[Mainland Chinese Drama 2018] The Story of Ming Lan 庶女明兰传 / 知否？知否？应是绿肥红瘦

[frenchfan]

7 hours ago, hello210 said:

Looks like Ming Lan Wikipedia got updated with more characters and households. 

  Reveal hidden contents

Is the 3rd sister that played against ML the one from Yu family? Cause Wikipedia has her listed at GTY’s first wife. I can understand why they didn’t get along if she is. She threw a tantrum at the polo match when they lost.

From the previews for 17-18, Maniang really has no shame with the way she’s acting to the women GTY is trying to propose to when I realized that was her on the floor holding onto the chair leg.

Indeed, what a shameless hussy she was.  Clinging onto the chair and trying to force Minglan's friend to accept GTY's proposal.  Her objective was so she can be admitted into the household as well once GTY has taken a main wife.  Poor girl (1st miss from Yu family) was terrified but you could see that ML saw through Manniang's scheme straight away.  The way she cling onto the chair was actually quite hilarious.  What a pathetic attempt.  I just hope she did not harm ML in future episodes.

[frenchfan]

8 hours ago, ForgottenSoulx said:

I been thinking a bit not sure if im alone in this but i do think ML is sort of leading QH on a bit she knows her position yet keeps flirting with him and she made those knee pad's etc.. i think she should have stomped it out more clearly but maybe that is me. 

 

I suppose this was her weakness she gave into "love" a bit. 

I guess she also has a crush with Qiheng but grandma reminded her that it is not realistic because of her status as a daughter born to concubine of a 5th ranked officer whereas Qiheng is of ducal family and his mum is a princess.  Grandma pointed out that while she knows Qiheng likes ML and she, him, it is best not to pursue. Which I think is why she tried to get Qiheng not to show his feelings towards her for fear of bringing trouble to Sheng family.  His mum is a fiecer mama bear after all.  Just see how she punished one of the maid for dressing up to catch her son's attention.  I was OMG..........

[zenya22]

11 hours ago, zenya22 said:

21 hours ago, dito said:

This show should be called 'How to play your man like a musical instrument'. Literally all men in the drama are getting played by the women in their lives...mother, wife, concubine, daughter...except for ChengBai

LOL that is probably why they kept women uneducated at that time or even if they got educated, they were not allowed to take exams and government positions because the men were afraid if women were given the chance, they will rule the world 

episode 14: Sheng Hong just found out that Big Madam is a loan shark and concubine is a thief and embezzler. Poor Minister Sheng

[leeza77]

13 minutes ago, zenya22 said:

episode 14: Sheng Hong just found out that Big Madam is a loan shark and concubine is a thief and embezzler. Poor Minister Sheng

Spoiler

Sheng hong was lucky. When he was confined to the palace for 2 days because of his youngest son antic in discussing the issue of royal heir in public, he sprouted minglan's opinion during the debate. I.e to be a loyal subject and not to involve in meaningless fight. Thus, he was released by the majesty. His opinion on minglan was raised. 

 

[fra8]

28 minutes ago, zenya22 said:

episode 14: Sheng Hong just found out that Big Madam is a loan shark and concubine is a thief and embezzler. Poor Minister Sheng

 

It was funny,, but he is the one to blame the most. He never controlled his women.  He is just lucky not all of his children are spoiled brats.

[UnniSarah]

1 hour ago, leeza77 said:

  Reveal hidden contents

Sheng hong was lucky. When he was confined to the palace for 2 days because of his youngest son antic in discussing the issue of royal heir in public, he sprouted minglan's opinion during the debate. I.e to be a loyal subject and not to involve in meaningless fight. Thus, he was released by the majesty. His opinion on minglan was raised. 

 

Ming Lang should be praised but Sheng Hong is still a a dumb man. 

Spoiler

Since I don’t speak Mandarin, I have no idea what he said to Ming Lang in episode 16. I am dying to know what he said to her 

 

44 minutes ago, fra8 said:

 

It was funny,, but he is the one to blame the most. He never controlled his women.  He is just lucky not all of his children are spoiled brats.

@zenya22 @fra8 He was lucky because his son told him what Ming Lang said. Her words of wisdom saved his life. I am glad he found out that his main wife and Concubine Li may not follow him to exile if he was ever exiled. 

