Episode 1 recap: Ruyi Self-rescue
For nearly a century since the downfall of the previous dynasty, the land has been ravaged by wars. There have been frequent conflicts between the northern region of Ban and the central plains. Although the nine kingdoms of the central plains each hold their own territories, they have been engaged in continuous strife for many years. Among them, the countries of An and Wu stand out, with Emperor An being warlike and greedy for wealth. In recent years, An Emperor has gradually annexed numerous cities and territories of the neighboring country of Wu, which has made Wu prosperous and strong, and thus viewed as a major threat by Emperor An. In the sixth year of the Yongyou era, Emperor An sought to establish an army to seize the gold mines in the western region of Wu. Wu Emperor Yang Xingyuan confronted him in the south of Tianmen Pass, and thus the conflicts between the two countries intensified. Emperor An, Li Ji, was particularly ambitious.
In the capital city of Wu, Sun Shiyi, the chief of the Bureau of Lost and Found, enjoyed a festive atmosphere with singing and dancing. Sun Shiyi was in a good mood and wished for the emperor's victory. When everyone was jubilant, Crown Prince Han secretly signaled the dancers to retreat. The dancers left and removed their makeup. Ling Long discreetly hinted to Ren Ruyi (played by Liu Shi Shi) to quickly leave. Just as Ren Ruyi stepped out, she was forcibly taken by someone. In her desperation, Ling Long came to her rescue and complained about Ruyi's incompetence, questioning who had chosen her to join the Zhu Yiwei (an elite imperial guard). Ruyi pitifully stated that she was never fit to be a spy and felt scared. Ling Long believed that despite the fear, they had to complete the mission; otherwise, they would both die. The Zhu Yiwei of An Kingdom in the capital city of Wu numbered twenty, but Crown Prince Han was only interested in Ruyi.
Ling Long instructed Ruyi to tidy up and strive to captivate Crown Prince Han's heart, bringing her back to his residence. The success of the An Kingdom's army relied on whether Ruyi could steal the grain map from Crown Prince Han's father's study. Ling Long used a mesmerizing powder to intoxicate the lecherous man, ensuring that when he woke up, he would only remember being drunk and would never again desire women.
Crown Prince Han Ruyi to be intimate with Ruyi, but she pretended to decline, complaining about not wanting to stay in the dilapidated quarters of the entertainment district. She suggested that they leave the banquet together after it ended. Crown Prince Han smirked devilishly and agreed. As the banquet was underway, Zhao Ji, an officer from the Six Dao Hall, arrived. The expressions of those present changed, and Sun Shiyi hurried to greet him. Suddenly, Zhao Ji boldly criticized the lyrics of a song, implying improper intentions. Sun Shiyi quickly claimed that there was evidence of framing and entrapment within the gifts and pleaded with Zhao Ji to take them for investigation. Zhao Ji appreciated his tactfulness.
Crown Prince Han remained motionless, observing how Sun Shiyi had offered the dancers as spies to Zhao Ji, sensing a change in the situation. Zhao Ji ordered the dancers to be executed.
Ruyi and Ling Long, caught off guard by the change in circumstances, decided to observe the situation quietly. However, when Ling Long attempted to resist, Ruyi quickly stepped in to protect her, surprising Ling Long with her excellent martial arts skills.
Ruyi wanted to kill the dancers, but Ling Long couldn't bear to watch. Ruyi believed that dead people were the safest. Ruyi taught Ling Long how to detoxify herself from the minor poison on her body, and Ling Long was curious about Ruyi's background. Ling Long revealed that she hadbeen sold to save her older brother and gave Ruyi a golden bracelet as a token of gratitude. Ruyi promised to give Ling Long the grain map the next day, as she didn't want to owe anyone any favors.
As chaos ensued due to the defeat in battle, Ning Yuan Zhou and General Xiao were the only survivors. Ning Yuan Zhou decided to leave, believing that the emperor had been captured and that he was not a righteous ruler. He didn't want to sacrifice his life unnecessarily and left on his own.
The officials believed that the country couldn't be without a ruler for another day. Empress Xiao Yan arrived and assured them that although the emperor had been defeated, his life was not in danger. She proposed that the Crown Prince take the throne, as she was pregnant with the emperor's child. Elder Zhan Xiang, the head of the Six Dao Hall, saw that the hall had been thrown into chaos by Zhao Ji and ordered him to find Ning Yuan Zhou and save the emperor. He also instructed Ning Yuan Zhou to return within seven days. Zhao Ji initially planned to find Liu Jun, but upon learning of Liu Jun's death, he decided that if he couldn't find Ning Yuan Zhou, he would use the Zhu Yiwei case to make a name for himself.
Ruyi waited for Ling Long in the West Garden Alley but she didn't show up. Ruyi sensed that something might have happened to their hideout and went there to find Ling Long dead and gone. A masked figure appeared, and Zhao Ji realized that he had been played by Ling Long. However, he believed that as a member of the Bai Que, someone would fill the void left by Ling Long's death, and he didn't need to worry about it. He ordered his subordinates to break all of Ling Long's bones before she confessed that she was the mastermind behind the whole incident.
