[Mainland Chinese Drama 2021] The Rebel Princess上阳赋

[jadore1]

Cao chingus   I am just starting with this drama and up to ep 12/ 68 . I will try to read up on all 6 page comments before contributing my two cents lol..... but oh boy that Empress is ugly and her little whelp of cp is what you get with forced lovemaking i guess .  So far only the general earned his bread and butter, so his life and Awus are really worlds apart and for him to be married to her , no matter how it came about,  is so phenomenally 1 in million chances . What is a poor guy to do with a princess in an army barracks and open range.  I saw the preview of the next episode with two riding on one horse and I am assuming that they had their sweet night of loving or am I just wishfully thinking here?  

[Chibi8535]

For those thirsting for the ML (it's quite understandable, and please let me join in too)... and those who are sad about the lukewarm reactions c-netz seem to be giving...
This is giving me major flashbacks of 2017, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms era, where Mark Chao was considered to be too 'ugly' and 'old looking' to be playing Yehua. And look how everybody ate their words, and fell in absolute love with him and his portrayal. I refused to check out TMOPB because of this 'anti' sentiment which made me prejudiced against the actor, and didn't pick it up until 2019. Quarter-way in, and I was swooning SO hard, and found him SO good-looking!

Same with the lead in the Rebel Princess...
I was in that 'I'm not too sure about the ML' mood, from the posters, THEN I saw the trailer and the first episode, and have been fangirling SO hard, ever since!! Also kind of sad he isn't getting a lot of screentime. (And wouldn't in the future, because we keep going back and forth with the palace, where ZZY will be)

I am happy because while 'older' actors are always compared to flower-boys, they end up being perfectly cast for such roles, their presence continues to impress on-screen, and their talent obliterates any arguments against them...
i absolutely cannot wait for the 13th episode (watching with subs)... Xiao Qi deserves ALL the love!

[jameskimma]

1 hour ago, Chibi8535 said:

For those thirsting for the ML (it's quite understandable, and please let me join in too)... and those who are sad about the lukewarm reactions c-netz seem to be giving...
This is giving me major flashbacks of 2017, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms era, where Mark Chao was considered to be too 'ugly' and 'old looking' to be playing Yehua. And look how everybody ate their words, and fell in absolute love with him and his portrayal. I refused to check out TMOPB because of this 'anti' sentiment which made me prejudiced against the actor, and didn't pick it up until 2019. Quarter-way in, and I was swooning SO hard, and found him SO good-looking!

Same with the lead in the Rebel Princess...
I was in that 'I'm not too sure about the ML' mood, from the posters, THEN I saw the trailer and the first episode, and have been fangirling SO hard, ever since!! Also kind of sad he isn't getting a lot of screentime. (And wouldn't in the future, because we keep going back and forth with the palace, where ZZY will be)

I am happy because while 'older' actors are always compared to flower-boys, they end up being perfectly cast for such roles, their presence continues to impress on-screen, and their talent obliterates any arguments against them...
i absolutely cannot wait for the 13th episode (watching with subs)... Xiao Qi deserves ALL the love!

The ML is TMOPB is he has the same kind of character like ML in the rebel princess???

btw i hooked to this drama mainly becoz of the male lead.. wouldnt want the drama progress with little screen time of him.. might drop it...

[Auniyshi S]

Ep 12

I love the way Xiao Qi telling the truth and comforting Awu. Not a lipservice and nonsense talk.

He praise and encourage her at the same time. 

His posture, his voice, his words, his reaction. Like Awu is his world. No wonder Awu called him back and hugged him with no hesitation.

 

In fact, i love the way Xiao Qi treat Awu from the first time they met 

[celebrianna]

49 minutes ago, Auniyshi S said:

Ep 12

I love the way Xiao Qi telling the truth and comforting Awu. Not a lipservice and nonsense talk.

He praise and encourage her at the same time. 

His posture, his voice, his words, his reaction. Like Awu is his world. No wonder Awu called him back and hugged him with no hesitation.

 

In fact, i love the way Xiao Qi treat Awu from the first time they met 

I love this scene. Actually, what surprised me is that he told her that she has to be strong now as they face life and death together while he wiped her tears away. Another man might have wanted to keep her pampered and sheltered. After he tells her this, she nods and he hugs her again.

 

I also like how he tells her not to hide behind her Wang family anymore. I think the Wang, Xie, Xu and other noble families are trouble. Let them kill each other fighting for power. I support none of them. The only people I support are Xiao Qi and A’Wu. I like A’wu’s mom and brother but unfortunately they can’t escape the Wang or royal family connections.

