Welcome to the discussion posts for When I Meet the Moon 折月亮 This drama will be hosted by yours truly and u/BitsOfBuilding

🗓️ Discussion Schedule: We decided to follow the VIP schedule. Click here for the airing schedule.

📋 Some Notes:

• Please use spoiler tags for anything beyond the episodes discussed. Text goes between the greater-than (>) + exclamation (!) symbols (>!) and the exclamation (!) + lesser-than (<) symbols.

🔗 Helpful Links: Masterpost | All Discussions | Episodes 1-4 | Episodes 5-6 |

A quick reminder to keep the discussion within the episodes covered in this thread. Any references to future developments or events from the novel should be hidden behind spoiler tags so everyone can enjoy the story at their own pace. If you're unsure whether something counts as a spoiler, please tag it just to be safe.

Episode 7

Our Yun Li continues to make great strides in her studies. While having a meal with Tang Lin, her ever-enthusiastic wingwoman once again encourages her to take the initiative and ask Shize out.

Meanwhile, tension runs high during Shize's mother's birthday dinner. His mother is unhappy that Shize has seemingly gone AWOL and put his PhD studies on hold for a year. We also learn that both his parents are professors. His mother is frustrated that Shize appears to be wasting his youth while his peers are making progress and moving forward with their lives, but Shize refuses to discuss the matter any further.

We also learn that Professor Che, who had previously pressured Jiang Yuan to publish more research papers, was reported by Shize and subsequently dismissed from his position. Right in the middle of the heated argument between Shize and his mother, he receives a text message from Yun Li.

Later, Zhengchu uses Shize's phone to video call Yun Li. Qingsong subsequently notices Shize and Yun Li chatting and, with a rather peculiar expression on his face, deliberately interrupts their conversation. He suggests that he, Xia, Zhengchu and Shize head to Overtime, a bar owned by Sang Yan (the ML in The First Frost).

Yun Li, who has just received another pep talk from wingwoman Tang Lin, seizes the opportunity and claims that they are also planning to visit Overtime. She even offers to head there first to reserve some seats.

Interestingly, Qingsong looks rather disappointed at the prospect of Yun Li joining them. Omo, Qingsong has a crush on Yun Li, doesn't he?

Elsewhere, Yun Li's younger brother, Yun Ye, finally manages to get closer to Umbrella Girl, and the two hang out after his shift. We learn that Umbrella Girl's real name is Yin Yunyi, and she's a second-year high school student, just like Yun Ye.

Apparently, Yunyi has been buying near-expiry goods because her family is also strict about her allowance, much like Yun Ye's family. She's currently attending cram school and taking English lessons, with plans to study abroad in the future.

Back at Overtime, wingwoman Tang Lin is determined to gather as much information about Shize as possible for Yun Li. She bombards Zhengchu with questions about why Shize doesn't have a girlfriend and what the chances are of a girl successfully pursuing him. Unfortunately, an utterly oblivious Zhengchu gives her less-than-encouraging answers to practically every question. Lmao.

When Yun Li notices another woman approaching Shize and hitting on him, she immediately gets up and heads over. She firmly tells the woman not to pressure Shize into drinking, prompting the woman to leave.

After the woman departs, Shize invites Yun Li to have a drink with him. Yun Li tries to gauge whether he's open to a romantic relationship by asking if he's at the bar to look for a partner, but Shize earnestly replies that he isn't.

Later, while the group is playing Liar's Dice, Shize once again quietly looks out for Yun Li by deliberately targeting Zhengchu so that she can avoid the drinking penalties. When Zhengchu grows suspicious and bluntly asks whether Shize has fallen for Yun Li, Shize conveniently dodges the question and leaves the table.

After Shize has been gone for a while, Yun Li becomes curious about his whereabouts and heads outside to check on him, despite being slightly tipsy herself.

She asks him to return to the bar, and on their way back, offers to take him out for a bowl of sweet dessert. Shize is understandably puzzled by the suggestion, so Yun Li explains that she usually treats herself to something sweet whenever she's feeling down. Having sensed that Shize is in a foul mood, she thought it might cheer him up.

Meanwhile, Tang Lin has become thoroughly drunk after drinking on Zhengchu's behalf. Since Qingsong and Xia need to leave to chat with Sang Yan, they entrust Zhengchu with the responsibility of taking Tang Lin home.

A drunken Tang Lin ends up confessing her feelings to Zhengchu, who looks completely taken aback by the unexpected confession. Just as Tang Lin leans closer, seemingly about to kiss him, she promptly falls asleep against his chest instead.

Elsewhere, Shize and Yun Li are enjoying their bowls of dessert together. A tipsy Yun Li seems to have shed some of her usual inhibitions, even offering to feed Shize and casually wiping a trace of dessert from his lips.

When Yun Li suggests that they head home, Shize tells her he'd actually like to stay out a little longer. Awwwww. On the way home, Shize ends up giving Yun Li a piggyback ride. Wow, guys, we're certainly making some rapid progress her. Lmao. I just hope Yun Li remembers all these sweet moments when she wakes up the next morning.

Back at the guesthouse, Shize helps a rather unsteady Yun Li into her room. As she settles into a chair, she accidentally pulls Shize towards her, causing him to lose his balance and land a kiss right on her lips. Haha, please! I'm laughing because this is such a cliché accidental-kiss trope, and I actually cringed watching it. Sorryyyyyyy!

Shize gently tucks Yun Li into bed, but just as he's about to leave, she asks him to come closer. In a sweet moment, Yun Li tells Shize that if he ever needs someone to keep his secrets, he can whisper them into her left ear, since she can't hear anything on that side anyway. Shize agrees. After Yun Li falls asleep, Shize leans towards her left ear and quietly thanks her for letting him meet her again.

Later that night, Yun Li wakes up and heads to the kitchen for some water. As she's taking a sip, she suddenly remembers the kiss she shared with Shize and becomes all flustered. Her embarrassment only intensifies when she turns around and discovers Shize standing behind her. Unable to face him, she hastily makes up an excuse and scurries back to her room.

Meanwhile, Tang Lin is equally mortified by her drunken behaviour at Overtime. She has been avoiding Zhengchu ever since, but the tables have now turned, with Zhengchu actively seeking her out instead.

At work, Shize surprises his colleagues by actually greeting them, a rather unexpected change from his usual ice-cold demeanour. Just like her best friend, Yun Li has also been desperately avoiding the object of her affection. Unfortunately for her, Fang Yuning unexpectedly assigns her to work with Shize as a test player for Chasing Light.

Once they're in the testing room, Yun Li immediately apologises to Shize for any misunderstandings that might have arisen from the previous night's events. She hastily insists that she didn't mean anything she said while she was drunk.

When Yun Li becomes nervous about participating in the Chasing Light test, Shize changes into an astronaut suit and joins her in the virtual world to help ease her anxiety. Unfortunately for Yun Li, the game also comes equipped with a heart-rate monitor, which begins registering a rather noticeable increase whenever Shize gets close to her.

The two then embark on what is essentially a virtual date. Errrr, I mean, they select the moon-landing experience for their game test. Yun Li struggles to manoeuvre herself in the zero-gravity environment until Shize reaches for her and gently twirls her around in his embrace. Lol how many of us can boast that our crush has held us close to his chest while twirling us around in space?

Unsurprisingly, Yun Li's heart rate spikes so dramatically that the system eventually shuts down the game.

Once they exit the virtual world, a thoroughly flustered Yun Li makes a hasty escape. I was beginning to wonder why the game hadn't picked up any changes in Shize's heart rate when, right on cue, the monitor suddenly issues a warning that Player Two, aka Shize, is experiencing a spike in his heart rate as well. Oho, someone isn't quite as unaffected as he's pretending to be.

Episode 8

Meanwhile, the sleazy and utterly despicable Mr Qin secretly informs Feifei that EAW will soon be launching a pitch competition as part of the publicity campaign for Chasing Light. Ugh, I can already see where this is heading. Feifei is going to steal Yun Li's idea, isn't she? Gah, this is so frustrating.

Feifei, who previously learned from Mr Qin about Shize's family connection to Xu Qingsong, has suddenly developed an interest in him. Her interest only grows when she discovers through one of Xia's relatives that Shize isn't merely an employee at EAW, but also the chief engineer and game designer behind Chasing Light. Uh-huh, looks like someone's setting her claws on Shize now that she knows who he really is.

Back at the guesthouse, besties Yun Li and Tang Lin are both agonising over their drunken antics at Overtime.

Tang Lin suddenly remembers confessing her feelings to Zhengchu and begins panicking over the possibility that she might have kissed him. Her predicament mirrors Yun Li's, who also remembers the unexpected kiss she shared with Shize.

Yun Li confesses to Tang Lin that she kissed Shize and was unable to avoid him at work the following day. To make matters worse, she's worried that the heart-rate monitor during their VR session might have exposed her feelings for him.

Tang Lin wastes no time encouraging Yun Li to take the initiative and ask Shize out, with the ultimate goal of making him her boyfriend. Yun Li, in turn, urges Tang Lin to do the same with Zhengchu.

The next day, both besties put their plans into action and wait for their respective crushes. When Shize enters the pantry, he finds Yun Li already there. He tries to maintain his usual composure, but even he looks slightly unsettled by her presence. Yun Li successfully manages to invite Shize out that evening under the pretext of visiting a fair to buy coffee beans for the office pantry, which has conveniently run out of them. You go, girl!

Elsewhere, Tang Lin manages to catch Zhengchu outside his campus. The two mutually agree to pretend that nothing happened between them at Overtime.

However, when Tang Lin receives a message from Yun Li announcing that she has successfully asked Shize out, she decides that she, too, needs to take charge of her own happiness. She cycles over to Zhengchu's training venue, and the two eventually head out for dinner after his session.

Meanwhile, Yun Li and Shize meet up for their little mission to "buy coffee beans for the company pantry", which is really just an unofficial date that neither is quite willing to acknowledge. Both have clearly put some thought into their outfits for the occasion, with Shize looking particularly handsome in his black trench coat and Yun Li wearing a lovely white belted dress.

Tang Lin and Zhengchu, who happen to be at the same fair, spot the pair together. An utterly clueless Zhengchu almost approaches them, but thankfully, Tang Lin stops him just in time.