How many of you think that is true with Wang Shi ( Maine wife)??? I think she would follow him because she really does love her husband. If she does aband him , it is his fault. He has never shown her any affection. He is always disrespecting her and choosing the concubine over his Won children. 

How many of you think Concubine Li would abandon him??? She would do so, look at how quick she was trying to sell her (his ) properties in case he doesn’t ever come home.   

Episode 14 is good. Love it 

[fra8]

12 minutes ago, UnniSarah said:

 

 

@zenya22 @fra8 He was lucky because his son told him what Ming Lang said. Her words of wisdom saved his life. I am glad he found out that his main wife and Concubine Li may not follow him to exile if he was ever exiled. 

How many of you think that is true with Wang Shi ( Maine wife)??? I think she would follow him because she really does love her husband. If she does aband him , it is his fault. He has never shown her any affection. He is always disrespecting her and choosing the concubine over his Won children. 

How many of you think Concubine Li would abandon him??? She would do so, look at how quick she was trying to sell her (his ) properties in case he doesn’t ever come home.   

Episode 14 is good. Love it 

Concubine Lin would abandon him  in a bit, he is a mean to an end. She is the older version of Man Niang.

 

I don't know about Wang Shi, she is more attached to him than Lin, but she also loves her position of maine wife, her status. Anyway after the way he treats her, I wouldn't blame her if she loved her status more and abandoned him.

[dito]

 

I went back to read the earlier chapters again.....and I came across a scene few chapters before Manniang made a spectacle of herself in yanran's house. It seems Lin Niang made a similar spectacle of her own....she too made the same fuss at Granny's door grabbing a chair leg and crying shamelessly that if she is not accepted by granny she'll hit her head on the wall and die right there. Swearing to heavens her love for Sheng Hong is true love.This is such a calculated and cunning show put on by Lin Niang that had granny not accepted her she'd have lost her son.  So in the end Lin niang was brought in because of blackmail. And since ML had heard this she knew how to handle manniang.

 

Another scene I came across is too funny not to share. So when you acquire new servants you have to give them new names...like ML named her maids Danju and Xiaotao....which are fruits... orange and peach....at that time Xiaotao didn't like her name but ML was little and all she could come up with was food names. Anyways fast forward few years later....ML made a pair of shoes for Changbai. So she and Xiaotao go to Changbai's courtyard to give it to him. While waiting for him....his servant girls come around serving tea and stuff...and thats when they learn their names. Dear straightforward no nonsense Changbai had named his servants....ZhuHao, JiHao, LangHao, YangHao.... Pig, Chicken, Wolf, Sheep. And the most beautiful one sent by his mother was named ShuXu...Rat.

Xiaotao then looked at ML and sincerely said Thank you for naming me peach.

[dito]

1 hour ago, UnniSarah said:

Ming Lang should be praised but Sheng Hong is still a a dumb man. 

  Hide contents

Since I don’t speak Mandarin, I have no idea what he said to Ming Lang in episode 16. I am dying to know what he said to her 

 

How many of you think Concubine Li would abandon him??? She would do so, look at how quick she was trying to sell her (his ) properties in case he doesn’t ever come home.   

Episode 14 is good. Love it 

 

I think he was scolding her for making an exhibition of herself like that. She was explaining about the Hairpin of Yanran's mother?  

 

1 hour ago, fra8 said:

Concubine Lin would abandon him  in a bit, he is a mean to an end. She is the older version of Man Niang.

 

I don't know about Wang Shi, she is more attached to him than Lin, but she also loves her position of maine wife, her status. Anyway after the way he treats her, I wouldn't blame her if she loved her status more and abandoned him.

 

You've hit the nail on the head...just read my comment above to know how similar they are....

 

Concubine Lin is the richest person in that house....other than Granny. Sheng papa has been giving her properties secretly whenever she starts lamenting about her kids future.....and their status as concubine born and yes she's been embezzling and hording up for years in case her circumstances change. I'm sure she'd run at first chance if her kids weren't involved.

Da niang might follow him to exile but she will make his life hell by complaining every step of the way.

