The Legend of Rosy Clouds 云秀行: Episodes 9-10 Discussion
Welcome to the discussions for *The Legend of Rosy Clouds!*
🌟This post is for **episodes 9-10** please use spoiler tags for any eps beyond these. 🌟
🌟**Other media spoilers:** Please use spoiler tags when discussing significant plot points from the Saiunkoku Monogatari light novels, anime, or manga.
**Links:**
[Index](https://www.reddit.com/r/CDrama/comments/1tuvkvo/comment/osqpdrg/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web3x&utm\_name=web3xcss&utm\_term=1&utm\_content=share\_button) | [Masterpost](https://www.reddit.com/r/CDrama/comments/1uatapp/the\_legend\_of\_rosy\_clouds\_%E4%BA%91%E7%A7%80%E8%A1%8C\_2026\_what\_are\_your/) | [Ep 1-3](https://www.reddit.com/r/CDrama/comments/1ubftjl/the\_legend\_of\_rosy\_clouds\_%E4%BA%91%E7%A7%80%E8%A1%8C\_episodes\_1\_3/) | [Eps 4-6](https://www.reddit.com/r/CDrama/comments/1uc4fd6/the\_legend\_of\_rosy\_clouds\_%E4%BA%91%E7%A7%80%E8%A1%8C\_episodes\_46/) | Eps 7-8](https://www.reddit.com/r/CDrama/comments/1ud2m46/the\_legend\_of\_rosy\_clouds\_%E4%BA%91%E7%A7%80%E8%A1%8C\_episodes\_78/)
[Airing Schedule](https://www.reddit.com/r/CDrama/comments/1tuvkvo/comment/osp4vmt/) | [MDL](https://mydramalist.com/728951-the-story-of-saiunkoku) | [Dramawiki](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/The_Legend_of_Rosy_Clouds) | [Flashcards](https://www.reddit.com/r/CDramaFlashCards/comments/1uab499/the_legend_of_rosy_clouds_云秀行_2026/)
Discussion posts will be a day behind the iQIYI airing schedule, with your hosts posting according to their own timezones and availability. This is my first time hosting, so I'm open to suggestions for improvements! =D Next up will be u/a_HerculePoirot_fan with eps 11-12.
**Episode 9**
We start the episode with a cute banter between Fan Yun and Qi Zheng. Qi Zheng tells her that she got those 500 golden taels too easy and she should stitch a handkerchief. Fan Yun is so dense she cannot understand why he would ask for such a thing!
But when she asks to stitch it for the chance to take part in the imperial exam, Qi Zheng declines because he doesn't want to lose her. Their banter got interrupted by Lou Qiyan's arrival. Fan Yun managed to convince Qi Zheng to let her attend the meeting in disguise.
Who can resist this cute face?
What happened to attending this meeting discreetly? Why is she standing all the way at the front?
At the meeting, Lou Qiyan refuses to liase with anyone but Fan Yun. As he plans to leave, the guards stop him, and Fan Yun made such a poor imitation that he recognized him immediately. Seems like Lou Qiyan is just happy to catch a glimpse of her so he gladly handed over the map.
We skipped over to the next scene of Fan Yun making such beautiful snacks. Poor Shi-san fell asleep while helping out. Qi Zheng walks in and is so mesmerized with Fan Yun's baking. She completed the mission of restoring the temple and taking care of the offerings for the fallen well.
When they're alone, Fan Yun asks for a reward and Qi Zheng thought she wanted a kiss! To his disappointment, she gave him her practice exam to review. The harem cannot be involved in politics, so Fan Yun happily suggests divorce so she can be a pioneer to help Qi Zheng push for an imperial reform that allows anyone to take part. Poor Qi Zheng is heartbroken. T_T
After a visit to the 'sick' Elder Zheng, Qi Zheng managed to convince him back to work and they restored a status quo where neither can be disposed. Qi Zheng recognized that he needs more skilled officials by his side to help reduce the power hold the nobles have (with Elder Zheng at the top) and he sadly asked Yan Jiang and Wei Ying if Fan Yun can do it.
As much as it breaks his heart, Qi Zheng continues to ponder over Fan Yun's request to become an official. He once again asks her if she's willing, despite the fact that it'll be a dangerous journey and she'll face tons more obstacles. Fan Yun once again affirms her ambitions, including her willingness to divorce. Qi Zheng confessed and tried to kiss her, but changed to a hug when he saw her hesitance.
Outside of this sadness, we got some progress with our 2nd couple! Gao Ran noticed Shisan hurt her finger (while helping Fan Yun with baking) and he secretly left her an ointment. I knew when I first saw it that it can't be from Wei Ying! XD Shi-san waited for Gao Ran at the sesame biscuit stall to tell her she knows it's from him. While he still denies it, he no longer treats her coldly. Is this iceberg melting?
And we end this episode with lots of fun! To facilitate their divorce, Fan Yun and Qi Zheng pretended to fight! Look how cute Fan Yun is! The poor servants are at such a lost!
Best 'fight' ever! Love how funny they both are over here!
**Episode 10**
Fan Yun finally gets to go home! Fan Qi seems a bit mad, I guess he doesn't know yet that his daughter proposed the divorce? Meanwhile, poor Qi Zheng dragged Yan Jiang and Wei Ying to drink with ladies from Huan'e House.