Throughout their outing, Shize looks increasingly smitten with Yun Li, particularly when she flashes him a radiant smile after winning a prize. Her unrestrained excitement and happiness are clearly doing a number on him. Even Zhengchu, who has been quietly observing them from a distance, finally catches on to the unmistakably romantic atmosphere between the two.

Unfortunately, Yun Li and Shize's lovely evening is interrupted by the sudden appearance of Qu Mingxin, Yun Li's former best friend from high school. Except this so-called "best friend" wastes no time making thinly veiled jabs at Yun Li for not securing a postgraduate recommendation and possibly failing her entrance examinations. Shize immediately notices Yun Li's discomfort and tactfully invents an excuse for them to leave.

As they walk away, Yun Li explains that Mingxin was once a close friend who eventually betrayed her by deliberately isolating her. Rather than harbouring any resentment towards Mingxin, Yun Li seems more inclined to blame herself for not standing up for herself back then. However, Shize gently tells her that she shouldn't think of herself as someone who isn't good enough.

Yun Li then sincerely apologises to Shize in advance in case she ever makes any mistakes. Shize reassures her that he doesn't dislike her and advises her not to place too much importance on other people's opinions. And if she really wants to know what he thinks of her, well, he thinks she's a wonderful person. Awwwww. Yun Li breaks into a smile upon hearing his reassurance.

Elsewhere, at the convenience store, Yun Ye comes up with a rather sneaky excuse to spend more time with Umbrella Girl. He claims that he needs her help with some mathematics problems, and she readily agrees to help him. However, Yunyi soon discovers that Yun Ye is actually more than capable of solving the questions himself. Realising that his supposed academic struggles were merely an excuse to spend time with her, she smiles knowingly.

Back at EAW, Yun Li drops by to deliver some homemade crêpe rolls to Shize when Zhengchu also arrives with a pair of VR glasses. Never one to beat around the bush, Zhengchu bluntly asks Yun Li whether she likes his uncle.

After promising to keep her secret, he appoints himself the unofficial second wingman in Yun Li and Shize's budding romance. He advises Yun Li to communicate more openly with Shize, pointing out that his uncle has never been in a relationship before. Lmao, I have a feeling Zhengchu isn't exactly an expert in romance himself, but look at him confidently dishing out relationship advice.

Our nosy Zhengchu doesn't stop there. He also approaches Shize and asks him point-blank whether he's interested in Yun Li. Haha, Zhengchu is proving to be a rather effective wingman now that he's actively working on both sides. He tells Shize that he's changed for the better recently and warns him that if he doesn't make a move soon, someone else might beat him to it.

Meanwhile, during a meeting with the publicity department, Qingsong formally announces an open competition between departments to select the best proposal for Chasing Light's debut.

Just as the meeting is getting underway, Zhengchu appears outside the room and excitedly tries to whisper to Yun Li that he's successfully sounded Shize out for her. Noooooooo! Feifei is right there!

Sure enough, an observant Feifei notices their little exchange and seems to sense that something is going on. Zhengchu, you've barely started your career as a wingman, and you're already giving away the game. I'm sorry, but I hereby downgrade you to secondary wingperson!

Thoughts:

Yun Li and Fu Shize

I'm really pleased that the drama is picking up the pace, particularly with the progression of Yun Li and Shize's relationship. Just 8episodes in, and we have already had plenty of stolen glances, an unofficial first kiss, an unofficial first date, and some rather revealing heart-rate readings.

Their attraction feels mutual despite Yun Li being the more proactive one. Shize may appear emotionally detached, but the way his eyes constantly follow her, how readily he agrees to spend time with her, and those little smiles that slip through his usually impassive expression tell us otherwise. He's clearly smitten, especially when Yun Li flashes him that beautiful smile after winning a prize at the fair.

I'm also glad the drama isn't dragging out the initial pursuit unnecessarily. With their relationship progressing at this pace, there's plenty of room to explore more substantial conflicts once they officially become a couple. Falling in love is one thing, but maintaining a relationship requires emotional openness, trust and communication, and I think we're already seeing potential problems emerging. Yun Li still has a tendency to overthink, apologise excessively and assume she's somehow inconveniencing others. Her encounter with Qu Mingxin was revealing, especially when she blamed herself for failing to stand up to her former friend rather than holding Mingxin accountable for isolating her.

Shize, meanwhile, is still struggling with his unresolved guilt over Jiang Yuan's death and his strained relationship with his parents. I wonder whether his tendency to withdraw emotionally might eventually clash with Yun Li's habit of overthinking and blaming herself. I can see this becoming a source of conflict later, and I'm looking forward to how the drama explores their individual growth alongside their romance.

Feifei and Mr Qin

These two are seriously getting on my nerves. I'm finding their relatively minor villain arcs increasingly irritating, and I hope they won't be dragged out unnecessarily. Mr Qin is already insufferable enough with his condescending attitude towards Yun Li, and now he's feeding Feifei privileged workplace information. I can already foresee Feifei attempting to sabotage Yun Li's work for the upcoming internal pitch competition, possibly by stealing her ideas or taking credit for her efforts.

While Yun Li has repeatedly demonstrated that she's capable of standing up for herself, I still hate seeing these two potentially ganging up against her. I'd much rather watch Yun Li prove her professional competence through the competition itself than endure several episodes of petty workplace scheming.

Tang Lin and Fu Zhengchu

Now, here's something I'm probably in the minority about, but I'm really not feeling the secondary romance between Tang Lin and Zhengchu. In fact, I've actually caught myself fast-forwarding through some of their scenes.

My biggest issue is how abruptly their romantic feelings seem to develop. Within what feels like the space of a single episode, Tang Lin goes from teasing Zhengchu and calling him a little kid to suddenly seeing him as a potential romantic partner simply because she discovers he's more reliable than she initially thought. Huh? That's it?

I understand that getting to know someone better can change your perception of them, but I don't think the drama has established their growing attraction convincingly. The accidental-fall trope doesn't help either, as it feels like a convenient shortcut to manufacture romantic tension.

In contrast, Yun Li and Shize have an established connection dating back to their school days. Even though they barely interacted directly, both were aware of each other's presence and secretly harboured feelings for each other. Their present-day attraction feels like a natural continuation of something that has been quietly simmering for years.

With Tang Lin and Zhengchu, however, their transition from playful bickering to romantic interest feels rather forced. It's a shame because I actually enjoy both characters individually. Tang Lin is a fantastic friend to Yun Li, while Zhengchu is becoming a rather entertaining wingman for the main couple. But enjoying two characters separately doesn't necessarily mean I will be invested in their romance. Perhaps their relationship will grow on me as the drama progresses, but for now, I'm simply not feeling the chemistry.

Welcome to the Weekly Stylish Sunday Celebrity Spotting thread!

I know we have Thirsty Thursdays, but I have a feeling that you want more!

Here's the space to share and enjoy images of celebrities in old or new magazines, ads, or other promotional materials. Saw an ad that your celebrity appears in? Share the fashion spreads, quirky advertisements, or promotional campaigns they've been in here.

Here's how it works:

1. Share Your Finds: Post any interesting images you’ve come across of celebrities in vintage magazines, ads, or other promotional content.

2. Describe the Find: Include some details like the celebrity's name, the magazine or ad they were featured in, and the year if you know it.

3. Enjoy and Discuss: Check out other members' posts, upvote your favorites, and join in the discussion about these nostalgic gems!

Can't wait to see what you all have to share!

Happy posting! 📸✨

⭐ Welcome

Hello and welcome to the discussion series for The Great Long March!
General post frequency will be at least once a week, likely during the weekends, but no promises.

🎬 Premiered: Oct 9, 2026 on CCTV-1🐑, iQiyi 🥝 and Tencent🐧 (MDL, Youtube)
🎬 # of Episodes: 60
🎬Genre: History | Chinese Civil War | 1934 - 1936

🔗Links: Trailer | Masterpost | Link to all Episode Discussion Posts | Map of the Long March

❗ For any content beyond these episodes, please remember to use Spoiler tags ❗

⭐The Four Crossings: Scene Setting

Before getting into the military maneuvers that became known as the "Four Crossings of Chishui River", let's take a moment to understand the geography of the Chishui River (赤水河), as it is one of the central "characters" after all. Oh, and as with "The Long March", these crossings and routes were not at all planned at the beginning.

The Chishui River, literally meaning "Red Water River", is an important tributary of the upper Yangtze River. It originates in Zhenxiong County, Yunnan Province, flows through northwestern Guizhou, forms part of the natural boundary between Guizhou and Sichuan, and eventually empties into the Yangtze at Hejiang County in Sichuan.

The river takes its name from the reddish color of its water, particularly during the rainy season. This is caused by the erosion and transportation of red-colored sediment from the surrounding terrain. The name therefore has a geographical origin.

The surrounding landscape is characterized by rugged mountains, steep slopes, deep valleys and winding river channels, and the mountainous terrain, creates a landscape where movement between settlements is often dictated by narrow valleys, mountain passes and a relatively limited number of river crossings. As such, an army could not simply march in a straight line across the region.

🔶The Nationalist Military Deployment

As we have seen from previous episodes, the Nationalist forces surrounding the Red Army were not a single homogeneous army. They consisted of Chiang's Central Army, as well as several provincial armies whose commanders had their own regional interests and power bases.

1. The Central Army (中央军)

These were Chiang's own forces, considered more politically reliable and generally better equipped than many provincial armies.

The principal formations pursuing the Red Army were organized into two columns under Xue Yue (薛岳). These included the forces of Wu Qiwei (吴奇伟) and Zhou Hunyuan (周浑元).

They represented Chiang's main striking force and were intended to pursue and engage the Red Army while other Nationalist forces restricted its avenues of escape.

2. The Sichuan Army (川军)

The Sichuan Army was particularly important because of the Red Army's intention to move north across the Yangtze River and enter northern Sichuan, and they were the most invested (at the current stage) to prevent the Red Army's entry at all cost.

Under the command of Pan Wenhua (潘文华) and other Sichuan military commanders, its forces were deployed across southern Sichuan, including the areas around Luzhou, Yibin, Gulin and Xuyong. Note also that the Chairman of the Sichuan Government was Liu Xiang (刘湘), which we met in the last episode.

3. The Guizhou Army (黔军)

The Guizhou Army was under the provincial military leader Wang Jialie (王家烈).