[leeza77]

Read the interview of the director. Very interesting insight on minglan and gty's characters. 

https://ent.sina.cn/tv/tv/2019-01-04/detail-ihqfskcn4112440.d.html?from=wap

[dito]

1 hour ago, leeza77 said:

Read the interview of the director. Very interesting insight on minglan and gty's characters. 

https://ent.sina.cn/tv/tv/2019-01-04/detail-ihqfskcn4112440.d.html?from=wap

 

Oh man... chinese viewers sound like total fuss pots. Criticizing the grammer, FSF...character is not likeable? (didn't get it) and ZLY??? And the support cast is over shadowing them?? Heavens....give them a break. The drama is 70+ episodes.....its still laying the groundwork for the important developments in the lead characters life....the turning points for them still to come.

I just recently said that the drama is moving faster than I expected.....there are a lot of story threads bound together with the leads....the story does not belong to just ML, GTY and QH..... 

[heatherbee]

After watching interactions between QH and ML,,,I dunno if its only me, but I dont feel anything on them, like having a SLS...maybe bcoz Im so eager to watch her interaction with GTY ep 14 is just so funny...

I just read the above interview,,and I knew it that this drama can be reflected into real life..I mange to watch everything without fastforwarding eventhough some ep's got me sleepy...(Coz I watch these around 9pm though)...bcoz I want to understand everything without missing anything, that's why when Im watching it raw,my eyes is focusing on each charcters face..I want to see their emotions...verry well...and while I watch it with sub; my eyes is on the sub.

Some viewers/commentors that this drama is very slow, but for me its ok.

Some also out there insisting that This drama is an Idol drama...(like what the eckdo they have a common sence?)..

Ok thats it for now..untill the next ep..

And congratulations for breaking 1% rating for the latest ep..jia you...

[ForgottenSoulx]

Oh my god the end of episode 14 was hilarious due to all the crying and then sad due to minister asking if any would follow him what a good scene. 

43 minutes ago, heatherbee said:

After watching interactions between QH and ML,,,I dunno if its only me, but I dont feel anything on them, like having a SLS...maybe bcoz Im so eager to watch her interaction with GTY ep 14 is just so funny...

I just read the above interview,,and I knew it that this drama can be reflected into real life..I mange to watch everything without fastforwarding eventhough some ep's got me sleepy...(Coz I watch these around 9pm though)...bcoz I want to understand everything without missing anything, that's why when Im watching it raw,my eyes is focusing on each charcters face..I want to see their emotions...verry well...and while I watch it with sub; my eyes is on the sub.

Some viewers/commentors that this drama is very slow, but for me its ok.

Some also out there insisting that This drama is an Idol drama...(like what the eckdo they have a common sence?)..

Ok thats it for now..untill the next ep..

And congratulations for breaking 1% rating for the latest ep..jia you...

 

I think if we all knew nothing of ML and GTY we would feel something its because we already know they married and child on the way etc.. 

[hello210]

I like what the director said about wanting the viewers to feel like they are in the setting of the drama and that time period. You get that feeling a lot and you can feel all the characters. I watch the episodes raw and subbed because I don’t want to miss the little nuances a phrases here and there that gives away how the characters’ hidden thoughts. I don’t think the supporting cast is overshadowing the main cast at all since this is all a build up to ML and GTY’s character growth. No SLS for me because even though GH is handsome and sweet, he’s too naive. He’s the quintessential carefree noble heir so there’s nothing too special about the character for me other than that he’s caring to ML and that they did awesome picking ZYL (good looks and good acting).  He always gets everything he wants so not getting to be with ML is going to be the life obstacle the he must overcome.  If ML were allowed to be with him, she wouldn’t be able to be herself because her true character would overshadow GH. 

I think the audience’s reaction to GTY is as expected since most people want the pure knight in shining armor main lead (like GH) so it’s hard for them to handle GTY’s character. In a lot of dramas, you get a clean male lead because even if the female antagonist claims he slept with her and got her pregnant but it’s all usually a lie by the female antagonist. This ones different and realistic. The male lead was tricked but they had a relationship with consequences that he is taking responsibility for. 

[hello210]

Spoiler

Did GH try to make a promise in the ancestor hall in ep 17?? Watching it raw so I’m not understanding everything.  If so, the character contrasts between GH and GTY is clear in this drama when you compare GH trying to make a promise at the ancestor hall to the pledge GTY made in the previews. One has a lot of power behind it and one doesn’t.

