Hello cdrama family! Today is my first time as a co-host so I appreciate your patience. I cannot figure out how to get the pictures between the text so they are all together.

Before we get started, some basics...

Links to discussion: Masterpost & Ep 1–3 | Ep 4–7 https://www.reddit.com/r/CDrama/s/jOp0AKPy1m [Ep 8-9]

Spoilers: If you’d like to discuss anything past Ep 11, please tag your spoiler.Anything up to ep 11 is fair game.

Let’s begin...

Episode 10

Date night

Our couple is walking the streets, Xiao Haun buys her sweets and tells her a story about his mother. He says she misunderstood him and asks to start over. Maybe it is just me but shouldn't she have said sorry for jumping to conclusions? She had been all for getting rid of the Ghost King when he was doing evil. He says he will wait and they watch fireworks while exchanging longing glances. Back at her palace he suggests he would go in to sleep...

Didn't get lucky

Xiao Huan didn't get invited in so he goes to work. We learn the Dowager is intercepting the pigeon messages. Thankfully one of the Dowagers' guards tipped off the Emporers' and earned himself a reward.

Exams and reveals

Zhong Lin is taking the exam in disguise. Daddy Ling is moderating and catches on. Talk about an intense exam room with the Emporer sitting in the throne above. Good thing there were no other females or there is no way they get anything answered 😍. By the way did someone give Zhong Lin the answer key to memorize???

Daddy Ling unmasks/unhats her and proves to all she is a woman. The Emporer claims Song Lanxi was always a woman and female officials are allowed. While others try to back up Daddy Ling. Xiao Qian arrives with her teacher the renowned Minister Li as a witness. The Minister says after failing to kill her they are now smearing her. He is back to Court since someone is clearing the "filth".
Xiao Qian is sad big brother didn't give him a gold star.

Cures and Desires

Preceptor Du summoned Xiao Huan to her place. First she congratulates him on the success of Exam revealing that she is very well informed. She then tells him the Frost Reed (that cures all poison) needed for his cure was sent by the Imperial Physician Li. She gets upset when instead of celebrating with her, he is in a rush to leave and she jealously notes he is off to see the Empress. This outburst leads him to tell her it is none of her business and the Palace Auntie to tell her not to have desires she shouldn't. She ends up along fake wishing them well.

Tamed Princess??

Meanwhile the witchy Princess is over her confinement and trying to escape by poisoning the guards. Hongqing arrives and she tries to bite the arm he grabs her with, revealing his burn scar. She instantly becomes docile and willing to do anything he says. I guess she thinks he was the hero who saved her from the fire?

Happiness and Love

Cang Cang is happy eating her honey sent by Daddy Ling when the Emporer arrives full of joy since he has hope for survival. He embraces her telling her he may not have to leave her alone. She has no response but instead nearly faints. Xiao Huan is instantly worries as she is burning up. She is not interested in a physician but instead stares into his eyes with her face in his hands. We see him move in for a kiss only to have her turn away. He is hurt by the rejection and turns to leave only to have her to pull him into bed and finally our couple has their first night.

Sleeping Beauty

The next day while reminiscing about the night before CangCang passes out. Turns out she has a deadly poison and hours left. She also took Lovesickness Powder which I guess was an aphrodisiac? Princess Ying apparently has it but after questioning she is found innocent. Xiao Qian made an appearance to defend her and Hongqing also gets straight answers. Her worship of him may come in handy in the future too bad the Emporer is unlikely to make use of it.

The Emporer uses the Reed meant for his cure to save the Empress.

The Scheme

Preceptor Du is upset but sits down to talk it out with Xiao Haun. When she is not acting jealous over him she is actually a good confidant for him. She is willing to investigate but Xiao Haun already has the answers. Daddy Ling found out that the Emporer had the cure so he poisoned his daughter via the honey betting on her life and setting the plan in motion.

1. Emporer gives her the cure and thus won't live much longer
2. Princess Ying gets blamed causing a rift with Empress Dowager
3. Empress conceives an heir

The Emporer figured it out but still gave her the cure.