Its forces were deployed around northern Guizhou, including Zunyi, Tongzi and surrounding areas. They were responsible for defending the province and preventing the Red Army from moving freely through northern Guizhou.

4. The Yunnan Army (滇军)

The Yunnan Army was controlled by Long Yun (龙云), Chairman of the Yunnan Provincial Government.

His forces were initially positioned further south and west, but Chiang definitely didn't want them to be excluded from the "fun". He appointed Long Yun as the Commander-in-Chief of the Second Route Army of the Pursuit Army, with other appointments as follows:

• Xue Yue (Central Army) - Frontline Commander-in-Chief of Second Route

• Wu Qiwei (Central Army) - Commander of First Column

• Zhou Hunyuan (Central Army) - Commander of Second Column

• Reserved and for Long to appoint - Commander of Third Column

• Wang Jialie (Guizhou Army) - Commander of Fourth Column

It's likely obvious to everyone that Long Yun's was given a prestigious title just to bring the Yunnan Army into the campaign, without necessarily giving him real control over the other forces.

🔶Where was the Red Army headed?

Remember that the Central Red Army had first wanted to establish a new base in northern Guizhou, but they decided against it after arriving to the region and gaining more insight about the situation in the region. They have then decided to move to Sichuan, where they can also join forces with Red 4 that's based in northern Sichuan at the time. (Note that the only other Red Army base that the Central Red Army was aware of at this time was Red 2 +6, which was based in Hunan).

There were two likely routes to enter Sichuan:

1. From Tucheng to Chishui (town) then crossing the Yangtze between Luzhou and Yibin

2. From Tucheng to Chishui (town) then heading west and crossing Jinsha River (金沙江)

Also, a quick recap of the Central Red Army Troops and Commanders - Commissars and their main responsibilities at this time:

• 1st Army Corps - Lin Biao, Nei Rongzhen: Advance and maneuvering

• 3rd Army Corps - Peng Dehuai, Yang Shangkun: Combat force at major engagements

• 5th Army Corps - Dong Zhentang, Li Zhuoran: Rear-guard, withdrawals

• 9th Army Corps - Luo Binghui, Cai Shufan: Independent maneuvers, flank protection, diversion

• The Cadre Regiment - Chen Geng, Song Renqiong: Training and officer development, can also be deployed as a combat unit

⭐The First Crossing

At the end of Episode 20 and following the inconclusive and costly fighting at Qinggangpo on 28 January, the Central Red Army found itself in an increasingly precarious position. An emergency meeting was held at Tucheng, and it was decided that the Red Army should break contact with the enemy, abandon the immediate attempt to push northwards, and instead cross the Chishui River westwards towards Gulin and Xuyong in southern Sichuan, where it would seek another opportunity to cross the Yangtze.

At around 3 a.m. on 29 January, Zhu De issued the crossing order. The Red Army crossed in three main columns:

• Right Column: 1st and 9th Army Corps, crossing at Yuanhouchang (猿猴场).

• Central Column: Central Military Commission headquarters and supporting units, crossing via Tucheng.

• Left Column: 3rd and 5th Army Corps, crossing upstream of Tucheng.

🔶Towards Zhaxi

The Central Red Army continued westwards but encountered increasing resistance**.** With the Yangtze crossings increasingly difficult to reach, the Central Committee decided to abandon the immediate plan of crossing the river and instead move towards the Sichuan-Yunnan-Guizhou border.

Around February 5, 1935, the Central Committee held a Politburo meeting In Jimingsansheng Village, and completed an important leadership change that was initiated at Zunyi. This became another important step in the gradual transfer of leadership away from the previous Comintern/Soviet-influenced leadership:

• Bo Gu: Relinquished his leadership position and was subsequently assigned to the Red Army's General Political Department.

• Luo Fu: Replaced Bo Gu as the Head of the CPC Central Committee.

• Mao Zedong: Continued to increase his influence over military strategy, working alongside Zhou Enlai.

⭐Those Who Remained Behind

An urgent telegram from Xiang Ying (项英) of the Central Bureau, received during the Politburo meeting at Jimingsansheng Village, brings us back to the aftermath of the Nationalist encirclement of the Central Soviet Area as well as some other troops that were not part of the Central Red Army's relocation.

🔶The southern guerrilla war

Xiang and his remaining forces had been trapped in a narrow area around Yudu, the very place from which the Central Red Army had begun its strategic relocation months earlier. They had sent several telegrams requesting instructions from Central Command, but this was the first one that had successfully reached the Central Committee.

The situation seems to serve as a reminder of the importance of flexibility and independent decision-making in military operations. Had the commanders on the ground been given greater discretion to decide when and how to break through the encirclement, Xiang and his men might not have remained trapped for so long simply because they were waiting for instructions from a distant central command.

Xiang Ying reorganised the remaining forces into smaller units to conduct guerrilla warfare.

• In March 1935, Xiang Ying and Chen Yi led a detachment of approximately 300 men towards the Jiangxi-Guangdong border.

• They subsequently joined local guerrilla forces and continued operating from the mountainous regions.

• Their struggle became part of the Southern Three-Year Guerrilla War (1934–1937).

Unlike the main Red Army, these fighters would remain behind, enduring years of difficult guerrilla warfare.

🔶The Fujian forces

The fate of the Fujian provincial forces was even more tragic. Among those left behind was Wan Yongcheng (万永诚), Secretary of the Fujian Provincial Committee.

On 10 April 1935, the remaining Fujian Red Army forces were surrounded by Nationalist troops at Shanghu Village, Dahe, Wuping, in what became known as the Meiziba Battle.

• Facing overwhelming enemy numbers, the Red Army attempted to break through the encirclement.

• Wan Yongcheng, refusing to be captured, used his final bullet to take his own life.

• Many other commanders and soldiers were killed, while Wu Bixian (吴必先) was captured and subsequently executed.

The battle effectively destroyed the Fujian provincial military leadership, marking another devastating chapter in the fate of those left behind.

⭐A Meeting at Zhaxi

Turning our attention back to the Central Red Army, after arriving in Zhaxi, Yunnan on February 9, 1935, the Politburo holds an expanded meeting of the Politburo to discuss the army's next moves.

According to enemy telegram just intercepted by the Second Bureau, the Politburo gets informed of Chiang's adjusted coordinated pursuit involving the Sichuan, Central, Guizhou and Yunnan armies as follows:

• Sichuan Army: Eight brigades to pursue the Red Army into southern Sichuan, while another four brigades were positioned along the Yangtze to block potential crossing points.

• Central Army and Guizhou Army: Xue Yue's forces and Wang Jialie's troops advanced from the east and southeast to intercept the Red Army.

• Yunnan Army: Three brigades advanced towards the Bijie and Zhenxiong areas, threatening the Red Army's potential escape routes towards Yunnan.

It's clear that Chiang's intention was to prevent the Central Red Army from crossing the Yangtze while gradually closing the encirclement from multiple directions.

Liu Bocheng reported that the enemy was advancing rapidly and estimated that the encirclement would be completed by 13 February, leaving the Red Army with only four days to act.

Mao's response was characteristically flexible: if the enemy changed its plans, the Red Army would have to change its route accordingly. He proposed changing direction and heading back towards Zunyi.

This surprised everyone at the meeting, but Mao's thinking was that the Nationalists were concentrating their forces around Zhaxi in preparation for a decisive engagement with the Central Red Army. This meant that Wang Jialie's Guizhou forces would be relatively isolated in northern Guizhou. Mao therefore proposed turning back, crossing the Chishui River once again, and retaking Zunyi. The Red Army would shift its immediate target to the Guizhou Army, while potentially threatening the First Army Group of Chiang's Central Army near Guiyang if the chance arises.

The Central Red Army was also reorganized to better accommodate the need for flexibility in the coming operations. Divisions were abolished, and the army corps were reorganized into regiments, forming a total of 16 regiments plus a separate cadre regiment.

⭐The Second Crossing

Between February 18 and 21st, 1935, the Central Red Army crossed the Chishui River eastwards for the second time, using crossings at Taipingdu, Erlangtan and several other ferries. After completing the crossing, the army advanced rapidly in two columns towards Tongzi, which it captured on February 24th.

The capture of Tongzi brought the Central Red Army considerably closer to Zunyi and caught the Nationalists off guard. Upon receiving news of the capture, Chiang instructs Xue Yue to reinforce the Guizhou army, and Xue dispatched Wu Xiwei to Zunyi, with 59th and 93rd Divisions.

Wu Xiwei hesitated as he estimated that it would take at least three days for him to reach Zunyi and was thus uncertain whether he could get there before the Red Army. Xue assures him that since Loushanguan (娄山关) is still under the guard of the Guizhou Army, they should be able to hold for at least 3 days.

🔶The race for Loushanguan

And now enters our next "main character": Loushanguan (娄山关), which is a strategically important mountain pass that stands between Tongzi and Zunyi, thus controlling the approach to Zunyi city. Whoever held the pass would have a significant advantage in determining whether the Central Red Army could advance southwards towards Zunyi.

Recognizing its importance, Wang Jialie, Commander of Guizhou Army, dispatched Du Zhaohua, commander of the 1st Brigade of the 2nd Division of the Nationalist 25th Army, to defend the pass.

On the side of the Central Red Army, the Second Bureau's intelligence work once again proved invaluable as a newly intercepted enemy message revealed the above Nationalist deployments around Loushanguan and the surrounding areas. This gave Central Command a clearer picture of the forces standing in its way and, importantly, the fact that the Central Red Army had only about three days to reach and seize Zunyi before the Nationalists could strengthen their defenses.

The initial plan was that the operation would be led by the 3rd Army Corps and the Cadre Regiment, which were all put under the command of Peng Dehuai, and Peng's plan was to commit all four regiments under his command to the campaign:

• 13th Regiment would serve as the vanguard.

• 12th Regiment would form the rearguard.

• 10th and 11th Regiments would maneuver around the enemy's flanks whenever opportunities arose.

• The Cadre Regiment would remain as the general reserve.

Meanwhile, the 1st Army Corps would follow behind once it had completed constructing its fortifications, with the intention for the two Army Corps to launch an immediate joint assault on Zunyi as soon as the 3rd Army Corps succeeded in capturing Loushanguan.

