Episode 22 recap: Si Huang Zi confessed his identity to Chun Jia, and Li Teng Yun was hired as a substitute husband for Shi Zi.
Yao Wen and Yao Wu were furious with Ke Ling for deceiving them in order to go on a date with the Fourth Prince, causing them to work tirelessly all day. However, they were curious about the development of Ke Ling's relationship with the Fourth Prince and kept asking her about it. Ke Ling became angry and chased after the two of them, but at that moment, the Fourth Prince arrived.
He wanted to talk to Ke Ling and took her to see the Empress Dowager in the palace. Ke Ling was terrified upon hearing this, fearing that she would lose her freedom once she entered the palace, so she strongly opposed the idea of going to the palace. Yao Wen and Yao Wu saw that the two were unhappy about this matter, so they tried to mediate, but Ke Ling still had lingering fears.
The Crown Prince and Jin Rong had a date. Jin Rong now appeared to be resigned to fate and no longer forced the Crown Prince to marry her. She understood the Crown Prince's predicament — being born in an imperial family, it was impossible for everything to go as desired. However, the Crown Prince was unwilling to accept this and was determined to fight for his own happiness with the Prince's help. When the Crown Prince returned home, under Li Tengyun's guidance, he rehearsed how to express to his father the decision that he would only marry Jin Rong. But being too forceful was not acceptable, and being too tactful was not either. As he struggled to find the right balance, the Prince suddenly arrived at the Crown Prince's residence and informed him that there was something he needed to be aware of.
The Prince told the Crown Prince that the King of Gul had proposed to the Emperor, seeking to marry his only daughter to the Crown Prince. The Emperor had already issued a decree appointing the Crown Prince as the husband-to-be, and the wedding would take place soon. The Crown Prince was stunned; he didn't want to marry anyone other than Jin Rong and just wanted to spend his life with her as an ordinary couple. When the Prince heard his refusal, he became furious and criticized the Crown Prince, emphasizing that this matter concerned the relationship between the two countries and was not something he could decide on his own. Regardless of his father's anger, the Crown Prince spoke confidently, expressing how harmonious and compatible he and Jin Rong were, and how his father always made decisions without considering his feelings. He hated being born into the royal family and having a father like the Prince.
The Prince became even angrier upon hearing this and even used Jin Rong as a threat to the Crown Prince. He ordered Li Tengyun to closely monitor the Crown Prince and forbade him from stepping out of the palace until the wedding. After saying this, the Prince left in a huff. Upon hearing that Jin Rong was involved in this matter, the Crown Prince felt the need to find a solution.
Upon seeing that Ke Ling still refused to enter the palace, the Fourth Prince was particularly troubled. He had already told the Empress Dowager about himself and Ke Ling. If they wanted to be together for the rest of their lives, Ke Ling couldn't keep avoiding it. He asked Ke Ling to think carefully about their future. Ke Ling's thoughts were somewhat swayed by his words. The Fourth Prince then said that since Ke Ling didn't like the constraints of the palace, he would request his father to grant him a title of nobility outside the capital city, where they could be together.
Ke Ling was moved by the Fourth Prince's sincerity and finally nodded in agreement to enter the palace with him. However, she wanted the Fourth Prince to personally explain the situation to her mother. Lu Buping and Pei Lan had finished their tasks and were resting when the Crown Prince rushed over with a burden on his back, saying he wanted to see Jin Rong. Upon learning that Jin Rong was in the room behind, he rushed there in tears. Li Tengyun followed closely behind and saw Lu Buping and Pei Lan being affectionate with each other, which left him with mixed feelings. He wondered what the two of them planned to do in the future. Lu Buping happily said that he wanted his father to come to Chun's home as soon as possible to propose marriage, and then he would marry Pei Lan. Unable to bear witnessing their lovey-dovey behavior any longer, Li Tengyun hurriedly bid farewell.
