Episode 1 recap: Yun Wei Shan infiltrated the palace by impersonating someone else.
In the martial world, the formidable assassination organization called "Wu Feng" grows increasingly powerful, and few dare to oppose it. However, the Gong family is an exception. Because of this, Wu Feng seizes the opportunity to infiltrate the palace with the ultimate goal of eradicating it completely. Yun Wei Shan is one of Wu Feng's pawns, tasked with disguising herself as a bride to enter the palace and carry out espionage missions. Han Ya Si, as Yun Wei Shan's handler, takes on the meticulous training work. Due to the strict security measures at the palace, any slight mistake could lead to failure.
The Gong family has begun the process of selecting a bride. Yun Wei Shan (played by Yu Shu Xin) is one of the brides chosen. As a member of the Wu Feng organization, Mei, one of their members, plans to infiltrate the Gong family in order to eliminate them. They intentionally knock out the brides and Mei disguises herself as Yun Wei Shan to marry Gong Zi Yu. In front of Han Ya Si (played by Ou Mi De), Mei directly removes her clothes and dons the bride's attire. Han Ya Si, being a man, does not hesitate to witness the change, signifying that Mei's body belongs solely to Wu Feng.
Han Ya Si repeatedly emphasizes the precautions to be taken upon entering the palace. If she completes the mission, she will be able to leave Wu Feng and live a free life. The palace has strict security measures in place. Mei, blindfolded, identifies the different teas in front of her, distinguishing between the regular tea and the poisoned one. The Gong family resides on top of a mountain, making it difficult for outsiders to enter. The Gong family has four branches: Shang, Jiao, Wei, and Yu, each specializing in poison, weapon manufacturing, and different tasks. Yun Wei Shan identifies the poison and drinks it directly. The best way to eliminate the Gong family is for her to pose as a bride.
Once Yun Wei Shan enters the palace, she can only trust herself and cannot trust anyone, not even Gong Zi Yu. On the day of Gong Zi Yu's joyous occasion, he secretly comes down from the mountain to a place with fireworks. He is not a frivolous person; he comes here to find solace when he is unhappy. Yun Wei Shan begins to learn palace etiquette to ensure she resembles a noble young lady. She originally came from a high-ranking noble family but fell on hard times, seeking refuge with the Gong family. She wonders how she can ensure that Gong Zi Yu selects her among the many brides. Han Ya Si explains that the Gong family values the health and ability to bear children of the bride. A doctor will examine them during the selection process. Yun Wei Shan drinks a tonic to strengthen her body. If she fails the mission, she will either be killed by the Gong family or by Wu Feng.
She has learned the etiquette, and now only the skills in bed remain. She throws away her book and claims she doesn't need to learn.
Han Ya Si repeatedly instructs Mei to always guard Yun Wei Shan's identity. Mei has another side unknown to her—Han Ya Qi intentionally reveals the infiltration of Wu Feng assassins among the brides to the palace. Han Ya Qi leads a group of people to the palace's contact point, where the owner of a medicine shop recognizes Han Ya Qi's identity. He deliberately claims not to have the herbs Han Ya Qi needs and asks him to go to the warehouse to get them. Using hidden weapons, Han Ya Qi kills the people around him, but the shop owner is not his match. He gets captured, and in front of Han Ya Qi, he consumes poison and kills himself. Han Ya Qi intentionally reveals the information about the Wu Feng assassins infiltrating the palace among the brides before leaving. If selected, it would be considered a marriage alliance between the Gong family and Wu Feng. Before leaving, Han Ya Qi deliberately inserts a poisoned arrow into a non-lethal area of the shop owner's body.
The shop owner pretends to be dead and wakes up. He hastily rides a horse to the palace to inform them. On the way, he encounters Gong Zi Yu and tells him that there are Wu Feng assassins among the brides. After delivering the message, he dies. The poison takes effect at the time Han Ya Qi had planned in advance. Gong Zi Yu knows his father and knows he will kill all the brides. He discusses the matter with his brother, Gong Shang Jue (played by Cheng Lei). Han Ya Si is puzzled because it was already a challenge to arrange Mei as a bride, so why expose her information unnecessarily? Han Ya Qi explains that there is more than one Wu Feng assassin infiltrating as a bride.
When the palace master learns about the infiltration of Wu Feng assassins among the brides, he decides to execute them all. He has achieved his position through years of careful actions. Gong Zi Shang comes to the military camp to find Jin Fan. She can't hide her joy when she sees the abs of each soldier. The recommended brides from various places begin to arrive. Upon seeing them, Yun Wei Shan notices someone monitoring them from the mountaintop. As soon as they come ashore, they are targeted with arrows and fall one by one.