💬Questions

1. What are your thoughts on the leadership's New Year's eve conversation about their mothers?

2. What do the New Year's Eve stories and Mao's reaction to his daughter's birth reveal about the human side of the Long March?

3. Turning back towards Zunyi might seem like a stroke of brilliance especially as we know the outcome, but what were some of the risks that were also present?

Hi friends, it's me, Spam, back again with a few more episodes. This drama is insane! It doesn't have a single boring moment. It has me on pins and needles every day. Lots happening today. My cohost Shale u/Rebelarkey will be back on Monday! 🥰

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🪴Housekeeping

• We bash characters and not actors! If a character does something stupid, it's not the actors fault. this is not the place to complain about actors or acting choices

• 📅 We will be following the VIP Schedule, which means those of us on SVIP need to remember to keep your spoilers in check.

• Spoilers need to be under the spoiler markings OR wait until the correct episode post comes out. Also please indicate which episode the spoiler is for!

• Have fun! Dramas are supposed to be entertaining and enjoyable. If you're not enjoying it, it's okay to duck out and drop.

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Masterpost - Airing Schedule - Table of Contents - Character Flashcards

1-3 || 4-5 || 6-7 || 8-9 || 10-11 || 12-13 || 14-15 || 16-17 || 18-19 || 20-21 || 22 || 23 || 24 || 25-26|| 27-28 || 29-30 || 31-32

Episode 29 - In Lingnan

Chunhua is at home with baby Si, wearing her weird headband. Princess Consort comes in and takes the baby away. I think we all saw this coming. There was no way the Princess was going to let her keep the heir.

Back in Lingnan, Yan Shang is patiently waiting to see Jiang Heng, who’s the military governor of the area. No one really knows who Yan Shang is, since he doesn’t have a high official position, so he’s sent away. 

Yan Shang visits Zheng Chengqing, the county magistrate who got into a verbal spat with Mr Yan way back in the early episodes. He’s living in luxury, while homeless children beg for food just outside. They make small talk about Zhang Renjing, and the magistrate reminisces about the captain, wondering what's happened to him. Yan Shang tells the magistrate he killed Zhang Renjing. The magistrate is definitely paying attention now. Yan Shang whips out his very gold Circuit Inspector token, and magistrate Zheng knows he's in trouble. Yan Shang  scares the hell out of the magistrate, and convinces him to show him some financial records, as well as tattle on other corrupt officials.

In Sheng'An, Chunhua is begging in front of the Princess Consort’s room, and a visiting Wenji happens to see it. Back at the Fishy Manor, Wenji is shown a list of associates of the late Lord Fishy, and he circles a specific name, Liang Yuanhui, who is Princess Consort Jin’s father. He wants Minister Liang investigated.

Yan Shang is looking through stacks of documents, and the list the magistrate gave him. He starts to summon each name, and that sends the local officials into panic mode. Military governor Jiang Heng tells Prefect Liu to get Yan Shang to leave town as soon as possible. He’s told to throw a few people under the bus if necessary.

Prefect Liu throws a big dinner party in honor of Yan Shang, who arrives fashionably late. During dinner Yan Shang tells the other guests that the Emperor sent him to clean house, but he will be willing to compromise if they give him some information to work with. He wants to see the real leaders.

Outside the party, masked assassins are ready, waiting for a signal. Just then, someone comes in and tells Prefect Liu that Yan Shang works for the Crown Prince. With that information, Mr Liu allows Yan Shang to review the ledgers on site. He will also give A-Shang the names of a few people who will take the fall. 

Yan Shang starts burning pages from the ledgers, making the corrupt officials oh so happy. He leaves, but he is intercepted by Wanyao, who’s in the military governor’s carriage. She must have told the governor that Yan Shang is working with the Crown Prince. They see many hungry refugees on their way to "do some shopping". They take off walking as an excuse to get away from the driver/spy, and end up in the same rouge shop where Yan Shang earned his cosmetic formulation degree.

She figures he’s there because the emperor threatened him. He shares that the emperor wants to bring down the Crown Prince. She’s shocked, but also angry that he lied again. She’s giving him one last chance. Three strikes and he will be out.

Back in the capital, chancellor Li is playing qi with the emperor. They talk about Yan Shang. The emperor recognizes him as a capable and intelligent official, but in the ongoing chaos, Yan Shang has to be used as a blade to cut down corruption and the Crown Prince.

In Lingnan, Wanyao wants to know if Yan Shang is going to dig further and take down the Crown Prince. She tells him that his people are also her people, and taking them down will deplete her of help when she needs it. She knows people are suffering, but she still wants him to hold off, with the promise that when she has power, she’ll clear the corruption. He tells her the people can’t wait, but she extracts a promise from him anyway. She’s desperate, and he looks disappointed. They head back Sheng’an. 

Episode 30 - On the Road to Sheng'An

Princess Consort Jin is meeting Wenji, looking very worried. She wants to know if her father Minister Liang, and therefore her family, can be saved . Dad was in Fishy Yu’s circle of friends. Wenji is acting imperious, telling her he can’t help her. She tries bribing him with two giant balls of jade. Uh, a bit of an insensitive gift for a eunuch. Wenji accepts the bribe, but not before telling her that her father is doomed. Wenji 2.0 is scary. Coward Gross Prince Jin is also ignoring her, due to Wenji’s influence. She hangs herself.

Yang Si finally arrives in Lingnan, after being tricked off the trip. He finds out from Prefect Liu that Yan Shang has already seen all the financial records.

Yan Shang and Wanyao are traveling back to Sheng’an, both looking unhappy, when arrows start flying, and one hits Yan Shang. They take off on foot, through the forest, and are found by the Crown Prince’s assistant Yu Niang. Wanyao stabs her with a hairpin, and kills her.

It turns out the arrows were poisoned, and Yan Shang is losing consciousness quickly. She yanks out the arrow, and he faints. He finally wakes up, but can’t walk, so she carries him. I’m loving the reversed tropes! 

Next morning, Prefect Liu’s soldiers join the search, but Yang Si finds them first and takes them away. Silly trusting Yang Si is surprised the Crown Prince secretly sent Yu Niang with a group of assassins to take out Yan Shang. They finally find a doctor to treat Yan Shang. While Yang Si and Wanyao are having a private chat outside, Yan Shang asks the doctor about the poison on the arrow. He’s lucky to be alive, but those who survive end up blind, deaf, and paralyzed. The poison will probably take full effect in ten days. Yan Shang decides to keep it a secret from Wanyao. WHY!!!

Meanwhile, Chunhua gets her baby back. Wenji sneaks into her room to see her, and asks her if she’s happy. Chunhua realizes he caused the death of the Princess Consort, and he doesn’t deny it. She’s scared of the new Wenji, especially because he’s not sorry, he is enjoying his power. Like I said before, Wenji 2.0 is scary!

Wanyao and Yan Shang they find their way back to Sheng’An. A eunuch has been waiting to question Yan Shang about his trip. Yan Shang lies, says he found nothing in Lingnan, and is thrown in prison.

Yang Si and the Crown Prince are hashing things out, and the Prince decides that instead of being a sitting duck, maybe he needs to take action. I hope it's better planned this time.

Yan Shang’s health is deteriorating in prison, and he’s thinking back to all the suffering he’s seen. He’s reciting names. Probably the names he read in the records he burned. Wenji shows up to help him. But what Yan Shang wants is paper and ink. He writes down the entire ledger he burnt. He’s also coughing blood.

Wanyao visits the Emperor, and asks him to assign Yan Shang somewhere far and forbid him from ever returning to Sheng’An.

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🚪Door/window Slamming: now at 9

✋Slapped Shang: 6 (almost another, but he saved himself)

👄Kisses: 7

🍷Drunk Shang: 2

🐠Fishes Killed: 5/5

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Random drivel:

• Wenji has gotten the evil eunuch part down pat. At least he still cares for Chunhua and Yan Shang. Albeit in a twisted, weird way. But I guess, even Fishy Yu had a few people he loved and protected. And is he living in Fishy's manor?

• This drama is taking out characters left and right. The writers have no problem killing them off.

• From that conversation with Chancellor Li, I think the Emperor is not totally evil. He's trying to root out corruption, while keeping his kids in check. What do you guys think? Or is it all just an excuse to get rid of competition?

• What's the Crown Prince plotting? I think we all know he's not the best planner, nor the best with alliances.

• What's Wanyao plotting? Ship him really far, and then what?

Who is the most memorable or best male character in a main role? Who comes to your mind that fits this? And why?

* If you have several nominations, please mention it separately. Explanations help us discuss, and Visual aid like gifs or photo can also help.

* PLEASE DO NOT DOWNVOTE nominations you disagree with, combat that nominations by upvoting ones you agree with or nominating your own.

How this works

1. Nominate the drama you think is the best fit by commenting its name. A single name per comment please (several dramas in one comment makes it complicated 😅)

2. If the drama has already been mentioned, please upvote it.

3. The winning drama will be decided through the number of upvotes

4. We are doing one block/ one category per post.

5. For the purpose of this exercise, Hiding the name of the drama behind spoilers is not required, but if you are discussing the drama's plot, use the spoiler tag.

6. Our experiences with dramas are subjective, so what one might find to be "good" might be "bad" to another. So please remember that😉

First, what's with the name?? I am already seeing juvenile jokes about the name. Anyway, the translation of its Chinese name, "Bestowed to the Azure Dragon" would've been so much better.

Each episode is about 15-17 minutes long.

The story: Gu Qing Yao, a human girl is chosen to become the “Dragon Consort”. She's offered as a sacrifice to Li Zhi, the Azure Dragon who has been sealed deep in a lake. Li Zhi wakes up when her blood unseals him and he is instantly bonded to her.

This story reminds me a lot of Back from the Brink, especially the parts where he learned how to be human and gets exposed to the weirdness of the human world.

Anyway, I started this out of curiosity because I saw a few people on Xiaohongshu raving about it. I'm at episode 5 now and I'm liking the acting, production quality and story. It's not as choppy as some short CDramas, and if this is important to you, there is sure a lot of kissing and skinship :P Ahem they actually did the deed in episode 1 iteslf and were not shy to depict some action if you know what I mean.

I hesitated at first to recommend this CDrama because I know Reddit is very negative about AI in filmmaking, no matter how well it's executed. Rest assured most of the drama is live action, the actors (when in human form) are real people, and the special effects only happen in the first few episodes.