Elder Zheng has been keeping tabs on them and asked his servant to look for those ladies. His servant thought they were for him. XD Those poor ladies are gonna get a makeover soon. Zheng Shi came to visit his grandpa, in a good mood that his crush is gonna be single soon. He doesn't understand why his grandpa is against the divorce. His grandpa explained that this is unprecedented and he can't allow the traditions to go out the window. Zheng Shi is telling his grandpa not to be involved, but somehow it inspired Elder Zheng to ask Zheng Shi to buy Fan Yun gifts in name of the city lord to get her to change the mind.
WHAT?!!! You expect me to buy gifts for my beloved woman so she will stay married to my love rival?!
Despite his reluctance, Zheng Shi appeared as Lou Qi Yan and delivered tons of gifts to the Fan residence. Fan Qi tries to return the gifts but was rejected. Lou Qi Yan's amazon delivery service do not accept returns and would rather destroy the goods. Not wanting the items to be wasted, especially those delicious sesame biscuits, Fan Qi asked them to deliver the gifts and pulled Lou Qi Yan in for a tea (Qi Zheng saw this and was mad!).
Inside the Fan residence, Lou Qi Yan is served tea from Fan Qi. Seems like he has good affinity with tea this episode! Wanting to be on the good side of Fan Yun's dad, Lou Qi Yan drank it and said despite his wide business network, he has not known anyone capable of making such a cup of tea. That it is extraordinary. Fan Qi left the room happy about the compliment. XD Lou Qi Yan flirts with Fan Yun that he likes it because it is the tea that she grew up with. He also tells her to not let labels define her and want her to state what she truly thinks.
Qi Zheng can stand it no more and barged in to separate Fan Yun from Lou Qi Yan. "Isn't your home my home too?" Qi Zheng told Lou Qi Yan that their relationship is none of his business, and to inform the 3 elders that they'll visit them tomorrow to address the divorce issue. I guess seeing Qi Zheng made Lou Qi Yan jealous, so he reversed his no returns policy and took all the gifts back.
Qi Zheng came to give Fan Yun their divorce book and Fan Yun proposed a physical fight to convince the elders that they must divorce. After that got shot down, she came up with a different idea, after confirming that Qi Zheng can handle anything. Poor Qi Zheng is kinda annoyed that she's so enthusiastic about finding ways to divorce.
At the meeting with the elders, Fan Yun is seated behind the curtains, which was odd since she was already publicly seen at the banquet. She pretends to cite surface reasons, then after more persuasion from the elders, she said it's because Qi Zheng can't get it up! LOL...! Poor Qi Zheng got such a huge shock!
Jiang appears out of nowhere, ready to treat the city lord. Lol.
The rumors spread quickly and Qi Zheng received lots of gifts believed to be aphrodisiac. As Jiang approached to measure his pulse, it's so funny that Qi Zheng pretended to have fainted and refused to let him grab his wrist. Turns out, Fan Yun was right?! and Qi Zheng cannot be cured??? I suspect Jiang Shu knows they're trying to fake divorce after a fake marriage, so he just played along? Poor Qi Zheng must still be healthy right? XD
With Jiang's dire diagnosis, the divorce is now official. "Incompatibility" is the official reason, but the rumors of his condition spread even to commoners. Poor Qi Zheng. Meanwhile, Zheng Shi is in a very good mood.
When Fan Yun was packing up to leave the palace, Shi-san asks if she has even a little bit of feelings for Qi Zheng. Qi Zheng was outside, and was sad that all she said was "He's the city lord and I'm the official". But Qi Zheng, she avoided the question and didn't say no! So you still have hope!
Shi-san visits Gao Ran (who's hiding a letter?) and tell her that she is sad that Fan Yun is going home. How will Gao Ran comfort her in the next episode?
**Discussion**
If it's not obvious, I'm team Qi Zheng. I love that he's willing to let Fan Yun go despite his desires for her to stay by his side. This version of him is also more respectful of Fan Yun's boundaries (>!he did kiss her without consent in the source material, so I appreciate this change.!<)
I still can't get a read of what Zheng Shi is like. Here, he seems a little too obsessed with a married woman, but >!in his defense, he only met Fan Yun after the divorce in the source material. That said, the character he was based on probably couldn't care less about marital status and would shamelessly pursue a married woman if he wants to.!< We'll have to wait and see what his true ambitions are.
Can't wait to see how the imperial exam reform will play out. The drama made an interesting change here that the reform is meant to allow anyone, including commoners to take part. But Fan Yun actually isn't a commoner. She's a noble lady of the Fan clan (very power, on par with the Wei family), just that her dad raised her in a very humble way. In the novel, >!commoners have always been allowed to take part in the imperial exams. Hence, there are actually 2 main political forces - the noble group and the imperial exam group. The reform Qi Zheng is pushing for is to allow women to take part, because there has never been a precedent of women officials outside of the harem. Although Qi Zheng did the reform to please Fan Yun, he fundamentally doesn't see anything wrong with women taking part in politics and is very forward thinking for his time on this front.!<
Random note: if you're confused why Wei Ying said all the tigers were killed for Qi Zheng, tiger penis is used in traditional chinese medicine to treat ED. There's a belief of 以形补形， which means you need to eat the corresponding body part of another animal to strengthen/heal your own. Poor tigers.
Posted Jun 24, 2026, 12:06 AM UTC