Since we’ll be swamped with manifold reveals in these last episodes, I want to take time now to appreciate the romance. As interested as I was with the mystery cases and power plays are, I stayed chiefly for the romance. Compared to the kdrama I was watching at the same time “Head Over Heels,” it’s been satisfying to watch this love story without the push-pull dynamics.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

In Ep 22, Yan Chi finds Shen Wan waiting outside the Empress Dowager’s (ED) mansion. He looks tired to the bone. He just buried his father but can’t even apply for bereavement leave as the shady emperor may suspect him of plotting something. But what weighs heavily on him is the uncertainty of his future with Shen Wan. He doesn’t want to drag Shen Wan with him but — note here — he isn’t going to cop out on her in the name of  “noble stupidity.”  Instead, he’s going to communicate with her and ask for her opinion. Now, isn’t that a mature way of writing a romance, kdrama screenwriters? 

YC: Wan. If I lose my position at the Ministry of Justice and fail to inherit the throne…

He means the seat of his father. Remember he’s the “heir of Prince Rui” who was the late ruler of the Shuoxi province.

YC: … would you still be willing to marry me?
SW: (stepping closer and taking his hand) I could open a medical clinic and support you quite comfortably. Yan Chi, I don’t want to wait for some auspicious date anymore. I’ll go ask the Empress Dowager to grant us permission to marry. It’s just I don’t know if you’re willing.

Awww. 😍 SHE’s proposing marriage, too, and I approve of her proactive stance. I like that she takes charge of their future together. She isn’t afraid to come out and say that she wants to be married asap. Considering that she was the one who wanted to delay their wedding, in the first place, until her father’s name was clear, her change of mind indicates that she’s reasonable and flexible. In life, it’s easy to live with someone like that.

Of course, Yan Chi is moved by her suggestion, but before he can say more than her name, the ED’s maidservant calls them both in.

Inside the residence, they both try to comfort the grieving old lady to little avail. She seems ready to die of a broken heart. (Hmmm…I don’t know if she’s punishing herself or her son, the emperor.) So, Yan Chi kneels in front of her to make a formal request.

YC: Grandmother. Father spent his entire life on the battlefield, never having a single day of peace. Before he passed away, I failed to let him see me get married or establish a career. I wish to wed Princess Yongci as soon as possible during the mourning period to comfort Father’s spirit. So he may rest in peace. I hope you will grant this wish, Grandmother.

Nice spin-move there, Yan Chi!

He kills three birds with one stone. One, he observes filial piety. Two, he makes the ED temporarily forget her sorrow. Three, he schedules his wedding with Shen Wan despite the mourning period “ban.” According to google, there’s a 100-day to 3-year mourning period. His maneuver achieves all three objectives without ruffling any feathers.

ED: Marrying during the mourning period will surely invite criticism. If the ceremony has to be simple, I fear it would be unfair to you. (looking at SW)

She’s saying that she isn’t opposed to the idea of their marriage during the mourning period. However, she doesn’t know the best course of action. On one hand, a royal marriage necessitates pomp and pageantry, but this won’t be feasible given that Prince Rui just passed away. On the other hand, if the wedding formalities are pared down, then it will appear as if Shen Wan is being robbed of the grandeur of a royal wedding — or being slighted by the royal family.

In response, Shen Wan joins Yan Chi to kneel before the ED and makes her own petition. (I like the bright smile on her face. The actress Landy Li really has the most iridescent smile I’ve seen in a long while in cdramas. I’ll post a screenshot when I can.)

SW: Your Majesty. This is what I originally wanted to ask of you. But Yan Chi beat me to it. I’ve even worked as a coroner, so why should I fear other’s criticism? As long as Yan Chi and I are of one mind, I won’t feel wronged.

She makes three excellent points.

One, her career has made her immune to criticism. Two, what matters is their mutual understanding. And three, she displays that she and Yan Chi have been on the same wavelength since Episode 15.

I like how they can read each other’s mind and finish each other’s sentences. I’m really grateful that this cdrama has given me many agony-free, misunderstanding-free scenes with the Main Couple unlike other cdramas (and I’m looking at you, “Lost You Forever”). The angst is reserved for the comical Second Couple, Yan Li and Princess Yongning.

The ED approaches them.

ED: (sighing) Heaven took away one of my sons, but in return, it gave me such a wonderful granddaughter-in-law. So be it. I’ll have the Imperial Astronomical Bureau select an auspicious date for your wedding.

They thank their fairy godmother effusively.

As it turns out, Shen Wan has the happiest wedding day of all the Qin girls.

Let’s fast-forward to Episode 23.

First, Qin Zhaoyu.