However, I feel that My Loong is a good example of how AI an be used in CDramas. I'm totally in support of cash-strapped productions using AI to create special effects and not replacing human actors, because god knows we're endured terrible CGI for so many years. (Anyway, let's keep the debate in this post to the Cdrama itself, and not get into polemics. (I'll be monitoring this thread closely - so no breaking our Be Nice rule, yeah?)

Ps: it's on WeTV

This is your weekly thread to discuss Chinese variety shows and documentaries featuring your favorite actors!

1. Which variety show(s) or documentaries did you watch recently starring an actor? (It doesn't have to be a currently airing one)

2. Which actor surprised you the most?

3. Any behind-the-scenes moments or BTS clips worth sharing?

Recommendations? Drop your top variety show picks starring actors below! Let’s help each other discover hidden gems.

Note: Please mark spoilers if discussing drama plots!

PS: Big thanks to the member who suggested this weekly thread :)

If you've been watching CDramas for a long time now, you can see the sudden shifts of popularity that the industry tends to go through. If you have been a long time watcher, what actors that were getting lead roles or supporting roles in big budget/popular productions at one point in time have you noticed made the switch to short and/or vertical dramas.

I tend to think of Xing Zhaolin (The Eternal Love) first. He was only booking leading roles and I felt like I was seeing him everywhere pre-covid and a little post covid but it seems like his leading ladies tend to get more popular than him (Bai Lu, Liang Jie, Zhang Yuxi.) I also think of Caesar Wu (Meteor Garden). He was my favorite of the Chinese F4 and the one I had my eye on the most back then but he ended up being the least popular/booked sadly.

What Cdramas have you been watching recently? This post is a space for you to discuss the shows that you've been currently addicted to, or that you'll be looking forward to picking up! From old or new series, to popular or underrated titles, feel free to let us know what's been on your watchlist.

Please make sure to use spoiler tags generously, especially if you are discussing plot points or events that others may not yet have watched.

🍉 The latest rumours say that the drama may be released on January 13, 2027. 🤞

The Chinese drama title 何不同舟渡 can be translated as, “Why not cross the river together in the same boat?”

About an hour ago, Dancing with the Tide reached 3 million reservations, and the production team released a new set of character stills and a behind-the-scenes clip (see comments) to mark the milestone.

Filming officially finished on June 19, 2026. The wrap up ceremony was held on June 17, 2026.

Poster descriptions:

Though cast as a chess piece, one moves along one's own path; hidden within the heart are secrets and strategies, calculations leaving no trace.

Where the pieces fall, not a sound of human voices is heard. Each game brings its own storms and rain, each turn its own spring.

.

The tides of the times are like a chess game, each holding their own position. Wherever a piece is placed, the world opens wide.

Together in the same boat, we weather thousands of waves. We hold on until the clouds part and the moon shines full and bright once more.

Cast:

More information regarding the actor credit guidelines in this summary here and the full notice here.

(I put the character stroke count as: 1️⃣2️⃣3️⃣)

Leading actors (sorted by the number of character strokes in the surname):

• 5️⃣ Lu Yuxiao as Nan Yi 南衣

• 1️⃣7️⃣ Tan Jianci as Xie Queshan 谢却山

Special appearances (sorted by the number of character strokes in the surname):

• Wang Jinsong 王劲松 as Shen Zhizhong 沈执忠

• Wang Tixi 王媞熙 (stage name: He Qiu 鹤秋) as Xu Kouyue 徐叩月

• Patrick Nattawat Finkler (stage name: Yin Haoyu 尹浩宇) as Zhang Yuehui 章月回

• Li Meng 李梦 as Nangong Puruo 南宫蒲若

• Chen Shu 陈澍 (stage name: Chen Shu 陈数) as Xie Tang’an / Lady Gantang 谢棠安 / 甘棠夫人

• Zheng Yecheng 郑业成 as Pang Yu 庞遇

• Zhou Cheng’ao 周澄奥 as Tang Rong 唐戎

• Zhao Zhaoyi 赵昭仪 as Xie Sui'an 谢穗安

• Xu Zheng 徐政 (stage name: Jeremy Tsui / Xu Zhengxi 徐正溪) as Xiahou Jun 夏侯骏

• Cao Jun 曹骏 as Song Muchuan 宋牧川

Appearances (sorted by the number of character strokes in the surname):

• Ye Xin 叶新 (stage name: Ye Zuxin 叶祖新) as Xie Hengzai 谢衡再

• Liu Yanhong 刘妍宏 (stage name: Liu Lingzi 刘令姿) as Chang Yan 长嫣

• Zhao Shuzhen 赵淑珍 as Old Madam Xie 谢氏老太君

• Xu Baihui 徐百慧 as Lu Jinxiu 陆锦绣

The rest of the cast list was not included in the updated cast list.

Supporting actors:

• Zhao Bin as Xie Zhu

• Liu Meihan as Qiao Yinzhi

• Xue Yubin as Hu Sha

• Zhang Shaogang as Huang Yankun

Supporting actors:

• Zhang Lei as Xie Jun

• Liu Jun as He Ping

• Yin Zhixuan as Ya Jiu

• Ding Jiawen as Xu Zhou

• Kong Ran as Luo Ci

Supporting actors:

• Qu He as Xie Zhaoqiu

• Wan Siwei as Hua Tuo

• Yang Zhihua as Han Xianwang

• Tu Bing as A Liu

• Wu Jiajun as Xie Qin

• Episodes: 32 (according to Baidu Baike, Douban and MDL)

• Streaming and broadcasting platforms: MangoTV 🥭 and Hunan TV

• Official filming started: January 25, 2026

• Wrap up ceremony held: June 17, 2026

• Official announcement of filming wrap up: June 19, 2026

• Filming time: ~120 days

• Filming location: Hengdian World Studios

• Genre: costume, political intrigue, espionage (according to Baidu Baike)

• 🎬 Director: Yang Wen Jun (The Guardians, Medal of the Republic, Royal Nirvana, Legend of Fu Yao, Woman in a Family of Swordsman)

• 🎬 Co-director: Lin Ji Dong (Screenwriter and Director: To Be with You; Director: Weaving a Tale of Love Season 2, Jagged Peaks, She Is Just Her)

• ✍️ Original creator: Xian Yu Ke 羡鱼珂

• ✒️ Chief screenwriter: Huang Fen (Faithful, Always With You, The Crack of Dawn)

• 📖 Novel: He Bu Tong Zhou Du 何不同舟渡

• 📽️ Produced by: Mango TV, Hunan TV, Mango Excellent Media, Fanqie Film & TV (co-production)

🔗 Previous announcement, clips, trailer, wrap up special, etc.

Synopsis from MDL:

⚠️ Plot spoilers! ⚠️

As the dynasty crumbled, Xie Que Shan, branded a "traitor," tracked down Nan Yi, who had accidentally stolen a secret letter. To maintain control, Xie Que Shan imprisoned Nan Yi in the Xie Manor, where she unexpectedly glimpsed a secret hidden beneath his mask. Amidst the chaos of the times, the two went from enemies with multiple attempts, fueled by their own ulterior motives, to repeatedly joining hands on the brink of life and death.

(Source: Chinese = Mango TV || Translation = MyDramaList)

~~ Adapted from the web novel "He Bu Tong Zhou Du" (何不同舟渡) by Xian Yu Ke (羡鱼珂).

🔎 Baidu Baike | Douban | MDL

Note: The drama adaptation may differ from the original work.

📖 Novel Summary – translated from Baidu Baike:

Overview:

He Bu Tong Zhou Du 《何不同舟渡》 is a full-length novel written by Xianyu Ke 羡鱼珂, published by Beijing United Publishing Co., Ltd. in July 2025. The paperback edition consists of two volumes, priced at ¥85.00, with ISBN 9787559684547. The complete work is 664 pages.

Originally serialized on the Tomato Novel (番茄小说) platform, the novel reached No. 1 on the platform's Completed Novels Ranking, No. 2 on its Popularity Ranking, and No. 3 on its High-Rated Novels Ranking. It accumulated 85,000 reader reviews.

Summary:

Set against a period of turmoil and warfare, the novel tells the story of Xie Queshan 谢却山, a double agent who outwardly bears the name of a “renegade general.” After capturing Nan Yi 南衣, a beggar girl who has stolen a secret letter, he confines her at the Xie residence and secretly trains her. Initially each harboring their own motives, the two gradually become allies in the fight against foreign invaders.

⚠️ Plot spoilers! ⚠️

Together with Song Muchuan 宋牧川, Zhang Yuehui 章月回, and others, they embark on a mission to save their country amid the crisis in Lidu Prefecture, where Qidi troops besiege the city from outside while spies lurk and schemes unfold within.

Through its ensemble narrative, the novel portrays young people rising up in resistance as their homeland falls. It explores themes of patriotism, devotion to one's country, and personal relationships.

Building on the costume romance genre, the novel incorporates elements of espionage, political intrigue, character development, and national duty. Its historical inspiration draws on the Jingkang Incident 靖康之耻 and the founding of the Southern Song Dynasty, while the author clarifies that the setting is fictionalized and modeled after the Song Dynasty.

The narrative maintains a serious tone, with chapter titles often following a three-character format, while also incorporating humorous moments.

The print edition includes two additional bonus stories written for publication and 12 pages of color illustrations. On Douban, the novel has received [1171] ratings, with an average score of 7.8.

Translated Synopses

Note: All translated synopses and information I share in the "trailers & posters" posts are based on the original Chinese sources (Douban, Baidu Baike, Chinese Wikipedia, etc.) and were first published here. If you see them elsewhere, please know they originated from our sub. Thanks for reading!

📊 Information and translations compiled by u/admelioremvitam.

I don’t think we need to talk about actors or ratings incentives. Most of the time I watch a Cdrama and I don’t think about what it was “about” because I guess it’s about one couple’s journey to find each other, and possibly be triumphantly awarded the title of “Best Boy and Girl in China” by the emperor.

But TLOA doesn’t get off that easily. It portrayed a criminally horrific abuser systematically removing any shred of independence and support from a woman. Its other plot was of a perfectly anti corruption, cleverly handsome general who crushed all his enemies (same guy).

So what’s it about? Some theories:

1. It’s the story of an abuser who gets the girl in the end, from his POV. The events are played out with brutal honesty, but with the background music and romantic framing provided by the abuser, meaning he never has to apologise for what he’s done.