Jin Rong refused to elope with the Crown Prince. They were both adults with their own responsibilities. She wanted the Crown Prince to forget about her and focus on being the Emperor's son-in-law. The two of them then embraced each other and wept bitterly, and even Li Tengyun couldn't help shedding tears. The Prince hosted a banquet and drank with the Crown Prince, both drowning their sorrows in alcohol. The Crown Prince promised not to disappoint the Prince, and the Prince emotionally expressed that he regretted agreeing to the Emperor's request while under the influence of alcohol. Now he had no other sons who could take the Crown Prince's place, and he never wanted to be separated from his son. Suddenly, Li Tengyun, who was nearby, said that he was willing to serve as an external groom for the Crown Prince to bring them back together as a father and son, as a way of repaying the Crown Prince's kindness. The Prince and the Crown Prince thought this was a good solution and immediately accepted Li Tengyun as their adopted son.
The Fourth Prince arrived at the Chun residence, and Du Ruyu invited him to have a meal. The Fourth Prince confessed to everyone that he liked Ke Ling and revealed his identity as the current prince. He requested Du Ruyu's permission to pursue a relationship with Ke Ling. Everyone was shocked upon hearing this. Du Ruyu had a private conversation with the Fourth Prince and expressed her disagreement with the matter between Ke Ling and him because of the vast difference in their backgrounds. She didn't want Ke Ling to suffer in the palace. However, the Fourth Prince remained resolute, stating that he would do everything in his power to fight for his and Ke Ling's happiness.
Si Huang Zi didn't consider Fourth Brother's thoughts anymore. Fourth Brother fought with Shi Zi once, but Shi Zi didn't pursue it, so Fourth Brother wasn't afraid of Shi Zi. He fought with the prince without knowing the prince's identity.
If he had known, it was probably instinctual. Sometimes I feel that Si Huang Zi is too obedient, which doesn't align with the times. Maybe we should consider whether we are often exploited by bosses, suppressed by elders, and exploited by life.
Are we overly submissive, afraid to resist anymore?
It's really good. I clicked on it with a "let's give it a try" attitude at the beginning, but the more I watched, the more I enjoyed it. The plot is rich, and the characters are well-developed. Each person has their own story, and it's a heartwarming and funny comedy that doesn't rely on plot gimmicks.
I didn't see any outstanding qualities in Ke Ling. She's willful, doesn't consider the consequences of her actions on others, and only cares about her own desires. Among the four sisters, each of them possesses better qualities, and Ke Ling's best attribute is luck, as she is fortunate enough to encounter such good people.
Among the male protagonists, A Si is the best. He is responsible, emotionally stable, dotes on his significant other, and the only flaw is his gaze.
I think this drama is fantastic. It portrays modern society in a vivid and thorough manner, blending past and present events. On the surface, it appears to be a historical costume drama, but in reality, it uses the backdrop of the past to depict the customs and social atmosphere of modern times.
It has more elements of satire and education. I'm not sure if I'm expressing it correctly, but that's the impression it gives me.
First point: Although this drama is a comedy, it still needs to be grounded in reality, right? Take Ke Ling's character, for example. If she were placed in ancient times, could she even survive half an episode?
They claim she's genuine, but she doesn't fit in at all! In the first few episodes, whenever she appears, she's either slapping someone or on her way to slap someone.
I really don't understand why this drama included such scenes for her character.
Second point: Lu Bu Ping, indeed, has a tragic life, and his name is chosen to highlight his unfortunate experiences.
However, his character is just too miserable! Throughout the entire drama, if you're the second sibling in a family like his, you'll know the feeling of being constantly overlooked.
The eldest sister is unreasonable. Well, this drama has its funny moments, but the logic behind it is lacking.
I watched it for the main female lead, but I'm a bit disappointed. Except for the matriarch, no one in the family is normal. The eldest is greedy and scheming, the second is weak and cowardly, which is really infuriating to watch.
The third one is relatively righteous, and the fourth one is too young to understand and keeps causing trouble.
The most annoying is the eldest. He has no real abilities but always stirs up trouble and uses his inability to get married as a moral blackmail.
It's his own choice to marry a wealthy person, what does it have to do with the family? Maybe I've read too many light-hearted novels, so I'm not fond of watching this kind of frustrating drama.