Episode 36 recap: A Mai led the Northern Army to Jingyang Pass.
Emperor Chen Qi commanded him to capture Jingyang City tomorrow and take over Shengdu within three days. A Mai told Chen Qi that to seize Jingyang City, they should cross over her. Chen Qi asked A Mai why she always had things to ask him. Chen Qi told her that if the two armies went to war, she might not have a chance. A Mai entered the palace alone to meet Shang Yi Zhi.
Xu Jing told Shang Yi Zhi that only the Forbidden Army could resist the Northern Army in Shengdu, and he hoped Shang Yi Zhi could make a decision. Shang Yi Zhi asked him why he should make a decision when the Northern Army was his army, and A Mai was his beloved general. Xu Jing asked him what to do tomorrow, and Shang Yi Zhi told him that he would have a good talk with A Mai.
During the morning court, Zhang Da Jian reported to Shang Yi Zhi that A Mai had entered the palace alone. Xu Jing advised him to avoid it and said it was not a time for recklessness. Shang Yi Zhi told him to forget it and that he had to make a decision. A Mai walked to the palace gate by herself, followed closely by Wang Qi and Er Dan. A Mai asked them to wait for her there.
A Mai walked towards the palace alone, and the Forbidden Army surrounded her. Mu Bai told A Mai that she was the Marshal of the Northern Army and advised her not to proceed. A Mai told him that precisely because she was the Marshal of the Northern Army, she had to go in. She told Mu Bai that if she wasn't allowed in today, he would face the entire Northern Army tomorrow.
She told Mu Bai that the world would be shattered, and the people would suffer if she wasn't allowed in. After listening, Mu Bai let A Mai pass. Xu Jing asked A Mai why Shang Yi Zhi didn't summon her and why she entered the hall alone. He also blamed Mu Bai for not stopping A Mai, but A Mai told him it wasn't Mu Bai's concern.
Shang Yi Zhi asked Xu Jing and the others to retreat, and A Mai asked him about reinforcements. Shang Yi Zhi told A Mai that there were no reinforcements at all, and A Mai asked him why he lied to her. Shang Yi Zhi told A Mai that before Qi Jing died, he told him why he had killed Han Huaicheng. Qi Jing told him that everyone believed he was afraid of Han Huaicheng and feared him.
He told Shang Yi Zhi that he realized his own powerlessness when facing the Northern Desert Army, but there were also people in Southern Xia that the Northern Desert feared. That person was Han Huaicheng, so he made a deal with the Northern Desert people.
Shang Yi Zhi asked what the deal was, and Qi Jing told him that he exchanged Han Huaicheng's life for ten years of peace in Southern Xia. Qi Jing told Shang Yi Zhi that he was now passing this responsibility to him, and the next ten years would be in his hands. A Mai listened to what Shang Yi Zhi said, and she knew that Shang Yi Zhi had known the truth all along and kept her in the dark.
Shang Yi Zhi had clearly handed over Jingyang to the Northern Desert Army a long time ago. He knew that there was no return from this battle, yet he let A Mai and the others go. A Mai told him that it would be better for her to fight and die with them. She asked Shang Yi Zhi where he placed the lives of the Northern Army, his brothers.
Shang Yi Zhi told A Mai that doing so could bring ten years of peace to Southern Xia. During these ten years, they could cultivate another brave and skilled army. A Mai was deeply saddened, and she told Shang Yi Zhi to stop talking. She didn't know when he had become like this. A Mai asked Shang Yi Zhi about the countless lives of the people who lost their lives because of his betrayal.
Shang Yi Zhi told her that victory and defeat were common in warfare. A Mai burst into tears and told Shang Yi Zhi that their deaths could have been avoided. Shang Yi Zhi still believed that he had done nothing wrong. A Mai told him that she would not surrender her command, and she would lead the Northern Army to guard Jingyang Pass. From then on, the Northern Army would only follow military orders and not royal decrees.
Shang Yi Zhi asked about the two of them. A Mai told him that they would never see each other again. A Mai led the troops to Jingyang Pass. Chen Qi and A Mai confronted each other, and he asked A Mai why she always had something to say to him. If the two armies went to war now, she wouldn't be able to speak anymore.
A Mai and Chen Qi went to a forested area. Chen Qi expected to be killed by A Mai. Before dying, he told her that everything was instructed by Prime Minister Lin. Prime Minister Lin had forced him to kill Han Huaicheng and his wife. A Mai knelt down upon learning the truth.
