I’m behind again, aren’t I, agdr03?

1. Out of sight, out of mind?

He ordered her out of his sight, but he was still getting reports about her.

Mr. Sheng sought his approval to assign Tian Qi to the army as a medical doctor. He vetoed it saying it wasn’t far enough. He wanted her out of his sight. Mr. Sheng then suggested the fields where she could cultivate the herbs. Since he’d ever visited them before, there was no reason for him to do so now. If Tian Qi was sent there, he’d never see her again. Ji Heng sighed, and he agreed.

2. Cinematography

Let’s talk about the cinematography. I’d promised to explain my take on the cinematography and how it enhanced the story.

For instance, I like the way the director transitioned from Ji Heng walking out of his mother’s quarters to Qian Ti fainting outside the woodshed.

He’d been reminded by his mother that he needed to marry. He knew who his mother was forcing on him — his cousin Ning’er who sat daintily across from him. He shortly left the hall to walk down a wooden corridor with open windows one side, and imposing columns on the other.

We get the impression that he was a solitary man with heavy problems on his mind.

Then he stood in front of the camera, showing us an extreme close-up of his face. He was frowning.

A close-up shot is often used to show the character’s mental state but at this point, we don’t know yet what EXACTLY was troubling him. He then turned his back on the camera and walked a few steps. He stared at the cloudless sky.

Here, we’re reminded of the other cloudless day when he’d flown kites to apologize to Tian Qi.

The kites had all been marked with the word “Regret” on them, until Tian Qi joined him and wrote “Joy” on her kite.

To me, Tian Qi was the reason he stood there and looked up at the skies. He was remembering their kite-flying day.

Then, the camera switched from his back view to his front, then it zoomed away from him. To me, this zooming effect was to replicate the motion of a kite flying away when its string was let lose. The kite would soar high up in the air, flying away from him — just like the camera zoomed away from him.

From this high-vantage point, or a bird’s eye view, we then watch Ji Heng standing alone in his vast mansion, staring up at the sky.

To me, now, the reason for his frown earlier has become clear. He was regretting having to send Tian Qi away. If we were a kite, then we would have been a kite marked with “Regret,” too.

See that?

Then, camera dissolved into the next scene. It was another bird’s eye view of an unfamiliar location. It was Tian Qi’s place of exile.

We can see a small hut with a thatched roof, rural road, trees, and neat rows of shrubs behind the house.

Next we see Tian Qi struggling with a wheelbarrow of firewood. She dropped the handles.

To me, the two scenes, the one earlier of Ji Heng standing in his manor, and this one of Tian Qi in the hut, paralleled each other.

Ji Heng’s grand house vs Tian Qi’s humble abode
Ji Heng, standing motionless and pensive vs Tian Qi, huffing and puffing
Ji Heng, standing by himself vs Tian Qi accompanied by Dr. Ding
Ji Heng was thinking of her vs she was too busy to spare him a thought.

And to me, what connected the two scenes was an imaginary kite in the sky. It flew from Ji Heng’s house and landing at her feet.

This invisible kite would represent his thoughts of her. He was thinking about her that day and wondering how she was doing at the herbal farm. He regretted that he told her to go.

Now, she began to unload the wood. Her mentor Dr Ding came out to talk to her. He asked her what she’d done to make the General so angry with her that he banished her from the manor.

Dr Ding was upset because he’d gone to the General intending to plead for her, but was summarily ordered to join her too. (lol. I think Ji Heng sent him on purpose so Tian Qi would have a friend and companion with her.)

Tian Qi said she didn’t know either. She was resigned to the fact that he changed his mood hourly. One moment, he was flying a kite with her and joking around,

And then in the next, he was telling her to get of his sight.

But she said there was no use thinking about it anymore. She had work to do. She planned to work hard and get out of there as soon as possible. She told herself that she couldn’t be depressed. She had to think of a way to rise again. She still had to avenge her parents’ murder.

And then she fainted.

And her fainting spell was reported that same night to Ji Heng.

3. Constantly at work

Ever since Tian Qi left, Ji Heng had been hard at work. Mr. Sheng had been urging him to rest and to take care of himself to no avail.

To me, Mr. Sheng and Mr Ding are two peas in a pod. Just like Dr. Ding wanted to know what Tian Qi did to make JH angry at her, Mr. Sheng wanted to know what she did to make him furious. (Ha! Why are these two sidekicks blaming Tian Qi for JH’s moods?)

Since his insomnia could only be treated by Tian Qi, Mr. Sheng wanted him to forgive Tian Qi so she’d transfer back to the manor. But JH insisted that he had a reason behind his action.

He then asked his steward, “Sheng Anhuai, don’t you think Tian Qi always speaks nice words. But he has some secrets that we can’t figure out.” He then asked about her.