At that time, Mei is with three other sisters in Wu Feng. They are locked in a water dungeon and forced to fight each other. Only the two survivors will have a chance to live. Yun Wei Shan wakes up and finds herself locked in an iron cage. She sees someone calmly explaining that they were only knocked unconscious earlier. Gong Zi Yu,played by Luo Yun Xi, arrives and confronts the palace master about his decision to execute all the brides. Gong Zi Yu argues that there may be innocent women among them and suggests finding a way to identify the infiltrators instead of resorting to mass execution.
The palace master agrees to Gong Zi Yu's proposal and decides to hold a series of tests to determine the true identities of the brides. He announces that the tests will focus on various skills and knowledge, including martial arts, poison identification, and political acumen. The surviving brides are relieved to have a chance to prove their innocence and avoid execution.
Yun Wei Shan, still disguised as Mei, participates in the tests along with the other brides. She excels in the martial arts competition, displaying her agility and combat skills. During the poison identification test, she accurately identifies various types of poisons and their antidotes, impressing the palace master and the judges.
As the tests progress, Yun Wei Shan starts to develop feelings for Gong Zi Yu, despite her initial intention to deceive him. She realizes that he is not the ruthless person she thought him to be and begins to question her loyalty to Wu Feng. Mei, on the other hand, remains determined to carry out her mission and eliminate the Gong family.
In the final stage of the tests, the palace master tasks the brides with solving a political crisis. They are given a complex scenario and must come up with a strategy to resolve it. Yun Wei Shan, drawing on her knowledge from her noble background, proposes a diplomatic solution that impresses the palace master and demonstrates her intelligence and political acumen.
At the conclusion of the tests, the palace master announces that Yun Wei Shan has emerged as the top candidate and will be crowned as the bride of Gong Zi Yu. Mei, realizing that her cover might be blown, becomes desperate and attempts to assassinate Yun Wei Shan during the coronation ceremony.
However, Han Ya Si, who has grown fond of Yun Wei Shan, intervenes and protects her. A fierce battle ensues between Mei and Han Ya Si, with Mei ultimately being defeated. She confesses her true identity as a member of Wu Feng and reveals her mission to eliminate the Gong family.
Gong Zi Yu is shocked by the revelation but realizes that Yun Wei Shan is innocent and has proven her loyalty throughout the tests. He decides to spare her life and orders Mei to be taken into custody.
In the aftermath, the palace master acknowledges Yun Wei Shan's abilities and accepts her as his son's bride. Yun Wei Shan, torn between her growing feelings for Gong Zi Yu and her loyalty to Wu Feng, must make a difficult decision that will determine her future. The story continues to unfold as she faces the consequences of her choices and navigates the complex web of palace intrigue and political power struggles.
Isn't it dangerous for Gong Zi Yu to directly expose the secret passage? After all, there are still Bladeless assassins prepared to strike, and he doesn't seem to intend to identify the assassins. Doesn't that mean he's essentially handing this information directly to Wu Feng?
I thought it was good after watching the first few episodes, but as I continued watching, it became more and more uninteresting. There are only two main characters, and neither of them is smart. Even if one of them was intelligent, it would have made the plot more interesting than it is now.
The male lead is still love-struck, and despite being a skilled warrior, he gives up his position for the female lead and refuses to believe that she is capable and witty.
The more I watch, the less I want to continue. Look at the characters Gong Shangjiao and Shang Guan Qian.
They are both intelligent, yet the main characters overshadow them. It feels like everything revolves around the male and female leads, and nothing happens without them.
The spotlight on the male and female leads in the plot is too strong.
It seems like everything goes smoothly for them.
It was all a setup. The male lead undergoes a transformation later on, and the female lead joins the palace gate to manipulate Shang Guan Qian.
You keep saying that the protagonist isn't intelligent, and then you say that the protagonist has a strong halo. If the protagonist's halo is indeed strong, why not just make the protagonist intelligent from the start?
Wouldn't that make more sense? As for why the plot revolves around the development of the male and female leads, why do you think they are the male and female leads? And, where is the female lead not intelligent?
Do you think intelligence is just about saying a few words like "I'm smarter than you"? Is that how shallowly you watch the drama? Do you understand that the female lead has hidden abilities?
Who goes around shouting, "I'm the smartest," like a loudspeaker and gets manipulated in the first episode?
However, the male lead's shining moments in the early stages were all deleted. It may seem like there are more scenes featuring the male lead, but there are actually more shining moments for Male Character 23.
In any case, my heart aches for Niu Niu.