JennyKimWOP

@SnT this is insightful and thoughtful - and 15 is not that young in that era, which is why I kind of shrugged about the age difference. Also, my great-grandfather had 2 concubines in Korea so my dad's side of the family, the relationships are all complicated, which is why I did not even bat an eyelid when I saw the concubine storyline. I agree with you that her relationships with young Ou and the Marquis/Houye would be different. One is never sure who is the better one - so I am open to all thoughts on this one. Me personally, I just prefer Houye, but I think that it is my personal bias as well, because I tend to prefer the more complicated leads, period. Thank you so much for reading and taking time to respond!

All, I love reading all the observations. I think that I will wait until I watch all the episodes subbed before I comment on anything. I am still trying to figure out how this all will actually work. The one thing that caught my eye - about the good Ou perhaps being a better husband for Shiyi... so it depends on what type of husband one wants. I don't think that his personality is strong enough to withstand Shiyi's extremely strong will, and because she is so intelligent and street-smart, she probably works better with an older husband than a contemporary. Just from watching modern marriages, at first the contemporary husband loves the wife for everything she is - smart, capable, and savvy. But at some point, he will start to feel deficient, and that's when the problems begin. With an older husband, someone like Shiyi can be more expansive, and he will merely be an umbrella, rather than trying to be her shield and her everything. Precisely because he has experienced what he has in his past (disappointment, betrayal) he will go much more slowly and be willing to accept parts and pieces of her to get the whole her, in a way that a youthful lover like Ou will not be willing to accept. Young Ou will want the whole her immediately. And with people like Shiyi, aiming for that immediately is a mistake. More than trust, Shiyi seems to seek a sense of safety, and the Marquis provides that, no matter what. So when he lied to protect her, that's when she knew that she could jump over that chalk line and actually give herself fully to him. Trust and a sense of safety are 2 different things - I learned that recently in a 12-week negotiation class. Don't be fooled by the aura of trust and end up trusting too much, but do work with a sense of safety to ensure open dialogue and follow through. I doubt that young Ou can provide Shiyi emotional equity - whereas the Marquis provides Shiyi emotional equity. The Marquis gives Shiyi space... in his youthful worship and love, young Ou probably will not do that. I suspect that many will disagree, but these are just my thoughts based on more than 20 years of observation about the relationships that work and don't work.

Thank you for the welcome @Mouse!

I don't understand one word of Mandarin, but having watched some of the previews, have you noticed that this drama is working quickly to get rid of every concubine? At the end of the day, it seems like this home will just be the Marquis and his legal wife. And maybe his mother and his extended family. Interesting way to get rid of the extended womenfolk. And @NiteWalker great website! I follow you on Twitter and finally registered because of this drama.