 

By the way, it’s so yucky that A’wu’s brother’s wife is actually sleeping regularly with the second prince. Next thing she gets pregnant and passes it off as her husband’s if his father keeps forcing him to pay attention to her. Then he’ll be like the emperor who actually thinks the second prince is his son when he’s not. I honestly can’t wait to see the second prince fail. I naturally don’t like him. Maybe because he seems to have a slimy character. So, the crown prince is a dummy, the second prince a snake and the third prince a coward. All pretty lame in some way or another. 

[Auniyshi S]

2 hours ago, celebrianna said:

I love this scene. Actually, what surprised me is that he told her that she has to be strong now as they face life and death together while he wiped her tears away. Another man might have wanted to keep her pampered and sheltered. After he tells her this, she nods and he hugs her again.

Exactly!

Same thought!

That's what i mean by he encouraged her.

He was not sang a lullaby song to comfort her yet he woke her up and offer his hand to face reality together.

 

Aaaaah lovelyyy...

[jacquelinetan]

Totally agreed that Wang Xuan's brother wife, Huan Mi is always in bed with the Second Prince in every of their scene together. Looks who is more promiscuous.

 

I loved it that Xiao Qi because he is not of the noble court life that he does not deal in deception that Wang Xuan is going through with her own family and relatives so she is getting reality straight up. She can be regal and forceful in public but so playful with Xiao Qi when they are alone. Being with Xiao Qi allowed her to be her true self again.

 

Her husband told her he will die with her if need be but Zidan wants her to run away with him in shame. I had to laugh that his country will be in turmoil and where is that place he is looking for to live happily ever after. The poor guy does not even have a plan just useless fancy words.

 

From what I gather, Wang Xuan has a half sister from her father's concubine. I think she is plotted to disrupt Wang Xuan and Xiao Qi's marital bliss but like the two maids, he will not even look at her.

 

Is it just me but General Su's concerns over Wang Xuan is a little over the top? He even noted with worry that Zidan has not given up on Wang Xuan. Of course, Xiao Qi's private moments with Wang Xuan, he already know where Zidan stands with Wang Xuan, in the past.

[ChristineH]

I'm so bad, I watched up to episode 19 no subs and spoiling myself but not really since I don't understand what they say.    I'm going to watch again when the subs out.  It's tortureee...1 episode a day.  

[celebrianna]

@jacquelinetan, it was mentioned before on this thread that General Su will betray Xiao Qi in the future. I trust nobody but our OTP. 

[jacquelinetan]

45 minutes ago, celebrianna said:

@jacquelinetan, it was mentioned before on this thread that General Su will betray Xiao Qi in the future. I trust nobody but our OTP. 

I must have missed that post.

 

Marriage life started on a good foot.

 

1. Xiao Qi took Wang Xuan out to release stress and the upcoming bad news from home.

2. Wang Xuan finally acknowledge Xiao Qi is her husband in public and took him out to dance to denote she has picked him to be her lover. Before that, she teased him that she was on a lookout for a man.

3. Quite a couple helping each other as she took out a lighter to start a fire while Xiao Qi was trying to start one go with the caveman basic

4. They can even teased each other who is at a bigger fault in bring calamity upon themselves

5. She packed her things to leave with him but he told her she had to go home and they had a discussion about it, all snuggled up.

6. She embroidered his cloak with dragons as suited for his titled as Yuzheng Wang. her husband commented no one sew anything for him and Wang Xuan said she will do so from now on.

7. His wife ran to greet him with the widest smile on her face.

8. The little spark of jealousy at the plum wine when another man indicated that it was his wife's favourite drink

9. I loved that they are completely honest about everything that affects their lives. 

10. Finally, he thought of providing personal bodyguards for his wife.

11. After going back to the capital, visiting both her parents, she returned to her home - Yuzheng Palace for her first time since her wedding. This is truly her home now.

 

Happy that the poison tea got spilled.

[insertusernamehere]

@ChristineH: I translated the OTP scenes from ep 13-19 (the ones not yet out or subbed on viki) here: https://mydramalist.com/28037-emperor-phoenix?r=notif&_nid=52375305#comment-5052103  Enjoy!

[ChristineH]

Yay!! Thankies @insertusernamehere 

[celebrianna]

1 hour ago, insertusernamehere said:

@ChristineH: I translated the OTP scenes from ep 13-19 (the ones not yet out or subbed on viki) here: https://mydramalist.com/28037-emperor-phoenix?r=notif&_nid=52375305#comment-5052103  Enjoy!

Thanks for taking the time to summarize those episodes. I just finished watching the raw episodes up to 18. I noticed the annoying third prince trying to grab, distract and entice A’Wu away even while she’s tending to the people. I’m so glad XQ showed up in time to rescue them from the attack. Love how A’Wu ran to him and hugged him. 