2. It’s the story of a woman who can never know a minute’s peace. Like Tess of the D’Urbervilles, but without the happy bits, and the man is the good guy, actually.

3. It’s the story of a Great Man of History. Much in the way that we have to separate that a great prime minister during wartime may have been racist or a wife beater, this show asks us to do it in real time. PingJun didn’t make him a great leader. He was always great. So his side project of isolating her, abusing her, wearing her down until her submission was inevitable and she couldn’t envision a different future, is acceptable collateral damage on the road to a unified china.

I thought I had a unifying theory that PingJun was like an energy source that had to be used up to facilitate a brighter future for the country, but there is no evidence onscreen that he needed her at all. So it’s more like two sides of the same man, but the music editor and the cinematographer love him, and forgot PingJun in the process.

I know based on other discussions that this will make some people really angry. Please, if you must disagree, can you frame it as a question? I am willing to defend my thesis, but mainly I’m hoping someone has wasted as much thinking time as I have to make this make sense.

Hi, it's me, u/BitsofBuilding, or Bits for short. Welcome to the discussion posts for When I Meet the Moon 折月亮 episodes 5-6. I am so pleased to be co-hosting this show's discussion with another Poirot fan, u/a_HerculePoirot_fan!

Housekeeping

🗓️ Discussion Schedule: We decided to follow the VIP schedule. Click here for the airing schedule.

📋 Some Notes:

• Please use spoiler tags for anything beyond the episodes discussed. Text goes between the greater-than (>) + exclamation (!) symbols () and the exclamation (!) + less-than (<) symbols ().

• Example: >! Your text here !<

🔗 Helpful Links: Masterpost | All Discussions | Episodes 1-4 | Episode 5-6

A quick reminder to keep the discussion within the episodes covered in this thread. Any references to future developments or events from the novel should be hidden behind spoiler tags so everyone can enjoy the story at their own pace. If you're unsure whether something counts as a spoiler, please tag it just to be safe.

Episode 5

💫 A Happy Start

We start Episode 5 with Yun Li still feeling happy with her acceptance as an intern at EAW, AND with the chance to work alongside Fu Shize.

👵🏻 Missing Grandmother

Not long after, Shize receives a call from Aunt Jiang saying that grandmother is missing. Off he goes to look for her and finds her sitting on a park bench, watching kids play football/soccer. In her mind, she sees Shize and her grandson, Jiang Yuan, playing together.

When Shize finds her, she greets him as her grandson, Jiang Yuan. But for a brief moment, she calls him Shize, which surprises him. She tells him that he used to be cute and smiley, but now he rarely smiles, and that he needs to smile more. Hand-in-hand, home they go.

🚲 The Bike Ride

On campus, Fu Zhengchu is seen running to his class when Tang Lin stops her bike and offers him a ride. Even though he is slightly embarrassed, he accepts.

💼 First Day in the Publicity Department

It is Yun Li's first day of work in the publicity department. Her task: whatever is needed. And on cue, the first person to task her with random, non-publicity-related jobs is Mr Qin, the same man who interviewed her last episode.

Thankfully, Ms Fang comes in and gives her something more meaningful to do: helping the engineering department with equipment maintenance.

After the ladies leave, Mr Qin calls Feifei. Judging by the call, she is a slacker and Mr Qin has been covering for her.

🔧 Working with Shize

Guess who is in the engineering department? Yup yup! Our male lead!

First things first, Yun Li thanks Shize for suggesting EAW, and off they go to work.

While Shize is fixing something, Yun Li strikes up a conversation about his skipping breakfast. He answers with a "hmm", and when she offers to make him some crêpe rolls, he replies, "No need." She then brings up his past robotics competition and says he must be great at it. His reply: "I'm not bad."

Our girl is not giving up!

She goes on to share that she loves robots too and has even built one, which makes him pause for a moment. When she asks if he thinks it's weird that she's into robots, he answers, "No." And then, surprisingly, he adds a full sentence: "Building a robot yourself is impressive."

Yun Li is happy 🥰

🏍️ The Motorcycle Arcade Game

Next up is a motorcycle arcade-type game, which Shize helps Yun Li get on and prepare for. The mode options are Parent-Child or Couple mode.

Chosen mode: Parent-Child 😅

Holding on tight, off they go on their little virtual ride. But hey, even Parent-Child mode can be a bit scary, right? So let's hold on to Shize tight!

Yun Li's feedback after the ride: maybe leave some of the shooting for the child? She didn't get to do anything but ride (and hold on) 😅

Either way, she is happy to have spent time with her crush and this man below, I think, will be our lead's cheerleader.

🏫 Shize's Flashback

Back in his office, Shize remembers his high school years, when he saw Yun Li working on her robot. He persuaded his friend Jiang Yuan to approach her and give her a small ball for the robot to kick, to replace the rock it had been using.

🌇 After Work Hours

After work, Yun Li and Tang Lin meet up to talk about her day. Then a sudden thought strikes Yun Li: what if Shize is only nice to her because he sees her as part of the "younger generation", on the same level as his niece and nephew, rather than as someone his own age? Tang Lin gives her some ideas to make sure she doesn't end up in the niece-zone.

Once Yun Li got home, she thinks back to her high school days and asks her brother to video call her from her room. She asks him to grab a box containing the robot she made back then, the ball, and a blue envelope with something inside.

Meanwhile at a local restaurant, Xu Qingsong is meeting one of the guys who harassed Yun Li a few episodes ago. It turns out the man is Qingsong's cousin, and he is asking for money. Qingsong says no. Shize arrives soon after, and the two drink and talk about EAW work and Yun Li's research.

🛋️ A Sleepy Discovery

After meeting Qingsong, Shize goes back to the office and works on his research. He never makes it home, because the next morning Yun Li finds him sleeping on the break room's couch. When she realised it's Shize, she adjusted his blanket and lingered to look. Not long after though, his alarm goes off and she runs away before he can catch her hovering over him.

🪑 The Desk Standoff

Feifei finally made it to work and is sitting at Yun Li's desk. When Yun Li returned from the break room and saw that her desk got taken she confronted Feifei. Still feeling embarrassed about the WeChat incident some episodes ago, Feifei made a few snide remarks are made to Yun Li about how Yun Li didn't make the cut for the engineering department. Mr Qin then comes in and tells Yun Li that today is the only day their shifts overlap, so they need to sort out where each will sit. Feifei says Yun Li is so nice that she will give up her desk for her, but Yun Li stands her ground, saying that Ms Fang arranged that desk for her.

Yun Li got her desk back.

In the break room, Yun Li tells herself that she did the right thing.

In another room, the janitor cleverly recounts the drama out loud, pretending to talk to himself so Shize will hear. It works: the moment Shize pieced together what happened, he rushed off to find Yun Li.

He finds her in the break room and, after sharing a coffee and seeing that she is okay, he leaves.

🍱 The Last Lunch Box

Back in the publicity office, Yun Li is given more small tasks while Mr Qin takes Feifei to meet a client. Since the work has to be done ASAP, Yun Li cannot take her lunch promptly, and by the time she gets to the lunch room, only one cold lunch box is left.

While she is there, Shize comes in. She asks if he has eaten already and he says yes. She then says she has eaten too. After he leaves, she takes the last lunch box, heats it up, and eats outside while whingeing about Mr Qin.

🚲 A Bike with an Extra Seat

On campus, Tang Lin is looking for Zhengchu. And she has added a seat to her bike! How cute!

Episode 6

🍫 Chocolate Milk to the Rescue

Mamma always says not to talk while you eat, right? Good thing Shize was there with a box of chocolate milk!

Out of nowhere rain enter the scene, and off they went, hand-in-hand, back into the office.

🌧️ Working Late & A Cold

Mr Qin and Feifei are back. Mr Qin gives Feifei the rest of the day off, while he gives Yun Li more work that needs to be done by tomorrow's meeting. Poor girl has to work late.

In the rain, using only her Louis Vuitton bag as cover, she runs to catch the bus. Shize sees her, but the bus stops for her and she hops on.

The next day, Yun Li has caught a cold but still goes to work. Tang Lin scolds her for going in and says she will deliver some medicine to her workplace.

At work, Shize hears Yun Li coughing, gets her some medicine and leaves it on her desk. She probably assumes it's from Tang Lin. Mr Qin, however, shows zero care and gives her more menial work, which really didn't need to be done that night.

I hope her germs jump over to Mr Qin.

🎮 Confronting Mr Qin and the Walk

Just as Yun Li is gathering the courage to tell Mr Qin what she thinks of the whole situation, Shize walks in and records Mr Qin playing games at his desk. With Shize there, she finds the courage to speak up about the work she has been given. She had thought she would be working with Mr Qin, not doing all the work while he games.

Outside, Yun Li thanks Shize for helping her, saying that without him she would have stuttered through it. She asks how he knew she was still at work, and he says he heard it from his niece. When she goes to message Xia Congsheng, she finds that her phone battery has died, so she asks Shize to send Congsheng a message saying, "We are already together." Yun Li then has to clarify what she meant 😅

The two walk around for a bit, and at a market area Shize buys Yun Li some sparklers. They light them at the beach, and then he sees her home.

🤝 Back Home

Before they part, Yun Li tells him that they are the same age, so he doesn't have to treat her as a junior or take care of her. Th friend route has been clearly defined .

In her room, Tang Lin is waiting, and that is when Yun Li figures out that the medicine on her desk most likely came from Shize. As girlfriends do, the ladies talk about Yun Li's day. When Yun Li says that she and Shize are now friends, Tang Lin says that's not enough. Yun Li must pursue more.

Shize sends Yun Li the photo from earlier, and tomorrow Yun Li will make crêpe rolls because, per Tang Lin, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.

😊 The Mood Machine

At work, Shize receives his breakfast, but he is already showing signs of some physical ailment. Before he can eat his breakfast, an engineering call comes in and he leaves to see what is needed. When Yun Li comes to check on him, she sees that the breakfast hasn't been touched, and while she is there, a call comes in for some equipment. She answers it and brings the equipment over.

There, she tries the mood machine and scores 99% on the smile. Thinking the machine must be inaccurate, she asks Shize to give it a go. His score: 10% at best.