JH: How is Tian Qi doing?
Sheng: Dr. Tian has never been good at physical labor. Plus, working in the field isn’t an easy job. Nowadays it’s getting hotter. I heard today when Dr. Tian was working, he fainted in the heat.
JH: (agitated) Was it serious?

Sheng: Please don’t worry, my lord. He’s fine.
JH: (sighing) That’s good.

4. The dream

That night, he dreamt he was chasing Zhao’er who was walking away from him. When he caught up and turned her around, he was shocked to see that it was Tian Qi.

He woke up from his dream calling her name.

But it was his cousin Ning’er who was beside him, fanning him to sleep. He ordered her out.

Three things here from this scene:

First, subconsciously, he was aware that Zhao’er and Tian Qi are the same person.

Second, the dream sequences showed us that he had psychic abilities.

Just kidding.

His dreams mirrored what Tian Qi was feeling and going through. For instance, in his dream, he saw Tian Qi walking away from him. In reality, Tian Qi was indeed walking away. She was rebuilding her life outside the Ji Manor. She started her own make-up business.

Third, he didn’t want anybody touching Tian Qi’s fan.

This is interesting because it’s easy for us to regard the fan as an object of her servitude. She was his “slave” fanning him every night. But when he shouted angry at Ning’er for fanning him, then we begin to see as something else.

The fan has become a token of affection. The fan was Tian Qi’s alone and no one else was granted the permission (or the privilege, if you wish) of watching over him while he slept.

5. The pillow

The following day, Mr Sheng suggesting calling Tian Qi when he sneezed.

Sheng: My lord, you sneezed. Did you catch a cold? Shall we ask Dr. Tian to come here?
JH: No. Sneezing doesn’t mean I caught a cold.
Sheng: My lord, as the saying goes, one sneeze means someone is missing you, two means someone is someone is saying bad things about you, and three is catching cold. You sneezed once. It might be someone is thinking of you. Maybe it’s that guy (meaning, Tian Qi).
JH: Shut up.

But as it turned out, she was thinking of him. She was wondering if he was eating well and sleeping well without her. Then, on second thought, she decided, “Why do I care about him. He can do whatever he likes. He’d better have nightmares every night and be scared to death.”

Later, she was sewing him a pillow. When Mr. Sheng paid her a visit, she sent the pillow with him. Mr. Sheng gave it to a …

Sheng: My lord, this medical pillow was sewn by Dr. Tian herself. He asked me to hand it over to you. Also, he said some words to me.
JH: What did he say?
Sheng: (dramatically) He said the General tossed and turned at night. He can’t sleep peacefully. This medical pillow could help to calm the nerves. I also put his favorite gardenia inside the pillow. Mr. Sheng if you’re worried, check it before passing it to the General. Also, please don’t tell his lordship that I made it. I’m afraid he’s still mad at me then he won’t use this pillow in rage.

lol. She knew him well.

JH: (quietly) How is he doing now?
Sheng: (lying) I think my lord must have heard about it. Dr Tian, on the first day of work, fainted in the summer heat. In fact, Dr. Tian isn’t as strong as other men. He’s still suffering from heatstroke and now work night and day. Sooner or later, he’ll have the serious illness. Today I saw him. He was wasting away through illness. Poor Dr. Tian. What poor boy.
JH: Fine. Let’s take a look.

6. Blaming herself

Of course, when they visited her, she and Mr. Ding was doing a brisk business with her facial cream. Ji Heng was upset. “Who told me that after Tian Qi came here, his life is miserable and hard? And that he missed the life in Mansion Ji very much?”

I don’t think he realized that his dream had come true. He was chasing after her while she was walking away.

But what really set him off was overhearing her conversation with Dr. Ding.

Ding: Tian Qi, you were kicked out by the General for no reason. Don’t you hate him at all?
TQ: Why would I hate him? I hate myself more.

He looked stunned.

Ding: Why?
TQ: I just wondered why I was so stupid to take him as a friend without hesitation. I am only a servant. He is the General. How can I take him as my real friend? How can I not blame myself?

Hearing her, Ji Heng ordered Sheng, “Anything related to him, don’t report to me anymore.”

I’m sure you’re wondering what right he had to be offended by Tian Qi’s words. After all he was the one who banished her to a farm.

But you must put yourself in his shoes.

He overhead her blaming herself for stupidly believing he was a friend when there was a wide gap in status between them. She was saying that HE couldn’t really regard her as a friend, when she was a servant and he was the General.

Remember, in the previous episode he was upset that, despite him treating her well and taking her in as a friend, she wasn’t faithful to him. She was planning to move to JH’s manor because of money. And now here she was again belittling their relationship as servant and general.

He was hurt that:

a) she didn’t think much of their personal connection,
b) she didn’t want to rely him as a friend, and
c) she didn’t believe him to be sincere when he said she was his man.