Three years later, inside Jingyang City, A Mai strolled the streets with Wang Qi, Er Dan, and Qi Yu. During this time, Shang Yi Zhi sent Mu Bai several times to meet A Mai, and Xu Jing also came to find her. They all tried to persuade A Mai to see Shang Yi Zhi, but she told them she wouldn't.
(The drama ends)
This ending was a disappointment. The character development for Xiao Houye was poorly explained. It's not believable that he wasn't surprised when he learned that Mu Bai tried to assassinate Qi Yu. It doesn't match his previous explosive anger when it came to protecting Qi Yu from his subordinates.
Even the later transformation into a villain came out of nowhere without any proper buildup. The pure, devoted, kind, and just Xiao Houye from before is completely disconnected. While it's true that people can change with their environment and status, their fundamental nature is not easily altered.
Moreover, considering the numerous life-and-death experiences Xiao Houye and A Mai went through together, their feelings and trust could have been resolved through communication. However, the director never gave them a chance to reconcile their differences.
Every time they met, one remained silent while the other didn't explain anything. This deliberate disintegration between them was forced by the director, solely for the sake of this ending.
If A Mai had accepted the Phoenix Crown and become the Empress, Tang Da Ge would not have died. Here are the reasons: 1. Qi Huan and A Mai have experienced hardships and life and death together. Since Qi Huan feels lonely and helpless as the Emperor, A Mai should accompany and support him, persuading him to do what is right.
2. Qi Huan was originally the Marshal of the Northern Army, and if A Mai becomes the Marshal, the Northern Army would listen to her instead of Qi Huan. As the Emperor, Qi Huan cannot tolerate this, but if A Mai becomes the Empress, this problem would not exist.
The Emperor and Empress are united, and the military power still remains in the hands of the royal family. The soldiers of the Northern Army would no longer be suspected or distrusted. 3. If A Mai becomes the Empress, as the tutor of the young Crown Prince, his life would be secure.
The Huainan Army originally served the Eastern Palace, and they would also be loyal to the royal family because of the young Crown Prince. With the support of the Northern and Huainan armies, they could resist the Northern Desert together.
The plot of this drama focuses on the female protagonist and does not align well with reality. Firstly, if Qi Huan wanted to eliminate A Mai, it would have been very easy for him. Secondly, resisting the Northern Desert throughout the entire Southern Xia territory is already challenging, and dividing the country into different regions for governance would be self-destructive.
Sacrificing the entire nation for the sake of Jingyang City alone is unreasonable. It's best to view this drama as entertainment, but the screenwriter should have explained the political implications when Qi Huan gave the Phoenix Hairpin to A Mai, in order to conform to common political knowledge.
Yes, if he wasn't the emperor, they might have been together. Unfortunately, he desired the throne more. With gains, there are always losses. He could have killed A Mai, but it would have surely stirred up discontent among the military and caused rebellion.
As the emperor, he knew this well. The enemy forces would also invade Nanya without hesitation, and Changmeng would not spare him either. Nanya would be in danger, and his days as emperor would come to an end.
Everyone has their own desires, and regardless of A Mai's choices, she can justify herself to Nanya and to Qi Huan himself.
This ending really makes you think! After Shang Yizhi became the Emperor, in order to consolidate his power, he can be considered to have actively given up his years of relationship with A Mai.
On the other hand, A Mai, for the sake of the hard-won companionship, knowledge, and the safety of her loved ones, had already gritted her teeth and decided to swallow her grievances and make peace.
She even went as far as disguising herself in unfamiliar women's clothing, surrendering her power and sword, entering the harem, and becoming a concubine, all for the sake of her family and the righteousness of the nation.
However, the ending is still inevitable. The betrayal of the Northern Army crossed A Mai's final bottom line and depleted her last bit of affection for Shang Yizhi.
But the greatness lies in the fact that even so, A Mai remains the same A Mai who always prioritizes the common people and her comrades. The deep-rooted loyalty and patriotism in the Han Marquis' family cannot be erased.
Even if love is lost and her heart dies, she will never betray, and it's not for the sake of Shang Yizhi, but for the Southern Xia. A Mai's character remains consistent from beginning to end.
Finale celebration! The ending is satisfying, yet open-ended. Maybe A Mai went to find Chang Yu Qing and agreed to marry him. Chang Yu Qing, overjoyed, resolves to never betray Nanyaxia again. Maybe A Mai went to pay tribute to Big Brother Tang.
With peace prevailing in the world lately, people live in peace and contentment, which is exactly what Big Brother Tang would have wanted. A Mai might also have just gone out to clear his mind and returned to continue guarding the border, protecting the people, while enjoying a shameless life with Xiu'er, whom he legally married.