Because of the scandal of the empress, Zhaoyu’s groom, the Crown Prince is punished to hold a wedding with “minimal ceremony.” Only the King, ED, and officials of the court are present to witness the rite. The venue — a very dim state hall — probably foreshadows his grim future in the monarchy. His mother is conspicuously absent.

Afterwards, he meets his bride Zhaoyu in the bridal bedroom, and she assures him that their situation is only a “temporary storm.” What wishful thinking! She’s pretty much clueless, isn’t she? As long as she’s married her crown prince, she ignores the headwinds.

It’s worth noting that the camera angle as the scene fades away to the next scene. In the last shot of the couple, the director showed them upside down. It’s a hint of the upheaval to come.

Second, Qin Xiang. Because she’s made her bed, now she must lie in it.

As a concubine in Prince Cheng’s household, her married life is off to a hellish start. His consort bullies her which results in her suffering a miscarriage. When the consort feigns innocence, Prince Cheng manhandles and threatens her. Well, that’s a bad sign right there. If he can abuse his consort, he can certainly abuse Qin Xiang, too, if and when she falls into disfavor. He doesn’t respect women.

As for the third cousin, Qin Shuang, she seems to have found a love match with the soldier she met at the spring day festival. Good for her!

In comparison to her cousins’ wedding, Shen Wan’s wedding is the closest to the ideal wedding we usually picture for a happily-ever-after.

She has all the guests she needed in attendance. The Grand Princess, ED, Yan Li, Princess YongNing and Prince Ze (is he good or bad? I don’t know yet but he’s supposedly a childhood friend of Yan Chi) are there.

Though she and Yan Chi aren’t wearing the traditional red garments for the wedding (because they’re in mourning), they look regal in blue.

I like that they’re shown observing the conventional wedding rite: bowing first to heaven and earth, then to their parents (and since they’re both orphans, to their grandmothers), and lastly, to each other.

Then, that night, they perform the “jiaobei” or crossed-cup drinking in the privacy of their bedroom.

Noteworthy: All the Qin girls are shown doing ritual on their wedding night except the concubine Xiang. This omission makes clear why the Qin patriarch adamantly objected to Xiang being a concubine of Prince Cheng. He stated that no legitimate daughter (meaning born from a consort, not a concubine) of the Qin clan can agree to become a concubine. Not only is it a sign of demotion in social status, it’s similar to being effaced or deleted from relevance.

After the jiaobei, Yan Chi gives her a gift (another one to add to the list!). He hands her a couple bracelets which he made by himself. He puts it on her, and she does the same. Clearly, this mirrors the tradition of the ring exchange in Western cultures. I like the homemade look of the bracelets, though.

But the icing on the cake is the “honggaitou” or the red veil. Since they kept the ceremony simple, Shen Wan only held a fan to cover her face as she processed down the aisle. She had no red veil over her face.

So that night, she takes out a red tissue which she holds in front of her face as she scans around the room.

As we all know, the color red in Chinese culture means good luck and happiness. Though she’s denied from wearing red, she takes the initiative to incorporate the color red on her wedding day in an ingenious way. To me, it signals her determination to make her own luck and happiness with Yan Chi.

And I like imagery, too. A typical bride veiled in red would have seen the room bathed in that red tint. So, by looking through the red tissue she’s also viewing the world with the same positive, optimistic light.

SW: Heart to heart, and soul to soul. Deep love binds, and makes us whole. Tying the knot, we are one. Bound we are, till the end of days.

She lowers the tissue and smiles at him.

I believe Yan Chi understands her gesture. She’s finding the silver lining… or  more aptly, the red tissue in their circumstances. She’ll make the best out of their bad situation.

He feels humbled so he tears up.

YC: (apologizing) Thank you for putting up with me.
SW: (shaking her head) All I ever wanted was to build a home with you. Now that I have it, nothing else matters.

And they hold hands.

Of course, their marriage doesn’t stop them from talking about state affairs. Later that night, Yan Chi tells her about his worries, from the Prince Jin’s case to Yan Li’s job promotion, and to emperor’s growing distrust.

They go to bed, not to engage in marital intimacy but to conserve energy for the following day. Too funny.

Overall, I thought there’s a healthy feminist message in these wedding scenes. Shen Wan is a co-partner in the marriage. She isn’t a passive witness in the ceremony. It’s her decision as much as it’s Yan Chi’s to begin this new level of their relationship. They aren’t “given away” by their parents as they’re both orphans, but they give themselves to each other, willingly. They take active and equal complementary roles in the marriage.

I think the wedding scene is as meaningful to the story as their confession scene so I dedicate a whole thread to it. 🙂