[NitaA]

@insertusernamehere, Thanks for sharing the translation, the waiting for sub is killing me....

[tazmin]

11 hours ago, Chibi8535 said:

Trust me, you do NOT want this to happen. Look at Saeguks (k-drama)... like Hwarang. They spend ALL their money on bg name actors, and run out of wig-budget. End up clipping some ugly extensions from the back, with modern day fluffy-bangs (that the actor originally has)... in the front. It looks so weird, cheap and lazy. Its worse when the Kings/ court officials have top-knots, yet edges of their modern day crops peek out from underneath their headgear. Major and EPIC fail!! C-dramas with productions that blend in the seam-edges and the lace look really good. I wish they wouldn't go the lazy way. This actually already looks SO good

Well tbf the amount of saeguks I’ve seen are pretty small comparatively to historical cdramas and a lot of the men wear that band around their heads, so you can’t see any issues with hairline lol 

But they already have the wigs, I wish they incorporated it much better or weren’t so lazy as you say 

[jacquelinetan]

Episode 18, I wander what did Zidan said regarding Xiao Qi's presence is always in perfect timing.

 

I wonder whether later Wang Xuan will go about and muster the funds to deliver the much needed supplies to Xiao Qi.

[jacquelinetan]

All the noble marriages in this drama is the result of arranged marriage in order to hold to power. I think it is in the Wang's family motto to hang on to power via sending their daughters in as Empresses. So goes the urban legend of marrying a Miss Wang you will become a Monarch. Indeed, our Miss Wang here did become an Empress in a new founded dynasty later.

 

Wang Xuan's brother marriage is no different as did his own Father, Mother and even the Empress Aunt. Huan Mi's father had intended to marry his daughter to Second Prince but got intercepted by Wang Xuan's father, the powerful Prime Minister. He probably wanted to marry the concubine that is expecting his child.

 

Xiao Qi probably had never intended making any contact with his wife but it all changed when He Lan Zhen kidnapped Wang Xuan for revenge that he went off to save his wife and started their path to a real marriage. He Lan Zhen is sort of the "matchmaker". Xiao Qi not being in the noble circle treats Wang Xuan with gentleness and honesty. I believe sincerity is what it takes in marriage regardless why and how it came about. 

 

I thought there is some poetic justice that Xiao Qi cut off He Lan Zhen's arm for the cause of Wang Xuan's suffering. He must have been upset seeing the wound on her shoulder and the bruises in her arm. He was angry at himself for being the reason that she was in such pain. Awww ...

[Polly]

Just saw ep 20 and 21. Though I missed XQ (he just appeared for a few mins), I loved today's episodes. ZZY's acting and emotions were really compelling when she heard the truth from the emperor. The shock on her face then disbelieve and ultimately disgust. And also the eunuch's attack scene were she was shielding the empress, her facial expressions were so spot on with her mouth open and fearful eyes. The actress who plays the empress is also great. I really felt sorry for her when she had that emotional breakdown after the attack. Today's 2 episodes were again milestones in Awu's life. It gave her a reality check, Ie. mom and dad didn't actually have a blissful marriage, her uncle was behind the failed murder attempt of her and XQ (earlier she was only suspecting but now it's confirmed), auntie also had to forgo her first love for a political alliance etc. 

[insertusernamehere]

6 hours ago, jacquelinetan said:

Episode 18, I wander what did Zidan said regarding Xiao Qi's presence is always in perfect timing.

 

I wonder whether later Wang Xuan will go about and muster the funds to deliver the much needed supplies to Xiao Qi.

He is implying XQ showed up just in time for the marriage as well - that was when he the third prince was implicated in the poison plot and would have had no way to compete for marriage (of course he later f-ed up his own chance by not showing up). 

[jacquelinetan]

1 minute ago, Polly said:

Just saw ep 20 and 21. Though I missed XQ (he just appeared for a few mins), I loved today's episodes. ZZY's acting and emotions were really compelling when she heard the truth from the emperor. The shock on her face then disbelieve and ultimately disgust. And also the eunuch's attack scene were she was shielding the empress, her facial expressions were so spot on with her mouth open and fearful eyes. The actress who plays the empress is also great. I really felt sorry for her when she had that emotional breakdown after the attack. Today's 2 episodes were again milestones in Awu's life. It gave her a reality check, Ie. mom and dad didn't actually have a blissful marriage, her uncle was behind the failed murder attempt of her and XQ (earlier she was only suspecting but now it's confirmed), auntie also had to forgo her first love for a political alliance etc. 

To add to that, her father had sent a spy to spy on Xiao Qi and Xiao Qi had made it known that he does not trust her father. Wang Xuan will be stuck in the middle if both her father and her husband are at odds.