 

[ForgottenSoulx]

2 hours ago, dito said:

 

Oh man... chinese viewers sound like total fuss pots. Criticizing the grammer, FSF...character is not likeable? (didn't get it) and ZLY??? And the support cast is over shadowing them?? Heavens....give them a break. The drama is 70+ episodes.....its still laying the groundwork for the important developments in the lead characters life....the turning points for them still to come.

I just recently said that the drama is moving faster than I expected.....there are a lot of story threads bound together with the leads....the story does not belong to just ML, GTY and QH..... 

ZYL and FSF and in general every popular actor has alot of anti just ignore that crap.

 

I do get what they are saying though the support cast is over shadowing them currently but its building up. 

[dito]

2 hours ago, hello210 said:

I like what the director said about wanting the viewers to feel like they are in the setting of the drama and that time period. You get that feeling a lot and you can feel all the characters. I watch the episodes raw and subbed because I don’t want to miss the little nuances a phrases here and there that gives away how the characters’ hidden thoughts. I don’t think the supporting cast is overshadowing the main cast at all since this is all a build up to ML and GTY’s character growth. No SLS for me because even though GH is handsome and sweet, he’s too naive. He’s the quintessential carefree noble heir so there’s nothing too special about the character for me other than that he’s caring to ML and that they did awesome picking ZYL (good looks and good acting).  He always gets everything he wants so not getting to be with ML is going to be the life obstacle the he must overcome.  If ML were allowed to be with him, she wouldn’t be able to be herself because her true character would overshadow GH. 

I think the audience’s reaction to GTY is as expected since most people want the pure knight in shining armor main lead (like GH) so it’s hard for them to handle GTY’s character. In a lot of dramas, you get a clean male lead because even if the female antagonist claims he slept with her and got her pregnant but it’s all usually a lie by the female antagonist. This ones different and realistic. The male lead was tricked but they had a relationship with consequences that he is taking responsibility for. 

 

I also liked that the director put a lot of thought and effort in framing a scene and filming it. Like he said he kept the cameras far away so that the actors felt they were having real conversations and not get distracted by the cameras. Sometimes the actors didn't even know where the cameras were. He also encouraged them not to follow the script blindly, to improvise and go with their feelings when saying their lines....thats one of the reason why the scenes feel so real. 

He also said something else I liked...that GTY was introduced in the novel very late but in the drama he's present from the start..because he wanted to show that the fate of these 2 characters is entwined together.

I also watch the raw episodes first,  both web and TV version and then binge 4-5 subbed epis together.

[UnniSarah]

   @dito That sounds like a good strategy but I can’t seem to control myself when I see an episode fully subbed. 

 

@ForgottenSoulx  I Gifed the ending scene with all three woman crying to Sheng Hong. Fist I GIF Big Madam’s reaction to when je ask her if she was A Lon shark. It was so hilarious. I loved it to pieces so I had have that scene in my computer . Lol lol 

 

 

 

[mrsyooknit]

I am loving this drama so far

I think the main wife and Rulan are some of my favorite side characters 

[mrsyooknit]

4 hours ago, hello210 said:

I like what the director said about wanting the viewers to feel like they are in the setting of the drama and that time period. You get that feeling a lot and you can feel all the characters. I watch the episodes raw and subbed because I don’t want to miss the little nuances a phrases here and there that gives away how the characters’ hidden thoughts. I don’t think the supporting cast is overshadowing the main cast at all since this is all a build up to ML and GTY’s character growth. No SLS for me because even though GH is handsome and sweet, he’s too naive. He’s the quintessential carefree noble heir so there’s nothing too special about the character for me other than that he’s caring to ML and that they did awesome picking ZYL (good looks and good acting).  He always gets everything he wants so not getting to be with ML is going to be the life obstacle the he must overcome.  If ML were allowed to be with him, she wouldn’t be able to be herself because her true character would overshadow GH. 

I think the audience’s reaction to GTY is as expected since most people want the pure knight in shining armor main lead (like GH) so it’s hard for them to handle GTY’s character. In a lot of dramas, you get a clean male lead because even if the female antagonist claims he slept with her and got her pregnant but it’s all usually a lie by the female antagonist. This ones different and realistic. The male lead was tricked but they had a relationship with consequences that he is taking responsibility for. 

 

I like GTY a lot to be honest. I feel bad for his circumstances and he seems like a great guy just misunderstood.

 

GH is sweet but lacks backbone imo.