Voted "Royal Most Likely to Deliver Your Marketplace Baby" five times running by the Daily Post

[dangermousie]

I wasn't particularly interested in the 'Chu's third prince' storyline, but how much did I love that Eight and Qing Chuan tried to bust him for fraud but ended up having to deliver his wife's baby in an emergency? LOLOLOLOL. I think this may be one of my favorite sequences in JPLH so far

Comments

[hanjae]

YAY, this part! The episode was mostly politics but it's the little moments that really show how Eight/QC has progressed as a couple. They can both be impulsive, but the reason why they match so well despite of this is because they're impulsive at different times. Eight becomes bull-headed and acts before he thinks when it involves a person he cares a lot about. At these moments, QC is able to hold him back and calm him down, because she's a lot more clear-headed about her emotions (you can see it in the way she analyses her feelings). And when QC is being overly-impulsive, it's because she's so quick-witted; she has so many ideas flitting about that when she decides on something, it becomes a totally one-track mind. In these situations, Eight has the ability to see the bigger picture and holds her back in turn

[dangermousie]

Eight, a normal guy, would of course never compare to her perfect illusion of a man, i.e. what Four was to her. Yes. Not even Four, even if he wasn't manipulative murderer, could compare to her ideal. A few weeks with him and she would have been deeply disillusioned. She would have been deeply disillusioned by any flesh-and-blood man. It really wasn't real love because as soon as the bubble collapsed, she wrote him off enirely - never tried to figure it out or fight for it or anything

[hanjae]

Yeah, it's interesting to note that she never tried to hear him out or even consider him after she found out what he was really like, isn't it? That was what made it clear to me it wasn't love; she was completely unable to accept him for who he is and/or help him change and give him a 2nd chance. Four, also, accepted it a bit too quickly and almost immediately reverted to his previous self.

It really was a kick in the guts, wasn't it? It was all so happy and I thought they were heading towards a fairytale conclusion to the whole thing, and then Eunuch Li goes, "Your Majesty, they all killed themselves!" Bwuh. More than anything, I liked how straightforward Eight and QC both are about facing problems. Yes, QC feels guilty, but she doesn't wallow in it; she learns from the experience, resolves to be less thoughtless next time, and moves on. I really loved that scene; it irritates the HECK out of me that there's a glitch right there. XD

[dangermousie]

With Four, it's as if she's punishing him for not being her ideal/making her act in uncharacteristically swoony fashion previously.

Yes, neither one tried too hard. I do think Four's feelings for her were deeply genuine but it really highlights that the scheming and ruthlessness and ambition are to deeply ingrained in him to give up (and ditto expectation of being betrayed by love). It really does convince me that even if he and QC left, after a couple of weeks of unworldly bliss, he would have reverted to his old self. Old self who also loves QC, but old self nontheless.

[hanjae]

It also makes me wonder that if he couldn't even match half of Eight's persistence in chasing QC, and didn't even make the effort to change himself anyway and SHOW HER that he's a better person than she thinks... how much did he love her? While his feelings were genuine, we only saw the enthusiasm of a guy during his honeymoon phase, and the lack of effort on his part really puts the possibility of a long-term relationship in doubt. Clearly, he needed QC to put the lion's share of the effort in their relationship; the minute she signed out, he gave up

[dangermousie]

For heaven's sake, man, you tried to have her killed! Multiple times! Telling her you're all reformed now and have no plans to kill her again just doesn't cut it

Exactly. I think it's because he's had those insane clingy women like SY and his wife and so he's used to women who'd put up with anything. But QC is far too sane and has self-respect. And also, she's not the type to do all the work in a relationship - she's too analytical and detached for that. Of course, once you truly win her, you have her for good, but you have to put a lot of legwork in.