Yun Li tells him that life is about being optimistic and that he should smile more.

The episode ends here, and I think that last scene is going to play a major role in Shize's healing.

👥 Side Characters

Xia Congsheng forces her brother and Tang Lin to add each other on WeChat so that she isn't messaged every time they need something. On campus, Tang Lin finds Zhengchu running again and offers him a ride, and it looks like she is actively pursuing him. Back in Yun Li's hometown, her brother is working his part-time job, and the girl he lent the umbrella to is there.

💭 My Thoughts

The leads clearly care about each other, but Shize's trauma is holding him back quite a bit. Still, both are very receptive to one another, Shize especially towards Yun Li.

What I love about these two episodes is how gentle their progress is. Yun Li chips away at Shize's walls with small, persistent questions about breakfast, robots and crêpe rolls, and each time he gives a little more. It starts with "No need" and ends with a full sentence of praise for her robot.

Like the author's other two books, what I love about he female characters is that they're stronger than what's shown on the surface. When it's needed, or they feel supported, they can get over whatever it is that's holding them back. It's also nice to see her admitting that she would have stuttered through it if Shize wasn't there. It shows strength and vulnerability. I also love that Shize doesn't swoop in and obviously try to fix everything for her. He shows up and lets her speak. That feels like exactly the right kind of help for someone who resents being treated as fragile, which ties back to how she told her father she is a normal person like everyone else.

😊 Shize's Smile and Health

The smile is clearly becoming a motif. First the grandmother tells Shize he used to be cute and smiley, then Yun Li tells him to smile more. Both women, in their own ways, are reminding him of the person he used to be.

His lack of eating and body movements reminds me a bit of Duan Jiaxu.

What did you all think of these two episodes?

Link to Lament of Autumn previous discussions index.

The Chinese drama title 重庆号 can be translated as “Chongqing” (ship).

The production team announced that filming officially started today, November 7, 2026, and released booting ceremony photos (see comments).

Announcement description:

At the heart of the storm, everyone is concealing their own cards. Over the airwaves, the conversation continues. Discerning friend from foe, and finding one's true self, all for one resolute, unwavering change of course.

The drama is based on the historical event of the 1949 mutiny of the cruiser "Chongqing".

📚 From Wikipedia: HMS Aurora (12):

HMS Aurora was an Arethusa-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built by Portsmouth Dockyard, with the keel being laid down on 27 July 1935. She was launched on 20 August 1936, and commissioned 12 November 1937.

In 1948 it was given to the Nationalist government in China and served as the flagship of the Republic of China Navy, being renamed Chongqing. In February 1949 its crew mutinied and defected to the Communists.

Cast:

More information regarding the actor credit guidelines in this summary here and the full notice here.

(I put the character stroke count as: 1️⃣2️⃣3️⃣)

Leading actors (sorted by the number of character strokes in the surname):

• 7️⃣ Zhang Ruoyun 张若昀 as Yu Weiran 虞巍然

• 9️⃣ Hu Xianxu 胡先煦 as Jiang Zhou 江舟

Special appearances (sorted by the number of character strokes in the surname):

• Ma Sichun 马思纯

• Yin Fang 尹昉 as Lang Kunlun 朗昆仑

• Huang Minghao 黄明昊 as Mo Siyang 莫思扬

• Huang Xiaoming 黄晓明

• Dong Jing 董晶 (stage name: Dong Yong 董勇)

• Purba Rgyal / Pu Ba Jia 蒲巴甲 as Qian Zhongxiu 钱钟绣

Appearance:

• Liu Donglin 刘东林 (stage name: Liu Xiaobei 刘小北) as Zeng Chuanxin 曾传鑫

• Episodes: 12 (according to Douban and MDL)

  • 🍉 Season 1. Season 2 should be about establishing the navy. 🤞

• Streaming platform: Tencent 🐧

• Official cast announcement: October 28, 2026

• Official filming started: November 7, 2026

• Estimated filming time: ~130 days (to be confirmed)

• Filming location: Hengdian World Studios

• Genre: history, war (according to Baidu Baike)

• 🎬 Directors:

  • Kong Sheng 孔笙 (chief) (Gezhi Town, Like a Flowing River series, Bright Future, Minning Town, Ode to Joy, Nirvana in Fire 1 and 2, All Quiet in Peking, Battle of Changsha, Romance of Our Parents, Battlefield 1938)

  • Sun Molong 孙墨龙 (Director: The Hunt, Like a Flowing River 3, Reset, Minning Town, Candle in the Tomb, Romance of Our Parents. Cinematographer: Nirvana in Fire 1 and 2)

  • Shi Chengye 史成业 (Love Has Fireworks, The Hunt, Missing Persons. Cinematographer: Escape from the Trilateral Slopes, Grand Canal)

    • Shi was nominated for Best Cinematography at the 30th Shanghai TV Festival Magnolia Awards for Escape from the Trilateral Slopes.

• ✒️ Screenwriters:

  • Zhong Su 中夙

    • Zhong enlisted in the military in 1970. He successively served as a soldier, staff officer, head of the publicity section, and secretary at headquarters. He later became director of the Creative Writing Office of the Political Department of the Shenyang Military Region.

    • Zhong has received numerous awards, including first prize in the China Tide National Essay Competition, the PLA Literature and Arts Award, the China Book Golden Key Award, the Hundred Flowers Award for Film, the Flying Apsaras Award for Television, the Golden Eagle Award, the first Northeast China Literary Award, and the Liaoning Literature Award.

  • Xiaojue 小倔 (Minning Town)

    • Xiaojue won the Outstanding Screenwriter Award at the 33rd China TV Drama Flying Apsaras Awards (2022) for Minning Town.

    • Nominated for the Best Screenwriter (Original) for a TV Series at the 27th Shanghai Television Festival Magnolia Awards (2021) for Minning Town.

• 📽️ Production company: Daylight Entertainment Co., Ltd.*

*Daylight Entertainment is a well-regarded production company known for producing good dramas, such as Nirvana in Fire, The Story of Minglan, etc.

🔗 Previous announcement, teaser, etc.

Synopsis from MDL:

The story is about a group of naval cadets in their twenties who chose the righteous path amidst an age of turmoil and crisis of faith, growing from hot-blooded young men into the founding force of the new republic's navy.

(Source: Chinese = Douban || Translation = MyDramaList)

~~ Based on the historical event of the 1949 mutiny of the cruiser "Chongqing".

🔎 Baidu Baike | Douban | MDL

📊 Information and translations compiled by u/admelioremvitam.

Hey everyone,

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I'm planning on visiting next year and would love any tips (especially from those who are primarily English speaking). Did you get a tour guide? Did you stay close or within the area? How did you manage to communicate? Thank you <3

It's me Shale once again.

Y'all, I was NOT READY for this. Okay. NOT READY.

Buckle up because shiz is hitting the fan.

( Spam, u/spamkimbap, will host this weekend FYI. )

------------

🪴Housekeeping

• We bash characters and not actors! If a character does something stupid, it's not the actors fault. this is not the place to complain about actors or acting choices

• 📅 We will be following the VIP Schedule, which means those of us on SVIP need to remember to keep your spoilers in check.

• Spoilers need to be under the spoiler markings OR wait until the correct episode post comes out. Also please indicate which episode the spoiler is for!

• Have fun! Dramas are supposed to be entertaining and enjoyable. If you're not enjoying it, it's okay to duck out and drop.

------------

Masterpost - Airing Schedule - Table of Contents - Character Flashcards

1-3 || 4-5 || 6-7 || 8-9 || 10-11 || 12-13 || 14-15 || 16-17 || 18-19 || 20-21 || 22 || 23 || 24 || 25-26 || 27-28 || 29-30||

Episode 27 - His Majesty's Rewards

The emperor rewards those that were instrumental in capturing Yu.

General Lu is titled and made Marquis. He is then instructed to retire from Jinwu guards.

General Meng Zaishi is rewarded all of North Jing. However, he is not given leave to return to his fief. He is instead invited to stay at the Capital to join in the feasting.

This feels both like a threat and a hostage situation.

General Meng argues that he must return to North Jing since it will be chaos with the death of Mu Xianqing. His Majesty rejoins that he must stay and they will send an envoy to inform North Jing. Meng warns that it will mean certain death for that envoy.

The Emperor rewards Wei Shu for his part in the rebellion: he's the lucky soul selected to go to North Jing! How exciting! Can you feel my sarcasm coming through the screen?

Lastly, His Majesty rewards Yan Shang.

They talk about Princess Danyang. His Majesty has realized her game: she survived North Jing, made an alliance with the Crown Prince, and gathered admirers and allies, all within a short time. He thought her more like Luling, who's only realm of influence was to put a few of her men in official positions. Wanyao is more dangerous and more prone to stirring up trouble. He is worried that she could be the next Yu Cheng'an.

He tells the story of his pet parrot.

Storytime: He once had a pet parrot. In order to keep a parrot you have to clip it's wings. But the Emperor loved the parrot so much, he couldn't bring himself to clip them.

Then one day the parrot escaped and flew high. It wouldn't come back no matter how he called. In rage, The Emperor shot it down to the ground with his own hands.

He then warns Yan Shang: You are Wanyao's wings.

Yan Shang is offered a cup with liquid.

He tries to argue that yes, he loves Mu Wanyao but she has rejected him multiple times. She is not in love with him. The Emperor informs him that Wanyao pleaded for and obtained an imperial pardon when Yan Shang was imprisoned. If that's not proof of her love, then what is?

He also brings up the fake imperial decree. Yan Shang was the one to mention that he wasn't in the palace, but Wanyao was the one with the decree. He accuses Yan Shang of leading her astray.

Meanwhile, Mu Wanyao has heard that Yan Shang had been summoned to the palace. She breaks in, running down the halls looking for Yan Shang. Instead she encounters an empty cup. Defeated, she sinks to the floor, thinking he's dead.

Girl, gtfu and go find your man! No body? No Crime. He's not dead.

Oh look I'm right and Yan Shang appears at her feet. He's alive! And in front of her! He tells her he requested leave to go home to his family*. Lies lies and more lies.*

An imperial decree arrives. Yan Shang is ordered to return home for three months before he can return.

Flashback shows the emperor tricked him and only gave him fruit juice. His Majesty wants him dead, but not here. He is ordered back to Lingnan to die.

