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extrapenguin...but first, if you've wanted Xiao Jinghuan's Downfall icons, I have an album of medium-sized square-or-almost screengrabs on Imgur. (The size is so you can crop it closer if you feel like it.) Feel free to use wherever. I might make a more inclusive (ie, includes people other than Yu) version and requests are welcome. Do you want people being all down and defeated, or is happiness allowed? There'll be a Nihuang in armor atop horse with spear, and a Jingyan holding up hand in armor atop horse (that scene from ep 44), but other than that, suggestions welcome.
Now, on to the main program.
The scheming comes to a resolution! Princess Laiyang was the one behind Consort Shu's death and the Donghai Vermillion Glue plot – at least, the investigation ended there. Puyang Ying seems to be kinda-sorta masterminding that/using it for his own purposes, as well as masterminding the other, Duan Tongzhou-using schemes against Changlin. Laiyang is also the worst at lying, but I suppose sexism would work to her benefit and no-one would suspect her in the first place.
How'd Laiyang get poison that the Imperial Doctors didn't detect, anyway? Surely it should've come up in the autopsy? What did Prince Laiyang Sr do, anyway, that would cut off Jingyan's favor for him and also have Tingsheng kill him?
Lin Xi only appeared briefly in these eps, but her deductive skills were excellent – from the nature of the crime, she deduced it was possibly a noblewoman. Pingjing's being surprisingly mature about his betrothal. Yun-jie behaved a tad suspiciously in ep 9; she might come up later. The Empress was behaving quite suspiciously with the letter-handover, and while the Emperor might've missed it, Pingjing and Pingzhang didn't seem to.
Pingzhang and Meng Qianxue are very cute together, and Meng Qianxue is good with her sword. I see that Tingsheng inherited Xiao Xuan's (granddadperor?) tendency to throw things when angry. The empty tablet in the ancestral hall was a nice touch, and the speech on what it was for was inspiring. (Jingyan probably wanted to give them one that read Prince Qi.) The fact that Pingzhang is adopted, too – idk what they'll go for here, but it sort of fits that the adopted son would name the adopted son as heir. Also, Pingzhang is way more mature. (For maximum drama, Pingzhang should be Prince Yu's posthumous son – he even looks a bit like him – but the ages don't match at all. Alas, Yu-son would be the Emperor's age.) The mention of Prince Ning was nice – it seems that Jingting lives/lived as a valued uncle.
Pingjing and Feizhan's investigative partnership was fun to watch! They seem to get on well together. Much better than Pingjing and politics. (Someone get the kid on a politics course stat.) He certainly didn't inherit that aptitude from his father. Pingjing is, however, a genuinely open and honest person, and good at comforting eg Yuanqi. His shocked face in reaction to the Pingzhang is adopted revelation was also adorable.
Nirvana in Fire had a much more vivid color palette with way more warm colors and reds and shiny stuff. NiF 2 seems much cooler and blue-greener. Best dressed so far are Pingjing and the Empress.
Now, on to the main program.
The scheming comes to a resolution! Princess Laiyang was the one behind Consort Shu's death and the Donghai Vermillion Glue plot – at least, the investigation ended there. Puyang Ying seems to be kinda-sorta masterminding that/using it for his own purposes, as well as masterminding the other, Duan Tongzhou-using schemes against Changlin. Laiyang is also the worst at lying, but I suppose sexism would work to her benefit and no-one would suspect her in the first place.
How'd Laiyang get poison that the Imperial Doctors didn't detect, anyway? Surely it should've come up in the autopsy? What did Prince Laiyang Sr do, anyway, that would cut off Jingyan's favor for him and also have Tingsheng kill him?
Lin Xi only appeared briefly in these eps, but her deductive skills were excellent – from the nature of the crime, she deduced it was possibly a noblewoman. Pingjing's being surprisingly mature about his betrothal. Yun-jie behaved a tad suspiciously in ep 9; she might come up later. The Empress was behaving quite suspiciously with the letter-handover, and while the Emperor might've missed it, Pingjing and Pingzhang didn't seem to.
Pingzhang and Meng Qianxue are very cute together, and Meng Qianxue is good with her sword. I see that Tingsheng inherited Xiao Xuan's (granddadperor?) tendency to throw things when angry. The empty tablet in the ancestral hall was a nice touch, and the speech on what it was for was inspiring. (Jingyan probably wanted to give them one that read Prince Qi.) The fact that Pingzhang is adopted, too – idk what they'll go for here, but it sort of fits that the adopted son would name the adopted son as heir. Also, Pingzhang is way more mature. (For maximum drama, Pingzhang should be Prince Yu's posthumous son – he even looks a bit like him – but the ages don't match at all. Alas, Yu-son would be the Emperor's age.) The mention of Prince Ning was nice – it seems that Jingting lives/lived as a valued uncle.
Pingjing and Feizhan's investigative partnership was fun to watch! They seem to get on well together. Much better than Pingjing and politics. (Someone get the kid on a politics course stat.) He certainly didn't inherit that aptitude from his father. Pingjing is, however, a genuinely open and honest person, and good at comforting eg Yuanqi. His shocked face in reaction to the Pingzhang is adopted revelation was also adorable.
Nirvana in Fire had a much more vivid color palette with way more warm colors and reds and shiny stuff. NiF 2 seems much cooler and blue-greener. Best dressed so far are Pingjing and the Empress.