Preceptor Du wisely advised the Emporer that if the Empress had his Heir, Daddy Ling would rebel and become Regent. The Emporer can't afford to be soft hearted.

Tea and Tears Ending

The Empress wakes up and Xiao Haun explains she was poisoned, she asks if it was the Empress Dowager but he just replies she is fine now. She blames it on the beasts in the inner palace. Too bad her own family is so much worse. Xiao Haun is clearly upset which she does notice, he tearfully hands her the medicine to drink and honestly tells her that it is birth-control tea. When she asks, he answers it will save them both a great deal of trouble. Thinking only of herself her assumption is he doesn't care and was using her. I have to say, open your eyes this is clearly breaking his heart.

Question: Do you think he gave it to her openly and himself to ensure there was distance between them and she wouldn't be used against him again? Heart break for a chance of survival?

Episode 11

#The Breakup CangCang takes the tea. She smashes the bowl and demand to know why. He replies that he cannot have a child of the Ling bloodline. This is the truth as it would guarantee Daddy Ling taking them both out. CangCang however just calls him a liar. Think girl!

Gag order

Preceptor Du thinks the Emporer should tell the Empress about her father instead he had to bear it all alone. She is right that this is unfair to him and the Empress always misunderstands. He swears her to secrecy about the use of the Reed.

Too bad the Ling clan always seem to know everything. He should take out some of their spies instead of worrying about the Dowagers.

#Girls arrival Zhong Lin arrives to visit. Once again she blames it all on the Emporer. She wants the Empress to run away.

Hypocrisy

Daddy Ling and loser Lou know about the birth control and are acting all shocked like the Emporer is the one who did something wrong. Lou actually says she will be doomed with the Emporer. Cause feeding her deadly poison was all well and good.

They scheme to use CangCang to get the Moon-Eclipse.

Side bar - all of the stuff tied to the Evil sect is just bizarre. Is this supposed to them throwing in fantasy or science fiction? I can't decide what I think of it.

The Empress is having nightmares about her Master and the pendant.

Blindly ready to be used by Lou she takes off and Daddy Ling goes to distract the Emporer.

Chess moves

They place chess and Daddy Ling tells a tale and Emporer response shows he understands compassion. He tells Daddy Ling he understands his teachings but not to worry there is no women's softness in him.

Another misguided plan

The gullible Empress thinks she can destroy the Moon-Eclipse, while Lou is conniving to get it for himself. When has one of her plans worked? This is sure to cause harm to the Emporer down the road.

Caught

They get caught and the Empress lashes out all her hurt at the Emporer blaming him for using and harming her. Lou has the audacity to say he warned her that she can't trust Emporer. She is upset when Lou is taken away. How the Emporer can keep from rolling his eyes at her stupidity is beyond me.

Seduction

CangCang enters Emporer's bath but can't go through with seducing him but drugs him instead. Steals the Emporers' seal and lets Lou go. He still wants her to leave with him but she refuses.

War in Jiangzhou

CangCangs real brother Ling Jueding is a general and governor of Jiangzhou defending the border when a Xijiang Prince Kumor attacked due to beimg upset about the census decree.

In Court Daddy Ling wants to send troops. Prince Qian rejects as troops also need provisions and grain is limited and needed for Xuzhou as they are suffering due to locust plague. If disaster relief is not provided the people could rebel and come to the Capital. Emporer decides to decide in 2 days.

Does Prince Qian truly care? If both brothers care about the Empire than there is a chance.

Prince Qian knows that the Emperor would like to take military power from the Lings and if they do badly in battle he could have an excuse but he cant risk losing Jiangzhou.

Empress Dowager spreads the word to the Empress about Jiangzhou. She takes the bait and immediately goes to the Emporer who is turning away all other callers. She believes he is disregarding lives.

Choices

The Emporer wants to force Daddy Ling to also aid Xuzhou as he wouldn't on his own despite having the Noble clans support.

The Emporer takes the Empress to a cabin and loser Lou is hiding. The Empress can choose who to save. She is trying to force a choice of aiding Jiangzhou heedless of larger implications and with no knowledge of the politics at play or the risk to other innocent people.

Who is glad the Emporer called out the Empress in her bias and self serving motivations?