Ruyi overheard everything clearly from the grass. Zhao Ji realized that it was unlikely that Ling Long acted alone and that there must be other accomplices. He decided to seal off the city gates and conduct a search for other enemies, ordering the area to be burned down. Ruyi was accidentally discovered and stabbed, but she took the opportunity to kill the person when Zhao Ji wasn't paying attention. Ruyi discovered that the dagger was poisoned and carried Ling Long out during the raging fire.
After watching the first six episodes , I absolutely love Liu Yu Ning's portrayal of Ning Yuan Zhou. One crucial aspect is his respect for women.
In the sixth episode, when Yu Shi San repeatedly tries to show interest in Ren Ru Yi, Ning Yuan Zhou sternly tells him, "Ren Ru Yi is our business partner, not a woman you can casually tease.
As long as she hasn't shown any signs of favor towards you, every word of your love pursuit is a joke, a lack of respect, especially in front of others.
In Ning Yuan Zhou's perspective, if a man repeatedly seeks love from a woman without any indication or hint of reciprocation, it becomes harassment and a tremendous lack of respect towards her.
If such actions occur in public, it is even more egregious. Ning Yuan Zhou's words are worth every man memorizing repeatedly. Don't think that just because you like someone, you can disregard the woman's feelings and profess love without considering the context or boundaries.
Such behavior not only disrespects the woman but also demonstrates a lack of self-love, self-respect, and shamelessness on the part of the man. In fact, there is a group of men who adhere to the belief that persistently pursuing someone will eventually lead to success.
When they develop an interest in a woman, they employ various methods to pursue her.
There was a time when it became trendy for men to publicly kneel and confess their love, even going as far as claiming they would remain kneeling until the woman agreed, placing the woman in an extremely awkward position.
Hopefully, such incidents will no longer occur in the future.
For Ning Yuan Zhou, Ren Ru Yi is the biggest temptation he has encountered. Faced with such a readily available woman, many men would immediately accept her advances.
However, Ning Yuan Zhou exercises rational restraint because he believes that such actions should only be done with the person he truly loves. At present, he hasn't fallen in love with Ren Ru Yi, so he mustn't overstep boundaries, especially considering his responsibility to help clear the name of his Tian Dao brothers.
Understanding how to respect women to the greatest extent possible, being able to reject tremendous temptations with rationality, and practicing self-love... Anyone who watches a male lead like this would fall in love with him, even if it's only from watching this particular scene.
There should be many people who become infatuated with Ning Yuan Zhou.
Perfectly showcasing the distinction between work and personal life, the entire team's on-the-job demeanor: cool, elegant, and exuding authority, while being humorous and funny after work.
After watching all six episodes, I feel that every scene is exceptionally well-crafted and worth savoring.
The director's camera work and smooth transitions are truly impressive.
The storyline in the first episode is introduced clearly and straightforwardly, thanks to the excellent writing. Moreover, every actor is truly on point!
The current fight scenes are completely staged, with each move resembling a choreographed display. They have aesthetic appeal but lack any sense of power! Moreover, the costume designs nowadays are too loose and overly exquisite.
Combined with excessive beautification, the real settings don't feel authentic, resulting in a lackluster portrayal of the action sequences. The lack of distinctiveness among actors nowadays is precisely because of excessive beautification.
Not appealing to male viewers! The fight scenes lack any sense of power, with slow-motion shots and a scarcity of wide-angle action shots! They fail to achieve a seamless flow, and the loose cuffs on the costumes make the fight scenes look like a dance!
The characters are overly beautified, turning them all into pretty boy types, and the costumes are overly extravagant. Don't blame me for saying so.
After immersing myself in all six episodes without speeding up or skipping the opening and ending credits, the most impressive character is undoubtedly the male lead, Ning Yuanzhou. I never expected him to be played by the actor who portrayed Black Blind in that previous drama.
If I hadn't specifically looked it up, I wouldn't have recognized him. It's truly a face-changing performance.
Moreover, his intense gaze and subtle gestures are on point. The portrayal of Ning Yuanzhou truly showcases his strategic prowess and adds an interesting element.
The brothers of the Six Dao Tang are all impressive in their own ways, each with unique skills. I will continue to follow the series as it is incredibly engaging.
The current fight scenes look completely staged with every move, lacking any sense of power! Moreover, the costume designs are too loose and overly exquisite.
Combined with the beautification, the real settings don't look realistic, which detracts from the impact of the action scenes. The lack of recognition among actors nowadays is precisely because of excessive beautification!
On the path to success, there will undoubtedly be failures. When it comes to failure, we must view and handle it correctly. Those who are not afraid of failure will ultimately succeed, while those who fear failure are worthless and will only experience more failure.
On the road to success, there will undoubtedly be failures. We must view and treat failure correctly. Those who are not afraid of failure will ultimately succeed, while those who fear failure are worthless and will only experience more failure.
Effort is not meant to impress anyone or to be shown off. It is about granting oneself the right to choose at any given moment. Liu Yu Ning has achieved this.
Coincidentally, both the male and female leads are my favorites. How wonderful. For those who criticize the male lead, many people have noticed his talent, good looks, and acting skills since his role as a killer in "The Long Ballad." He even sang the theme song for "Word of Honor." He's talented, skilled, and good-looking.
Let's not judge him based on being a newcomer.