3074 3rd prince's uncle was also there. Even though 3rd prince wouldn't do anything to her, his uncle is different matter