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extrapenguin(Do I need a Nirvana in Fire icon?) I started taking notes. My commentary is organised by topic.
Misc: The fact that this is a series that will actually take the "transport intrigue" route is RTMI. I like the fact that MCS is just chillin', reading, while there's a battle outside his door. Fei Lin is convincingly a kid, playing in the snow and enjoying toys, though I wonder whether his delayed/lacking development is patterned upon any real disorder or just plot-convenient. I finally figured out the braid-and-bun hairstyle thingy most of the men seem to sport (it works). Prince Yu has a better fashion sense than the Crown Prince, and is also prettier. And much, much smarter and more capable of improvising. Not into the Mu Nihuang love plot stuff. The Empress' illness is quite intriguing. I don't think the gunpowder will necessarily be used against MCS; rather another target. (Fei Liu?)
Mei Changsu and his motives: I like that, in addition to being on his quest for vengeance and righting past wrongs, he also seems to be pushing things towards a more meritocratic position. "Yo, Jing, here are competent people who won't rise because they're not sycophantic enough towards Yu or the Crown Prince!" I suppose part of the reason he's doing this is also because the Emperor only cares for himself, and MCS wants someone more just on the throne. MCS also has a whole lotta friends to aid him in his revenge. Manipulating Yu to be on Jing's side was quite a maneuver.
Prince Jing: Jing is honorable and his father's least favorite. It was nice that one of the court case's staff brought it up, since a) acknowledgement, b) validation, and c) the other staff, Competent People Recommended by MCS, will probably remember Jing doing well without reward and have their regard for him increase. Actually, him getting to be good at something was nice. Jing's mom either poisoned the Empress or suspects something.
Qi Banruo: She is Prince Yu's sister? Is this related to the fact that Yu was adopted (ie, they share the same birth mother), or did Yu just refer to her as "sister" as a term of endearment? In which case, from where does she get the "Highness" title from? She's "like the Xuanji Princess". (Have I misunderstood everything completely?)
Things that confuse me: is Prince Jing's mom the medic concubine from earlier? How on Earth did the Crown Prince get named as the Crown Prince? Is he older than Yu, or did he actually do something? A primer on how the mother's status affects the son's status would also be nice.
Stuff I want, fanworks edition: Xia Dong investigating a matter. The new Minister for Transport (Shi??) sending someone to investigate something. The long casefic edition of someone investigating a discrepancy, complete with infodumps about gunpowder legislation or whatever. Prince Jing being competent. Fanart of Xia Dong, Meng Zhi, or Prince Jing.
Misc: The fact that this is a series that will actually take the "transport intrigue" route is RTMI. I like the fact that MCS is just chillin', reading, while there's a battle outside his door. Fei Lin is convincingly a kid, playing in the snow and enjoying toys, though I wonder whether his delayed/lacking development is patterned upon any real disorder or just plot-convenient. I finally figured out the braid-and-bun hairstyle thingy most of the men seem to sport (it works). Prince Yu has a better fashion sense than the Crown Prince, and is also prettier. And much, much smarter and more capable of improvising. Not into the Mu Nihuang love plot stuff. The Empress' illness is quite intriguing. I don't think the gunpowder will necessarily be used against MCS; rather another target. (Fei Liu?)
Mei Changsu and his motives: I like that, in addition to being on his quest for vengeance and righting past wrongs, he also seems to be pushing things towards a more meritocratic position. "Yo, Jing, here are competent people who won't rise because they're not sycophantic enough towards Yu or the Crown Prince!" I suppose part of the reason he's doing this is also because the Emperor only cares for himself, and MCS wants someone more just on the throne. MCS also has a whole lotta friends to aid him in his revenge. Manipulating Yu to be on Jing's side was quite a maneuver.
Prince Jing: Jing is honorable and his father's least favorite. It was nice that one of the court case's staff brought it up, since a) acknowledgement, b) validation, and c) the other staff, Competent People Recommended by MCS, will probably remember Jing doing well without reward and have their regard for him increase. Actually, him getting to be good at something was nice. Jing's mom either poisoned the Empress or suspects something.
Qi Banruo: She is Prince Yu's sister? Is this related to the fact that Yu was adopted (ie, they share the same birth mother), or did Yu just refer to her as "sister" as a term of endearment? In which case, from where does she get the "Highness" title from? She's "like the Xuanji Princess". (Have I misunderstood everything completely?)
Things that confuse me: is Prince Jing's mom the medic concubine from earlier? How on Earth did the Crown Prince get named as the Crown Prince? Is he older than Yu, or did he actually do something? A primer on how the mother's status affects the son's status would also be nice.
Stuff I want, fanworks edition: Xia Dong investigating a matter. The new Minister for Transport (Shi??) sending someone to investigate something. The long casefic edition of someone investigating a discrepancy, complete with infodumps about gunpowder legislation or whatever. Prince Jing being competent. Fanart of Xia Dong, Meng Zhi, or Prince Jing.