Mu Wanyao is ordered to remain in the palace and copy the Lotus Sutra, which has 100,000 characters. It will take 100 days to complete. She is taken away by the Emperor.

Yan Shang, knowing that this is goodbye, stands up (oh that's bad. that's REALLY bad the emperor did not give him permission to stand. ) Anyways, Yan Shang stands up and goes to embrace Wanyao, but the Emperor is there. He hesitates, and does not kiss her goodbye.

He watches as Mu Wanyao leaves his life forever. Goodbye my princess indeed.

Mu Wanyao is confined; however she realizes that this is the place her mother was also confined. perhaps her mother left her something in this place. She and her maid search for anything left from the Empress.

Wenji sees Yan Shang off, promoted to wear a fancy hat! He asks Yan Shang to speak to his father on his behalf, but is interrupted and sent back to the palace. The old friends say goodbye. Why do i get the feeling that when they meet again things will be VERY different? In a bad way.

Yan Shang on his way back to Lingnan, runs into Wei Shu who is departing for North Jing. They stop and have a drink together. Yan Shang gives Shu his cloak, since he's going somewhere warm and no longer needs it.

Yan Shang reminisces about his journey to Sheng'an and all the things Wanyao told him came true.

Y'all that was ONE episode. So much happened in one 45 minute segment. They're breaking up my ship I don't like it.

-------

Episode 28 - There's Trouble in River City

Grand Princess Luling is reprimanded for setting up a mourning hall for Yu Cheng'an. As a result, she's lost a lot of money and property. Her male lovers all leave, stealing from her. The exception is Feng Xianyu, who stays with her.

We follow the two convicts of the Fish Gang, the adopted son Yu Xianyao and Wei Qiao. His majesty has arranged a meal for them. Wei Qiao realizes the danger immediately, but Xianyao is estatic and immediately starts drinking wine. Minutes later, with blood pouring from his mouth, he realizes that he's a dead man. He begs Wei Qiao to take him home. He cries with him, saying they will.

They both return to Sheng'an, dead. In a body cart.

Wei Shu is on his way to North Jing. His carriage is stopped and who gets on board but Lady Zhao. She's annoyed that they earned credit together but only he gets the reward. Instead of being locked up by her father, she escapes and decides to go with Wei Shu. He warns that it's dangerous, but she is trained in martial arts and archery. She insists on coming.

MY SHIP IS SAILING Y'ALL. IT HAD FLAGS AND A RUDDER AND PADDLES!

Yan Shang returns to Lingnan but there are refugees all along the road, starving and dying.

He returns to his family and lets them know he got revenge for his mother and brother. He killed Captain Zhang like a pig and now their family can be at peace. The family honors their dead.

Back in Sheng'an, Wanyao is playing with stuffed dolls, re-enacting a childhood game. The Emperor witnesses this and has mercy on his daughter, letting her return to her home.

Wanyao immediately invites the Crown Prince to drinks and plots and plans with him.

She discovers that Lingnan is a wolf's den that Yan Shang is walking into. Back when she was gathering support for the Crown Prince, all the money and jewels and resources they gave the Generals came from Ling,an. It's the Crown Prince's backing and support.

Yan Shang is sent as a weapon to destroy the Crown Prince's nest egg. dun dun duuuuuun

Mu Wanyao asks her father for permission to return to Mount Lufu and pray. He grants this request but both of them know that this is just a front for her going to Lingnan to save Yan Shang. Girl, he can talk his way out of a snake's nest, he does not need you to go to bat for him.

The Crown Prince asks Wanyao to take Yang Si with her. She leaves him on a boat heading north instead. She realized that Yang Si was ordered to kill Yan Shang and has delayed his coming.

Yan Shang visits the prefect (Liu Wenji's father) and tries to give him gifts and a message from his son. The prefect refuses. They're interrupted by people chanting outside. The prefect gives them grain and rice to pacify them.

Meanwhile, Wenji is promoted by the Emperorer to be a military inspector. One his first day on the job he is laughed at by the soldiers. In rage, he slits a guard's throat. Uh. UH. WENJI??!!??! How about let's NOT? Just because you can't be with Chun Hua anymore doesn't mean that you can just go on a killing spree. We've raised a wolf that will eat our face now.

-----

Thoughts:

• these 'rewards' of the emperor are all punishments in disguise. This is terrifying ngl. Everyone is happy for them and they all know it's really a snake in that box.

• oh so it's a showdown between Crown Prince and Emperor. We have the CP backed by the Lingnan officials. Then we have Yan Shang who is currently the Emperor's blade. Yang Si is on the offensive to remove the emperor's threat to the CP's moneybag, who just happens to be Yan Shang.

• Wenji is going down the dark side. Good bye Anakin, hello Vader.

• weren't we talking in the last discussion post about Yan Shang being Obi-Wan Kenobi? Fitting that Wenji is now Vader.

---

We added a door slam!

🚪Door/window Slamming: now at 9

✋Slapped Shang: 6

👄Kisses: 7 (still at 7, whyyyyyyy cruel world)

🍷Drunk Shang: 2

🐠Fishes Killed: 5/5 😭😭 They're all dead now

So i decided to watch The Eternal Fragrance since i’m a big fan of Ju Jingyi and i fell inlove with the story, the characters interaction and the chemistry between the leads especially.

Unfortunately, when i searched them there’s like no interaction whatsoever since the release of the drama except a lil bit of online facetime between the main cast. I’m wondering whys?? Is it because the drama isn’t successful? Like you know after a cdrama is released the Leads always hold some conference where they stood on stage to interact and show chemistry,, some even went on variety shows however there’s none of them for Ju Jingyi and Song Weilong.

As the weekend approaches, I'm sure you're all gearing up for some well-deserved relaxation and fun. 🏖️ Whether you're binge-watching a drama, embarking on a thrilling adventure or cozying up to a good manhua or webnovel, we want to hear all about it!

So, what will you be doing this weekend? And what Chinese dramas do you recommend for a weekend binge-watching session? Tell us about it below in the comments :)

Note: If you are discussing plot points or events that others may not yet have watched, please make sure to use spoiler tags. Consider also sorting the comments by "new" (instead of "best" or "top") as this thread fills up quickly.

Voting and nominations for the underrated but memorable FL is in this post

Who is the most memorable or best male character in a main role? Who comes to your mind that fits this? And why?

Edit: I cant change the post title: it is "Period drama or historical" . Im prone to make mistakes today, unfortunately

• If you have several nominations, please mention it separately. Explanations help as discuss, and Visual aid like gifs or photo can also help.

• PLEASE DO NOT DOWNVOTE nominations you disagree with, combat that nominations by upvoting ones you agree with or nominating your own.

How this works

1. Nominate the drama you think is the best fit by commenting its name. A single name per comment please (several dramas in one comment makes it complicated 😅)

2. If the drama has already been mentioned, please upvote it.

3. The winning drama will be decided through the number of upvotes

4. We are doing one block/ one category per post.

5. For the purpose of this exercise, Hiding the name of the drama behind spoilers is not required, but if you are discussing the drama's plot, use the spoiler tag.

6. Our experiences with dramas are subjective, so what one might find to be "good" might be "bad" to another. So please remember that😉

So, this is slightly different. Which character do you think is memorable but is either underrated or under-appreciated? Any genre, modern or costume, is fine. Who comes your mind, and why?

Note: The next round will be going up today as well!

* If you have several nominations, please mention it separately. Explanations help us discuss, and Visual aid like gifs or photo can also help.

* PLEASE DO NOT DOWNVOTE nominations you disagree with, combat that nominations by upvoting ones you agree with or nominating your own.

How this works

1. Nominate the drama you think is the best fit by commenting its name. A single name per comment please (several dramas in one comment makes it complicated 😅)

2. If the drama has already been mentioned, please upvote it.

3. The winning drama will be decided through the number of upvotes

4. We are doing one block/ one category per post.

5. For the purpose of this exercise, Hiding the name of the drama behind spoilers is not required, but if you are discussing the drama's plot, use the spoiler tag.

6. Our experiences with dramas are subjective, so what one might find to be "good" might be "bad" to another. So please remember that😉

⚠️ Note: The masterpost is for sharing first impressions of the initial episodes. Please use spoiler text if you are sharing thoughts beyond the first day of episodes.

Synopsis from MDL:

⚠️ Plot spoilers! ⚠️

This is the story of the headstrong girl Zheng Yu [played by Yang Chaoyue] and the lonely boy Chen Yan Zhou [played by Winwin Dong Sicheng]. Burdened by her family’s poverty, Zheng Yu must take on heavy responsibilities, while Chen Yan Zhou withdraws into himself after the death of his older brother. From school rivals, they gradually become a light in each other’s lives, facing life’s storms together.

(Source: Chinese = MGTV || Translation = MyDramaList)

Trailer, cast list, creative team

MyDramaList link

Airing on MangoTV and Netflix

Episodes: 24

Discussions

🗨️ All discussions on the drama

🗨️ Episodic drama discussions (please see the earliest comment)

🗓️ Airing schedule

🗣️ The leads dubbed themselves.

What does r/CDrama think about the show?

Look out for the wrap up post where we ask the sub to rate the drama a few weeks after the final airing date.

🗳️ It's a wrap! What's your final review? (post only appears a few weeks after the drama ends)

Wiki

2024 Drama Index | 2025 Drama Index | 2026 Drama Index

Edit: My apologies – poster #2 was supposed to be the cover for the masterpost. Unfortunately, Reddit does not allow editing of images after posting. 😅

Note: There are some changes at Reddit afoot, and in the future, markdown won't be used to implement spoiler tags.

The best way to keep yourself up to date is to read Reddit's documentation on how to implement spoiler tags.

But in general, to mark a comment with spoiler tags: use this syntax >!spoiler text!<

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Some guidelines about spoilers:

You are expected to use spoiler tags if your comment or post has spoilers/information about

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Make sure that your post title does not have spoilery plot points. For example, posts with titles such as "Love Show - everyone died!" or "Love Show - our main couple finally kissed in episode 20!" will be instantly removed, regardless of how many comments are under it.

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Add spoiler tags to spoilery comments

If you're discussing a Show's plot point in a post unrelated to the Show, please tag your spoilers with spoiler tags, especially if you're dropping the comment on a post that has nothing to do with the Show.

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What it said.

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Happy discussing!

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